Pennsylvania category, Page 33
Details of proposed Pa. higher education board tucked into legislation
A new state Board of Higher Education as proposed by Gov. Josh Shapiro would consist of 15 voting members, one from each sector of postsecondary education, plus government, business, labor and student representatives. Details are contained in twin pieces of legislation introduced Monday by Sen. Jay Costa Jr. , D-Forest...
Pennsylvania schools would get billions more under Democratic plan passed by the state House
HARRISBURG — A Democratic-sponsored proposal to boost public school funding by billions in the coming years and impose stricter rules on cyber-charter schools passed the Pennsylvania House on Monday in a test of political will as lawmakers haggle over the state budget. The bill responds to a report issued in...
Cyber charter changes that could save public schools $530M may be in this year’s budget
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s public school districts could save roughly $530 million annually if the legislature makes long-sought changes to how cyber charters are funded. Democratic...
Pennsylvania Senate passes bill to outlaw the distribution of deepfake material
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s state Senate on Monday approved legislation that would outlaw the distribution of salacious or pornographic deepfakes, with sponsors saying it will eliminate a loophole in the law that had frustrated prosecutors. The bill was approved unanimously and was sent to the House. It comes as states are...
Chaos, confusion have followed Philly encampment clearing, residents and businesses say
When chef Dionicio Jiménez opens the doors of Cantina La Martina on Philadelphia’s Kensington Avenue, his day begins by cleaning up trash and human feces from the sidewalk or disposing of the occasional mattress where people have been sleeping around his restaurant. He and his wife, co-owner Mariangeli Alicea Saez,...
Nurse practitioners say they’d ease rural health care shortage with more authority; doctors say it won’t work
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Joyce Knestrick can independently give physical exams, diagnose health conditions, prescribe select medications, and make referrals as a nurse practitioner at a clinic...
Secret opioid cash meetings criticized by Pa. lawmaker after Spotlight PA and WESA reporting
This story first appeared in The Investigator, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring the best investigative and accountability journalism from across Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — A member of the board overseeing Pennsylvania’s opioid settlement money said he’s concerned the group’s actions don’t comply with the state’s Sunshine Act, echoing transparency...
Pa. lawmakers introduce bills to advance Shapiro’s higher education overhaul
Two Democratic lawmakers, one in the House and one in the Senate, are introducing legislation to advance Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposals to reimagine Pennsylvania’s higher education system. The system has long been criticized as underfunded by the state and too expensive for students. The governor on Friday announced the introduction...
Some Republicans booed, walked out as Pa. House recognized Jan. 6 Capitol police officers
HARRISBURG — A visit to the Pennsylvania House floor by two former police officers who helped protect the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot of 2021 drew boos and walkouts by some Republican legislators this week. Witnesses said the appearance Wednesday by former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn...
Ex-NASCAR driver Tighe Scott and 3 other Pennsylvania men face charges stemming from Capitol riot
Retired NASCAR driver Tighe Scott, his adult son and two other Pennsylvania men are facing felony charges stemming from confrontations with police during the Jan. 6, 2021, siege on the U.S. Capitol. Scott, 75, of Pen Argyl, and three Saylorsburg residents — Jarret Scott, 48; Scott Slater Sr., 56, and...
Paid family leave draws bipartisan support as good for the economy, but some oppose cost, lost control
This story first appeared in How We Care, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring original reporting and perspectives on how we care for one another at all stages of life. Alana Griffin was employed and on maternity leave when she and her infant son moved into a Tampa, Florida,...
Point Park University extends offer to students as Philadelphia college closes
The urgent calls and emails to Point Park University started within hours of the abrupt announcement that a venerable arts campus in Philadelphia would close within a week, leaving hundreds of students suddenly without fall college plans. University of the Arts, dating to the 1870s, had become the latest small...
