Pennsylvania - BlogFlock

Election Explainer: What’s a Sheriff? - Bucks County Beacon

2025-09-18T14:30:31.000Z

On November 4, five of the nine Bucks County Row offices will be up for election or re-election to their positions.

In Bucks County, row officers are elected in an “at large” voting system of four-year terms and some of the office election terms are staggered by two year intervals. Every eligible and registered voter across Bucks County will cast a vote for each office – regardless of the municipal location in which candidates reside.

Candidates for Bucks County Row Office must be at least 18 years of age, and a Bucks County resident for at least one year prior to the election. Row officers cannot also be federal employees, a member of Congress, a member of the Board of Health, a member of a municipal legislative body, such as a borough council member, township supervisor or a school board director.

What’s a Sheriff?

According to the National Sheriffs’ Association, there are about 3,081 sheriffs servicing in counties throughout the nation. Three U.S. states: Alaska, Connecticut – which replaced sheriff’s offices with the National Marshal System or U.S. Marshals Service and Hawaii, where deputy sheriffs serve in their Division of Public Safety do not have county sheriffs.

A sheriff is usually – but not always – the highest elected law enforcement authority in a county. The Bucks County Sheriff is elected every four years and is a County Row Officer position as mandated by Pennsylvania law.

READ: Republican Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran Calls Local Critics of ICE Agreement ‘Liars’, ACLU ‘Lunatics’

“According to Anglo-Saxon custom, if someone broke the law it was not just a crime against the victim, but a crime against the whole community,” the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association website states. The practice dates to England’s Alfred the Great (King of Wessex; 849-899 CE).

These are among the duties and responsibilities of a county sheriff’s:

· Court order enforcement, such as serving warrants and legal documents like protection from abuse orders, and others.

· Transporting prisoners and providing courthouse security.

· Assisting with “general” county-wide law enforcement.

· Providing specialized support, such as K9 Units for search and rescue operations and bomb threat and detection operations.

Some Republican states resist DOJ demand for private voter data - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-09-18T13:14:50.000Z

A voter leaves the voting booth at a polling location in Northumberland, N.H., last year. Republican New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan has refused to provide the state’s voter data to the U.S. Department of Justice. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

When the U.S. Department of Justice asked Kansas Republican Secretary of State Scott Schwab to turn over a copy of his state’s full voter list, including sensitive personal data, he responded with gratitude for the Trump administration.

“We appreciate the efforts of DOJ and other federal partners to assist in ensuring states have access to federal resources” to maintain voter rolls, Schwab wrote in an Aug. 21 letter to the agency.

But Schwab did not provide the full data the Justice Department wanted. Instead, the second-term state secretary of state and candidate for governor wrote that he was “initially” giving its lawyers only publicly available voter information.

As the Trump administration demands that states turn over voter data, some Republican state officials are pushing back.

At least four states with Republican chief election officials have offered public data but not the sensitive information — driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers — sought by the Justice Department, even as they take pains not to pick a fight with President Donald Trump. Another has refused to turn over any data.

One state so far has given the federal government everything and another appears likely to follow.

On Friday, Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales, a Republican, confirmed he provided the Justice Department with all the requested data, making Indiana the first known state to hand over sensitive personal information. And in South Carolina, the state Supreme Court has cleared the way for election officials to share its data.

Many Democrats and even some Republicans fear Trump wants to use the voter data to build a federal database of voters he can use to target political opponents or hype rare instances of noncitizen voting. At the same time, supporters of the effort say the Justice Department is focused on maintaining accurate voter rolls.

For Republicans, the demands pit the traditional conservative belief in states’ authority — and their skepticism of federal power — against the will of a president who holds a vise-like grip over their party. They also come after Trump spent years advancing the false claim that he won the 2020 election.

The Justice Department, controlled by Trump allies, has contacted over half of the states and signaled it will eventually reach out to all of them, ensuring more GOP officials will likely confront choices over what to give the administration. Their responses will go a long way in determining whether the department succeeds in obtaining personal data on tens of millions of American voters.

“It raises concerns to me about trust, about transparency, about the potential for politicizing a process that folks on all sides of the political spectrum need to feel comfortable and confident is being handled appropriately,” said Matt Germer, director of the Governance Program at the R Street Institute, a center-right think tank in Washington, D.C.

Germer, who calls himself a pro-democracy conservative, said others like him, as well as many Democrats, “have some worry that this is less about building a case against specific incidents of fraud and more about sowing fear in election processes.”

While Republicans have taken varied approaches to the demands, Democratic election officials have largely spurned them. They warn Trump is encroaching on the authority of states to run elections and are fearful of how he may use the data. Some Democrats have pointed the administration to publicly available data, but others have fully refused the requests.

The Justice Department on Tuesday announced it was suing the Democratic secretaries of state in Maine and Oregon over their refusal to provide voter data. The lawsuits mark the first legal challenges the department has brought against states in its effort to obtain voter registration records across the country.

At least 27 states have so far received a demand from the Justice Department for voter data, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, which tracks the requests. Fifteen of the states were won by Trump.

Along with Kansas, Republican election officials in Alaska, Florida and Utah have so far offered only public voter data. New Hampshire’s Republican secretary of state has turned over no data, citing restrictions in state law, and Texas officials have said they can’t currently provide a copy of their voter rolls because of ongoing technical upgrades.

Since taking office in January, Trump has tried to exert unilateral control over elections, mostly unsuccessfully. Federal courts blocked an executive order in March that attempted to require voters to prove their citizenship when registering. He threatened to sign another order purporting to ban mail-in ballots but has so far not followed through.

The Constitution gives states the authority to administer elections and Congress the power to step in and set national election standards and regulations. Federal legislation that would implement a proof-of-citizenship voter registration requirement passed the U.S. House this spring, but hasn’t advanced in the Senate.

President Trump today in 2025 is more popular, more influential, more powerful within the Republican Party than he was in 2017.

– Former Kentucky Republican Secretary of State Trey Grayson

Even without a nationwide proof-of-citizenship requirement, the Trump administration is assembling a patchwork operation to find noncitizen voting, which is an extremely rare phenomenon. As the Trump administration presses states for voter rolls, it confirmed last week that the Justice Department is sharing voter data with the Department of Homeland Security, which runs a powerful online search program that can identify noncitizens and verify citizenship.

Several election experts question whether the Justice Department has the authority to demand the voter data and say it’s misinterpreting federal law. “There is zero federal law that entitles the Department of Justice to that sensitive data,” said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research.

The Justice Department said in a statement to Stateline that Congress gave the department authority under multiple federal laws to ensure states have proper voter registration programs and procedures to keep voter rolls free of ineligible voters. The requests for voter rolls have been made under that authority, it said.

“States simply cannot pick and choose which federal laws they will comply with, including our voting laws, which ensure that all American citizens have equal access to the ballot in federal elections,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said in the news release announcing lawsuits against Maine and Oregon.

Navigating DOJ demands

In New Hampshire, Republican Secretary of State David Scanlan has twice refused the Justice Department. Scanlan first declined to provide the state’s voter list in July; after the agency pressed him again, he sent a four-paragraph letter reiterating his position.

Dhillon responded to Scanlan in a letter Aug. 18 that the department was entitled to the voter data under federal record retention laws. She wrote that the agency needed the data to determine whether New Hampshire is complying with the Help America Vote Act, a 2002 federal law that revamped election administration in the wake of the disputed 2000 presidential election.

Scanlan has said New Hampshire law is clear in only permitting the secretary of state to release voter lists, without sensitive personal information, in limited circumstances. Political parties, political committees and candidates may request the list; other outside organizations and agencies, like the Justice Department, cannot.

Scanlan, first elected in 2022, has avoided politically charged rhetoric during the dispute over the voter list. He will be up for reelection next year, but not before voters. In New Hampshire, the Republican-controlled legislature elects the secretary of state every two years.

In an interview with Stateline, Scanlan said he’s approached the situation in a “matter of fact” manner.

“I know other states may have different statutes that allow them to provide that information and beyond that, I really don’t have strong feelings about where this goes,” Scanlan said.

“I’m just going to administer the New Hampshire statutes, taking into consideration what may apply at the federal level through statute or through the courts,” he said. “But for the time being, I think our position is pretty clear.”

Schwab, the Kansas Republican secretary of state, will face voters next year — but as a candidate for governor. A former state lawmaker first elected secretary of state in 2018, he is running in a large Republican primary field where candidates, including him, are competing to link themselves to Trump.

But Schwab has also long taken a clear stance against election denialism and knocked down false claims about Kansas elections. In 2022 he won a primary election, 55%-45%, that pitted him against a Republican activist who promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election.

As the Justice Department push for voter rolls moves forward, Schwab has attempted to find a middle ground. He provided only Kansas’s public voter data, but held open the possibility of turning over more. And in his August letter to the department, he praised the Trump administration’s priorities on election security.

“We agree that routine voter maintenance is critical to ensuring accurate voter rolls and confidence in elections,” Schwab wrote.

Schwab declined Stateline’s interview request. In response to questions, John Milburn, a spokesperson for the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office, wrote in an email: “We remain in conversation with the DOJ and have no further information or comment at this time.”

Trey Grayson, a former Republican Kentucky secretary of state in the 2000s, said if he was in office, he could see potentially providing publicly available voter data to the Justice Department. The department is an entity “you have to take seriously,” Grayson said, though he added he wished it would disclose more about how it plans to use the information.

There’s also politics.

“President Trump today in 2025 is more popular, more influential, more powerful within the Republican Party than he was in 2017,” said Grayson, who sits on the board of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, a nonprofit organization that works to build confidence in elections.

Indiana, South Carolina support data sharing

Morales, the Indiana Republican secretary of state, invoked Trump when he announced last week he had shared full voter data, including driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers, with the Justice Department.

“If providing the Justice Department information can help Indiana with ensuring our voter list is accurate and up to date, we will do so. We will take all the help we can get. I am proud to work with President Trump and his administration to strengthen election integrity,” Morales said at a news conference on Friday.

A former aide to Mike Pence while he was governor of Indiana, Morales was elected in 2022 after calling the 2020 election a “scam” and writing the “outcome is questionable.”

Morales made the disclosure about the voter list in response to reporters’ questions, but he had called the news conference to highlight an alleged case of noncitizen voting by a man with a Mexican passport who had voted six times since 2018. He didn’t identify the man, and criminal charges don’t appear to have been filed.

The decision to turn over the data disappointed Julia Vaughn, executive director of Common Cause Indiana, a voting rights group. She said her organization is prepared to challenge in court any unlawful sharing of the voter list for illegal purposes.

“We’re concerned about his willingness to allow the federal government to interfere in the administration of Indiana elections,” Vaughn said.

In South Carolina, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster went to court, fighting to allow officials to share the full voter list with the Justice Department. After the South Carolina State Election Commission received a request for the voter list in August, a registered voter sued to block its release.

Last week, the South Carolina Supreme Court, in a decision on procedural grounds, cleared the way for the state to hand over the data while the lawsuit plays out in court.

Speaking with reporters earlier this month, McMaster cast the sensitive data as already in the possession of the government and pointed out that the federal government created Social Security.

McMaster noted the South Carolina Constitution contains a right to privacy, but said the Justice Department’s request wasn’t an illegal overreach. “The federal government does have the authority to ask for these things,” he said.

But as the Trump administration seeks voter lists, Germer, of the R Street Institute, voiced concern about what the demands could mean for the future. The collection effort is beginning to set a precedent and a mechanism for future data grabs, he cautioned.

“It’s important to remember that these kinds of actions don’t occur in a vacuum,” Germer said, adding that “we live in a world where one president takes action and the next president builds upon it.”

