by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJanuary 7, 2025 The Pennsylvania House of Representatives began its new legislative session Tuesday like the previous session, with conditions ripe for partisan gridlock. Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton reacts after her reelection to the post on swearing-in day Jan. 7, 2025. (Capital-Star/Peter Hall) Instead, a dose of pragmatism and rule
by Jennifer Shutt, Pennsylvania Capital-StarDecember 20, 2024 U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to members of the press at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 20, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — Congress finally approved a stopgap spending bill early Saturday that will keep the government open for
by Casey Quinlan, Pennsylvania Capital-Star A rise in food prices makes for a less-than-merry holiday season. A customer walks by a display of fresh eggs at a grocery store on Sept. 25 in San Anselmo, California. Grocery prices rose 0.4% in November, according to the Consumer Price Index, leading to tougher times for many during
by Jennifer Shutt, Pennsylvania Capital-StarDecember 6, 2024 WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday it will require dairy farms to share samples of unpasteurized milk when requested, in an effort to gather more information about the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Holstein milking cows. (Photo by Kirsten Strough/USDA) Public health officials have
by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-StarOctober 29, 2024 A federal judge threw out a lawsuit Tuesday by six Republican Pennsylvania members of Congress that sought to set aside military absentee ballots, claiming they were vulnerable to fraud by foreign operatives. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner in Harrisburg granted a motion to dismiss
by John Cole As September comes to a close, both candidates on the Republican Party’s presidential ticket will be campaigning in Pennsylvania this weekend. On the Democratic side, key Harris campaign surrogates and big-name guests will rally voters. (Getty Images) Former President Donald Trump will be holding a rally in Erie County on Sunday, a
by Peter Hall Constellation Energy announced it will restart its nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island in a deal to provide carbon-free electricity to offset the power used by software giant Microsoft’s data centers in the region. Three Mile Island. (Z22/Wikimedia Commons) Microsoft has agreed to buy the full 835 megawatt output from Constellation’s
by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-Star Two state lawmakers have filed an appeal in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after a lower court threw out their lawsuit, arguing that absentee ballots must be counted at the polling places where voters would normally cast ballots rather than at county election offices. (Getty Images) The lawsuit, filed in January
by Kim Lyons, Pennsylvania Capital-StarAugust 17, 2024 The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services announced this week it had completed negotiations with drug companies to reduce prices on 10 widely used prescription drugs, and. Pennsylvanians are lauding the news. (Getty Images) “This is a big deal, and it is generating lower costs all across the
by Kim Lyons, Pennsylvania Capital-Star The day before the opening of the Democratic National Convention, Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will kick off a bus tour of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh on Sunday, the campaign announced. It will be the pair’s first campaign appearance in
by Kim Lyons, Pennsylvania Capital-StarAugust 6, 2024 After Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that she had selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said she continued to have his “enthusiastic support” as her campaign advanced over the next 90-plus days. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro campaigns for Vice President
by Peter Hall Throwing out mail-in ballots solely because voters fail to write the date violates the Pennsylvania Constitution, an attorney for a group of get-out-the-vote organizations argued Thursday in Commonwealth Court. (Capital-Star photo) The lawsuit by nine voting access groups represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania challenges part of the state’s
by Ian Karbal, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJuly 12, 2024 Perhaps the most significant number in the 2025 budget is $1.1 billion in new spending on K-12 education. (Getty Images) The funding comes after Commonwealth Court declared that Pennsylvania’s current method of funding public schools was unconstitutional, citing inequities between the state’s wealthiest school districts and its poorest.
