NewsRegional & State News
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Siavash Naghshbandi (Tehran) / Tom Little (Pittsburgh)
In ‘The Other Apartment,’ a parallel world opens between the U.S. and Iran
Visitors to the exhibit in Pittsburgh walk through the recreated brick facade of the building and through the home’s five rooms. -
Kimberly Paynter
Thanks to this program for teachers, a distinctive Philly diner will live on after its closure
Since its inception, the fund has distributed about 500 grants of $500 or less. -
iStock
Former midstate mailman says USPS failed to accommodate religious beliefs
Gerald Groff, an evangelical Christian, felt forced to resign his job as a mailman in Lancaster County after he was repeatedly scheduled to work on Sundays.
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Emma Lee
Getting to know Frances Harper: Pa. activist for civil rights, women’s suffrage
For the next five months, the public is invited to step up and learn about Frances Watkins Harper.
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Allentown Art Museum via AP
Pa. museum’s Rembrandt knockoff turns out to be the real thing
For decades, the Allentown Art Museum displayed an oil-on-oak panel painting called “Portrait of a Young Woman” and credited it to “Studio of Rembrandt.”
Politics & Policy
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Commonwealth Media Services
Pa.’s lobbying law got tougher in 2018. But it still falls short in exposing influence.
Pennsylvania lobbyists and lobbying groups do not have to report the bills or lawmakers they’re targeting or the positions they’re advocating for. -
Emma Lee
Could Pennsylvania’s 43K new citizens make the difference in 2020 election?
“Similar to the national story, [the growth of immigrants in Pa.] is really in suburbs.” -
Emily Previti / PA Post
What does it take to run an election?
30+ states require specific training for election officials; Pennsylvania doesn’t
National & World News
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Pablo Martinez Monsivais
NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll: Bernie Sanders leads, Bloomberg qualifies for debate
Sanders has 31% support nationally, up 9 points since December, the last time the poll asked about Democratic voters’ preferences.By Domenico Montanaro/NPR -
Eric Gay
Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy
The group has been exploring the possibility of bankruptcy since at least December 2018, in the face pf some 300 lawsuits from men who say they were sexually abused as scouts.By Laurel Wamsley and Wade Goodwyn/NPR -
Patrick Semansky
1,100 former Department of Justice employees call on William Barr to resign
“A person should not be given special treatment in a criminal prosecution because they are a close political ally of the President.”By Bobby Allyn/NPR -
‘Black Patriots’ were heroes of the American Revolution — but not the history books
“We don’t know the stories already because people who write history books, or who have written most of the history books have focused on what European Americans thought.”By Leila Fadel/NPR -
Storm Dennis, Massive Bomb Cyclone, Hits United Kingdom
By NPR
Health
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Bonnie Halpern-Felsher
Teens are still vaping flavors, thanks to new disposable vape pens
“Juul is almost old school … It’s no longer the teen favorite.”By Allison Aubrey/NPR -
Luke Sharrett
5 years after Indiana’s historic HIV outbreak, many rural places remain at risk
Since the 2015 crisis in Austin, Indiana, drug-fueled outbreaks have occurred other communities, some with syringe exchanges and some without.
By Laura Ungar/Kaiser Health News -
For U.S. And China, Coronavirus Adds Pressure To Relationship Already Under Strain
By NPR
Energy & environment
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Wild Winter Weather in the North Atlantic
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Wolf’s cap-and-trade proposal takes a step forward
The Democratic governor issued an executive order declaring Pennsylvania would join a regional agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Not everyone is on board.
By Katie Meyer -
Kimberly Paynter
Bankruptcy judge approves Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ sale to a developer that has no plans to re-start a refinery
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Emma Lee
Philadelphia proposes banning hydrofluoric acid, toxic chemical in refinery explosion
The proposal stems from last summer’s explosion at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in South Philadelphia. -
Kimberly Paynter
Natural gas driller, cited by DEP for fracking wastewater spill in Lycoming County, now faces criminal charges
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Starting school later – possible solution to the sleep deprivation crisis
Schools encouraged to start at 8:30 or laterBy Smart Talk and Alexandra Stein -
Presidents Day — George Washington and Medals of Freedom
On Presidents Day, Smart Talk goes back more than 200 years and also discusses more contemporary stories of presidential history.
By Scott LaMar -
Sneha Ganguly
Art from Indigenous Communities in India highlights shared traditions
Also, what makes a pick-up line effective?By Smart Talk and Alexandra Stein
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Kimberly Paynter
Thanks to this program for teachers, a distinctive Philly diner will live on after its closure
Since its inception, the fund has distributed about 500 grants of $500 or less. -
Kalim A. Bhatti / Philadelphia Inquirer
Millions of dollars in tax credits may not be paying off for Pennsylvanians
Reviews of tax credits approved by the legislature found some are never used, lack follow-up, or are vulnerable to scams -
Matt Smith
Mofongo and scrambled eggs: This is not your typical election-year diner story
Reporters often head to diners in election years in search of a certain perspective: white, rural, and deeply-rooted in a small-town way of life. Spend a morning at Mi Casa Su Casa and you’ll find something else — a cross-section of diverse residents working together to put down a new set of shared roots.