The Morning Agenda

 Students from Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster won a national manufacturing competition, bringing home the grand prize of $100,000. Big Boy generated some big numbers for the Scranton area during its two-week stay at the Steamtown National Historic Site.  As part of America’s 250th birthday, there’s a renewed interest in the Declaration of Independence. Philadelphia has more ve...

Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of “drug delivery resulting in death” charges. But treating fatal overdoses like homicides is complicated. Today we have a deep dive into that process with Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA. Here’s Part 1 and Part 2 of Ed Mahon’s series for Spotlight PA.  It’s been one year since public media's federal funding was revoked. Thanks to our community, we're still her...

Big Boy, the largest steam-powered train in the world, is traveling east across the country to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Thousands stood along the tracks in Lebanon Tuesday to see the historic locomotive.  Revelations that the tractor-trailer driver accused of striking and killing a state trooper on Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County was in the country illegally have put renewed focus...

More than 20-thousand customers in Central Pennsylvania are still without power this morning following powerful thunderstorms over the holiday weekend. Most are in Lancaster, Cumberland and Dauphin counties. Today we also have a deep dive: You may have noticed that your electricity bill is rising – maybe even more so, given the costs of staying cool during our recent heat wave. Pennsylvania utilit...

A cell phone ban in schools could be the most popular policy Pennsylvania legislators pass in years. Several state agencies are coming together to work on reducing the number of collisions between wildlife and vehicles in Pennsylvania.  Twenty percent of Pennsylvanians live in a rural county, but only 10 percent of doctors practice in these locations. One team of stakeholders thinks they have a so...

Heated debate in Harrisburg Wednesday shows the two parties are far apart on a state tax credit that benefits private schools. And that's just one reason the state budget is overdue. A Pennsylvania State Police trooper was killed Tuesday after being hit by a tractor trailer as he inspected a stopped tractor trailer along I-81 in Schuylkill County. In Dauphin County... Lower Paxton Township Police...

Just in time for the nation's 250th birthday, visitors to The State Museum of Pennsylvania can now see more than 140 artifacts highlighting Pennsylvania’s role in the American Revolution. The state Senate left Harrisburg with an unfinished budget, which should have been in place by midnight Tuesday. Democrats were quick to say they want to stay in town to hammer out a deal.  Environmental groups s...

Pennsylvania, like much of the nation, has seen a surge in immigration arrests since the start of the second Trump term. We have now passed the deadline for a state budget. While House Democrats approved Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposal in April, Senate Republicans are holding firm against increased state spending. Pennsylvania's May unemployment numbers are out. The monthly figures include a reco...

As we transition from June to July this week, we are also transitioning into a heat wave. Near-record-breaking temperatures are expected much of the week, headed toward July 4th. The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat watch for the entire listening area, from Wednesday afternoon through Friday evening. This summer is likely to be the worst tick season in a decade in Pennsylvania,...

The Pennsylvania legislature has until tomorrow, June 30th, to pass a state budget or it will once again miss the constitutionally mandated deadline. Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis says negotiations are going well. Meantime, state lawmakers passed three measures last week designed to pump the brakes on data center development.  Several central Pennsylvania counties are dealing with measles outbr...

Plans for Susquehanna Riverlands State Park in York County continue to evolve, more than three years after the land bordering the Susquehanna River was acquired. The park's riverside cliffs will feature prominently in those plans. President Donald Trump is coming to Carlisle this summer, as part of a technology and defense summit. Hundreds of skill game supporters gathered in Harrisburg Wednesday...

During this Pride Month, a new exhibit aims to showcase LGBTQ+ artists throughout Harrisburg. This year, Pride Month is being celebrated as public support for the movement decreases nationally.  Most car companies are forbidden from selling directly to consumers in Pennsylvania. Tesla Motors is the only electric vehicle manufacturer that meets the requirements of a 2014 exception to the rule. Some...

