Pennsylvania is now 100 days without a state budget, yet lawmakers appear no closer to reaching a deal. Frustrations are mounting in the Capitol.

House G-O-P leader Jesse Topper says the state must help scale up the energy industry, reform education and find ways to make social safety-net programs sustainable in the long run.

Meantime, Senate Democratic leader Jay Costa blames Republicans for failing to compromise on key issues, like funding public education funding and legalizing the adult use of cannabis.

Gov. Josh Shapiro used a Lackawanna County appearance to place blame on the state Senate.

More than 200 high school students protested the state budget impasse Wednesday, even during a steady morning rain in Lancaster County.

Less than a month after a deadly shootout that claimed the lives of York County police officers, there's another shootout involving police, this time in Franklin County. Two Pennsylvania State Police troopers are hospitalized and a suspect is dead after a shootout Wednesday night.

Enrollment at state-owned universities in Pennsylvania has taken a slight uptick.

And drivers are being advised to prepare for a major traffic disruption this weekend in Lancaster County. PennDOT crews are continuing a major improvement project at the interchange between US Routes 30 and 222.

Did you know that if every sustaining circle member gives as little as $12 more a month, we'd close the gap caused by federal funding cuts? Increase your gift at https://witf.org/increase or become a new sustaining member at www.witf.org/givenow, and thanks!

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Stock trading by members of Congress has come under public scrutiny in recent years, U.S. Senator Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania has profited from another type of market trading.

State officials have unveiled a new campaign to spread awareness of drink spiking.

Clearfield County will make one million dollars over five years - for acting as the middleman between ICE and the private contractor that operates the Moshannon Valley Processing Center.

Nine people have died in boating incidents so far this year in Pennsylvania - and seven of the victims were not wearing a life jacket.

Iron Hill Brewery has officially filed for bankruptcy, after abruptly closing all 16 locations in late September.

In uncertain times, our community counts on facts, not noise. Support the journalism and programming that keep you informed. Donate now at www.witf.org/givenow.

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Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday is rolling out a new effort aimed at helping people with mental illness who commit low-level offenses, to avoid jail time. The program builds off the state’s Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative or LETI, originally created to address substance abuse.

Governor Josh Shapiro is stepping onto the international stage. Eight U.S. governors and two premiers of Canadian provinces elected Shapiro to lead a partnership overseeing the Great Lakes.

State House and Senate members held a joint public hearing to discuss artificial intelligence in education and workforce development.

Trout stocking season is now underway along Pennsylvania waterways.

Prosecutors are withdrawing DUI charges against a 37-year-old York Haven woman accused of hitting three people with her minivan at Harrisburg's Kipona Festival over Labor Day weekend.

Online casinos continue to power growth in the state’s gambling revenue. That’s according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s recently-released annual report, which showed a 27% increase in online casino revenue, over the last fiscal year.

Federal funding for housing is under threat - just as Berks County is facing record homelessness.

And a recycling company’s bankruptcy is leaving tons of discarded artificial turf across the state.

Did you know that if every sustaining circle member gives as little as $12 more a month, we'd close the gap caused by federal funding cuts? Increase your gift at https://witf.org/increase or become a new sustaining member at www.witf.org/givenow, and thanks!

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

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After more than four decades in prison, a Pennsylvania man’s murder conviction was vacated over the summer. On Friday, he was finally released — and immediately detained by ICE.

Many County leaders in Pennsylvania say they’re fed up with the state’s late budget — now in its fourth month — as the federal government has also shut down.

People with dementia and their family caregivers may be eligible for a new Medicare program called GUIDE. It's designed to bring better supportive services to families who may be struggling to afford or coordinate care for a loved one on their own.

A 14-year-old Lancaster County boy is being charged with making terroristic threats after police said he threatened a school shooting on social media.

In York County, police are searching for a 17-year-old wanted for homicide, in connection with a shooting victim found early Friday morning in York.

Election day is less than a month away, on November 4th. In Lancaster County, six of the county's 18 boroughs have contested mayoral races this fall.

For the third quarter of 2025, PA State Police denied over 4,200 individuals from purchasing a firearm through the Pennsylvania Instant Check System, or PICS.

Legislation introduced in the state Senate would close a loophole in the law which allows disabled military veterans in Pennsylvania to apply for a hunting license at no cost to them.

And drivers in downtown Carlisle are being advised to expect a major disruption this week. PennDOT is completing construction of a traffic roundabout, and as a result, Route 11 is closed from High Street to Clay Street.

Did you know that if every sustaining circle member gives as little as $12 more a month, we'd close the gap caused by federal funding cuts? Increase your gift at https://witf.org/increase or become a new sustaining member at www.witf.org/givenow and thanks!

