More Pa. Democrats consider challenging Fetterman in 2028 primary
A former Democratic congresswoman is the latest name being touted as a possible primary challenger to Sen. John Fetterman. The news site Semafor reported recently that former Lehigh Valley Rep. Susan Wild is pondering entering the 2028 Senate primary as Democrats become increasingly frustrated and angry over Fetterman’s continued support...
Flight 93 memorial added to state’s new Highway of Heroes trail
SHANKSVILLE, Pa. — Flight 93 National Memorial is one of six locations along the U.S. Route 30 corridor now included in Pennsylvania’s new Highway of Heroes trail. “Together, the sites present Pennsylvania’s historic places as part of a broader, connected story and illustrate the commonwealth’s enduring role in American history,...
Pa. child advocates demand independent watchdog after Renesmay Eutsey death
Nearly 20 years after a grand jury first demanded it, advocates returned to Harrisburg this week with a haunting reminder of why Pennsylvania still needs an independent watchdog for its children: the death of 9-year-old Renesmay Eutsey. Child advocates, young people and survivors joined community leaders in calling on state...
Susan Wild responds to reports she’s considering Senate run against John Fetterman: ‘Nothing is off the table’
A D.C.-based news outlet reported this week that former Rep. Susan Wild, who represented the Lehigh Valley in Congress before narrowly losing to now Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in 2024, is weighing a primary challenge against Sen. John Fetterman in 2028. Semafor, a political news source, reported this week that Wild...
Some Pa. lawmakers call for suspending state taxes on gas and dieselVideo
With average gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon, and diesel prices nearly $2 a gallon higher, some Pennsylvania lawmakers are exploring temporarily suspending the state’s taxes on both. “Everybody is talking about affordability, but what are we doing about it? I think we can do something,” state Sen. Lisa...
Mandatory life in prison for 2nd-degree murder is unconstitutional, Pa. Supreme Court rules
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Thursday that mandatory life in prison without parole for those convicted of second-degree, or felony, murder is unconstitutional. In a 72-page opinion, Chief Justice Debra Todd, writing for the majority, said such an automatic sentence is “inconsistent” with the protection guaranteed under the state constitution...
‘A fundamental right’: Pa. House again passes bill to end state’s unenforced gay marriage ban
A bill to repeal Pennsylvania’s currently-unenforceable same-sex marriage ban cleared the state House for the second time on Wednesday, with the partisan divide on the issue little changed in two years. The measure, which would strike the line in state law saying that marriage is “between one man and one...
John Fetterman’s support for Trump’s DHS secretary has made his bad relationship with Democrats even worse: ‘He needs to go’
When Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta lost a bitter U.S. Senate primary to then-Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in 2022, he immediately threw his support behind the Democratic nominee — vowing to campaign vigorously for Fetterman, who went onto win the general election as he was recovering from a stroke. Fetterman...
Pa. teens get probation after using AI to create fake nudes of classmates
LANCASTER — Two teenage boys who used artificial intelligence to create fake nude photos of their classmates at an exclusive private school in Pennsylvania received probation Wednesday after dozens of victims described the images’ traumatizing effect on them. The boys were 14 at the time. They admitted this month that...
Pennsylvania joins multi-state lawsuit against EPA for repealing Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding
Pennsylvania has joined 21 other states in a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s repeal of the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. On March 19, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed onto a lawsuit over the February finding that the EPA lacks statutory authority under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air...
Pa. House votes to boost state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029
The state House voted Tuesday afternoon to boost Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029. Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009. “If you work hard, you shouldn’t have to worry about your next meal or having a roof over your head. Pennsylvania needs a...
Pennsylvania deer season opener: Bill introduced for return to Monday tradition
Two state senators said Monday they introduced legislation to restore Pennsylvania’s deer firearms season opener to the first Monday after Thanksgiving. It’s a tradition they say the state wrongfully disrupted in shifting opening day to the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2019. Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Lycoming County, and Sen. Lisa Boscola,...
