Pennsylvania in Focus

(The Center Square) - At a rally launching Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis’s re-election campaign Thursday, the stakes were made clear: the 2026 election is about the trajectory of the nation as a whole. Amid swirling rumors about a presidential bid, Shapiro pledged his commitment to act as a servant leader ready for another four years in office. Over the course of the evening, speakers painted two portraits. One was Shapiro the family man guided by faith, humility, and a desire to serve. The other was a man of bravado and ambition, proud of the “sh**” he gets done. Among the victories highlighted were economic investments of more than $32 billion and the improbable twelve-day repair of a collapsed section of I-95 in Philadelphia. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – For 67 million people relying on electricity from the regional power grid, PJM, cheaper utility bills in 2026 are little more than a pipe dream. It’s not an unexpected blow, despite moves from the Trump administration and state regulators to keep prices in check. Why? Because there’s simply not enough power generation – from gas and nuclear plants, wind and solar farms and battery storage reserves – to feed the grid. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - The most recent Pennsylvania budget was tight, but it did add a few new line items, including $5 million toward research for neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. On Friday, Gov. Josh Shapiro, Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen, and Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-Peckville, joined researchers at the University of Pittsburgh to mark the investment. Mullins lost his father to ALS and has spent his time in the legislature championing the cause alongside Rep. Bryan Cutler, R-Quarryville, who lost both parents to the disease. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Keeping Pennsylvania’s scales tipped into the red ahead of the 2026 midterms was underscored again this week as Vice President J.D. Vance visited Allentown, stumping for his boss’s economic policies and bringing Republican hopefuls into the limelight with him. While there, he told a crowd gathered at Uline Shipping Supplies in Alburtis that “his job every single day is to make it so that you guys can have a safe and prosperous life in this country that all of us love.” Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_5beb7890-4efc-4b28-bebf-6acb74f4ccb7.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Genetic testing has drastically changed what we’re able to know about ourselves and our families. It can inform individuals about their bodies and health and connect them to the past through ancestral lines. For the past two decades, consumers have been handing over their genetic information to private industry for the chance to make those connections. Throughout those two decades, both entrepreneurism and technological innovations have outpaced legislation, leading to a landscape in which companies have found lucrative ways to leverage genetic data with third parties. On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania House voted unanimously to grant consumers privacy rights over their information. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_2046216c-00e6-4c59-981b-0fd310f39900.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - Intense polarization and the alarming rise of partisan political violence has left many Americans wondering about the nation’s trajectory. That’s why Gov. Josh Shapiro and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox joined journalist Savannah Guthrie for a discussion on the topic at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. Tuesday evening. Cox said the two made each other’s acquaintance within the National Governors Association. He found support from Shapiro in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination in Utah. The Pennsylvania governor, the victim of arson and an assassination attempt in April, has been thrust into expertise on the subject of political violence. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_d765c207-4b8f-44e9-9d9b-052e0be04484.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Questions surrounding taxpayer money spent upgrading the governor's private residence were legally elevated Tuesday. Senate Republicans, eager to curb state spending — and to play the foil to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro — have long had their eye on excessive spending from the executive office. Tuesday, the Senate Intergovernmental Operations committee announced that they’ve issued three subpoenas to get a better sense of the nature of a $1 million dollar expenditure on the governor’s private residence. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_7ea65bf8-a7e1-49a2-9ed9-54695ec0705b.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - Health care workers in Altoona held a vigil Monday night to demand increased safety for hospital employees. The event came weeks after UPMC emergency room technician Travis Dunn was brutally attacked by a patient, leaving him with a skull fracture and brain bleed among other injuries. Between the physical demands of their jobs and the volatility of working with patients, health care workers are exposed to more on-the-job injuries than most other professions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - With budget season disappearing into the rearview, advocates for home health care services aren't wasting a minute. Though the programs saw a $21 million investment toward workers within the self-directed care model, those appropriations fell woefully short of the state’s own recommendations to stabilize the industry. On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Homecare Association said providers submitted formal Program Revision Request filings for the coming fiscal year demanding major investments to correct the deepening shortfalls in the industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Rapid expansion of data centers in the mid-Atlantic region leaves its power grid’s operator, PJM, standing at a crossroads: how can electricity supply keep up with exponential growth in demand without spiking bills for ratepayers? After a Wednesday meeting with all of the organizations members – which include utility companies, state regulators, power plants, transmission providers, project developers, and commercial and industrial businesses – there's still no path forward. This, despite 12 proposals put forward for a vote. None earned majority support.