The state's budget is due in the next two weeks, but House members have already approved Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposal for spending on transit.  

Legislation approved by the state House of Representatives would increase oversight of hospital sales and acquisitions in Pennsylvania when they involve for-profit and private equity firms. 

Water providers in Pennsylvania say they’re reducing toxic chemicals known as PFAs from drinking water. It's happening at the same time the Trump administration is threatening to weaken federal regulations set just last year. 

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania believe they’ve found a treatment that fights glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer. 

Jere Bagenstose is sentenced to 4 to 10 years in prison... for killing his estranged wife Maryann Bagenstose in 1984. The sentencing Tuesday brings an end to one of Lancaster County's oldest unsolved homicide cases. 

Now an update to a story we told you about earlier this week. The Adams County Commissioners are calling a controversial social media post by the Adams County sheriff “unacceptable.” 

Former staff at Lancaster County's Field of Screams are speaking out against what they describe as a hostile work environment. In a report by our partners at Spotlight PA, about 20 current and former volunteers who worked at Field of Screams covering a 15-year period through last year... describe a hostile environment where some unpaid adult staff sexually harassed, forcibly grabbed and groped young volunteers, and pressured teenagers into sex. 

Harrisburg's Juneteeth celebrations today include the city's Juneteenth Jubilee. This free event, held at Soldiers and Sailors Grove behind the Capitol kicks off at noon and features music, performances, children's activities and free food.  

Today is also Jubilee Day in Mechanicsburg, the longest-running one-day street fair on the East Coast. 

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A Pennsylvania House bill would partially ban the use of artificial intelligence in political campaign ads. Supporters hope it boosts election integrity. 

The federal budget bill that passed the U-S House last month would have overhauled aid for college students. Education affordability advocates say the Senate’s version is an improvement, but they’re still worried. 

Penn State’s Board of Trustees has voted to remove one of its most outspoken members. The 30-4 vote is the latest chapter in an ongoing battle between the board and member Barry Fenchak. 

A central Pennsylvania sheriff is under fire for a controversial social media post. 

In York County, officials are approving a plan for a waste transfer station. A landfill, used since the 1970s, is nearing capacity. 

And the state is changing the ways doe tags are distributed to hunters. 

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The U.S. Senate is considering a spending plan that would eliminate incentives for clean energy. And some Pennsylvania companies say those cuts would devastate their businesses and raise energy costs. 

Meantime, U.S. Senator Dave McCormick says the future is bright for power production in Pennsylvania. He shared his vision for the state’s energy industry during a visit Monday to western PA. 

Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania are applauding two Trump administration proposals to rollback rules that cut power plant emissions. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says the goal is to, in his words, restore American energy dominance. 

Dozens of campuses in Pennsylvania plan to tap the Solar for Schools program to install solar panels using grant money. Some of the schools are counting on federal tax credits as well. But the budget House Republicans passed last month would make that harder. 

As the Trump administration ramps up efforts to deport undocumented immigrants, advocates in Pennsylvania are worried problems at the state's largest federal detention center will worsen. 

The Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association is releasing its latest analysis of the Susquehanna River. The nonprofit advocacy organization found high levels of E.coli bacteria at 20 public water access points. 

An executive order issued late last week clears the way for what's being termed as a "partnership" between Pittsburgh-based US Steel and Nippon Steel of Japan. 

And Pennsylvania's budget deadline is quickly approaching. Gov. Josh Shapiro and state lawmakers have until June 30th to agree on a new spending plan. Several questions remain about how to balance the Democratic Governor's spending priorities. 

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Voters across the state are telling lawmakers what they want for the future of state policies. A sample of Pennsylvanians across geography, race, age and politics are weighing in on the biggest issues of the day — with some help from an elite university and a rich backer.  

Pennsylvania’s Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen is critical of President Donald Trump’s proposed Medicaid cuts. 

The Pennsylvania Turnpike continues to modernize, as tollbooths begin to come down and interchanges are reconstructed.  

Homer C. Floyd, one of Pennsylvania’s premier civil rights leaders, has died at the age of 89. The long-time executive director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission died last week in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County after a prolonged illness. 

Five Lancaster County farms are among 35 Pennsylvania farms in 18 counties being preserved through a 10-million dollar investment by local governments and the Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Program. 

Researchers are seeing a rise in the tick population in Pennsylvania. That climb is also driving up emergency room visits for tick bites. 

You may have heard them in parts of Pennsylvania — periodical cicadas are out in force. And they’re loud. WPSU’s Anne Danahy reports on a recent walk through Bald Eagle State Park with the cicadas. 

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Immigration advocates and union representatives rallied in downtown Pittsburgh this week. Demonstrators were showing solidarity with those in Los Angeles, by protesting the deportation of immigrants. 

The Pennsylvania state House has voted to raise the minimum wage on a county-by-county basis. We explain how the plan would work.

More than 400 young people in Pittsburgh are being dropped from a federal program that provides free job training and education. Many youth are unsure of their next moves.

Coyotes, foxes and crows are already fair game for Pennsylvania hunters on Sundays. But hunters may soon be allowed to chase deer, turkey and bear on all in-season Sundays as well.

State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding stopped at the Waltz Estate and Winery and Family Farm in Manheim, Lancaster County earlier this week. He announced an investment of over $224,000 in Agriculture Promotion Grants. 

Opponents of President Donald Trump’s administration are set to rally in nearly 2,000 cities and towns this weekend, including dozens of locations across Pennsylvania. Rallies are set for Harrisburg, Lancaster, Carlisle, York, Gettysburg and Chambersburg. The No Kings Day of Defiance protests will happen during the military parade in Washington on Saturday for the Army’s 250th anniversary — which coincides with Trump’s birthday. 

