(The Center Square) – The teacher shortage in Pennsylvania has reached a critical point. While a large cohort of educators heads toward retirement, the state has been struggling to attract new talent into the field, resulting in an a deficit of over 4,400 teachers in the 2022-2023 school year alone. That's why the public Insight PA Cyber Charter School is answering the call to use their Career and Technical Education, or CTE, programming to guide interested students toward teaching careers and t...
Dec 20, 2024•4 min•Ep. 329
(The Center Square) - By commuting the sentences of 1,500 people who were released to home confinement during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden drew the ire of many Pennsylvanians who were affected by what became known as the “kids for cash” scandal in Luzerne County. “It is truly disheartening to see a national leader on criminal justice issues for decades so wantonly undermine the rule of equal justice in his waning days,” said Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Dallas. Michael Conah...
Dec 19, 2024•5 min•Ep. 328
(The Center Square) – The American Tort Reform Foundation has labeled Pennsylvania as the nation’s worst “Judicial Hellhole” in a new report. “Lawsuit abuse in the City of Brotherly Love has reached a fever pitch with nuclear verdicts,” claims the foundation, suggesting that “eye-popping nine-figure damage awards were issued without hardly a thought.” In making its case against the commonwealth, the group highlights huge sums awarded in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and recent decisions...
Dec 14, 2024•5 min•Ep. 327
(The Center Square) – The manhunt for the person who gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk five days ago ended at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa. Described as a “vigilante” jaded by the commercial health insurance industry, Gov. Josh Shapiro said online support for the accused, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, leaves him sickened. “I have no tolerance nor should anyone for one man using an illegal ghost gun to murder someone because he thinks his opinion matters most,” ...
Dec 13, 2024•9 min•Ep. 326
(The Center Square) – Local officials caught defying Pennsylvania election law may find themselves without a job. Rep. Joe D’Orsie, R-York, is drafting legislation that would give the state House the power to remove county and municipal officials from office. It’s similar to the impeachment process and would ultimately require voter approval. D’Orsie and other members of the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus back the bill after Bucks County Commissioners voted to count roughly 400 ballots with dating ...
Dec 12, 2024•12 min•Ep. 325
(The Center Square) – In a report issued by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, disparities in domestic violence reporting between rural and urban communities reveal stark differences in the experiences of survivors. The study, conducted by Dr. Emily Strohacker at Penn State Harrisburg, surveyed and interviewed survivors across the commonwealth, primarily identified through victim service organizations. "Victims of domestic violence in rural areas face barriers to getting help that are unique,” s...
Dec 07, 2024•4 min•Ep. 324
(The Center Square) – Some Pittsburgh residents may feel déjà vu as the city’s public school system considers yet another plan to close buildings and redistribute many of its 20,000 students. Though many see the district as overspending and underperforming, the strategy of reconfiguring schools also raises questions among parents who say similar attempts over the last 20 years didn’t pan out. Faced with declining enrollment and expensive facility upkeep, the district contracted Educational Resou...
Dec 06, 2024•4 min•Ep. 323
A controversial $14.9 billion overseas buyout of the iconic U.S. Steel company based in Pittsburgh still doesn’t have Donald Trump’s support. On Tuesday, the president-elect reaffirmed his vow to block the deal with Japanese-based Nippon Steel, upholding the same promise given by the Biden administration earlier this year. Instead, Trump says, stronger tariffs will save the company from shuttering its headquarters in the eponymous Steel City and moving further south. Support this podcast: https:...
Dec 05, 2024•8 min•Ep. 322
State government covers more than half of operational costs for mass transit systems in Pennsylvania’s largest cities. Notably, it’s not rider fares or contributions from local taxing authorities. In 2022, the latter represented just 7.5% of funding for both SEPTA in the Philadelphia region and the Pittsburgh Transit Authority, which operates 300 miles to the west in Allegheny County. This stands in stark contrast to systems in Boston, Chicago and New York City, where state governments pay betwe...