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_29a6ed4c-cfb6-476f-a0b1-946ee5aecf66.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - Since the advent of DNA testing, law enforcement agencies have been able to prosecute crimes - and exonerate the wrongly convicted - with greater certainty than ever before. Though not perfect, genetic technology has brought justice to scores of violent crime victims and their families, and with them has come what the American Civil Liberties Union called a “Pandora’s box” of constitutional privacy issues. In the 2013 U.S. Supreme Court case Maryland v. King, justices narrowly ruled that it was not a violation of a person’s Fourth Amendment rights to collect a DNA sample upon their arrest. In keeping with that ruling, 34 states and the federal government now have laws on the books authorizing DNA collection upon arrest for certain crimes. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_ab2731b0-4274-4d88-a0d9-294c30831eae.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – A suspected terrorist arrested in Kansas earlier this month is a licensed truck driver in Pennsylvania, according to federal authorities. Akhror Bozorov fled his native Uzbekistan after law enforcement there issued an arrest warrant in late 2022. The 31-year-old, not an American citizen, is accused of recruiting on behalf of an unnamed jihadist terrorist group and distributing its propaganda online. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Bozorov crossed the southern border in February 2023, where he was apprehended, released and given work authorization before receiving a commercial truck driver’s license in Pennsylvania in July. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_afa41f04-6642-46e2-a252-132c4161b0bf.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – After six long years, the fate of Pennsylvania’s entry into a multi-state emissions curbing program is settled. And much to legislative Republicans' joy, there will be no Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in the commonwealth. Nor will the uncertainty of it spike utility bills for customers already feeling the financial strain from an unpredictable economy. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_63198313-ef0f-466d-a3cd-5c67d8ee4b31.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – After a 135-day wait and $12 billion in taxpayer money collected, the state cemented a spending plan for all of it, and more. Pennsylvania's final budget came in at $50.1 billion, less than what Gov. Josh Shapiro initially asked for but well north of what Republican leadership had been looking to spend. The legislation includes much of what Democrats had asked for in budgets passed by the House over the course of the last several months, like a new formula for cyber charter schools, a nearly $1 billion infusion into public schools for educational programs, building remediation and student services, and support for food banks and health care providers. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_a717643a-a1df-4840-b961-b02d38263a59.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – While many may think of the state’s highest court as an arbiter of the intersection between law and culture, taxpayers often take a more direct hit from the judges’ decisions. That is, right in the wallet. On Tuesday, voters across Pennsylvania overwhelmingly chose to retain David Wecht, Christine Donohue and Kevin Dougherty for another 10 years, preserving the state Supreme Court’s 5-2 liberal majority.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_69c4c34d-3e8b-4a72-8b63-f8844fc699aa.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - Attempts to turn a run-of-the-mill judicial retention choice on Pennsylvania ballots into a political battleground proved unsuccessful Tuesday. Just after 9 p.m., multiple media outlets declared that voters had elected David Wecht, Christine Donohue and Kevin Dougherty to maintain their seats for another 10 years, maintaining the court’s 5-2 liberal majority. Conservative political groups had hoped to persuade voters to side against retaining the justices, casting them as left-leaning activists who have used their power to influence the state.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_fac6614f-173b-45e0-8baa-ee1ed02040a8.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - A coalition of lawmakers from both chambers of the Pennsylvania General Assembly joined activists at the Capitol Wednesday to demand billionaires pay more taxes. With the slogan, “Tax billionaires, fund PA,” the group spoke in support of a package of bills that would generate more revenue for the state by closing loopholes and eliminating tax breaks for corporations and the rich. “The scales in Pennsylvania are broken,” said Sen. Nikil Saval, D-Philadelphia. “While billionaires go unimpeded and score record profits, working people are forced to subsidize their wealth and bear the brunt of budget shortfalls.