And the Pennsylvania state House is pondering a bill that would ban the use of artificial intelligence in political campaign ads. Lawmakers say AI-generated images or videos could undermine the integrity of elections, if the technology is used to misrepresent candidates. 

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Pennsylvania is making its election data available to the public in new ways, with more updates to come. The Department of State’s new data dashboard makes information about elections easier to access and understand.  

State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding was in Perry County this week, as the Shapiro Administration continues to highlight how SNAP funding cuts will affect Pennsylvania farmers and families.  

Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a bill meant to streamline the approval process for energy generation projects in the state, but it faces opposition from many sides.  

A 15-year-old boy faces 20 to 40 years in prison after a jury in York County found him guilty of third-degree murder in the shooting death of his 12-year-old friend. 

A Lancaster County teen and her mother are charged with concealing the death of a child and other offenses. Susquehanna Regional Police say the teen aborted her fetus last spring by obtaining abortion drugs online and burying the fetus in her backyard. 

The James Beard Awards - the culinary world’s equivalent of the Oscars - are announcing winners later this month. In Pennsylvania, five Philadelphia chefs and restaurants are being considered. 

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It’s being hailed as the largest private sector investment in state history. Tech giant Amazon has announced it will spend $20 billion on two data center complexes in Pennsylvania. 

President Donald Trump has posted on social media about the proposed sale of US Steel of Pittsburgh to Japan-based Nippon. But details are still vague, and a deadline to complete the deal is a week away. 

A proposal to fund mass transit in Pennsylvania would involve a fee attached to the price for rideshare services, such as Lyft or Uber. 

With the summer driving season underway, gas prices seem to have settled in for the time being. We have the current trends at the pump.

The US Supreme Court has rejected a Republican appeal and left in place a ruling allowing voters in Pennsylvania to cast provisional ballots when their mail-in votes are rejected for not following technical procedures in state law. The justices acted on an appeal filed by the Republican National Committee, the state GOP and the Republican-majority election board in Butler County. 

A motorcyclist was killed after a police pursuit last Thursday night. Pennsylvania State Police say a West Shore Regional Police officer attempted a traffic stop in Wormleysburg involving a motorcyclist who police say committed numerous traffic offenses. 

The midstate is resembling a mini-United Nations this week. Harrisburg University is hosting a delegation from the European Union. 

The health of the Chesapeake Bay declined over the past year, according to an annual report card issued by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. The University gave the bay a C. 

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The Pennsylvania state House has passed new limits on funding for cyber charter schools. The legislation would set a cap of $8,000 per student on reimbursements paid to the charters.  

Fewer recipients will get farmers market vouchers this summer and their distribution has been delayed. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture says that’s because the federal government is holding back money appropriated for the vouchers.  

Cumberland County has been recognized with a global award from the United States Army.  

June is Pride Month, with many celebrations and parades taking place around the region. WITF's The Spark recently spoke with Dr. Eric Selvey, President of the Pride Committee of Central PA, who explains the significance of this year's theme, "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now."

We are learning more about the emergency response to a deadly attack at York's UPMC Memorial Hospital on February 22nd. Three Pennsylvania Game Commission wardens recently received commendation awards for their heroic actions during that attack. 

Logging will increase by ten percent in Pennsylvania's Allegheny National Forest under a directive from President Trump. It's part of a push by the Trump administration to boost domestic lumber supplies. 

Federal authorities are moving to drop a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Sheetz convenience store chain, as part of the Trump administration's move away from diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Southwestern Pennsylvania is attempting to recover from flooding and landslides, as the region is set to host the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club with play opening this Thursday and continuing through Sunday. 

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The lawsuit filed last week by Governor Josh Shapiro against the US Department of Agriculture deals with the termination of a three-year, $13 million dollar food assistance contract. That funding also affects food assistance programs for needy Pennsylvanians. And a PA food bank advocate speaks out against the cuts.

Solar energy companies across the region are reeling at the prospects of rollbacks to the green energy tax credits, with thousands of jobs at stake.

As the school year winds down, colleges and universities are preparing to send out bills for the next academic year. With that in mind, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency is lining up a series of free webinars - which launch tomorrow - aimed at helping students and families.

Beginning the night of Memorial Day and continuing through the summer until Labor Day, Taps is played in Gettysburg. The program, in its ninth year, called 100 nights of Taps, is organized by Wendy Allen, a Gettysburg gallery owner known for her paintings of Abraham Lincoln who serves as president of the board of directors for the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania. Wendy Allen joins us for conversation about the significance of 100 Nights of Taps.

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Gov. Josh Shapiro is suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture over its attempt to cancel a federally funded food purchasing program.  

Fewer recipients will get farmers market vouchers this summer and their distribution has been delayed. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture says that’s because the federal government is holding back money appropriated for the vouchers.  

State Senators on both sides of the aisle agree something helpful could be done with leftover money in campaign accounts. A key committee is advancing a bill to allow that extra money to be donated to nonprofits.

An explosion was reported at Shell’s ethane cracker in Beaver County Wednesday afternoon. 

The State Library is offering a chance to imagine what Harrisburg's Old Eighth Ward looked like over 100 years ago.  

The U.S. Department of Energy is ordering an oil and gas power plant in southeastern PA to keep its turbines running through the hottest summer months as a precaution against electricity shortfalls in the mid-Atlantic grid. 

Cumberland County is a step closer to what would be its first data center. 

And Pennsylvania's cyber charter schools would see their funding cut under a bill passed by the state House this week.  

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