Michael Herzing

The Oil Price Shock Is Here. Its Arrival Provides a Familiar Warning. - Inside Climate News With gasoline and oil prices rising, U.S. consumers already are already feeling the effects of the Iran conflict and the consequences of a slow transition to cleaner alternatives.

Oil prices are spiking again as tensions over Iran rattle global markets, a stark reminder that relying on fossil fuels leaves economies vulnerable, while renewables and clean energy offer stability, security, and long-term savings.
insideclimatenews.org/news/0903202...

Prenatal Attraction: The race to bring OB-GYNs to rural PA before maternity care deserts expand farther Legislators and health officials are mulling a range of potential short- and long-term solutions – including more federal funding, bolstering the health workforce pipeline, and immigration reforms tha...

OB-GYN shortages & hospital closures are leaving “maternity deserts,” and lawmakers, hospitals, and educators are racing to recruit doctors, boost Medicaid reimbursements, and grow the local healthcare workforce before more communities lose access to birth care.
@repdanfrankel.com
shorturl.at/HCeAh

No measles in Washington, Greene or Fayette counties, but health officials urge vaccination Pennsylvania had 12 confirmed cases of measles among commonwealth residents as of Monday, and another two cases involving visitors to the state were reported, according to the state Department of Heal...

Measles is back, and unvaccinated kids are paying the price: Pennsylvania families, protect your children and communities; get the MMR vaccine and stop this preventable outbreak.
www.observer-reporter.com/editors_pick...

Penn and Trump administration spar in court over subpoena seeking names of Jewish faculty and students The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Penn in November, saying it had failed to comply with a subpoena seeking information for an investigation into antisemitism.

The University of Pennsylvania is standing up for the First Amendment, arguing that handing the government a list of Jewish faculty and students could chill religious expression. Protecting privacy shouldn’t be mistaken for obstruction.
www.inquirer.com/education/up...

Unearthed audio appears to contradict Rep. Rob Bresnahan’s stock trading claims Facing questions about his stock trading in a highly competitive House seat, the Pennsylvania Republican told a local radio host he talked with his financial adviser about “what different positions ar...

Campaigning to ban congressional stock trading and then personally making hundreds of trades? Pennsylvania voters deserve consistency, transparency, and accountability, not mixed messages from their representatives.
www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

Older Pennsylvanians that surrendered their driver's license shouldn't have to pay fees for an ID card, two PA Reps say HARRISBURG- A duo of Pennsylvania State Representatives from the Pittsburgh area have released a bill they say will help older Pennsylvanians who can’t drive anymore for medical reasons. The legislato...

Giving up your license for health reasons shouldn’t come with extra costs. Pennsylvania seniors deserve dignity, safety, and savings, not unnecessary fees.
@repvenkat.com @reppowell.com
tristatealert.com/older-pennsy...

Pa. workers still aren’t guaranteed paid family leave, unlike their neighbors in N.J. and Del. Benefits begin to roll out in Delaware this year under state mandated paid leave. Here’s what some employers are offering in the Philadelphia region.

Every parent deserves time to care for a newborn or sick loved one without risking their paycheck. Pennsylvania shouldn’t be the state that leaves working families behind.
www.inquirer.com/business/pai...

Lancaster County Sen. James Malone introduces bill to prevent pet stores from working with puppy mills In Lancaster County, animal rights activists have been fighting puppy mills — dog-breeding operations that focus on high-volume sales instead of the health of the animals — since the early

Puppy mills treat animals like products, not pets. Pennsylvania should put compassion over profit and make sure every dog starts life with care, not cages.
@repmcneill.com
lancasteronline.com/news/politic...

Civil rights aren’t “special rights." @pahousedems.com are simply making it clear that who you love or who you are should never cost you a job, a home, or your safety.
@repkenyatta.com @repdanfrankel.com @reppielli.com @repbensanchez.com
www.pennlive.com/news/2026/03...

Proposed protections for LGBTQ+ advance within Pa. House on partisan votes HARRISBURG — The Democratic majority of a Pennsylvania House committee carried votes mostly cast along partisan lines Tuesday, advancing eight bills toward floor votes proposing protections for the LGBTQ+ community.

Fairness shouldn’t depend on who you love or how you identify. @pahousedems.com are pushing the Fairness Act to make sure every person can live, work, and be safe from discrimination and hate in our commonwealth.
@repjess.com @repkenyatta.com @reppielli.com
www.alliednews.com/cnhi_network...

Pa. House panel advances package of bills to codify LGBTQ protections • Pennsylvania Capital-Star Almost all the measures passed on partisan lines, with the bill codifying same sex marriage protections receiving two Republican votes from Reps. Timothy Bonner (R-Mercer) and Brenda Pugh (R-Luzerne).

Equality under the law shouldn’t be controversial. @pahousedems.com are fighting to ensure LGBTQ neighbors can live, work, marry, and be safe from hate without fear or discrimination.
@repbenwaxman.com @repkenyatta.com @repjess.com @repdanfrankel.com
penncapital-star.com/civil-rights...

PA Lawmakers Look to Regulate Artificial Intelligence in Therapy Counselors say its time to set boundaries and define relationships.

