By Tim Lambert | Editor-in-chief
“This issue is so incredibly powerful across the country, and especially here in Pennsylvania, that it would be political suicide to just let it sit there and do nothing about it.” — Alex Bomstein, executive director of the nonprofit Clean Air Council, on how public opposition to data centers is growing across the political spectrum.
A good Monday morning to you. Let’s rise and grind to get this work week started. At least one NFL team in the state showed some spunk yesterday. The Eagles rallied with a late touchdown to defeat Tennessee 24-20. As for the Steelers, the less said the better about their 20-3 loss to the Patriots.
I have a little bit of journalism history for you today. On this day in 1784, three years before the U.S. Constitution was ratified by the commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser became one of the first in America to publish a daily newspaper.
Thanks for starting your day with us. As always, we deeply appreciate you reading, sharing and supporting our work. -- Tim
Pa. Supreme Court decisions on felony murder and skill games will force the two issues to the top of lawmakers' agendas when they return next week. (Photo by Peter Hall/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
By Whitney Downard
For the first time since late July, Pennsylvania’s General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene next week in Harrisburg.
At the top of the agenda are the results of two state Supreme Court decisions: one determining that mandatory life sentences for felony murder are unconstitutional and another putting tens of thousands of slot machine-like gaming terminals at risk of seizure.
Lawmakers failed to come to a consensus on the former before a court-imposed deadline passed, leaving prosecutors and judges with no guidance for sentencing those convicted of the crime.
They also did not address the court’s determination in June that the “unlawful” skill games devices should be regulated just like other gambling machines.
Construction continues for a data center being built at the former Homer City Generating Station in Center Township, Indiana County May 14, 2026. Previously, the largest coal-burning power plant in Pennsylvania, the plant is being transformed into a natural gas-powered data center campus. (Photo by John Beale for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
By Audrey Carleton of Capital & Main
After vowing to spend $20 billion on data centers across Pennsylvania, Amazon is now quietly reaping the rewards of a controversial, yet lucrative state tax exemption, records show.
Exactly how much Pennsylvania could be forgoing from the tech behemoth is unclear, even as it expands its footprint across the state. In 2025, Amazon announced it would funnel its first investments into two data centers to support artificial intelligence in Salem Township, in northeastern Pennsylvania, and in Falls Township, just north of Philadelphia.
Since then, the company’s portfolio across the state has grown. It recently applied for a local permit to build 36 data centers at a gas powered, 4.5-gigawatt data center campus where a legacy coal plant in Homer City once stood in southwestern Pennsylvania.
On the northeastern side of the state, LehighValleyLive recently confirmed Amazon is involved in a 1,300-acre site in Hazle Township, permission for which was denied locally last year, a decision the developer appealed. Nearby, it is also awaiting local permits for another data center site in Kline Township. And after much resident sleuthing, it was confirmed to be a prospective end user for a controversial data center site in Montour County, the rezoning request for which was denied locally in February.
UPMC is one of more than 20 hospitals that received subpoenas last year for the patient records of children receiving gender-affirming care, the overarching term used to describe a range of services provided to transgender people ranging from talk therapy to surgery. (Photo by Jessica Kourkounis for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
By Peter Hall
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center will end gender-affirming care for minors under a settlement with the federal government.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Friday the move resolves its investigation into potential violations of federal law arising from the hospital’s treatment provided to transgender children.
Under the agreement, UPMC will cease providing what the Justice Department characterized as “dangerous interventions to minors,” including administering puberty blockers, hormones and performing surgical procedures. The hospital will also pay a $950,000 fine, the DOJ said.
UPMC is one of more than 20 hospitals that received subpoenas last year for the patient records of children receiving gender-affirming care, the overarching term used to describe a range of services provided to transgender people ranging from talk therapy to surgery.
Independent reporting on Pennsylvania state government that impacts communities statewide — free to read and republish.
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West Publishing, a division of Thomson Reuters, said it detected unauthorized activity involving its C-Track case management system June 30. (Getty photos)
By Peter Hall
Three Pennsylvania courts and the state Environmental Hearing Board were hit by a cybersecurity incident affecting case management software that may have compromised individuals personal information.
West Publishing, a division of Thomson Reuters, said it detected unauthorized activity involving its C-Track case management system June 30. It announced the breach, which had been ongoing since March, on Sept. 2.
It affected more than two dozen courts nationwide including the Allegheny County, Monroe County and Washington County common pleas courts and the state Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Environmental Hearing Board, which handles appeals to environmental permitting decisions.
TODAY IN THE CAPITAL-STAR
Federal judge in Pa. dismisses lawsuit over Title X grant funding: The National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association and the Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania filed the lawsuit, alleging that U.S. Health and Human Services was politicizing the Title X grant funding program and violating the intent of the law with its new process for evaluating applications.
Pa.-based companies lease land in Ohio national forest for fracking: Nearly 3,000 acres of Ohio’s only national forest were leased for more than $11 million by the Bureau of Land Management to out-of-state companies for fracking. Apex Energy Operating III LLC and Ohio Gasco LLC are among the firms.
Attention shifts to protections at the polls: Voting rights groups and Democratic officials are looking to defend against what they see as possible election interference from the Trump administration ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, now that they’ve won a major battle over mail ballots.
Violent victimization at school rose among students in 2024: Students ages 12 to 18 experienced higher rates of reported crime at school than away from school in 2024, according to a new federal analysis. But the overall rate of crime victimization at school has not changed significantly since 2014.
ICYMI
Arrests near Danville hospital show difficulty tracking ICE activity: The incident paints a picture of how difficult it can be to get timely and accurate information on ICE activity at this phase of the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, which has gained steam since it began last year.
Call for Clearfield County commissioners to vote ‘no’ on ICE extension: Immigration rights advocates say there’s evidence the federal government plans to buy a privately owned and operated detention center in Clearfield County and are calling on Pennsylvania elected leaders to act.
Shapiro calls on CDC to recognize measles-associated deaths in Pa.: Two more people have died in Pennsylvania’s growing measles outbreak, bringing the total number of measles-related deaths to four — but, a public federal dashboard still shows no measles deaths so far this year.
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