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - While visiting Harrisburg on Monday, U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick took questions on several issues, including the federal shutdown and its impact on Pennsylvanians. McCormick was touring a facility that offers cutting-edge treatment programs to veterans suffering from neurological and psychiatric issues, just one of many groups feeling the effects of the government shutdown. They’re also a group that has been singled out during political sparring between some of Pennsylvania’s congressional representatives. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - School cell phone bans are sweeping the nation, and with a Senate bill waiting for a vote, Pennsylvania may be the next state to act. The Senate Education Committee convened Tuesday for a hearing with educators, policymakers, and even students to discuss the practicality and wisdom of taking tech out of kids’ hands throughout the school day. With a mental health crisis among children and widespread reports from teachers exhausted by the task of policing students distracted by phones in the classroom, the question of “why” the state should ban phones in school needed little elaboration. There was strong consensus about the negative impacts of phones in schools. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_874aaa13-8260-4691-bd53-6f1d684dd56b.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Since July 1, taxpayers have given the state roughly $89 million each day, even as months have passed without any of it going into the programs it's meant to support. It’s a crude figure calculated by dividing the state’s $10.1 billion in revenue collected since the official start of the commonwealth’s “new” fiscal year by 113 – the exact number of days Pennsylvania has operated without any spending plan for all of that money in its checking account. It’s not for lack of trying. Both chambers of the General Assembly have repeatedly approved budgets that have appealed only to their partisan interests, with narratives on negotiation differing wildly. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_0beff26d-997b-44b5-b3b1-9a961ca4a85a.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - For months, the looming threat of higher insurance premiums has hung over the commonwealth, while at the federal level, affordable health care access has been at the heart of the debate causing the government shutdown. Congress is rapidly running out of time to come to an agreement extending Affordable Care Act tax credits before the Nov. 1 open enrollment period begins. Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department formally announced the 2026 rates for those who purchase insurance through the ACA from the state’s marketplace, Pennie, if nothing changes over the next two weeks.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_8837f2d1-ba4b-4558-9855-b27ae91aff69.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – The man accused of firebombing the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion in Harrisburg pleaded guilty to attempted murder, aggravated arson and terrorism on Tuesday. Cody Balmer also accepted blame for 22 counts of arson – one for each person asleep in the residence that night, including children ranging from 8 to 16 years old – and has been sentenced to 25-50 years in prison, according to District Attorney Fran Chardo. He will be 63 before becoming eligible for parole.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_d43c11dc-1796-478e-9714-ef3c16a2df4e.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – The commonwealth’s divided government means “getting stuff done,” as Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro likes to say, doesn’t come easily. If it did, according to Republicans in the state, the commonwealth might become the “California of the East.” “If we weren’t here, knowing that he wants to be the Democratic nominee for president, just imagine the progressive policies he’d support,” said Kim Ward, the highest-ranking Republican in the state Senate, during an interview with The Center Square. “We are the stopgap.”Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_9538f51f-04a3-4276-8c11-2aa21e1f1ecc.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – There was a lot of talk at the state Capitol on Wednesday about a frustrating milestone: 100 days without a spending plan and no deal in sight. Instead, the Democrat majority House of Representatives marked up the Republican majority Senate’s stopgap budget, passed in its chamber two months ago, by $2.7 billion. Leaders say it’s the least that can be done after the Senate sent them a “copy and paste” plan of last year’s budget that would not cover the natural rise in annual program costs, such as those seen with Medicaid.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_c0388457-a9bd-443b-b398-541aae65cffb.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Domestic shale production in the Appalachian Basin may offer the easiest path toward protecting the nation’s energy supply and resisting reliance on geopolitical foes, says U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. The Trump administration official was recently in Pennsylvania to deliver a keynote address emphasizing the critical role the domestic shale industry plays, both nationally and around the world. Speaking before energy executives and stakeholders, Burgum made the case that America’s energy policy is vital not only to the country’s prosperity but also to national security and global peace. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_c63f9554-6813-4c47-a0a0-f68c187542fa.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - After a heated floor debate, the final bill in a series of proposed gun control measures failed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Wednesday. The legislation would have served to ban “machine gun conversion devices” also known as “switches” or “glock switches,” which allow standard pistols to fire over a thousand rounds per minute. Debate on the topic brought a wide variety of viewpoints from both sides of the House, some measured and some emotional.