(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania house members say that aging in place is a major priority for them as the state’s elderly population continues to grow. Homecare services, deemed unskilled, to support daily activities like bathing, dressing, and cooking are essential to creating that possibility for them. Yet providers across the state are struggling to hire enough staff to cover the needs of the state’s 300,000 homecare recipients. Unable to offer comparable hourly wages, the industry is losing its potential recruiting pool to gig work and jobs in the service industry.

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(The Center Square) - Some Pennsylvania programs providing support to the state’s homeless population are shocked after receiving word that their services fall under the president’s “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” executive order. The order claims that the Biden administration “forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs” into all levels of government and orders the termination of “all discriminatory programs.” Many housing programs in the state receive Special Notice of Funding Opportunity awards to provide continuum of care for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness and for those experiencing homelessness in rural communities. The funding comes from a $486 million federal pool administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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(The Center Square) – A new deal could dampen the shock of anticipated price spikes from rising energy costs. On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said PJM will support a new price cap meant to lower the cost of the power grid in the coming year after a recent auction forecasted an 800% increase. That spike would have translated to a 30% rise in utility bills. The price cap must receive official approval from the transmission, generation and distribution companies that supply the grid, as well as the O.K. from federal regulators.

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(The Center Square) – It was a full day of celebration in Harrisburg honoring the inaugurations of Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Auditor General Timothy DeFoor, and Attorney General David Sunday. This marks the first time all three row officer positions have been held by Republicans. Garrity and DeFoor both pledged to build from the momentum they’d gained during their first terms in their respective roles, while Sunday outlined his vision  for the state's highest law enforcement office. Gov. Josh Shapiro spoke at each of the three ceremonies, which were otherwise filled with speakers and performers who showed the unique thumbprint of each official.

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(The Center Square) – With flags at the capitol flying at half-staff, Pennsylvania legislators began to move forward to fill the vacancy left by House Rep. Matt Gergely, D-McKeesport, who died this weekend at 45. Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia signed a writ of election scheduling a special election to determine his replacement March 25th. Until then, the House will remain evenly split with 101 representatives on each side of the aisle.

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Gov. Josh Shapiro says he’s ready to work with President Donald Trump. The Democratic leader of Pennsylvania, where support for domestic energy production and a populist enthusiasm for the commander-in-chief resonates loudly, issued a statement Monday congratulating the new administration and pledging a cordial partnership, albeit conditionally. “As governor, I have a responsibility to serve the people of Pennsylvania – and I go to work every single day focused on making life better and delivering results for them,” he said. “Over the last two years, I’ve worked across the aisle – bringing Democrats and Republicans together – to solve problems, cut taxes and reduce costs, create real opportunity in our classrooms, invest in public safety, create jobs, and grow our economy.

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(The Center Square) – Recruiting new police officers and supporting those already on the job in Pennsylvania remains a constant struggle. That’s why the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency backs local agencies as a way to boost hiring and retention. The latest recipient, Lock Haven City, accepted $14,000 in assistance from the commission in a news conference hosted Gov. Josh Shapiro, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris to promote the administration’s law enforcement efforts. The sum awarded to Lock Haven will go toward hiring two new officers. It’s a portion of $3 million in grants awarded by the commission that went toward recruiting and training for 692 municipal law enforcement positions.

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(The Center Square) – Doors have opened on Connections Emergency Behavioral Health Crisis Walk-in Center, a project with an investment of millions from the state in three central Pennsylvania counties. The center is the result of a joint effort between Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties leveraging funds from the state’s opioid settlement trust, a pool of more than $200 million paid largely by the “Big Four” pharmaceutical companies found responsible for contributing to Pennsylvania’s devastating drug crisis. The facility specializes in stabilizing people ages 14 and up who are experiencing mental health and substance abuse emergencies. Its staff provides an opportunity for people to receive help without calling 911.

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(The Center Square) – A joint bid for U.S. Steel from two domestic rivals has the potential support of Gov. Josh Shapiro. In a statement to The Center Square on Monday, the governor’s office said Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves has made “meaningful commitments to Pennsylvania” in conversations about a formal offer the Ohio-based company plans to make with Nocur, a steel manufacturer headquartered in North Carolina. “Before the governor would even consider endorsing any potential deal, Cleveland-Cliffs needs to make a formal bid to buy U.S. Steel and present specific details on what it will do to protect Pennsylvania jobs for the long term,” said Manuel Bonder, Shapiro’s spokesman.

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(The Center Square) — A new report published by ConsumerAffairs ranks Pennsylvania as the third best state for raising a family. The report ranked each state in affordability, safety, education, pediatric health care and quality of life. The combined metrics were used to determine the states' overall rankings. The score puts Pennsylvania in rarified air, behind only Maine and Vermont, while southwestern states California, Texas and New Mexico bottom out the list. Notably, Pennsylvania is the only state for which the report calls out political leadership or specific legislation, citing last year’s $1.11 billion increase to the state’s education budget.

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