The Indiana Capital Chronicle’s Whitney Downard contributed reporting. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at jshorman@stateline.org.

This story was originally produced by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Pennsylvania Capital-Star, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

9/18 Playbook: A Tragedy in York County - PoliticsPA

2025-09-18T12:21:50.000Z

It’s Thursday. A sad day in the Commonwealth.

In Today’s Edition. One of the deadliest days for Pennsylvania police this century. Garrity: ‘Shapiro Makes Kirk Assassination About Himself.’ PA’s Budget Still Isn’t Done. What Gives? Most Comfortable Economy Seats for Long-Haul Flights.

Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. Happy. The Rolling Stones

PA Weather
Franklin | Sunny, 82
Hanover | Sunny, 84
New Hope | Sunny, 83

PA Sports
Phillies (91-62) | LA Dodgers 0-5 | Fri-Sun vs. Arizona
Pirates (65-88) | Cubs 4-8 | Fri-Sun vs. Athletics

What They’re Saying. “This is an absolutely tragic and devastating day for York County and the entire commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” – Gov. Josh Shapiro

The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free.

Top Story

1. Shooting Kills 3 Officers and Wounds 2 More in York County

“Law enforcement were investigating Thursday after a shooting killed three officers and wounded two more in southern Pennsylvania the day before.

The violence erupted in rural York County as officers followed up on a domestic-related investigation that began on Tuesday. Police killed the shooter.

It was one of the deadliest days for Pennsylvania police this century.” (AP)

Elsewhere

‘This Kind of Violence, It’s Not OK,’ Shapiro Says After 3 Officers Killed in York County. “Three police officers lost their lives during a shooting at a property in North Codorus Township on Wednesday afternoon. “Our hearts and prayers go out to them and the families of the deceased and the families of those officers who were wounded,” Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris said. “There are simply no words that I can offer to assuage the grief that this community has experienced and unfortunately will continue to experience. The grief will be unbearable, but we will bear it.”” (York Dispatch)

Fetterman, McCormick Jointly Denounce Political Violence in Wake of Kirk Assassination. “PA senators criticize extremism from both sides, but focus on far-left voices accusing right of authoritarianism.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Obama Condemns ‘Horrific’ Kirk Shooting, But Defends the Right to Criticize the Founder of Turning Point USA. “Former President Barack Obama suggested that President Donald Trump and his allies are using the killing to heighten polarization by stifling debate about what Kirk advocated in his podcast and appearances on college campuses.” (POLITICO)

Trump Admin. Threatens to Withhold $460M In Food-Stamp Funding If PA Doesn’t Share Personal Data. “A long-simmering battle between Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and the White House over the state’s food-stamp program is set to come to a head by the end of this week.” (WESA)

State

2. Garrity: ‘Shapiro Makes Kirk Assassination About Himself’

“In a sharp reversal from her words from Tuesday, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity went on the offensive against Gov. Josh Shapiro this morning, saying that Pennsylvania’s chief executive turned the “political assassination of Charlie Kirk into a commentary about himself.

“Josh Shapiro had a chance to honor Charlie and his legacy. Instead, he made it about himself,” said Garrity. “This assassination is a moment for Americans to come together and honor Charlie’s deep devotion to the founding values of our nation: freedom of speech and the free exchange of ideas. It’s not another opportunity for Shapiro to play politics and polish his image.”” (PoliticsPA)

Elsewhere

‘Pennsylvanians Deserve Better’: A Q&A With 2026 Gubernatorial Candidate Stacy Garrity. “The incumbent state treasurer talked about her gubernatorial campaign and how she’d govern in a politically divided state Capitol.” (City & State)

Cognetti, Bresnahan Trade Barbs As PA-08 Contest Heats Up. “The election for the 8th Congressional District seat in northeastern Pennsylvania is still over 13 months away but the contestants are getting a running start.” (PoliticsPA)

Pennsylvania Moves to Ban Crypto Trading by State Officials. “House Bill 1812 would prohibit legislators and their close relatives from trading cryptocurrencies, creating digital tokens, or promoting projects where they hold a financial stake.” (North Penn Now)

Around The Commonwealth

3. A Big Transit Deal Is Off the Table, But PA’s Budget Still Isn’t Done. What Gives?

“More than a week ago, Gov. Josh Shapiro took off the table what he called the biggest obstacle to a finished Pennsylvania budget.

His administration funded SEPTA for the next two years, flexing infrastructure dollars to cover operating expenses for the distressed Philadelphia-area system.

But even with the transit conundrum kicked down the road, the budget isn’t done.” (Spotlight PA)

Elsewhere

Larry Krasner Prepares Philly For Possible National Guard “Invasion.” “The Democratic district attorney’s “Be the Light, Bring the Light” tour is a warning about President Trump possibly sending in the National Guard and doubles as a rallying cry for local resistance.” (Axios Philadelphia)

Allegheny County Institutes Hiring, Spending Freeze As State Budget Impasse Continues. “The Allegheny County budget has been carefully managed this year and has strong liquidity, but due to the delay in passing a state budget and the threat of a federal shutdown, we are asking staff to hold off on hiring open, non-critical positions and pause discretionary spending where possible.”” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

‘He Should Not Be Martyred:’ Lehigh County Executive Candidate Swipes Back After GOP Chair Condemns Comments on Charlie Kirk. “State Rep. Josh Siegel doubled down Wednesday on comments condemning both the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk and the era of violence that he said Kirk helped usher into modern American politics.” (LehighValleyNews)

As Tensions Escalate, Lackawanna County Commissioners Call Names, Argue About Budget and Reassessment. “Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak accused colleague Bill Gaughan of acting like a “smart ass” and threatened to “tackle somebody to the ground” as they debated reassessment and budgeting Wednesday.” (WVIA)

SCI Rockview and Quehanna Boot Camp Closures Move Forward. “The report points to a declining prison population statewide and the need for significant maintenance spending on the facilities. The state said closing the facilities would save more than $100 million in future years.” (WPSU)

Editorial

4. What Do You Think?

Reject the Partisan Push to Oust PA Supreme Court Justices. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Gov. Shapiro Shows the Leadership America Needs After Charlie Kirk’s Assasination. (PennLive)
Faced With Donald Trump, What Would Martin Luther King Jr. Do? (Tom Moran)
What’s Wrong With Late PA Budgets (That’s Not a Question). (John Baer)
Affordable Child Care in Pennsylvania Should Not Be Politically Gridlocked. (Erica Reade)
Budgeting Reform That Serves You. (Emily Greene)
Josh Shapiro’s Both-Sides Dodge. (Ada Nestor)
PA Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Gamble on Transgender Issue Is a Bad Bet. (Christopher Brooks)

1 Thing

5. 10 Most Comfortable Economy Seats For Long-Haul Flights

“The thought of flying long-haul in economy class is enough to send a shiver down most travelers’ spines, especially if you’re attempting to fall asleep on an overnight flight. The most affordable airline seats have a bad reputation for having little personal space, rigid seats, and ultra-cramped legroom—not exactly a winning combination for landing in your destination refreshed and ready to go.

But there are certain seats at the back of the plane that actually do offer a respectable amount of comfort, if you know how to find them.” (Condé Nast Traveler)

Thanks for starting your morning with us.
Let’s have a better one than yesterday. See you tomorrow.

Spotlight PA launches study to assess potential for a new community newsroom in Lehigh Valley - Spotlight PA

2025-09-18T10:00:00.000Z

The rapid decline of trusted, unbiased news in communities across Pennsylvania is alarming — and it’s only getting worse.

The folks in the Lehigh Valley know how this story goes. From Allentown to Easton, there are fewer reporters and less coverage than ever. Not because of a lack of commitment by journalists, but because of a simple lack of resources.

This situation demands our attention, and bold solutions.

Spotlight PA was founded in 2019 to restore investigative and public-service journalism in Pennsylvania, to share it with news organizations across the state, and to ensure the public has free and unfettered access to the truth about what’s happening.

As our work has driven significant policy change and been recognized by some of the most prestigious national journalism organizations, the call has grown for Spotlight PA to help bring more investigative journalists back to our local communities, including the Lehigh Valley, hand-in-hand with our partner media outlets in the region.

This would be Spotlight PA’s third community newsroom. Our first, launched in 2022 in State College, covers north-central Pennsylvania, including rural issues, Penn State University, and local government accountability. Our second, launched this year in Berks County, covers Reading City Hall, local and county governments, and social issues.

We aren’t seeking to expand for the sake of it, but the decline in local news—especially investigative and accountability journalism—is unrelenting, yet the need for it is more stark than ever. Over the past year, a group of Spotlight PA readers, including former Morning Call editors, asked us how Spotlight PA could do more in the Lehigh Valley.

We were moved to action.

With financial support from the Richard and Susan Master Family Foundation and the American Journalism Project — a national venture philanthropy investing in leading nonprofit newsrooms across the U.S. — Spotlight PA is studying the potential for a community newsroom based in the Lehigh Valley.

You can sign up for updates about this exciting project at spotlightpa.org/lehighvalley.

You can support Spotlight PA’s efforts statewide by making a tax-deductible gift now. For a limited time, all contributions will be DOUBLED.

Before you continue, a request...: Spotlight PA's unmatched investigative and public-service reporting depends on your support. Help us bring more of it to the Lehigh Valley by making a gift now, and a generous donor will DOUBLE it.

Together, we can bring talented reporters back to the region, dedicate time and resources to in-depth investigative and public-service journalism about our powerful institutions, and better inform and equip residents to get involved and drive change.

We can only do that, however, with your help.

Megan Beste of Taggart Associates is leading our six-month effort to build a coalition of community support for a potential Lehigh Valley newsroom.

We are fortunate to benefit from Megan’s leadership expertise and deep local roots. Raised in the Lehigh Valley, Megan has made her home in Bethlehem for nearly 20 years. A graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., she has worked across sectors in the Lehigh Valley and D.C., most recently as the district director for a member of Congress, and before that, as a corporate social responsibility consultant, a marketing and communications professional, and a passionate nonprofit board member.

Megan has assembled an advisory board of 12 local leaders who will help guide Spotlight PA as we conduct listening sessions and research to better understand information gaps and what kind of news coverage community members want.

As part of the project, we are also inviting residents in Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon counties to fill out a 5-minute survey about news habits and information needs.

Spotlight PA is also conducting a philanthropic study to assess the feasibility of annual charitable support from individuals, foundations, and corporations to sustain a local team. This study is led by Dick Button, a consultant with extensive fundraising and civic experience in the Lehigh Valley. Dick worked in various development positions at Kutztown University for 20 years, actively participating in four multi-year capital campaigns. He also served on the Allentown City Planning Commission for 30 years, in addition to the boards of the West Park Civic Association, Mayfair Festival, Girl Scouts Great Valley Council, the Repertory Dance Theatre, and the Allentown School District Foundation. Over the years, he has volunteered for a number of Lehigh Valley civic and arts events and festivals.

We’re not predetermining the outcome of this project or how to best serve the region. We’re putting the community in charge, and we would love to hear from you if you would like to attend a listening session or financially support the effort. Please reach out directly to Megan Beste at megan@spotlightpa.org.

We look forward to working with Lehigh Valley residents over the next several months. We are optimistic about the future of Spotlight PA and bold, high-quality investigative and public-service journalism in the Lehigh Valley, and we are honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with Pennsylvanians on this effort.

Help Pa. decide how to spend $14M to help communities recover from Tropical Storm Debby - Spotlight PA

2025-09-18T08:00:00.000Z

This story first appeared in Talk of the Town — a daily newsletter from the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown.

As parts of Pennsylvania rebuild from damage caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, more than $14 million in additional federal money is slated to help with the recovery.

