The Morning Agenda

The public had a chance to ask questions about two data center developments planned for Dauphin County’s Swatara Township at a community information session.

Election Day is getting closer, and some voting and immigrant rights activists are worried about ICE agents showing up at polling places.

Advocates are asking sheriffs to pledge that they won't interfere in elections, and one Pennsylvania sheriff is signing on.

Use of GLP-1 medications for weight loss has exploded in recent years, but people who are in recovery from eating disorders say this level of accessibility combined with a cultural fixation on weight loss could be dangerous.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has announced that another 22 farms in 14 counties have been added to the preservation rolls, freeing them from development and ensuring they will remain farms forever.

A shooting in Erie on Friday night left nine people dead, including two children.

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And thank you.

Facing a court-ordered deadline next week to make skill-games legal, some legislators want the state Supreme Court to give them more time before the machines are subject to confiscation.

About 200 skill games supporters rallied at the state Capitol earlier this week, demanding that lawmakers regulate the terminals 

Today we wrap up WITF News' week-long series highlighting Republican Congressman Scott Perry’s and Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson’s responses to questions about the issues facing voters in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District. We asked the candidates the same questions so voters can compare their positions. How they will support growth in the tech industry 

Governor Shapiro is joining 21 states suing the Environmental Protection Agency for its recent repeal of limits on climate-warming pollution from power plants.

Penn State broke ground this week on a $65 million expansion of its Animal Diagnostic Lab. Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Agriculture says it will help the state protect farming and public health.

Governor Josh Shapiro and state officials are making a major investment in Pennsylvania parks and trails - to the tune of $81 million. The governor, along with state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, made the announcement Wednesday at the site of the future Swatara Crossings Park in Middletown, Dauphin County.

Leading a Legacy is the 2027 Pennsylvania Farm Show Theme. State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding made the announcement Wednesday at a Berks County farm that's been in the same family for more than five decades.

And now it’s time for our weekly segment called The Bright Spot.  Every Friday, I’ll share a positive news story that may have gotten lost amid this week's news cycle.   Today’s bright spot is this:

 Over the summer, WITF debuted a new podcast called Susquehanna Scout. Today, we're thrilled to share a preview, of what the Scout is all about.

It’s been one year since public media's federal funding was revoked. Thanks to our community, we're still here for you and looking toward the future. Join the thousands of members who are building a stronger WITF. Go to  www.witf.org/givenow. And thank you.

Gov. Josh Shapiro and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity went head-to-head on the debate stage Wednesday vying for Pennsylvania’s top job. They discussed data centers, measles and whether Shapiro will run for president in 2028.

WITF News continues its weeklong series of stories highlighting Republican Congressman Scott Perry’s and Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson’s responses to questions about the issues facing voters in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District. We asked the candidates the same questions so voters can compare their positions. Today, where they stand on the war in Iran, which has been ongoing since February.

The nonpartisan health policy research polling and news organization KFF recently conducted a survey with the Associated Press of about 2,000 rural registered voters of all party affiliations.

A bill to regulate kratom and ban the sale of synthetic compounds has passed the Pennsylvania House.  It would allow registered vendors to sell products made from natural kratom leaf in powdered or capsule form to customers over the age of 21.

Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has now exceeded 1,000 cases. That makes it the nation’s worst outbreak in 30 years.

Broadband access projects in 50 counties across the Commonwealth will benefit from federal funding. It's the latest step to insure all Pennsylvanians have access to high speed internet.

Pennsylvania is joining a bipartisan coalition of states demanding 9/11 victims and families receive frozen Taliban funds.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is awarding more than $2.8 million to improve water quality and restore impaired watersheds across the state. The money is divided among eight projects, including three in Lancaster County and one in York County.

In uncertain times, our community counts on facts, not noise. Support the journalism and programming that keep you informed. Donate now at www.witf.org/givenow. And thank you.

There’s plenty of disagreement in politics these days, but in the 10th Congressional District, Republican Congressman Perry and Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson share some criticism of the Biden administration’s approach to immigration. 

