MONROE UNFILTERED: THE DAILY BUZZ | August 20
Shapiro's Data Center Crackdown and Pool Trouble in Swiftwater
Thursday, August 20, 2026
DAILY WEATHER
If you have time, check out the Glee mashup of “Umbrella” and “Singin' in the Rain” today. Either way, you can put yourself in the right frame for today. We will have a 94% chance of rain moving in for the afternoon and evening, with a high near 75°F and an overnight low around 60°F. This one is timed for the evening commute, so if you can shift outdoor plans earlier in the day, do it.
The good news: Friday washes it all away. Just a 7% chance of rain, a high near 81°F, and a low around 63°F. The pick of the week, hands down. The rest of the weekend gets messier again, with scattered thunderstorms Saturday (74°F, 60% chance) and more afternoon-and-evening thunderstorms Sunday (80°F, 45% chance). A perfect weekend to see Spider-Man on the XD screen at Cinemark.
Monday clears back out, mostly sunny with a high near 76°F and a low around 55°F.
And on the same topic, while you are inside this weekend, check out Tom Holland's Lip Sync Battle performance of “Umbrella.” A whole new side of Spider-Man.
STATE OF THE KEYSTONE STATE: SHAPIRO'S DATA CENTER ABOUT-FACE
Tuesday, Shapiro found a way around Harrisburg's gridlock: he signed Executive Order 2026-05, turning the voluntary data center GRID Standards we've covered since May into an enforceable requirement. Why it lands here: this is the same fight Smithfield, Pocono, and Tobyhanna townships have been having block by block for a year, just with Harrisburg finally attaching teeth.
Developers now have to sign legally binding consent orders (cover their own energy costs, hit water-conservation benchmarks, run real community outreach, and get local sign-off) before the state's Department of Environmental Protection will even review a permit. Every AI data center project got pulled off the state's Permit Fast Track Program on the spot, and nondisclosure agreements between developers and state agencies are banned outright. The sales-tax break we told you about (worth $517M a year to the industry by 2030) is now contingent on the same compliance.
Shapiro had sharp words for data center developers: “We will not be bullied by these developers. We will not be bulldozed by the lawyers for these Big Tech companies.” He was just as blunt about what happens to developers who skip the process: “If you can't agree to our strict requirements and get the community where you want to build to say ‘yes,’ you're not going to have the Commonwealth's support either.” It's also a sharp about-face for a governor who spent the past year personally courting a $20 billion Amazon data center buildout and championing the industry as an economic engine.
Republican challenger Stacy Garrity, who's made data centers the centerpiece of her campaign, called it “playing CYA” and said Shapiro “lit the fuse on the chaos,” a notable pivot from the same candidate who was complaining on talk radio last summer that Ohio was “kicking our butt” on data center count.
None of this is happening in a vacuum. Shapiro is up for reelection against Garrity this fall, and data centers are the exact issue where he's underwater. That Quinnipiac poll has only 24% of Pennsylvanians, and just 40% of his own party, approving of how he's handled it, even as he still leads Garrity 53%-40% overall. And it's landing at a moment when the talk of Shapiro running for president in 2028 keeps getting louder. He's making the media rounds more than a governor focused purely on Harrisburg usually does, most recently yesterday on CBS Mornings, making his case directly to a national audience.
WHAT WERE YA THINKIN'?
Poolside Trouble in Swiftwater. Pocono Township Police charged Israel Awdren with indecent exposure and two additional counts after an Aug. 14 incident at the outdoor pool of the Swiftwater Hotel (2060 SR 0611), where officers say he exposed himself in front of other guests. Multiple eyewitnesses came forward, according to police. No mugshot or other photos were provided. Of course, he's presumed innocent until proven guilty; we'll update if the case moves.
A Best Western Run-In. Pocono Township Police charged Alphonso Correa, 48, of Nanticoke, with theft by unlawful taking and one additional count stemming from an Aug. 10 incident at the Best Western, after the victim, identified by police as Correa's ex-girlfriend, reported the incident. We don't have further detail on what was taken and will follow up if more surfaces. He's presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Not So Friendly Fraud Charges. Talliyah Allen, 29, of East Stroudsburg, was charged this month with access device fraud (typically involving the unauthorized use of a stolen credit card, debit card, or account number) and an additional theft count. Pocono Township Police tied Allen to an August 27, 2025, incident reported at the Tannersville Friendly's following an extended detective investigation. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty.