Today we have a deep dive for you: 

Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams are home to thousands of dams, more than any other state.  Pennsylvania also leads the nation in dam removals.  A branch of the Juniata River is changing, after two dams were removed last summer. 

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The movement continues among state lawmakers to ban cell phones in schools. one central Pa. district says they have seen benefits from restrictive phone policies.

Pennsylvania officials say the Trump administration could be holding up millions of dollars of Homeland Security grants until states comply with election demands. 

Lawmakers are calling for tighter commercial driver's license laws in Pennsylvania. Their calls come in the wake of the July 1st crash that killed a state police trooper in Schuylkill County.

A data center being built by Amazon in the greater Philadelphia area is sparking public outcry.

The Public Utility Commission will hold public hearings on allegations related to operational and service-related issues within the Veolia water system. 

The Trump administration replaced an exhibit on slavery at the site of President George Washington’s home in Philadelphia with a version that historians say whitewashes the nation’s history. 

The Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority is partnering with Amtrak to provide passenger rail service from Reading to Philadelphia.

The Harrisburg Fringe Festival began Thursday and stretches through the weekend. The fourth annual festival features more than 200 independent artists at nine venues across the city.

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:

Two orphaned bear cubs are making central PA their new home.

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park in Hershey took the pair of 5-month-old American black bear cubs in, after they were rescued by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

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U.S. Senator Dave McCormick is announcing $10 billion of investments into defense industries across Pennsylvania. The projects, mostly focused around Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, also include new factories in York and Lancaster. 

President Donald Trump is pushing to increase federal spending across manufacturing, artificial intelligence and robotics, all in support of a stronger military. Trump spoke at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Wednesday to highlight investments in Pennsylvania’s industries.  

Leaders in the defense industry say there is a critical need for investment to strengthen national security. 

The $50.8 billion state budget now in effect includes more funds for public education and early-learning programs.

While state lawmakers seemed to be moving fast this month to regulate data center construction, few rules made it into the budget deal which is now law.

Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary has a new exhibition about the religious liberties of incarcerated people.

When Pennsylvania lawmakers recessed last Sunday, they did so without addressing unconstitutional murder sentences. This leaves one thousand people serving life sentences, in limbo. 

A Pennsylvania state report calls for new regulations on online casinos to tackle gambling addiction, which experts describe as a public health challenge. 

And MY Work in Perry County connects students with disabilities to meaningful, paid work opportunities in their communities. Some students are working for Marysville Borough this summer.

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Governor Josh Shapiro and President Donald Trump are both scheduled to speak at the Army War College in Carlisle today. They're attending the Pennsylvania defense and infrastructure summit put together by Senator Dave McCormick. Trump is expected to highlight his investments in military spending. McCormick is using his summit to announce billions in investments in Pennsylvania industries. On the American debate over how much to spend on defense, U.S. Representative Scott Perry says he supports a one-time investment to jumpstart military production, but he warns about a ballooning federal budget.

Governor Josh Shapiro is praising advocates from Pittsburgh who he said helped secure the first state budget increase for Pennsylvania’s rape crisis centers in five years. 

Thirty-one percent of Pennsylvanian woman are unaware of the preventive services available at no cost under the Affordable Care Act. The Governor's Advisory Commission on Women is launching a statewide informational tour to tell them about accessible services.

Pennsylvania lawmakers want to make it easier for homeowners to build backyard cottages, garage apartments, and other accessory dwelling units, or ADUs.

Rabbittransit is getting ready to implement a new fare collection system later this month.  Changes are coming to the Capital Region, Gettysburg, Shippensburg and York routes.

U.S. Senator Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania is bringing power brokers to the Keystone State by hosting a two-day summit on national defense industries. It's taking place at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle.

Governor Josh Shapiro has secured a $20.3 million investment from Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials to expand operations and create 42 new jobs in Berks County.

The number of measles cases in Pennsylvania has grown to 105 this year. The latest outbreak, over the past few months, is within a 7-county area surrounding Lancaster County where there have been 55 confirmed cases.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs wildlife staff is holding butterfly tours. The training grounds at Fort Indiantown Gap house the only population of the eastern regal fritillary butterfly in the world.

A group of Pennsylvania residents is working to revive the colonial practice of growing flax one square yard at a time.

Dual sport motorcycle riders now have 20 miles of new trails to ride on state forest land. 

A report from our partners at Spotlight PA says Republican state senator Greg Rothman made money from the sale of a $30 million property to a developer building a data center in Cumberland County.

Congressman Glenn Thompson is joining the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support Pennsylvania apple growers who suffered catastrophic losses from a late-April freeze that destroyed crops. They're attempting to streamline and add flexibility in the crop insurance process.

Pennsylvania State Police investigated 635 crashes that resulted in 128 injuries and six fatalities over the July 4 weekend.

And

Attorney General Dave Sunday, along with 48 other attorneys, is calling on the FCC to help cut off scammers' access to real phone numbers.