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_47b67c97-5341-4f81-be6e-dd28328933aa.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - Advocates taking aim at the wide array of “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, found in common personal care and household products spoke before the House Consumer Protection, Utilities and Technology committee Tuesday. Experts testified about the dangers to human health and child development posed by products from makeup to baby clothes that contain the chemicals. Experts noted that the risks are especially great for young children whose bodies are still developing.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_11658b8d-206e-4b63-984c-b8900a0f1074.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Lightning Plan promises to combine his commitment to win investments in the artificial intelligence sector with a focus on improving permitting processes that has been successful in many wings of the state bureaucracy. House legislators have turned that vision into a bill that promises to develop a central authority for large projects called the Reliable Energy Siting and Electric Transition, or RESET, Board. One group of doctors wrote an open letter to the governor opposing the bill.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_2776864b-8922-4239-98f2-475fdd76dbeb.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s emergency savings account, contrary to its colloquial name of “Rainy Day Fund,” is for anything but. Instead, state law reserves the $7 billion pot for economic downturns or unexpected revenue shortfalls, and can’t be tapped without a two-thirds vote from the legislature. Neither condition appears to have been met for Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed $51.5 billion spending plan, according to the Commonwealth Foundation. In a letter to Treasurer Stacy Garrity and leaders of the House and Senate, the fiscally conservative nonprofit argued that “the commonwealth’s economic environment has been well known and understood for months.” Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_7d826844-5861-4de8-8f27-dea1b8f49f2e.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - A nationwide increase in political violence almost certainly isn’t what Josh Shapiro hoped would set the tone during his first term in office as Pennsylvania’s governor. Yet, as he’s navigated through an attempted presidential assassination, a manhunt for Luigi Mangione that gripped the country, and the firebombing of his own residence in Harrisburg, he’s become a national spokesperson for civility. Invited to speak at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Shapiro called once more for leaders to act and speak with “moral clarity.” Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxRead more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_86d5e93e-e5dc-4939-880f-afb17ed42a1d.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – America’s colleges are not faring well when it comes to their handling of free speech issues on campus – in fact, most deserve a grade of “F,” according to a newly released report. The results of a student survey at 257 schools nationwide reveal a poor free speech climate, less tolerance for controversial speakers, and more acceptance of aggressive tactics to silence campus free speech. The sixth annual College Free Speech Rankings, released on Tuesday by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, also shows a continued decline in support for free speech among all students.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/connecticut/article_6559fd0a-37a3-4879-af36-0da510332dae.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - With no budget and no viable long-term transit solutions in sight, the Senate recessed till Oct. 20 on Wednesday. Majority Leader Sen. Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, issued a statement, however, saying that the Philadelphia mass transit band-aid approved by PennDOT might allow for movement in the coming days. Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed his budget to the legislature in early February of this year. The fiscal year for that budget began in July. Over two months past its deadline, some public institutions are beginning to falter.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_3fb57930-8a46-486a-9a0a-31884f4b193b.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – With a bit of a limp, Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta made his way up the Capitol steps to cheers and applause. The Philadelphia Democrat had just completed a 105-mile walk to demand funding for mass transit. The journey from Philadelphia to Harrisburg took place over four days, spanning the Democratic National Committee Vice Chair’s entire Labor Day weekend and taking him through urban, suburban, and rural communities in southeastern and central Pennsylvania.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_f79a4467-21e4-4bd3-95da-285bd8c1b5b7.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - U.S. Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick continue to build upon their reputation of bipartisan congeniality, particularly expressed in shared views about the state of antisemitism in the United States. The pair sent letters to the presidents of five of the commonwealth’s most prestigious universities “expressing concern about the rise of antisemitism on college campuses.” The schools - Penn State, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pennsylvania, and Lehigh University - were notable to the senators for having the highest populations of Jewish students in the state.