Pennsylvania category, Page 166
New poll shows Biden still leading, but little change in presidential race among Pennsylvania voters
Nearly a month into the official 2020 general election campaign, with their camps moving full steam ahead and frequent rallies in Pennsylvania, President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have done little to move the needle among Keystone State voters, a new poll shows. A Franklin & Marshall College...
Pennsylvania colleges take a hit in undergraduate enrollment
A new national survey of fall college enrollment trends by the National Student Clearinghouse found the impact of covid-19 and a shrinking pool of new high school graduates has left its mark on Pennsylvania colleges. The survey based on preliminary numbers from about 22% of the nation’s colleges and universities,...
More Pennsylvania inmates accused of fraudulently seeking jobless checks
HARRISBURG — Eighteen inmates in Pennsylvania state prisons and two girlfriends of inmates on the outside have been charged in what authorities describe as a scheme to fraudulently obtain jobless benefits for ineligible prisoners, prosecutors said Wednesday. The 20 sets of charges were announced by state Attorney General Josh Shapiro...
50,000 residents download Pennsylvania’s covid app in 24 hours
Pennsylvania’s new covid-19 contact tracing app has been downloaded by 50,000 people, Gov. Tom Wolf’s office said Wednesday. The mobile app, COVID Alert PA, was announced in August and officially launched Tuesday. The app notifies users if they have been exposed to covid-19 using Bluetooth technology. Without tracking identity or...
Republicans seek to stay Pa. Supreme Court decision on ballot drop boxes and mail-in ballots
Top Republicans in Harrisburg have asked the state Supreme Court to stay part of its order allowing the use of ballot drop boxes and granting a three-day extension to count mail-in ballots while they appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. In an application filed Tuesday, the Republican lawmakers...
Fishing license sales jump 20% with covid-19 outdoor recreation boom
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has already sold about 150,000 more fishing licenses this year than it did all of last year. “We certainly think that the pandemic situation has had an impact, as more people sought outdoor recreational activities, and either discovered or rediscovered a passion for fishing,”...
Pennsylvania adds 898 coronavirus cases, 39 deaths
Pennsylvania reported 39 deaths attributed to covid-19 Wednesday, the highest reported in a single day since 39 were reported June 25. Those deaths bring the state’s total to 8,062, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The state also added 898 new coronavirus cases, bringing that total to 152,544. The...
Youngstown restaurant 1 of 11 in state to have liquor license suspended for covid violations
The Tin Lizzy Tap Room and Restaurant in Youngstown is set to reopen on Friday after its liquor license was suspended for two weeks because the establishment violated restrictions meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Owner Buck Pawlosky said he will play by the rules, but that...
Pennsylvania has 27,000 acres of public land that you may not use
The public owns 27,000 acres in Pennsylvania that the public can’t get to and use, according to a new report from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and onX. They are landlocked lands, which the report, The Mid-Atlantic’s Landlocked Public Lands, defines as “public land where there is no permanent, legal...
Pa. Senate passes bill to ensure coroners are told of coronavirus deaths
The day after the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s tally of deaths attributed to covid-19 surpassed 8,000, the state Senate passed a bill to strengthen the role of coroners, who have questioned the accuracy of the counting system. The bill, backed on Tuesday by all Senate Republicans and 10 Democrats, adds...
Pennsylvania takes step to stop jobless benefits fraud
The state is taking additional steps to prevent criminals from illegally siphoning money from a federal unemployment compensation program by filing fraudulent claims, including delaying payments to allow for more time to verify the identity of those seeking the benefits. Those benefits, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits, are designed for...
Pennsylvania doles out half of federal $300 weekly benefit fund
Pennsylvania has distributed more than one-half of its allocation of $2.8 billion in federal money that is the source of the $300-a-week checks being sent to the eligible covid-19-related jobless, state officials said. The state has sent $1.5 billion to unemployed Pennsylvanians through the federal government’s Lost Wages Assistance Program,...
