Pennsylvania’s governor traveled extensively as a Democratic surrogate in 2024, spending money on consultants, private flights, ritzy hotels, and more.
Spotlight PA
Persistent problems with a Pa. grant for beer promotion led to headaches, layoffs for awardees
The grant program promised money to people promoting Pennsylvania’s beer industry. But awardees were routinely denied their full grants, and now the state is quietly making changes.
America’s future depends on a thriving free press, and it’s time we take it back
We must restore journalism to its constitutional role as an independent check on power and influence that answers to no one but the people.
Bipartisan bill to boost nonprofits’ fundraising abilities stalls in Pa. House
Pennsylvania lawmakers did not vote on a proposal that would let the state’s nonprofits accept cashless payments for raffle ticket sales.
New limits, oversight for Pa.’s medical marijuana doctors proposed in response to Spotlight PA investigation
The bill would give the Department of Health discretion on which doctors in the medical marijuana program would receive extra scrutiny.
Breaking rules intended to keep Pa.’s older adults safe is rarely met with state sanctions
Despite chronic issues, the Department of Aging has never taken punitive action against county agencies that don’t meet state standards.
How Pa.’s attorney general candidates plan to approach gun crimes and violence
Pennsylvania’s next attorney general will have the discretion to focus on gun crimes they deem important. Here’s where Democrat Eugene DePasquale and Republican Dave Sunday stand.
Pennsylvania’s 1861 fortune-telling law faces modern legal challenge
An 1861 law banning fortune telling for money remains on the books in Pennsylvania, and is affecting modern-day tarot readers and merchants. One is challenging the statute in federal court.
As problems roiled Penn State Health’s transplant programs, unknowing patients kept hope. Then they were blindsided.
Already sick, former patients of the failed kidney and liver transplant units face rejection and despair as they look elsewhere and grapple with the one thing they cannot afford to lose: time.
Shapiro administration floats rewrite of unused energy tax credits
A union-backed rewrite by the Shapiro admin would subsidize energy production as well as lower the bar for investment.
Increasing nursing home closures in Pa. affect access to and quality of care
When Pa. nursing homes close, families and communities have to fill the gaps. Advocates for older adults warn that more closures loom if structural funding and staffing issues aren’t solved.
Pa. election 2024: A complete guide to who is on the ballot, when to vote, how to vote, where to vote, casting mail ballots & more
Pennsylvanians will see candidates for statewide races including attorney general, U.S. Senate, and more on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.
Private school vouchers opposed by more than half of Pa. voters, poll shows
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has thrown his support behind private school vouchers, but most voters aren’t on the same page.
Pennsylvanians have the most trust in local election results, poll shows
Voting experts were encouraged by the poll’s finding that voter confidence is strongest at the county level, which is where elections are actually run in Pennsylvania.
Farmer support could lead Pennsylvania to lift its near-total ban on Sunday hunting
Sunday hunting has long been a cultural debate in Pennsylvania, but it’s closer to becoming a reality after a state House committee this week advanced a Senate bill to lift the near-total ban.