AGP Executive Report

STEM Breakthrough: Port Matilda’s Connor Hill, 17, won the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search’s top $250,000 prize for a computer-based classification of noble polyhedra, identifying two infinite families and 146 isolated examples. AI in Schools: Pennsylvania districts face a tough buying problem as AI tools move faster than guidance—some officials say they’re overwhelmed by what’s safe and worth the cost. Energy & Industry: Aternium selected Dover for its first U.S. heavy water and electrolytic hydrogen facility, aiming to strengthen domestic supply for strategic industries and create dozens of jobs plus major construction work. Local Tech Governance: Archbald’s data center fight heads to court as a developer seeks council recusal over alleged bias, raising questions about how local oversight handles massive industrial projects. Privacy & Surveillance: Flock Safety says it’s tightening safeguards for its license plate reader network, including shorter data retention and limits on data sharing, as lawmakers and communities push back. Health Watch: CDC reports a measles surge concentrated in Pennsylvania and Ohio as schools reopen, with Lancaster County holding about half of the state’s 2026 cases.

Public Health: Pennsylvania and Ohio added another ~100 measles cases as schools start, with Lancaster County driving nearly half of Pa.’s 2026 total and officials noting none of this year’s patients were fully vaccinated. Environmental & Energy Safety: Upper Makefield residents remain concerned after a 2025 Sunoco jet fuel pipeline leak, with survey results pointing to a push for a permanent public water system. Health Tech & Research: UPenn researchers report bioengineered chewing gum that targets oral cancer-linked microbes, including HPV, with results showing strong reductions in virus levels in saliva and plans for FDA-backed clinical trials. STEM Education & Workforce: Pennsylvania College of Technology earned accreditation for its HVAC technology and HVAC engineering technology programs, a boost for hands-on training pipelines. Surveillance & Privacy: Flock Safety is tightening license plate reader rules, cutting data retention to seven days and adding controls after growing backlash. STEM in the Community: PFBC and DCNR celebrated a new Susquehanna River access site in Bradford County, expanding accessible boating and fishing. Data Centers & Local Policy: Jim Thorpe adopted strict data center zoning, including closed-loop cooling requirements and limits to industrial areas.

Labor Negotiations: Vicinity Energy steam-plant workers in Philly are voting on a possible strike, pushing for higher pay and safer facilities across the city’s 41 miles of underground steam infrastructure. STEM in Schools: Niche Electronics and Franklin County Career and Technology Center ran a hands-on STEM camp for 4th- and 5th-graders, covering circuits, programming, and introductory soldering. School Safety Funding: Six districts in Pennsylvania’s 64th District won $884K+ in state grants for safer learning environments. Public Health Research: A Philadelphia study found an RSV antibody for infants (nirsevimab) was linked to fewer antibiotic prescriptions for outpatient respiratory infections. Energy & Industry Tech: A new report says direct reduced iron could cut steel emissions about 40% while reducing local air pollution, as blast furnaces near retirement. AI Infrastructure Debate: Nebius AI unveiled plans for two “AI factories” in Schuylkill County, drawing resident concerns about how data centers will affect the community. Cybersecurity: AdaptHealth disclosed a major data breach tied to a social engineering attack on a contractor’s credentials, prompting class-action investigation.

Workforce & Inclusion: Pennsylvania L&I Secretary Nancy Walker highlighted Scranton high school students with disabilities in the MY Work program, where six teens earned pay while improving parks through murals, gardening, mulching, and repairs. Public Health Research: A Philadelphia study found infants given the RSV antibody nirsevimab had fewer antibiotic prescriptions for outpatient respiratory infections, including big drops for bronchiolitis. Food Safety: FDA and CDC began onsite inspections at Taylor Farms’ Mexican plant tied to a cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting 17 states, after a lettuce recall. Surveillance Policy: Pennsylvania lawmakers are pushing bills to regulate Flock automated license plate readers amid rising concerns about mass surveillance and misuse. Tech & Infrastructure in PA: Duquesne University broke ground on an $68M health sciences building, aiming to expand regional healthcare education. Cybersecurity: Baylor Genetics disclosed a data security incident affecting a limited part of its IT environment and began patient notifications. AI/Compute Business: Axe Compute reported major Q2 growth and signed contracts for enterprise GPU capacity.

