Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- Spotlight PA: Gov. Shapiro’s Office Agrees To Pay $295,000 To Settle Sexual Harassment Allegation Accusations Against Former Legislative Secretary

-- AP: PA Governor’s Office Settles For $295,000 A Former Staffer’s Claim Former Legislative Secretary Harassed Her

-- TribLive Editorial: Shapiro Fails On Transparency With Staffer Harassment Complaint

-- Budget 2023

-- PA Capital-Star: Here’s What’s Still Outstanding In Pennsylvania’s State Budget

-- AP: PA Lawmakers Chip Away At Budget Stalemate, Pass Bill To Boost Hospital And Ambulance Subsidies

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: What’s On The Table To End State Budget Stalemate

-- TribLive: State-Owned Universities Seeking 6.5% Boost In State Funding To Maintain Tuition Freeze

-- Spotlight PA: PA Tax Credits Result In ‘Mixed Bag’ For Job Creation

-- PA Gaming Control Board Reports September Gaming Revenue Increased 6.2% Over September Of 2022

-- PA House/Senate

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA Bill To Hike Dog License Fee Heads To Governor’s Desk [It Only Took 27 Years]

-- PennLive: Democrat Rep. Kim Announces Run For State Senate Seat In Harrisburg; Battleground For Control Of PA Senate

-- US Senate/House

-- Post-Gazette: Sen. Casey Raised Another $3 Million For 2024 Reelection Campaign

-- PennLive: McCormick’s PAC Gave PA Republican State Committee $50,000 In Weeks Before ‘Unprecedented’ US Senate Endorsement

-- Post-Gazette: PA Member Of Congress Summer Lee Calls Jim Jordan A “White Supremacist Antisemite’ As Republicans Fall Short In First Speaker Vote

-- PA Capital-Star: Republican PA Cong. Scott Perry Says Jim Jordan Had ‘Nothing To Do With’ Death Threats Against Members Who Voted Against Him

-- PennLive: Republican Against Con. Perry Aiming To Oust Republican Congressman In 2024 Thru Voter Outreach

-- Inquirer: Republican Con. Scott Perry Cleared Less Than $2,000 In Campaign Cash In Last Three Months

-- City & State PA: What Campaign Finance Reports Tell Us About PA’s 2024 Congressional Field

-- November 2023 Election

-- PA Dept. Of State Secretary Discusses Preparations For Nov. 7 Election, Encourages Voters To Rely On Trusted Sources For Election Information

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA Election Chief Hoping For Higher-Than-Usual Voter Turnout For Nov. 7 Election

-- PA Capital-Star: Secretary Of State Answers Voting Questions Ahead Of Nov. 7 General Election

-- Post-Gazette - Salena Zito: Don’t Miss PA’s Important And Expensive PA Supreme Court Race

-- Environmental Advocates To Spend More Than $250,000 In Support Of McCaffery In Critical PA Supreme Court Race To Protect Constitutional Right To Clean Air, Pure Water  [PaEN] 

-- AP: US Supreme Court Notched Big Conservative Wins; It’s A Key Issue In Pennsylvania’s Fall Election

-- PennLive - John Baer: Maybe We Should Auction Off PA Supreme Court Seats, Give Money To Schools

-- Spotlight PA: Everything You Need To Know About Requesting, Filling Out, Return Your Mail-In Ballot

-- WITF: In Change Of Course, National And State Republican Leaders Promote Mail-In Ballots

-- WITF: So Far, Republicans Gain Most From PennDOT Automatic Voter Registration

-- Election Reforms

-- AP: PA House OKs Bill To Move 2024 Primary Election By 1 Week In Continuing Fight With Senate Over Date

- AP: Proposals Would End Pennsylvania’s Closed Primary Election

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Primary Scheduling Saga Lands On April 16 Proposal

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Students Call On Lawmakers To End ‘Archaic’ Closed Primary Elections

-- National Politics

-- Post-Gazette - Salena Zito: Can We Have Another Candidate, Please? 

-- PA Capital-Star: Latest Biden Campaign Ad Focuses On Manufacturing In Philadelphia

-- PA’s Role In Assault On US Capitol

-- AP: Mercer County Woman Sentenced To 4 Years, 9 Months In Prison For Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol [1,100+ Charged, 800+ Have Pleaded Guilty Or Been Convicted Of Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol]

-- TribLive: Mercer County Woman Gets Nearly 5 Years In Prison For Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol

-- Post-Gazette: Mercer County Woman Sentenced To Nearly 5 Years In Prison For Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol 

-- AP: Federal Prosecutors Appealing Prison Sentences For Proud Boys Leaders, Want More Time For Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol

-- PennLive: Cumberland County Woman Convicted In Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol Must Pay Ex-Boyfriend $50,000 For Defamation

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- Reading Eagle: Rep. Mark Rozzi Enters 2024 Democratic Race For State Auditor General

-- The Center Square: PA State Treasurer Ups Israeli Bonds 44% Amid Hamas War

-- Sen. Mastriano To Introduce Bill To Establish A Process To Formally Recognize The Lenape Nation In Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- Flooding

-- PEMA Now Accepting Letters Of Interest For FEMA Flood Mitigation & Building Resilient Infrastructure And Communities Grant Programs  [PaEN]

-- Scranton Times: Charity Offers Aid To Flood Victims

-- AP: Atlantic Hurricanes Now Twice As Likely To Grow From Minor To Whopper Than Decades Ago Study Says

