Episodios

  • PA Headlines | April 16 | A new Pa. Army National Guard unit will address modern warfare.
    Apr 16 2026

    The Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s historic 28th Infantry Division has created a new unit to counter modern threats. The change is part of a broader initiative across the U-S Army in response to lessons learned in Ukraine, where drones and other electronic warfare made traditional tactics obsolete.

    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, slated for closure in May, will instead continue operations under a new nonprofit owner.

    The Pennsylvania state House has approved two bills to regulate data center development.

    The State Department of Labor and Industry has announced nearly 3 million dollars in Industry Partnership grants aimed at strengthening Pennsylvania's workforce and economy. Some of that investment is headed to our region.

    State officials announced the digital marketing agency Web FX is making a nearly $11 million investment to expand its operations in Harrisburg. The commonwealth is contributing $900,000 to the project which is expected to create 100 new tech jobs over the next three years, in addition to retaining around 400 existing positions.

    Pennsylvania State Police are investigating a death at the York County Prison.

    Maternal health advocates are applauding Governor Shapiro's five-year plan to improve maternal health, but they are concerned about how the plan will be funded.

    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!

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

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    10 m
  • PA Headlines | April 15 | State geocaching trail launches from York County, tied into America250.
    Apr 15 2026

    One way Pennsylvania is marking America's 250th anniversary is through a geocaching trail which includes 25 state parks. The GPS-driven scavenger hunt has sites in several state parks located in the midstate.

    York County Commissioner Julie Wheeler hailed the announcement as a great way to tie recreation together with local history.

    More news from Pennsylvania’s state park system: Pennsylvania is adding its 125th state park this month — and this one is entirely underground.

    And in Blair County, Hollidaysburg Borough Council members are compromising on their vision for a Slinky museum. The iconic spring toy will soon share exhibit space with another part of the borough’s history.

    Pennsylvania Army National Guard soldiers are forming a new reconnaissance unit designed to counter modern battlefield threats, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

    Even though the weather turned unseasonably warm this week, many Pennsylvanians continue facing financial challenges paying for this past winter's heating bills. That's why Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh has extended the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program - or LIHEAP - season through May 8th.

    Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is launching a new program designed for small business owners - and to help craftspeople become entrepreneurs.

    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.

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

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    8 m
  • PA Headlines | April 14 | Shapiro and Democrats rally ahead of midterms; call 2026 a window of opportunity.
    Apr 14 2026

    Governor Josh Shapiro is rallying Democrats ahead of this year’s midterm elections. Shapiro spoke to a nearly packed room of almost 400 people at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.

    Several high-profile Democrats also spoke at the weekend event. Conor Lamb, a former U.S. Representative who also ran against Senator John Fetterman, says Democrats have a large window of opportunity this year.

    For decades, social scientists studying bias and prejudice have relied on Project Implicit, a nonprofit research collaborative and website where people can take tests to measure their own unconscious biases. Millions of people have taken tests on the site over the years. The data collected on the site has also led to many research studies. Now, the funding for the site is under threat.

    Pennsylvania's two major party gubernatorial candidates - Governor Josh Shapiro and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity - are traveling the country to meet with donors and fundraise. During the first three months of the year, Shapiro out-raised Garrity 10 to one.

    HACC announces it's eliminating 87 filled positions and 41 vacant positions.

    Steelton mayor Ciera Dent announced Sunday the Dauphin County borough is launching a new program to curb gun violence, following recent shootings.

    14 horses died Sunday in a barn fire at Hanover Shoe Farms.

    Firefighters from Franklin, Adams and Cumberland counties continue to battle a Franklin County forest fire.

    And now a deep dive:
    Several states — including Pennsylvania — are in federal court over the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s latest executive order to rework elections. Trump explained the order by repeating his often-discredited claim that non-citizens are voting en masse and in favor of his political opponents. WITF’s Jordan Wilkie speaks with Carter Walker, reporter for Votebeat, about his story of how non-citizens were registering to vote in Pennsylvania, and how current Secretary of State Al Schmidt led the charge to fix the problem.

    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.

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

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    14 m
  • PA Headlines | April 13 | ICE appeals orders that stalled Berks and Schuylkill Co. detention centers.
    Apr 13 2026

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is appealing orders that have basically stalled two detention centers planned in Pennsylvania. Part of the issue is the sites’ water and sewage capacity wouldn’t support the number of people who’d be there, should the facilities come to fruition.

    The continued detention of an asylum-seeker arrested in Central Pennsylvania highlights many of the Trump administration’s changes to immigration policy.

    The State Attorney General's Office is warning Pennsylvanians about the prevalence of fraudulent investment schemes on Meta social media platforms.

    And the deadline to file your taxes – April 15th – is coming up this week. It ties into April’s focus as Financial Literacy Month in Pennsylvania. The State Department of Banking and Securities is celebrating by offering financial education programs throughout the month.

    If you're already a member of WITF's Sustaining Circle, you know how convenient it is to support programs like The Morning Agenda. 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. And thank you!

