Pennsylvania Perspective for Thursday, August 24, 2026

Pennsylvania

PA Reports First Measles Deaths, Governor Shapiro, Secretary RFK Jr. Feud

Pennsylvania has reported the first two U.S. measles deaths of the year, involving two unvaccinated Lancaster County residents, prompting a public dispute between Governor Josh Shapiro and U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine safety and government messaging. Governor Shapiro declined Secretary Kennedy’s offer of federal assistance, accusing the health secretary and the Trump administration of spreading misinformation, stoking vaccine hesitancy, and contributing to the national surge in measles cases. In response, Secretary Kennedy defended his stance on social media, citing testimony from the vaccine’s creator to claim some Americans hold religious objections to the MMR vaccine due to alleged ties to fetal tissue, an assertion medical organizations have debunked. Secretary Kennedy also pushed back against blame for the outbreak, attributing the decline in national vaccination rates to the previous administration’s policies.

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PA Secures Meta Settlement, Sues Snapchat

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that the commonwealth expects to receive at least $516 million from a pending $17.1 billion multistate settlement with Meta, which will compel Facebook and Instagram to establish a two-hour daily time limit for teens that can only be turned off with a parent’s permission, restrict teen use of its platforms during school and nighttime hours, provide the option of a non-algorithmic feed for teen users, implement regular prompts and pauses to prevent excessive use, disable the visibility of likes and reactions as well as cosmetic and makeup filters for teen users, adopt and implement an age assurance framework with age verification measures, and give parents additional information about teen app usage, interactions with suspicious accounts, and attempts to change protective settings. Meta also encourages other social media platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, to follow its lead. Sunday also recently filed consumer protection lawsuits against Snap Inc, alleging that Snapchat deceptively understates the prevalence of explicit content on its platform to parents while utilizing intentionally addictive design elements, such as disappearing messages and consecutive communication streaks, to foster compulsive engagement among minors.

PA Chamber Proposes ‘No Technology Pledge’

The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry has proposed a No Technology Pledge targeting advocates of data center moratoriums, suggesting that individuals who support halting data center development should also commit to relinquishing the digital services that rely on that infrastructure, including cloud storage, artificial intelligence tools, streaming platforms, and electronic banking. While the chamber maintains that siting and permitting choices should remain transparent at the municipal level, it argues that broad moratoriums damage economic development and state competitiveness. The proposal emerges amid several legislative efforts in the General Assembly to institute multi-year moratoriums, as well as Governor Josh Shapiro’s recent executive order eliminating fast-track permitting and imposing stricter operational requirements on data center projects.

Governor Shapiro Holds Sizable Polling Lead Over Treasurer Garrity

Recent polling from the New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena University and Franklin & Marshall College shows Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro holding a decisive double-digit lead over Republican challenger Stacy Garrity as he seeks a second term. The surveys highlight widespread voter dissatisfaction with the economy, inflation, and cost of living, with respondents expressing low approval for President Donald Trump’s policies while favoring Governor Shapiro and Democrats on key financial issues. Governor Shapiro’s strong positioning is further bolstered by broad demographic support and public backing for his recent restrictions on data center development, whereas Treasurer Garrity remains relatively less known among a significant portion of the electorate.

Philadelphia

U.S. Justice Department Expands Lawsuit Over ‘ICE Out’ Ordinances

The U.S. Department of Justice has expanded its federal lawsuit against Philadelphia to challenge a second city ordinance within the “ICE Out” legislative package. The amended complaint challenges a newly enacted law that formally codifies the city’s longstanding practice of refusing to honor immigration detainers, or requests from federal agents to hold individuals beyond their scheduled release. The federal government argues the ordinance constitutes a blanket refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, allowing individuals arrested for violent crimes to remain at large when detainers are ignored. This legal escalation follows a recent federal court victory for the Justice Department, which blocked another Philadelphia ordinance that attempted to prohibit federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks or concealing their identities during operations. 

State Senator Williams Call for Philadelphia Schools Funding Audit

State Senator Anthony Hardy Williams (D-8) has formally requested that Pennsylvania Auditor General Timothy DeFoor conduct an independent performance and operational audit of the School District of Philadelphia’s public and privately sourced funding. Following the City Council’s recent order for its own operational audit, Senator Williams is seeking a comprehensive five-year review of how the district receives, tracks, and allocates all revenue streams, including charitable donations and grants. The proposed state-level audit aims to ensure equitable distribution and transparency in how philanthropic and taxpayer resources are used to support core educational services amid ongoing debates over the district’s long-term budget, potential school closures, and future financial investments.

Pittsburgh

Expanded Amtrak Service between Pittsburgh, New York City

Governor Josh Shapiro and PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll announced that a second daily Amtrak Pennsylvanian train operating between Pittsburgh and New York City will launch in mid-November. The expansion, driven by federal infrastructure funding and partnerships with Norfolk Southern, is designed to increase travel options and connectivity along the busy Pittsburgh Line. Tickets for the additional service are expected to go on sale in October. This development coincides with Amtrak’s plans to introduce new trains for the Keystone route and recent funding announcements for rail infrastructure and maintenance facility modernization across the country.

Federal

SCOTUS Mail Voting Ruling Sparks New Lawsuits

The U.S. Supreme Court lifted a lower court’s injunction against President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in voting, ruling on procedural grounds that a multistate challenge was filed prematurely without deciding the policy’s underlying constitutionality. In response to the decision and the formal publication of the U.S. Postal Service rules, which require specific envelope standards and restrict ballot delivery to federally submitted voter lists, Pennsylvania joined more than 20 states in filing a renewed lawsuit arguing the administration is unconstitutionally overreaching into state-run election administration. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania election officials maintained that voting procedures remain secure and unchanged for the upcoming midterm elections, while pressing federal agencies to substantiate claims regarding noncitizens on state voter rolls.

PA Challenges Federal Noncitizen Voter Claims

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt has formally requested that the Department of Homeland Security provide the methodology and data sources behind its claim that more than 14,500 noncitizens are registered to vote in the commonwealth. In a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Secretary Schmidt asserted that federal staff recently admitted during a meeting that they lack confidence in the accuracy of those figures. The dispute stems from a broader push by the Trump administration alleging that hundreds of thousands of noncitizens are on voter rolls across four states, accompanied by federal threats of penalties for state officials who refuse to cooperate. Citing privacy concerns and the historical rarity of noncitizen voting, Secretary Schmidt and Governor Josh Shapiro have declined to release unredacted voter records, warning that relying on unverified federal data could result in the improper removal of eligible voters ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

Governor Shapiro Criticizes President Trump’s Canadian Tariffs

Governor Josh Shapiro criticized the Trump administration’s newly imposed 50 percent tariffs on over $20 billion in Canadian goods, arguing that the trade policies harm American consumers and damage relations with a key ally and trading partner. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Ottawa will implement matching retaliatory tariffs on United States goods starting in early September.

Poll Highlights President Trump Disapproval, Senator Fetterman Shift

A new New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena University poll reveals that a majority of likely Pennsylvania voters disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance and key policies, with economic concerns, cost-of-living increases, and the ongoing war in Iran contributing to a 39% approval rating that could influence competitive congressional midterm races. The poll also highlighted a dramatic partisan inversion for Democratic Senator John Fetterman (D-PA): 73% of Pennsylvania Republicans view him favorably compared to just 22% of Democrats. 

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