Gov. Shapiro signs law prohibiting use of handheld devices while driving
Using cellphones and other handheld devices while driving will no longer be allowed on Pennsylvania roads. On Wednesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Paul Miller’s Law, which prohibits the use of handheld devices while driving. The law passed in May with bipartisan support and it makes Pennsylvania the 29th state in...
Gov. Shapiro, Pitt chancellor give vastly different takes on pro-Palestinian encampment than protest’s leaders
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office late Wednesday called it “unfortunate” that a 30-hour pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Pittsburgh “devolved into documented violence, vandalism, and antisemitic rhetoric.” The statement from Shapiro press secretary Manuel Bonder came hours after Pitt Divest from Apartheid, the group that organized the encampment, offered a...
Proposed scholarships would make going to college cheaper in Pa., but there’s a catch
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers are entering into budget season with the joint goal of making it more affordable to attend college in the commonwealth. As...
Budget season arrives in Pennsylvania Capitol as lawmakers prepare for debate over massive surplus
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers return to session Monday to begin a four-week countdown to the start of the state’s next fiscal year, with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and Republican lawmakers offering competing visions for how to use a massive surplus. Shapiro has floated an admittedly “ambitious” $48.3 billion budget plan...
CDC officials say that closing or limiting syringe exchanges in Philly could cause an HIV outbreak
PHILADELPHIA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shared a warning in the wake of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s proposal to stop paying for syringe services in Philadelphia: Ending or slowing such programs could result in new outbreaks of HIV, especially among people who use drugs. The agency...
Organizers say record-setting drag queen story time reading kicks off Philadelphia Pride Month
PHILADELPHIA — Organizers of a drag queen storytime reading at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia say several hundred people helped establish a world record for attendance at such an event to kick off Pride Month celebrations in the birthplace of America. The event Saturday, hosted by the Philadelphia Gay...
Jury delivers stunning verdict in fired Penn State football doctor’s trial
A Dauphin County jury Wednesday night found in favor of a fired Penn State football team doctor who claimed Nittany Lions head football coach James Franklin repeatedly interfered with his medical decisions and return-to-play decisions for injured players. Dr. Scott Lynch was awarded the stunning sum of $5.25 million in...
Pa. attorney general candidates rebuild campaign coffers after pricey primaries
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — The Democratic and Republican candidates competing to be Pennsylvania’s next attorney general first had to survive contested primaries that drained their campaign coffers....
Biden and Harris will launch a Black voter outreach effort as they see signs of diminished support
PHILADELPHIA — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are stepping up their reelection pitch to Black voters, a key part of their 2020 winning coalition that has shown signs of fraying. They’ll launch a new Black voter outreach effort during a visit to the battleground state of Pennsylvania...
State representatives to discuss pharmacy benefit manager regulation at roundtable event
Western Pennsylvania state representatives will hold a roundtable discussion Thursday at Westmoreland County Community College to discuss proposed regulations on pharmacy benefit managers with regional pharmacy stakeholders. State Reps. Jessica Benham, D-Pittsburgh and Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield, will host the discussion from 8 to 10 a.m. to talk about Benham’s bipartisan...
Pitt names 1st woman as engineering dean
Michele V. Manuel, a leading materials engineer in Florida, is the University of Pittsburgh’s new dean of engineering, a discipline dominated by males nationally that has sought to identify talented women and minorities. Her appointment as U.S. Steel Dean of the Swanson School of Engineering is effective Sept. 1, officials...
Pa.’s fracking wastewater could be a reliable source of lithium, study says
Newly published research by a University of Pittsburgh doctorate student estimates that up to 40% of the lithium needed in the U.S. could be extracted from wastewater created by unconventional drilling operations in Pennsylvania. Most batteries used in technology — like smartwatches and electric cars — are made with lithium,...
Date errors on Pa. mail-in ballots void votes, spur lawsuit
Pittsburgh resident Otis Keasley has not missed voting in an election in more than five decades. The 2024 primary was no different — except that Keasley, a Vietnam War veteran, decided to mail in his ballot for the first time. His sister-in-law was ill and needed him to help care...