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

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    7 m
  • PA Headlines | April 10 | How to protect against wildfires.
    Apr 10 2026

    The National Weather Service issued an elevated risk of wildfire spread Thursday. Forecasters say the combination of marginally dry and breezy conditions is creating an elevated risk of wildfire spread across most of central Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's wildfire season runs from March through May.

    Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity recently donated nearly $38,000 in unclaimed property to five nonprofit agencies.

    One of the nonprofits receiving those donations is the Caring Cupboard based in Palmyra, Lebanon County.

    Officials with an animal rehab center in northeastern Pennsylvania are looking to re-house hundreds of pigeons that were rescued from a Wilkes-Barre home earlier this week.

    Pennsylvania State Police investigated more than 530 crashes over the Easter holiday weekend. Six of those crashes involved fatalities.

    Former Gettysburg mayor Chad-Alan Carr is facing additional charges after three more people came forward with allegations including sexual assault. Additionally, a warrant was issued for his arrest, after it was determined he had left Gettysburg and was in Texas.

    Konnor Griffin has signed a nine-year, $140 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The deal with the 19-year-old shortstop is the largest in club history.

    And now it’s time for a new weekly segment called The Bright Spot. Every Friday, I’ll share a positive news story that may have gotten lost amid this week's news cycle.

    Today’s bright spot is this:

    Nearly 50 years later, Cincinnati may get a real radio station named WKRP. As heard on WITF’s Morning Edition earlier this week, the call letters WKRP were recently put up for auction.

    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!

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

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    11 m
  • PA Headlines | April 9 | Grassroots candidate Justin Douglas enters Congressional primary vs. Janelle Stelson.
    Apr 9 2026

    Five weeks before Pennsylvania’s primary, a self-declared grassroots candidate is trying to upset the Democratic Party’s endorsed choice for Congress. The winner will face Republican Scott Perry in a contest projected to be competitive for a U.S. House seat.

    The voter registration deadline for the upcoming primary is less than a month away.

    Dozens of new data centers are planned across Pennsylvania. State lawmakers have introduced a flurry of legislation to address their rapid growth.

    This year, all of Pennsylvania's state Representatives and half of Pennsylvania's state Senators will be on the ballot. These races often receive less media attention than the races at the top-of-the-ballot, for the U.S. House or governor.

    Harrisburg Area Community College is appointing a new president. The board of trustees selected Daniel Lufkin, who brings 20 years of experience in higher education, most recently as president of a college in Texas.

    A documentary film project is underway in Berks County, telling the story of Latinos who settled in Reading decades ago.

    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!

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

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    9 m
  • PA Headlines | April 8 | Thousands of Pennsylvanians drop health insurance.
    Apr 8 2026

    More than 120,000 Pennsylvanians have dropped health insurance coverage through the state's marketplace this year. Premium spikes and the loss of federal subsidies are playing a role.

    It’s well known that smoking can lead to lung cancer. New research now finds a connection between lung cancer and air pollution.

    U.S. Steel’s new owner scored near the bottom in a new climate ranking for steel companies.

    Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry has released a preliminary report on unemployment and the workforce from January. Combined with the latest national jobs data, it’s generally good news.

    Five Pennsylvania counties - including Franklin - are billing the federal government when they detain and house immigrants in their jails. That's according to a first-of-its-kind review by our partners at Spotlight PA.

    The WellSpan Health Board of Directors is announcing the health system's president and CEO Roxanna Gapstur is retiring.

    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.

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

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    10 m
  • PA Headlines | April 7 | While lawmakers consider raising Pa.’s minimum wage, a PR firm campaigns against it.
    Apr 7 2026

    Pennsylvania Democrats recently got a bill to raise the minimum wage through the state House, though it likely will face resistance in the GOP-controlled Senate. It’s the third time in four years that this chain of events is playing out on this issue. But a public relations firm is now getting involved, opposing the measure on behalf of industries that rely on low-wage workers and their allies.

    The Governor's proposed budget includes nearly a million dollars in state funding for healthy meals for Medicaid recipients with chronic health conditions. The money would fund a new pilot program.

    State officials are unveiling a maternal health strategic action plan called Healthy Moms, Vibrant Futures. It’s designed to reduce inequities in prenatal and postpartum care and parenting supports, particularly among expectant mothers who are Black and/or suffering from a substance use disorder.

    Catholic dioceses around the U.S. are seeing significant increases in the number of new members. The National Catholic Register (NCR) newspaper recently reported many U.S. dioceses were expecting heavy increases in people joining the Catholic Church at Easter, including some with record highs. Three of the biggest spikes were in Pennsylvania dioceses - including Altoona-Johnstown (up 84%), Harrisburg (up 77%), and Philadelphia (up 60%).

    Two Berks County firefighters were killed in a head-on crash Saturday night. It happened as they were traveling in a utility vehicle during a search for a missing woman.

    Pennsylvania lawmakers could begin requiring employers to provide paid parental and medical leave. However, critical disagreements remain, on who should carry the cost.

    Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday recently announced his office is ranked #1 in the nation for Medicaid fraud convictions.

    Soccer fans can celebrate their sport at an upcoming street party in Lancaster. The city is announcing they're throwing a free World Cup Watch Party and Festival at Binns Park and Ewell Plaza on Friday, June 12th.

    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.

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

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    10 m