An Allegheny County state House member has led the charge to repeal a 150-year-old ban on Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania. Governor Josh Shapiro is expected to sign it into law this week.

A state appeals court ruled that a Western Pennsylvania municipality violated its own zoning law when it allowed a natural gas well to be built in a residential area.

The future of the federal food benefits program known as SNAP - the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - is unclear. Nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians depend on SNAP benefits, and it costs about $500 million to administer SNAP annually in Pennsylvania. But there are sweeping changes to the program's state and federal funding formula going into effect, as a result of President Trump's newly-signed spending law. Governor Shapiro has said Trump's plan might mean the end for SNAP benefits.

A Lancaster County lawmaker has introduced a bill to clarify the role of constables in the Commonwealth. Rep. Tom Jones, an East Donegal Township Republican, introduced a bill to modernize the regulations governing constables and clarify their roles in the court system and law enforcement.

Tower Health is eliminating 50 positions across four hospitals, including Reading Hospital, and outpatient services. The nonprofit company says it's part of a streamlining process at the healthcare system.

The Schuylkill County borough of Saint Clair is celebrating its 175th anniversary this week.

And a deeper dive: Pennsylvania needs more power to meet growing demands for electricity. As a result, Governor Shapiro has proposed a statewide board to expedite the siting of large-scale electricity projects such as those needed to power data centers.

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The federal spending bill calls for a reduction in Medicaid spending by an estimated $930 billion over the next decade. The shared federal-state health program currently provides insurance coverage to more than 70 million Americans with low incomes. Effects of the cuts will not only be felt by low-income Pennsylvanians, but through the state's hospitals and even nursing homes.

The Trump administration is holding up nearly $7 billion dollars in federal funding that Congress had already approved for educational programs. Pennsylvania and other states were slated to get the money on July 1st.

The State Department of Labor and Industry continues to offer support to workers impacted by the idling of the Cleveland-Cliffs Steelton plant. Assistance has included transition information and a job fair.

Two Pittsburgh universities are among those working to understand the impact artificial intelligence is having on jobs. The study aims to get ahead of technology shocks that may change how people work.

Developers in Pennsylvania who want to skip the line for certain environmental permits can apply through a new program from the state Department of Environmental Protection called Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development, or SPEED.

A Dauphin County judge collapsed while riding his bike and was taken to Penn State Hershey Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead last Friday. Judge Michael J. Smith was a Magisterial District Judge of 20 years.

In Centre County, efforts to strip control of a troubled rural water company from its longtime family owner have hit another roadblock, again delaying a permanent fix to years of unreliable service. Rock Spring Water Company and owner J. Roy Campbell recently rejected a $65,000 offer from nearby State College Borough Water Authority to buy the private system, according to reporting by our partners at Spotlight PA.

Nine people were rescued from the Swatara Creek by the Hershey Volunteer Fire Department on the 4th of July. It happened near the Hershey Dam, a low-head dam operated by Pennsylvania American Water. Those rescued included three children.

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Beginning today, July 7, Pennsylvania will be a full participant in health care compacts that make it easier for qualified doctors, nurses and physical therapists to provide care in dozens of states. It’s part of the progress being made on licensing medical professionals in the Commonwealth.

Finding sustainable and inclusive approaches to water management is the focus of a national gathering in Pittsburgh this week, July 8 through 11.

Last weekend’s Independence Day holiday marked the nation's 249th birthday. It also began the countdown to next year's big America250 celebration. But here in Central Pennsylvania, there's a 250th dedication taking place THIS week in York.

Here in Central Pennsylvania our tourism organizations are gearing up for America250. As we continue our series of conversations focused on America 250, joining us today is Mary Grace Kauffman, media relations manager for Destination Gettysburg. She's explains how preparations are coming in Gettysburg and Adams County.

Join us throughout July for more conversations with the region's tourism leaders representing the Cumberland Valley, Lancaster and York. ICYMI, circle back to our June 30 episode to learn more about Visit Hershey & Harrisburg's America250 prep.

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A bill moving through Harrisburg would automatically seal the eviction records of thousands of renters across Pennsylvania. Housing advocates say the legislation would be a game-changer because it would help tenants haunted by their eviction records.

Five years after a landmark Pennsylvania grand jury report slammed the Department of Environmental Protection for failing to protect the public from the health effects of fracking, advocates say little has changed. They want Governor Josh Shapiro to do more to protect residents.

