????  Today’s PoliticsPA Playbook. Big-Name Democratic Donors Boost Gov. Shapiro’s War Chest. Temporarily Banning Data Centers Draws More Interest. PA Power Load Buckling. Saving The ‘Brady Bunch’ House.

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Top Story

1.   Big-Name Democratic Donors Boost Shapiro’s War Chest Ahead Of 2026 Reelection Bid

“For years, Josh Shapiro has risen through the ranks of Democratic politicians to become a potential candidate for the party’s 2028 presidential nominee.

Now, another marker has emerged that could bolster his position as a force on the country’s biggest political stage.

As his profile grew since taking over the governor’s office in 2023, Mr. Shapiro’s formidable campaign war chest has been supported by donors from every state in the country and Puerto Rico, a Post-Gazette analysis of campaign records shows.” | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Elsewhere

The Gap Between John Fetterman and the Democrats Is Widening. “One of the most outspoken backers of President Trump’s strike in Iran has been a Democrat.” | Wall Street Journal

AI Is Spurring A Big Expansion Of High-Voltage Power Lines. Landowners And Locals Are Fighting Back. “For John Zola, the 40 acres were like a paradise: apple orchards tucked into northern Pennsylvania’s rolling hills, a barn, meadows and more than enough land for four houses: one for himself and his wife and each of his three adult children. It’s been “hell,” however, since a contractor hired by the local power utility knocked on Zola’s door in late 2024 and informed him that it planned to build a 500-kilovolt power line through his property.” | AP

Ken Martin’s Dysfunctional DNC Alarms Democrats. “Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin is facing a growing crisis of confidence within his party, more than two dozen Democrats tell Axios. Donors, operatives and some DNC members are questioning his leadership, fundraising ability and handling of the party’s still-secret “autopsy” of the 2024 election loss.” | Axios

PA-03: Pro-Israel Muslim Democrat Walks Political Tightrope in Philly Primary. “State Sen. Sharif Street supports continued U.S. aid to Israel but calls Israeli PM Netanyahu a war criminal.” | Jewish Insider

State

2.   Temporarily Banning Data Centers Draws More Interest From State, Local Officials

“As communities’ concerns grow over rising electricity prices and the environmental effects of data centers, some local and state officials want to halt development of the facilities. 

Lawmakers in at least 11 states have introduced legislation this session that would temporarily ban data centers. Over the past month, state lawmakers in Pennsylvania and Minnesota have also announced plans to introduce moratoriums on data center development.” | Penn Capital-Star

Elsewhere

Shapiro Wants To Incentivize Data Centers To Be Better Neighbors. Will That Work? “Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to incentivize data center developers to follow stricter environmental and transparency standards in Pennsylvania by offering them an expedited permitting process.” | Spotlight PA

PA Lawmakers Advance Bill To Help Towns Set Guidelines On Data Center Construction. “A state House committee is advancing measures meant to protect Pennsylvanians from negative effects of new data centers. One measure would require the centers to report their annual water and energy uses. The other would create a model law that towns and cities could adopt to set guidelines for how and where data centers could be built.” | WESA

Congressional Committee Presses Shapiro Administration On Medicaid Fraud In Pennsylvania. “A U.S. House committee is pressing the Shapiro administration on Medicaid fraud in the commonwealth, asking the governor and his human services secretary to explain what steps it has taken in recent years to combat the fraud that Shapiro himself estimated to be roughly $3 billion a year.” | Broad + Liberty

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Call For Investigation Into Gas Price Hikes Amid War With Iran. “State Representatives Joe Ciresi and Jim Haddock released a statement late last week in response to rapidly riding fuel prices throughout the commonwealth, saying that gas stations began raising prices “as soon as the first bomb struck in Iran.”” | CBS Pittsburgh

Around The Commonwealth

3.   Pennsylvania Power Load Buckling Under Neighboring Renewable Energy Goals

“As states across the mid-Atlantic adopt aggressive goals for renewable energy generation, most look to Pennsylvania’s natural gas and nuclear plants to back them up. 

But when there’s not enough power to go around, no amount of generation in the commonwealth will be enough to prevent rolling blackouts or drastic bill hikes.” | The Center Square

Elsewhere

Can Tech Companies Bring Electricity To Power Data Centers in PA? “Pennsylvania, contributing the most electricity to the PJM Interconnection grid for a dozen other Mid-Atlantic states, is proving to be fertile ground for data centers. The state’s location helps with temperature control of the centers since there are fewer hot months than in states like Arizona or Texas.” | USA Today Network

Center for Rural PA Finds State’s Maternity Health Desert Growing, As 23 Counties Are Without Labor and Delivery Hospital Units. “The Chartis Center for Rural Health releases an annual “state of the state” report on the nation’s rural health. This year’s report found that between 2011 and 2024, Pennsylvania lost 42% of its rural obstetrics units, the third highest in the country.” | WVIA

For Young Political Candidates, Getting Elected Is About Making Their Voices Heard. “In the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District, Jahmiel Jackson will be facing a number of candidates with decades of experience. For the 24-year-old, it’s a race that’s not just about representing the district he grew up in. It’s about upsetting an electoral system that he feels isn’t made for young people to have their voices heard.” | Philly Voice

Allegheny County Democratic Committee Endorses Catena, Altemara and Ferderber In State House Races. “The Allegheny County Democratic Committee endorsed candidates in a handful of competitive state legislative races Sunday, giving a potential leg up to hopefuls in three contested state House primaries and backing a veteran state senator over an upstart challenger.” | WESA

Editorial

4.  What Do You Think?

• Dave McCormick’s First Year — A Blueprint For Leadership in Pennsylvania | Luke Bernstein
• Latinos Are Turning Away From Trump’s GOP. That Doesn’t Mean Democrats Are Entitled To Their Votes | Luis F. Carrasco
• Republicans, Give Trump Authority To Pass Tariffs | Bruce Ledewitz
• How Israel Bought Approval For Its War | Adriana E. Ramírez
• The Paradox of Republican Governance | Jon A. Shields
• What Texas Tells Us About the 2026 Midterms | Baltimore Sun
• A ‘Cure’ For Data Center Despair | Chris Kelly

1 Thing

5.   LA City Council Approves Historic Status For ‘Brady Bunch’ House

“The Studio City house used for exterior shots of “The Brady Bunch” sitcom was designated as a historic-cultural monument Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council.

The house was used for scene-setting exterior shots for the sitcom that ran from 1969 to 1974, which gained a second life in syndication. Most of the “Brady Bunch” interior shots were on a sound stage.” | NBC Los Angeles

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