by Lia Chien, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJune 26, 2024 WASHINGTON – Despite policies the Biden administration has championed to target climate change, recent findings show carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is at an all-time high, raising the stakes for November’s presidential election among advocates for aggressive climate action. Emissions spew from a stack at the coal-fired Brandon
by Jennifer Shutt, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJune 7, 2024 WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden, speaking from the site of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France, said Friday that those who support democracy must remember what World War II soldiers sacrificed and to live up to those ideals. U.S. WWII veteran PFC John M. Wardell, of New Jersey,
by Elaine Povich June 1, 2024 (Getty Images) With college costs rising and some students and families questioning the return on investment of a four-year degree, a few pioneering state universities are exploring programs that would grant certain bachelor’s degrees in three years. The programs, which also are being tried at some private schools, would
by Ashley Murray, Pennsylvania Capital-StarMay 1, 2024 WASHINGTON — Families gathered outside the U.S. Capitol Tuesday to “make a fuss for babies,” who they believe are being left behind by lawmakers who direct only a fraction of U.S. resources to young children. Sabrina Donnellan of Girdwood, Alaska, sits with her 13-month-old, Blakely, on the lawn
by Jacob Fischler, Pennsylvania Capital-StarApril 25, 2024 WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court appeared skeptical Thursday of former President Donald Trump’s argument he is immune from criminal charges that he tried to overturn his loss in the 2020 election. Dozens of anti-Trump protesters gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court on April 25, 2024, while the
by John Cole, Pennsylvania Capital-Star PHILADELPHIA— U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan discussed their plans to combat big corporations excessively increasing prices for goods during a roundtable discussion Tuesday. “They have in a sense, my view of it, a captive audience,” said Casey (D-Pa.). “A captive set of a
by Casey Quinlan, Pennsylvania Capital-StarMarch 30, 2024 Americans are still worried about their financial stability even as their recession fears lessen. High prices at the grocery store and consumers’ memories of their pre-pandemic budgets may be playing a role. Here’s what financial and economic experts have to say about what this week’s economic indicators tell
by Ashley Murray, Pennsylvania Capital-Star WASHINGTON — One of the cheapest provisions aimed at helping low-income families has become a main sticking point for Republican senators as they negotiate a bipartisan tax package that attracted broad support in the U.S. House. A tax package that includes an expanded child tax credit passed the U.S. House
by Kim Lyons The United Steelworkers union on Tuesday filed a petition with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai, alleging China has used “protectionist and predatory policies” in global shipbuilding, calling on President Joe Biden to conduct a trade investigation into China’s practices in the maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors. China “has been relentless in
by Jennifer Shutt WASHINGTON — Congress is on track to approve a staggering $468 billion in government spending this week, finishing part of the work it was supposed to complete by Oct. 1 — including a big boost intended to shore up the federal WIC nutrition program for women, infants, and children. Other agencies will
by John Cole Republican U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick said “the America we know is slipping away” during an appearance Friday at the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. David McCormick, who is running for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, is shown speaking to supporters during a
by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-StarFebruary 9, 2024 When former President Donald Trump addressed a crowd at the National Rifle Association’s Great American Outdoor show Friday in Harrisburg, there was little doubt that his remarks about the right to bear arms would be well received. Pistols celebrating the presidency of Donald Trump are readied for display
by Ariana Figueroa WASHINGTON — A U.S. Senate vote is expected next week on a bipartisan deal that would overhaul U.S. immigration law and provide more than $100 billion for a global security package. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) The long-awaited bill text on the supplemental package to aid Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific region and
by John Cole, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJanuary 11, 2024 U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Wednesday that the USDA is investing $26 million in Pennsylvania agriculture under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program. Gov. Josh Shapiro (center) joins Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (right) and PA Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding (left) to announce a $26
by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJanuary 5, 2024 WHITPAIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Reflecting on the fight to establish America as a democracy and the events that nearly toppled it three years ago, President Joe Biden warned of the danger he believes former President Donald Trump poses to American ideals. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign
by Cassie Miller, Pennsylvania Capital-Star The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) is encouraging Pennsylvanians to support the Commonwealth’s 800,000 veterans and their families through several statewide programs this year. Soldiers lining up for the annual New York City Veterans Day Parade (Getty Images) “By supporting one of these programs, you are letting