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Critical service providers are still not receiving funding from the state, as lawmakers and Governor Josh Shapiro enter their fourth month without a state budget. These organizations warn that layoffs, service cuts and even closures are looming over their work.

In Pennsylvania, a growing number of grandparents are raising grandchildren after the loss of their adult children. Now the state has set up a helpline for older residents to better help navigate custody issues, court proceedings and supportive resources. ...

This summer, state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle introduced legislation to ban smartphones from K-to-12 classrooms across Pennsylvania. But a new survey shows school leaders feel mixed about a “one size fits all” approach.

The 20-26 Pennsylvania Farm Show theme was unveiled late last week. "Growing a Nation" is the theme, tying into events marking America's 250th Birthday.

Officials in South Heidelberg Township, Berks County will be learning more about a proposal for two warehouses totaling 1.3 million square feet.

Faculty at HACC - Harrisburg Area Community College - voted Thursday to give their union leadership the authority to call a strike at any time without notice. 93 percent of the 750 HACC Education Association members representing five campuses voted yes to a strike.

The University of Pennsylvania is one of nine colleges and universities the White House is asking to commit to Donald Trump's political priorities in exchange for greater access to federal funding.

Pennsylvania has joined a coalition of states launching an investigation into allegations of false business practices by major tech companies.

If you have a favorite trail in Pennsylvania, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources wants to hear from you. Nominations are now open for the Commonwealth’s 2026 Trail of the Year.

Federal funding for public media has been rescinded. Your monthly gift to WITF can help fill the gap as we navigate this new reality. Become a monthly sustaining member today at www.witf.org/givenow.

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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is expanding on his promise to preserve vaccine access across the commonwealth… after a reversal on recommendations from the federal government.

Pennsylvania researchers are pushing back against the recent announcement from the White House of a direct link between autism and the use of the painkiller acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are exploring a treatment that uses a patient’s own body in a surprising way to fight cancer.

CAR T-Cell Therapy: A Breakthrough in Cancer Treatment and the Path Ahead | The Spark

House lawmakers approved background checks to purchase any type of firearm in Pennsylvania. The proposal faces long odds of passing the state Senate.

Property owners in Pennsylvania who are worried about landslides and sinkholes may soon be able to breathe easier, after the state House voted to create a state-backed insurance program to cover them.

As the federal government shutdown enters its third day, access to 400 National Park Service sites is varying on a park-by-park basis. Here in Central Pennsylvania, the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center is remaining open and maintaining its regular hours for visitors. It's a different scene in Philadelphia.

Thirty-three Pennsylvania counties will elect a sheriff on November 4th.

And Lancaster is named to the list of "best small cities in America" as determined by WalletHub.

Public media's federal funding has been revoked. Your support is now more vital than ever. Help power the independent journalism and trusted programming you find on WITF by making a gift of support now at www.witf.org/givenow.

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As Congress missed the deadline to pass a federal budget, more than 100,000 government workers in the commonwealth are now affected by the federal government shutdown.

Today marks three entire months without a state budget. Pennsylvania’s counties, school districts and social service agencies are warning of mounting layoffs, borrowing costs and damage to the safety net, as the politically divided state government enters its fourth month of a budget stalemate.

October 1st was also a milestone for WITF. For the first time in more than 50 years, public media is now operating without federal funding. For WITF, this moment is about our responsibility to YOU the public, across a 19-county area of central Pennsylvania.

Planned Parenthood agencies nationwide can no longer bill Medicaid for providing basic medical care due to Congressional Republicans’ tax and spending law. Central Pennsylvania’s clinics say they will keep their doors open even as the cuts are reducing access to care around the country.

In a 4-3 decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that voters who cast their ballot by mail must be notified if a ballot is rejected due to an incorrect date missing signature or similar issue.

A federal judge has ruled that Pennsylvania will be shielded -- at least for now-- from losing millions of dollars in food-stamp benefits.

In uncertain times, our community counts on facts, not noise. Support the journalism and programming that keep you informed. Donate now at www.witf.org/givenow.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

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Plans for a new data center in Springdale in Allegheny County have been put on hold by the borough planning commission.

And a deeper dive into the planning of a new museum focused on Black history in Gettysburg. Meet Andrew Dalton, President and CEO of the nonprofit Gettysburg History, which also operates the Adams County Historical Society and Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum.

Did you know that if every one of WITF’s sustaining circle members gives as little as $12 more a month, we'd close the gap caused by federal funding cuts? Increase your gift at https://witf.org/increase or become a new sustaining member at www.witf.org/givenow.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.