Today in PA | A PennLive daily news briefing with Claudia Dimuro

State lawmakers are considering launching a disability-inclusive education pilot program in at least eight schools next year in the hopes that it’ll become more widespread. J-Lo once said love don’t cost a thing, but romance scams cost a lot of people a lot of money in 2021. Drivers, beware: thawing ice is currently creating more and more potholes. Finally, one company is celebrating its 100th bir...

A family who sued their children’s school over lessons on things such as white privilege and police brutality may get $45,000 by the time the lawsuit is settled. An Amish farmer was in possession of about 600 guns, but it’s not entirely clear whether he did anything illegal yet. Some lawmakers want the state to approve hospital deals. Plus, these high school students are over the moon working with...

Employees of a Starbucks in Pennsylvania have joined a nationwide effort to unionize. A residential center in Berks County has confirmed it has once again opened its doors to asylum seekers Philadelphia has extended its freeze on residential water shutoffs. And love is in the air, particularly in this one city in Pennsylvania. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pennsylvania is eligible to get fed money in order to build a network of electric vehicle charging stations along its interstates. Parents in Philadelphia are expressing their frustration with the school district’s new lottery system. The snow geese have landed. Plus, guess which city was named the number one spot for football fans in the country? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out info...

There’s an Instagram account alerting women in Philadelphia to “potentially harmful people” around the city. The proposed alternatives to Pennsylvania’s gas tax could be even more expensive for residents. E-scooters may become more widespread throughout the state. Lastly, someone somehow managed to steal 60,000 bees from Giant. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The state’s due to get hundreds of millions of dollars in fed money to clean up lands and waterways damaged by abandoned coal mines. If you’re a private landowner that’s willing to let the public fish on your property, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission would love to talk. This South Philly pizza has its own pizzazz. And, just to keep things rolling in honor of National Pizza Day 2022, we’ll...

A Temple University professor who was once charged with sharing scientific technology with China wants his lawsuit against the U.S. government reinstated. A group of teens absolutely wreaked havoc at a SEPTA station over the weekend, pushing one woman onto the train tracks. A bill that would allow for doctors to prescribe “off-label” treatments such as ivermectin for COVID has been approved by a s...

As an example of an escalating national trend, a group of thieves very brazenly stole thousands of dollars’ worth of cologne from a Macy’s in Chester County. A doctor pled guilty to running a “pill mill.” A man stole a bobcat from an animal farm in the Poconos. Lastly, a pizza joint somehow managed to print the image of a naked man on its menu without realizing it. See acast.com/privacy for privac...

A doctor who has been accused of prescribing ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 has been fired. Rental scams are on the rise in areas such as Lehigh Valley. Thousands of drivers were falsely fined by PennDOT due to wonky speed cameras. And there’s Godzilla versus Kong, then there’s owl versus eagle. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

USA Swimming followed NCAA’s suit in changing its policy on transgender athletes after one Penn swimmer sparked a national debate. A new study has found that Pennsylvania has the second-highest amount of bridges in poor condition in the country. Snow and even freezing rain have been forecasted for the rest of the week. Finally, nearly 80 police departments rallied together to show their support fo...

Pennsylvania voters can still apply for mail-in ballots without a legal excuse despite a recent Commonwealth Court ruling. PennDOT has ordered a review of several bridges with similar structures to the recently collapsed Fern Hollow Bridge. These are (or were, depending on when you listen to this episode) the odds of Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow this year during Groundhog Day. And hunters t...

The state Department of Labor and Industry has released a list of employers that have violated state labor and workplace safety laws. Philadelphia intends to launch a universal basic income pilot program sometime in the near future. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will accept new walk-up volunteers during trout stockings this year. Finally, a bald eagle crashed into—and broke—the window...

A distributor for one of the biggest coke rings ever prosecuted in Western Pennsylvania has just landed a six-year prison sentence. A man who had 34 severely abused dogs removed from his property pled guilty to over a dozen animal cruelty charges. Airbnb claims it managed to block hundreds of “unauthorized parties” in Pittsburgh. And a dog that went missing seven months ago was found…180 miles awa...