Scott Perry, Janelle Stelson on health care in Pa.'s 10th District | WITF

See the side-by-side comparison of Perry and Stelson’s answers to our questions, here. Pennsylvania's voter registration deadline is less than two weeks away, on October 19th.  In Pennsylvania, those who are registered tend to be age 35 and older, while 18-to-34-year-olds often bypass the process altogether. Out of 38 states, Pennsylvania ranks 34th in the number of 18-year-olds who vote.

Hear more from Votebeat's Carter Walker on WITF's The Spark, here.

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent visited Harrisburg Monday to promote new federal savings accounts for children. The Trump administration says the accounts will help families build wealth.

Lebanon County Representative Russ Diamond is sponsoring two bills that he says would save skill games. The Republican blames Democratic House leaders for inaction on the issue.

October marks the start of a new respiratory virus season, and state health officials are reminding Pennsylvanians to get their COVID-19 and flu shots.

Pennsylvania has surpassed 1,000 measles cases this year, state health officials said Monday, making it the largest state outbreak in more than three decades.

And a deep dive:

If there’s one thing the majority of Americans agree on: it’s that they don’t want a hyperscale AI data center built in their neighborhoods. 

And despite a call by some AI leaders to slow down development of the technology, a conference held recently in Pittsburgh touted its benefits. 

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And thanks! 

This week, WITF News is publishing stories highlighting Republican Congressman Scott Perry’s and Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson’s responses to questions about the issues facing voters in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District. We asked the candidates the same questions so voters can compare their positions. Today, where they stand on abortion and gun control.

Community organizations in York County told state lawmakers how they are helping people in hard times during a recent public policy hearing.

Several groups are urging a western Pennsylvania state House member to resign after he allegedly used slurs to refer to a colleague.

This is National Fire Prevention Week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently announced grants to a number of Central Pennsylvania fire departments and first-responders. 

Dauphin County's Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area is expanding.

Pennsylvania is getting as much as three-quarters of a billion dollars from a settlement with social media company Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram. But according to reporting by our partners at Spotlight PA, the money could spark a political fight.

The state Department of Labor and Industry says the average call wait time for Pennsylvanians seeking assistance through the unemployment compensation service center has dropped to seven minutes.

Lebanon County poultry producer Bell & Evans is embarking on a $152 million expansion - and receiving a $2 million state grant for the project.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has started its fall and winter trout stocking. 

And WITF alum Scott Detrow, currently NPR's All Things Considered host, is returning to Harrisburg tonight with fellow NPR Journalist Daniel Burke.

In uncertain times, our community counts on facts, not noise. Support the journalism and programming that keep you informed. Donate now at www.witf.org/givenow. And thank you.

As electricity rates rise and Pennsylvania’s projected future energy use continues to increase, the House Energy Committee discussed legislative action to keep utility rates under control. That involves regulating data center development.

A new study finds widespread microplastic pollution throughout the Delaware River watershed.

The public broadcasting station WPSU is officially separated from Penn State and is now part of Philadelphia-based WHYY.

This week, WITF News is publishing stories highlighting Republican Congressman Scott Perry’s and Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson’s responses to questions about the issues facing voters in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District. We asked them the same questions about the economy so voters can compare their answers.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has raised nearly 27 million dollars more than his Republican challenger, Stacy Garrity.

Pennsylvania's statewide archery deer season opened on Saturday.

If you already support WITF with an ongoing monthly contribution, thank you. If every member of WITF's Sustaining Circle increased their gift by as little as $12 a month, we could close the budget gap caused by cuts in federal funding and keep this programming going strong. Increase your monthly gift today at https://witf.org/increase or become a new sustaining member at www.witf.org/givenow. 

And thank you. 

Want to buy a lawmaker a nice vacation, or a trip to the Super Bowl, or just a few dozen nice dinners around town? You can, under Pennsylvania’s gift laws, among the most lax in the nation. In Harrisburg, the latest push to end what advocates and some lawmakers call corruption.

Also this week, the state House passed a bill aiming to expand voting access.

Pennsylvania is one of only eight states where only Democrats or Republicans can vote in primary elections, which can sometimes be more consequential than November elections.

PA House members are turning to civil liberties advocates and the law enforcement community to answer questions about automatic license plate readers. They recently convened for a hearing in Harrisburg as the legislative session is about to end with multiple bills in play to regulate ALPRs.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed a fifth measles-associated death on Wednesday. Pennsylvania has the worst outbreak in the country.

