Pennsylvania category, Page 102
By legalizing marijuana, Pa. senator said he wants to ‘tax it, regulate it and make it safe’
Recreational marijuana is not yet legal in Pennsylvania, but it’s so prevalent that prosecutors are looking the other way when people are caught with small amounts and it can now be purchased through a phone app for delivery in at least one Philadelphia neighborhood. With that as a backdrop, district...
Bill to protect doctors who prescribe ivermectin, other unproven drugs against covid-19 advances
A state House committee on Monday approved a bill that would free doctors to prescribe off-label drugs to treat covid-19 and allow pharmacists to fill the prescriptions, also without penalty. The bill was authored by Republican state Rep. Dawn Keefer of York County. It was approved by the health committee...
See how the final Pa. state House map scores in every key area
This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — A panel has approved a new Pennsylvania House map that...
Temple professor asks court to reinstate lawsuit against FBI
A Temple University physicist who was charged with sharing scientific technology with China only for the case to collapse before trial and be dismissed by the Justice Department asked a federal appeals court on Monday to reinstate his lawsuit against the U.S. government. Lawyers for Xiaoxing Xi and his wife...
Accused Pa. bootleggers with ‘legendary’ moonshine recipe busted by state police
A couple’s alleged 30-year bootlegging business in Centre County has been busted by Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement officers after a year-long undercover investigation. As WJAC-TV in Johnstown reports, the couple, identified as Glenn and Barbara McCleester of Port Matilda, allegedly told undercover liquor control enforcement investigators...
Pa. bans sales of Ravenna grass and 2 species of buckthorn trees
While spring gardening might not be foremost on residents’ minds during a snowstorm, the state announced Friday it will ban plant sales of certain pampas grasses and two varieties of buckthorn. The state Department of Agriculture added three species to the state list of noxious weeds, which are non-native invasive...
What to watch for in Gov. Wolf’s budget proposal
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf will pitch his eighth and last budget proposal to lawmakers Tuesday, as the Democrat pushes Republicans to spend more federal pandemic relief aid now and Wolf looks to cement his public school legacy by securing a big boost in state aid. The state’s bank accounts...
Final Pa. legislative maps approved by redistricting panel, but legal challenges likely
This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — A state panel Friday approved Pennsylvania’s new legislative district maps,...
GOP’s Pennsylvania election inquiry: Courts, conspiracies and more costs
A Republican inquiry into Pennsylvania’s 2020 presidential election inspired by former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud has spawned several court cases as it expands into multiple courses of inquiry, grows in cost and shows signs it will drag well into 2022. The Republican pursuit has received a...
Val Arkoosh ends Senate campaign amid tough Democratic field
Val Arkoosh, a trained anesthesiologist who chairs the board of Pennsylvania’s third-most-populous county, on Friday ended her campaign for U.S. Senate, leaving a tough Democratic Party primary field. In a video message, Arkoosh stressed the importance of a Democrat winning the Senate seat being vacated by retiring two-term Republican Sen....
Gov. Wolf vetoes bill to prevent municipal firearms restrictions
HARRISBURG — A bill to help gun owners and gun-rights groups seek civil damages from governmental bodies that pass firearms restrictions was vetoed on Thursday by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. The legislation would have given a pathway to the courts for people adversely impacted by ordinances, rules or other actions...
Last of GOP regional straw polls hand victories to Bartos, White for U.S. Senate, governor
The last of the regional straw polls of Pennsylvania Republican state committee members produced wins for U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Bartos and gubernatorial candidate Dave White on their home turf. The GOP committee members from the Southeast Caucus met on Wednesday night to hear from the candidates for these open...
Pennsylvania doctor accused of prescribing unproven covid-19 treatments fired by hospital
A Pennsylvania surgeon has been fired after being accused of prescribing unproven drugs to treat or prevent covid-19, possibly to people referred to her through social media. Dr. Edith Behr, a former surgeon with Phoenixville Hospital, is accused of issuing prescriptions for ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, with the prescriptions possibly coordinated...
Pennsylvania Supreme Court takes control of redrawing state’s congressional map
This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court took control of the high-stakes selection...
Wolf, Democrats outline proposal for $1.7B in pandemic funds
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s governor and his Democratic allies in the Legislature on Wednesday laid out a proposal to spend federal pandemic relief money on workers, environmental and climate change programs as well as a one-time property tax subsidy for lower-income homeowners and renters. The plan was announced less than a...
Pennsylvania high court to decide congressional district map
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s Democratic-majority Supreme Court wrested control Wednesday of choosing new district lines for the state’s shrinking congressional delegation, a process that deadlocked the governor and Legislature. The five Democratic justices issued an order directing a lower judge to give them a report by Monday that recommends a new...
Gov. Tom Wolf’s final budget address will seek to cement his legacy
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — This month, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf will deliver his eighth and final budget address to a joint session of...
Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow: 6 more weeks of winter
Looks like it will be six more weeks of winter, as Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Wednesday morning. Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog made his appearance at sunrise to throngs of fans gathered at Gobbler’s Knob — the largest ever, according to the Inner Circle of Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Legend has...
Report flags consultant error in Pennsylvania pension data
HARRISBURG — A report commissioned by the board of Pennsylvania’s largest public pension system shows a consultant took responsibility for an errant calculation about the fund’s investment performance. The discovery of the mistaken calculation forced the $72 billion Public School Employees’ Retirement System to take a second vote last year...
Airline says it will stop monkey shipments after Pennsylvania crash
The airline that carried monkeys part of the way to a U.S. research laboratory before they were involved in a highway crash in Pennsylvania says it will stop the shipments. Kenya Airways will not renew its contract with the shipper when it expires this month, airline CEO Allan Kilavuka said...
Pennsylvania judge says she’ll soon rule on congressional districts map
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania judge who recently conducted a hearing on more than a dozen competing proposals for a redrawn map of the state’s congressional districts told the state Supreme Court on Tuesday her decision will be ready in a few days — if they do not yank the case...
Bensalem police investigating fight involving 40 people at Golden Corral caught on videoVideo
Police are actively investigating a brawl at a popular Bensalem buffet restaurant last week after the fight was captured on video that has since gone viral on social media. Bensalem Director of Public Safety William McVey confirmed the department is actively investigating what happened Friday around 4:30 p.m. at the...
Pa. hunters turn in 5th-largest bear harvest, including 722-pounder in central Pa.
Hunters killed 3,659 Pennsylvania black bears in 2021, the fifth-best bear harvest ever and the second largest since 2011. That total included a 722-pound male, taken with a shotgun Dec. 4 during the extended season for bear, in Letterkenny Township, Franklin County, by Wade Glessner of Shippensburg. That was the...
Millions follow rich candidates in Pennsylvania Senate race
HARRISBURG — Cash is pouring in to Pennsylvania’s hotly contested race for U.S. Senate, as wealthy and well-connected candidates moved in from out of state, followed by millions of dollars going into TV ads and super PACs. Filings posted online by the Federal Election Commission before Monday night’s deadline showed...
Former state Rep. Jeff Coleman running for lieutenant governor
Former state Rep. Jeff Coleman is running for lieutenant governor, campaigning on promises of bipartisanship and civility at a time when politics are harshly divided. The Republican formerly lived in Apollo and represented Western Pennsylvania in the state House for two terms. He now lives in Lemoyne, a Harrisburg suburb....
