😎 Monday. Welcome to the brief holiday week.
Headlines. Supreme Court Hit Week. Judge dismisses Justice Department lawsuit over disclosure of Pennsylvania voters’ private information $10,000-per-household data center idea called ‘kickback’. Vote for the best HS football stadium in Pennsylvania.
🎶 Your morning, pick me up. (Love is like) Heatwave. Marta and the Vandels
Weather in Pennsylvania
☀️ Linesville | Mostly radiant, 88
🌤️ Saxton | Partly radiant, 87
☀️ Birdsboro | Mostly radiant, 87
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (47-37) | New York Mets 5-4 | Mon vs. Pittsburgh
⚾ Pirates (42-42) | Cincinnati 9-4 | Monday in Philadelphia
⚽ USMNT (2-1) | Wednesday vs. Bosnia
What’s happening today. The Supreme Court will publish its opinions at 10 a.m. The House meets at noon and the Senate begins at 3 p.m.
What we hear. “Conservative groups are preparing to urge the Federal Communications Commission to do just that revoke Disney’s license to broadcast television programsincluding WPVI in Philadelphia (6abc).”
What are we watching?. In this episode of Voices of Reason entitled AI data centers are the hottest topic in the Commonwealth. Should we rush to win the AI race with China or tardy down our efforts? PoliticsPA Steve Ulrich talks to Pennsylvania State Senator Rosemary Brown AND Michael Helbingdirector of the Center for Energy Law and Policy at Penn State.
Tips. PoliticsPA is Pennsylvania’s leading source of unbiased political news and analysis. Tips and press releases can be submitted [email protected].
PoliticsPA Guide was developed by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser click here.
The most critical story
1. A week of Supreme Court hits will test Trump’s power
“The last week of the Supreme Court term is shaping up to be a blockbuster, and the few remaining cases carry sedate scope implications President Trump power.
Three of the eight cases awaiting ruling hinge on what Trump – and future presidents – can and cannot do in office, including determining who becomes an American and what controls are in place on a president’s ability to fire federal officials.
Perhaps the most critical decision left before the court is Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship.’ | Axles
Elsewhere
Trump’s reputation among AP voters is improving slightly, but still lags. “Pennsylvania voters remain deeply dissatisfied with President Donald Trump, even as they give Gov. Josh Shapiro a decisive lead in the governor’s race, a new poll shows.” | PennLive
Fetterman and McCormick pass Shapiro at the “Great American State Fair” booth in Pennsylvania. “Sen. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick stepped in to organize Pennsylvania’s presence at ‘The Great American State Fair’ in Washington, D.C., after Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said state officials couldn’t find a company to sponsor a booth.” | Hill
Perry joins the push to repeal the 17th Amendment by stripping voters from electing senators. “Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry earlier this week supported a resolution that would repeal the 17th Amendment and strip American voters of the right to elect U.S. senators.” | PennLive
Three years ago, the school choice debate ended Harrisburg’s closure. Now Democrats are ready to engage. “As Democrats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives make progress on reviewing existing school choice options, a top Democratic leader has expressed interest in Trump’s school choice tax credit program.” | Questioner from Philadelphia
Perry proposes a measure to eliminate funding for the Peace Corps. “The U.S. House of Representatives is ready to consider Rep. Scott Perry’s measure that would eliminate funding for the Peace Corps and other foreign aid programs next year.” | PennLive
Country
2. A judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to disclose private information about Pennsylvania voters
“A federal district judge in Pennsylvania dismissed a case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice seeking a copy of a state voter roll containing a voter’s personally identifiable information.
