Today in PA | A PennLive daily news briefing with Claudia Dimuro

A recent report shows how nearly 1.9 million Pennsylvanians are on food stamps. A “huge but harmless” spider may be making its way to invade the region. A forest that’s never been harvested is now on a national registry. Finally, a Coatesville native is preparing for blast-off. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A state regulatory commission has approved a measure that will raise pay for those receiving a “tipped minimum wage.” Officials have warned that Pennsylvania’s risk of wildfires may increase over the next few months. The state’s looking to expand its database of historical sites. And a second egg has hatched for an eagle couple in Pittsburgh. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A newly introduced bill could bar Philadelphia from keeping Social Security benefits meant for foster kids. As temperatures rise, so do the number of ATVs and dirt bikes swarming city streets. This week’s weather could involve rain. And the niece of a World War II veteran receives some long overdue medals on her uncle’s behalf. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Skeletal remains were found beneath a mobile home in Beaver County. Officials are urging residents to remain wary of the still-mysterious illness that killed off dozens of songbirds last year. Pennsylvania has completed more of the Great Eastern Trail than any other state involved. Plus, firefighters rushed to save a dog that was supposedly stuck on a roof. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

License-to-carry applications in Philadelphia nearly hit 70,800 last year. Yet another disturbing TikTok challenge was spotted at a Lehigh Valley high school. Harrisburg is due to get an onslaught of car washes soon. And if you want to see a ghost, Pennsylvania’s the place to be. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pennsylvania is facing what Attorney General Josh Shapiro is calling a “historic shortage of police.” Thieves across the state and beyond are stealing gasoline from people’s cars. Environmental studies courses are being offered on the Susquehanna River this summer. Plus, a city in Pennsylvania is the number one best spot to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The man suspected of stabbing two employees at the Museum of Modern Art in New York was caught in Philadelphia not too long after he had set his hotel room on fire. Philly police are upping patrols after a series of shootings targeting homeless people were reported in New York and D.C. The 9/11 National Memorial Trail has been designated as a Statewide Major Greenway. And pirate ships will set sail on Pittsburgh’s high rivers this spring. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Philadelphia police have arrested the man who punched a pregnant woman for not giving up her seat on a bus. A couple managed to shoplift $12,000 worth of goods from Giant. A library system in Pittsburgh got rid of its late fees. Finally, monsters battle in Lancaster. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

An organized theft ring that recently hit a Kohl’s and Ulta is suspected of other grab-and-go’s in Lehigh Valley. A Westmoreland County school board voted to keep using traditional holiday names such as Columbus Day over those deemed more inclusive such as Indigenous People’s Day. A part of Gettysburg National Military Park will be temporarily closed for repairs. And an endangered bat native to Pennsylvania completed the longest-known migration of her species. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A series of shootings that have occurred in Wilkes-Barre is believed to be connected to a feud between two groups who consider “themselves a gang.” Pennsylvania has joined other states that are calling for a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax as fuel prices hit mind-boggling levels. A local exotic pet store owner saved a chicken from being fed to a bunch of alligators. Plus, one city in Pennsylvania was deemed one of the best for college basketball fans ahead of March Madness. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Commonwealth Court panel has upheld a decision that denies zoning approval to build a massive warehouse complex in Dauphin County. A former lawyer in Pittsburgh who once bragged he “thinks like a criminal” just got a five-year prison sentence for dealing drugs. A Fox Chapel library will receive federal funding to help preserve its local families’ history. And out of all the jobs out there, there’s one that Pennsylvanians complain about the most. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A former West Mifflin superintendent who sued his school district for violating his First Amendment rights will receive nearly $3 million in damages. Small businesses owners all over Pennsylvania are feeling the brunt of spiking gas prices in every aspect of their business (their customers, too). School buses in Pittsburgh may use artificial intelligence to get information on cars that pass them while stopped. Finally, it took 12 hours, but a cow stuck in the mud managed to get rescued. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Fed money will be put towards getting access to people in the Pennsylvania’s rural communities. The state has expanded its financial assistance program for medical marijuana patients. Pittsburgh International Airport travelers should take note of this evening’s shutdown of the airport’s trains. And this Pennsylvanian city boasts the second-best Wordle scores in the country. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Police have uncovered a “massive mail fraud” ring behind the thefts of checks, cash, and gift cards from outdoor postal boxes. Governor Tom Wolf claims Pennsylvania is in a “very good place” financially speaking, and continues to push for direct payments of up to $2,000 in relief money. Flights from Philadelphia to Europe will continue despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Finally, a man stumbled upon a bit of forgotten history in Allegheny County. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pennsylvania has joined a nationwide investigation into the effect TikTok has on kids. Penn State has agreed to pay an almost $900,000 settlement over incorrectly submitted health care claims. Gas has hit $4 a gallon. And a familiar face is on the variant cover of an “Avengers” comic (hint: he’s orange). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bucks County has filed a lawsuit against companies they claim have contaminated the area’s soil and water. 911 dispatchers in Allegheny County have authorized a strike on the same day as Pittsburgh’s St. Patty’s Day parade. The hummingbirds are coming! Plus, two former Westmoreland County high school athletes launch a podcast to help those like them feel more grounded in life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A man walked into a bank in northern Pennsylvania with the intent to rob it, but lost his nerve and ran away instead. The state as a whole is beginning to ease up on masking. A total of three state-owned universities now want to lower their tuitions. And not one place in Pennsylvania managed to breach even the top 50 “happiest cities in America.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The salaries of roughly 14 percent of Pennsylvania’s state government employees hit the six-figure mark last year. One lawmaker wants to privatize Pennsylvania’s state-run liquor system. One grocery store has become the first in the U.S. to launch its own beef program. Finally, a WWII veteran in Berks County celebrates his 100th birthday. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