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: PA- $3.73; National- $3.55; Ohio- $3.26

-- TribLive/AP: Long Lines At Pump Unlikely, But Middle East Crisis Could Disrupt Oil Supplies, Raise Prices

-- FX Street: Natural Gas Price Increases Triggered By Middle East Tensions Despite Steady Flows, Lower Demand 

-- Financial Times: EU Considers Natural Gas Price Cap Extension To Avert Winter Crisis Due To Potential Price Disruptions, Infrastructure Sabotage From Middle East Conflict

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Same As Last Week - 21

-- Reuters: Natural Gas Producer Chesapeake Explores Buying Southwestern Energy

-- WPost - Timothy Puko: The Next Front In The Climate Fight: US Exports Of Natural Gas 

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Up 6.1% On Fears Of Wider Middle East Conflict

-- Bloomberg: Natural Gas Lobby Warns Of Global Price Shocks Without Investment In New Supply By Midcentury

-- Reuters: Oil Up 2% On Big US Crude Storage Draw, Middle East Tension

-- Reuters: US Oil Output From Top Shale Regions Set To Fall In November - US EIA

-- Bloomberg: Shell Hits Record Stock Price As New CEO Makes Most Of High Oil Prices

-- Natural Gas Explosions/Outages

-- PUC Updates Investigation Into Dec. 2022 Natural Gas House Explosion In Dauphin County  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Safety Division Investigating Columbia Gas Service Disruptions To 4,000+ Customers In Beaver County  [PaEN]

-- Beaver County Times: PUC Investigating Ongoing Columbia Gas Service Outage In Beaver County

-- Beaver County Times: Natural Gas Service Restored To Communities Experiencing Outages

-- WPXI: Mayor Of Economy Boro, Beaver County, Expresses Frustration At Ongoing Natural Gas Outage 

-- WTAE: Columbia Gas Starts To Restore Service For Thousands Of Beaver County Customers

-- KDKA: Columbia Gas Service Restoration For 4,000 Beaver County Residents Expected To Take Days

-- TribLive: Columbia Gas Shuts Off Service To 4,000 Beaver County Residents Because Of Natural Gas Introduced Into Its System By A Third-Party Gas Supplier, No Service For Several Days 

-- KDKA: Columbia Gas Halts Service For Nearly 4,000 Residents After It Identified An ‘Issue With Natural Gas Introduced Into Its System By A Third Party 

-- WTAE: Thousands Of Beaver County Columbia Gas Customers To Be Without Service For Several Days

-- Post-Gazette: Columbia Gas Begins Service Restoration For 4,000 Customers In Beaver County Over Next Several Days After ‘Issue’ With Natural Gas 

-- WPXI: Columbia Gas Explains Plan To Restore Service To More Than 4,000 Beaver County Customers To Ensure Safety Of Customers 

-- TribLive: Plum Boro’s Festival Of Honor Returning To Raise Money For Rustic Ridge Community Impacted By Natural Gas Explosion In August 

-- Train Derailments

-- The Allegheny Front: National Academies Of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine Gather Health Questions From Norfolk Southern Train Derailment To Consider Future Research

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Norfolk Southern Train Derailment A Symptom Of Addiction To Plastic, Says Resident Turned Activist

-- WTAE: EPA Facing Criticism For Response To Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- WFMJ: EPA Administrator Talks About Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Cleanup Efforts, Commitment To Community

-- Education

-- The Center Square: Racial Inequality In Pennsylvania Public Schools

-- The Center Square: Explicit Book Access In School Libraries Face A Reckoning In PA Senate

-- TribLive: State-Owned Universities Seeking 6.5% Boost In State Funding To Maintain Tuition Freeze

-- Inquirer: Penn President Said University ‘Should Have Moved Faster’ In Opposing Palestine Writes Speakers With History Of Antisemitism

-- WESA: Penn State Outlines Steps Taken Ahead Of Return Visit By Controversial Right-Wing Performer

-- Health Care

-- Post-Gazette: Without Antitrust Law, PA Lacks Regulatory Muscle Needed For Oversight Of Hospital Deals

-- Spotlight PA: Which PA Counties Are Receiving The Most Opioid Settlement Money And Why

-- Courier Times: PA Supreme Court Upholds Ruling Dismissing Bucks County School District’s Lawsuit On Pandemic Mask Mandate

-- The Economy

-- Dept. Of Labor & Industry Reports September Unemployment Drops To 3.4%, A New Record Low

-- Spotlight PA: PA Tax Credits Result In ‘Mixed Bag’ For Job Creation

-- Courier Times: Is Working From Home Booming In Your Town: Top 50 Towns In PA With Most Workers Staying At Home

-- Courier Times: Nooses And Slurs vs. Contested Firing: PA Workplace Discrimination Cases Yield Very Different Outcomes; Case Of Oil & Gas Employee vs. Starbucks Manager

-- Post-Gazette: Rite Aid, Facing Slumping Sales, Opioid Suits, Files For Bankruptcy

-- York Daily Record: PA Has 4th Largest ‘Candy Economy’ New Study Shows

-- Other

-- PennLive Recognizes Those Who Promote Peace And Justice Across PA Communities

-- TribLive: Rebuilding Tree Of Life Synagogue 5 Years After Attack

-- WESA: One Year After Walking Out, Workers At Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Remain On Strike

[Posted: October 22, 2023]