“Public statements by government officials reveal his intentions: to create a nationwide voter database that could potentially be weaponized in future elections, as a ‘fishing expedition’ to support unsubstantiated claims about non-citizen voting, and as an immigration enforcement tool.” Cathy Bissoon– wrote the U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania in Saturday’s ruling. | Let him vote
Elsewhere
Garrity and Shapiro accuse each other of data center mishaps. Are they both right? “Although both have changed their tone in the year since the Amazon deal was announced in June 2025, they accuse each other of hypocrisy.” | Penn Capital Star
Attorney General Dave Sunday discusses the Supreme Court’s ruling in Krasner, an abortion appeal. “The Supreme Court recently granted the Sunday office unprecedented authority over the district attorney’s post-conviction review process.” | Questioner from Philadelphia
A club worth PLN 200,000. dollars: over 1,000 PA workers were named to the highest public pay list. “More than 470 judges, 36 corrections officers and 30 state police officers. These are just some of the 1,021 Pennsylvania state employees who earned at least $200,000 in 2025, making them members of PennLive’s annual “$200,000 Club.” | PennLive
The PA has a database where the public can see employee wages, but it is an undercount. “The good news? Pennsylvania has a public database showing how much salary every state employee and public official earns. The bad news? The data is incomplete.” | PennLive
Around the Republic of Poland
3. $10,000-per-household data center idea called a ‘bribe’ by neighbors
“An unsolicited letter from a data center developer offering $10,000 to every household in northeastern Pennsylvania – but only if the data center is built – calls the money a ‘subsidy,’ but Ed Parks AND Ed Black call it a “bribe”.
The fact that the letter concerns the design of the tent in Governor Josh Shapiro The “Fast Track” permitting program deepens their reluctance. Both homeowners live in Hazle Township in Luzerne County and will be among the closest neighbors if the 15 data center buildings in ‘Project Hazelnut’ become a reality.’ | Central Square
Elsewhere
What does Brown’s proposed “residents first” data center legislation include? “As data center proposals flood northeastern Pennsylvania, state Sen. Rosemary Brown is proposing legislation that would limit large-scale campuses to industrial areas while requiring more information about projects before a developer can submit an application to a municipality.” | Scranton Times Tribune
Williamsport council says zoning ordinance invalid for regulating data centers. “The unanimous 6-0 vote, introduced by Councilman Jonah Milliken, was the city’s first move in a contest playing out across the region: who gets to decide where vast, power-hungry buildings storing untold types and amounts of information can land.” | North-CentralPA
Pennon official accuses nonprofit of financial misconduct in management of WITF, LNP. “A senior official at Pennon, the nonprofit that oversees Harrisburg’s PBS-affiliated television station WITF, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging financial misconduct by the nonprofit’s management that diverted millions in public grants, charitable donations and annuity funds to donor families and top executives.” | Wide + Freedom
Cumberland County Republicans elect a recent chairman after a row over the loyalty oath. “Newville-area insurance agent Kingsley Blasco is the new chairman of the Cumberland County Republican Committee.” | PennLive
Allegheny County Democrats endorse Garfinkel for party chairman and affirm a more progressive direction. “Allegheny County Democrats on Sunday voted overwhelmingly to give Kate Garfinkel and John Ukenye full four-year terms as chair and vice chair of the party’s precinct committee. While few ordinary voters may be interested in the results of such contests, they can suggest the direction of the local party in the years to come. ” | THAT’S ALL
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
- General Donahue’s purge is a critical point | David the French
- ‘We need to ‘change’ the way we wage war, says GOP lawmaker | Senator Dave McCormick
- Can Malone beat the odds again in the state’s 36th Senate District? | Drake Fair
- The Pennsylvania Supreme Court confirmed what we already knew about arcade games. Now lawmakers must act | David the Black
- When judges enter politics | Nora Collins
- America 250 is a reckoning, not just a birthday party | Chad Dion Lassiter
- Trump’s voting rights war is not a future threat – it’s happening right now | Marek S. Singel
- As the future of college athletics takes shape, Penn State doesn’t need permission to speak for itself | Chris Bevilacqua
- Ask Mayor Parker a question. Wait for the answer. And wait… | Marco Cerino
- The founders wanted religious freedom, not a Christian state | Karol Mack
- Inside the Democratic Machine in Philadelphia | Claudia Vargas
1 item
5. Cast your vote for the best high school football stadium in Pennsylvania
“High school football in the state of Pennsylvania brings communities together like nothing else, and as we approach the dog days of summer when teams compete in a 7-on-7 pre-conditioning format, fans can vote for the stadium they believe is the best in the state.
Fans will be able to vote as many times as they like until the poll ends on Monday, July 6 at 12:00. The results of the top 10 winners will be announced on Wednesday, July 8.” | Beaver County times
Thank you for starting your week with us.
See you tomorrow.
