A York pastor and father of two U.S. citizen children was loaded onto a deportation flight to Haiti, but was removed at the last minute, according to immigration advocates.

The makers of skill games say they hope state lawmakers agree to regulate the machines by an approaching mid-October deadline.

The state is investing millions in federal funds to expand electric vehicle infrastructure in eastern Pennsylvania, including Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry, Adams, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has found that inadequate safety and training protocols led to an explosion and fire at Shell’s Beaver County plastics plant in June 2025. The accident caused $95 million dollars in damages.

Four Pennsylvanians with intellectual and developmental disabilities have filed a class action lawsuit against new caregiver and travel rules in Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program.

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point to 3.7% in August.

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. 

A 157-acre property in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, located behind the WITF public media center... might soon be the home of a $10.5 billion data center campus.

Now an update on a story we first reported earlier this week. Advocates and allies of a York pastor and Haitian immigrant are trying last-minute legal and political strategies to keep him in the country.

State officials say the number of measles cases in Pennsylvania continues to rise, reaching 731 confirmed cases. That's according to new figures released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health on Wednesday.

The Trump administration is claiming that thousands of potential non-citizens are registered to vote in Pennsylvania. There are new revelations about how federal officials came up with that number.

A new study warns electric shortages are ahead, unless the supply keeps pace with data center growth.

The Shapiro administration is celebrating its Office of Outdoor Recreation's third year of existence with positive economic news.

This is the last weekend of summer, before fall arrives on Tuesday, September 22nd – and there are plenty of festivals happening across Central PA.

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:

If you've ever wanted to create a podcast of your own – and if you or someone you know is age 65 and older – now might be your chance. 

NPR is inviting persons age 65 and older to take part in the Senior Podcast Challenge. 

Learn more about NPR’s Senior Podcast Challenge here. And listen to the full conversation on WITF’s The Spark.

NPR Senior Podcast Challenge invites Pennsylvania seniors to share their stories | WITF

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.

Lebanon City Council will soon vote on two ordinances to restrict e-bikes and similar vehicles. But - some residents worry they will lose their method of transportation.

About 100 protestors gathered outside Philadelphia City Hall Monday, demanding a moratorium on data centers. Hundreds of communities across the U.S. have implemented freezes on data centers which power the growth of AI.

A report by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission released Monday warns the enormous growth in energy demand driven by data centers could risk future brownouts or blackouts. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has repealed rules to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, like those that burn coal and natural gas. The rule change could have a big impact in Pennsylvania.

So-called forever chemicals known as P-FAS are in the water supply--including our drinking water. One way they are getting there is through sewage sludge that is used as fertilizer. Pennsylvania and other states are looking to limit water contamination.  

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.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is praising local law enforcement agencies for helping the federal government detain and deport more immigrants. That includes a pastor and father of two children recently stopped by a police department in York County.

Flu season typically peaks in the fall and winter, with activity often highest between December and February. What you need to know as flu season approaches.

Pennsylvania’s mail ballots will be designed and sent out without revisions from the United States Postal Service.

Health insurance companies are proposing some of the largest rate hikes in recent memory – as much as 40 percent. Meantime, the Shapiro administration says it’s limited in what it can do to cap those increases – so they’re calling for federal action.

Business owners whose customers play so-called skill games are begging Harrisburg for regulation, so they can keep the revenue the machines provide.

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.

Vaping has been a problem in schools for years now, but rates are finally decreasing.

Some districts, including here in Central Pennsylvania, have vape sensors that send administrators an alert when it detects vapors in the air.

Legislation signed by Governor Josh Shapiro mandates recess for Pennsylvania students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Pennsylvania officials are confirming the third measles-related death in the state. The latest death happened in the northwestern part of the state - in Jefferson County.

Pennsylvania State Police are telling businesses to get rid of skill game machines — or else. Establishments need to act soon, or they may be subject to criminal prosecution.

Pennsylvania lawmakers have quietly erased longstanding deed restrictions on seven closing Penn State campuses.

The move allows the university to sell the entire properties to private buyers rather than return portions of the land to state control.

Museums and historical societies in Central Pennsylvania are receiving financial help from the state.

Visitors to Doubling Gap Lake at Colonel Denning State Park should expect a more shallow body of water starting Tuesday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will draw down the Cumberland County lake to allow for rehabilitation work.

