By Tim Lambert | Editor-in-chief
“Pennsylvania is at an energy crossroads. Data center development brings significant opportunities, but that growth cannot come at the expense of the families and businesses that already depend on reliable and affordable electric service.” — Steve DeFrank, who is chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
A good Thursday morning to you. It was right here in Pennsylvania on this day in 1787 that the U.S. Constitution was signed, giving the country a new form of government. The moved wrapped up the four-month Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
Afterwards, James McHenry, a Maryland delegate, observed a conversation between Benjamin Franklin and a woman. She asked, “Well Doctor what have we got a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Just 75 years later to the day, with the young nation embroiled in the Civil War, the bloodiest single day in U.S. military history took place just south of the Mason-Dixon Line — the Battle of Antietam. According to the National Park Service, more than 23,110 men were killed, wounded, or listed as missing as American troops halted Southern commander Gen. Robert E. Lee’s first attempt to invade the North.
Thanks for starting your day with us. As always, we deeply appreciate you reading, sharing and supporting our work. -- Tim
Constellation Energy’s Limerick Generating Station, branded as the Limerick Clean Energy Center, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Peter Hall/Capital-Star)
By Peter Hall
Rolling blackouts would happen more than 13 days a year in a “worst case future” scenario, where data center growth is unrestrained and electricity supplies remain tight, according to a report commissioned by Pennsylvania utility regulators.
Even if new power plants are built over the next 15 years, as data center projects come online, the regional electricity grid would fall short of demands six times per decade, on average, according to the report.
“That means we’re running the grid at the red line,” Abe Silverman, a researcher at the Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute at Johns Hopkins University, said.
The report also examines a third scenario in which no new data centers get built after 2026; it’s the only scenario in which PJM is able to achieve its reliability goal.
Panelists told lawmakers that addressing Pennsylvania's housing shortage must be focused on affordability and preserving existing homes in addition to building new structures. (Photo by Robbie Sequeira/Stateline)
By Whitney Downard
Government employees and community advocates warned state lawmakers Wednesday that the commonwealth can’t build itself out of the housing shortage, but needed to also focus on preserving existing homes and keeping homes affordable for low-income Pennsylvanians.
“We can build all we want, but if we continue to lose units, we will still wind up in a negative situation,” said Sara Innamorato, the county executive of Allegheny County and a former state representative.
Though the lack of homes impacted people across the economic spectrum, those with limited means — specifically seniors — struggled to afford their homes, she continued.
State Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced Wednesday details on her office’s efforts to curb waste as it processes payments for more than 70 state agencies. (Photo by Peter Hall/Pennsylvania Captial-Star)
By Peter Hall
Pennsylvania’s fiscal watchdog halted about 20,000 improper state government payments worth $1.4 billion last fiscal year.
State Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced Wednesday details about her office’s efforts to curb waste as it processes payments for more than 70 state agencies.
“During the last fiscal year, Treasury processed more than 21 million payments totaling $145 billion,” she said, noting that’s a payment ever three seconds.”As demonstrated by the results of the Payment Production and Improper Payments report, Treasury does not provide an automatic rubber stamp when payments are requested.”
A pair of state lawmakers want to expand efforts to track improper payments by state agencies by requiring them to review and assess programs that fall outside of federal oversight of wasteful spending.
Independent reporting on Pennsylvania state government that impacts communities statewide — free to read and republish.
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A woman uses the TikTok app. (Photo by Thicha Satapitanon/Getty Images)
COMMENTARY
By Jonathan Caulkins of The Conversation
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced a civil lawsuit against TikTok on Aug. 11, 2026, filed in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and accusing the social media platform of violating state consumer protection laws in ways that harm youth.
There are two central charges. One alleges that “TikTok knowingly created platform features intended to cause excessive, compulsive, and addictive use, despite knowing that young people are more susceptible to – and acutely harmed by – those features.” Those features include infinite scrolling, autoplay and push notifications designed to trigger the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that drives the brain’s reward system.
The company rejects the charges.
After nearly 40 years studying how addictive products are marketed, I agree that goods and services that lead to compulsive behaviors – whether scrolling or smoking – deserve special scrutiny. However, they do not fall neatly into binaries such as being addictive or not, or dangerous for youth but safe for adults. Lawsuits that find defendants liable or not liable risk imposing black-and-white distinctions on trade-offs that require nuanced thinking.
TODAY IN THE CAPITAL-STAR
Record diesel prices hit farmers at the wrong time: Farmers hoping the cost of diesel fuel would go down before fall harvest hits high gear are instead facing the highest prices ever seen. Diesel is topping $6 per gallon in North Dakota as wars in the Middle East and Russia drive up prices.
More GOP lawmakers break on Iran as gas prices keep climbing: The vote came as diesel prices reached a record high of $6.31 per gallon in the United States, and gas hovered at an average of nearly $4.37 a gallon Wednesday, according to AAA.
Doctors say children of immigrants are missing healthcare: Four in 10 pediatricians reported kids in immigrant families are avoiding coming in for healthcare out of concerns around immigration status, according to a new survey published Tuesday.
Census data shows US poverty rate drops to lowest on record: The official poverty rate in the United States dipped slightly by half a percentage point last year to a historic low of 10.2%, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
More states embrace ‘50-50’ child custody in divorce cases: A growing number of states are making an equal split between parents the default child custody option in divorce cases.
ICYMI
Pa. announces 2 measles deaths: Two more Pennsylvanians have died after becoming infected with measles, health officials said, bringing the number of deaths in the commonwealth attributed to the virus to four. State Department of Health officials said Tuesday the dead are an 18-year-old from Mifflin County and a 40-year-old Jefferson County woman.
SCOTUS ruling ‘provides much-need finality’ on mail voting in Pa.: Pennsylvania’s top elections chief hailed a U.S. Supreme Court decision as a major victory for voters. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said Monday’s ruling blocking the U.S. Postal Service from implementing a mail-in ballot rule before November’s crucial midterm elections is necessary to protect state elections.
Pennsylvania is building more EV chargers. Will drivers come? An electric road trip across Pennsylvania — a state that’s spending big on its charging network — shows early promise.
Fights and weapons confiscations are down in Philly schools: With a new school year underway, School District of Philadelphia Chief of Safety Craig Johnson is determined to maintain the downward trends he’s been seeing in student violence. The number of weapons confiscated from students dropped about 67%, from the 2021-22 school year to the 2024-25 school year.
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