By Tim Lambert | Editor-in-chief
“As ICE spends the unprecedented multi-year detention funding provided by (the One Big Beautiful Act) and the Secure America Act, it is critical that the agency uses these taxpayer dollars efficiently and effectively. In the absence of a comprehensive strategic plan to guide detention expansion, ICE has wasted funds on unsuccessful detention initiatives and lacks important information about the long-term affordability of its investments.” — Findings in a nonpartisan Government Accountability Office report that found the Department of Homeland Security wasted more than $20 million in federal funding in its rapid expansion of immigration detention.
Happy Friday and a good morning to you. We are on the cusp of another weekend in our great commonwealth. Not to be a braggart, but it’s a three-day weekend for this guy.
Let’s go back 249 years on this day in Pennsylvania history for the arrival of the Liberty Bell in Allentown. The famed instrument was evacuated from its home in Philadelphia for safe keeping when the city was occupied by the British.
In 1794, President George Washington issued a proclamation on Sept. 25 that troops from the Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia militias would head out to tamp down the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania. It all started because farmers weren’t pleased with the 1791 “whiskey” tax.
Thanks for starting your day with us. As always, we deeply appreciate you reading, sharing and supporting our work. -- Tim
The watchtower of CoreCivic’s former Prairie Correctional Facility, in Appleton, Minn., which will now be used as an ICE detention center, on Aug. 20, 2026. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
By Ariana Figueroa of States Newsroom
Government investigators Thursday released a report that found the Department of Homeland Security wasted more than $20 million in federal funding in its rapid expansion of immigration detention, including warehouse purchases strongly opposed in numerous U.S. communities.
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found that millions were wasted because DHS began expanding detention operations without putting a plan in place to meet U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s goal of detaining up to 100,000 immigrants.
Investigators examined the purchase of 11 warehouses at $1.07 billion for the purpose of immigration detention. Two of the buildings are in Pennsylvania — one in Schuylkill County and the other in Berks County.
DHS now plans to sell seven of the sites that were purchased, including the ones in the commonwealth. Investigators said the department’s change of course has led to nonrecoverable costs, such as $7.7 million spent in zoning assessments and title insurance.
Additionally, ICE is still paying for utilities, security and other services at the warehouses it intends to sell, costing approximately $12.8 million as of last month.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright speaks at a news conference where he announced a $71.5 million Department of Energy grant for PPL Electric Utilities to rebuild a Pennsylvania transmission line. (Photo by Peter Hall/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
By Peter Hall
A project to wring more capacity out of existing power lines will help suppliers like PPL Electric Utilities improve reliability and affordability for customers, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Thursday.
As the energy industry scrambles to meet surging electricity demand, largely from AI data centers, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is poised to spend nearly $2 billion to help fund 31 grid improvement projects in 26 states.
“Energy is life,” Wright said in a news conference near Allentown, where he met with Lehigh Valley leaders. “Get energy policy right, and you create a community with tremendous opportunity, affordability. You attract businesses, which bid up wages. You create a stronger, more thriving community.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks before signing the 2026-2027 state budget Sunday, July 12, 2026. (Photo by Ian Karbal/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
By Charlie Wolfson of Pittsburgh’s Public Source
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s huge fundraising lead over Republican challenger Stacy Garrity continues to be built in part by contributions from out of state, and has positioned the Democratic incumbent to spend millions trying to win control of the General Assembly for his party.
Shapiro’s campaign spent $31 million between June 9 and Sept. 14, a new disclosure shows, including more than $19 million on TV and digital advertising. After entering the summer with $36 million in the bank, he raised $13.3 million more, and carried almost $20 million into the final six weeks of campaigning.
Garrity continued to struggle in the fundraising game. She raised $1.8 million over the three-month period, during which she spent $1.6 million, and brought $1.4 million into the home stretch.
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An aerial view shows a data center situated near single-family homes in Stone Ridge, Va. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
By Christine Condon of Maryland Matters
Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore is commissioning a state task force to examine new data center proposals and advise local jurisdictions considering the projects.
The final decision on data center projects still rests with local governments, Moore said during a news conference Wednesday morning in Annapolis.
“Our administration will always stand with the people, and the state will not go around a local community’s ‘no,’” Moore said.
Moore said he also plans to advocate for the repeal of a state tax exemption for data centers, established in 2020, during the next legislative session, which begins in January.
TODAY IN THE CAPITAL-STAR
Senators say Flock surveillance cameras raise constitutional questions: A vast and growing network of artificial intelligence-driven Flock cameras could violate constitutional privacy rights, U.S. senators on a Judiciary Committee subcommittee said during a hearing this week.
Doctors, hospitals to see lower Medicaid payments in three dozen states:
New federal rules likely will force three dozen states to reduce their annual Medicaid payments to doctors and hospitals by a total of more than $50 billion — potentially shrinking the number of providers willing to see Medicaid patients, according to a new analysis.
Kentucky’s Gov. Andy Beshear backs black lung bill in Congress: Gov. Andy Beshear asked Kentucky’s congressional delegation in a Thursday letter to throw their support behind a bill amending the Black Lung Benefits Act to “provide adequate benefits for miners suffering from black lung disease.” Pennsylvanians have filed 143,000 claims, as of last year.
States put criminal justice, marijuana policies before voters in 2026: The Nov. 3 ballot measures in nine states include questions about pretrial release, fentanyl and human trafficking penalties, immigration enforcement, traffic cameras, drug cartels and marijuana regulation.
ICYMI
Rural Pa. doctors confront health impacts of environmental disasters: Pennsylvania is expected to continue to experience more extreme heat and flooding events, according to the state’s most recent climate assessment. Researchers are beginning to gather more data about how the uptick in extreme weather will affect people’s long-term health — sometimes in unexpected ways.
Audit finds Pa. Department of Aging’s oversight of county offices lacking: A new system for evaluating the performance of county offices that investigate claims of elder abuse fails to protect the commonwealth’s senior citizens, an audit found.
More Pennsylvanians lose SNAP as Congress weighs food stamps’ future: New data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows more than 330,000 Americans lost access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program between May and June. According to the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), Pennsylvania saw a 12% decrease in SNAP participation from July 2025 to June 2026 — a drop of 223,510 people.
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