Pennsylvania’s Whole Home Repairs program was a success — and a national model. What happened to it?
State statistics show the Whole Home Repairs program helped more than 4,000 Pennsylvania homeowners make major improvements to their residences.
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Pennsylvania’s aging prisons weren’t built for today’s extreme weather
For several years, people in custody, advocates and local media have sounded the alarm about the dangers posed by extreme temperatures in Pennsylvania’s state prisons.
Pa. House advances bills limiting student cellphone use and Flock-like cameras
House lawmakers gave a school cellphone ban another shot after passing an identical bill earlier this year, and also advanced a bill limiting Automated License Plate Readers.
Ukrainians and Sudanese with temporary legal status will keep protections for now
Immigrants living in the United States with humanitarian status from Ukraine and Sudan will retain their deportation protections and work authorizations for now,
Bear killings skyrocket as garbage, bird feeders draw them into conflict
From California to Connecticut, desperate bears have raided garbage cans, broken into homes and cars, torn through chicken coops and pulled down birdfeeders.
Gov. Josh Shapiro is ‘very open’ to Trump’s education tax credit program
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has said he’s “very open” to opting his state into the Trump-backed federal scholarship tax credit program.
Emails reveal local police were more involved in Montour County ICE raid than initially admitted
Along with further interviews with law enforcement, the emails obtained through public records requests also show police chiefs — particularly Mahoning Township’s Frederick Dyroff III — downplayed the scope of the raid and their role in it.
Skill games saga ends with outlawed gambling machines removed … for now
Pennsylvania’s skill game industry grew for more than a decade in a legal gray area where courts said the commonwealth’s gambling laws couldn’t touch them.
Here’s how the No Kings day of action urged early voting
With the general election just 16 days away and early voting underway in dozens of states, people across the nation took to the streets Saturday to urge their friends and neighbors to get out and vote.
No Kings rally brings early voting message in the Philly suburbs
The rally in the Philadelphia suburbs was one of hundreds held around the nation Saturday, three weeks before the general election where voters will determine the makeup of Congress.
Immigrants from Ukraine, Sudan could soon lose protected status
More than 100,000 Ukrainians and roughly 2,000 Sudanese immigrants are bracing for the possibility they’ll lose their humanitarian protections by Monday.
Democrats could flip legislative chambers, break GOP supermajorities, analysis finds
Party control is up for grabs in 15 state legislative chambers across the country as Republicans are increasingly on the defensive this midterm election cycle, a new analysis found.
Data centers are now the largest financial bet in US history
The sheer size of investment in data centers is drawing concern as it surpasses all other historical booms and crowds out other more job-creating ventures.
Philly voters care about local issues, but some wonder if their vote matters
Less than 30 days ahead of the 2026 midterms and almost nobody I talk to in Philadelphia is excited. Not my neighbors.
Penn State scraps Flock cameras on campus
Penn State is not renewing its agreement with Flock Safety and is instead ending the use of Flock security cameras on the University Park campus.
Pa. PAC supporting nurse practitioner independence releases candidate surveys
One-fifth of candidates responded, largely in favor of expanding nurse practitioner scope of practice without physician contracts.
Trump: Execution of Fort Hood shooter will not be livestreamed
President Donald Trump Thursday announced that the execution of a man convicted of the Fort Hood shooting will not be livestreamed, a reversal after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that Nidal Hasan’s death by firing squad would be public.
2 states, 2 abortion ballot measures, and the effort to win over Gen Z voters
In Idaho and Missouri, where Gen Z voters are among those who will decide the future of abortion access on Election Day, campaigns are trying to reach a generation dealing with rising living costs and skepticism toward politics.
Pennsylvania’s attorney general accuses insulin makers, PBMs of insulin ‘pricing scheme’
State Attorney General Dave Sunday’s office claims that more than a dozen pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy middlemen worked together to “artificially” inflate insulin prices by more than 1,000%. “Millions of Pennsylvanians have diabetes or prediabetes and they were all potentially harmed by this scheme to…
Chesapeake Bay gets a C+ in overall health, its highest score in 20 years of records
The Chesapeake Bay earned a C+ on the annual report card that calculates improvements or losses in key indicators of health and conditions in the estuary and surrounding areas.
State study aims to identify retired power plant sites that can be reactivated
PATER is a way to look at Pennsylvania’s power generation and transmission system as a whole, while energy regulators and state leaders across the country look to spur new investments in the electricity grid.