by Erik Gunn, Pennsylvania Capital-StarDecember 15, 2023 After skyrocketing in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and then tempering almost as dramatically a year later, healthcare spending in the U.S. rose just over 4% in 2022, hitting $4.5 trillion, the federal government announced this week. The annual growth in the nation’s healthcare spending appears
by Kim LyonsNovember 20, 2023 U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) released a new “greedflation” report in time for Thanksgiving that examines the ways the items Americans buy for their holiday meals are made more expensive by food and agriculture businesses. A new report from U.S. Sen Bob Casey looks at how companies have increased prices
by Jacob Fischler, Pennsylvania Capital-StarNovember 7, 2023 The U.S. House voted late Tuesday to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib for remarks the Michigan Democrat has made about Israel and Palestine amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., right, comforts Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., center, when Tlaib became emotional during remarks
by Kim LyonsOctober 24, 2023 In what he joked was the worst-kept secret in local Pennsylvania politics since Josh Shapiro announced he was running for governor, former WITF executive Blake Lynch confirmed in an interview with the Capital-Star on Tuesday that he’s joining the growing field of Democratic candidates seeking to oppose U.S. Rep. Scott
by Jennifer ShuttSeptember 21, 2023 WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans were unable for a third time Thursday to begin debate on the Defense funding bill, throwing another wrench into Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership tenure. The Capitol. (Jennifer Shutt, States Newsroom) The 212-216 vote that rejected the rule for the $826 billion Defense spending measure was
by Ashley Murray, Pennsylvania Capital-StarSeptember 15, 2023 WASHINGTON — Healthcare representatives from across the United States are urging Congress to halt cuts to funding that helps hospitals care for uninsured or low-income patients who rely on Medicaid. Hospitals and health systems are asking Congress to avert or delay a forthcoming $8 billion cut to “America’s
by Jennifer Shutt, Pennsylvania Capital-Star WASHINGTON — Americans older than six months should get an updated COVID-19 booster this fall, according to a recommendation the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued Tuesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended Americans should get the updated COVID-19 vaccine. (Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images) The vaccine
by Kim Lyons, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJuly 31, 2023 PITTSBURGH – On Saturday, Democrats in Allegheny County selected Pittsburgh-area nonprofit director Lindsay Powell to be their nominee in a special election that will determine the balance of power in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Pittsburgh’s City/County Building (Pittsburgh City Paper photo) Powell, who is director of workforce
by Kim Lyons, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJuly 23, 2023 BRADDOCK, Pa. — By now, most people are aware that U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has been through a difficult time over the past year, to put it mildly. U.S. Sen. John Fetterman talked about his support of reproductive rights to his admiration for Pennsylvania’s senior Sen. Bob Casey,
by Danielle E. Gaines, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJuly 12, 2023 A settlement agreement has been finalized in a lawsuit that alleged federal officials weren’t doing enough to stop Chesapeake Bay pollution originating in Pennsylvania. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, environmental groups and state governments filed a notice in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, dismissing the 2020 lawsuit.
by Capital-Star Guest Contributor, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJune 29, 2023 By Patrick Beaty The Guardian, or Authority of Law, created by sculptor James Earle Fraser, rests on the side of the U.S. Supreme Court on September 28, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Al Drago/Getty Images). On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down an important decision with major
by Tim Henderson, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJune 28, 2023 The median age rose in almost every state last year, census estimates show, continuing a long-term trend that is pushing states to prepare for aging populations. Seventeen states had median ages over 40 in 2022, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates of the age at which half
by John L. Micek, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJune 19, 2023 Commonwealth Court Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer’s February order declaring Pennsylvania’s public school funding system unconstitutional did far more than set a precedent. McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on May 30, 2023. (Photo by Amanda Berg for the Capital-Star) She handed Pennsylvania policymakers perhaps the greatest challenge they will ever
by Robert Zullo, Pennsylvania Capital-StarMay 20, 2023 As much as two-thirds of North America could face shortages of electricity this summer in the event of severe and protracted heat, according to the regulator in charge of setting and enforcing standards for the electric grid. “Increased, rapid deployment of wind, solar, and batteries have made a
by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-StarMay 16, 2023 [*This story was updated at 12:26 a.m., May 16, 2023, to reflect updated unofficial vote tallies] Heather Boyd speaks at her victory party after winning the 163rd Pennsylvania House District special election on Tuesday, May 16, 2022. (Capital-Star photo by Peter Hall) Democrat Heather Boyd won the special
by Casey Quinlan, Pennsylvania Capital-StarApril 27, 2023 Higher temperatures. Higher gas prices. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Drivers across the country have seen that seasonal given play out in recent weeks. The national average for a gallon of regular gas is $3.64 on April 26, up 21 cents over the previous month, according to AAA.