SEPTA recently gave the green light to a program that would replace private security guards with “guides.” The clinical trial for a potential cure for HIV that was developed by a team at Temple University has begun. Now, for Giant curbside orders, the minimum limit (and pickup fee) does not exist. And Monopoly gets the Pittsburgh treatment. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Philadelphia residents will get the chance to vote on a couple of bills recently approved by the City Council that would remove gendered language from Philly’s governing document. An Amish man pulled over for DUI after “recklessly” driving a buggy told cops he only “had a couple of beers.” A company in Pittsburgh wants to use drones to evaluate infrastructure. Finally, part of I-81 was temporarily closed down the other day thanks to a bit of bovine intervention. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A police union in Philadelphia has filed a lawsuit which seeks to invalidate the city’s recent ban on officers pulling drivers over for low-level infractions. Allentown’s mostly century-old stormwater system is finally getting a modern update. Sorry, but the weather’s going back to its winter-like conditions for the rest of the week. And this DeSales student sure knows how to kick axe. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

An investigation found that some cannabis companies in Pennsylvania are making misleading and potentially dangerous claims about their products. One state senator believes suspending the sales tax would help consumers struggling with inflation. The majority of parks in Pittsburgh are now dropping their speed limit to 15 mph. Finally, Hersheypark’s got a couple of new rides opening this summer. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A district attorney wants the death penalty for a couple whose baby was found dead inside a wall last year. Pedestrian fatalities have spiked across the country, with cities like Philadelphia struggling to combat the issue. Philadelphia may be the first city in the U.S. to run its own bank. And here are some early signs of spring you can keep an eye out for. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today’s the day the wife of a former Pittsburgh-area nuclear engineer will admit to her role in trying to sell Navy secrets to a foreign power. Penn State revealed its looking to increase the cost of room and board not even two weeks after Governor Tom Wolf proposed an increase in funding for the university. Did you know there’s currently $4 billion worth of unclaimed property sitting in a vault in Harrisburg? Plus, here’s when—and how—to catch NASA’s Northrop Grumman Antares rocket launch this weekend. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The head of Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging is staying mum about the fate of three elderly people whose cases were being handled by an agency in Philadelphia. The number of state wildfires were down last year, but they’re still well above the average number seen between 2000 and 2019. Pennsylvanians sure bet a lot on this year’s Super Bowl. And a woman got to meet the man her kidney now belongs to. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