Pennsylvania nears launch of new health insurance website
Pennsylvania is getting ready to launch its own website to sell Affordable Care Act-compliant policies that will replace the federally operated Healthcare.gov to enroll people for the 2021 insurance year, state officials said Tuesday. It is named “Pennie” and lawmakers approved the idea last year in a bid to get...
Sen. Toomey says he will consider Trump’s high court nominee
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey will not try to block President Donald Trump’s attempt to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court less than 40 days before the election, he said Tuesday. The Lehigh Valley Republican joined the successful effort to block President Barack Obama from filling a vacancy on...
Bill freezing pay for Pa.’s legislators, judges, top executive branch officials heading to Gov. Wolf’s desk
Pennsylvania lawmakers this year likely will be spared the grief that often accompanies the annual automatic pay raise that state law authorizes them to receive. Legislation is on its way to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk that would not only freeze lawmakers’ salaries at their current level through 2021 but judges...
Pennsylvania sees 7th straight day with double digit new covid-19 deaths
Pennsylvania has 834 new covid-19 cases Tuesday, per the state Department of Health. The state also reported 19 additional coronavirus-related deaths. Total cases are now 151,646, and the death total is 8,023. Pennsylvania surpassed 150,000 covid-19 cases Sunday. The state surpassed 100,000 cases on July 18 and 50,000 cases on...
Pennsylvania launches new coronavirus exposure notification app
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s new coronavirus exposure notification app became available in app stores Tuesday and could soon be compatible with those of three neighboring states, including New York. The release of the app, named COVID AlertPa, is part of Pennsylvania’s effort to more quickly break chains of transmission by using...
In battleground states, Catholics are a pivotal swing vote
For decades, Roman Catholic voters have been a pivotal swing vote in U.S. presidential elections, with a majority backing the winner — whether Republican or Democrat — nearly every time. How they vote in the battleground states this year could well decide the outcome, and the rival campaigns are targeting...
Sen. Toomey mum on Trump’s rush to replace Justice Ginsburg; Casey balks at GOP hypocrisy
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey has not said whether it’s critical to let the American people have the chance to “weigh in and select a new president” before filling the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. That’s what Toomey, a Lehigh Valley Republican, described as...
Voting victories for Democrats in Pa. might have closed the door on more election reform
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. HARRISBURG — With less than seven weeks to go, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has significantly altered how the state’s election...
Pennsylvania Lottery officials warn players about new phone scam
Lottery officials are warning Pennsylvanians of a phone scam that claims commonwealth contestants have won a prize — they just have to pre-pay taxes or processing costs, though the cash never comes. The Pennsylvania Lottery issued a release on Monday morning advising residents that they have received notifications of a...
Frances Wolf urges USDA and Congress to extend child food services
Pennsylvania’s First Lady Frances Wolf joined 17 other first spouses and partners to urge federal leaders to continue child nutrition programs for the rest of the school school year. In letters to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to congressional leadership sent Friday, Wolf and her counterparts asked the entities...
Pennsylvania sees 2-day increase of 967 in coronavirus cases
In the past two days, there were 967 new coronavirus cases added in the state, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Monday. On Sunday, the state added 733 new cases, while on Monday it added 234. All but 21 of those cases are confirmed. From Sept. 14-20, the state reported...
More Biden, Trump visits this week in fight for Pennsylvania
President Donald Trump will make his fourth and fifth appearances in September in Pennsylvania, flying into and out of rallies at two different airports this week. Tuesday’s event is at Pittsburgh International Airport and Saturday’s event is at Harrisburg International Airport. Trump’s visits underscores the importance of Pennsylvania to the...
Small plane crash lands on street in Pennsylvania, 2 injured
MOOSIC — A small plane traveling from Vermont crash landed on a residential street in Pennsylvania, injuring the pilot and a passenger. The single-engine aircraft was trying to land at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Sunday night when the pilot apparently had engine trouble and brought the plane down on Stone...