Most of that funding — at least $11.6 million, according to a draft spending plan released by the state Department of Community and Economic Development — is earmarked for rural Tioga County, which the federal government identified as the area most impacted by the daylong deluge that brought heavy rain and subsequent flooding in August 2024.

The remaining dollars will address housing, mitigation efforts, and other infrastructure needs in Lycoming, Potter, and Union Counties, which were also severely impacted by the storm and are eligible for up to 20% of the total funding.

Stay informed: Sign up for Talk of the Town, a daily update of the news that matters to your community — from the PA Wilds to Happy Valley.

At least 70% of all program funds will benefit low- and moderate-income households, with affordable housing being one of the greatest needs.

The money, which aims to cover long-term costs not paid for by other funding streams, comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Pennsylvania’s draft plan, now open for public comment, outlines how the state proposes to distribute it.

Under the current proposal, DCED plans to allocate:

$1.65 million for grants to support the acquisition or demolition of flood-impacted and flood-prone structures.
$1.45 million for housing rehabilitation grants for homeowners to restore storm-damaged homes or make them more resistant to heavy rain storms.
$1.35 million for new housing construction.
$5.67 million for infrastructure projects — such as roads, bridges, water and sanitary facilities, or parks — to help make impacted areas more resilient.
$881,000 for activities that help the local or regional economy.
$731,000 for public services like legal, mental health counseling, disaster preparedness programs, and programs to address homelessness.
$1.9 million for Tioga County to address other needs and mitigation efforts.

The state has earmarked $731,000 for administrative costs and $250,000 for planning.

While You’re Here: If you learned something from this report, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future.

The public can review the draft action plan on DCED’s website and submit feedback during a 30-day comment period, which runs until 4 p.m. on Sept. 30.

Comments can be submitted in three different ways:

Send an email to dcedchdpubliccomments@pa.gov.
Call 717-787-5327.
Write to David Grey, chief of compliance, Center for Community and Housing Development, Department of Community and Economic Development, 400 North St., 4th Floor, Commonwealth Keystone Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120.

A big transit deal is off the table, but Pa.’s budget still isn’t done. What gives? - Spotlight PA

2025-09-18T08:00:00.000Z

HARRISBURG — More than a week ago, Gov. Josh Shapiro took off the table what he called the biggest obstacle to a finished Pennsylvania budget.

His administration funded SEPTA for the next two years, flexing infrastructure dollars to cover operating expenses for the distressed Philadelphia-area system. The move — temporarily — ended fraught talks over how to boost long-term funding for transit systems, something they say is desperately needed.

“It is time,” Shapiro told reporters, “to close this out.”

But even with the transit conundrum kicked down the road, the budget isn’t done.

Free Newsletter: Sign up for a free roundup of the top news from across Pennsylvania, all in one daily or weekly email from Spotlight PA.

As the impasse moves toward a third month, consequences are mounting. Schools and nonprofits have been forced to take out lines of credit and cut programs as the state continues to miss payments.

A spokesperson for Shapiro, Manuel Bonder, said in a statement that the governor “has been working hard to bring leaders from the Senate and the House to the table to find common ground,” and that “he’s been clear that lawmakers need to show up to work, do their jobs, and put a budget on his desk.”

The reasons why state lawmakers still haven’t agreed on a final budget are varied. But chiefly, all major players — Shapiro, the Democrats who control the state House, and the Republicans who control the state Senate — want the final deal to include at least some of their priorities.

State Senate Republicans feel they’re still being asked for too much spending, and need concessions to get their members on board. And state House Democrats, who feel they’ve already conceded a lot by backing off on recurring transit funding, don’t want to walk away empty-handed.

Neither side appears ready to make the next move.

Republicans must overcome internal spending conflicts

Republicans have said throughout this budget cycle that they’re concerned about spending levels. While the state is flush with cash reserves built up due to federal pandemic aid, Pennsylvania’s annual revenues have historically not covered its expenses.

In February, Shapiro pitched spending $51.4 billion, a proposal that included an additional $290 million to the state’s public transit agencies. Last month, he privately pitched legislative leaders a $49.9 billion budget. (He confirmed such a number was still on the table as recently as last week.)

But spending alone won’t make or break a deal for state Senate Republicans, Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) told Spotlight PA on Wednesday. His caucus needs something else.

“Whether it's Medicaid reform or making sure that the SNAP program is run as efficiently as possible, [these] are the types of things that I believe that we should be thinking about,” Pittman said, adding that Republicans have also “always had an interest in permitting reform and other policies that help advance economic opportunity.”

“The spend number really is just one piece of the overall equation,” he said.

An additional incentive would also help Republican leaders get their more conservative members to vote for a budget that raises spending.

Republicans’ current 27-23 margin in the upper chamber means they can only afford to lose one vote in their caucus before their bills are dead. And that caucus includes a small but vocal contingent of conservatives who think the $49.9 billion that Shapiro recently pitched is too high.

State Sen. Dawn Keefer (R., York) told Spotlight PA that the legislature approved “a mutual overspend last year, and there was a lot of slush.”

With that on her mind, she added, “there’s no reason” lawmakers should agree to more than last year’s $47.6 billion plan.

In a statement earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus — the state chapter of a national group that backs conservative state legislators — outlined what its members say must be in a final budget deal. (Keefer is among this group.)

That includes formally pulling Pennsylvania out of an interstate cap-and-trade program called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and “substantive school choice.” State Senate Republicans have pushed to create a taxpayer-funded voucher program for private and parochial schools.

The state Senate’s Republican caucus is also still grappling with internal divisions over a source of additional revenue that could help Pennsylvania balance its budget: regulating and taxing slot-like skill games.

Shapiro pitched a plan earlier this year, and GOP leaders in the state Senate indicated they wanted a deal.

Those discussions seemingly imploded after clashes between those leaders and a key skill games company over the rate of taxation and the right regulations, leading to accusations of intimidation on both sides.

However, two lobbyists told Spotlight PA a deal could remerge as budget talks continue to drag on, and Pittman said this week he thinks “it's a real opportunity that remains.”

He also acknowledged that his most conservative members will need to compromise.

“Philosophically, I respect where those members of [the Freedom] caucus are coming from, but I also have to underscore that if the House Republicans were the majority, for example, or we had a Republican governor, the tenets that they have put forward would certainly be much more achievable than they are in the current political lineup,” he said.

But Pittman added that Democrats will also need to consider GOP priorities.

“The fact that they have removed [transit] from the budget conversations doesn't mean that we necessarily remove our priorities as well.”

Democrats won’t say yes to the status quo

Sending more state money to struggling transit agencies became Democrats’ No. 1 issue as SEPTA warned of dire service cuts should lawmakers fail to reach a deal.

They didn’t, and SEPTA moved forward with cuts. But in early September, a judge ordered the system to reverse course.

That led Shapiro and SEPTA leaders to decide to stop budget-related negotiations and use executive action to authorize the use of capital funding, which normally funds things like new trolleys or station repairs, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions. (The Philadelphia Inquirer reported the same via four sources.)

Some rank-and-file Democrats were unhappy with the choice. With transit sidelined, increasing state spending on education, housing, or Medicaid — or notching policy wins on issues like a minimum wage increase or reforming how cyber charter schools are funded — have become much more important for the caucus, three Democratic legislators said.

“For many people, [transit] was a top priority in this budget. And it’s a failure,” one legislative Democrat said. “There’s no way to think about it differently.”

“We have to make sure we are getting wins,” another Democratic state legislator told Spotlight PA. “We cannot accept a budget that is status quo or less, especially given the fact that we folded on transit.”

(All were granted anonymity to speak candidly about sensitive negotiations.)

Democrats have a one-vote majority in the state House. That means leaders can’t afford to alienate any member of their caucus unless they can guarantee Republican support.

Elizabeth Rementer, a spokesperson for the caucus, said it has “demonstrated time and time again that we want to work together and compromise with Senate Republicans to pass legislation that moves Pennsylvania forward, from finally adequately funding our schools to permitting reform and much more in between.”

She added, “Unfortunately, during this budget cycle, Senate Republicans have not been willing to come to the table with the realization that any solution will take bipartisan support both in their chamber and the legislature.”

A lack of trust and divided government

Indisputably, one thing is in short supply in Harrisburg — trust. And that can also be a barrier to finalizing a deal.

“You have to trust that the other chamber is going to put the vote up on the board,” a senior lobbyist said, “and carry through on the deal.”

In particular, the specter of 2023’s particularly rocky budget cycle is haunting talks, according to two lobbyists who’ve observed past and present negotiations.

That year, state Senate Republicans included in a budget bill funding for a new voucher program to send public school students to private or parochial institutions. Shapiro had expressed support for such a plan during his campaign for governor, but ultimately vetoed the provision under pressure from House Democrats.

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Republicans, who accused Shapiro of betrayal and said they’d only agreed to higher spending because of the voucher inclusion, delayed fully finishing the budget for months.

Some lawmakers also told Spotlight PA that they feel politics is playing too strong a role in this year’s process.

In 2024, half of the seats in the state Senate and all state House seats were on the ballot. Republicans maintained control of the upper chamber, while also sweeping statewide row offices, though Democrats were able to hold on to their majority in the state House.

That divided result failed to give either party a clear mandate.

“We're in a divided government politically. We're in a divided government geographically,” Pittman said. “And that was a decision the electorate made in the last election.”

Shapiro will be on the ballot next year, a fact that observers have noted several times when discussing the impasse. State House and Senate seats will also be on the line in 2026, giving both parties another opportunity to seek majority control.

Shapiro referenced next year’s elections when discussing the runway the special transit funding gives SEPTA, saying it provides “two years to see if we can change minds or change some of the people in the state Senate.”

Lawmakers from both major parties have accused the other side of playing politics during this debate.

State Sen. Frank Farry (R., Bucks), who was targeted by political ads over his approach to funding SEPTA, told Spotlight PA that “part of the success here is relationships,” but it hurts relationships when people “stand at press conferences and throw bombs.”

Three police officers killed, two wounded in York County ‘domestic-related’ investigation - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-09-18T01:25:32.000Z

Governor Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania State Police commissioner offer details on a shooting in York County that left three police officers dead. (Photo courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services)

*This is a breaking news story. We’ll move quickly to provide the best information we have at the time.*

Three law enforcement officers were shot and killed in North Codorus Township, York County, on Wednesday during an investigation into a “domestic-related” incident that happened at a home there the previous day, state police said.

Two others were wounded and were in critical, but stable, condition Wednesday night. The suspect was killed by police, according to State Police Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris.

As of 6:15 p.m. Wednesday evening, there was no active threat to the public, Paris said at a press conference.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to them, to the families of the deceased and the families of those officers who were wounded,” Paris said. “There are simply no words that I can offer to assuage the grief that this community has experienced, and unfortunately will continue to experience.”

The injured officers are being treated at WellSpan York Hospital. Paris did not share which law enforcement agencies the officers who were shot worked for, and noted that many details would not be made public until the investigation progresses.

It’s the second time a York County officer has been killed in the line of duty this year. In February, West York Patrolman Andrew Duarte was killed during a hostage situation at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, who made a speech against political violence last night in Pittsburgh at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, travelled to York County Wednesday.

“This kind of violence isn’t ok,” he said at a press conference. “We need to do better as a society. We need to help the people who think that picking up a gun, picking up a weapon, is the answer to resolving disputes. We need to do better when it comes to mental health.”

It was the deadliest single day for law enforcement in the commonwealth since the Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police began keeping track on their fallen heroes page, which dates back to 2012. On April 4 2009, three officers were killed in a shooting in the Stanton Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh after responding to a domestic call. Two others were wounded.