This Friday, Independence Day, York is hosting a special ceremony. That’s because the White Rose City has a historical connection to the Declaration of Independence.

A former Lancaster County treasurer is sentenced to probation for stealing over $180,000 from the nonprofit Columbia Boys Athletic Association over a period of three years.

A former Cumberland County borough manager is ordered to pay $32,000 to fix the town's money issues. A judge says 63-year old Fred Potzer needs to make restitution to cover the costs of a financial audit, after the former Newville Borough manager manipulated the borough's finances for the past 20 years.

Trees that once stood along Second Street in Harrisburg, behind the Governors Residence, have been cut down. About ten trees were removed, as officials examine and tighten security following an arson attack that burned part of the mansion in April.

Long lines at security, flight delays, crowded gates — summer is the busiest travel time of year at Pittsburgh International Airport. But for anxious passengers taking flight this summer, PIT PAWS volunteers have been bringing calm with a wag of the tail since 2017.

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Spoiler alert, state lawmakers did not have a budget agreement in place by midnight, when the current fiscal year ended. However, that does not mean the state will immediately miss payments for public services. That would change if the impasse stretches over several months, meaning payments for county services and schools would be the first to be affected. Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa is upbeat though, saying he doesn't expect the months-long delays that have plagued past budgets.

In Washington, the Senate's latest draft of the budget bill would quickly phase out lots of clean energy tax credits — including one for the production of clean hydrogen. That means new hydrogen businesses planned for the Philadelphia region could be scrapped.

Pennsylvania organizations that fund science are experiencing an increase in applications for their grant dollars - and likewise, they're trying to increase funding requests, following the Trump administration's broad cuts to research funding.

Dauphin County's Cleveland-Cliffs steel plant began idling operations Monday, affecting hundreds of workers as well as the entire community in Steelton. The company's decision leaves about 500 union workers and 60 salaried employees without jobs.

Amazon plans to spend $20 billion to build two data centers in Pennsylvania, a move that state officials say will generate thousands of jobs over the next decade. But the full economic picture includes many unknowns - such as the centers’ full impact on electricity supply and prices, and the amount of tax revenue the state will forfeit to Amazon.

The WNBA is expanding to 18 teams over the next five years with Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia all set to join the league. Philadelphia's team would launch in 2030.

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Today, June 30, is the deadline for Pennsylvania lawmakers to pass a new state budget. But the legislature appears poised to miss the budget deadline for the fourth straight year. A years-long debate over how much to tax so-called “skill games” in Pennsylvania has escalated, leading up to the state budget deadline. And Democrats in the state House are pushing to reform the Pennsylvania’s tax code to make it harder for corporations to hide income in other places.

It's being called America250. On July 4th of next year, the United States celebrates its 250th birthday.
Across the country and across Pennsylvania planning is underway. Joining us to tell us more is Sharon Myers, President/CEO of Visit Hershey & Harrisburg.

And this programming note: We look forward to bringing you conversations with many additional central Pennsylvania tourism leaders through the month of July to find out how they’re gearing up for next July’s America250, so keep an eye and an ear out for more conversations.

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While Pennsylvania lawmakers haggle over the state budget, liberal advocacy groups are using protests to call for higher taxes on billionaires to fund public services.

In 1979, Three Mile Island was the site of what is often called the worst nuclear power accident on U.S. soil. Our colleague Jaxon White, from LNP | LancasterOnline, has the latest on the restarting of the Island’s nuclear reactor.

Environmental groups say Tokyo-based Nippon Steel’s recent purchase of U.S. Steel should lead to cleaner operations at the company’s Pittsburgh-area plants. But they haven’t heard much from the Japanese steelmaker.

New disclosures with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission show President Trump will control the so-called “golden share," as part of the national security agreement under which he allowed Japan-based Nippon Steel to buy out iconic American steelmaker U.S. Steel.

With the state budget deadline approaching, the company that owns “skill game” terminals throughout Pennsylvania says lawmakers have pushed it out of discussions on how the industry should be regulated. Taxing the casino-style games is a key part of Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget, one that would raise hundreds of millions of dollars to fund schools and public transit.

The former captain of a Dauphin County fire company is wanted by police after missing two court appearances earlier this year. A Dauphin County judge issued a bench warrant for 55-year-old Steven Bartholomew’s arrest in March. He's accused of driving firetrucks for the Paxtang Fire Company No. 1 several times in 2024 without a valid driver’s license.

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