More than 770,000 Pennsylvanians cast ballots on Tuesday for state-wide judicial and local county and municipal primary races. Secretary of State Al Schmidt said the process of casting ballots in every county and more than 9,000 precincts went smoothly.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro wants bills safeguarding hospitals to reach his desk this legislative session- especially in the aftermath of the abrupt closure of Crozier Health near Philadelphia.

Top Pennsylvania politicians accepted roughly 119-thousand dollars worth of gifts and hospitality from groups seeking to influence government last year. That's according to an investigation by Spotlight PA.

Pennsylvania's Attorney General has announced the disbanding of a major drug distribution network that operated across Pennsylvania. AG Dave Sunday says law enforcement officers made several arrests and seized more than $6 million worth of fentanyl and xylazene, two substances which are often mixed in with heroin to make it more potent and potentially deadly.

For bird lovers, it’s like the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby and New Years Eve all rolled into one. Earlier this month, New Jersey Audubon’s World Series of Birding, or WSB took place.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A proposed class action lawsuit recently filed in Pennsylvania is targeting tech billionaire Elon Musk and his pro-Trump America PAC. Jaxon White with our sister newsroom LNP | Lancaster Online explains one of the three lead plaintiffs lives in Lancaster.

A federal program that helps low-income families heat their homes in the winter could be on the chopping block, after the Trump Administration proposed cutting it from next year’s budget. The move could leave hundreds of thousands of households in Pennsylvania struggling to pay their utility bills.

Planned Parenthood advocates and leaders in Pennsylvania say a federal proposal to block clinics from participating in Medicaid could lead to closures in the Commonwealth.

Today is Pennsylvania's primary election day. Democrats and Republicans across the commonwealth will determine which candidates go on to run in the general election. Ballots will vary depending on where voters live, and could include races for mayor, school board, city council, various judicial offices, district attorney, and more. Statewide, voters will weigh in on primary candidates for Commonwealth and Superior Courts.

And a vote on whether to close seven of Penn State's Commonwealth Campuses, including York and Mont Alto, will happen this week.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomorrow is Pennsylvania's Primary Election Day. But this fall, three incumbent justices on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court are facing opposition in what’s usually a quiet retention vote. Carmen Russell-Sluchansky from our friends at WHYY reports on how this year is shaping up to be different.

And The Pennsylvania Supreme Court heard arguments last week over the state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, known as RGGI ("Reggie"). Julie Grant from our friends at The Allegheny Front reports.

The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization PennEnvironment recently released a report that ranks Pennsylvania 49th in the nation for its growth in six key areas of solar, wind and geothermal generation over the past decade. WITF's Karen Hendricks has a deep-dive conversation with Flora Cardoni, deputy director of PennEnvironment, to interpret the report.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gov. Josh Shapiro is warning that cuts to Medicaid health care that Congress is considering would mean billions of dollars in lost federal aid to Pennsylvania, hundreds of thousands of people losing access to the program and more rural hospitals shutting their doors.

In Harrisburg, legislation designed to improve access to hospital financial-aid programs in Pennsylvania has been approved by the state House. Allegheny County Democrat Arvind Venkat authored the bill to prevent patients from falling into medical debt. The bill received strong bipartisan support, including from Republican Tim Twardzik of Schuylkill County.

More than a thousand postdoctoral scholars and research associates at the University of Pennsylvania want to form a union. The school is challenging that move.

It’s not even Memorial Day yet, but this year’s Fourth of July parade is already being cancelled by one Philadelphia-area township, amid security concerns. There is no definitive threat facing Whitemarsh Township in Montgomery County, but township officials are leaning on the side of safety.

Lancaster City Council joined a chorus of municipalities voicing their support for a $15 minimum hourly wage in Pennsylvania. By a 7-0 vote, the council passed a resolution supporting House Bill 1150, which would more than double Pennsylvania’s minimum hourly wage, currently $7.25.

As Rite Aid drug stores are preparing to shut down, Pennsylvania's Attorney General is advising customers of other, more crucial deadlines. AG Dave Sunday says June 6th is the final day consumers can use Rite Aid gift cards, coupons, bonus points, or other in-store rewards.

A new $19.1 million dollar Lancaster County manufacturing facility opened this week and is ramping up production of bone broth and soup. The company Kettle & Fire is launching with 60 employees but plans to eventually grow to a workforce numbering close of 150.

