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

A “pill mill” doctor who illegally prescribed tons of pills—so many, in fact, that he was the leading provider of two types of opioids in the entire state—has pleaded guilty. School officials and teachers have testified against Governor Tom Wolf’s statewide mask mandate. DoorDash is helping to give eligible seniors free food box deliveries. And a man returned 108-year-old beer bottles to a brewery...

Pennsylvania Turnpike drivers may have noticed at one point that their E-ZPasses are being mysteriously charged for fees called V-tolls. Governor Tom Wolf’s administration has released a climate action plan that seeks to reduce Pennsylvania’s carbon emissions. Philadelphia has gotten millions in fed money to fight homelessness. Lastly, a church in Bell Township honors fallen Revolutionary War sold...

A man from Luzerne County has taken it upon himself to pose as minors in order to expose potential child predators, all of which he documents on YouTube. Schools in the western part of the state are starting to crack down on students participating in a viral TikTok challenge. The Flyers will already be down a key player heading into the upcoming NHL season. Plus, the time is ripe to pluck Pennsylv...

A man who accidentally shortchanged a convenience store a whopping 43 cents now faces up to seven years in prison. Governor Tom Wolf has asked for the state Legislature to continue using a statewide database of consumer prescriptions—which a new bill would allow for insurance companies to access—much to the chagrin of doctors. Sorry (not sorry) mosquitoes, but bats are making a comeback throughout...

The state Senate is set to consider a proposal this week that would prevent medical cannabis users from receiving DUIs. There were no planes, but there was a train and a police automobile involved turning the chase for an escaped Altoona perp. Over 40 booze brands have a two-bottle daily purchase limit as of Friday. Plus, a child services’ agency was pleasantly surprised after a kindly benefactor...

The Syrian refugee who plotted to bomb a Pittsburgh church in the name of ISIS pleaded guilty in federal court. Lehigh Valley International Airport will be closed for upgrades starting today. Pennsylvania’s student aid agency wants $40 million more than what was allotted to it in the state’s budget. And one Lincoln University professor went above and beyond his job description. See acast.com/priva...

Pennsylvania lawmakers have voted for a subpoena to obtain information such as the driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers of those who voted during the 2020 presidential election. Aetna Better Health of Pennsylvania has been accused of lying about the number of pediatricians in its network in order to win state contracts. A billboard featuring President Joe Biden dressed in T...

Millions of drivers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike were accidentally treated to free rides in 2020 thanks to uncollected tolls. IBM agreed to pay the state $33 million for failing to deliver on its promise to create a modern, effective unemployment benefits computer system. Pittsburgh’s leading tourism group wants to tack on a two percent rental fee to all Allegheny County hotel rooms. Plus, a Bucks...

A district attorney has issued a health alert after roughly 70 overdoses from heroin, fentanyl and horse tranquilizers were reported over the weekend. A union representing prison guards is looking for a court review of Governor Tom Wolf’s mandate that orders them to get vaccinated or subject themselves to weekly testing. State hunting licenses get digital. And fall leaves in Pennsylvania will be p...

Doctor's notes are being used against the mask mandate. Pa. senator questions the legality of the President’s COVID-19 mandates. Penn State Health revised visiting rules for non-COVID-19 patients. You can win money by watching horror films. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Former Gov. Tom Ridge reflects on 9/11. A conservative group aided in a lawsuit against the mask mandate in Pa. schools. Pa. scientists win a $3 million prize for helping with the COVID-19 vaccines. Penn National Gaming will open a casino. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Harrisburg’s mayor has made a decision on a write-in campaign to keep the position. COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to rise in Pa. Stevie’s Bistro’s owner is "heartbroken" over its closure. Is the Harvest Moon falling in summer unusual? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

More students and parents across Pennsylvania are protesting Governor Tom Wolf’s statewide mask mandate in K-12 schools. SEPTA is looking to rename Philly’s rail lines to make things a bit easier for straphangers. Keep your eyes peeled for some big groups of spotted lanternflies in your area. Finally, one town really wants its residents’ livestock to quit horsing around on its streets. See acast.c...

