Lancaster activists are supporting an immigrant and hoping to use his case to bring attention to cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE.

Changes to Medicaid in a massive federal tax and spending bill approved last year could top $900 billion in losses over a decade. The Pennsylvania Health Access Network recently gathered advocates and elected officials - virtually - to sound the alarm about those changes and what they mean for the state. 

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education has tried to limit costs for students during the past decade. That has included increasing financial aid as well as freezing tuition from 2018 to 2024. And now, the state system will start paying for what some scholarships don’t cover.

The Michaux State Forest Wildfire Response Team is being honored for their actions to suppress and investigate the large wildfire that occurred in Cumberland County earlier this year. 

Doors to the State Museum of Pennsylvania are now closed. The museum is undergoing a nearly $80 million renovation - its first since the building opened in 1964.

And now today’s deep dive:

Countries like the U.S. and Japan are facing a workforce crisis when it comes to caregiving.

Whether it’s caused by population demographics or insufficient recruitment strategies, countries with aging populations are looking for solutions to mitigate staffing shortages.

In Part 5 of the series Designing Dignity, with the global gold rush of artificial intelligence, both the U.S. and Japan are considering robots as a potential solution. 

It’s been one year since public media's federal funding was revoked.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.

Pennsylvania hasn’t independently raised its minimum wage since 2006, three years prior to a federally mandated increase to $7.25 an hour. State lawmakers and workers plan to keep pushing for an increase in the commonwealth.

Now that it’s August, respiratory virus season is only a couple of months away. Physicians say it’s not too early to start taking precautions. 

One-third of Japan’s population is 65 or older. As we age, older adults need more medical care than their younger counterparts. But Japan has implemented a program to keep medical costs down for the elderly and their families. It’s a taxpayer-funded insurance program specifically for long-term care. Several U.S. states are exploring their own version of universal long-term care insurance. WESA's Kiley Koscinski reports in part four of the series Designing Dignity.

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.

The Harrisburg nonprofit All You Can Incorporated is collecting school supplies to donate to families in need.

Central Pennsylvania's Community College has a new president. The college saw a 3.1% decrease in enrollment in the last year as a demographic cliff looms. 

State officials are highlighting Penn State’s contributions to military and national security research.

Several Schuylkill County communities are in the midst of water main replacement projects by the water company Aqua Pennsylvania.

Two Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture leaders are being honored with Governor's Awards for Excellence.

Hospital stays are stressful at any age, but they can be dangerous for older adults. Hospitalizations are also expensive. Chronic care in hospital settings is one major driver of healthcare spending. Japan has sought to reduce hospitalizations for the elderly by providing care in the patient’s home. But Kiley Koscinski from our friends at WESA reports in part THREE of the series Designing Dignity, a workforce shortage could threaten the success of home-based care.

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.

 Reading residents will be visiting the Schuylkill River on Saturday to clean and enjoy the outdoors. The Riverzilla event connects people with the waterway.

Cumberland County is recording a number of mosquito samples which have tested positive for West Nile Virus this summer. Ongoing surveillance is taking place across the county.

At the state Capitol in Harrisburg Wednesday, immigration advocates called on Gov. Josh Shapiro to shut down a youth detention center in Berks County and end collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Hershey Company is reporting second quarter profits of $457.7 million, which surpassed Wall Street expectations.

And now today’s deep dive:

As Pennsylvania’s baby boomers continue to age, more Gen X and Millennial adults are finding themselves as caregivers for their parents. In the second installment of the Designing Dignity series, Kiley Koscinski from our friends at WESA takes a look at how care managers in Japan are bridging medical and social support.

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 a very personal one for us here at WITF - and one that we share with you, our listeners.

WITF has learned that The Morning Agenda is now an award-winning podcast.

And I say this with complete humility as well as pride in our small but mighty WITF news team.

The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Foundation has honored WITF with first place podcast honors among all medium sized radio markets across the state.

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. 

Three Mile Island is on schedule to receive nuclear material by the end of the year. We report on the power plant’s progress as it nears reopening.

A group of municipalities in northern Dauphin County voted to incorporate a joint authority to oversee emergency services. This comes as communities across the state face funding issues.

Pennsylvania State Police have identified the body of a man discovered in Menallen Township, Adams County on Sunday. 

The demolition of the William Penn School building in Harrisburg began earlier this week.

Republic Services is being fined more than $9 million for polluting a York County creek. 

And now a deep dive: 

Today, we begin a six-part series here on The Morning Agenda. Pennsylvania’s population is getting older, with health experts warning that change will mean a rise in cases of dementia. 

 Can the state look to other regions of the world where older populations are thriving? In today's part one of the series DESIGNING DIGNITY, Kiley Koscinski from our friends at WESA went to Japan to find out. 

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. 

Pennsylvania’s 10th district congressional candidates are attracting more donors than any of the state’s other key contenders for the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Law enforcement officers generally need a warrant with a judge’s signature to search private property. But in Pennsylvania, wildlife officers have been able to enter open fields and woods without a warrant for nearly 20 years. 

State and local officials recently gathered at Reservoir Park in Lancaster for the commonwealth's third annual Outdoors for All celebration. More than 30 outdoor recreation and conservation organizations were on hand. 

Cumberland County's Vector Control Office has been notified by the state Department of Environmental Protection that a ninth mosquito sample this summer has tested positive for West Nile Virus. The latest sample was collected in Lower Allen Township. 

