With energy affordability and reliability dominating headlines, state lawmakers peppered Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley about the administration’s strategy to speed the addition of new power sources to the electric grid. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

Gov. Shapiro joins Democratic AGs suing the CDC over change in childhood vaccine recommendation penncapital-star.com/health/gov-s... via @iankarbal.bsky.social

ICE agents dropped a blind Rohingya refugee off at a Tim Horton’s on the other side of Buffalo from his home hours after taking custody of the 56 year old man upon his release from jail. He was found dead on the street later that night. www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/25/b...

Democrats restored their 102-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House by winning special elections in Allegheny and Lehigh counties Tuesday. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

A pair of special elections for the state House are set Tuesday in Allegheny and Lehigh counties to replace lawmakers who resigned. Democrats hold a 100-98 majority in the House with five seats vacant. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

A South Carolina bill that seeks to end recreational sales of nitrous oxide, or “whippets,” advanced to the Senate floor Tuesday after viral videos took a cheap high that’s been around for decades to a new level of misuse. via @scdailygazette.com

U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe orders the Department of the Interior to restore the President's House exhibits on slavery by Friday. Apparently unhappy with the lack of action, Rufe breaks out "FORTHWITH" in her order.

Extending the cap for another two years will save PJM’s 67 million customers an additional $27 billion on their energy bills, Shapiro said in a statement. It would mean about $575 in savings for every Pennsylvania household over the next four years. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

While Wednesday’s jobs report beat expectations for growth in January, about 4,000 Pennsylvania workers have received notices so far this year that they’ll be laid off. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

No one can deny that ICE under this Administration is being overly aggressive, violating people's rights, and endangering the lives of U.S. citizens and law abiding immigrants. We cannot move forward without commonsense reforms.

Yeah, so, I drove under this thing last night. youtu.be/oVCB2Dhv4tw?...

A former executive of skill game company Pace-O-Matic contributed to the “disorganized and problematic environment” for the slot machine-like devices by taking kickbacks from illegal gambling machine operators, state Attorney General Dave Sunday said. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

ICYMI: Should data centers pay up front or build their own power plants? penncapital-star.com/energy-envir...

“PJM is the regional transmission organization in the country that is most short of electricity right now,” said Jon Gordon, director of the renewable energy industry group Advanced Energy United. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

Milky moonrise over a silvery field. West Chester, Pa.

About two dozen proposals related to immigration enforcement are percolating in the state legislature. Lawmakers acknowledge it’s a long shot to enact reforms in a federally-governed arena and with a different party controlling each chamber of the legislature. From @ejprev.bsky.social

Slaughtering, butchering and packaging meat is among the most essential but dangerous industries and relies heavily on immigrant labor. A state House panel approved legislation to ensure workers in receive safety instructions in the language they speak. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

“If the president ... seeks to impose his will, and the federal will, on our commonwealth, there may be some things that we can’t stop, but I can tell you, we’ve learned from the good example in other states,” Shapiro said. penncapital-star.com/2026/01/29/r... Via @ashleymurray.bsky.social

7 a.m., huh?

Stay in the loop without leaving your inbox, by signing up for our newsletters – analysis, commentary, or leading issues of the day. www.newsfromthestates.com/subscribe

Accept no imitations or substitutes.

Maybe stick to decorative gourds ...

By the time the storm ended early Monday, most places across Pennsylvania had received between 8 and 12 inches of snow. The greatest accumulation reported to the National Weather Service was nearly 25 inches in Jennerstown, Somerset County. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

Gov. Shapiro critical of ICE escalation in Minneapolis and other cities penncapital-star.com/civil-rights... Via @ejprev.bsky.social

Interstate highways, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and other major highways will close to trucks and other large vehicles at midnight Saturday in anticipation of the winter storm forecast to blanket the region, state officials said. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

The justices blocked the city’s financial guardian from unilaterally forcing a transfer of the Chester Water Authority’s assets to the city government. Instead, such a transfer would require the joint action of all three of the authority’s governing municipalities. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

Signs about the history of slavery in the U.S. and the 9 people George Washington enslaved are being removed right now at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia, across from Independence Hall, months after the Trump administration threatend to do so. How far we have not come in 250 years.

Pa. Supreme Court upholds Philadelphia judge suspension over partisan Facebook posts penncapital-star.com/campaigns-el...

Whoever was responsible for the graphic identity of Claude.ai, you all haven't read any Kurt Vonnegut, have you?

A couple of news items on energy: The Trump administration and Democratic govs from Pa., Md., Va. and Ill. signed an agreement Friday to extend the cap on capacity auction prices in the 13-state PJM grid area. www.cnbc.com/2026/01/16/t...

Stunning photos from Minneapolis, including this one by John Locher for the Associated Press. www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

“People are more than statistics. It is safe to say that most people involved in agriculture know at least one person who has struggled,” said Lisa Wherry, a Pennsylvania Farm Bureau member. From @wdownard.bsky.social and @petehallpa.bsky.social

Republican state Rep. Sheryl Delozier announced Tuesday she will not seek reelection after nine terms, putting her Cumberland County district up for grabs. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

Republican Stacy Garrity’s first campaign speech of 2026 was all about Gov. Josh Shapiro penncapital-star.com/election-202... via @wdownard.bsky.social

I think about this often.

Yaw was elected chairperson of the 21-member Chesapeake Bay Commission, which includes 15 state House and Senate lawmakers from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia; a cabinet secretary selected by each state’s governor; and a citizen member from each state. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

Pennsylvania, with a centuries-long legacy of resource extraction, stands to be the hardest hit by a loss of grant money if the transfer of funds remains in the final version. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

Kicking off their campaign for a second term, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis offered a vision where Pennsylvanians have abundant opportunities for success, affordable and safe communities and the rights and freedoms they value. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

The court’s order dismissing the cases as moot follows Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s agreement to withdraw from the multi-state climate compact as part of his deal with Republican state lawmakers to bring the five-month budget stalemate to a close in November. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

In just over 300 days, Pennsylvania voters will decide whether to reelect Gov. Josh Shapiro for a second term. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

Anyone else thinking it’s odd they did this raid with a full moon?

FERC orders PJM to clarify its rules as data center builders seek to connect electricity-hungry AI directly to power plants. penncapital-star.com/energy-envir...

As a long-awaited jobs report reinforced concerns about the economy Tuesday, Vice President J.D. Vance worked to rally a group of supporters in the Lehigh Valley with claims the nation is on the brink of an economic comeback. penncapital-star.com/campaigns-el...

Gov. Josh Shapiro is urging federal energy officials to consider comments from consumer advocates, state utility regulators and power companies before deciding a case that could determine how AI data centers and other large electricity users connect to the grid. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

A group of five independent voters including political commentator Michael Smerconish filed a lawsuit Wednesday asking a Pennsylvania court to end the commonwealth’s bar against independent voters participating in primary elections. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

President Donald Trump kicked off his midterm campaign to retain Republican control of the U.S. House with a rally Tuesday in one of Pennsylvania’s most competitive congressional districts. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

Here's an important law that passed along with the Pa. budget that should've gotten more attention.

Transgender health advocates see long fight to keep children’s medical records private penncapital-star.com/civil-rights...

Pennsylvania regulators will investigate a proposed rate increase by the state’s largest water and wastewater utility. The potential move could increase bills for some customers by more than 40%. From @petehallpa.bsky.social

A York County judge who was accused of stealing unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to return to the bench after the federal indictment against him was dismissed. From @petehallpa.bsky.social