Governor Josh Shapiro talks with Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris after a shooting in York County left three police officers dead on September 17, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services)

The name of the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting was not released, but the incident took place near a home on Haar road.

Phoebe Luckenbaugh, who lives several houses away from where the shooting happened, said the property with a farm house and a red barn close to the road was home to a young family.

Craig Zumbrum, who is listed in property records as the owner with his wife, Elizabeth, died in 2023. His widow and four children, including two teenagers, still live in the home and were often seen in the yard, Luckenbaugh said.

“They’re a nice normal country family,” she said, adding that she has no first-hand knowledge of what happened at the farm Wednesday. Since Craig Zumbrum’s death, a relative has raised crops on the farm for the family, Luckenbaugh said.

State Police are asking the public to avoid the scene.

Paris said that state police will lead the investigation, in collaboration with York County District Attorney Tim Barker. He added that state police have been in touch with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s office in Philadelphia.

“I can assure you that all of the resources of the Pennsylvania state police are being brought to bear,” Paris said. He added that, for the time, state police will be taking over calls for service for the Northern York County Regional Police Department.

Shapiro said he was contacted by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who he said “shared with me we have the full support of the federal government.”

“We so appreciate law enforcement at every level, and we of course appreciate our federal partners,” Shapiro added.

Bondi said in a post on the social media platform X that the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were on the scene.

“Violence against law enforcement is a scourge on our society and never acceptable,” she wrote. “Pray for the officers involved.”

Attorney General Dave Sunday, who previously served as the York County District Attorney, said on social media that he was travelling to the county after hearing about the incident.

“Learning that three officers were killed in York County where I worked for many years as a prosecutor, and where I still call home, is unfathomable,” he said in a statement. “Having served alongside these officers, I know of their caliber, their professionalism and the lasting impact they had on our community. This loss is a heart-wrenching reminder of the sacrifices police officers and other first responders make every single day.”

Shapiro has ordered flags in the commonwealth to be flown at half-mast until the officers are interred. No date has been set yet.

The Pennsylvania Capital-Star’s Peter Hall contributed to this story.

Bucks County Community College to Host Compassion for Animals and Environment Conference - Bucks County Beacon

2025-09-18T00:27:37.000Z

All ages are welcome to attend the annual Compassion for Animals and Environment (CAE) Conference at Bucks County Community College on Saturday, Sept. 27. Attendees will explore talks, workshops and exhibits focused on the human-animal bond, plant-based living, protecting the planet, and compassion.

The CAE is a one day conference sponsored by the Bucks County Community College Business Innovation and Legal Studies Department. The conference takes place 8:30 am to 3 pm in the Gallagher Room at the Rollins Center on BCCC’s Newtown campus.

The goals of the conference are to respect animals’ emotions and intelligence, increase consumption of plant-based foods, strengthen the human-animal bond, and “fostering kindness toward all beings.”

Attendees can explore exhibitors from various sanctuaries, rescues, and vegan organizations, such as PA Voters For Animals, Rowdy Girl Sanctuary, Bucks County SPCA, Tabby’s Place, American Vegan Society, Lancaster Farm Sanctuary, Revolution Philly, Indraloka Farm Sanctuary and more.

READ: Kingdom Provisions Pursued for Acts of Animal Cruelty in a Private Criminal Complaint Filed in Bucks County

The conference will feature scheduled presentations with speakers from animal welfare, law, science, and social justice. The presentations include:

“Vegan for Earth’s Climate and Habitats” with speaker Lee Hall
“Strengthening the Human-Animal Bond Within the Context of Horseracing” with Patrick Battuello of Horseracing Wrongs
“Pet Loss: Honoring Your Bond and Healing From Grief” with speaker Jenna Tarrant, LCSW
“The Untold Truth: Backyard Chickens” with speaker Suzanne S. Gonzalez

Attendees can explore workshops on personal connections with animals and steps toward sustainable living. The conference will conclude with a poem from Cheryl Baldi, poet and former Bucks County Poet Laureate.

Tickets cost $30 for general admission and $18 for student admission. Ticket price includes donation to an animal rescue and vegan boxed lunch catered by V-Spot and Fat Badger Cookies.

Get tickets online before registration ends Saturday, Sept. 20.

Former CDC chief says she was fired for resisting RFK Jr. orders on vaccines - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-09-17T22:22:31.000Z

Former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Susan Monarez testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Sept.17, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez testified before a U.S. Senate committee Wednesday that she was fired after just 29 days because she refused to pre-approve vaccine recommendations or fire career officials for no reason.

Monarez, who was nominated by President Donald Trump earlier this year and confirmed by the Senate in July on a party-line vote, became a central figure in the country’s debate over public health last month after she refused to resign.

Monarez testified that during a meeting in late August, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told her she needed to commit to approving upcoming recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without reviewing any data or research.

“He also directed me to dismiss career officials responsible for vaccine policy without cause. He said if I was unwilling to do both, I should resign,” Monarez said. “I responded that I could not pre-approve recommendations without reviewing the evidence and I had no basis to fire scientific experts.”

Monarez testified before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee during the nearly three-hour hearing that she told Kennedy if he didn’t trust her, then he could fire her.

During that same late August meeting, Monarez said Kennedy told her the childhood vaccine schedule would be changing in September and that she needed to be on board with that.

“We got into an exchange where I had suggested that I would be open to changing childhood vaccine schedules if the evidence or science was supportive,” Monarez testified. “And he responded that there was no science or evidence associated with the childhood vaccine schedule.”

ACIP is scheduled to meet Thursday and Friday at the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

Kennedy testified before a separate Senate committee earlier this month that he did demand that Monarez fire career CDC scientists but said he didn’t tell her to accept the recommendations of the vaccine advisory panel without further review.

“What I asked her about is she had made a statement that she was going to not sign on and I wanted clarification about that,” Kennedy said at the time. “I told her I didn’t want her to have a role if she’s not going to sign onto it.”

Vaccine safety at issue

Monarez said that undermining vaccine safety will lead to an increase in preventable diseases, some of which have long-term or even lifelong consequences for children’s health.

“I believe that we will have our children harmed for things that we know they do not need to be harmed by — polio, measles, diphtheria, chickenpox,” she said.

Former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry told the committee there are significant ramifications if the new members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, who were appointed by Kennedy after he fired all of the former members, don’t use rigorous science and data to make their recommendations.

“It’s going to be heartbreaking,” Houry said. “I think what concerns me is these aren’t harmless diseases. We just saw the case in California of a young child that died of encephalitis years after measles. These diseases have long-term consequences and in the U.S. we have gone so far in reversing this. We don’t want our children to die.”

Houry was one of several CDC officials who resigned after learning about Monarez’s firing, which happened just weeks after a gunman opened fire at the CDC’s headquarters, killing a police officer.

Both Monarez and Houry testified, in response to a question from Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, that confusion about vaccines and CDC recommendations had real consequences.

“I myself was subject to threats,” Monarez said. “And I am very concerned that the further promulgation of misleading information will undermine not just the safety and health of our children, but it will also exacerbate some of these tensions — the willingness to commit harm if someone is affronted by a belief that the people like us that are trying to help them are actually not trying to help them.”

Houry told the committee the gunman fired about 500 rounds, with approximately 180 of those hitting the building.

“Each bullet was meant for a person, and each of my staff were very traumatized afterwards,” Houry said. “I had staff that were covering their kids in the day care parking lot. There were people that were out at the ride-share as bullets were passing over their head. I have many that won’t speak about vaccines now and removed their names off of the papers. They don’t wish to present publicly anymore because they feel they were personally targeted because of misinformation.”

‘Did we do something wrong?’

HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., said at the beginning of the hearing he intended to invite Kennedy and possibly other HHS officials to testify before his committee later in the year if they wanted to respond to what was said in the Wednesday hearing.

He also raised concerns that Monarez was fired after less than a month in the role, despite her being nominated by Trump, confirmed by the Senate and Kennedy saying while swearing her in that she had “unimpeachable scientific credentials.”

“We as senators need to ask ourselves, did we look past something? Did we do something wrong?” Cassidy said. “It may be that we did nothing wrong, in which case, Dr. Monarez and Dr. Houry, the onus is upon you to prove that the criticisms leveled by the secretary are not true.”

Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, speaks with reporters after holding a hearing with former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

Cassidy later added that “it may be impossible to learn who’s telling the truth.”

Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, ranking member on the committee, said the Trump administration’s decision to fire Monarez after less than a month in the CDC director’s role was because “she refused to act as a rubber stamp to implement Secretary Kennedy’s dangerous agenda to substantially limit the use of safe and effective vaccines that would endanger the lives of the American people and people throughout the world.”

Sanders raised concerns that the loss of career officials at the CDC and other federal health agencies could hamper the country from addressing disease outbreaks in the months and years ahead.

Confusion over whether Monarez was recorded

There were a few awkward moments in the hearing, in addition to the serious discussion about the Trump administration’s approach to public health.

One came after Florida Republican Sen. Ashley Moody mentioned twice during her five minutes of questions that Monarez had spoken with Cassidy about her firing, implying that was somehow improper.

Cassidy gave a lengthy statement afterward, clarifying the record.

“As chairman of the committee with jurisdiction over the CDC that favorably reported Dr. Monarez as the CDC director, it is entirely appropriate for someone with oversight concerns to contact my office, or me, or frankly any of us,” Cassidy said. “Upon receiving outreach from Dr. Monarez, I contacted both the secretary and the White House to inquire about what was happening and to express concerns about what was alleged. As soon as the director was fired, the HELP Committee began reviewing the situation, as it is our responsibility, and any and all communication with the witnesses was conducted by HELP staff in coordination with attorneys.”

Another somewhat uncomfortable and slightly confusing moment came after Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin told Monarez that someone had recorded her meeting or meetings with Kennedy.

Mullin then repeatedly questioned her recollection of her conversations with Kennedy, implying that he had a different view because he had listened to the recording.

The exchange led Cassidy to give another statement to the committee. He appeared somewhat frustrated that someone gave just one senator on the panel the recording, that Mullin had not shared it with any other members of the committee and that HHS had chosen not to give it to the committee in response to a request for documents related to Monarez’s firing.

“If a recording does not exist, I ask Sen. Mullin to retract his line of questions,” Cassidy said. “I’ll also note that if he has it, I’m also curious why only one senator was given this and why we’re just hearing about it now.”

A few minutes later, Cassidy announced to the hearing room that Mullin told reporters elsewhere that he was mistaken about there being a recording of the meeting or meetings.

Monarez lawyer

Several GOP senators on the panel also questioned Monarez at length about when and why she chose to hire legal representation and why she ultimately went with Mark Zaid, who has made public statements against Trump and his policies.

Monarez testified that she wasn’t aware of Zaid’s political beliefs when she hired him and hasn’t spoken with him about politics.

“I was seeking some critical counsel to be able to help me make sure that I was understanding and aware of everything that had transpired and preparing for what might be next, including this committee hearing,” Monarez said. “Mark and I have never spoken about politics. I never asked him about his politics. He has never asked me about my politics.”

Pa joins northeast state health coalition as CDC shakeups concern experts - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-09-17T22:18:11.000Z

A pharmacy advertises COVID-19 testing and vaccinations on Sept. 4 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Several states, including New York, are breaking with restrictive eligibility policies the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has imposed on newly approved COVID-19 vaccines for the fall season. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Pennsylvania has joined a coalition of northeastern states in an effort to develop public health and immunization guidelines amid concerns about the direction of federal health agencies.

The group will meet regularly to coordinate on public health efforts such as emergency preparedness and the creation of immunization guidelines.

