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

More than 300 Pennsylvanians are being laid off by Mack Trucks. Meanwhile, community colleges in the state team up with a New Hampshire university to help their students get a cheaper online bachelors degree. Want to recycle? In Philadelphia taxpayers will be paying $9 million to do their part to help the environment. And a beloved 80s show could be making a comeback. See acast.com/privacy for pri...

High school teacher pleads guilty to sexually assaulting six students. Police identify owner of a skull found in a mine. Special election announced to fill three seats in Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Pa. man wins $100,000 from Publisher's Clearing House. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chinese man to stand trial for stealing trade secrets. Couple arrested after using fake $100 bills. Pennsylvania to crack down on speeders. Pa. politician Mike Fitzpatrick dies. "Jeopardy: Greatest of All Time" tournament includes Pa. native. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A deadly crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike has left five people dead and dozens more injured. Meanwhile, the Department of Environmental Protection has fined a pipeline company more than $30 million over regulation violations. In Erie, someone has released bed bugs into a Walmart and state police want to know who. And in happier news, several pups find forever homes after being in shelters for ye...

A man is paid $4 million after spending 24 years in jail over a murder he didn’t commit. Meanwhile, U-Haul announces it will no longer hire smokers. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announces a new initiative to help with mental health issues in the state. And the 2020 Pennsylvania Farm Show butter sculpture has been revealed. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A woman went missing 30 years ago and now two people are facing charges of perjury related to the disappearance. Meanwhile, a group of Mummers has been disqualified from the Philadelphia Mummers Parade competition after being spotted with blackface. In Pittsburgh, researchers may have found a new way to help battle one of the world’s deadliest diseases. And there’s a dog that’s been in a shelter f...

The flu death toll rises to nine in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has its deadliest year of the decade. In Bucks County a dentist pays $150,000 to settle allegations against drugs misuse which led to her own overdose. And, we talk about why you should eat pork and sauerkraut to start the New Year off right. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

61,000 Pennsylvanians will be impacted by new federal overtime laws in 2020. Meanwhile, Philadelphia appoints a new police commissioner and we bid farewell to the Hershey Kissmobile. To wrap it up, we’ll talk about the quirky habit Pennsylvania towns have of dropping things on New Year’s Eve -- including a 400 pound Peep. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A body has been found at a state park in Erie. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church’s published list of priests accused of child sexual abuse is missing dozens of names in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. In Lancaster County, pig has died from a disease that can also spread to humans. In good samaritan news, people are raising money to help students pay off school lunch debts. See acast.com/privacy for...

Thousands upon thousands of Pennsylvanians could be forced to change their medication on Jan. 1. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Catholic Dioceses have paid out nearly $84 million to victims of sexual abuse. The Pennsylvania Turnpike is raising tolls… again. In happier news, there’s a Pennsylvania charity that helps military dogs find homes with veterans.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out inf...

Cops say man assaulted girlfriend after she wrapped presents for other boyfriend. Pennsylvania Attorney General tries to ban used-car dealer in the state. Pennsylvania Turnpike holiday traffic update: 6.6 million expected to be on the highway this holiday season. Waitress receives tip of a lifetime in Allentown. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” is based on a Pennsylvania story that almost never got published -- we’ll tell you how it managed to make its way to film glory. It isn’t the only Christmas classic with a Pennsylvania connection - the song “Winter Wonderland” owes its origin to the Keystone State. The best place to see garden holiday lights in the country is in Pennsylvania. We wrap it all...

A funeral director allegedly steals $900,000 meant for burials. Meanwhile, Huntingdon becomes the first rural area in the state to adopt a LGBT protection ordinance. For outdoor fans, Pennsylvania has funded nearly 160 new miles of all-terrain vehicle trails. One school district is getting in the holiday spirit, raising more than $42,000 for Make-A-Wish. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-o...