What is on-demand mail ballot voting?
According to the state’s top election official, the process is something he fields “a lot of questions about.”
Powered by spikes in energy prices, inflation surges to 3.7%
Spikes in energy prices were largely responsible: Gas is now up 34% for the year, and fuel oil, which includes diesel, is up 72% as the Iran war drags on.
Nonpartisan government watchdog recommends automated activation of ICE body cameras
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection need to improve oversight and guidance for federal immigration officers’ use of body-worn cameras, according to a Wednesday report from independent federal investigators.
Social Security benefits increase will hit 3.6% in 2027
The Social Security Administration announced on Wednesday that recipients will receive a 3.6% increase in benefits in 2027.
Department of Justice charges 4 more noncitizens in Pennsylvania with voting in the 2024 election
The Department of Justice announced Monday that four Pennsylvania residents had been charged with noncitizen voting, part of the Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown on election crimes ahead of the 2026 midterms.
With fewer public defenders, indigent defendants pay the price in Pennsylvania and other states
Evidence suggests jurisdictions across the nation are struggling to provide attorneys to the estimated 80%-90% of criminal defendants who cannot afford one.
The oil market that sets today’s gas prices was invented in western Pennsylvania
The fall of 2026 is a moment of energy centrality, when geopolitics unfolding far away shows up in Americans’ everyday lives.
‘Labor guides’ can help dispel myths pregnant women find online
Providing “labor guides” to pregnant women helps combat misinformation that an increasing number of patients are getting from social media or artificial intelligence, according to a recent study.
PJM Interconnection issues alerts warning of tight electricity supplies
PJM Interconnection alerted power plant owners and electric utilities Monday of the need to take steps to avoid rolling blackouts as the demand for power approaches the grid’s current maximum capacity.
Trump pressed states for info on millions of voters in the midterms. It’s mostly failed.
Three weeks before Election Day, the Trump administration’s sprawling project to send sensitive personal information on millions of voters to the Department of Homeland Security has been declared illegal by a federal judge.
Pa. nonprofits, businesses look to replace revenue from skill games
Businesses and nonprofits that house skill games are adjusting to a new reality after Pennsylvania lawmakers failed to reach a deal ahead of the state Supreme Court’s Oct. 13 deadline to regulate them.
What happened to Pennsylvania’s hydrogen hubs?
Backed by the federal government and bipartisan leadership, Pennsylvania’s hydrogen projects were supposed to create jobs and slash emissions. Now, they’re in limbo.
Trump immigration policies could turn away much-needed foreign doctors, critics say
As the nation’s physician shortage worsens, some fear the Trump administration’s immigration policies will dissuade or prevent doctors who earned their medical degrees in foreign countries from practicing in the United States.
Researchers point to community violence programs, pandemic recovery in historic homicide decline
As candidates debate public safety ahead of the midterm elections, a new assessment of the nation’s historic homicide decline suggests there is no single explanation for the drop — and that some widely discussed enforcement strategies may have played little role.
What girls hear when a Pennsylvania lawmaker calls women ‘more costly to hire’
While hanging out in the social media universe the other day, I grazed over a clip with a short shelf life. It spread through X posts and outlets like Jezebel. I happened to see it on Instagram, and the feed moved on. The logic behind the post should not. When a Pennsylvania lawmaker said he would choose a
Franklin County coroner announces measles-associated death, state Health Dept. still investigating
If confirmed, it would mark the sixth measles-associated death in Pennsylvania this year.
US senators from both parties blast Trump order to import Russian diesel as illegal
The Trump administration’s order to allow import of Russian diesel violates a 2022 law banning Russian energy imports while the country’s war with Ukraine is ongoing, according to a bipartisan group of U.S. senators. Following an Oct. 9 call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S…
As black lung surges in Appalachia, Trump administration halts rollout of new coal mine dust rules
A new study shows that rates for black lung disease in Appalachia are surging. At the same time, the Trump administration is putting regulations that could reduce miners’ exposure to the dust associated with the disease on hold.
Data center backlash set to sway midterm elections across country
Analysts say the opposition to data centers has come from Republican and Democratic voters alike.
Once a bucolic Pennsylvania river, the Tioga, is now all but dead
Two centuries after the coal miners arrived, residents are racing to save the Tioga River and bring back the trout.
Pennsylvania’s GOP members of Congress are failing us on measles.