“Pennsylvania is participating in the bipartisan Northeast Public Health Collaborative (NEPHC) because the Shapiro Administration is committed to keeping Pennsylvanians healthy, preventing injury and disease, and ensuring the safe delivery of quality health care throughout the Commonwealth,” Barry Ciccocioppo, communications director for the state Department of Health, said in a statement. “To meet our mission and ensure Pennsylvanians have access to essential public health resources, members of the Department of Health work with colleagues in other states and jurisdictions to share innovations, best practices, and improve efficiency.”

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Other states involved include Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. All have Democratic governors, except Vermont which is run by Republican Phil Scott.

The move follows a similar action taken by West Coast states, California, Oregon and Washington, who formed their own public health coalition.

Historically, almost all U.S. states, including Pennsylvania, have accepted immunization guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). However, changes at the agency under President Donald Trump and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including the firing of its director, have shaken the trust of public health experts.

“States have had to step forward basically into the breach and fill the void left by a gutted CDC and the dismantling of public health infrastructure at the federal government level,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey told NPR recently.

Nine former directors of the CDC also raised alarms about the direction of the agency under Kennedy, its defunding of medical research, and the trustworthiness of its public health recommendations in a New York Times op-ed.

Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy, which is responsible for determining when and to whom Pennsylvania pharmacists can administer vaccines, also voted to accept immunization recommendations from non-government health organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Pa. Board of Pharmacy votes to use vaccine guidelines from non-government groups

The move effectively allowed them to bypass guidance from the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, amid concerns that the group has been politicized.

Kennedy, a longtime proponent of antivaccine views and the former chair of an antivaccine advocacy group, removed and replaced all 17 members of the CDC’s immunization advisory panel, appointing a number who have voiced concerns about the safety and efficacy of vaccines in a break from widespread scientific consensus. The panel is scheduled to meet this week and vote on recommendations for this year’s COVID-19 shot and other vaccines.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Department of Human Services and Insurance Commission submitted a joint public comment to the panel ahead of their meeting that said, “Immunization remains one of the most powerful and cost-effective tools for preventing serious illnesses, reducing hospitalizations, and protecting those most vulnerable to severe outcomes.”

“Consistent and science-driven recommendations from ACIP are therefore essential to preserving both individual autonomy and collective well-being,” the letter added.

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Andrew Nixon, the communications director of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, responded to concerns about changes to the department in a statement to the Capital-Star.

“The American people voted for transparency and accountability, and that’s exactly what Secretary Kennedy is delivering,” he wrote. “For decades, CDC failed to level with the public. We are reforming broken institutions, restoring gold standard science as the foundation of public health, and empowering Americans with honest information and real choice. That is how we rebuild trust and Make America Healthy Again.”

Nixon also criticized states like Pennsylvania that are seeking to bypass the CDC’s vaccine recommendations.

“Democrat-run states that pushed unscientific school lockdowns, toddler mask mandates, and draconian vaccine passports during the COVID era completely eroded the American people’s trust in public health agencies,” he said. “ACIP remains the scientific body guiding immunization recommendations in this country, and HHS will ensure policy is based on rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science, not the failed politics of the pandemic.”

2 injured in southern Pa. shooting involving police as Shapiro heads to scene - Spotlight PA

2025-09-17T20:59:43.000Z

HARRISBURG — At least two people were seriously injured in a shooting involving police in the southern part of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, and Gov. Josh Shapiro was rushing to the scene, officials said.

An investigation is occurring in the area of North Codorus Township, about 115 miles (185 km) west of Philadelphia, not far from the Maryland line, authorities said.

York Hospital said it was treating two people in serious condition related to a police incident in northern York County. The hospital said enhanced security protocols are in place.

“Please send prayers to the officers and those involved in the shooting in York County,” Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said in a social media post.

A local school district issued a shelter-in-place order, though it said schools and students were not involved in the shooting. The district said in a statement that authorities “advised us to hold students and staff in our buildings as a precaution while several area roads are closed.”

The Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia said in a social media post that they were “monitoring the incident” in Pennsylvania and advised Mexican residents nearby to follow official instructions. The consulate did not provide any further information on why they were closely following the situation.

South-central Pennsylvania is an apple-growing region that attracts migrant farm workers, many of them from Mexico.

The response to the officers’ injuries unfolded on a rural road that winds through an agricultural area with a red barn and farm fields.

Elecciones municipales 2025 en Pa.: Todo lo que necesita saber sobre cómo solicitar, llenar y devolver su papeleta de voto por correo - Spotlight PA

2025-09-17T18:46:23.000Z

Read in English

HARRISBURG — El 4 de noviembre, los votantes de Pensilvania votarán en las elecciones municipales. Todos los votantes tendrán en sus boletas elecciones judiciales estatales y preguntas de retención, así como contiendas locales que variarán según el condado o el municipio.

Aunque muchos votantes acudirán a su centro de votación local el día de las elecciones, otros optarán a votar por correo. Todos los votantes registrados en la mancomunidad han podido votar por correo desde el año 2020.

El voto por correo puede ser confuso y se ha vuelto aún más en los últimos cinco años debido a los desafíos legales, a la desinformación que socava la fe pública en las elecciones y a los esfuerzos de muchos legisladores republicanos para prohibir su uso.

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También ha sido extremadamente popular entre los ciudadanos de Pensilvania que necesitan o quieren más flexibilidad a la hora de votar. En la carrera presidencial de 2024, casi 2 millones de votantes en la mancomunidad emitieron su voto por correo.

Aquí está todo lo que necesita saber sobre el voto por correo:

¿Cómo se solicita el voto por correo?

Puede solicitar una papeleta de voto por correo en línea, en persona en una oficina electoral del condado o por correo. Las solicitudes en papel también se pueden descargar en inglés y chino, además de español. Las solicitudes deben ser recibidas por la junta electoral de su condado antes de las 5 p.m. del 28 de octubre.

Durante las elecciones presidenciales de 2024, un alto volumen de personas deseaba tanto solicitar y emitir su voto por correo en persona en las oficinas electorales de su condado o las oficinas satélite, lo que provocó filas y frustración en algunos lugares. Esa práctica está permitida por la ley de Pensilvania, pero no es lo mismo que las opciones de votación anticipada disponibles en algunos otros estados, y puede llevar mucho tiempo.

El Departamento de Estado de Pensilvania ha publicado una guía actualizada en la que se instruye a los trabajadores electorales de los condados a tener un plan para atender a todos los votantes que deseen emitir su voto de esta manera, incluyendo “un plan para garantizar que todos los votantes que estén en la fila antes de las 5:00 p.m. del último día para solicitar el voto por correo tengan la oportunidad de solicitar y presentar su papeleta”.

Si aún no está inscrito para votar, debe hacerlo antes del 20 de octubre para poder participar en las elecciones del 4 de noviembre. Las solicitudes de registro de votantes en línea deben enviarse antes de las 11:59 p.m. de ese día. Las solicitudes por correo y en persona deben ser recibidas por la junta electoral del condado antes de las 5 p.m. Los matasellos no son suficientes.

Debe presentar un documento de identidad para solicitar el voto por correo. Las opciones aceptables incluyen la licencia de conducir de Pensilvania o los últimos cuatro dígitos del número de Seguro Social. El Departamento de Estado de Pensilvania tiene en línea una lista completa de las formas de identificación aprobadas.

Puede solicitar el voto por correo una sola vez o solicitar que se le añada a la lista anual de voto por correo, lo que significa que recibirá un formulario cada año. Deberá enviar este formulario de solicitud cada año que desee votar por correo.

Si tiene una urgencia y se le pasa el plazo, aún puede solicitar un formulario de urgencia para votar en ausencia.

¿Cómo puedo asegurarme de que se cuenta mi papeleta?

La mejor manera de asegurarse de que su voto cuenta es seguir las instrucciones de su papeleta de voto por correo, especialmente cuando se trata de fecharla correctamente.

Aquí algunas reglas clave del voto por correo que hay que recordar:

Debe utilizar tinta azul o negra para rellenar su papeleta.
Cada papeleta viene con dos sobres: un sobre interior "secreto" (con la etiqueta "papeleta electoral oficial") y un sobre exterior. Las papeletas deben ir selladas en el sobre interior y no se puede escribir en él.
Una vez que haya cerrado bien el sobre interior, introdúzcalo en el sobre exterior y ciérrelo.
En el sobre exterior hay una declaración del votante. Debe escribir su firma y la fecha actual debajo de la declaración. El año completo de cuatro dígitos en el campo de la fecha debe estar pre-impreso, por lo que los votantes solo tendrán que rellenar los campos del mes y día. Asegúrese de no escribir accidentalmente su fecha de nacimiento. La cuestión de si los condados pueden aceptar papeletas sin fechas aún está en los tribunales, pero siempre es mejor llenar la papeleta entera y correctamente.
Algunos condados exigen un sello postal pagado, pero otros no. Consulte el sitio web electoral de su condado para confirmar y comprobar la cantidad, ya que las papeletas de voto por correo más largas pueden requerir sello adicional.

¿Cómo devuelvo mi voto por correo?

Existen varios métodos para devolver su papeleta, pero lo más importante que debe recordar es que la junta electoral de su condado debe recibir su papeleta antes de las 8 p.m. del día de las elecciones. Si devuelve su papeleta en persona, usa un buzón, o un sitio de entrega, debe hacerlo en un lugar dentro de su condado. Si entrega su papeleta en otro condado, no se contará.

Devolución por correo: Para devolver su papeleta por correo, todo lo que tiene que hacer es utilizar el franqueo adecuado y enviarla de la misma manera que enviaría cualquier correo. Dado que los condados no pueden contar las papeletas que llegan después de las 8 p.m. del día de las elecciones, cuanto antes envíe su papeleta, mejor.
Entrega en persona: Asegúrese de que su papeleta ha sido correctamente rellenada y sellada, luego devuelva la papeleta en persona a la oficina electoral de su condado. Algunos condados también pueden tener otros lugares de devolución designados. Encuentre la dirección de la oficina electoral de su condado o los lugares de entrega.
Utilice un buzón de entrega: Los buzones son otro método seguro para devolver una papeleta de voto por correo. Las directrices del Departamento de Estado de Pensilvania indican a los condados que deben asegurarse de que estén bien sujetos a un objeto inamovible o colocados detrás de un mostrador, y monitoreados por una persona o una cámara de seguridad en todo momento, entre otras medidas contra la manipulación. No todos los condados las tienen. El Departamento de Estado de Pensilvania dice que los votantes deben buscar en el sitio web de su condado para encontrar una lista oficial de lugares.

While You’re Here: If you learned something from this report, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future.

¿Qué pasa si me equivoco o pierdo mi papeleta de voto por correo?

Si pierde o comete un error en su papeleta, tiene opciones. Sin embargo, algunas de estas opciones varían según el condado.

Si se da cuenta de que ha dañado o cometido un error en su papeleta y aún no la ha devuelto, siempre puede votar en persona en su local de votación.

Para votar en persona, debe llevar todos los componentes de su papeleta de voto por correo a su colegio electoral y entregárselos a los trabajadores electorales. Se le pedirá que firme un formulario declarando que no ha votado por correo. Después de eso, se le debería permitir votar en el recinto.

Si no puede entregar sus materiales de voto por correo, ya sea porque perdió la papeleta, porque nunca la recibió o porque la olvidó, aún puede votar con una papeleta provisional en su distrito electoral. Los votantes pueden verificar el estado de su papeleta provisional en línea.

Algunos condados también emitirán una papeleta de voto por correo de sustitución antes de las elecciones si se da cuenta de que la suya se ha perdido, dañado o si ha cometido un error. Los votantes que deseen una papeleta de sustitución deben ponerse en contacto con la oficina electoral de su condado para obtener instrucciones.