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is calling for bipartisanship in order to tackle the issue of air traffic safety. Fetterman took the opportunity to highlight a Pennsylvania school. He told Franklin McIntosh, the FAA's deputy head of air traffic control, about the Community College of Beaver County, the only school in Pennsylvania that offers FAA air traffic controller training.

Musician Zachariah King hails from the Perry County village of Eshcol, which helped form his musical career. King and his bandmates stops by our studio and talks with WITF Music’s Joe Ulrich about his music, community, and the preservation of local heritage.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Penn State’s administration officially released a report, outlining which of its campuses it’s recommending for closure and why. That list includes two campuses in central Pennsylvania--Mont Alto and York. Factors include declining enrollment and steep maintenance costs.

Democrats in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives are sending a suite of election reforms to the Republican-controlled Senate for consideration. The House was also scheduled to vote on voter ID, but Republican support fell apart at the last minute.

A state Senate committee quickly moved to shut down a House-passed bill legalizing adult-use recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania.

In Washington, D.C., the founder of an Altoona substance use disorder support group is advocating before Congress this week--part of a group of parents impacted by drug addiction who are partnering with the national advocacy group Drug Policy Alliance.

Microtransit could be coming to Lancaster County. South Central Transit Authority, the agency overseeing Red Rose Transit Authority, is considering adding the service which is part-Uber, part-public transit, and would potentially cover areas of Lancaster County where buses don't reach.

Geisinger Medical Center is marking the launch of its $880 million expansion and modernization project. Officials ceremonially broke ground on the Danville, Montour County project.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Pennsylvania Hall of Fame voter is getting ready to vote for the 82nd year in a row. WITF's Jordan Wilkie introduces us to Lorraine Koons of Lebanon County--who, before she was old enough to vote, worked at the Middletown Air Depot to support the World War II effort by helping build and repair B-17 bombers.

When students are routinely missing class, Pennsylvania schools must offer to meet with families before turning to legal action. But educators -- and judges -- are telling lawmakers the supports they can offer families are limited.

A Central Pennsylvania lawmaker is facing backlash after posting an online video involving a flamethrower. Sen. Dawn Keefer, a York County Republican, faces criticism after posting a video in which she torches Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal with a flamethrower--a month after Shapiro and his family were evacuated from the Governor’s Residence during a firebombing that left part of the building badly damaged.

A former Lancaster city police officer was mistakenly overpaid $114,000 in retirement benefits over the last three years. That's according to an audit of the bureau’s pension plan.

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency is opening a new center to better train first responders to handle crisis situations. The agency is launching a statewide Crisis Intervention Team Technical Assistance Center — the first of its kind in the nation.

One of two B-29 bombers that remain in flying condition, worldwide, flew over south-central Pennsylvania on Monday.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the wake of Steelton's Cleveland-Cliffs plant temporarily laying off more than 500 employees, a southwestern Pennsylvania state senator says his new bill could encourage new investment in aging steel plants.

The Pennsylvania State Police will no longer carry shotguns in their cruisers.

Early May rainfall, along with expected rainfall this week, may ease Lancaster County's severe drought status.

Berks County officials are reviewing a report analyzing the county inmate population and its finding that jail is too often used as a default tool to address social issues such as poverty, homelessness and substance use.

Pottsville Mayor Mark Atkinson is resigning for health reasons.

The Hershey Bears continue their quest for their third straight Calder Cup, as well as their 14th AHL championship overall.

Last year, a nonprofit group in Pittsburgh, with a partner in Philadelphia, was awarded a large federal grant as part of a $2 billion climate justice program through the Inflation Reduction Act. But now, climate and environmental justice projects are "out" with the Trump administration, and the grant has evaporated. The Allegheny Front’s Julie Grant reports what's at stake.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Penn State is behind its peers when it comes to commercializing its research.

Voters will soon head to the polls in the first round of elections for local offices. Primary elections for judges, mayors, school directors and some election workers are on May 20. Secretary of State Al Schmidt says turnout is traditionally low for local elections even though they offer more tangible impact for voters.

Pennsylvania’s neighboring states, New Jersey and Delaware are among 17 states [along with the District of Columbia] that are suing the Trump administration over wind energy.

Firefighters battled two forest fires for two weeks recently in Cumberland County's Michaux State Forest. Providing more details and context is Mike Kern, the state's Forest Fire Protection Chief, within the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Bureau of Forestry.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.