Spotlight PA

PA News Quiz: License plate misreads, Philly shortlisted In this quiz: Measles stats, who knew about ICE’s warehouse purchases, and Musikfest headliners.

Great PA News Quiz: License plate misreads, Philly on a shortlist, and Musikfest lineup

Josh Shapiro tapped billionaires, unions, and more to raise $23 million for the Pa. gov race in 2025. Stacy Garrity relied more heavily on small donations and raised $1.5 million. https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/03/shapiro-garrity-governor-2026-election-fundraising-elections/

Josh Shapiro has a 15-to-1 fundraising advantage over Republican Stacy Garrity https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/03/shapiro-garrity-governor-2026-election-fundraising-elections/

Home equity loan firm paid for testimony before PA House A lending firm, Point, offered Amazon gift cards to customers who submitted testimony for a Pennsylvania House hearing, drawing backlash from legislators.

A home equity loaner's payment for legislative testimony crosses ethical lines, lawmakers say, and calls its arguments against regulation into question. https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/03/lending-hearing-pennsylvania-home-ethics-paid-testimony-capitol/

A Silicon Valley firm offered gift cards as part of a campaign to defeat Pa. regulation. Lawmakers say that’s unethical. https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/03/lending-hearing-pennsylvania-home-ethics-paid-testimony-capitol/

A $30M student teacher stipend is helping ease Pa.’s educator shortage PA’s $30 million student teacher stipend program is helping ease shortages, but demand for funds will likely outstrip supply even with a budget boost.

Demand for student teacher stipends outstrips supply as Shapiro proposes boosting program https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/03/pennsylvania-teacher-shortage-student-stipend-program-education/

Pa. agency, Shapiro admin learned about ICE warehouse plans weeks before public https://www.spotlightpa.org/berks/2026/03/pennsylvania-ice-detention-centers-shapiro-secret-facilities-federal-government/

Pennsylvania’s attorney general would be empowered to play a greater role in challenging the practices of pharmacy benefit managers under a new proposal.

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/03/pennsylvania-pharmacy-closures-pbm-oversight-attorney-general-health/

Drug plan middlemen face new oversight push as Pa. pharmacies close

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/03/pennsylvania-pharmacy-closures-pbm-oversight-attorney-general-health/

Gettysburg day trip guide: Food, history, and family fun PA Local consulted two Gettysburg locals about the top places to see and things to do in the small town — for families, history buffs, and foodies.

Gettysburg isn’t just for history buffs and Civil War nerds. Plan your visit with this guide

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/gettysburg-itinerary-things-to-do-family-children-civil-war-pennsylvania-local/

Great PA News Quiz: Pennsylvanians at the State of the Union, special elections, and gold medalists

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/pennsylvania-news-quiz-week-of-february-23-2026/

Gettysburg day trip guide: Food, history, and family fun PA Local consulted two Gettysburg locals about the top places to see and things to do in the small town — for families, history buffs, and foodies.

Gettysburg isn’t just for history buffs and Civil War nerds. Plan your visit with this guide

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/gettysburg-itinerary-things-to-do-family-children-civil-war-pennsylvania-local/

PA News Quiz: Special elections, Olympic gold medals In this week’s quiz: The left’s State of the Union response, Epstein files fallout, and the cost of special elections.

Great PA News Quiz: Pennsylvanians at the State of the Union, special elections, and gold medalists

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/pennsylvania-news-quiz-week-of-february-23-2026/

Governor Shapiro opposes planned ICE facilities in Berks and Schuylkill Counties, but it’s unclear if Pennsylvania will file a lawsuit against DHS. https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/ice-pennsylvania-facilities-lawsuit-maryland-shapiro-sunday-nepa-federal-government/

ICE facilities are planned for Pa. Will the Shapiro admin sue to stop them? https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/ice-pennsylvania-facilities-lawsuit-maryland-shapiro-sunday-nepa-federal-government/

PA special elections have high financial and logistical costs PA has held 47 special elections since 2017, costing taxpayers at least $4.4 million. The legislature has shown little interest in changing the law.