Si comete un error en su papeleta de voto por correo y la devuelve, la posibilidad de corregir ese error también depende del condado en el que viva.

La ley electoral de Pensilvania es vaga en lo que se refiere a lo que los condados pueden hacer para ayudar a los votantes a corregir los errores, pero las decisiones judiciales han establecido que es decisión de los funcionarios electorales del condado. Como resultado, el proceso varía según el condado.

A partir del año pasado, 38 condados en Pensilvania permiten a los votantes corregir de algún modo los errores cometidos en sus votos por correo. Este proceso se conoce como “notice-and-cure”. Es una política instituida por algunos condados para notificar a los votantes de un error en sus papeletas de voto por correo que de otro modo pondría la papeleta en riesgo de ser rechazada, y que luego da a esos votantes la oportunidad de corregir los errores.

Durante las elecciones generales de 2024, sólo el 0.57% de las papeletas de voto por correo en todo el estado fueron rechazadas debido a errores comunes de los votantes — como la falta de una firma, una fecha incorrecta, o la falta del sobre secreto — pero en los condados con una política de notificación y subsanación, el porcentaje fue menor.

Para saber cuál es la política en su condado, póngase en contacto con la oficina electoral de su condado o consulte el mapa interactivo de Spotlight PA.

Si su voto por correo fue rechazado debido a un error descalificador y usted vive en un condado donde no es capaz de arreglarlo, todavía puede votar en persona a través de un voto provisional el día de las elecciones, de acuerdo con un fallo de 2024 de la Corte Suprema de Pensilvania.

¿Cómo puedo comprobar el estado de mi voto por correo?

Después de enviar o entregar su voto por correo, puede comprobar en línea el estado de su papeleta. Esto se debe a que cada sobre exterior de voto por correo tiene un código de barras individual específico para usted. Una vez escaneado este código de barras, se registrará que su voto por correo ha sido recibido. Sin embargo, su voto por correo no se abrirá y contará hasta el día de las elecciones, de acuerdo con la ley de Pensilvania.

Si tiene una discapacidad que le impide devolver su propia papeleta, puede rellenar un formulario para designar a otra persona que la devuelva por usted. Debe entregar el formulario con su solicitud de voto por correo, y la persona designada debe tener una copia a mano cuando devuelva su papeleta.

De lo contrario, deberá devolver su propia papeleta.

Los políticos han utilizado casos aislados de devolución ilegal de papeletas para cuestionar la seguridad del voto por correo, pero estos incidentes no indican que se haya generalizado el voto fraudulento. De hecho, el fraude en el voto por correo es extremadamente raro, dados los obstáculos de seguridad que deben superar los votantes para recibir una papeleta, las medidas de seguimiento a las que se someten estas papeletas y los procedimientos de auditoría que utilizan los estados para asegurarse de que las papeletas no son emitidas por votantes inhabilitados y de que nadie vota dos veces.

Visite vote.pa.gov para leer las normas del Departamento de Estado de Pensilvania sobre el voto por correo.

Cognetti, Bresnahan Trade Barbs As PA-08 Contest Heats Up - PoliticsPA

2025-09-17T17:18:59.000Z

The election for the 8th Congressional District seat in northeastern Pennsylvania is still over 13 months away but the contestants are getting a running start.

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti appeared on MSNBC on Tuesday evening to highlight her record in the city of getting government to work for the people, how she is running to clean up corruption in Washington and criticizing current office-holder Rep. Rob Bresnahan for breaking his campaign promise to ban congressional stock trading.

As a candidate, Rob Bresnahan called stock trading in Congress "sickening."

But then Rob got to Washington. He dumped Medicaid stock before big votes. Sold defense stock. Tech stock. You name it.

People are sick and tired of DC corruption. So I'm running to clean it up. pic.twitter.com/WxRbpih4gr
— Paige Gebhardt Cognetti (@PaigeGCognetti) September 17, 2025

Bresnahan fired back, lashing out at Cognetti for leaving Scranton when there are two area hospitals on the verge of closing and traveling to D.C. to “hype her vanity campaign for higher office.”

The congressman was referring to the financial difficulties for Regional Hospital of Scranton and Moses Taylor Hospital. In August, Commonwealth Health System and Tenor Health Foundation signed a letter of intent for Tenor to purchase both hospitals, according to an internal memo obtained by WVIA News.

“With Scranton’s hospitals in crisis, Mayor Cognetti chose to blow off work to cosplay as a congresswoman in Washington, D.C.,” said Bresnahan campaign spokesperson Chris Pack. “Scranton deserves a mayor focused on fixing problems, not a self-serving politician chasing fame on Scranton taxpayers’ dime.”

“I ran as an Independent for mayor of Scranton six years [ago] when I saw a corrupt, local Democratic Party. I’m still running as Paige Against the Machine in Scranton,” said Cognetti. “We go after corruption wherever we see it, and sadly Rob Bresnahan has brought that to Northeastern Pennsylvania again.”

Cognetti focused her comments on Bresnahan’s 2024 campaign promise to end congressional stock trading.

“It doesn’t make sense. He wrote last year that you should not buy and sell stocks while voting on legislation that will have a direct impact on these companies,” she said. “He got to Congress and has become one of the most prolific stock traders in all of Congress.

“He has bought defense, clean energy. He’s sold all these different stocks right before he votes and has a direct impact on those industries. He sold Medicaid provider stock right before voting to slash Medicaid and cut the health care of 25,000 of our neighbors in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It doesn’t make sense. It’s the exact kind of corruption that people are sick and tired of.”

Bresnahan’s campaign countered that her turn on TV does not help the people of Scranton, showing voters were her priorities lie.

Bresnahan defeated incumbent Democrat Matt Cartwright by just 6,000 votes last fall to turn the PA-08 seat from blue to red.

Cognetti is currently running for a second full term as mayor of the Electric City and faces Republican Trish Beynon in November.

Garrity: ‘Shapiro Makes Kirk Assassination About Himself’ - PoliticsPA

2025-09-17T16:43:09.000Z

In a sharp reversal from her words from Tuesday, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity went on the offensive against Gov. Josh Shapiro this morning, saying that Pennsylvania’s chief executive turned the “political assassination of Charlie Kirk into a commentary about himself.

Shapiro gave the keynote address at the Eradicate Hate Summit in Pittsburgh yesterday and addressed the attack on the govenor’s mansion in April, as well as the rhetoric surrounding the shooting death of Kirk.

“Leaders have a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity – and as I have made clear each and every time, this type of violence has no place in our society, regardless of what motivates it, who pulls the trigger, who throws the Molotov cocktail, or who wields the weapon,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s coming from one side or the other, directed at one party or another, or one person or another. It is all wrong – and it makes us all less safe.

“Unfortunately, some – from the dark corners of the internet all the way to the Oval Office – want to cherry pick which instances of political violence they want to condemn. Doing so only further divides us and makes it harder to heal.”

Garrity offered comments to the media following the address, saying “Last week’s assassination of Charlie Kirk reminds us that violence is never an acceptable expression of political difference in this country,” in a statement. “Regardless of your political ideology, we must respect one another’s views and be open to debate. We can agree to disagree, but in order for our democracy to prevail, we must lead by example, not by division.”

Less than 24 hours later, the State Treasurer who is hoping to land the state GOP endorsement this weekend for her gubernatorial run against Shapiro in 2026, criticized the governor for “a disgraceful attempt to shift the focus to himself and off of a man who was brutally murdered in front of millions of people.”

“Charlie Kirk was a patriot who inspired and will continue to inspire millions of young Americans. Pennsylvanians deserve to hear their Governor recognize Charlie’s contributions and condemn political violence without making it about Josh Shapiro,” Garrity said. “Instead of standing with President Trump to make our communities safer, Shapiro chose to attack him for being tough on crime. That tells you everything you need to know about where his priorities are.”

Garrity supporters also pointed out inconsistencies in calling out Shapiro’s statement about cherry-picking the instances of political violence leaders want to condemn. State Senator Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia) questioned why President Trump ordered the flags to be flown at half-staff “in honor of an avowed racist.” He called the decision “an insult to every American.” Ambler Tax Collector Jennifer Stomsky stated, “I’m so tired of being told that violence isn’t the answer … history is filled with blood.” Ambler went on make a direct call to political violence: “let’s make some more martyrs.” Both Williams and Stomsky have yet to resign for their comments, and Shapiro has yet to condemn them.

The treasurer also addressed the arson attack on Shapiro, his family, and the governor’s residence.

“Earlier this year, Governor Shapiro’s own home was targeted in a shocking arson attack by a pro-Hamas terrorist. This deeply anti-semitic attack against the Governor was wrong and unacceptable, and it rightly drew bipartisan condemnation. But having lived through that experience, Shapiro should know better than anyone that acts of political violence aren’t about photo ops for politicians. They’re about the victim and their family that is left to grieve. That’s why it’s so troubling that he chose to make Charlie’s assassination about himself instead of honoring his legacy.”

Mark Zuckerberg Doesn’t Want You to Read This Book. That’s Just One Reason Why You Must. - Bucks County Beacon

2025-09-17T15:05:10.000Z

Sarah Wynn-Williams takes her title for Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism from the Great Gatsby (1925):

“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”

Jazz Age nostalgia might soften the edges of this examination of the modern-day consequences of our information economy. However, as the reader learns more about Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, the “Tom” and “Daisy” of Facebook (Meta), they are treated to a contemporary account of arrogance, narcissism, and ruthlessness impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of people. It makes the Roaring Twenties seem quaint.

In many respects, Wynn-Williams’s story of her time (2011 to 2017) as an executive responsible for global policy with Facebook is a typical relation of naivete colliding with the brutal realities of corporate life. It is definitely that, but Careless People is also much more.

Wynn-Williams successfully pierces the veil of an organization that took pride in being reckless and taking risks. Taking their cues from Zuckerberg, slogans like “Think Wrong, Move Fast and Break Things, This is a Technology Company!” defined Facebook as it spread across the worldwide web. (43) Its employee policy manual established a clear, affirmative mission: “We expect you to change the world.” (50)

Initially, Wynn-Williams tries to be generous as she explains her early interactions with Facebook executives like Zuckerberg, Sandberg, Elliott Schrage, and Javier Olivan. Fresh from a stint with the United Nations, the author saw Facebook as a pioneer in a “new digital common ground.” (16) With their millions of members, “They’d be setting the rules for this global conversation.” (17) Yet, when Wynn-Williams and other employees solicited the top Facebook brass for details on their vision, executives seemed puzzled. They apparently had no “grand ideology.” (53)

But there was a plan, and it was simple: “Growth. More.”(63)

All aspirational platitudes aside, Facebook was purpose built for profit. Individual countries, sovereign governments, and political leadership mattered only if they were allies of or obstacles to that pursuit. The same principle governed Facebook’s corporate culture. According to Wynn-Williams, “Effort, productivity, and the sacrifice of everything else in life are valorized and fetishized.” (48)

Not surprisingly, controversies and tragedies littered the path made by these priorities. In Myanmar in 2017, Facebook stood back while the military used the platform to whip up hatred against the country’s Muslim population. During the widespread violence that followed, as many as ten thousand people died. (357-358)

Facebook’s relationship with Communist China was far more deliberate. As part of the deal to acquire millions of potential subscribers, Facebook agreed to help Beijing “promote safe and secure social order.” (304) In practice, this meant “Facebook would build facial recognition, photo tagging, and other moderation tools to facilitate Chinese censorship.” (308) The company also gave Chinese security services open access to user data. (149) This allowed the government to troll through any group it considers to be a threat: the Falun Gong, Uighurs, or human rights advocates in general. (310)

READ: From ‘God Emperor Trump’ to ‘St. Luigi,’ Memes Power the Politics of Feeling

Facebook’s expanding role in U.S. politics illustrated significant and disturbing executive decisions. Based upon the understanding in 2016, that “Outrage is a lucrative business for Facebook right now,” the company was fully engaged in partisan contests that dominated the electoral process. This was especially true with Donald Trump, who fully grasped the impact of social media on American voters.(251-252) Despite repeated denials, Facebook was fully integrated into the Trump campaign, assisting Brad Parscale and Project Alamo, which targeted millions of users with a campaign of fundraising and deliberate misinformation. (257, 264-265)

Wynn-Williams’s personal experience within Facebook exposed deep problems within its corporate culture, particularly for women. Sexual harassment–Sheryl Sandberg’s apparent penchant for demanding that female staffers share her bed during international flights stands out—was routine and routinely ignored by upper management. (217-221) Most Facebook employees lived in “sycophantic leadership bubble” that encouraged obedience at the cost of basic dignity. (297)

Facebook’s treatment of motherhood stood in direct contrast to the New Age cliches flowing from Sandberg’s Lean In (2013). The book encouraged career women to “Seek and speak your truth” to overcome barriers that they faced in the workplace. (87) Yet, Wynn-Williams’s baby and her legal maternal leave were a constant source of management complaints. (101, 103, 247-250)

Predictably, Careless People has provoked a media and legal counteroffensive from Meta. But deploying waves of lawyers and publicists has not blunted the edge of what we already know about the company. A quick search of the timeline from Wynn-Williams’s hiring in 2011 to the present reveals what CNN characterized as “Facebook’s Bottomless Pit of Scandals.” Other detailed stories have appeared in Wired and the Wall Street Journal, specifically its 2021 reporting on “the Facebook Files.”

