Angry local opposition has sprouted across Pennsylvania against dozens of the behemoth AI data centers tech firms are building amid fears of rising electricity costs and irreparable damage to their communities.

Although advances in artificial intelligence are seen by some government officials as critical to the nation’s economic and national security, their energy needs are threatening to overwhelm the power grid—and people like Luzerne County resident John Zola are caught in the middle.

Zola said it’s been “hell” since a contractor hired by the local power utility, PPL, knocked on his door in late 2024 and informed him that it planned to build a 500-kilovolt power line through his property.

This line and others like it are being planned in accelerating numbers in the United States to deliver power, sometimes across hundreds of miles, to the enormous data centers run by companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

The local utility, PPL, said it did everything it could to balance the impact on people with its obligation to deliver electricity and protect grid reliability. But to Zola, all they care about is money.

“They don’t look at whose lives they are destroying, whose property they are destroying,” Zola said.

America’s Semiquincentennial is being celebrated this year, marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.

A Semiquincentennial Commission has been established to engage Americans in celebrating the largest anniversary observance in our nation’s history, through projects like America’s Time Capsule, a national record chronicling our nation’s history, which will be ceremonially buried at Independence National Historical Park on July 4.

For our QOTW, we’d like to know: If you could pick one item to represent Pennsylvania in America’s Time Capsule, what would it be and why?

Replicas of the Declaration of Independence (adopted in Philadelphia in 1776) and the US Constitution (signed in Philadelphia in 1787) are no-brainers. But given Pennsylvania’s role in the Industrial Revolution, a chunk of steel representing US Steel and/or Bethlehem Steel would be fitting, as would an artifact from Gettysburg or Valley Forge to mark the role those pivotal battles play in US history.

Of course, an argument could be made to include a bag of Herr’s potato chips or Tastykakes, to honor Pennsylvania’s (unofficial) status as “The Snack Capital of the World.”

Let us know what item you’d select, and please let us know where you live.

Pages from the US Affordable Care Act health insurance website healthcare.gov are seen on a computer screen in New York, Aug. 19, 2025. (The Associated Press)

Monday, March 23, will mark the 15th anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act—one of the most consequential changes to the American health care system in generations. 

The landmark legislation reshaped how millions of people access medical coverage by expanding Medicaid eligibility, creating online insurance marketplaces, and ensuring that people with pre-existing conditions could no longer be denied coverage.

While hardly a perfect solution to the nation’s health care crisis, the ACA has opened doors for families who previously faced impossible choices between paying medical bills and covering everyday necessities. For many Americans, the Affordable Care Act has meant earlier diagnoses, more consistent care, and greater peace of mind.

As we mark this 15-year milestone, we want to hear from you. If the Affordable Care Act has made a difference in your life or the life of someone you love, consider sharing your story with us. Your experience can help others understand how access to affordable health coverage changes lives and why it remains such an important issue for communities across the country.

· Despite last week’s federal jobs report showing that 92,000 Americans lost their jobs in February, some in Pennsylvania remain hopeful as the commonwealth’s economy continues to outpace the economy on the national level. Our Sean Kitchen has the story here.

· The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued orders demanding that the Department of Homeland Security be in compliance with state and federal environmental regulations before it can occupy proposed ICE detention centers in Berks and Schuylkill counties. Find out more here.

· Cpl. Timothy O’Connor, a 15-year veteran of the Pennsylvania state police, was shot and killed in the line of duty Sunday night during a traffic stop in Chester County. We have the details here. 

· Two Bucks County teens were arrested Saturday after a clash between an anti-Islam group and counterprotesters, and a homemade explosive device was detonated outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s official residence. Get the story here.

(Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources)

Happy anniversary to the brook trout being named the official state fish, a designation that was handed down on March 9, 1970. 

Why the brook trout as the state fish? It’s the only trout species native to Pennsylvania.

Also known as the speckled trout or “brookie,” these fish are in plentiful supply around the state, typically in the small, cold mountain streams and lakes and in the spring-fed limestone streams of the valleys. They live for an average of three years.

However, the brook trout’s survival is threatened by climate change and rising water temperatures. The fish’s survival speaks to the unique and fragile ecosystem in Pennsylvania, and stresses the importance of preserving nature and native species.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from Sean Kitchen, USA Today Network via Reuters Connect, and The Associated Press. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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