Immigration & Voting Enforcement: ProPublica reports Homeland Security Investigations used a tech platform to flag noncitizens on voter rolls, despite internal warnings about “false positives,” and the push produced only a few dozen prosecutions nationwide. Birth Tourism Crackdown: The State Department launched a Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force, saying it revoked 600+ visas and will share leads across agencies. AI in Schools: Lancaster County educators are adjusting instruction as AI tools spread, with districts adopting AI policies and training teachers on responsible use. Pennsylvania Vaccines: Gov. Josh Shapiro says PA won’t change immunization guidance after Trump’s executive order urges fewer shots and splitting MMR—raising concerns about delays and public health risk. Data Centers vs. Local Control: Upper Merion supervisors rejected five proposed data center applications amid resident concerns about noise, water, and strain on services. Materials Science: Rice researchers show graphene “nanowrinkles” can reshape electrical behavior, pointing to structure-controlled electronics. Robotics Funding Push: State Sen. Devlin Robinson highlights a bill to create statewide grants for K-12 robotics programs. Cyber/Banking Risk: Community banks say AI adoption via vendors outpaces contract clarity, leaving data ownership and cybersecurity oversight gaps. Defense Tech Policy: Trump ordered the Navy to replace electromagnetic aircraft launch systems with steam catapults on a new carrier, drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers.

Grid & Data Centers: Lancaster County officials and state Sen. James Malone are pushing Pennsylvania lawmakers to pass a bill that would let municipalities pause new data center development while they catch up on local rules and impacts. Public Health & Water: A PennEnvironment report finds unsafe E. coli levels in about 55% of Pennsylvania waterways sampled over two years, raising swimmer and paddler health concerns. Wildfire Smoke Costs: A new study estimates Canada wildfire smoke caused more than $38B in economic damage across 10 states, with Michigan the hardest hit and Pennsylvania included among the affected. AI & Business Reality Check: An “Eye on AI” roundup highlights how AI spending is surging, but the return on adoption is still unclear for companies—plus more OpenAI/Anthropic/industry shakeups. Medical Innovation: St. Luke’s is preparing to open a $252M Heart Hospital at its Anderson Campus in Bethlehem, expanding cardiovascular capacity and adding advanced operating and interventional suites. Cybersecurity Funding: Pennsylvania’s FY2027 budget adds $10M for cybersecurity, aiming to shift toward a more proactive, zero-trust approach. Energy Policy: The U.S. Energy Department cancels Biden-era plans for three multistate transmission corridors, including one affecting Pennsylvania, reigniting the grid-buildout fight. Research & Physics: Scientists report a mechanism that can make a wave’s peak reach a receiver before the direct peak would—using interference, without breaking the speed-of-light rule.

Data Center Fight: Upper Merion Township in Montgomery County was hit with a lawsuit over proposed data centers, with a court order putting the Thursday vote on hold as residents pack meetings to argue the buildout will disrupt daily life. Social Media Accountability: Montgomery County also sued major platforms (including Meta, ByteDance, Snap, and Google) alleging addictive design and harmful effects on teen mental health, joining thousands of similar cases nationwide. Childhood Vaccines Legal Pressure: A Trump executive order threatens legal action against states that allow no religious exemptions, spotlighting California, Connecticut, Maine, and New York as measles concerns rise. Grid & Power Demand: PJM’s reformed interconnection process is seeing natural gas surge to the top of first-round accepted projects, driven by data-center demand and a shift from earlier stalled renewables. Penn State STEM Milestone: Penn State is set to award its one millionth degree at summer commencement Aug. 15, marking a major milestone for the state’s land-grant research engine. Space Science: NASA astronaut Mike Fincke retired after 30 years, closing a career that included four spaceflights and multiple spacewalks.

Childhood Vaccines: Pennsylvania health officials are pushing back after a Trump executive order cuts the number of recommended childhood vaccines from 18 to 11, with concerns that lower coverage could worsen outbreaks. Public Health & Water Quality: PennEnvironment and local partners unveiled a map showing unsafe E. coli levels across many Philadelphia-area waterways, tied to sewage overflow and aging infrastructure. Medical Research: University of Pennsylvania researchers report antiviral chewing gum can reduce microbes linked to head and neck cancers, while updated fertility guidance says damaged sperm DNA may be considered in unexplained recurrent miscarriage. Drug Safety: A new study links Ozempic-like GLP-1 diabetes drugs to a higher risk of non-scarring hair loss, though absolute risk is low. STEM Economy & Industry: Bosch Rexroth opened an expanded industrial hydraulics warehouse in Bethlehem, and Coherent forecast strong first-quarter results on AI-driven demand for photonics gear. Pennsylvania Tech Policy: A Pennsylvania district is scaling back classroom screen time, reflecting growing parent and educator pushback on AI and digital learning. Health Care Training Pipeline: A Northeast Pennsylvania consortium is coordinating local clinical rotations to help keep future physicians in the region. Agritech Grants: Erie County projects received $288K for new farming tech, including drone spraying and vermiculture systems.

