Spotlight PA

A nonpartisan, nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism for PA.

08/16/2024

Were you paying attention this week? Now you can prove it:

In this week’s news quiz: Storm remnants, 2024 challenges, a shrinking state surplus, and “live from South Williamsport, it’s the Little League World Series.”

08/16/2024

Meet the Pa. animator behind one of 2024’s Emmy-nominated shows https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2024/08/scavengers-reign-charles-huettner-max-emmy-awards-pennsylvania-ties/

08/16/2024

Pa.'s battle over syringe services, by the numbers

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2024/08/pennsylvania-syringe-services-by-numbers/

08/15/2024

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign is appealing a court decision booting him off New York’s ballot. The outcome may create problems for him in Pennsylvania.

08/15/2024

Local officials believe a suspended employee may have stolen more than half a million dollars in public funds. No one has been charged with a crime.

Local officials in this Centre County township believe a suspended employee may have stolen more than half a million dollars in public funds.

08/14/2024

The state gave 50 school districts $32 million in this year’s Pennsylvania budget to lower the tax burden for local residents.

Pennsylvania's new budget gives extra help to 50 school districts with high local taxes, aiming to address funding inequities.

08/13/2024

Without funding cuts or an infusion of cash, Pennsylvania’s budget surplus is projected to run dry next fiscal year. But lawmakers aren’t saying much about a solution. https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2024/08/budget-deficit-surplus-revenue-pennsylvania-legislature/

08/12/2024

New PA law allows direct return of some unclaimed property

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2024/08/unclaimed-funds-law-no-claim/

08/09/2024

A local elected official said Thursday that supervisors previously “didn’t see” bank and credit card statements.

Local officials in the rural Pennsylvania township say they believe a suspended employee might be responsible for misappropriation.

08/09/2024

Petitions argue that Kennedy, his running mate, and at least nine third-party candidates should not appear on Pennsylvania’s Nov. 5 general election ballot.

Petitions argue that Kennedy, his running mate, and at least nine third-party candidates should not appear on PA's Nov. 5 general election ballot.

08/09/2024

New video shows Pa. officer’s tense encounter with Trump shooter before assassination attempt

A local Butler, Pennsylvania, officer was hoisted on the roof and saw the shooter moments before shots rang out.

08/09/2024

Watch the moment a Pa. police officer saw the Trump shooter

A local Butler, Pennsylvania, officer was hoisted on the roof and saw the shooter moments before shots rang out.

$In this week’s news quiz: The end of the veepstakes, fracking emerges as key election topic, and Lancaster archers get t...$

08/08/2024

In this week’s news quiz: The end of the veepstakes, fracking emerges as key election topic, and Lancaster archers get the bronze.

08/08/2024

The department issues guidance and directives to clarify procedures and state law.

It’s a routine part of election administration the GOP used to question the integrity of Joe Biden’s 2020 win.

The Pennsylvania Department of State regularly issues guidance and directives to clarify procedures and state law.

08/07/2024

What Pennsylvania’s $47.6B budget does for the state’s rural communities

The $47.6 billion state budget makes investments in agriculture, rural hospitals, and economic development.

08/06/2024

Gov. Josh Shapiro has been through an intense public vetting process. Here’s some of what it revealed.

PA Gov. Josh Shapiro has just been through an intense vice presidential vetting process. It revealed Obama ties, a stint as an IDF volunteer, and more.

08/06/2024

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro isn’t Kamala Harris’ pick for vice president

Kamala Harris' decision ends weeks of vetting and speculation, which resurrected several controversies from PA Gov. Josh Shapiro's political career.

08/06/2024

High temps can make people with dementia irritable, confused, and uncomfortable. What to know.

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2024/08/pennsylvania-dementia-heat-wave-extreme-temperature-explainer/

08/05/2024

Fracking in Pa. set to become key election issue as Harris, Trump jockey for votes

Fracking is set to become a key election issue as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump jockey for votes in the nation's No. 2 natural gas state.

08/05/2024

One of Pennsylvania’s premier portraitists explains the art of drawing powerful people.

Artist Ellen Cooper has painted official portraits for Pennsylvania politicians, CEOs, doctors, university leaders, and more.

08/05/2024

Elk County 911 radio upgrades in jeopardy due to property owners’ legal dispute

A temporary 911 tower is at the center of a legal dispute between property owners in rural Pennsylvania.

08/02/2024

Less than 20% of readers got a perfect score on last week's news quiz. See how you stack up with this week's:

In this week’s news quiz: The veepstakes are almost over, a congressional Trump shooting task force, and Pennsylvania goes for gold at the Olympics.

08/02/2024

The ACLU and Department of State argued in Commonwealth Court that election officials don’t use the handwritten dates on ballot envelopes for anything. GOP lawyers say it’s a tool against fraud.

The ACLU and Department of State argued in Commonwealth Court that election officials don’t use the handwritten dates on ballot envelopes for anything.

08/02/2024

The Shapiro administration and legislative Republicans are on opposite sides of court cases involving the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

08/01/2024

Experts say claims of stolen elections don’t square with the reality that election administration in the commonwealth is local and decentralized.

PA election administration is decentralized, and lots of authority rests with election officials on the county level.

07/31/2024

Last year, the State College Borough Water Authority tried to start negotiations to buy the troubled Rock Spring Water Company, but a sale never materialized.

The State College Borough Water Authority attempted to take over the privately owned Rock Spring Water Company. It’s unclear why talks fell through.

07/30/2024

Latest Pa. budget leaves embattled child care industry without much-needed funding to boost staffing

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2024/07/pennsylvania-child-care-staffing-budget-funding-affordability-cost/

07/29/2024

Spotlight PA has been fighting to find out why Pennsylvania’s governor spent $367,538 in public money to hire private law firms.

07/26/2024

In this week's news quiz: The Kamala Harris ‘veepstakes,’ international IT outage, and Pennsylvania's Olympians:

In this week’s news quiz: In search of a 2024 running mate, summer Olympics in Paris, energy sources, and a costly IT outage.

07/26/2024

Unlike many in his party, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro supports funding private school vouchers.

But state political insiders say his public support is relatively new. Here's what we know about where the democrat’s voucher position comes from. https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2024/07/josh-shapiro-vice-president-school-choice-voucher/

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2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show Butter Sculpture

LIVE NOW! The unveiling of the 2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show Butter Sculpture is taking place at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center.

Today We Chat, Tomorrow We Vote

A live reader Q&A with Spotlight PA.

Breaking Down Pa.'s Business Waivers

Gov. Tom Wolf vs. the Pa. legislature

Capitol Reporter Cynthia Fernandez and Deputy Editor Sarah Anne Hughes break down the fight over the emergency resolution and what to expect. Plus, we'll answer all your pressing questions.

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Investigative reporting for Pennsylvania

Spotlight PA is a collaborative newsroom dedicated to producing investigative journalism for all of Pennsylvania. Spotlight PA’s mission is to hold powerful private and public forces — especially governments, businesses and special interests — to account through urgent and compelling investigative journalism that drives change.

Spotlight PA builds on the strengths of The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News and dozens of other news organizations across Pennsylvania in a historic commitment to investigative reporting on state government and beyond. We provide our content free of charge to newsrooms across the state to help bolster local media and better inform the public.

The most important investigations start with a tip from readers like you. If you know of specific wrongdoing or an area that needs investigation, please contact us at spotlightpa.org/tips.

Together, we can hold the powerful to account.