Governor Tom Wolf’s statewide mask mandate in K-12 schools and daycares is going to court. The Port Authority has once again gone back to two-car trains on its Red and Blue light rail lines. Pennsylvanians could be seeing some rain later on in the week. And nervous fliers at Philadelphia International Airport may be soothed by man’s best friend. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out inform...

Pittsburgh has begun to crack down on those recklessly driving ATVs and dirt bikes throughout the city’s streets. York County officials reveal that they have discovered more mosquitoes that have tested positive for West Nile. Pittsburgh’s “Lights Out” program is lending migratory birds a helping wing. Plus, Penn State’s Nittany Lion isn’t exactly as popular a college mascot as previously assumed....

A Uniontown man has been accused of improperly representing U.S. Capitol riot defendants and reportedly has some outstanding legal issues of his own. In even more law news, UPMC has been sued by the feds over allegations of healthcare fraud. Hurricane Ida spurred the closure of hundreds of roads and thousands of water rescues throughout the state. And if you love beer, this Pennsylvania city’s the...

The Wolf administration’s statewide mandate requiring those in schools K-12 as well as daycares to wear masks has received backlash with some senators predicting future legal action. The Pennsylvania Air National Guard has been activated to help refugees from Afghanistan. Live! Hotel & Casino is currently engaged in a battle (casino) royale with Ocean Casino Resort over a slogan. Lastly, a goat ca...

Governor Tom Wolf has reinstated a statewide mask mandate in K-12 schools as well as daycare centers. A shirtless man wearing a Halloween monster mask as well as others have been terrorizing residents around York Township. Hurricane Ida will be hitting Pennsylvania, drenching some areas with a predicted seven inches of rain. And someone in Aspinwall abandoned a taxidermy rhinoceros head over the w...

A judge has deemed audio cellphone evidence as inadmissible in a case against a man charged with raping an unconscious teenager. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is looking for approval in using $2.5 million of federal pandemic relief money in order to start a basic universal income program. A Holocaust denier who was caught with his pants down (literally) can’t seem to drop his convictions. Finally,...

A state lawmaker is looking to introduce a bill that would allow for teens aged 14 and older to get vaccinated without their parents’ consent. PECO’s request to get a larger gas rate increase has been unanimously denied by the Pennsylvania Utility Commission. A missing 4-year-old from Franklin County was found safe. And a man traveling from Oregon to New York via canoe made a stop in Pittsburgh. S...

Legislators have turned down Governor Tom Wolf’s request to create a bill that would instill mask mandates for schools and childcare facilities. A group of students at North Allegheny Senior High School walked out in protest of such a mask mandate. Center Sean Couturier has just signed an eight-year, $62 million contract extension with the Flyers. Plus, one man decided to use a scoreboard at a Rub...

After three years, Pennsylvania’s opioid disaster declaration has ended. Governor Tom Wolf has asked the state legislature to create a bill requiring masks in classrooms. The Hanover Township woman who spat in a supermarket while claiming she had COVID-19 has landed a two-year prison sentence. And a 4-year-old from Butler County makes a strange—and beyond ancient—discovery in a forest. See acast.c...

A police officer in Butler was stabbed multiple times before he managed to fatally shoot his assailant. The Bryn Mawr company that’s been buying up public utilities throughout suburbs in Philadelphia is looking to increase water and sewer bills by a lot. Deer hunters in the state will face new regulations that look to mitigate the spread of a chronic wasting disease reported in deer, elk, and othe...

Allegheny County-based Shuman Juvenile Detention Center has had its license revoked by the state Department of Human Services. An arrest has been made in the vicious beating of a delivery driver in Philadelphia that has left the victim in a coma. Amtrak has estimated that the proposed route between Scranton and New York would bring in millions of dollars per year. And, ironically enough, this stop...

A Philadelphia man severely wounded a “Good Samaritan” who was protecting the girlfriend he was chasing before getting fatally shot by police. U.S. Senator Bob Casey has estimated that Pennsylvania will receive over $11 billion from the pending bipartisan infrastructure bill. Individuals and organizations alike continue to help refugees from Afghanistan find places to live in the state. And 100-ye...