As Shapiro opposes ICE detention centers, his GOP opponent for Pa. governor stays vague
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Stacy Garrity’s gubernatorial campaign won’t clarify where the Republican stands on ICE detention centers, only saying the...
Sen. Dave McCormick, NIH Director Jay Battacharya tour Pittsburgh medical, research facilities
U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick said Monday he would oppose any White House push to reduce funding for the National Institutes of Health, the largest biomedical research agency in the world. Roll Call, citing sources in the medical research industry, reported last week that the White House could seek to cut...
Trump hosts Stacy Garrity at Mar-a-Lago fundraiser, calls Josh Shapiro ‘a stiff’
Stacy Garrity, the presumptive Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, had the ultimate fundraiser this weekend: An event at President Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. Garrity’s campaign, a GOP source confirmed, cleared six-figures in proceeds from the event, secured commitments for future fundraisers, and got some...
Could a Democrat really replace Marjorie Taylor Greene? This retired Army general is trying
ROME, Ga. — During almost three decades of living in Georgia’s conservative northwest corner, Kimberly Seals got used to keeping her liberal opinions to herself. She suspected there were others who felt the same way, but she had no way to know for sure. So on a recent Saturday afternoon,...
The birthright citizenship case at the Supreme Court hits close to home for this immigrant mother
WASHINGTON — One of the first things an Argentine emigre did after her son was born in Florida last year was get him a U.S. passport. She saw the passport as tangible evidence that he’s an American. But now people like her are in a legal fight over President Donald...
More Pa. Democrats consider challenging Fetterman in 2028 primary
A former Democratic congresswoman is the latest name being touted as a possible primary challenger to Sen. John Fetterman. The news site Semafor reported recently that former Lehigh Valley Rep. Susan Wild is pondering entering the 2028 Senate primary as Democrats become increasingly frustrated and angry over Fetterman’s continued support...
Bills to pay FAA and TSA workers during shutdowns get introduced but keep stalling in Congress
The Aviation Funding Solvency Act. The Keep America Flying Act. The Keep Air Travel Safe Act. The Aviation Funding Stability Act. Again and again, members of Congress have dusted off the same idea: ensuring the federal employees who control air traffic and screen passengers and bags at U.S. airports get...
Secret Service agent assigned to Jill Biden accidentally shoots himself in leg at airport
A U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to protect former first lady Jill Biden accidentally shot himself in the leg at Philadelphia International Airport on Friday, authorities said. Biden was not in the area when the agent was injured during a “negligent discharge” of his firearm Friday morning, Secret Service spokesman...
A judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit over Minnesota in-state tuition for students without legal status
Minnesota public universities can continue to offer in-state tuition and scholarships to some immigrants in the country without legal status, a federal judge ruled on Friday, dismissing a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice last summer that attempted to halt the programs. The decision follows a series of clashes...
TSA workers might get paid Monday, but their worries and airport woes could linger for longer
NEW YORK— Transportation Security Administration officers could get their first full paychecks in more than six weeks as early as Monday after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday instructing the Homeland Security secretary to pay them immediately. But travel experts and labor leaders said the mammoth security...
Pro-Iranian group claims credit for hack of FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal account
WASHINGTON — A pro-Iranian hacking group claimed Friday to have hacked an account of FBI Director Kash Patel and posted online what appear to be years-old photographs of him, along with a work resume and other personal documents dating back more than a decade. “Kash Patel, the current head of...
Hegseth strikes 2 black and 2 female officers from promotion list
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is blocking the promotion of four Army officers to be one-star generals, a highly unusual move that has prompted some senior military officials to question whether the officers are being singled out because of their race or gender. Two of the officers targeted by...
A 14-year-old running for governor is the 1st teen to get on Vermont’s general election ballot
STOWE, Vt. — Looking back, gubernatorial candidate Dean Roy says his political ambitions started in the eighth grade. And by that he means, last year. After working as a legislative page at the Vermont Statehouse, the 14-year-old freshman at Stowe High School now has his sights set on the corner...