An ex-prisoner allegedly hires a hitman to take out a prosecutor who was responsible for his convictions. Meanwhile, companies sue Attorney General Josh Shapiro over his ghost gun policy. In happier news, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County may have their first census in decades where population didn’t decline. Speaking of Pittsburgh, there’s a hospital there that dressed newborns as baby yoda and it’...

At least two people are presumed dead after an explosion in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the Erie Coke Plant closes, leaving 130 workers without jobs a week before Christmas. In the eastern part of the state, a data breach at Wawa means thousands of customers may have had their credit card information stolen. In happier news, a kindergartner gets a holiday surprise when her deployed Air Force dad unex...

Snow squalls lead to a deadly crash with more than 40 victims on Interstate 80. After nearly 4 decades, a cold case murder is solved with a guilty plea. Meanwhile, two bills geared towards reducing the prison population go into effect. And we’ve got an adorable story about a therapy animal who isn’t… well, the usual kind of therapy animal. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Almost 7,000 cases of the flu have been reported in Pa. Meanwhile, the biggest medical marijuana retailer in Pennsylvania has removed Standard Farms products from its shelves. In other news, the so-called “frankenfish” might be doing more damage to native fish populations than previously thought. And Sylvester Stallone made a return visit to the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum. See acast.com/...

Pennsylvania shuts down a loophole in gun laws over ghost guns. Meanwhile, Governor Wolf is forming a Juvenile Justice Task Force to look into the state’s juvenile detention system. In western Pa., a middle school teacher suspended after allegedly stealing his neighbor’s washing machine. Knoebels is getting rid of a ride, and we’re all taking guesses as to which one it’ll be. And, in sports, the n...

A Pennsylvania man has reportedly acknowledged responsibility for the 1981 killings of two children. Meanwhile, a casino company’s former director of benefits is being accused of making off with $75K in gift cards. Continuing on the crime theme, child pornography is the top cyber crime in the state. In happier news, a pro football player is sending the ball he scored his first NFL touchdown with t...

The tragedy of the shooting of a teen by his twin brother continues as the father is arrested in connection to the accidental killing. Meanwhile, organizations call for the US Supreme Court to weigh in on expensive tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. In central Pennsylvania police have seized games of skill from various bars and restaurants. Heading over to the western part of the state, a new stu...

A gunman is killed after a 14 hour standoff with state troopers. Meanwhile, a Philadelphia police sergeant has been arrested after being caught on camera punching a handcuffed man. Faculty in Pennsylvania state colleges agree to a new contract which will give them a 12 percent raise over the course of four years and one Pennsylvania city’s libraries are eliminating late fees. See acast.com/privacy...

A state trooper was shot during a standoff with a barricaded gunman on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a Pittsburgh-area businessman is slated to plead guilty to his role in a $127 million Medicare kickback scheme. And crowds showed up for President Trump’s rally in Hershey -- they actually filled the Giant Center and spilled out into the parking lot. And to wrap it up, congratulations are in order for two Pe...

President Donald Trump is holding a campaign rally in Hershey today. Meanwhile, mass overdoses over the weekend cause Berks County to issue a public health alert. Pennsylvania had a record bear hunting season, with more than 4.5 thousand bears being killed. Sheetz, on the other hand, is avoiding meat when it comes to its new plant-based burger. And congratulations to the Golden Globe nominees -- a...

Four men were found unconscious after a mass overdose in Reading. Meanwhile, a Philadelphia Catholic priest has been found unsuitable For ministry, after being accused of sexually abusing a minor decades before. In happier news: Penn State has a bowl game coming up. Want a letter from Santa? One western Pa. woman volunteers to help the big man with his mail.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and...

The teens behind the video of a wounded deer being tortured have been identified. Meanwhile, prepare for slow traffic in several Pa. counties over the next few days as a slow moving tractor trailer makes its way across the state… at 15 miles per hour. Pennsylvania water tests results are back, and it’s fairly good news for most of the state. Continuing on the good news train: a Pittsburgh-based la...