Tragically, more than 1,000 people in Pennsylvania have been infected with measles in 2026, now associated with 198 hospitalizations and five deaths. In neighboring New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul just declared a statewide health emergency as cases surge in rural counties. Yet of Pennsylvania’s 1,078 cases in 41 counties…
Measles cases reach 4,080 for the year — the highest in decades
Measles cases for the calendar year surpassed 4,000 for the first time in decades, with as many as five deaths in Pennsylvania, as the federal government steps in with financial help for states but also fans vaccination fears and skepticism. A weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed…
Chester County high school closes after measles exposure
According to the state Department of Health, there have been 1,136 measles cases across 41 counties in Pennsylvania this year, with 157 of those recorded in the last week.
Election betting is booming as the midterms near. Do states have the power to curb it?
Prediction markets have emerged as a flashpoint in state and federal relations, as a host of states struggle with the Trump administration over who has authority to regulate the platforms and whether state laws restricting gambling apply to them.
Supreme Court denies request to extend deadline for skill games
In a letter to the court late Thursday, Chief Deputy Attorney General Susan E. Affronti noted the request from three state lawmakers came only two business days before the deadline after which the slot machine-like games will become illegal.
Cornell case highlights the patchwork of state laws governing intoxication, sexual consent
A former Cornell University student’s allegations of gang rape in 2024 have renewed attention on a difficult area of sexual assault law. A person can be awake, responsive and even able to move during a sexual encounter while still being so intoxicated or impaired that they cannot understand what is happening or make…
How big a deal is the red-dyed diesel directive?
LINCOLN — Sixth-generation Nebraska farmer John Hansen leaned into baseball lingo to describe his take on dual diesel directives by President Donald Trump and Gov. Jim Pillen. He compared the impact to a bunt single. The swing was less than full and the outcome far from a home run, he said. “It’s somewhat helpful but…
Youth vote skews heavily to Democrats in Michigan, Pa. and other swing states; economic issues stay top concerns
One key issue where young voters seem to be coalescing is disapproval of President Donald Trump.
In Harrisburg, advocates rally for tougher rules on fracking
Environmental groups and citizens are urging Pennsylvania regulators to increase the minimum amount of protective buffer space between gas wells and homes, schools and water sources.
Shapiro, Garrity debate skill games as zero hour for the industry closes in
The televised debate Wednesday in Harrisburg happened as state lawmakers and skill game industry members petitioned the state Supreme Court to extend a stay.
Urban, rural hospitals closing at similar rates, study finds
Urban hospitals are closing at roughly the same rate as rural ones, and the shuttered hospitals are more likely to have served communities with high poverty rates and fewer transportation options.
Shapiro calls for abolishing death penalty; Garrity says she supports ‘the law that’s on the books’
Pennsylvania law allows for the death penalty, though there have been no executions in the state since 1999.
Pa. health officials face multiple fronts as measles outbreak overlaps with respiratory virus season
Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak crossed a historic threshold this week: at 1,078 cases in 41 counties, the state has recorded the nation’s largest measles outbreak in the last three decades. Five people have died with infections and nearly 200 people have been hospitalized.
Voters in midterm elections identify a culprit for rising cost of living: Trump’s tariffs
A growing number of voters are taking their anger about affordability to the polls this midterm election and blaming President Donald Trump’s tariffs as a culprit for rising expenses, polls show.
Aging workforce, immigration crackdown are depleting skilled workers
A perfect storm of harsh immigration enforcement, aging journeymen and a building boom for data centers is wreaking havoc on the nation’s supply of skilled trade workers.
Bucks County sheriff joins movement pledging not to interfere with elections
A movement is brewing to get sheriffs around the county to pledge not to interfere in the 2026 midterm elections, and at least one Pennsylvania sheriff is on board.
Research suggests women living in states with abortion bans bear higher health insurance costs
New preliminary research from the University of Michigan shows women living in states with post-Dobbs abortion bans may be more likely to shoulder costs for employer-sponsored health insurance premiums.
Documents show DHS probed nonprofits in Pa. and other states, obtained millions of records in hunt for noncitizen voters
The Department of Homeland Security obtained tens of millions of unspecified records as part of a sweeping nationwide effort to find voter fraud, according to internal DHS reports, and weighed using undercover agents to investigate voter registration efforts by nonprofit groups.