G7 meets on the Iran war as Rubio tries to sell U.S. strategy to skeptical allies insulted by Trump
VAUX-DE-CERNAY, France — Group of Seven foreign ministers met on Friday in France to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with deep divisions apparent over the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated complaints that America’s allies have ignored or rejected requests for help in the military operation and...
House weighs next steps for bill to fund most of Homeland Security but not immigration enforcement
WASHINGTON — The Senate early Friday approved Department of Homeland Security funds to pay Transportation Security Administration agents and most other agencies but not the immigration enforcement operations at the heart of the budget impasse that has jammed airports, disrupted travel and imposed financial hardship on workers. The deal, which...
Some Pa. lawmakers call for suspending state taxes on gas and dieselVideo
With average gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon, and diesel prices nearly $2 a gallon higher, some Pennsylvania lawmakers are exploring temporarily suspending the state’s taxes on both. “Everybody is talking about affordability, but what are we doing about it? I think we can do something,” state Sen. Lisa...
U.S. Treasury working to put Trump’s signature on new paper currency in 1st for sitting president
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department plans to put President Donald Trump’s signature on all new U.S. paper currency, the agency announced on Thursday. The move would be a first for a sitting president, since traditionally, U.S. paper currency carries the signatures of the Treasury Secretary and the Treasurer, not...
Suburbanites embrace anti-Trump resistance before No Kings protests, saying, ‘This is our fight’
MONTCLAIR, N.J. — A few years ago, Allison Posner was barely involved in politics. Now the 42-year-old mother of two from Maplewood, New Jersey, hands out food and diapers to immigrant families outside a nearby detention facility. She waves signs on a highway overpass between school pickups and orthodontist appointments....
Trump says he’ll sign order to pay TSA agents as Congress struggles to reach funding deal
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday he would sign an order instructing the Homeland Security secretary to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration agents as Congress struggles to reach a deal to end the budget impasse that has jammed airports and left workers without paychecks. Trump announced his decision in...
‘A fundamental right’: Pa. House again passes bill to end state’s unenforced gay marriage ban
A bill to repeal Pennsylvania’s currently-unenforceable same-sex marriage ban cleared the state House for the second time on Wednesday, with the partisan divide on the issue little changed in two years. The measure, which would strike the line in state law saying that marriage is “between one man and one...
Delta Air Lines says it will suspend special services for Congress members
Delta Air Lines said that it would suspend special services for members of Congress, citing the partial government shutdown that has hobbled travel across the country. The services include airport escorts and specialized customer service for lawmakers. The Capital Desk, a dedicated reservations line that helps members book trips at...
John Fetterman’s support for Trump’s DHS secretary has made his bad relationship with Democrats even worse: ‘He needs to go’
When Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta lost a bitter U.S. Senate primary to then-Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in 2022, he immediately threw his support behind the Democratic nominee — vowing to campaign vigorously for Fetterman, who went onto win the general election as he was recovering from a stroke. Fetterman...
O’Connor sees NFL Draft spotlight as chance to shed steel-town perceptions
Appearances are a top priority for Pittsburgh officials ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Just this week, Pittsburgh police started a citywide sweep of abandoned vehicles. City public works crews are also putting in overtime to clean up Downtown Pittsburgh ahead of the event, which runs from April 23-25 and...
Conservatives gather for CPAC with the right openly divided over the Iran war
GRAPEVINE, Texas — Conservatives are holding one of their largest annual gatherings at a perilous political moment for President Donald Trump and with open division on the right over the war he launched in Iran. While Trump maintains broad support among conservatives, the war in Iran is more than a...
Means’ surgeon general nomination is stalled as senators question her experience and vaccine stance
NEW YORK — Wellness influencer Dr. Casey Means’ nomination to be U.S. surgeon general is stalled a month after senators of both major political parties grilled her on vaccines and other health topics during a tense confirmation hearing, deepening doubts about her ability to secure the votes she needs for...
