HARRISBURG, PA –Today, State Senators Jay Costa and Camera Bartolotta reintroduced legislation to prevent Electric Shock Drowning (ESD) in Pennsylvania’s docks and marinas.

ESD has become the catch-all phrase to encompass all in-water shock casualties and fatalities. ESD is usually the result of the passage of a low-level AC current through the body with sufficient force to cause skeletal-muscular paralysis. Such a current can render a swimmer unable to move, swim, or attempt to stay afloat while immersed in fresh water, eventually causing the person to drown.

This legislation will require all boat docks and marina operations comply with the following:

1. Provide appropriate main overcurrent protective devices or ground fault protection
2. Provide an initial electrical inspection and then every five years thereafter.
3. Install permanent safety signage notifying the public of electric shock hazards in water around boats, docks and marinas.

This legislation has been championed by the family and friends of James DeAngelo, a McMurray hockey player who died of electric shock drowning on July 4, 2021, at the age of 23. John Hilzendeger started The James DeAngelo Foundation to promote electric shock drowning awareness and prevention.

“I cannot imagine losing a child to such a terrible travesty as Electric Shock Drowning, and it’s a solemn honor to be doing my part to prevent this from happening to anyone else,” said Senator Costa. “This commonsense legislation will go a long way in ensuring that spending time in Pennsylvania’s beautiful bodies of water does not end in a preventable catastrophe. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and House to address this issue and deliver on safer recreation boating opportunities.”

So far, a bipartisan group of sixteen State Senators have joined as cosponsors to the legislation in addition to Senator Jay Costa and Senator Camera Bartolotta as prime sponsors. Those legislators include Senator Art Haywood, Senator Nick Miller, Senator Judy Schwank, Senator Doug Mastriano, Senator Elder Vogel, Jr., Senator Tina Tartaglione, Senator Carolyn Comitta, Senator Dave Argall, Senator Vincent Hughes, Senator Wayne Fontana, Senator Tim Kearney, Senator Nick Pisciottano, Senator Nikil Saval, Senator Amanda Cappelletti, Senator Lindsey Williams, and Senator James Malone.

“After the heartbreaking loss of a young boy to drowning in Washington County, I’ve made water safety one of my top priorities,” Senator Bartolotta said. “Pennsylvania’s many lakes, rivers, and streams offer incredible outdoor experiences, but they also demand that we take responsible steps to protect lives. This bill will empower people with the knowledge they need to make safe, informed choices while enjoying the outdoors.”

Only 28% of the 177,000 young children in Pennsylvania eligible for child care subsidies are getting help, highlighting major gaps in access, according to the Start Strong PA Campaign. (Irina/Adobe Stock)
Danielle Smith – Keystone State News Connection

Pennsylvanians will rally in Harrisburg today to call attention to the urgent child care teacher shortage across the state.

The Pennsylvania Child Care Association is urging lawmakers to support the $55 million proposed in the state budget for early child care educators.

Diane Barber, executive director of the Pennsylvania Child Care Association, said it is important for lawmakers to prioritize early childhood education funding and take action to ensure child care educators are paid fairly and supported professionally.

“In the last three weeks, I know of six child care programs that have closed, and basically it has to do with they can’t staff the class,” Barber reported. “We have lots of empty classrooms. We have waiting lists for families, and it’s really hard to fill those slots when what you’re offering is $15.15 an hour.”

Barber noted they have several speakers including Rep. Jeannie McNeil, D-Lehigh, who has introduced House Bill 506, which would actually create the recruitment and retention funding. The state House and Senate must pass the budget by June 30.

Barber explained they are in Harrisburg at the Capitol to urge lawmakers to see this not just as an investment in child care teachers but in the families across Pennsylvania who rely on child care.

“The governor and the General Assembly actually passed some bills around tax credits, both for families and for businesses who helped pay for child care,” Barber acknowledged. “But if there’s no child care to pay for because child care can’t find teachers, tax credits don’t go very far, so they only work for families who actually have child care.”

