News
Regional & State News
-
Keith Srakocic
From glass bottles to botanicals, Pa. distillers spell out supply chain struggles
“If we would order a cap for a bottle, normally we would receive that material in two to three weeks. That [now] has been pushed out to almost three months.”
-
Josh Funk
Kellogg’s union — including workers in Lancaster County –rejects deal with 3% raises to extend strike
Kellogg’s said it will now move forward with plans to start hiring permanent replacements for the striking workers.
By Josh Funk/The Associated Press -
Matt Rourke
Supreme Court hears arguments over Pennsylvania’s deadly force rules for cops
Current state law says police officers attempting to arrest someone can use deadly force in order to prevent death or serious injury to themselves or others.
-
Matt Smith
Renters in parts of Pa. shut out of rent relief as counties elsewhere sit on millions in unused aid
The inefficiency was caused by state lawmakers who chose to distribute most of the money by population rather than the actual number of renters in each county.
-
MIN XIAN / WPSU
Average number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients ‘highest it’s been’ at Mount Nittany
As of the morning of Dec. 6, 66 patients were hospitalized at Mount Nittany for COVID-19
Politics & Policy
-
Kalim A. Bhatti
Pa. Senate election probe contract doesn’t say if the public will see the results, among other things
The $275,250 contract is revealing more details about the Republican-led probe, which is taking place without evidence of widespread fraud or irregularities.
By Sam Dunklau -
Keith Srakocic
Will Pa. lawmakers live up to their redistricting transparency promises? Doubt is creeping in
Last week, a month after lawmakers introduced the tool, not a single constituent map was shown on the website.
By Katie Meyer -
Ron Edmonds, File
Bob Dole, longtime GOP senator and 1996 presidential nominee, dies
Dole was a giant of the Senate, a powerful committee chairman in the early 1980s and then party leader from 1985 until he resigned 11 years later, in 1996, to concentrate on his presidential campaign.
By Mara Liasson, NPR -
Brett Sholtis
Lawmaker pleads guilty in double-dipping reimbursements case
The state attorney general’s office said Margo Davidson pleaded guilty Thursday in Dauphin County Court to five counts, including theft by deception.
-
Photo by Evan Agostini
Rich? Want to be a U.S. senator? Welcome to Pennsylvania!
Pennsylvania’s high-stakes race for an open U.S. Senate seat is seeing candidates bringing big bank accounts and big-time connections from blue states.
Health
-
Lynne Sladky
Court to decide if Pennsylvania schools’ mask order is legal
Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam imposed the school masking mandate as COVID-19 cases were increasing and amid concerns about the surge of the delta variant.
-
Mario Tama/Getty Images
19 U.S. states now have detected the omicron COVID-19 variant
While officials and researchers are concerned about the transmissibility of the omicron variant, they also say it’s too early to know what toll it might take in the U.S.
By Bill Chappell/NPR -
Fred Adams
Omicron variant detected in Pennsylvania. Here’s what you need to know.
At the moment, much of what we know about omicron — declared a “variant of concern” by the U.S. government — is preliminary and subject to change.
By Staff/Spotlight PA -
Keith Srakocic
Data analysts proved what Black Pittsburgh knew about COVID’s racial disparities
“We came together because we were concerned about saving lives. It evolved, with us realizing we can do more than address COVID.”
By Christine Spolar/Kaiser Health News -
Damian Dovarganes
Inside the growing alliance between anti-vaccine activists and pro-Trump Republicans
It’s an alliance that promises to give both sides more power, but the cost is potentially thousands of American lives.
By Geoff Brumfiel/NPR
National & World News
-
Renee Montagne
My dad witnessed the horror of Pearl Harbor firsthand. But his letters never let on
One letter, postmarked “Pearl Harbor December 11”, is stamped: “Passed by naval censor.”
By Renee Montagne/NPR -
Andrew Harnik
The Justice Department is suing Texas over the state’s redistricting plans
“Our complaint alleges that several of those districts were drawn with discriminatory intent.”
By Ryan Lucas/NPR -
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Omicron spreads uncertainty about holiday travel and dampens recovery for airlines
The discovery of the omicron variant of the coronavirus in at least a third of U.S. states is raising questions about whether it will be safe to travel for the upcoming holidays, with Christmas now less than three weeks away.
By David Schaper/NPR
Energy & Environment
-
He wanted to help Snitz Creek. Instead, he watched Sunoco pollute it
At the heart of the Mariner East project’s construction incidents are people who watched in real time as Sunoco’s mistakes threatened places they love.
-
Kimberly Paynter
Mariner East builder Sunoco agrees to $4M settlement over Marsh Creek Lake spill
As part of the agreement with Pa. environmental regulators, Sunoco will be allowed to restart construction near Marsh Creek Lake State Park in Chester County.
-
Keith Srakocic
AG’s office approves RGGI rule, after Shapiro criticized the plan
Shapiro said it’s not clear RGGI will address climate change while protecting energy jobs and ensuring affordable power.
-
Climate Solutions invites public for coffee and conversation in Lebanon
Climate Solutions is a new collaboration helping Central Pennsylvania move toward climate literacy, resilience, and adaptation.
By Staff -
Philadelphia Gas Works emails show involvement in drafting bill that runs counter to climate goals
The bill, spearheaded by gas industry lobbyists and sponsored by state Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), would block municipalities from limiting fossil fuel use and promoting electrification.
-
iStock
U.S. Route 15 is focus of human trafficking
The central Pennsylvania area is especially vulnerable to human trafficking because of the interstate highway system crossing through the state.
-
Penn Vet opens institute to study diseases spread from animals to humans
75 percent of all newly emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic – meaning passed from animals to humans
By Scott LaMar -
Author of book on scientist who discovered connection between sugar and cancer is on Smart Talk
Otto Warburg is probably one of the most important scientists of the 20th century
By Scott LaMar