Biotech in the spotlight: Century Therapeutics says its iPSC-derived islet replacement therapy CNTY-813 is on track for an FDA IND submission in 4Q 2026, after ADA 2026 preclinical results showed durable glucose control and immune evasion; the company also reaffirmed progress on its CD19 CAR-iT program CNTY-308 and reported a Q2 2026 cash runway into 1Q 2029. Local health leadership: Madrigal Pharmaceuticals added J&J R&D executive John C. Reed, M.D., Ph.D., to its board as it pushes forward its MASH work. Pennsylvania quantum push: State lawmakers heard that Pennsylvania’s Keystone AI + Quantum Factory—linking Penn, Pitt, Carnegie Mellon, Drexel, Penn State, Temple, and Lehigh—aims to build a statewide quantum ecosystem to compete for federal and industry dollars. Education tech debate: Pennsylvania and New Jersey moved to protect kids online as Pennsylvania sues TikTok over safeguards and New Jersey signs new social media rules for minors. Classroom tech reality check: Pennsylvania districts are tightening cellphone policies, while other coverage highlights how schools are spending big on AI but still struggle to decide what’s actually worth it. Energy + storage research: A vanadium flow battery study is underway with Alcoa to assess long-duration storage for refinery operations. Community impacts of tech: Data center concerns keep rising, with residents organizing around zoning hearings and infrastructure strain.

Penn TikTok Lawsuit: Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday sued TikTok in Allegheny County, arguing the app misrepresents its “13+” rating while pushing teens toward adult content and addictive infinite scrolling. Neighboring Policy Push: New Jersey simultaneously signed new social media restrictions for minors, including limits on advertising and data collection tied to younger users. AI + Data Centers Politics: A new look at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s early embrace of data centers shows rising public pushback as communities question impacts and benefits. Healthcare Tech & Capacity: St. Luke’s announced a $252M Heart Hospital opening in October, adding 140 beds and new cardiac operating and interventional suites. Penn State Milestone: Penn State will award its one millionth degree at summer commencement Aug. 15. STEM in the Community: Geisinger College of Health Sciences celebrated its ADN Class of 2026 graduation, highlighting ongoing nursing shortages in rural Pennsylvania. Climate & Water: Record heat is driving fishing closures across the West to protect trout and other fish from lethal river temperatures. Food Safety: A cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce continues, with health officials urging thorough washing.

Biotech & Health: Penn Medicine researchers report GLP-1 “Ozempic-like” drugs may raise risk of non-scarring hair loss, while a Penn State-led study finds teens and young adults with both ADHD and substance use disorder do better when they stay on ADHD medication. AI in Care: A “virtual nephrologist” pilot suggests AI video education can boost CKD patients’ likelihood of talking with clinicians about kidney transplants. Pennsylvania Policy & Tech: AARP Pennsylvania backs Act 47 of 2026, a new law tightening robocall and spam-text rules starting in October. Education Funding: Pennsylvania school districts will split $565 million in supplemental “adequacy” funds to ease tax pressure after a court ruling. STEM/Industry in the Region: WVU Medicine expands its surgical robot fleet with 17 more Intuitive da Vinci 5 systems. Defense & Manufacturing: Hanwha makes a $1B-plus bid for Austal USA, a move that could reshape U.S. naval shipbuilding capacity. Local Science Events: Penn State’s Ag Progress Days opens today, drawing about 50,000 visitors.

Education Staffing Crunch: A Pennsylvania School Boards Association report says 82% of districts struggle to find substitute teachers, while state data shows in-state teaching certification has fallen about 66% since 2010. Public Health Watch: A Pittsburgh infectious-disease doctor warns measles could soon show up in Allegheny County, as Pennsylvania reports 232 cases this year and vaccination rates lag. Cybersecurity for Schools: A new report finds ransomware attacks on U.S. K-12 schools dropped in early 2026, but dozens of districts were still hit, with higher-ed attacks rising. Crime & Justice Tech: Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and partners announced the $2.5M VICTIM Program to help local police use technological investigative methods to solve cold cases. Food Policy: HHS proposed stronger GRAS oversight, requiring companies to notify FDA when they deem additives “generally recognized as safe,” alongside a proposed definition for ultra-processed foods. Climate & Heat: NOAA data says July 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded in the contiguous U.S., underscoring intensifying heat extremes.