Pennsylvania has secured 20-point-3-million-dollars from Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials to expand operations and create 42 new jobs in Berks County. The state is kicking in 500,000 dollars for the project. The 

Governor Josh Shapiro recently signed nearly two dozen bills into law. The measures include efforts to cut red tape, expand Pennsylvania's workforce and address critical workforce shortages. 

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. 

Pennsylvania’s newly enacted state budget includes new funding for under-resourced public schools and requires weekly wellness checks for virtual students. It also mandates at least 30 minutes of daily recess for all elementary school students. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics released guidance this spring emphasizing the importance of daily, unstructured recess for all kids. A recent poll finds an increasing amount of opposition to data center development in Pennsylvania. the issue might even play into upcoming elections 

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in March that it’s unconstitutional to sentence someone to life without parole for second-degree murder. The court gave state lawmakers until July 24th to come up with new sentencing guidelines. But they haven’t agreed on a path forward. Governor Josh Shapiro said he wants the state to set the law, otherwise counties will have to decide for themselves. 

Pennsylvania is among the more than two dozen states suing the Trump administration for requiring them to comply with election and immigration conditions as a condition for receiving billions in federal disaster assistance. The lawsuit seeks to eliminate the requirement in order to receive funding awarded through the 2026 Homeland Security Grant Program. 

Albright College in Reading is exploring whether to use tax-exempt bonds approved by Berks County Commissioners to refinance 42 million dollars in debt, purchase dorms, and maintain facilities. 

State lawmakers have changed the rules for reporting lead in school drinking water. Schools in Pennsylvania are not required to test for lead as long as the topic is discussed at a public meeting. Previously, any lead detection had to be reported, but now only levels above five parts per billion need to be reported. 

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. 

During the recent legislative session, House and Senate members failed to pass a statewide school cellphone ban in the recently enacted budget, but they are getting students off screens another way. 

Among the items that are included in the budget is a boost in funding for the arts in Pennsylvania. The additional one million dollars is the first increase in arts funding in 16 years.

Dickinson College in Carlisle is offering undergraduate students the opportunity to study the nuances of artificial intelligence.  On a recent edition of WITF's The Spark, John McCormick, founder of Dickinson's New Deep Network Understanding Lab, gave an example of the types of detail students will study via the hands-on experience.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is abandoning its plan to use two rural Pennsylvania warehouses to hold thousands of detainees. 

Applications will soon be accepted for funding to help nonprofit and faith-based organizations in Pennsylvania strengthen security and prevent hate crimes. A total of ten million dollars is available through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. 

Pennsylvanians can now nominate their favorite trail for the 2027 trail of the year, but the deadline is quickly approaching. The commonwealth is home to more than 14-thousand miles of trails. To be considered, a nomination form and supporting documentation must be submitted online by July 31st. 

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. 

State lawmakers are expected to miss today’s deadline to approve new sentencing guidelines for second-degree murder. While state Attorney General Dave Sunday hammered Democrats this week for delaying a vote, the state House returned to Harrisburg to deliberate. Prosecutors and top Republicans estimate more than a thousand convicted killers could seek release from prison if lawmakers fail to pass a new framework. But, the Attorney General says he took issue with the rhetoric that hundreds of them would get out of jail soon as a result.

Pennsylvania ranks last in a new study of 18-year olds' voter registration rates. 

State officials were in Centre County this week to highlight the inclusion of 10-million dollars in the new state budget for freeze disaster assistance for growers impacted by the late April freeze that severely damaged fruit crops across the state.  

A principal in the Warwick School District in Lancaster County could be facing dismissal after she was accused of leaving facility dog Callie in her car last month, resulting in the dog's death. Bonfield Elementary School Principal Amy Balsbaugh has a hearing with the district scheduled for August 5 to decide her employment status.

Pennsylvania’s recently enacted state budget includes a provision aimed at helping vulnerable households avoid the theft of their food benefits. The budget contains $7 million to transition the electronic debit cards for those enrolled in the SNAP Program, into cards with more secure chip technology. 

And this week's Bright Spot:

The Reading Science Center is receiving a 10-thousand dollar grant to boost a hands-on STEM program for girls. Sisters in STEM is a weekly program for girls in grades 4 through 6. The grant funding is being awarded by the Reading branch of the American Association of University Women Sisters in STEM activities include building electrical circuits, exploring chemical reactions, and engineering challenges.

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 thanks! 

Demand for electricity in the mid-Atlantic region is growing faster than supply, putting pressure on prices. the results of the most recent procedure used to ensure a reliable grid. 

A system wide fare increase took effect this week for riders of RabbitTransit.  Executive Director Richard Farr says the changes affect Capitol region, Gettysburg, Shippensburg and Rork fixed route service, along with Rabbit Express, capital region commuter routes, stop hopper and shared ride services.

Governor Josh Shapiro this week visited the YWCA for Carlisle and Cumberland County. the Governor highlighted nearly doubled state funding for rape crisis centers included in this year’s approved budget.

Two men have been charged in connection with a $52 million COVID-19 tax credit fraud conspiracy. Christopher Slater, of California, was indicted by a grand jury in Harrisburg.

PennDOT has announced the awarding of 1.1 million dollars to 16 schools and transportation providers in 19 counties. The funds will be used to enhance school bus safety, including the training of 430 new school bus drivers. 

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.