A surprise beneficiary in President Trump’s budget mega bill is a type of coal used to make steel. Companies that mine metallurgical coal are now in line to receive a 2.5% tax credit thanks to the bill.

Controversy has erupted after a Northeastern Pennsylvania county is cut a band from a popular concert series. The move appears to be connected to concerns over the band's lyrics and statements by the lead singer.

A Lancaster County constable who was recently convicted of co-opting police powers will soon be able to carry out immigration arrests.

The Carlisle School Board is set to vote on whether to ban high school students from using cellphones.

A Berks County official is lodging a complaint with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission after a string of unexplained power outages.

And a deep dive by WITF's Jordan Wilkie: Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro says legislation that would prevent transgender girls and women from playing on publicly funded sports teams is backed by extremist politicians.

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Pennsylvania health officials have temporarily added nitazenes, a synthetic opioid, to the list of controlled substances in the Commonwealth.

Temple University's School of Dentistry is launching a rural dentistry track. A new campus will be located in Schuylkill County, and the goal of the new program is to encourage new dentists to practice in underserved areas of Pennsylvania.

The State Department of Labor and Industry reports a slight increase in unemployment in June.

Harrisburg's so-called "tent city" could be headed to a new location. Residents of the encampment say they were given flyers, promoting the ability to register for one of 50 to 60 encampment sites on a South 9th Street property, just off Cameron Street. The nonprofit Amiracle4sure recently obtained the land. They say they'll be releasing more details soon, in conjunction with county officials.

An 82-year old Pennsylvania man was secretly deported to Guatemala after he attempted to replace his green card, which had been lost, according to his family.

The 10th annual Schuylkill County Brew Fest is set for this Saturday (July 26) in Pottsville.

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About 18 percent of private wells in Pennsylvania are contaminated with toxic "forever chemicals" known as PFAS. That’s according to a new study from Penn State.

After finding mosquitoes that have tested positive for West Nile Virus and Jamestown Canyon Virus, Cumberland County is spraying for the insects in various parts of the county.

Penn State plans to buy the former fraternity house where a hazing incident led to the death of Timothy Piazza in 2017.

It's now been three full weeks without a state budget. State Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Martin, a Lancaster Republican, tells reporters he feels good about where the closed-door conversations are going. And Governor Josh Shapiro says he feels optimistic about negotiations. However, according to reporting by our partners at Spotlight PA, two Capitol sources are less confident.

The pilot of a single-engine plane is dead after crashing shortly after takeoff from Lancaster Airport Sunday morning. He's been identified as 58-year old Musaddiq Nazeeri of Lebanon.

You may see low-flying aircraft in parts of Lancaster County on Tuesday. It’s part of a join exercise between the Pennsylvania State Police and Manheim Borough Police.

The Dauphin County Department of Public Safety is trying to figure out what caused a 911 outage Saturday morning.

Country music star Shania Twain is making a tour stop in Hershey this Saturday, and ahead of her visit, her foundation is making a donation to the Hershey Food Bank.

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We’re learning more about the deeper implications of Congress’s decision late last week to roll back billions of dollars of funding already approved for public broadcasting and foreign aid. We hear from a humanitarian aid worker from the State College region and learn what could come next for foreign aid work.

Pennsylvania’s 10 state-owned universities are planning to raise tuition for the first time in eight years. The schools are taking this action as a precaution while state and federal funding is uncertain.

Now that this year’s July 4th celebrations have wrapped up, the focus shifts to next year, and the nation's 250th birthday. We meet Cassandra Coleman, who runs America250PA.

We continue taking "deep dives" throughout the month of July as Central PA tourism organizations prepare for America250. Today, we check in with Stacey Cornman with the Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau. (ICYMI, check our Morning Agenda archives for conversations with tourism leaders in Lancaster County, Visit Hershey & Harrisburg, and Destination Gettysburg.)

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Congress is cancelling over $1 billion in pre-approved funding for public broadcasting. The funding cuts threaten local news and educational programming across Pennsylvania.

Workers who rely on tips are being advised to pay attention to their taxes this year. A "no tax on tips" provision is part of the federal tax cut and spending bill recently signed into law. Workers who get voluntary tips - not service fees - may benefit from claiming both cash and credit card gratuities on their taxes.

Under current law drivers in Pennsylvania are only required to display one license plate, on the rear of their vehicle. But a state lawmaker will soon introduce legislation to change that.

The owner of Lancaster County hydro-electric plants at Holtwood and Safe Harbor has agreed to sell Google massive amounts of electricity generated by the Susquehanna River dams to power some Google data centers. The 20-year, $3 billion agreement is between Google and Canadian owners Brookfield Asset Management.

Lancaster and Lebanon Counties are in talks for a long-term solution for hazmat services.