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_85553e1b-02de-40b4-8ed4-2b8afe18b65a.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Ballots returned to county election offices with incorrect or missing dates still count as valid, according to a federal opinion issued Tuesday. A three-panel judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit said Pennsylvania’s mandate that mail-in votes with dating errors must be set aside violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The unanimous decision found that leaning on dates to “back stop” failures with the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors, or SURE, “betrays a misunderstanding of Pennsylvania’s election laws.”Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_881e3b5b-67ee-4e1b-b4f6-b5c251eaae4d.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - For Philadelphia leaders, security concerns are top of mind as the city approaches a banner year of sports and cultural events. But even as the world bets big on the city’s ability to host major events like America250 and FIFA World Cup games, frustrated Philadelphians are struggling with the state’s funding choices. The committee heard testimony just days before SEPTA’s major service cuts went into effect, and transit was highlighted as one of the biggest security concerns for planners. As the reality of SEPTA cuts sink in, officials are bracing themselves for what they say will be an even further diminished system by next summer.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_18fb6705-0f14-4609-9baf-576aa7e0a2e6.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – She earned the most votes of any statewide Republican candidate in the 2024 election, besting Gov. Josh Shapiro’s record set two years prior. Now, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity hopes that massive popularity will outshine him again in 2026. “And I’m giving you and your family my solemn oath that I will work hard every day to fix the problems that Josh Shapiro has created,” she said in a campaign announcement posted to social media Monday. The decorated military veteran, who served three tours in Iraq and rose to the rank of colonel, pointed to her commitment as a servicemember and the accountability reforms she’s made since taking over as treasurer in 2021 as proof of her devotion to protecting taxpayers.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_4b9a62b2-cea8-4060-a00f-ffc9a653f2d3.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Reinstating work requirements for some welfare recipients found support across the aisle on Wednesday. It’s a notable change after the partisan nature of the debate in recent years: Republicans have long wanted waivers from the mandate, which have been used on and off for the last 20 years, to expire amid fears about prolonged government dependency and fraud. Democrats see the option as economically justified absent a stronger safety net.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_4ab5a515-7f85-4d94-b24a-6d50e66e7fba.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – There’s no shortage of frustration when it comes to stalled negotiations over funding for public transit in Pennsylvania. Of the plans proffered – using sales taxes versus dipping into the transit trust fund – neither has bipartisan support. There’s a road not yet taken, however. In the days before both chambers convened to approve their respective solutions, Republican Sen. Gene Yaw, of Williamsport, and Democratic Sen. Anthony Williams, of Philadelphia, suggested solving two problems at once: collect a $500 monthly fee from unregulated skill game terminals and use it to pay for increased public transit support.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_6b5d6d6a-ec77-4053-b9d4-6b8f05717a1d.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - Officials have urged the press and community not to speculate about the cause of a deadly explosion at a U.S. Steel plant in Clairton, near Pittsburgh, on Monday. Gov. Josh Shapiro joined county officials, union representatives, and U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt to discuss the incident in Allegheny County Tuesday. County Executive Sara Innamorato expressed gratitude to the dozens of local agencies who responded to the incident. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_620db6bb-bc0f-4e6f-a87c-b298267d32ad.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - Pennsylvania is stuck in what seems to be an ever-deepening mental health care crisis, exacerbated by staffing shortages across the industry. To address it, two senators held a meeting of the chamber's Majority Policy Committee in Danville on Tuesday, inviting more than a dozen experts to participate in a roundtable on the subject. Sens. Dave Argall, R-Mahanoy City, and Lynda Schlegel Culver, R-Shamokin Dam, heard testimony from mental health care providers, prison wardens, and even a state Supreme Court Justice advocating for legislative action to support families living with mental illness.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_208ef2a3-6195-4aee-9128-46bb30dbac87.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - House Democrats met in front of Abraham Lincoln High School in Northeast Philadelphia to urge Senate Republicans to return to Harrisburg to pass funding for the state’s mass transit systems, a sticking point in the state's budget negotiations. Without dedicated funding, SEPTA is poised to cut services on the Aug. 24, an act that will impact more than 10,000 students who rely on transit to get to and from school every day, which begins the following day. Senate Republicans have argued that the system needs to bear more accountability for its financial shortcomings. Though public transit is used in all 67 counties across the state, its funding has become the backdrop for a perceived opposition between rural roads and bridges and urban commutes, and, more broadly, between red and blue swaths of the state.