Barber added The Pennsylvania Child Care Association is a nonprofit and part of the Start Strong PA campaign. A survey found more than 3,000 child care teacher vacancies across Pennsylvania, based on responses from just 1,100 programs. Advocates will meet with lawmakers and hold a news conference. The rally is to start at 1:30 p.m.

FILE – An historical marker at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., is seen on Feb. 21, 2023. Authorities could temporarily seize firearms and background checks would be expanded for gun buyers, under two bills passed Monday, May 22, 2023, in the Pennsylvania House, where Democrats are using their razor-thin majority to push gun-control measures after a yearslong standstill in the politically divided government. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Proposals that would let survivors of childhood sexual abuse file lawsuits in Pennsylvania beyond the state’s current statute of limitations passed the state House on Monday, the latest development in a yearslong lobbying campaign.

One of the two bills is a common piece of legislation that now heads to the GOP-controlled Senate for consideration. It passed the House 122-80, with Democrats voting unanimously for it while a majority of Republicans were opposed.

The other piece of legislation moves the state closer to putting a constitutional amendment about the issue before voters, which would require three more legislative votes before the statewide referendum. That bill passed the House 138-64, again with unified Democrats.

“This is about a group of survivors who have been denied access to our court system,” Democratic Rep. Nate Davidson said during debate. “And we have the opportunity to finally get it right.”

Davidson is a primary sponsor of the legislation.

The same pair of proposals received House approval more than two years ago, but died without action in the state Senate.

Support for allowing abuse victims more time to sue gained momentum after a landmark grand jury report in 2018 about child abuse over many decades by Roman Catholic clergy in Pennsylvania.

FILE – President Donald Trump pumps his fist before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, March 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — When children of wealthy families reach adulthood, they often benefit from the largesse of parents in the form of a trust fund. It’s another way they get a leg up on less affluent peers, who may receive nothing at all — or even be expected to support their families.

But what if all children — regardless of their family’s circumstances — could get a financial boost when they turn 18?

That’s the idea behind a House GOP proposal backed by President Donald Trump. It would create tax-deferred investment accounts — coined “Trump Accounts” — for babies born in the U.S. over the next four years, starting them each with $1,000. At age 18, they could withdraw the money to put toward a down payment for a home, education or to start a small business. If the money is used for other purposes, it’ll be taxed at a higher rate.

“This is a pro-family initiative that will help millions of Americans harness the strength of our economy to lift up the next generation,” Trump said at a White House event Monday for the proposal. “They’ll really be getting a big jump on life, especially if we get a little bit lucky with some of the numbers and the economy.”

While the investment would be symbolically meaningful, it’s a relatively small financial commitment to addressing child poverty in the wider $7 trillion federal budget. Assuming a 7% return, the $1,000 would grow to roughly $3,570 over 18 years.

It builds on the concept of “ baby bonds,” which two states — California and Connecticut — and the District of Columbia have introduced as a way to reduce gaps between wealthy people and poor people.

At at time when wealth inequality has soured some young people on capitalism, giving them a stake in Wall Street could be the antidote, said Utah Republican Rep. Blake Moore, who led the effort to get the initiative into a massive House spending bill.

“We know that America’s economic engine is working, but not everyone feels connected to its value and the ways it can benefit them,” Moore wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Examiner. “If we can demonstrate to our next generation the benefits of investing and financial health, we can put them on a path toward prosperity.”

Families of all income levels could receive ‘Trump Accounts’

The bill would require at least one parent to produce a Social Security number with work authorizations, meaning the U.S. citizen children born to some categories of immigrants would be excluded from the benefit. But unlike other baby bond programs, which generally target disadvantaged groups, this one would be available to families of all incomes.

Economist Darrick Hamilton of The New School, who first pitched the idea of baby bonds a quarter-century ago, said the GOP proposal would exacerbate rather than reduce wealth gaps. When he dreamed up baby bonds, he envisioned a program that would be universal but would give children from poor families a larger endowment than their wealthier peers, in an attempt to level the playing field. The money would be handled by the government, not by private firms on Wall Street.