Pa.’s top election official urges voters to plan for upcoming deadlines
The last day to register before the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 19. The deadline to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot is Oct. 27
Lawmakers withdraw request for state Supreme Court to extend skill games deadline
Recognizing the impact its June 15 ruling would have on skill game hosts and operators, the Supreme Court instructed that no law enforcement agency was to act on the decision for 120 days. That safe harbor period expires Oct 13.
Dems double down on election protection in Pa. amid Trump administration’s threats
The Democratic effort builds on regular election protection methods and incorporates practices and procedures that grew out of the effort to document ICE agents’ actions during the immigration surge in Minnesota this year.
Records reveal sprawling data center and power plant plans for Allegheny County community
An Eastern Pennsylvania developer wants to build a 1-gigawatt data center campus and natural gas plant in rural Elizabeth Township at a former landfill site, according to email records between the developer and municipal officials.
2026 midterms could be the end of Pennsylvania’s split legislature, with far-reaching impacts
Of course, nationally the wind is at the back of Democrats. Commentators are contemplating the possibility of a Democratic trifecta in Pennsylvania for the first time since 1993.
Americans’ water bills are growing faster than groceries, overall inflation
Household water bills are increasing faster than inflation and income, according to a new analysis.
With election pressure mounting, states move to suspend fuel taxes
With Election Day less than a month away, lawmakers in several states are suspending gas taxes or rolling back regulations on diesel fuel as voters grow increasingly frustrated with rising fuel costs amid President Donald Trump’s war with Iran.
A call for Gov. Shapiro and state lawmakers to pass a data center moratorium in Pa.
Speakers at the rally were critical of Shapiro for his initial embrace of Amazon and other tech companies as they scoped out sites. The development guidelines that now encompass much of the commonwealth’s data center policy are too little, too late, they said.
New York governor declares measles emergency as Pennsylvania records more than 1,000 cases
Facing a surge of measles cases in New York state’s rural counties, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an executive order allowing paramedics, pharmacists, midwives and other non-physicians to administer vaccines.
ICE looks to sell two Pennsylvania warehouses and others initially planned for detention center
The federal government is seeking to sell two warehouses in Pennsylvania that were purchased for use as Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers, along with five other warehouses nationally that were similarly intended for use as detention facilities before those plans were scrapped over the summer. The…
Trump drops longtime aversion to mail-in voting with GOP trailing in polls
With Republicans falling behind in the polls, the president is now urging his supporters to vote in the midterm elections any way they can, including by mail.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Pa. Republicans tout Trump accounts at state Capitol
This story was originally published by WITF. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent was in Harrisburg on Monday to promote new federal savings accounts for children that the Trump administration says will help more Americans build wealth. “President Trump believes that the American dream belongs to every child…
Democrats could win majority of governor’s offices for first time in 16 years
Democrats could win a majority of governorships for the first time since 2010. Currently, Republicans boast a 26-24 gubernatorial advantage over Democrats.
Pennsylvania proposal to ban law enforcement at polling places reflects activist concerns
Pennsylvania’s election code already prohibits police from being within 100 feet of polling places. Kenyatta has introduced a bill that would expand the language to include federal agents as well.
Some state leaders say changes to PJM’s electric grid governance aren’t enough
Democratic leaders in Pennsylvania, Maryland and other states have long called for PJM Interconnection, which administers the regional electric grid, to give more weight to state voices in its decision-making.
Anxiety is growing Trump may try to disrupt the midterm elections. States are prepping.
One month from Election Day, President Donald Trump’s long-running pressure campaign over elections is approaching a decisive moment.
Pennsylvania’s public defense crisis is a constitutional crisis
The constitutional right to counsel is one of the cornerstones of American democracy. But a constitutional right without adequate funding is merely a promise on paper.
Bill to regulate kratom sales and ban synthetic compounds passes Pa. House
Kratom is an intoxicating substance that can be purchased at gas stations, smoke shops and corner stores across Pennsylvania and much of the country. In recent years, its popularity in America has exploded, as has the number of states that regulate its sale.
Diamond urges House leaders not to allow skill games deadline to pass without a solution
At the start of the General Assembly’s last session week before midterm elections, Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) said he offered to work with Democrats to amend his legislation to also provide additional funding for public transportation agencies.
