Tessera

To prevent measles exposure, Philly-area moms are vaxxing early, delaying daycare, and avoiding hard-hit regions. “I have a child to protect at all costs. So I’m making sure I’m not in contact with anyone who’s been traveling out to Lancaster.” @inquirer.com www.inquirer.com/health/measl...

As measles cases grow in Pennsylvania, some parents are speeding up vaccinations and avoiding Lancaster County

The measles outbreak has some Philadelphia-area parents opting to vaccinate their children early and delay daycare while avoiding Lancaster County and those who have traveled there.

inquirer.com

Russ Walker @russwalker.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A good NYT story this morning on Pennsylvania “skill games” — from the perspective of people struggling with gambling addiction who have lost tens of thousands to them. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/b...

Pennsylvania Gambling Addicts Hope that ‘Skill Games’ Will Go Bust (Gift Article)

The machines, which enjoyed legal protection until a recent court ruling, could go dark in October.

nytimes.com

A line in the story: Measles can cause an enlarged spleen, and birth can cause it to rupture, he said.

Brett Sholtis@brettsholtis.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A baby from Lancaster County who died shortly after birth of a lacerated spleen tested positive for measles. The county, with ~200~ cases, is the center of the outbreak in Pa. One local official and the U.S. health secretary had downplayed the measles deaths. www.inquirer.com/health/measl...

A newborn baby was one of Pa.’s two measles-related deaths, state says as RFK questions whether they were ‘fabricated’

The measles-related deaths announced Tuesday of two Lancaster County residents were the first in Pennsylvania in 35 years and led to a spat between Josh Shapiro and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

inquirer.com

The Shapiro admin says it needs the $189,000 per year former Trump official on payroll because “'the Trump administration’s relentless attacks on the rights and freedoms of Pennsylvanians are reaching into every corner of our Commonwealth.'" @spotlightpa.org www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/08...

Shapiro hires ex-Trump official to counter fed ‘attacks’

Jennifer Higgins, a longtime federal immigration official based in Washington, D.C., is being paid $89 an hour.

spotlightpa.org

Philadelphia Inquirer@inquirer.com · 2mo ago

The federal gov’t’s $9M contract with North Wales-based Geissele Automatics was “for the delivery of ‘precision long guns and accessories’ to support ICE agents as well as the agency’s tactical programs,” per @inquirer.com Jesse Bunch and @fallonroth.bsky.social

Geissele Automatics specializes in selling high-grade, AR-15-style semiautomatic weapons and parts.

An off-duty Philadelphia police officer died hours after being shot early Sunday morning outside an after-hours lounge in Southwest Philadelphia. @inquirer.com www.inquirer.com/news/off-dut...

Off-duty police officer killed in early-morning shooting in Southwest Philly

Another person is in critical condition after being shot once outside an after-hours lounge early Sunday morning.

inquirer.com

An early review of hard drives in the house appeared to show images of the two women in the house, alive and then dead, a police inspector said. “Usually when we have a homicide investigation, we have body parts,” he said. “This time we do not. @inquirer.com www.inquirer.com/news/eugene-...

Police say they believe two women were killed in Olney home — neither previously linked in missing persons search

Police say “graphic and dark” evidence leads them to believe two women were killed in Eugene and Raymond Horsch's house.

inquirer.com

The Marshall Project @themarshallproject.org · 3mo ago

Since people are discussing ICE seeking to buy shock gloves, I'll share this county jail use of force report I obtained in 2022 showing how corrections officers used this device on a person awaiting transport to one of Pa's few remaining state psychiatric hospitals. drive.google.com/file/d/1B3AW...

Columbia_08232022172833-DOC082322.pdf

drive.google.com

At Fox Run, a home for kids in treatment backed by a multi-billion dollar company, residents and former staff detail a litany of trauma. One former resident told us, “I would rather be dead outside in the snow” than spend another night inside.

How Fox Run Treatment Center Traumatized Troubled Children

Kids at the facility went as far as hurting themselves and others to escape. Here’s what they were running from.

themarshallproject.org

With the Horsch home at the center of an investigation into at least two disappearances, @inquirer.com digs into its deceased past owner's obsession with drug-addicted women — and his son's reputation for violence. @maxmmarin.bsky.social @ryanbriggs.bsky.social www.inquirer.com/news/a/raymo...

DARK ARTS

The Inquirer reviewed police records, news clippings and Raymond Horsch's portfolio, and interviewed more than 30 people to uncover the saga of a thrill-seeking criminal artist and his troubled son.

inquirer.com

Great vibes outside Independence Hall, where some people have opted for period garb. Abby Harting, second pic, in white, third from left, says the linen-and-wool layered garments have stood the test of time for keeping people reasonably cool even on hot days.

This Navy veteran from Delaware wears a photo of his nephew, an Army infantry soldier who died by suicide in 2013 after returning from Afghanistan. “There are too many people ignoring what’s going on,” he said. “We need to join together and turn this around.”

Maxine Rebeles traveled from Laredo, TX to join other military veterans rallying at Washington Square. Like others here, Rebeles decries Trump administration immigration policies, ICE, and the direction the country is headed.