The Morning Agenda

Local government groups across Pennsylvania are celebrating a state Supreme Court ruling that makes it easier for agencies to change their meeting agendas on the fly. Some transparency advocates however are sounding the alarm.  Governor Josh Shapiro has joined 20 other states in another lawsuit against the Trump Administration. The latest fight centers on anti-homelessness funding.  Discriminating against someone based on their hair texture and style will soon be illegal in Pennsylvania. Gov. Shapiro says the CROWN Act sends a message that Pennsylvanians deserve to be judged on their character and qualifications — not their appearance.  Recently unsealed autopsy and toxicology reports show that the 2003 death of a federal prosecutor in Lancaster County was a homicide. Records obtained by our partners at LNP Lancaster Online show that 38-year old Jonathan Luna, an assistant U-S attorney in Baltimore, died from freshwater drowning and multiple stab wounds to the neck.  Cumberland County Commissioners have given preliminary approval to a $290 million budget for 2026.  PennDOT is proposing using part of a nature preserve as part of its on-going efforts to upgrade Route 30.  A volunteer fire company in York County is closing at the end of the year.  Three 10-foot Fraser fir trees from a Schuylkill County Christmas tree farm are gracing the official residence of Vice President JD Vance this holiday season.  In uncertain times, our community counts on facts, not noise. Support the journalism and programming that keep you informed. Donate now at www.witf.org/givenow. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Monday that local officials do not need to give 24-hour notice to make changes to public agendas. Dwight Evans has been a fixture in Pennsylvania's politics for decades. Evans announced earlier this year he'll be retiring at the end of his term - and there's no shortage of contenders for his Congressional seat - 10 at last count, including a former climate advisor to the Biden administration. A Lancaster County judge signed an order Monday unsealing autopsy records in the 2003 death of a federal prosecutor whose body was found in a Brecknock Township creek. The move comes after a years-long effort by our sister newsroom, LNP LancasterOnline, to find out more about Jonathan Luna’s mysterious death. A food manufacturer is moving from Lancaster to Harrisburg. The nation’s leading couscous manufacturer, US Durum Products, is relocating and expanding operations at a site along South 17th Street. The $50.1 billion state budget includes increased funding for the Pennsylvania State Police One area hospital is celebrating a rare baby boom - four sets of twins born within the span of one week.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A township in suburban Philadelphia voted to ban gas-powered leaf blowers by 2029, becoming the first township in Pennsylvania to ban the noisy devices. While most of us are focused on the Thanksgiving holiday being observed this week, there's a group of Philadelphia musicians preparing for New Year's Day. The Mummers will head down Broad Street for the 125th time in just a few weeks. The director of the Penn State Cancer Institute resigned last Friday following an investigation by our partners at Spotlight PA focusing on his care of patients and leadership of the center. A Republican-led Senate committee is moving to subpoena the Shapiro administration for records of taxpayer-funded security upgrades underway at Governor Josh Shapiro's personal home near Philadelphia. PennDOT is reminding Pennsylvanians of the dangers of impaired driving and the importance of appointing a designated driver this holiday season. Nearly 3-point-4 million drivers will be using the Pennsylvania Turnpike this week for their Thanksgiving travels.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hanover Foods has agreed to pay $1.1 million in fines - and improve its wastewater treatment - to resolve a federal lawsuit filed by the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association. The U.S. Department of Energy says it's loaning $1 billion to help finance the restart of the nuclear power plant on Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island. And today we have two deep dives into Pennsylvania’s water quality: Turning to Western Pennsylvania - while air pollution in the Mon Valley has been the focus of environmental concerns and lawsuits for many years, some groups are also looking at water quality. Microplastics have been found in humans’ bodies, at the bottom of the ocean and in the Arctic. They’re an emerging concern for scientists — and for a group of active seniors working to safeguard Philadelphia’s environment.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catholic leaders are speaking out against immigration enforcement in President Donald Trump’s second term. One Chicago priest’s protest strategy? Walking from Pope Leo’s childhood home in Illinois, through Pennsylvania, on his way to Ellis Island in New York. A resolution approved by the state House designates this week as "Pennsylvania Education for Youth Experiencing Homelessness Week." State Rep. Ismail Smith Wade-El of Lancaster County is a co-sponsor of the resolution. Also in Harrisburg, state lawmakers are investing in childcare. This year’s state budget includes a $25 million fund for childcare workers. There's positive news in Pennsylvania's latest education assessments. The scores show improvements in math proficiency and graduation rates. A new White House initiative is aimed at reshaping how young people transition out of foster care. Pennsylvania experts share their reactions. A new study finds higher rates of skin cancer across central Pennsylvania's "farm belt"  including Dauphin, Cumberland and York counties. Internal probes uncovered errors in chemo treatment and toxic leadership by Penn State's cancer chief. That's according to reporting - bringing those probes to light - by our partners at Spotlight PA. Pennsylvania and its county and local governments are on track to spend nearly all of the $13 billion received in federal pandemic relief funding by the end of 2026.    Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.