Careless People very successfully flays the many layers of scar tissue that have accumulated around Facebook/Meta scandals over the past decade. It is a tragic story of one person’s good faith effort to craft “an education in responsibility and accountability” and her failure, not because Facebook leadership was simply “careless,” but because basic decency was crushed under the premeditated weight of an autocracy that did not care about the human costs of their decisions. (235)

Pennsylvania and 16 other states protect access to the COVID-19 shot as feds restrict eligibility - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

2025-09-17T12:56:57.000Z

A child receives a COVID-19 shot in Annandale, Va., in 2021. Virginia is among the states that have parted ways with new federal guidance restricting access to the vaccine. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

At least 17 states have taken steps to ensure broader access to the COVID-19 vaccine since last month, when the federal government significantly restricted eligibility for the shot.

Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin have issued orders that aim to make it easier for people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. All but Virginia have Democratic governors.

Together, the moves represent an extraordinary state rebellion against the public health authority of the federal government.

For decades, states have followed the lead of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on which vaccines Americans should get, and when they should get them. Now, rejecting the antivaccine stance of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an increasing number of states say they will rely instead on their own public health experts and professional medical organizations for that advice.

Previously, the FDA recommended that the COVID-19 vaccine booster be available to anyone 6 months or older. But in August, the federal agency said the booster shot should be limited to two specific groups: people who are 65 and older, and anyone who is at least six 6 months old and has an underlying health condition, such as asthma or obesity, that increases the risk of a COVID-19 infection becoming severe.

Under the new guidelines, children under 18 without an underlying condition can only get the shot if a health care provider is consulted first, meaning parents can’t simply take their kids to a vaccination clinic or pharmacy.

“The American people demanded science, safety, and common sense. This framework delivers all three,” Kennedy wrote on the social media platform X on Aug. 27.

In June, Kennedy ousted the entire vaccine advisory committee at the CDC, replacing some of them with vaccine skeptics. The previous month, he announced that the federal government would no longer recommend that pregnant women get the vaccine.

Currently 43 states — all but Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Oregon, Utah and West Virginia, along with the District of Columbia — allow pharmacies to administer FDA-approved shots without a prescription, according to Amy Thibault, a spokesperson for CVS Health.

But the federal government’s new COVID-19 recommendations have sown confusion. Many people are unsure whether their local pharmacy will give them the shot without a prescription — and if so, whether their health insurance will pay for it.

In the 17 states that have acted thus far, governors and state public health officials are trying to clear up that confusion, empower pharmacists to administer the shot and, in some cases, mandate that insurers pay for it.

The latest state to act is Wisconsin. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed an executive order Monday directing state health officials to create policies that ease vaccine restrictions, and requiring insurers to keep covering the COVID-19 shot.

“Vaccines save lives, folks. Spreading fear, distrust, and disinformation about safe and effective vaccines isn’t just reckless, it’s dangerous,” Evers said in a news release. “RFK and the Trump administration are inserting partisan politics into health care and the science-based decisions of medical professionals and are putting the health and lives of kids, families, and folks across our state at risk in the process.”

In addition to Wisconsin, Colorado, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have required insurers to cover the shot, and Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs’s executive order calls on state insurance regulators to “encourage” insurers to do so.

In many of the states, including Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico and Rhode Island, the governor or the chief public health officer issued a standing order clarifying that pharmacies can administer the vaccine without a prescription.

Earlier this month, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an executive order allowing pharmacies in her state to administer the shot to anyone 3 or older through October 5. The order can be renewed, pending action by the legislature.

And in Connecticut, Delaware and Pennsylvania, state authorities directed pharmacists to follow the vaccine recommendations issued by professional groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein issued an order stating that pharmacies can administer the COVID-19 vaccine without a prescription to all adults over 65 and anyone over 18 with a broad range of underlying health conditions. Virginia’s top public health official issued a similar order.

Earlier this month, the Democratic governors of California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington announced the formation of the West Coast Health Alliance to coordinate vaccine recommendations for their states. The states pledged to use guidelines based on advice from leading medical organizations.

Meanwhile, Republican-controlled Florida doubled down on Kennedy’s antivaccine stance, announcing plans to become the first state to phase out all vaccine mandates, including ending requirements that kids be vaccinated against dangerous diseases before enrolling in schools.

At a news conference earlier this month, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said vaccine mandates are “immoral.”

“Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” Ladapo said of such requirements.

In Louisiana, Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, who is a physician, suggested last week that state Surgeon General Ralph Abraham should issue a blanket prescription for anyone who wants the COVID-19 shot, the Shreveport Times reported.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry responded angrily on X.

“The last time I checked you have a prescription pad, why don’t you just leave a prescription for the dangerous Covid shot at your district office and anyone can swing by and get one! I am sure big pharma would love you for that one!” Landry wrote.

Stateline reporter Shalina Chatlani can be reached at schatlani@stateline.org

9/17 Playbook: Shapiro: Leaders Must Condemn All Forms of Political Violence - PoliticsPA

2025-09-17T12:05:04.000Z

Hello, Wednesday. What a Gift.

In Today’s Edition. Shapiro Says US Must ‘Turn the Tide’ Against Political Violence, Reject Vengeance. The Woman Republicans Hope Can Beat Josh Shapiro. Can the ‘Rainy Day Fund’ Balance the Budget? Whoopie Pie Mania.

Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. I Want You Back. The Jackson Five

PA Weather
Erie | Sunny, 74
Shippensburg | Showers, 69
Easton | Showers, 70

Voices of Reason Podcast. “Sit down with PA State Rep. Danilo Burgos as we talk about the power of the Latino vote in Pennsylvania. From changing demographics to what’s at stake in upcoming elections, Rep. Burgos shares his insights on how Latino voters could shape the future of the Keystone State.” (PoliticsPA)

The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free.

Top Story

1. Governor Says US Must ‘Turn the Tide’ Against Political Violence, Reject Vengeance

Governor Josh Shapiro delivered a keynote address on political violence in America at the 2025 Eradicate Hate Global Summit.

“Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday that the nation’s leaders must “turn the tide” against political violence and reject vengeance, and accused President Donald Trump of failing the moment’s test of leadership.

Shapiro said political leaders must condemn all forms of political violence and reject the “rhetoric of vengeance.”

“It is all wrong, and it makes us all less safe. During moments like these, I believe we have a responsibility to be clear and unequivocal in calling out all forms of political violence, making clear it is all wrong,” Shapiro said. “That shouldn’t be hard to do.”” (AP)

Elsewhere

Shapiro: “Reject Vengeance, Focus on Healing.” “Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered a 31-minute address where he called upon leaders “to take up the baton from those who came before us and carry it forward – to run a few more miles, make our mark, and leave this place a little better than how we found it.”” (PoliticsPA)

Trump Walks Republicans Into a Free Speech Quagmire. “In less than 24 hours, the Trump administration went from announcing an all-of-government crackdown on everything from protests to threatening online rhetoric, to being confronted with what it actually means to criminalize “hate speech.”” (NOTUS)

U.S., China Reach Framework of Agreement Regarding Sale of TikTok. “Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick commented on the potential deal during POLITICO’S AI & Tech Summit on Tuesday morning. “There are very real and significant national security issues about an application owned by the Chinese government,” he said. But McCormick was also hopeful that a deal was imminent.” (PoliticsPA)

McCormick Rules Out Future Presidential Run. ““If my wife were here, she would say, hell no!” With those words, Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick threw cold water on any thoughts of running for the nation’s highest office during a Tuesday morning conversation in Washington.” (PoliticsPA)

Fetterman: You Don’t Compare Anyone To Hitler, When You Do You Will Incite Somebody To “Take Them Out.” “Sen. John Fetterman joined fellow Pennsylvanian Sen. Dave McCormick on FOX News Channel’s “Special Report” and discussed the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Fetterman warned that rhetoric comparing political opponents to Hitler can incite violence by convincing people they must act to stop them.” (RealClearPolitics)

State

2. The Woman Republicans Hope Can Beat Josh Shapiro

“On any given day, you’re likely to find two-time PA Treasurer Stacy Garrity driving across the Commonwealth.

State-crossing, baseball-throwing, barbecue-attending politics is nonstandard for a treasurer, a role that’s more about numbers and less about retail politicking. But Garrity has stayed as visible in her role as she did during her campaigns, and, for months, PA Republicans have been buzzing about her next step. Turns out, it’s a big one: In mid-August, she declared her intention to become PA’s 49th governor. To do this, she’d need to unseat popular incumbent, Democratic rising star and rumored presidential hopeful Josh Shapiro.” (Philadelphia Citizen)

Elsewhere

GOP Activists Are Working to Unseat 3 on PA Supreme Court. What Happens If They Succeed? “GOP activists are mounting an atypical campaign against three Pennsylvania Supreme Court judges who are up for reelection to new 10-year terms.” (USA Today Network)

Bresnahan Claims Medicaid Will Grow By $200 Billion After Voting For Cuts. “As US Rep. Rob Bresnahan makes claims about President Donald Trump’s $1 trillion cut to Medicaid, questions about his math arise.” (The Keystone)

PA Legislative Black Caucus Expresses ‘Disgust’ Over Flag-Lowering Honors For Charlie Kirk. “Chairman of the caucus, Rep. Napoleon Nelson, condemned the rise in political violence and expressed sympathy to the Kirk family, but pushed back on President Donald Trump’s order for the flag honor.” (PennLive)

PA Man Sought After Car Rams FBI Gate in Potential ‘Act of Terror,’ Official Says. “A Pennsylvania man drove his car into a metal gate at the FBI building in Pittsburgh early on Wednesday, a ramming that federal law enforcement officials described as intentional, saying the man was being sought as a suspect.” (ABC News)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Can the ‘Rainy Day Fund’ Balance the Budget?

“Pennsylvania’s emergency savings account, contrary to its colloquial name of “Rainy Day Fund,” is for anything but.

Instead, state law reserves the $7 billion pot for economic downturns or unexpected revenue shortfalls, and can’t be tapped without a two-thirds vote from the legislature.