An 11-member task force was created this week with the purpose of helping and protecting the kids of those struggling with addiction. One member of the Philadelphia City Council wants to get rid of the city’s soda tax. If you’re an unemployed state resident, you could get free credit-monitoring. Lastly, Pennsylvania ranks among the states with the most reported UFO sightings. See acast.com/privacy...

The Pennsylvania Senate has passed a bill allowing for gun owners and gun-rights advocacy groups to sue cities whose firearms laws they feel are more restrictive than the state’s. A school board member is receiving backlash for his now-viral York Dispatch op-ed piece titled, “With all due respect…no, I don’t work for you.” Two invasive species of crayfish are breeding together, giving rise to worr...

Staff and parents alike voiced their concerns over the increasing violence of students at a Pittsburgh Public Schools public hearing the other night. In more Pittsburgh-related news, city officials consider legislation that would allow for them to more properly weigh the pros and cons of annexing and merging with other municipalities. Scranton is no longer distressed. Also, now’s your chance to ge...

New regulations put in place by one county has made it the first in Pennsylvania to really crack down on illicit activity in massage parlors. Cryptocurrency ATMs are popping up all over the place. The state Department of Revenue wants to remind you of a free website that helps get all your filings done for tax season 2022. And a woman saved an animal, but what kind of animal it is remains a myster...

Philadelphia has installed sensors on over a dozen streetlights that track things such as pedestrian movement as part of its “smart city” pilot program. State police are currently looking for whoever took two large envelopes and stuffed them with dead rats in Perry County. One local park has the highest-ever infection rate of a tick-carried virus in the country. Plus, one man looks for ghosts, Big...

A couple of women who were driving home from dinner in Enola believe they were being stalked with an Apple AirTag. The University of Pittsburgh’s research on human fetal tissue has been deemed “fully compliant with applicable laws.” The state Senate has just passed a package of bills that looks to push forward protection against and response strategies to hacking. Also, this is how Pennsylvania li...

State lawmakers have proposed a needle exchange program to help decrease fatal overdoses. A photo of a teacher taping a mask to a student’s faced has inspired outrage. After four years, a mini-casino in Shippensburg has been awarded a license. Finally, this city can now boast that it’s among pet-friendliest in the U.S. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There’s a new type of scam targeting Western Pennsylvanians that claims their loved ones have been kidnapped. In everyone’s favorite news topic—gas prices–people in Pennsylvania are paying the most at pumps out of any state east of the Rockies. There’s a new type of war brewing on a historic battlefield. And an Altoona man hit lotto—for the fourth time. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-ou...

Pennsylvania state police revealed they seized about $72 million worth of drugs last year with one in particular showing signs of a comeback: cocaine. A woman in Pottstown has admitted to her role in a gun trafficking ring that spanned across five counties. A brand new, almost mile-long bridge will be helping drivers to cross over the Susquehanna River by late summer. Lastly, a Port Authority offi...

Pennsylvania will get an added $1.63 billion in federal funds to fix its infrastructure. An animal rescue in Pittsburgh describes how the city’s shelters—as well as shelters nationwide—are struggling with an influx of surrendered pets. If you have a 3G phone, now’s the time to get a new one, as 3G networks will start getting phased out this year. Finally, this is the pest that Pennsylvanians as a...

A former dentist has been accused of killing his wife during a hunting trip in Africa then fraudulently collecting nearly $5 million in insurance money. There’s currently a slow-moving superload making a 400-mile trip through the state. The snow we mentioned earlier this week is definitely happening on Sunday. And are you not entertained by this ancient gladiator helmet on display in Pittsburgh? S...

A board member of a Westmoreland County school district would like to stop the use of a CNN news program and other broadcasts as what the superintendent deems “instructional resources” for students. Another school district has decided to reinstate its original Native American mascot almost a year after it announced it would be changed. It’s still not entirely clear what disease killed hundreds of...