by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-StarApril 20, 2023 Youth advocates and a juvenile justice official called on Pennsylvania lawmakers to address a shortage of space and staff that has created a crisis affecting children in the justice system. Christopher Spriggs is the acting executive director of the currently shuttered Glen Mills School (Philadelphia Tribune photo) While the
by Jennifer Shutt, Pennsylvania Capital-StarApril 19, 2023 U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans unveiled a debt limit proposal Wednesday that would lift the nation’s borrowing capacity by $1.5 trillion or suspend it through March. The bill, introduced by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, carries along with it numerous Republican initiatives
by Capital-Star Guest Contributor, Pennsylvania Capital-StarApril 7, 2023 By Brent Landau Resurrection (Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P., CC BY-NC-ND). The date of Easter, when the resurrection of Jesus is said to have taken place, changes from year to year. The reason for this variation is that Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first
by Kim Lyons, Pennsylvania Capital-StarMarch 29, 2023 PITTSBURGH — U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., will return to the Senate on April 17, after spending several weeks in the hospital for treatment of clinical depression, a source close to the senator confirmed to the Capital-Star on Wednesday. Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical
by Frank Pizzoli, Pennsylvania Capital-StarMarch 19, 2023 Three central Pennsylvania residents who volunteered to serve in a federal program aimed at addressing violence targeted at vulnerable populations and others, say the experience has been a lesson in “the ABCs of constructive dialogue.” Joseph Bubman, Founding Executive Director, Urban Rural Action (URA photo). Urban Rural Action
by John L. Micek, Pennsylvania Capital-StarMarch 15, 2023 If you ever needed a reminder that we can’t turn a blind eye to hate, then new data from the Anti-Defamation League should more than do the trick. As the Capital-Star reported Tuesday, white supremacist propaganda hit an all-time high across the country in 2022, even as antisemitic propaganda more
by Special to the Capital-Star, Pennsylvania Capital-StarFebruary 27, 2023 By Fred Clasen-Kelly Jimmy Dee Stout was serving time on drug charges when he got grim news early last year. Doctors told Stout, now 62, the sharp pain and congestion in his chest were caused by stage 4 lung cancer, a terminal condition. “I’m holding on,
by Jennifer Shutt WASHINGTON — The nation reached its debt limit Thursday, beginning the uncertain process known as extraordinary measures, in which the U.S. Treasury Department uses accounting maneuvers to avoid defaulting on the debt. The often-used practice is intended to give the Republican House, Democratic Senate and Biden administration time to negotiate a bipartisan agreement
by Capital-Star Guest Contributor, Pennsylvania Capital-StarJanuary 15, 2023 By Harry Campbell As one year ends and another begins, many of us have hope and optimism for the new year. In these early days of 2023, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is encouraged that momentum in 2022 can bring us closer to cleaner rivers and streams in Pennsylvania. Most
by John L. Micek, Pennsylvania Capital-StarDecember 26, 2022 If you can count on one thing about Pennsylvania politics, it’s that they’re rarely dull. From a historical U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down Roe v. Wade and nationally watched races for U.S. Senate and the governor’s office to the ongoing battle for control of the state
by John L. Micek, Pennsylvania Capital-StarDecember 19, 2022 Pennsylvania residents bought nearly 71,000 guns in November, part of a nationwide buying spree that saw Americans purchase approximately 1.4 million guns, a new analysis of FBI data shows. That seasonally adjusted nationwide tally of 1.36 million weapons sold includes 840,000 handguns and 520,000 long guns (rifles and shoguns), according
by Cassie Miller, Pennsylvania Capital-StarDecember 8, 2022 Three-dozen more blue and gold historical markers will soon adorn roadsides in 18 counties across the commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) announced Thursday that it has approved 36 new historical markers, selected from 91 applications, to join the more than 2,000 markers already spread throughout
by John L. Micek, Pennsylvania Capital-StarDecember 8, 2022 U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s, D-Ga., runoff win against Republican Herschel Walker on Tuesday night was a big deal in a lot of ways. For one thing, Warnock, the pastor of the storied Ebenezer Baptist Church (once ministered by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) in Atlanta, is now the first Black man to
by Jennifer Shutt, Pennsylvania Capital-StarDecember 1, 2022 WASHINGTON — A record number of women will soon serve in state legislatures, breaking the previous cap of female lawmakers by at least 69 seats and bringing total representation to more than 32 percent, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. States will have at least
by John L. Micek, Pennsylvania Capital-StarDecember 2, 2022 Putting a cap on years of protests, a controversial prison for asylum seekers in Berks County will shut its doors next month, according to published reports. Officials in Berks County announced Wednesday that the federal government, which operates the Berks County Residential Center in Bern Township, will terminate its
by John L. Micek, Pennsylvania Capital-StarNovember 28, 2022 There was no mistaking the anger in President Joe Biden’s voice on Thanksgiving Day as he once again decried America’s fatal love affair with guns. “The idea we still allow semi-automatic weapons to be purchased is sick. Just sick,” Biden said, according to the Associated Press. In the wake of deadly shootings
by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-StarNovember 14, 2022 Monday proved true what Melissa Cerrado said she told voters on thousands of doorsteps during her campaign for a Pennsylvania House seat in Montgomery County: Every vote counts. Cerrado, the Democratic candidate challenging Republican incumbent state Rep. Todd Stevens in the 151st Legislative District, held on to a
by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-StarNovember 10, 2022 Control of the Pennsylvania House will come down to three narrow races for legislative districts in the Philadelphia suburbs. In Bucks County, Democrat Mark Moffa held a two-vote lead over Republican Joe Hogan in the 142nd House District and Democrat Brian Munroe had a 406-vote lead over Republican