State lawmakers are considering launching a disability-inclusive education pilot program in at least eight schools next year in the hopes that it’ll become more widespread. J-Lo once said love don’t cost a thing, but romance scams cost a lot of people a lot of money in 2021. Drivers, beware: thawing ice is currently creating more and more potholes. Finally, one company is celebrating its 100th birthday by giving someone else a gift…of $100,000. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A family who sued their children’s school over lessons on things such as white privilege and police brutality may get $45,000 by the time the lawsuit is settled. An Amish farmer was in possession of about 600 guns, but it’s not entirely clear whether he did anything illegal yet. Some lawmakers want the state to approve hospital deals. Plus, these high school students are over the moon working with NASA. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Employees of a Starbucks in Pennsylvania have joined a nationwide effort to unionize. A residential center in Berks County has confirmed it has once again opened its doors to asylum seekers Philadelphia has extended its freeze on residential water shutoffs. And love is in the air, particularly in this one city in Pennsylvania. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pennsylvania is eligible to get fed money in order to build a network of electric vehicle charging stations along its interstates. Parents in Philadelphia are expressing their frustration with the school district’s new lottery system. The snow geese have landed. Plus, guess which city was named the number one spot for football fans in the country? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There’s an Instagram account alerting women in Philadelphia to “potentially harmful people” around the city. The proposed alternatives to Pennsylvania’s gas tax could be even more expensive for residents. E-scooters may become more widespread throughout the state. Lastly, someone somehow managed to steal 60,000 bees from Giant. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The state’s due to get hundreds of millions of dollars in fed money to clean up lands and waterways damaged by abandoned coal mines. If you’re a private landowner that’s willing to let the public fish on your property, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission would love to talk. This South Philly pizza has its own pizzazz. And, just to keep things rolling in honor of National Pizza Day 2022, we’ll tell you which is Pennsylvania’s favorite pizza. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Temple University professor who was once charged with sharing scientific technology with China wants his lawsuit against the U.S. government reinstated. A group of teens absolutely wreaked havoc at a SEPTA station over the weekend, pushing one woman onto the train tracks. A bill that would allow for doctors to prescribe “off-label” treatments such as ivermectin for COVID has been approved by a state House committee. Finally, a Pittsburgh man is honored by the French city whose history during WWII he captured in his work. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As an example of an escalating national trend, a group of thieves very brazenly stole thousands of dollars’ worth of cologne from a Macy’s in Chester County. A doctor pled guilty to running a “pill mill.” A man stole a bobcat from an animal farm in the Poconos. Lastly, a pizza joint somehow managed to print the image of a naked man on its menu without realizing it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A doctor who has been accused of prescribing ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 has been fired. Rental scams are on the rise in areas such as Lehigh Valley. Thousands of drivers were falsely fined by PennDOT due to wonky speed cameras. And there’s Godzilla versus Kong, then there’s owl versus eagle. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

USA Swimming followed NCAA’s suit in changing its policy on transgender athletes after one Penn swimmer sparked a national debate. A new study has found that Pennsylvania has the second-highest amount of bridges in poor condition in the country. Snow and even freezing rain have been forecasted for the rest of the week. Finally, nearly 80 police departments rallied together to show their support for a little boy battling cancer. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pennsylvania voters can still apply for mail-in ballots without a legal excuse despite a recent Commonwealth Court ruling. PennDOT has ordered a review of several bridges with similar structures to the recently collapsed Fern Hollow Bridge. These are (or were, depending on when you listen to this episode) the odds of Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow this year during Groundhog Day. And hunters throughout the state have bagged their fifth largest bear harvest ever. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The state Department of Labor and Industry has released a list of employers that have violated state labor and workplace safety laws. Philadelphia intends to launch a universal basic income pilot program sometime in the near future. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will accept new walk-up volunteers during trout stockings this year. Finally, a bald eagle crashed into—and broke—the window of one family’s home. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A distributor for one of the biggest coke rings ever prosecuted in Western Pennsylvania has just landed a six-year prison sentence. A man who had 34 severely abused dogs removed from his property pled guilty to over a dozen animal cruelty charges. Airbnb claims it managed to block hundreds of “unauthorized parties” in Pittsburgh. And a dog that went missing seven months ago was found…180 miles away…in New York. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