Much is still unknown about the restoration efforts at the Governor's Residence in Harrisburg, following an April arson attack that severely damaged part of the Front Street mansion. We explore what we know—and don’t know.

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Early this morning, between 2 and 3 am, the Senate approved cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting including NPR and PBS as well as member stations including WITF. The Senate vote was 51-to-48.

Pennsylvania's senators voted along party lines. With a yes vote, Republican David McCormick voted to rescind funding for public broadcasting as well as foreign aid. Democrat John Fetterman voted against the bill.

Earlier this week, Fetterman told the Philadelphia Inquirer the cuts undermine the very values of family and education Republicans claim to champion. Fetterman cited Fred Rogers, a Pittsburgh icon, who taught generations of American children about kindness and empathy through his PBS program "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood."

Here’s the next step for the legislation:

The Senate's approval of the cuts tees up a final vote in the House, which approved an earlier version last month. For the proposed rescissions to kick in, the bill would need to be signed into law by midnight Friday.

Here’s a closer look at the financial implications of the bill.

The legislation would claw back nearly $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which represents the full amount it’s due to receive during the next two budget years. The corporation distributes more than 70% of that money to more than 1500 locally-operated public television and radio stations including WITF based in Harrisburg but serving a 19-county area of Central Pennsylvania.

Ron Hetrick, President and CEO of WITF's parent organization Pennon calls today's decision "disappointing," while encouraging those passionate about public media to contact their elected representatives today.

Hetrick adds that "In these moments of uncertainty, we remain unwavering in our mission to ensure our organization continues to serve as a trusted source of information and connection for our community."

Now turning to another breaking story we’re following this morning:

Vice President JD Vance touted the One Big Beautiful Bill Wednesday, making a stop in northeast Pennsylvania, at a Machine Shop in West Pittston. Vance praised President Donald Trump for retooling the economy in favor of American workers.

Meantime, Around 50 people protested the Trump administration's immigration policies, education and healthcare cuts during Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Luzerne County on Wednesday.

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Governor Josh Shapiro says he wants to be sure Pennsylvania plays a key role in developing artificial intelligence, as well as providing the energy needed to support it. Speaking at an energy and A-I summit in Pittsburgh this week, Shapiro said the state's skilled workforce and natural gas reserves helped attract a $20 billion dollar investment in new data centers recently pledged by Amazon. A number of large-scale data center projects were announced across the state including a $15 billion project planned for the Carlisle area, a $6 billion project in the Lancaster area and a $5 billion project planned for York County.

A nonprofit group that helps unemployed people stay in their homes is calling for state property reassessment laws to be updated. The lawsuit could affect property owners across the state.

Another attempt is being made to eliminate local property taxes in Pennsylvania: This latest effort, in the form of an amendment to the state Constitution, is co-sponsored by state Senator Doug Mastriano of Franklin County. It would prohibit school districts from collecting property taxes beginning July first, 2029 and require the General Assembly to come up with another funding method for public schools.

Some state lawmakers are taking another shot at legalizing adult cannabis use in Pennsylvania. Senators Daniel Laughlin and Sharif Street, as well as Representatives Emily Kinkead and Abby Major introduced bipartisan recreational cannabis bills just four days apart. Both bills incentivize minority, women and veteran-owned small businesses to open dispensaries across the state.

Pennsylvania is one of 49 states sharing in a 20 million dollar settlement with drug maker Gilead Sciences. It stems from a lawsuit which accused Gilead of illegally providing financial and other incentives to medical personnel in exchange for promoting and prescribing its HIV medications.

Danville-based Geisinger is eliminating nearly 100 Geisinger Health Plan positions as part of an "operational restructuring" amid financial challenges that include a $231 million operating loss last year.

Four independent voters in Pennsylvania are asking the state Supreme Court to rule that the closed primary system violates the state constitution. They filed a lawsuit arguing that keeping independents out of primaries effectively denies them the right to vote in many districts where primaries determine the outcome.

The 260th York State Fair kicks off Friday. and runs through the following weekend until Sunday, July 27th.

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June 30 was the deadline for a new state budget, so at this point, lawmakers are more than two weeks late - with little movement until late Monday night. That’s when The Pennsylvania state House passed a budget bill - one that’s smaller than Governor Josh Shapiro originally requested. But Republicans say more cuts are needed.

Governor Shapiro is suing the Trump Administration over education funding. This newest lawsuit concerns $230 million in withheld education funds.

The investigation continues into last Friday's disruption of 911 service in Pennsylvania.

In Cumberland County Court, a homicide trial is underway this week for 27-year old Timothy Lloyd Sampson. The West Pennsboro Township man is accused of causing the death of his 13-month of son on New Year's Day of 2023.

The Manheim Township board of commissioners is officially appointing an interim police chief, in the wake of the board's firing of Duane M. Fisher. Township commissioners appointed Lt. Brian Freysz to serve as interim chief.

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