Nov 27, 2024•9 min•Ep. 321
Pennsylvania's state Supreme Court told counties on Monday that ballots with dating errors cannot be counted as valid. The emergency order comes after elected officials in Bucks, Centre, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties overlooked the deficiencies, in violation of a previous high court ruling that said doing so was against state election law. The 4-3 order comes four days after the state and national Republican Party filed for extraordinary relief over the counting of undated and misdated ba...
Nov 22, 2024•8 min•Ep. 320
Last week, SEPTA announced a major fare increase after the state’s legislative session ended without approving additional funding for the flagging system. With each side of the state’s divided government blaming the other, SEPTA and its riders are left to make up the deficit. Legislators in Harrisburg have debated the issue several times over. Passage has been tied to skills game reform and infrastructure spending for roads and bridges, but it has never made it to the governor’s desk. Support th...
Nov 21, 2024•4 min•Ep. 319
Pennsylvania Democrats will return to the state House in January with a one-seat majority intact. This, after incumbent Rep. Frank Burns staved off Republican challenger Amy Bradley in the state’s 72nd district, nestled in deep red Cambria County. It’s the very same county that extended voting hours Tuesday after a ballot printing issue derailed counting. The mishap delayed results for many of the state’s closer races, including Dave McCormick’s defeat of Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. – a r...
Nov 16, 2024•8 min•Ep. 318
With all eyes on Pennsylvania, officials across the commonwealth oversaw a relatively smooth Election Day. And despite occasional local issues ranging from bomb threats to power outages, the state largely averted many of the concerns that lingered from previous elections. Of particular note was the speed with which votes were returned this election allowing officials to call the state, and the presidential race, in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot...
Nov 15, 2024•7 min•Ep. 317
Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race is heading toward a recount. Democrat Bob Casey Jr. has not yet conceded to Republican challenger Dave McCormick, despite national media agreement that the two-term senator cannot close the 29,000-vote gap that remains. State law triggers a recount when the winner’s margin is less than 0.5 percentage points unless the loser waives the action. Casey trails by just 0.46 points and did not exercise that right. The automatic recount must be completed before Nov. 27 at...
Nov 14, 2024•6 min•Ep. 316
The media and consulting firm linked to fraudulent voter registration forms in Pennsylvania earlier this week has gone dark as of Saturday. Field and Media Corps – the website and social media accounts of which are now defunct – is an Arizona-based company that contracts with Everybody Votes to run a canvassing operation in Pennsylvania and other states that target low-income minority residents unregistered to vote. The Monroe County District Attorney’s Office confirmed Wednesday that 30 registr...
Nov 09, 2024•6 min•Ep. 315
Donald Trump took back Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral college votes early Wednesday after an intense campaigning schedule centered on the commonwealth. Multiple media outlets called the race for the former president with just over 95% of the ballots counted. At time of publication, he led Vice President Kamala Harris by more than 193,000 votes. Or, as Trump said himself during a rally in Reading on Monday, “If we win Pennsylvania, we win the whole ball of wax.” Trump clinched the 270 needed to win ...
Nov 08, 2024•7 min•Ep. 314
Nearly 24 hours after polls closed across Pennsylvania, voters still don’t know who their next U.S. senator will be. As of 4 p.m., Republican Dave McCormick clings to a 31,000-vote lead, with 98% of ballots counted, according to The Associated Press. State returns show just under 6.8 million voters cast a ballot in the race out of 9 million registered. McCormick’s performance is an outlier result given the strong performance of other Republican candidates for statewide office, all led by Preside...
Nov 07, 2024•5 min•Ep. 313
Every four years, Americans make a choice between the two candidates they most trust to lead the nation. On the surface, it’s Republican or Democrat. In decades past, it’s been budget hawk or big spender. In centuries past, it’s been isolationist or globalist. But in 2024, it’s fascism or communism. At least, that’s the messaging neither candidate strayed far from during highly anticipated speeches on Tuesday. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4...
Nov 02, 2024•9 min•Ep. 312
Pennsylvania election workers flagged 2,500 voter registrations dropped off Monday in Lancaster County for suspected fraud. In a press conference Friday, elected officials and investigators with the attorney general's office said 60% of the applications reviewed so far have been deemed illegitimate. The registrations in question were delivered in two batches. Ray D’Agostino, vice chairman of the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners, said workers noticed similar handwriting and signatures on s...