An 11-member task force was created this week with the purpose of helping and protecting the kids of those struggling with addiction. One member of the Philadelphia City Council wants to get rid of the city’s soda tax. If you’re an unemployed state resident, you could get free credit-monitoring. Lastly, Pennsylvania ranks among the states with the most reported UFO sightings. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Pennsylvania Senate has passed a bill allowing for gun owners and gun-rights advocacy groups to sue cities whose firearms laws they feel are more restrictive than the state’s. A school board member is receiving backlash for his now-viral York Dispatch op-ed piece titled, “With all due respect…no, I don’t work for you.” Two invasive species of crayfish are breeding together, giving rise to worries over the Juniata River basin’s ecosystem. Finally, Gritty gets his own game. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Staff and parents alike voiced their concerns over the increasing violence of students at a Pittsburgh Public Schools public hearing the other night. In more Pittsburgh-related news, city officials consider legislation that would allow for them to more properly weigh the pros and cons of annexing and merging with other municipalities. Scranton is no longer distressed. Also, now’s your chance to get your hands on some pretty swell whiskey. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

New regulations put in place by one county has made it the first in Pennsylvania to really crack down on illicit activity in massage parlors. Cryptocurrency ATMs are popping up all over the place. The state Department of Revenue wants to remind you of a free website that helps get all your filings done for tax season 2022. And a woman saved an animal, but what kind of animal it is remains a mystery. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Philadelphia has installed sensors on over a dozen streetlights that track things such as pedestrian movement as part of its “smart city” pilot program. State police are currently looking for whoever took two large envelopes and stuffed them with dead rats in Perry County. One local park has the highest-ever infection rate of a tick-carried virus in the country. Plus, one man looks for ghosts, Bigfoot, and every other supernatural thing under the moon in Bucks County. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A couple of women who were driving home from dinner in Enola believe they were being stalked with an Apple AirTag. The University of Pittsburgh’s research on human fetal tissue has been deemed “fully compliant with applicable laws.” The state Senate has just passed a package of bills that looks to push forward protection against and response strategies to hacking. Also, this is how Pennsylvania likes to keep things hot. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

State lawmakers have proposed a needle exchange program to help decrease fatal overdoses. A photo of a teacher taping a mask to a student’s faced has inspired outrage. After four years, a mini-casino in Shippensburg has been awarded a license. Finally, this city can now boast that it’s among pet-friendliest in the U.S. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There’s a new type of scam targeting Western Pennsylvanians that claims their loved ones have been kidnapped. In everyone’s favorite news topic—gas prices–people in Pennsylvania are paying the most at pumps out of any state east of the Rockies. There’s a new type of war brewing on a historic battlefield. And an Altoona man hit lotto—for the fourth time. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pennsylvania state police revealed they seized about $72 million worth of drugs last year with one in particular showing signs of a comeback: cocaine. A woman in Pottstown has admitted to her role in a gun trafficking ring that spanned across five counties. A brand new, almost mile-long bridge will be helping drivers to cross over the Susquehanna River by late summer. Lastly, a Port Authority officer ends up adopting a kitten found abandoned on a bus. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pennsylvania will get an added $1.63 billion in federal funds to fix its infrastructure. An animal rescue in Pittsburgh describes how the city’s shelters—as well as shelters nationwide—are struggling with an influx of surrendered pets. If you have a 3G phone, now’s the time to get a new one, as 3G networks will start getting phased out this year. Finally, this is the pest that Pennsylvanians as a whole hate the most. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A former dentist has been accused of killing his wife during a hunting trip in Africa then fraudulently collecting nearly $5 million in insurance money. There’s currently a slow-moving superload making a 400-mile trip through the state. The snow we mentioned earlier this week is definitely happening on Sunday. And are you not entertained by this ancient gladiator helmet on display in Pittsburgh? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A board member of a Westmoreland County school district would like to stop the use of a CNN news program and other broadcasts as what the superintendent deems “instructional resources” for students. Another school district has decided to reinstate its original Native American mascot almost a year after it announced it would be changed. It’s still not entirely clear what disease killed hundreds of birds last year. Finally, we got some dirt on the Eagles’ and Steelers’ new Lay’s potato chips. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.