If Democrats can flip three state Senate seats in the November election, Pennsylvania could see the legalization of recreational marijuana as soon as next year. That’s according to a group of legislators who spoke at a conference called Opportunities in the Cannabis Industry, recently held in Philadelphia.

Kratom is an unregulated drug that’s exploded in popularity and over-the-counter availability across Pennsylvania and other states. The state House Health Committee has advanced a bill that would regulate it.

The Perry County Coroner's office has released the identity of a a man killed in a house explosion.

The director of Pennsylvania's Women, Infants and Children (or WIC) program, under the Department of Health, has resigned.

And now it’s time for our weekly segment called The Bright Spot. 

 Every Friday, I’ll share a positive news story that may have gotten lost amid this week's news cycle.  

 Today’s bright spot is this:

 A record-setting gift to Carnegie Mellon University is the largest individual gift in the history of American higher education.

It’s been one year since public media's federal funding was revoked. Thanks to our community, we're still here for you and looking toward the future. Join the thousands of members who are building a stronger WITF. Go to  www.witf.org/givenow. And thank you.

A community forum in Cumberland County focused on the growing number of data centers proposed for the region and the pushback against them. Residents are learning how to navigate the challenges presented by data center proposals.

Pennsylvania's Department of Health is suspending a proposal to give officials more power to track the spread of disease. The proposed new rules sparked outrage among Republicans.

Federal Medicaid changes required by a massive 2025 federal tax cut and spending bill go into effect on January first of next year. Pennsylvania is preparing its recipients for the changes to come while also updating its own reporting system for the joint federal and state health insurance program.

A Dauphin County man is dead after a train collided with the pickup truck he was driving, Tuesday. The accident happened in the 300 block of South 7th Street in Lemoyne, Cumberland County. The coroner says there are no gates or flashing lights where that roadway crosses the train tracks.

The number of measles cases in Pennsylvania has now surpassed 900. State health officials say a total of 903 cases are now confirmed across 39 counties this year.

And a deep dive:

Data center development is growing in Pennsylvania, in part because of the state’s big supply of natural gas. In the town of Upper Burrell in Westmoreland County, near Pittsburgh, a data center expansion could be fed by fracking rigs already pumping gas out of the ground there. The town is trying to keep pace with two big industries in its backyard.

In uncertain times, our community counts on facts, not noise. Support the journalism and programming that keep you informed. Donate now at www.witf.org/givenow. And thank you.

Lawmakers returned to the state capitol this week with just 11 days in the legislative session and several pieces of legislation awaiting action. The Pennsylvania House and Senate face a long to-do list in a short amount of time.

Sixty-four million dollars in state and private investments is going toward revitalizing downtown Harrisburg. Governor Josh Shapiro and local leaders say the money will attract businesses, support those already downtown and strengthen the community.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was in Philadelphia last week, campaigning for Governor Josh Shapiro at the iconic Morning Glory Diner.

Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth University plans to lay off faculty and staff next year. The university expects the cuts to happen across its three campuses: Lock Haven, Mansfield and Bloomsburg.

Scranton Fire Chief John Judge is leaving the department to take a new position in the State College area.

Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration is rolling back an effort to expand the power of Pennsylvania health officials to track the spread of disease.

Mobile home owners say they’re trapped, as the lot rents beneath their homes are rising. But a new bill would provide relief. 

And LeBron James has joined the Philadelphia 76ers, wearing the No. 23 jersey. Speaking at the 76ers' media day Monday, he says he's excited to play with close friend Tyrese Maxey and start his 24th NBA season. 

It’s been one year since public media's federal funding was revoked. Thanks to our community, we're still here for you and looking toward the future. Join the thousands of members who are building a stronger WITF. Go to  www.witf.org/givenow. And thank you.

Today we take a deep dive into WITF News, as we introduce you to WITF’s new News Director Jackie Plochko. She explains what listeners can expect this election season – and beyond.

In uncertain times, our community counts on facts, not noise. Support the journalism and programming that keep you informed. Donate now at www.witf.org/givenow. And thank you.