“It is upside down,” Hamilton said. “It’s going to enhance inequality.”

Hamilton added that $1,000 — even with interest — would not be enough to make a significant difference for a child living in poverty.

A Silicon Valley investor who created the blueprint for the proposal, Brad Gerstner, said in an interview with CNBC last year that the accounts could help address the wealth gap and the loss of faith in capitalism that represent an existential crisis for the U.S.

“The rise and fall of nations occurs when you have a wealth gap that grows, when you have people who lose faith in the system,” Gerstner said. “We’re not agentless. We can do something.”

Critics say poor families have more immediate needs

The proposal comes as Congressional Republicans and Trump face backlash for proposed cuts to programs that poor families with children rely on, including food assistance and Medicaid.

Even some who back the idea of baby bonds are skeptical, noting Trump wants to cut higher education grants and programs that aid young people on the cusp of adulthood — the same age group Trump Accounts are supposed to help. Pending federal legislation would slash Medicaid and food and housing assistance that many families with children rely on.

Young adults who grew up in poverty often struggle with covering basics like rent and transportation — expenses that Trump Accounts could not be tapped to cover, said Eve Valdez, an advocate for youth in foster care in southern California. Valdez, a former foster youth, said she was homeless when she turned 18.

Accounts for newborn children that cannot be accessed for 18 years mean little to families struggling to meet basic needs today, said Shimica Gaskins of End Child Poverty California.

“Having children have health care, having their families have access to SNAP and food are what we really need … the country focused on,” Gaskins said.

___

Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.

Photo of New Brighton Speedway sign by Frank Sparks

Gas prices are six cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.339 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

Nationwide Trends:
The summer driving season is underway, and while gas prices normally peak this time of year, drivers are getting a reprieve. The national average for a gallon of regular is $3.12, down two cents from last week. Pump prices are 32 cents cheaper than last June, due to this year’s consistently low crude oil prices. Currently, oil supply in the market is outweighing demand. June gas prices haven’t been this low since 2021.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased from 9.45 million barrels per day last week to 8.26. Total domestic gasoline supply increased from 223.1 million barrels to 228.3. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9 million barrels per day.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate fell 56 cents to settle at $62.85 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories decreased by 4.3 million barrels from the previous week. At 436.1 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 7% below the five-year average for this time of year.

The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station stayed the same this past week at 36 cents.

Western Pennsylvania Averages

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline today in various areas:      

$3.387      Altoona
$3.473      Beaver
$3.598      Bradford
$3.201      Brookville
$3.273      Butler
$3.351      Clarion
$3.227      DuBois
$3.109      Erie
$3.043      Greensburg
$3.417      Indiana
$3.121      Jeannette
$3.636      Kittanning
$2.933      Latrobe
$3.484      Meadville
$3.410      Mercer
$3.277      New Castle
$3.294      New Kensington
$3.429      Oil City
$3.416      Pittsburgh
$3.288      Sharon
$3.407      Uniontown
$3.696      Warren
$3.325      Washington
Quick Gas and Electricity Stats

Gas

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($4.73), Hawaii ($4.47), Washington ($4.38), Oregon ($3.98), Nevada ($3.84), Alaska ($3.65), Illinois ($3.36), Idaho ($3.31), Utah ($3.30), and Arizona ($3.30).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Mississippi ($2.64), Louisiana ($2.72), Tennessee ($2.72), Alabama ($2.73), Oklahoma ($2.75), Texas ($2.75), Arkansas ($2.76), South Carolina ($2.77), Kentucky ($2.82), and North Carolina ($2.83).

Electric

The nation’s top 10 most expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are Alaska (50 cents), West Virginia (50 cents), Tennessee (48 cents), Hawaii (46 cents), Montana (45 cents), Louisiana (44 cents), South Carolina (43 cents), New Hampshire (42 cents), Kentucky (42 cents), and Arkansas (42 cents).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are Kansas (25 cents), Missouri (27 cents), Maryland (28 cents), Delaware (30 cents),  Nebraska (30 cents), Utah (30 cents), Iowa (32 cents), New Mexico (32 cents), Massachusetts (33 cents),  and Colorado (33 cents).

