Pennsylvania farmers and agricultural experts say they’re dealing with a mental health crisis and need more support from the state.

A joint hearing of the state House and Senate Agriculture committees at the Pennsylvania Farm Show included testimony from Penn State researchers.

During this week's Pennsylvania Farm Show, officials announced the awarding of more than $400,000 in state grants to benefit organizations in 33 counties that support youth seeking careers in agriculture.

Philadelphia's elected officials are speaking out against the potential of mass ICE raids in the city.

A recent poll finds 42% of Pennsylvania do not want data centers built in or near their community. Yet many state and local lawmakers are accepting the proliferation of data center plans across Pennsylvania, according to reporting by our partners at Spotlight PA.

Pennsylvania is officially launching its America250 celebration county-by-county. The nearly two-week-long statewide tour through all 67 counties begins this Friday (Jan. 16) in the Philadelphia region, with ceremonies at each county's courthouse. The tour travels to Lancaster County on Saturday with ceremonies at 4 pm and onto Schuylkill County on Sunday with ceremonies at 9:30 am.

Artists in all 67 Pennsylvania counties are researching, painting and decorating large fiberglass bell sculptures in conjunction with America250 PA festivities. We talk with a local artist, Phil George of Carlisle, to learn more about the significance of the symbols he painted on Cumberland County’s bell, now on display on the square in Carlisle.

If you're already a member of WITF's Sustaining Circle, you know how convenient it is to support programs like this. By increasing your monthly gift, you can help WITF close the budget gap left by the loss of federal funding. Visit us online at witf.org/increase or become a new Sustaining Circle member at www.witf.org/givenow to help build a sustainable future for WITF and public media. Thank you.

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As of this week there are eight counties in northwestern Pennsylvania without a hospital where a person can give birth. Warren County is the latest addition to the region’s expanding maternity care desert.

Some public health experts worry the Trump administration's new vaccine guidelines could harm immunity from highly contagious diseases. An analysis of school vaccination data finds that vaccine rates were already declining.

A new program being developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging would create community-based groups to address protective services cases for older adults. The pilot program includes several central PA counties.

Police have charged an 11-year-old Perry County boy with homicide after they say he shot and killed a 42-year-old man that neighbors identify as his father.

Dina Powell McCormick, the wife of U.S. Senator Dave McCormick is the new president and vice chairman of Meta, the parent company of Facebook.

The Mike Tomlin era with the Pittsburgh Steelers is over. The longest tenured head coach in major American professional sports stepped down Tuesday after yet another quick playoff exit.

Latvia is the first country that will have to make an injury replacement for the men's hockey tournament at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Forward Eriks Mateiko was sliced by an opponent's skate blade while playing in the American Hockey League with the Hershey Bears.

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Republican gubernatorial candidate and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who hopes to unseat Josh Shapiro as Governor this year, has previously suggested Donald Trump won the 20-20 election. She revised those remarks on Monday.

Meantime, Garrity says rural Pennsylvania should embrace the data center boom. Polling shows voters may not be so interested.

Facebook's parent company Meta has announced it reached a deal to purchase nuclear power from the Beaver Valley power plant in western Pennsylvania and two others in Ohio.

Penn State officials say two unique programs at closing Commonwealth campuses – including Mont Alto - will be moved to the Altoona campus.

A Berks County township is spending thousands of dollars to apparently hide details of a proposed law from local residents. According to reporting by our partners at Spotlight PA, a group of residents is also spending thousands of dollars trying to get Tulpehocken Township officials to disclose the proposed ordinance that could affect their farms.

A York County Sheriff’s Office K9 has died, just weeks before his retirement.

And a contest that celebrates the much maligned but enduring mullet hairstyle brought thousands of spectators to a stage at the Pennsylvania Farm Show on Monday.

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, and thanks!

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A Lancaster County man is accused of stealing human remains from 100 graves at Delaware County's Mount Moriah Cemetery. Jonathan Gerlach, a resident of Ephrata, is also being investigated in connection with November’s theft of two bodies from Good Shepherd Memorial Park in Luzerne County.

A new study from Penn State University finds a ‘hot-spot’ of melanoma cases in central Pennsylvania. The study found a pattern of skin cancer in counties with or near farmland. That hot spot spans 15 counties and includes Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Union and York Counties.

Last week, WHYY’s Terry Gross appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to celebrate Fresh Air's 50th anniversary.

A 61-year-old Hanover man died at UPMC Pinnacle Hospital after a fire late Friday night according to the York County Coroner's Office.

We’re learning more about a chase that ended in a stand off and shooting Friday in Berks County that closed down Route 61 for nearly six hours.

The city of Harrisburg has been awarded a $750,000 grant under a program administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development. The funds will be used to make significant upgrades to the Capitol Area Greenbelt, a popular 26-acre outdoor recreation space.

