Pennsylvania category, Page 19
Death of Democratic lawmaker leaves Pennsylvania House deadlocked at 101-101
HARRISBURG — A Democrat from McKeesport in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives has died, the House Democratic caucus said Sunday night, leaving the chamber deadlocked at a 101-101 partisan divide. Rep. Matt Gergely, D-Allegheny, died Sunday. He was 45, House Democrats said. Neither House Democrats or Gergely’s family disclosed a cause,...
Fetterman was elected to challenge convention. Now, he’s challenging his fellow Democrats
HARRISBURG — When Democrat John Fetterman got elected to Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate seat, many backers hoped he’d challenge convention and the status quo. He did and has — just not in the way many had expected. Fetterman has broken with his party on some policy matters and warmed to President-elect...
Governor’s office forced to reveal why it spent $368K on private law firms
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — An ethics investigation. Federal and state grand jury probes. Advice on taxes. These are the reasons the administration of former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom...
American accused of assaulting Pennsylvania student is extradited from France to the U.S.
PHILADELPHIA — An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said “So I raped you” was extradited Thursday from France to the United States. Ian Cleary, 31, of Saratoga, California, arrived in the U.S. and was being flown...
2 Philadelphia men plead guilty to killing SWAT officer in 2020 as police served murder warrant
PHILADELPHIA — Two men pleaded guilty Wednesday to murder and racketeering charges in the March 2020 shooting death of a Philadelphia police officer. Hassan Elliott, 26, and Khalif Sears, 23, admitted killing SWAT Cpl. James O’Connor IV, as police sought to arrest them in a 2019 homicide. As police climbed...
‘The labor shortage will only get worse:’ Trump deportation plans could hit Pa. agriculture hard
Pennsylvania is home to an estimated 155,000 undocumented migrants, according to the American Immigration Council. And around 30,000 of them may work in the state’s agricultural sector, according to estimates from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. With the state’s agriculture industry already facing a workforce shortage, President-elect Donald Trump’s promise...
Allentown activists demand FBI investigation into alleged hate crime against city employee
A group of Allentown activists held a protest Monday afternoon in front of City Hall, calling for justice and accountability after a noose reportedly was found on the desk of a city employee last week. Allentown police announced Friday they are investigating an incident in which a Black woman who...
Pa.’s Real ID deadline is looming — here’s how to get one before you’re banned from flying
The Real ID deadline is coming in a few short months, so Pennsylvanians who haven’t gotten one yet might want to get their plans — and documents — in order. Here’s what you’ll need to get your Pennsylvania driver’s license updated to meet the new federal security standards. What is...
Shapiro says this ‘broken process’ could lead to higher electricity costs
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvanians could face higher electricity bills if federal regulators don’t force the state’s grid operator to fix a “broken process” that artificially affects...
Trump nominates Pennsylvania RNC member Christine Toretti as ambassador to Sweden
A longtime Republican National Committee member from Pennsylvania who was twice unsuccessfully nominated for an ambassadorship during the first Trump administration will get a third go for the job. President-elect Donald Trump is nominating Christine Toretti, a RNC member from Indiana County, to be the next ambassador to Sweden. Trump...
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago
WASHINGTON — Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman will become the chamber’s first Democrat to meet with President-elect Donald Trump since the election and plans to travel to Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The trip marks Fetterman’s continuing evolution from a leading surrogate for President Joe Biden into a Trump-friendly lawmaker...
Fetterman, DeLuzio among Democrats who support bill for deporting immigrants
A bill that lowers the threshold for detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants accused of criminal activity will head to the U.S. Senate on Friday, with support from two Western Pennsylvania Democrats. Sen. John Fetterman was the lone Senate Democrat to co-sponsor the Laken Riley Act, named for a 22-year-old Augusta...