President Donald Trump visited a Mack Trucks facility in the Lehigh Valley Tuesday. The visit was designed to shift attention to the U.S. economy in our battleground state. Pennsylvania lawmakers and officials have debated for years about how to regulate so-called "skill games" in businesses across the state. But state Senate Democratic leader Jay Costa says he believes lawmakers can reach agreeme...

The Department of Homeland Security is reportedly looking to sell the two vacant warehouses it purchased in Schuylkill and Berks counties, with the intention of converting them into ICE detention centers. The Shapiro Administration is touting their Agricultural Innovation Grant Program as a first-of-its-kind program in the nation. State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding late last week toured P...

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has announced over $2.2 million in Keystone Historic Preservation grants.   Community gardeners and farmers in Philadelphia are now able to borrow pieces of equipment and power tools from the city in an innovative new program kicking off this summer.  A Western Pennsylvania woman whose husband has been detained by immigration officials shared her s...

State lawmakers are considering a proposal that would update the commonwealth’s public school code on nurse-to-student ratios and the funding formula for medical needs. The legislation would increase reimbursement rates and the required number of nurses per student. Here in Pennsylvania, it used to be, if you had a seizure, you had to wait 6 months to drive again. It’s now three months and many pa...

Summer vacation is starting for school students, but it isn’t all pool days and sunshine. Children and families tend to struggle with food insecurity more during the summer months. A bill to enhance nuclear power plant inspections has passed the State House.  The measure appears to have bipartisan support. We’ve already experienced temperatures above 90 degrees this June – and the official start o...

Today we have a deep dive: “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” helped raise generations of American children.  Now, a new YouTube channel dedicated to the classic PBS show hopes to grow Mister Rogers’ legacy even more.  If you're already a member of WITF's Sustaining Circle, you know how convenient it is to support programs like this. By increasing your monthly gift, you can help WITF close the budget g...

A recent report from a healthcare consumer advocacy group finds most Pennsylvanians struggle to get clear and accurate information about the price of medical care. Legislation approved by the House Education Committee would require cyber charter school students to stay on camera during all live virtual instruction. In uncertain times, our community counts on facts, not noise. Support the journalis...

Today we have a deep dive: A new museum in downtown Lancaster is dedicated to exploring the legacy of Thaddeus Stevens.  He’s a 19th century Congressman who fought to end slavery, and he played a major role in shaping the U-S Constitution. A group of teen reporters from Warwick High School in Lancaster County recently covered the museum’s opening as part of “PBS News Student Reporting Labs” - that...

Today we have a deep dive into Pennsylvania’s water quality. The waters of a western Pennsylvania stream are getting tainted by ‘forever chemicals' from Pittsburgh International Airport. Researchers are looking closely at how much these chemicals could be getting into the sediments and wildlife that depend on the stream. Less than three weeks remain until the state budget deadline. Pennsylvania la...

A late spring freeze may mean less fruit and higher prices for Pennsylvanians. Some farms are adjusting their business strategies to recoup their losses.  Healthcare company UPMC cut 500 positions Tuesday. A spokesperson said UPMC laid off 200 employees and eliminated another 300 vacant positions as part of a routine reassessment. A new Trump administration grant program is designed to increase th...

Late spring to early summer is considered one of two peaks of Pennsylvania’s year-round tick season, according to East Stroudsburg University’s Tick Research Lab. What to know during the first peak of this year, as cases of alpha-gal syndrome which causes a red meat and dairy allergy, pop up around the state. Common bacteria like the human papilloma virus, or H-P-V - can cause oral, head and neck...

The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is restoring state funding to smaller arts organizations. The council voted to correct an overhaul of the state arts funding process after pushback from community arts organizations. Public school teachers who get injured on the job by a student or parent would be eligible for up to a year of paid leave and benefits under legislation now under consideration in...

Many Pennsylvania counties are not reviewing the death of every child - even though there's a 2008 state law that requires them to do so. Since 2020, about half of all childhood deaths statewide have gone unreviewed. Jaxon White of our partners at Spotlight PA looked into this issue and joins us to share more of his reporting. The Trump administration is spending $700 million to build or refurbish...