What are experts saying after the @repomara.com & @ryanbizzarro.bsky.social hearing on AI and counseling? Safeguards are needed:
www.weny.com/news/harrisb...

Protecting our kids means getting ahead of online gambling. Democrats are making sure Pennsylvania families and schools have the tools to spot the warning signs early and help young people choose a future, not a bet.
pdesas.org/Page/Viewer/...

Trump’s reckless brinkmanship with Iran isn’t just a foreign policy failure, it’s hijacking the Fed’s fight against inflation and hitting everyday Americans in their wallets.

Prioritizing Patients & Seniors // MAJORITY POLICY POINT

LIVE WEDNESDAY: PA’s Good Samaritan law has gaps, with helpers being unfairly charged for helping people in need. @repfriel.com & @repemilykinkead.com team up to talk legislative fixes with a victim and legal experts. Watch: PaHouse.com/Policy

Guzman on What Will Happen Without Increasing Mass Transit Funding YouTube video by Pa. House Video

Many people across the state, especially here in Reading, use mass transit in their everyday lives. Whether it’s getting to work, shopping, or doctor's appointments & procedures, mass transit plays a vital role & we need to properly fund it or face rate hikes & loss of routes. youtu.be/Ky0O0eSgbOI

LIVE AT NOON:

LIVE AT NOON: Costs continue to rise on everything, including life-saving medication. @repreginayoung.com hosts a hearing on what can be done to make sure seniors get the care they need. Watch live: PAHouse.com/Policy

Gas prices spike in Pennsylvania and across US amid Iran war • Pennsylvania Capital-Star Americans are paying more for gas Monday as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran chokes off a significant route for roughly one-fifth of the world’s petroleum products.

Gas jumped nearly 50 cents in a week after the U.S.-Israel strike on Iran, but calling $100+ oil a “small price to pay” ignores the reality that working Americans are the ones paying it at the pump.
penncapital-star.com/2026/03/09/r...

Report: PA school districts facing budget, mental health and special education challenges Fiscal pressures, rising needs around student mental health and special education, are the key takeaways in the Pennsylvania School Boards Association’s 2026 State of Education report.

Pennsylvania schools are educating more students with greater needs while costs for healthcare, special education, and staffing soar, yet funding still hasn’t kept up, leaving districts to do more with less for our kids.
www.cityandstatepa.com/policy/2026/...

Oil prices seesaw as Trump sends mixed messages on what’s next in Iran Oil climbed to nearly $120 per barrel before falling back after Trump sent mixed signals and the Group of Seven mulled releasing emergency oil supplies.

Trump said $120 oil is a “small price to pay.” Still, for working families paying more for gas, groceries, and shipping because diesel is surging toward $5, it’s another reminder that reckless foreign policy hits Americans first.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

PA lawmakers must do more to protect residents from data centers Ballooning energy bills, negative environmental impact and more fallout are on the horizon if legislators don’t take action now.

Big Tech data centers shouldn’t get billions in tax breaks while Pennsylvania families pay higher electric bills, lose farmland, and breathe more pollution. Lawmakers must put people before corporate profits from AI.
www.cityandstatepa.com/opinion/2026...

The Scale of Billionaires’ Campaign Donations is Overwhelming U.S. Politics

When 300 billionaires can pour $3 billion into elections and send five dollars to Republicans for every one to Democrats, that’s not democracy, it’s government by the ultra-rich.
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/u...

Pennsylvania officials say Trump policies a worry for woman- and minority-owned firms Some 1,400 small businesses in Pennsylvania that are owned by women or minorities face a difficult challenge: They have to prove all over again that they are eligible for a program meant to help disad...

For decades, women- and minority-owned businesses finally got a fair shot at public contracts; now Trump’s rule is forcing 1,400 Pennsylvania small businesses to “prove” disadvantage again while pretending discrimination doesn’t exist.
www.wesa.fm/politics-gov...

War drums in the Middle East shouldn’t mean working Pennsylvanians pay $200 to fill a tank. If oil companies can hike prices within hours, Pennsylvania deserves the power to investigate price gouging just as fast.
www.abc27.com/pennsylvania...

“And you go, whoa, wait a minute. You bought that gas at such and such a date for this price. I understand futures going up, but why did this have to go up at that rate?” – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, on the spike in gas prices due to the Iran war
www.abc27.com/pennsylvania...

Trump started a war with Iran, and now Americans are paying for it at the pump.

Gas is up 16% in a week, oil topped $100/barrel, and economists warn it could push us toward a recession. Higher fuel means higher grocery prices, higher shipping costs, and less money in working families’ pockets.

Justice Department and Live Nation Reach Settlement Terms in Antitrust Case

Live Nation’s monopoly has long hurt fans, artists, and venues. We need stronger enforcement to ensure competition thrives, ticket prices drop, and corporate giants don’t pressure artists.
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/a...

The ACLU of Pennsylvania wants a court to rule on DHS subpoenas of critics once and for all • Pennsylvania Capital-Star The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania has already represented two people who were the subjects of federal subpoenas seeking identifying information about them from tech companies.

Federal subpoenas targeting critics of DHS threaten online free speech and privacy.
penncapital-star.com/justice-the-...