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.

The memories of 9/11 are vivid for those who were there 25 years ago. But as the youngest generation exists without their own recollection of the attacks, ceremonies that honor the lives lost also serve to educate the next generation.

Two planes struck the World Trade Center buildings in New York City, one crashed into the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C., and the last one went down in western Pennsylvania. Its 40 passengers and crew members died preventing that attack.

There was also a memorial in Bucks County to honor the 18 residents who died in the attacks. Hundreds of people visited the Garden of Reflection 9/11 Memorial.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health provided an update on the ongoing measles outbreak Friday afternoon with 676 cases across 37 counties.

The Pennsylvania State Police released their Labor Day crash and enforcement statistics.

A tool library is now open to the public in Lebanon.

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 www.witf.org/increase or become a new sustaining member at www.witf.org/givenow. 

Today we begin by expanding on a story we first brought you yesterday. The Pennsylvania State Archives has an exhibit exploring Pennsylvania’s experience of the 9/11 terrorist attack, marking its 25th anniversary today. It mainly revolves around Flight 93 which went down in western PA.

Observances across Central PA and the nation today (Friday) commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Those attacks focused on three sites: the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D-C, and a thwarted attack that ended with the crash of Flight 93 in Shanksville.

Pennsylvania’s top election official says the federal government is trying to illegally change election rules. What voters need to know in the run-up to the midterms.

The Federal Communications Commission has approved the transfer of Penn State’s WPSU to Philadelphia-based WHYY.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman addressed the Republican midterm convention Wednesday, escalating tensions with his party.

ICE is ramping up its use of Penn State's airport to move detainees between immigration facilities 

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:

 The third annual "Recovery in Nature" initiative is underway in State Parks across the Commonwealth in an effort to support Pennsylvanians in recovery.  It's part of National Recovery Month.

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 Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks with a special exhibit at the Pennsylvania State Archives. 

The devastating flooding in Nepal and China left at least one thousand people dead and thousands more still missing. The disaster is hitting close to home for central Pennsylvania’s Bhutanese-Nepali community, which is raising money to help with recovery efforts.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has fined oil giant Shell $15 million for air quality violations at its massive Beaver County plastics plant.

And now a deep dive:

Roughly half of all people with cancer will need radiation therapy. It’s an effective way to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors, but the treatment can cause long-term health issues.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are now testing a new method of radiation treatment that they hope is safer and more effective. 

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.

Special education costs in Pennsylvania are soaring. Central PA schools say they rely on property tax increases because state funding hasn’t kept up.

After the August 25th death of legendary musician Dolly Parton, literacy advocates say Pennsylvania has a chance to honor her legacy.

More people are surviving cancer than ever before. But Pennsylvania oncologists say fragmented health systems leave people without the care and resources they need to manage the long-term effects of treatment. Now doctors are trying a different approach.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives will convene an historic legislative session in Philadelphia's historic Congress Hall later today.

More than 2-million dollars in state grant funding is headed to the Perry County Fairgrounds. The money will be used for long-planned upgrades to the facility, located near Newport.

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.

Unions forced the creation of the 8-hour workday, the 40-hour week, and the weekend, and brought health insurance and pensions into the workplace. But where the labor movement stand today?

A Penn State professor who teaches and studies labor movements says most people have forgotten the significance of celebrating labor in the U.S.

A new report finds Pennsylvania's labor market remains relatively healthy, but job growth is unevenly distributed, and it’s beginning to slow down.

A union-affiliated think tank is urging Pennsylvania officials to compete for next-generation steel plants as a way to create more jobs. According to the Harrisburg-based Keystone Research Center, data centers could also boost employment, but should be required to show that their benefits outweigh their heavy demands on electricity, water and other resources.

Beginning in mid-November, Amtrak will begin operating a second train on the Pennsylvanian, which runs between Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia and New York.

Electric scooters are illegal to operate on public roadways in Pennsylvania, and some law enforcement officials want it to stay that way.

Police in York County continue to investigate an accident they’re calling a “mass casualty incident.” It happened over the Labor Day weekend, as a multi-vehicle accident on Route 15 sent 14 people to five area hospitals.

Over the Labor Day holiday weekend, officials with the Pennsylvania Turnpike say an estimated 2.9 million vehicles used the roadway.

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.