Nov 01, 2024•8 min•Ep. 311
With only two weeks left until the presidential election, Amish communities are experiencing déjà vu. That is because efforts are higher than ever to encourage voting among a population that’s traditionally refrained from doing so. Historically, the Amish are family-centric, with religious and cultural traditions that shape their political views. Their faith-based convictions regarding violence, power and political engagement often keep them away from the polls. Support this podcast: https://sec...
Oct 31, 2024•3 min•Ep. 310
A Philadelphia- area McDonald's onboarded a new worker last Sunday: former President Donald Trump. The Republican nominee's campaign shared footage of an employee at the Feasterville location in Bucks County training Trump, a black and yellow apron shielding his trademark red tie, how to cook the restaurant's iconic French fries. In separate clips, Trump serves customers waiting at the drive-thru window and pays their bills out of his own pocket. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/f...
Oct 26, 2024•4 min•Ep. 309
One day after voter registration closed in Pennsylvania, more than 1 million ballots had already been cast. Residents have returned 1,051,655 mail-in votes as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State, representing more than half of the 1.8 million requested ahead of the Oct. 29 deadline. More than 9 million in Pennsylvania are registered to vote. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=x...
Oct 25, 2024•4 min•Ep. 308
Border security and immigration reform aren't far from the minds of voters in Pennsylvania and across the country. It’s important to incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., and the Republican candidate challenging him, Dave McCormick, too. So much so that both men spent a quarter of their final debate attacking each other’s solutions to the problem. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: Casey...
Oct 19, 2024•6 min•Ep. 307
Longtime homeowners in all but two of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties face the same problem: property tax bills that rise every year, often beyond what they can afford. State-level elected officials say they will fix it, perennially. And for the counties that comprise Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, they actually have, through the Longtime Owner-Occupant Program. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: A...
Oct 18, 2024•6 min•Ep. 306
Turning down inflationary pressure remains front of mind for voters in Pennsylvania. The two U.S. Senate candidates vying to represent them for the next six years both want to fix it, but don’t even agree on why it exists. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: Casey, McCormick debate price gouging in final duel...
Oct 17, 2024•6 min•Ep. 305
Leading polling averages for the top two national races in Pennsylvania are split between Republican and Democrat. Former President Donald Trump and incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., top the RealClear poling averages at 0.3 percentage points and 3.9 percentage points, respectively. Trump's razor-thin margin comes after winning seven of the last 20 polls conducted since Sept. 11, the day after his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Of note, Harris' lead has been as high as 5 percen...
Oct 12, 2024•5 min•Ep. 304
First responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder moved one step closer to qualifying for workers compensation in Pennsylvania. The state Senate approved a proposal on Wednesday to expand the program to cover those living with the condition. Twenty-five other states have already done so, according to Rep. Jenn O'Mara, D-Springfield, who sponsored similar legislation in the House. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f5...
Oct 11, 2024•4 min•Ep. 303
A package of bills that enshrine federal insurance mandates into Pennsylvania law passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Supporters say doing so guarantees the coverage expectations residents have grown accustomed to since the Affordable Care Act became law in 2010 will exist, even if Congress or the Supreme Court make changes. Two bills ban annual and lifetime limits and preexisting condition exclusion policies. The third stipulates that dependents can keep parental health insurance ...
Oct 10, 2024•5 min•Ep. 302
In the contentious race for Pennsylvania treasurer, candidates campaign against each other’s money management, or lack thereof. It’s not an unsurprising strategy given the office’s primary role as keeper of the state’s multi-billion dollar taxpayer-funded bank accounts. The vitriolic messaging, however, stands apart from other statewide office campaigns. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Full story: ht...
Oct 05, 2024•5 min•Ep. 301
The growth of data centers has been good news for nuclear power in Pennsylvania. But meeting growing demand in the future could be a struggle for the electric grid. Local political support stood behind reviving Three Mile Island in the commonwealth and Constellation Energy announced a deal in late September to bring it out of retirement and supply power for a Microsoft data center, keeping the plant running through 2054. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce...
Oct 04, 2024•5 min•Ep. 300