If you're already a member of WITF's Sustaining Circle, you know how convenient it is to support programs like this. By increasing your monthly gift, you can help WITF close the budget gap left by the loss of federal funding. Visit us online at witf.org/increase or become a new Sustaining Circle member at www.witf.org/givenow to help build a sustainable future for WITF and public media. Thank you.

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Governor Josh Shapiro has officially launched his reelection campaign, telling supporters in Pittsburgh late last week that he will try to build on his earlier successes -- and defuse rampant partisanship.

Democrats in Pennsylvania are hoping Governor Josh Shapiro’s bid for reelection this year will drive wins in other key races. Shapiro is embracing that call to arms.

Pennsylvania officials say they are not in discussions to share private voter information with officials in Ohio. That's despite an announcement by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

The man who served as lead prosecutor in the Jerry Sandusky trial has died.

The process of fracking a well brings up gas or oil from deep underground. But it also brings dirt and rocks that could be contaminated with radioactivity and other chemicals. In both Pennsylvania and Ohio, this waste is often sent to the same landfills as our household trash -- and a patchwork of state rules allows it to slip by regulators.

If you're already a member of WITF's Sustaining Circle, you know how convenient it is to support programs like this. By increasing your monthly gift, you can help WITF close the budget gap left by the loss of federal funding. Visit us online at witf.org/increase or become a new Sustaining Circle member at www.witf.org/givenow to help build a sustainable future for WITF and public media. Thank you.

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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is running for a second term. Shapiro made the official announcement Thursday at events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Meantime, Republican State Senator Doug Mastriano has announced that he is not running for his party's nomination for governor this year.

Pittsburgh is losing its biggest and oldest daily newspaper. The owner of the Post-Gazette announced it will shut down in May.

The Public Utility Commission has scheduled a series of hearings in mid-January to gather public input on proposed rate increases by the Pennsylvania American Water Company for both its water and wastewater service.

Cases of influenza are on the rise - regionally and nationally. Lancaster County has the fifth-highest rate of influenza cases in Pennsylvania, according to state health department data.

Four special elections will be held across Pennsylvania to fill four vacated state lawmaker seats - including one in south central Pa.

The food court at the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show opens today (Friday) with free parking and hours from 12 noon through 9 p-m. A full slate of events kicks off Saturday at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.

And a deeper dive:

When you think of whiskey, places like Scotland, Ireland or even Tennessee or Kentucky may come to mind. But Pennsylvania has a rich whiskey tradition … particularly for rye whiskey. Now, whiskey lovers are trying to put Pennsylvania back on the map.

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. And thank you!

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In Harrisburg, Democratic state lawmakers held a ceremony this week, marking the five year anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump.

A Pennsylvania lawmaker is pushing new legislation aimed at shoring up local journalism as news deserts expand across the state.

Studies estimate that up to 90% of children in foster care have experienced trauma, and up to 80% deal with significant mental health issues.

Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has set a new campaign finance record in the state with $30 million on hand.

High-stake elections in 2026 will determine control of the Pennsylvania legislature. And if historic trends hold, this year's elections would favor Democrats.

Filings in at least 13 Pennsylvania cases contained confirmed or implied use of artificial intelligence. Some of those cases were brought by pro se litigants - or people acting as their own attorneys. The use of A-I is raising questions from judges and legal scholars.

Looking back at 2025, it was a big year for farmland preservation in Pennsylvania. The state Agriculture Department reports another 167 farms totaling more than 14,000 acres were designated for agricultural use only – just before the end of the year.

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Democrats nationwide are rejecting President Donald Trump’s seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Governor Josh Shapiro is joining the criticism.

Meantime, U.S. Senator Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania is commending Donald Trump’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

The former president and CEO of the Sheetz convenience store chain has died at the age of 77.

Former Major League outfielder Lenny Dykstra, who played for the Phillies from 1989 to 1996, has been arrested in northeastern PA on drug charges.

Chambersburg Police are charging a Chambersburg Middle School student with attempted homicide and aggravated assault after the student attacked a fellow student with a knife Monday morning.

Cumberland County authorities say an inmate was found dead in her cell at the Cumberland County Prison last Friday.

Meantime, an inmate at the Lancaster County Prison also died Friday, after being taken to the hospital for difficulty breathing.

Four people injured in an explosion at a Pennsylvania nursing home two weeks ago are suing the facility and a natural gas utility.

An Adams County fire chief was arrested after police say he defrauded more than $14,000 from two Maryland fire companies.

If you already support WITF with an ongoing monthly contribution, thank you. If every member of WITF's Sustaining Circle increased their gift by as little as $12 a month, we could close the budget gap caused by cuts in federal funding and keep programming like the Morning Agenda going strong. Increase your monthly gift today at witf.org/increase or become a new Sustaining Circle member at www.witf.org/givenow.

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