AI & Public Debate: Pennsylvania’s data center boom is colliding with community pushback, with a growing “Pennsylvania Data Center Resistance” Facebook group and polling showing most voters oppose new sites. Energy & Infrastructure: A new wave of proposals keeps raising questions about power demand, water use, and utility costs as more AI compute moves into the state. Healthcare Workforce: In the Philadelphia region, more than 80% of resident doctors are now covered by union contracts after Temple and Jefferson ratified deals, including major pay increases and protections around nonclinical work. Biotech & Brain Health: CervoMed reported Q2 2026 results and updates as it advances neflamapimod toward Phase 3 for dementia with Lewy bodies, with new analyses presented at AAIC. STEM in the Classroom: Penn’s student conduct cases rose in 2025–26, according to the university’s disciplinary report. Public Health & Schools: Pennsylvania students are still working to close COVID learning gaps, with math proficiency levels showing lingering disruption for cohorts hit hardest in early grades. Wildlife Monitoring: Ohio researchers are trapping and tagging black bears as sightings hit record highs, using GPS collars to track behavior and reduce conflicts.

Overdose Prevention in PA: DDAP says its Overdose Prevention Program added a first faith-based recovery partner, expanding its network of 100 groups distributing free naloxone and drug testing strips; the state reports nearly a 30% drop in overdose deaths and more than 17,600 overdose reversals using DDAP-supplied Narcan. Alzheimer’s Research: Penn Medicine researchers presented a rare “natural side-by-side” look inside one brain, suggesting that removing amyloid may also interrupt other processes tied to Alzheimer’s progression. Education Policy & Flexibility: The U.S. Education Department is granting more states waivers to consolidate federal education funds and bypass some requirements, with Pennsylvania among those affected as districts navigate shifting rules. AI & Learning Skills: A Japan political leader argues generative AI will shift education away from memorization toward creativity, communication, and issue-finding. Public Health & Vaccines: NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya urged parents to vaccinate as measles cases rise, warning that fear around school attendance can damage public trust. Food Safety Watch: A cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce continues spreading across states, including Pennsylvania, keeping grocery shoppers on alert. Local Safety: Reports highlight rising injuries from e-scooters and e-bikes, adding pressure on policymakers to catch up with faster, less-regulated tech. Energy & Nuclear: A first-of-its-kind small nuclear plant in Wyoming aims to speed deployment, framed as part of a push to power data centers and industry. Data Centers & Health Impacts: Lackawanna County residents packed a meeting demanding a countywide health impact study for proposed data centers and power plants, while commissioners debated timing.

Water Safety in Philly: A new consumer confidence report says Philly’s tap water meets federal standards for about 100 regulated contaminants, but the piece notes how regulation covers only a slice of real-world chemicals and “emerging” concerns. Nuclear for Data Centers: A first-of-its-kind small nuclear plant in Wyoming, backed by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, aims to start generating power in about four years—positioned as a faster path to energy for growing demand. Food Safety Watch: Lettuce-linked cyclospora fallout is hitting restaurants, with investigations still untangling sources and impacts for chains including Taco Bell. Penn State Agriculture: Penn State’s Ag Progress Days returns Aug. 11–13 with hundreds of exhibits and demos, including AI tools and research on invasive species and animal health. Public Health: Measles is spreading in Pennsylvania, with Lehigh Valley cases reported as the state hits its highest level in 30 years. Research Integrity: A roundup highlights how research retractions keep rising, pointing to weaknesses in peer review and oversight. STEM Policy & Regulation: A spotlight argues regulators need better “leashes” for fast-moving tech like AI, not rigid guardrails.

Education Workforce: Pennsylvania officially joined the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, aiming to speed licensure and expand the teacher pipeline—especially for hard-to-staff subjects and regions. Public Safety Tech & Policy: Local police say e-bikes can be safe, but higher speeds and sidewalk riding raise crash risk; they’re calling for clearer rules, education, and enforcement. Invasive Species: A new invasive plant, wavyleaf basketgrass, has been found in a western Pennsylvania reserve; land managers say public help is key to slowing spread. Outdoor Recreation Funding: DCNR opened a grant round for motorized recreation projects (ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorized trails), supporting rural economies and public access. Health: Measles has reached the Lehigh Valley, with Pennsylvania reporting its highest case count in 30 years. STEM & Research: Penn researchers developed an AI tool to speed autism evaluations, and Penn State secured major NSF funding to lead an AI-driven semiconductor research initiative. Energy & Infrastructure: DCNR’s motorized grants and multiple grid/power-demand stories underscore how infrastructure constraints shape tech growth.