Neither condition appears to have been met for Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed $51.5 billion spending plan, according to the Commonwealth Foundation.” (The Center Square)

Elsewhere

Dehumanization Is Leading to Increased Political Violence, Speakers Argue at Eradicate Hate Summit. “A Muslim woman from Louisville and a Mexican Jewish entrepreneur might not seem like natural allies, but at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit in Pittsburgh, Lonnie Ali and Daniel Lubetzky sat side by side with a common plea — to choose compassion over division.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

PA Officials Push Trump to Save Mine Safety Jobs. “Pennsylvania leaders are urging the Trump administration to halt layoffs at a key mine safety research facility near Pittsburgh — warning the move could undercut protections for roughly 3,000 Keystone State miners.” (Axios Pittsburgh)

Amid CDC Turmoil, Pennsylvania Joins Northeastern States in Regional Public Health Coalition. “The Northeast Public Health Collaboration — which includes all the New England states except New Hampshire plus Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and New Jersey — formed amid rapidly changing vaccine recommendations from federal health officials.” (WESA)

Editorial

4. What Do You Think?

We Cannot Sit Back As Attacks Are Launched Against Judicial Independence. (Robert Cindrich and John Jones III)
With Charlie Kirk’s Death, America’s Bias and Bigotry Are Once Again Unmasked. (Solomon Jones)
The Governmental Crisis Too Few Know About. (Malcolm Russell-Einhorn)
Censorship Hurts Our Brains—Literally. (Barbara Oakley)
When Elected Officials Cheer Political Violence, We All Lose. (Beth Ann Rosica)
Kirk’s Killing Undermines Basis of Our Democracy. (Robin Abcarian)
Judicial Elections Key to Protecting Pennsylvania’s Democracy and Our Environment. (Molly Parzen)
Higher Ed Has Normalized Political Violence. (Emily Sturge)

1 Thing

5. Whoopie Pie Celebration Returns With More Than 45 Varieties

“After 38 years of working with the company, Shady Maple Farm Market bakery manager Tim Dinger says he’s still not tired of their whoopie pies. His favorite? The classic: soft chocolate cakes with vanilla filling in the middle.

Whether you’re partial to old favorites or like trying adventurous flavors, Shady Maple Farm Market’s semiannual Whoopie Pie Festival wants to meet your craving.

The event returns this week, featuring more than 45 flavors of whoopie pies, from the classic chocolate and vanilla combo to more unconventional flavors, like maple bacon. New flavors this year include German chocolate, Black Forest and peanut butter (for both the cake and the filling) flavored whoopie pies.” (LNP)

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OPINION: Judicial Elections Key to Protecting Pennsylvania’s Democracy and Our Environment - Bucks County Beacon

2025-09-17T09:00:00.000Z

While judicial elections generally don’t make news, this year’s statewide contests will shape the future of Pennsylvania for years to come.

And if you are a Pennsylvania resident who cares about the environment and fighting climate change, this election is your chance to take action to support clear air, clean water and natural resource conservation for communities across our commonwealth and for future generations.

The stakes are even higher this year, when our state Supreme Court’s pro-environment majority is at stake and when the extremist U.S. Supreme Court is consistently failing to check the rampant overreach of an unhinged President Trump.

In this critical moment in our nation’s history, state courts play an essential role in protecting our rights to vote, to express ourselves and to have access to clean air and pure water.

Pennsylvania is one of the few states in the nation that elects every level of the judiciary. This year, we have key elections to retain three strong state Supreme Court judges, as well as to retain and elect new judges to our state’s two statewide appellate courts, the Commonwealth Court and the Superior Court.

These elections will determine whether our courts will continue to vigorously apply our state Constitution’s groundbreaking Environmental Rights Amendment, which protects Pennsylvanians’ rights to clean air, pure water and access to open space.

The high court, shaped by these justices, has stood up to billionaires in the fossil fuel industry by issuing groundbreaking rulings to hold polluters accountable. The court also stood up for the rule of law and put the brakes on previous Republican gerrymandering efforts by ensuring that our state’s congressional maps were fair, and have repeatedly given voters a voice by ensuring fair and equal access to the ballot box with critical rulings on mail in voting procedures.

This impressive track record is why these justices are now squarely in the crosshairs of ultra-conservative extremists, who stand ready to pour millions of dollars into a campaign to unseat them and reshape the court — removing one of the few remaining checks to Trump’s unbridled power.

Booting these justices from the bench is the first step in a conservative plot to install more pliable justices who favor dirty energy projects and corporate polluters over public health.

We need to stand up and fight back against radical MAGA attempts to politicize state courts to undermine democracy.

We can never allow these things to happen. Not in Pennsylvania. Not now. Not this year.

READ: Trump’s Justice Department Widens Its Request for Pennsylvania Election Information

And while the high court’s decisions can be felt in practically every area of our lives, the impact of these elections will be particularly keenly felt in the fight against climate change.

We are one of the few states that guarantees in its constitution that “the people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment.”

While conservative courts consistently minimized the importance of these words, an emboldened pro-environment majority has put them into action over the past decade.

And in the face of Trump’s attacks on our clean energy future, their work is more important than ever.

The court is currently considering a case that will have seismic implications for the future of clean energy in our commonwealth: whether Pennsylvania will join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), along with 10 other states in the northeast.

READ: With Washington Stepping Back on Clean Energy, Harrisburg Must Step Up

Joining RGGI will represent the single biggest step the commonwealth will have taken to curb climate change and accelerate the transition to a clean, renewable energy future, by providing hundreds of millions of dollars each year to invest in clean energy projects that lower energy costs while creating union jobs.

Not only will the RGGI decision impact Pennsylvanians rights to clean air, but the Court has also ruled on the right of environmental organizations to intervene in cases, and on a case to protect public and private lands under the Environmental Rights Amendment.

Ultra-conservatives want to tilt the scales in favor of billionaire polluters in this case and other cases like it to come.

That’s why it’s essential that voters turn out to retain a slate of historically pro-environment justices. Our environmental future depends on a “Yes” vote to retain Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin M. Dougherty and David N. Wecht.

Check your voter registration, apply for a mail in ballot, and make sure to vote this fall.

Community set to weigh in on permanent fix to troubled rural Pa. water company - Spotlight PA

2025-09-17T08:00:00.000Z

FERGUSON TOWNSHIP — Before state regulators decide the fate of a long-troubled private water company in rural Centre County, the community has a chance to weigh in.

Ferguson Township will host public input hearings at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sept. 30, at its municipal building and online.

The township doesn’t oversee Rock Spring Water Company but is involved in the state’s regulatory effort to find a permanent fix for the struggling system, which serves about 1,000 of the township’s residents.

The meetings were requested by the township’s solicitor earlier this month. State law allows these input hearings during forced acquisition cases, which are rare and can be drawn out.

People who want to testify are encouraged — but not required — to pre-register online, by emailing the township’s executive assistant, Jenna Antill, at jantill@twp.ferguson.pa.us, or by calling 814-238-4651 by noon on Sept. 26. The state Office of Consumer Advocate can also help Rock Spring customers pre-register for the hearings by phone at 1-800-684-6560, or email at consumer@paoca.org.

Any exhibits people who testify want to use during the hearing should be emailed to the judge at jcoogan@pa.gov by noon on Sept. 26. They will be forwarded to all parties.

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The hearings follow more than a decade of unreliable service for Rock Spring customers, including boil water notices, low pressure, and sudden outages for the people who rely on the system.

A four-month Spotlight PA investigation published in June 2024 revealed how company owner J. Roy Campbell resisted state directives to fix the system’s crumbling infrastructure. He also racked up dozens of regulatory violations and tens of thousands of dollars in civil penalties throughout a yearslong legal battle with the Department of Environmental Protection over excessive water loss.

From 2010 to 2023, Rock Spring hemorrhaged water at an annual average of 63%, according to a Spotlight PA review of reports filed with the Public Utility Commission. Industry standards consider levels greater than 20% to be excessive.

The PUC’s investigative arm launched a review of the private company in May 2024. To offer some relief, state regulators ordered Pennsylvania American Water, one of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities, to take over as the emergency operator in March.

Pennsylvania American previously declined to tell Spotlight PA how much it has spent on system improvements. In an update this month, the company announced that it has reduced water loss by more than 25% — saving up to 40,000 gallons per day — through repairs and upgrades, which have modernized the system and brought it into regulatory compliance.

When ordering the temporary management, utility regulators encouraged Rock Spring to negotiate a sale to the State College Borough Water Authority, which operates nearby and has tried to buy the system in recent years. The municipal-run entity still hopes to be the ultimate buyer.

However, unless Rock Spring voluntarily sells, the regulatory process will likely end with another private utility buying the system because the PUC — which primarily oversees investor-owned utilities — says it cannot order a sale to a provider outside its jurisdiction.

Without a voluntary settlement, the PUC’s case moves forward, and what that means for customers, and their water bills, remains unclear.

Customers interviewed by Spotlight PA in 2024 said that they were conflicted over the worth of paying more for reliable water. How much their rates go up will be the factor that decides how they feel, they said.

While You’re Here: If you learned something from this report, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future.

If the water authority takes over Rock Spring, customers would pay its current rates, Executive Director Brian Heiser previously told Spotlight PA in an email. They also might pay a temporary extra charge, he added. The water authority has also said it would apply for grants to help pay for improvements, and anything not covered by those funds would be built into an existing capital improvement plan.

For Pennsylvania American or another investor-owned utility, the PUC approves rates, so the cost of system improvements would likely be spread out across the entire customer base.

Evidentiary hearings are scheduled for Oct. 20 and 21 in Harrisburg. The public is welcome to attend, but only parties to the case can testify.

Bucks IU Opens New Special Education Services Location at Former Pearl S. Buck Elementary School in Levittown - Bucks County Beacon

2025-09-16T23:41:07.000Z

Special education services will now be available to Bucks County students who need them closer to home.

To meet increasing special education demand, the former Pearl S. Buck Elementary school is now the Bucks IU Pearl S. Buck special education student services in Middletown Township.

The Pearl S. Buck School in the Neshaminy School District was closed in 2022 and replaced in January by the newly built Core Creek Elementary School, Levittown Now reported.

“The opening of the Bucks IU at Pearl S. Buck provides a meaningful opportunity to meet the requests of our member districts. An educational environment such as this allows our highly skilled and trained staff to meet the complex and individualized needs of students enrolled at the school,” said Lenny Greaney, Bucks IU assistant to the executive director in a press release.

Eighteen new special education classrooms will serve students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Three specialized “pods” of classrooms include shared areas for specific learning and general staff work areas, the press release said.

The Bucks County IU press release said students will receive care and education as outlined in their Individual Education Program, or IEP, alongside educationally-aligned curriculum.

“An educational environment such as this allows our highly skilled and trained staff to meet the complex and individualized needs of students enrolled at the school.”

In addition to the new Middletown Township location, the Bucks IU’s administration offices and Fab Lab are located in Doylestown. Three additional satellite locations offer programs for kids. They include Bucks IU at Lower Southampton Early Learning Center, Bucks IU at Samuel Everitt and Bucks IU at Perkasie Square.

“Expanding our programming in Bucks County aligns with the mission of the Bucks IU to support the needs of all learners, their families, school districts and our community,” said Mark Hoffman, Bucks IU executive director.

“As the needs of our stakeholders change, the Bucks IU will continue to evolve and grow,” Hoffman said.

Details regarding the project’s timeline for retrofit for special education students, its construction costs, the school year program calendar, any potential summer program offerings and whether or not Bucks IU Pearl S. Buck would provide services to “tuition” students from adjacent school districts were unavailable at press time.