Kermit Gosnell, West Philadelphia abortion doctor convicted of murder, dies while serving prison term
Kermit Gosnell, the infamous West Philadelphia abortion doctor who was sentenced to life in prison on murder and manslaughter convictions in 2013, has died. Gosnell, 85, died earlier this month at a hospital, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections said. He was most recently being held at State Correctional Institution Smithfield...
Shapiro parodies and chatbot phone banks — how AI is popping up in Pa. elections
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. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Candidates for office in Pennsylvania are using AI tools to generate parody images of their rivals, create...
John Fetterman doubles down on ‘TDS’ claim in face of historically bad pollingVideo
Sen. John Fetterman did not back down in the face of historically bad polling numbers in his appearance this weekend on Fox News’ “My View” with Lara Trump. Fetterman entered the day fresh off a new Quinnipiac poll that showed him at -40 in favorability rating with Pennsylvania Democrats. That...
Fetterman hit with brutal 108-point polling swing among Pennsylvania Democrats
Sen. John Fetterman’s political future is not looking bright if he decides to stay in the Democratic Party. At least that’s what a recent Quinnipiac poll, which was highlighted by CNN data guru Harry Enten during his most recent segment, suggests. The polling showed that Fetterman was at +68 with...
State Rep. Lindsay Powell co-sponsors bill to limit smoke shop proximity to schools
A state representative from Philadelphia is lobbying to prohibit smoke shops from setting up too close to schools or other places where children gather. Democratic State Rep. Ben Waxman introduced a bill that would limit new smoke shops from opening within 500 feet of daycare centers, K-12 schools, youth centers...
Fetterman says Trump Derangement Syndrome controls Democratic Party
Sen. John Fetterman has taken yet another jab at his colleagues, saying on a podcast that Trump Derangement Syndrome controls a leaderless Democratic Party. During an appearance on the “All-In” podcast, host David Friedberg asked Fetterman to name the leader of the Democratic Party and the senator replied, “We don’t...
Pa. House Republicans hold on to key seats in special elections
Pennsylvania Republicans held on to two state House seats, critical to keeping them within striking range of majority control, in special elections Tuesday. Preliminary counts showed Catherine Wallen of York Springs had prevailed over Todd Crawley in the 193rd House District, covering parts of Adams and Cumberland counties. In Blair...
Pa. Senate passes bill to protect children, others by mandating safeguards for AI ‘friend’ bots
The state Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would require AI chatbot operators to implement guardrails against self-harm and sexually explicit material, putting near-unanimous bipartisan support behind an idea that has also been endorsed by Gov. Josh Shapiro. The bill comes as polls show a growing public pushback to...
Josh Shapiro doesn’t take Bill Maher’s ‘bait’ about presidential bidVideo
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was cagey Friday night about his presidential aspirations in an appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher, ” but he spoke like someone who has his eyes set on 2028. “What is the story with always writing a book when you’re running for president?” Maher asked...
Western Pa. lawmakers secure $406M in federal earmarks for local projects
Congressional earmarks have returned in a big way this fiscal year, with $15.7 billion tucked into non-defense appropriations bills to support more than 8,000 projects nationwide. Western Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation has secured more than $406 million for nearly 200 government and nonprofit projects, records show. Those lawmakers have requested another...
Ex-Gettysburg mayor performed sex acts with teen during ‘late night talks’ on Skype: police
Gettysburg’s recently resigned mayor exchanged sexually explicit messages and photos with a teenage boy more than 10 years ago while working together at the community theater that he founded, police said. Chad-Alan Carr, 48, was the executive director of the Gettysburg Community Theater when the abuse happened in 2011-13, with...
Will independents ever get to vote in Pa. primaries? Advocates hope a lawsuit moves the needle.
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. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Supporters of opening Pennsylvania’s primaries to more than 1 million unaffiliated voters hope the courts will accomplish...
Pa. candidate Janelle Stelson proposes mandatory retirement at 80 for members of Congress
Janelle Stelson unveiled a package of Congressional reforms Tuesday to push for if elected from Pennsylvania’s 10th House District. To get there, Stelson must first win a contested Democratic primary against Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas, and then prevail against Republican incumbent Scott Perry in the general election. The former...