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We have a new state budget, after lawmakers worked over the weekend in Harrisburg. On Sunday, 12 days into July, the state House and Senate approved a $50.8 billion state budget. Governor Josh Shapiro signed a package of bills enacting the budget Sunday afternoon, and praised legislative leaders for their ability to compromise. Legislative Democrats say the budget deal maintains important public education spending. Republican leaders hailed the deal that modestly increases spending.

Why Schuylkill and Berks counties likely can’t recoup lost warehouse tax revenue.

With Immigration and Customs Enforcement pivoting from plans to convert some of its new warehouses to detention facilities, one lingering issue is that local governments have lost millions of dollars in annual revenue because the properties are tax-exempt. Some officials had been pushing for payments in lieu of taxes from the federal government. It now looks like that won’t happen.

The debate over data centers is becoming a central issue in Pennsylvania's gubernatorial campaign. Republican Stacy Garrity was in Western Pennsylvania last week to discuss the issue -- AND to criticize Governor Josh Shapiro.

A Democratic congressional candidate wants major reforms in the way Congress operates.

Nominations are open for Pennsylvania's 2027 "trail of the year." Pennsylvanians can submit their favorite trail for consideration through the end of July.

Northumberland County now owns land including a mammoth vein of anthracite coal known as the Whaleback. It's considered a geological gem, named for its length and size.

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 Students from Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster won a national manufacturing competition, bringing home the grand prize of $100,000.

Big Boy generated some big numbers for the Scranton area during its two-week stay at the Steamtown National Historic Site. 

As part of America’s 250th birthday, there’s a renewed interest in the Declaration of Independence. Philadelphia has more versions of the Declaration of Independence on display than any other city.

Six projects across Cumberland County are receiving more than $750,000 in grant funding. Many of the recipients are using the money to improve or host sporting events.

Former Pennsylvania State Senator Shirley Kitchen, who died last weekend, is being remembered as a tireless advocate for her district in North Philadelphia.

Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday to remember Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Michael Pahira Jr, who was struck and killed by a tractor trailer along I-81 in Schuylkill County on July 1st. 

In Lancaster County, a 19-year-old man was killed when he lost control of his electric unicycle and was struck and killed by a tractor trailer on Route 322 Wednesday morning.

The National Weather Service confirms a tornado touched down in Perry County, this past Sunday evening, July 5th.

The York County Commissioners have issued a disaster declaration following severe storms over the July 4th weekend.

The Penn State Extension now has a toll-free hotline that provides the latest ag news. Callers can hear updates on the latest crop production, weather outlook, and disease and pest management issues facing crop producers in the state. 

Lawmakers in the state House have overwhelmingly approved a bill to provide opportunities for hunter-trapper education in Pennsylvania schools. The bill calls for the Pennsylvania Game Commission to develop the program for students in grades 6 through 12. 

Saturday is the start of the 40th annual ChambersFest in Chambersburg, Franklin County. The event started as a way to commemorate the town's historic rebuilding in 1864.

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:

 It's that time of the year, when hikers attempting thru-hikes on the Appalachian Trail, are passing through Pennsylvania. Luzerne County native Hunter Lacomis is one of them. He was inspired by his uncles to take the trek through 14 states along the East Coast. 

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Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of “drug delivery resulting in death” charges. But treating fatal overdoses like homicides is complicated. Today we have a deep dive into that process with Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA.

Here’s Part 1 and Part 2 of Ed Mahon’s series for Spotlight PA. 

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Big Boy, the largest steam-powered train in the world, is traveling east across the country to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Thousands stood along the tracks in Lebanon Tuesday to see the historic locomotive. 

Revelations that the tractor-trailer driver accused of striking and killing a state trooper on Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County was in the country illegally have put renewed focus on the requirements to obtain Commercial Driver's Licenses. 

A federal judge says Philadelphia cannot ban ICE agents from using face coverings. 

State senators advanced bills last week that could pause data center development.

The cleanup continues in the wake of last weekend’s severe thunderstorms which brought down trees and power lines, and knocked out electricity for a large part of the midstate. The storm may have also be responsible for two fatalities.

The Perry County Coroner has released the identities of the one adult and three children who perished in a weekend house fire. 

A former strength and conditioning coach at Bucknell University is charged in the death of a football player who collapsed during training. 

This is the first full week of the new fiscal year in Pennsylvania.  And we still do not have a state budget. So far, there's no indication of when or if the House and Senate will return to session, though negotiations on a new spending plan continue between legislative leaders and the Governor's office.

Meantime, legislation that aims to save taxpayers money by limiting excessive profits for utility monopolies is making its way through Harrisburg. 

The Penn State Extension is hosting an open house workshop Wednesday, at the Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Manheim.

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. 

More than 20-thousand customers in Central Pennsylvania are still without power this morning following powerful thunderstorms over the holiday weekend. Most are in Lancaster, Cumberland and Dauphin counties.

Today we also have a deep dive:

You may have noticed that your electricity bill is rising – maybe even more so, given the costs of staying cool during our recent heat wave. Pennsylvania utility regulators alerted consumers in June that the price of electric generation is increasing, just as it’s getting hotter outside, and people are using more electricity for air conditioning. Solar advocates say there’s one affordable option that could help: solar panels that you can plug into an outlet. 

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