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_2ac232f5-dc6a-4377-a7b0-0f74e75ee93a.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Pittsburgh’s “AI Strike Force” is aiming high to define and become a global leader in physical AI, the space in which artificial intelligence meets material goods in the form of robotics, defense systems, transportation, and more. In Harrisburg on Monday, the Strike Force's executive director Joanna Doven spoke to the urgency of the moment, echoing state leaders including Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Dave McCormick’s aspirations to make Pennsylvania a leader in a new era of technology. For its part, Pittsburgh has made a strong start of it, not just pivoting its industrial reputation but capitalizing on the manufacturing demands of new technologies to maintain the relevance of its foundation in steel.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_5f6e5a80-d16b-47d6-8c79-e95473a4084c.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency announced upgrades to its flood warning and observation system on Wednesday. The Pennsylvania Integrated Flood Warning and Observation System is known as IFLOWS 2.0 and will include the installation of 30 new weather stations across the state. Most of these will be placed on school properties where K-12 students will incorporate the data into their weather curricula.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_156441fb-3556-41aa-9b8e-f065873854b2.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - The congressional budget resolution passed early this month struck a blow, many say, to the renewable energy industry by phasing out tax credits for wind and solar energy. Clean energy advocates, however, say that even in the face of energy costs projected to rise as much as 74% over the next 10 years, that there’s reason to be optimistic. While Harry Godfrey of Advanced Energy United admitted that the rollbacks will cost jobs in manufacturing and on specific energy projects, he noted there are still opportunities for renewable energy to get off the ground. Specifically, planned wind and solar projects that have begun construction within a year of the act’s passage are still eligible for credit.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_ef734e25-8e4c-401d-8519-1dc52b2af077.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s full-time legislature wastes taxpayer money and diminishes public participation, according to a new proposal from state Rep. Stephanie Borowicz. Pennsylvania’s 253 elected officials – 203 in the House and 50 in the Senate – make over $106,000 annually, second only to New York and California. It’s also just one of 10 states that maintain a full-time legislature. Before 1968, the commonwealth was part-time. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_c46b4431-490a-4910-9777-653137670c9d.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - As the state still struggles to find agreement with its own budget, some legislators are urging action to protect residents of the commonwealth from the expected fallout of the Congressional budget resolution bill that passed earlier this month. One such measure is a bipartisan bill establishing requirements for hospital financial assistance which passed the House in May. It currently awaits consideration in the Senate. The bill would ensure patients have a better understanding of their financial situation and options when engaging with the healthcare system by requiring hospitals to provide standardized financial aid information. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_0e1dbac2-374a-44b7-a05a-46396696be16.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - Two weeks late, the Pennsylvania House has taken a major step forward in passing a new state budget. House Bill 1330 passed the House with a vote of 105-97, with three Republicans voting alongside Democrats and one member on leave. Republican Appropriations chair Jim Struzzi of Indiana called the bill a necessary step forward given the delays in the legislature, but he urged his caucus to vote against the bill.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_452135d2-05a5-42b6-88a8-de696c8234fd.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Artificial intelligence infrastructure coming to Pennsylvania includes $90 billion from tech giants, energy companies and investment firms betting on the state’s rich power supply. And it’s got the seal of approval from top federal officials, including U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., and President Donald Trump. In recent years, Pennsylvania’s reputation as an energy exporter and its easy access to power plants have risen its profile within investment circles hoping to capitalize on the “AI revolution.”Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_26e6635c-d61b-480d-8592-0af638333150.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) - Responding to concerns that President Donald Trump could use the Insurrection Act to deploy troops domestically, Congressman Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., introduced a bill to limit presidential power on Tuesday. The bill entitled the Insurrection Act of 2025 would update the original 1807 legislation to clarify and narrow the circumstances in which it could be used. Updates would state explicitly that it’s a measure of last resort. Invoking the act would require prior consultation with Congress and limit its use to a seven-day period.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_f8179dcd-1b05-4575-872b-016984dc3a24.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.