News & Brews April 30, 2026
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Inside Shapiro’s reaction to data center backlash
Heatmap News, an outlet focused on climate issues, has a fascinating deep-dive into how Gov. Shapiro went from celebrating data center investment in Pennsylvania to trying to walk both sides of the issue given public backlash to data center construction. The story opening is a doozy. Remember that $20 billion Amazon investment in Pa. that Shapiro touted? Looks like Amazon subsequently said “they will not be doing any projects in Pennsylvania until they get certainty that the projects they have invested in can move forward.” (It’s worth signing up for a free account just to read this story.)
Shapiro’s ‘high-paying jobs’?
This one made me chuckle. National Review Senior Political Correspondent Jim Geraghty writes, “As governor, Shapiro has put unprecedented resources into his press and social media teams,” spending nearly $3 million per year. “When a governor brags, ‘I’ve created high paying jobs in this state,’ they don’t usually mean their own communications staffers at taxpayer expense.” (Ha!) On a more serious note, Geraghty cautions that if Shapiro gains a trifecta this November, it “could lead to a full-blown Abigail Spanberger scenario, where a newly reelected governor with presidential ambitions aims to enact the progressives’ dream wish list in his state before competing in the primaries.”
A win for donor privacy
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme court ruled unanimously—yes, unanimously—that a New Jersey pregnancy center has standing to sue over a subpoena the state’s attorney general issued demanding names, addresses, and phone numbers of thousands of donors. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that the demand was “enough to discourage groups from expressing dissident views.” Indeed, no one should suffer harassment from the government because of their private giving. And all nine justices agreed that if and when government targets private groups seeking private donor info, those groups have the right to their day in court.
No windfall for Pittsburgh from NFL draft
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that despite record attendance at the recent NFL draft, “the city is unlikely to fully recoup” what it spent to host the event. Not counting money the state and county put in, the city estimates it spent about $3 million, including about $2 million for personnel overtime. While the economic impact of the event was projected at $120 to $213 million, “that doesn’t necessarily mean the city or nearby businesses will see a surge of revenue,” as this money includes “indirect spending like businesses buying more food or the NFL hiring subcontractors to erect a stage for the event.”
Hearing today: Making childcare affordable
The Pa. House Republican Policy Committee will hold a hearing this afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in Hollidaysburg (Blair County) “to examine how burdensome childcare regulations are constraining providers, driving up costs for families, and standing in the way of workforce participation.” The event will be live-streamed here.