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at gasprices.aaa.com.

FILE – A data center owned by Amazon Web Services, front right, is under construction next to the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Berwick, Pa., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, file)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Amazon said Monday that it will spend $20 billion on two data center complexes in Pennsylvania, including one it is building alongside a nuclear power plant that has drawn federal scrutiny over an arrangement to essentially plug right into the power plant.

Kevin Miller, vice president of global data centers at Amazon’s cloud computing subsidiary, Amazon Web Services, told The Associated Press that the company will build another data center complex just north of Philadelphia.

One data center is being built next to northeastern Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna nuclear power plant, where it intends to get its power. The other will be in Fairless Hills at a logistics campus, the Keystone Trade Center, on what was once a U.S. Steel mill. Amazon said that data center will get its power through the electricity grid.

At a news conference in Berwick in the shadow of the power plant, Gov. Josh Shapiro called it the largest private sector investment in Pennsylvania’s history. Monday’s announcement, he said, is “just the beginning” because his administration is working with Amazon on additional data center projects in Pennsylvania.

While critics say data centers employ relatively few people and pack little long-term job-creation punch, their advocates say they require a huge number of construction jobs to build, spend enormous sums at area vendors and generate strong tax revenues for local governments.

Shapiro touted the work that will keep construction trades members busy building Amazon’s data centers, the tech jobs that will be waiting for graduates of area colleges and the millions of dollars in property taxes that will flow to schools and local governments.

“For too long, we’ve watched as talents across Pennsylvania got hollowed out and left behind,” Shapiro said at the news conference. “No more. Now is our time to rebuild those communities and invest in them. This investment in Pennsylvania starts reversing that trend.”

Pennsylvania will provide possibly tens of millions of dollars in incentives, typically a key element of data center deals as states compete for the large installations they hope will be an economic bonanza.

Shapiro’s administration said it will spend $10 million to pay for training classes and facilities at schools, community colleges and union halls to meet the skills demand for the data centers.

Amazon also will qualify for Pennsylvania’s existing sales tax exemption on purchases of data center equipment, such as servers and routers, an exemption that most states offer and that is viewed as a must-have for a state to compete.

The announcements add to the billions of dollars in Big Tech’s data center cash flowing into the state.

Since 2024 started, Amazon has committed to about $10 billion apiece to data center projects in Mississippi, Indiana, Ohio and North Carolina as it ramps up its infrastructure to compete with other tech giants to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence products.

The rapid growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence has meanwhile fueled demand for energy-hungry data centers that need power to run servers, storage systems, networking equipment and cooling systems.

The majority owner of the Susquehanna nuclear power plant, Talen Energy, last year sold its data center and land adjacent to the plant to Amazon for $650 million in a deal to eventually provide 960 megawatts of electricity, likely at a premium. That’s 40% of the output of one of the nation’s largest nuclear power plants, or enough to power more than a half-million homes.

Amazon is effectively gutting that data center and building its own, larger facility on the land.

However, the power-supply arrangement between Talen and Amazon — called a “behind the meter” connection — has been held up by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in the first such case to come before the agency.

For Big Tech, plugging data centers directly into a power plant can take years off their development timelines and is a much faster route to procuring power than connecting to the congested electricity grid.

But it has raised questions over whether diverting power to higher-paying customers will leave enough for others and whether it’s fair to excuse big power users from paying fees to improve the grid.

It’s not clear when FERC, which blocked the deal on a procedural grounds, will decide the matter.

Already in Pennsylvania, Microsoft has a deal with the owner of the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to restart a reactor under a 20-year agreement to supply its data centers in four states with energy.

Meanwhile, the owners of what was once Pennsylvania’s biggest coal-fired power plant say they will turn it into a $10 billion natural gas-powered data center campus.