Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Pennsylvania Capital-Star impact Pennsylvanians and their communities.

We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to fact-based, smart, nuanced, fair, and transparent coverage of how policies implemented in Harrisburg and Washington D.C.

*The Week in Focus is a recap of our three top stories, with a new video posting every Friday.*1. Hospitality workers ma...
08/08/2025

*The Week in Focus is a recap of our three top stories, with a new video posting every Friday.*

1. Hospitality workers may be required to undergo training to recognize human trafficking.

2. Kids in one western Pennsylvania community can breathe easier after a coal plant shuttered.

3. Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley is seeking the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District seat.

Hospitality workers may be required to undergo training to recognize human trafficking. Kids in one western Pennsylvania community can breathe easier after a coal plant shuttered.

“I understand that part of politics is like a game of cards sometimes … but this is really dangerous when you’re playing...
08/06/2025

“I understand that part of politics is like a game of cards sometimes … but this is really dangerous when you’re playing with people’s lives,” Northampton County Commissioner Lori Vargo Heffner said. “Is it a child who gets abused? Is it an elder who gets neglected?”

If the state budget paralysis in Harrisburg continues much longer, Pennsylvanians with real problems will be the first to feel the pain, advocates for county governments and human services say. Pennsylvania’s 67 counties serve, in-part, as conduits to deliver services to people that are paid for b...

Forty-three percent of human trafficking convictions in Pennsylvania during 2014-2023 came from cases in or near Philade...
08/06/2025

Forty-three percent of human trafficking convictions in Pennsylvania during 2014-2023 came from cases in or near Philadelphia, according to The Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law.

Pennsylvania hotels, short-term rentals and third-party contractors would have to ensure workers have been trained to recognize and report human trafficking – or risk losing their license to operate – under a measure in the state House.

Pennsylvania won’t share food stamp recipient data with the federal government – at least for now – citing data securit...
08/01/2025

Pennsylvania won’t share food stamp recipient data with the federal government – at least for now – citing data security concerns and risking hundreds of millions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program aid for more than two million state residents.

The state Department of Human Services, which administers SNAP, released a letter to Gina Brand – senior policy advisor for integrity at the United States Department of Agriculture food, nutrition and consumer services – to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star late Wednesday and declined further comment.

Pennsylvania won’t share food stamp recipient data with the federal government – at least for now – citing data security concerns and risking hundreds of millions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program aid for more than two million state residents. The state Department of Huma...

On Thursday, community members had the chance to voice their hopes and concerns about the planned reopening of the Three...
08/01/2025

On Thursday, community members had the chance to voice their hopes and concerns about the planned reopening of the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor.

More than 100 people attended a public meeting held by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) at the Penn State Harrisburg campus near Middletown, less than five miles from the now-decommissioned reactor.

“Tonight, the reason we’re here is transparency and communication with the public,” said Jamie Pelton, acting director of the Division of Operating Reactor Licensing.

Attendees offered polarized views, with some concerned about the potential of another failure like the one in 1979, or the impacts on the environment and public health. Others were hopeful that reopening the reactor could bring much-needed jobs and stimulate the economy

*The Week in Focus is a recap of our top stories, with a new video posting every Friday*Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed ont...
08/01/2025

*The Week in Focus is a recap of our top stories, with a new video posting every Friday*

Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed onto a lawsuit alleging the federal government is illegally blocking Medicaid funds from going to Planned Parenthood and affiliated healthcare providers.

And a new merger between Union Pacific with Norfolk Southern could create the first transcontinental, coast-to-coast rail system.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed onto a lawsuit alleging the federal government is illegally blocking Medicaid funds from going to Planned Parenthood and affiliated healthcare providers.

Norfolk Southern operates 2,410 miles of track and employs more than 3,400 people in Pennsylvania. It has intermodal ter...
07/30/2025

Norfolk Southern operates 2,410 miles of track and employs more than 3,400 people in Pennsylvania. It has intermodal terminals in several commonwealth communities, including Bethlehem, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh and rail yards in others, such as Reading, Altoona, and Waynesburg.

Omaha-based Union Pacific Railroad’s announcement Tuesday that it is acquiring the Norfolk Southern Railway — a move that would create the first transcontinental, coast-to-coast rail system — drew praise from Nebraska’s public and business leaders.

A western Pennsylvania prosecutor facing scrutiny over his prolific pursuit of the death penalty in cases is accused of ...
07/30/2025

A western Pennsylvania prosecutor facing scrutiny over his prolific pursuit of the death penalty in cases is accused of compelling a county coroner to help bolster his political image by filing a fraudulent death certificate.

Washington County Coroner Timothy Warco said in an affidavit filed Tuesday in state Supreme Court that District Attorney Jason Walsh was dissatisfied after the Allegheny County Medical Examiner labeled the manner of death of a two-month-old child in May 2022 undetermined.

Washington County Coroner Timothy Warco said in an affidavit DA Jason Walsh pressured him to file a fraudulent death certificate.

“I would just like to say to all of my fellow hunters out there, let’s make this a golden opportunity and do Sunday the ...
07/29/2025

“I would just like to say to all of my fellow hunters out there, let’s make this a golden opportunity and do Sunday the way it needs to be done,” Game Commissioner Robert C. Schwalm said during Monday’s meeting. “We need to recruit. We need to reactivate and we need to retain.”

The Pennsylvania Game Commission met on Monday to announce the dates for Sunday hunting in 2025.

For nearly a month, $230 million slated for Pennsylvania schools was in limbo.According to an analysis by Education Week...
07/25/2025

For nearly a month, $230 million slated for Pennsylvania schools was in limbo.

According to an analysis by Education Week, the amount due Pennsylvania is the sixth largest amount among the states after California, Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois.

The Trump administration said Friday it’ll soon release billions in Education Department funding that has been frozen for weeks, delaying disbursements to K-12 schools throughout the country.

*The Week in Focus is a recap of our top stories, with a new video posting every Friday*What’s at stake with the propose...
07/25/2025

*The Week in Focus is a recap of our top stories, with a new video posting every Friday*

What’s at stake with the proposed transit funding increase in Pennsylvania?

And Pennsylvania Republicans are outraising Democrats.

What’s at stake with the proposed transit funding increase in Pennsylvania?And Pennsylvania Republicans are outraising Democrats.

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