Pennsylvania joins 20 states suing EPA to reinstate climate pollution rules for power plants
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. More than 20 states, including North Carolina, New York, California and Pennsylvania, as well as several cities, are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over…
Kratom, 7-OH laws diverge amid the spread of potent synthetic products
For years, the psychoactive compound kratom has been sold across much of the United States as an herbal supplement, available in powders, capsules and extracts with few of the restrictions applied to controlled substances. But the market is changing. Products containing a potentially dangerous kratom derivative known…
Pa.’s Environmental Rights Amendment is the focus of a Lycoming County data center fight
When township officials didn’t hold a hearing on Danko’s data center application within the normally required 60 days, the holding company took the position that its proposal was automatically approved under provisions of the Municipal Planning Code.
Federal funds for local police enforcement accelerated Trump immigration crackdown
An unprecedented increase in cooperation between local and state law enforcement and federal immigration officers through collaborations known as 287(g) agreements helped drive numbers up.
Pennsylvania logging record numbers of problem gamblers, per new report
The warning signs for a dramatic rise in gambling addiction are showing no signs of abating this year, according to the most recent annual report from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Pennsylvania is running out of power. Washington is part of the problem.
All too often these days, constructing a major energy infrastructure project in Pennsylvania involves years of court fights and permitting delays.
Hiring slows in September with job growth of 29K
Jobs across the United States rose by 29,000 in September, a disappointing result as recent growth was also revised down in Friday’s monthly jobs report, the last one before midterm elections.
After states sue, Trump administration walks away from disability rights enforcement
A court battle that began when conservative-led states sued to block protections for transgender people has ended in a rollback of protections for people with disabilities — a result disability advocates have feared for months.
Here’s what’s driving the Gen Z gender gap in Pennsylvania and other states
A new poll from The 19th and YouGov sheds light on how young men and women are shaped by certain historical moments and tend to diverge on issues of gender and reproductive rights
Prediction markets spend millions to influence state, federal governments
Kalshi, Polymarket and the Coalition for Prediction Markets have spent at least $3 million this year on lobbying and campaign contributions across the federal and state levels, according to a new report from the government watchdog group OpenSecrets.
District attorney elections linked to more prison admissions during ‘tough on crime’ era
County and local district attorneys oversaw higher state prison admissions during election years than in other years during the height of the nation’s “tough on crime” era, according to a new study from Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law.
Pennsylvania’s skill games are officially gambling – so should they be at every gas station?
Pennsylvania lawmakers returned to Harrisburg on Sept. 28, 2026, after a 10-week recess with little time to determine the future of the state’s skill games.
Community groups lose HIV-prevention money as feds redirect dollars to states
Nearly 100 community-based organizations have lost their federal HIV-prevention grants this week as the Trump administration redirects dollars to state and local health departments.
Black, LGBTQ leaders call for GOP lawmaker’s resignation after ‘homophobic tirade’
The statement said Bernstine must be held accountable for his words and actions, which the caucus leaders said make him unfit to serve in the state legislature.
Mail-in ballots heading out as Pennsylvania voter registration deadline approaches
Interested Pennsylvanian voters must apply for mail-in ballots by Oct. 17. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 19.
Feds provide guidance on new federal K-12 scholarship tax credit program
The U.S. Department of the Treasury released new guidance for participating states, scholarship-granting organizations and taxpayers as the federal scholarship tax credit program prepares to take effect in January.
Carnegie Mellon University got a record $3 billion donation. What does that mean for Pittsburgh?
News of a $3 billion gift quickly swept Carnegie Mellon University's campus amid a day of bagpipes, confetti and snacks.
Penn State-WHYY deal finalized. A new era begins for WPSU
Central Pennsylvania’s public broadcasting station, WPSU, is officially separated from Penn State.
Voters to weigh different approaches to housing affordability in November
Voters in four states will decide housing-related ballot measures in November, providing testing grounds for different strategies to boost affordable homes.
Pa. House panel passes proposals on data center costs, utility company profits
The House Energy Committee advanced three bills addressing electricity company profits, data center infrastructure costs, and ensuring speculative developments do not skew electricity demand forecasts.
Study of groundwater near fracking sites finds low radium levels, but does raise concerns
Testing in a limited number of shallow aquifers near fracking sites in southwestern Pennsylvania found low levels of radium overall, but there aren’t yet enough samples to draw firm conclusions about the region as a whole, according to a new report from researchers at Penn State University.
Pennsylvania reports fifth measles-related death
A fifth measles-related death occurred in Pennsylvania, which remains one of the nation’s hot spots for outbreaks of the virus. The state Health Department reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that an unvaccinated person in Lancaster County died after testing positive for measles. The number of…