New regulations for data centers, same old problems for schools
No. 104 | June 1, 2026
City News
The Philadelphia Board of Education approved a budget on Thursday with $225 million in cuts and will result in the loss of hundreds of positions. While City Council has made noise in opposition to the cuts and the closure of 17 schools, no Council Member has yet proposed an alternative solution—such as ending or reforming the ten year tax abatement enjoyed by big developers and million dollar property owners.
The School District of Philadelphia is also struggling to do the most basic thing: hire staff. A series of overlapping crises and constant turnover in the HR department has resulted in some teachers being offered jobs which are subsequently taken off the table. Many teachers have lost confidence in the district and are now fleeing to suburban or charter schools for more stability.
Activists from the Sunrise Movement call on Mayor Parker to include more money for basic necessities in her upcoming budget, with some going as far as a hunger strike. Two activists were arrested when they went inside the mayor’s office to arrange for a meeting.
Instead of taxing billionaires or a 2% tax on the city’s hotels, Mayor Parker plans on increasing taxes on AirBnB’s by a whopping 6%.
The Philadelphia Police Department revoked the open carry license of Paul Birdsong, the leader of ThaPantherz (an armed Black citizen group, formerly The Black Lion Party for International Solidarity), after he had an argument with a cop in North Philadelphia. Birdsong is claiming that the revoking of his license is unconstitutional.
SEPTA will be launching a crackdown on student fare evasion. Officials state the new rules will involve formal warnings before criminal charges, though more people are calling for public transportation to be made free altogether.
Philadelphia City Council, led by DSA-endorsed Council Member Nic O’Rourke, is urging the Pennsylvania House to pass a bill to allow the state to adopt ranked-choice voting. The bill, introduced by DSA-endorsed Representative Chris Rabb, would give voters more agency at the voting booth at state and local levels, should the House pass the bill.
State News
Norristown City Council, including DSA-endorsed Council Member David McMahon, move to preemptively regulate and restrict data centers developed in the future to protect water, air, energy prices, and the community. The ordinances would also dictate where they could be built and how they would be decommissioned should a company decide to leave.
Governor Shapiro also unveiled some minimal standards for potential data center developers, perhaps in a sign that he is tempering his earlier enthusiastic support for data centers.
Despite a slight increase in homeownership affordability nationwide, Philadelphia and Delaware county saw 6% increase in the income needed to buy a home from last year, second only to San Francisco, according to a report from Redfin.
Spotlight PA, Centre Daily Times, and StateCollege.com are suing Penn State trustee leaders over a “gag order” that restricts trustees’ ability to speak to the press. They argue that the trustees’ bylaws represent a breach of First Amendment rights.
US Representatives Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio, both Pittsburgh-area Democrats, are the first members of Congress allowed to visit Moshannon Valley Detention Center, the largest ICE detention facility in the Northeast. Their visit, despite being severely limited, still uncovered evidence of inhumane treatment.
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The Weekly Rose
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