Feds’ suit claims Pennsylvania city’s ‘at-large’ election system is biased against Hispanic voters
The U.S. Justice Department wants a judge to declare that a Pennsylvania city’s method of electing council members citywide instead of by districts has illegally diluted the political power of its growing Hispanic population, arguing in a lawsuit that Hazleton is violating the federal Voting Rights Act. A complaint filed...
Former Pine-Richland trainer accused of filming boys in locker rooms
A former Pine-Richland School District athletic trainer has been charged with secretly filming male students in locker rooms and bathrooms, according to state police. Samuel Elliot Fischer, 34, faces child pornography charges for the allegations in connection with Pine-Richland and other school districts. He recorded boys in locker rooms in...
Sam DeMarco leaving Allegheny County Council for role in Sen. Dave McCormick’s office
Sam DeMarco is leaving his posts as an at-large Allegheny County councilman and chair of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County for a position in newly elected U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick’s office. DeMarco told TribLive he will serve as Southwest Regional director for McCormick’s office. In that position, DeMarco will...
Pa. Sen. John Fetterman the lone Democratic co-sponsor on GOP-led Laken Riley immigration bill
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is the first Senate Democrat to sign onto a Republican-led bill that would require federal authorities to detain undocumented immigrants arrested for theft-related crimes. The bill, passed Tuesday in the House, is slated to come up for a Senate vote on Friday. In addition to...
Democrat elected speaker of tied Pennsylvania House after GOP candidate bows out
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers on Tuesday returned Democratic Speaker Joanna McClinton to lead the chamber for the new session after the Republican floor leader bowed out to resolve a deadlock. Democrats won 102 seats in November, a single-vote majority, but one of their members was absent from swearing-in day after...
A small group of donors dominated these high-profile Pa. races during the 2024 election
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — A handful of groups were responsible for the vast majority of donations and independent spending in high-profile Pennsylvania elections for positions that make...
Bill Cosby defaults on $17.5 million mortgage, faces foreclosure for a second NYC townhouse
Bill Cosby, the disgraced comedian who has been accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, now has two Manhattan townhouses facing foreclosure. Cosby, 87, allegedly defaulted on a mortgage for his 12,000-square-foot Upper East Side house after not making payments since June, according to court records. The complaint, filed...
What to know about bird flu in Pennsylvania
As more cases of bird flu are reported across species and locations, states across the country are taking precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Hundreds of thousands of people will gather at the Pennsylvania Farm Show beginning later this week — a potential breeding ground for virus...
Pennsylvania’s political pendulum swung to Republicans this year. Will it stay there?
PHILADELPHIA — Republicans had a major political comeback in Pennsylvania in 2024 after a series of disappointments in recent elections. President-elect Donald Trump won the state by a margin of 1.7 percentage points. Republicans swept the row offices, and ousted two incumbent Democrats in the U.S. House along with longtime...
Trump’s nomination returns Mehmet Oz to the spotlight, puts him on track to oversee health care for 160M Americans
Mehmet Oz stood in front of a camera in July and filmed a TikTok about “how to conquer your constipation.” “Here’s the scoop on the poop brain loop,” Oz said confidently, delving into an enthusiastic pitch for probiotic supplements to keep you regular. In the two years since losing his...
Woman dies after fall at Bethlehem ice rink, coroner says
A woman died early Monday after a fall Sunday at the SteelStacks ice rink in Bethlehem, according to authorities. Maria Luisa Jimenez, 63, of Costa Rica was pronounced dead about 1:30 a.m. at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill, Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio said. Jimenez fell backward...
Customs agents seize 22K fake Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers shipped from Israel
HARRISBURG — The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said it has seized more than 20,000 counterfeit Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers that were shipped from Israel to an address in Philadelphia. Customs officers found the stickers in two shipments that arrived on two different days, Nov. 26 and Dec. 9,...
Scrutiny, secrecy defined Pa. debates over how to spend opioid settlement billions in 2024
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — This was a crucial year for opioid settlement money in Pennsylvania. For the first time, counties across the state faced serious accountability from...