Pennsylvania holds more special elections than any other state — and it’s costing taxpayers millions. https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/special-election-pennsylvania-frequent-expensive-taxpayers-millions-elections/

PA special elections have high financial and logistical costs PA has held 47 special elections since 2017, costing taxpayers at least $4.4 million. The legislature has shown little interest in changing the law.

Pennsylvania has held 47 special elections since 2017, more than any other state. It’s expensive. https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/special-election-pennsylvania-frequent-expensive-taxpayers-millions-elections/

Rape crisis centers say another year of flat funding will worsen a “critical situation” https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/rape-crisis-center-flat-funding-pennsylvania-budget-capitol/

Rape crisis centers say they will be forced to lay off more staff, cut services without a funding boost. https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/rape-crisis-center-flat-funding-pennsylvania-budget-capitol/

Reading’s fire department has 95 men and one woman. Experts say better family leave, child care, and mentorship could help close the gender gap.
https://www.spotlightpa.org/berks/2026/02/reading-fire-department-gender-gap-emergency-services-local-government/

Advocates say Pennsylvania could collect millions from Medicaid fraud cases under a proposed law, but critics fear a surge of costly lawsuits.

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/whistleblower-false-claims-pennsylvania-shapiro-capitol/

What we know about the potential impact of ICE plans to hold 1,500 people in an Upper Bern Township warehouse that was built for 230 workers
https://www.spotlightpa.org/berks/2026/02/ice-detention-center-burden-federal-government/

False claims laws in other states have brought in millions. Why hasn’t it passed in Pa.?

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/whistleblower-false-claims-pennsylvania-shapiro-capitol/

How a West Philly activist is leading neighborhood cleanups Gweny Love organizes multiple cleanups a year to keep her West Philadelphia neighborhood free of litter, junk, and debris, and to connect residents.

PA Local Heroes: The organizer who rallies her neighbors to clean up the streets

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/gweny-love-philadelphia-cleanup-mantua-pennsylvania-local/

PA News Quiz: Shapiro security, DHS shutdown In this week’s quiz: A ruling on Trump’s slavery exhibit removal, questions about security upgrades at Shapiro’s private home, and a Girl Scout Cookies record.

Great PA News Quiz: Public money for security at Gov. Shapiro's private home, and the DHS shutdown


https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/pennsylvania-news-quiz-week-of-february-16-2026/

How a West Philly activist is leading neighborhood cleanups Gweny Love organizes multiple cleanups a year to keep her West Philadelphia neighborhood free of litter, junk, and debris, and to connect residents.

PA Local Heroes: The organizer who rallies her neighbors to clean up the streets

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/gweny-love-philadelphia-cleanup-mantua-pennsylvania-local/

How a West Philly activist is leading neighborhood cleanups Gweny Love organizes multiple cleanups a year to keep her West Philadelphia neighborhood free of litter, junk, and debris, and to connect residents.

PA Local Heroes: The organizer who rallies her neighbors to clean up the streets

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/02/gweny-love-philadelphia-cleanup-mantua-pennsylvania-local/

An internal ICE memo claims facilities won’t burden communities like Upper Bern and Tremont townships, something local and PA officials have raised concerns about.
https://www.spotlightpa.org/berks/2026/02/ice-detention-warehouses-berks-pennsylvania-reengineering-federal-government/

PA judge recommends private company to buy Rock Spring After years of unreliable service, a judge has recommended a private sale of Rock Spring Water Company to Pennsylvania American.

Judge recommends sale of troubled rural water company to one of Pa.’s largest private utilities

PA judge recommends private company to buy Rock Spring After years of unreliable service, a judge has recommended a private sale of Rock Spring Water Company to Pennsylvania American.

Nearly two years after a Spotlight PA investigation found that customers served by Rock Spring Water Company were failed by the private utility, state regulators, and elected officials, a judge has recommended a forced sale.