A press release about the largest workplace ICE raid in Pennsylvania left my colleague with more questions than answers, so he decided to dig in deeper. Turns out, it's exceedingly difficult to get any information about these activities, even basic details.

Felony murder news: Attorneys are hoping the state Supreme Court will step in after legislators failed to come up with a resentencing plan. “People who have served decades in prison … are at significant risk of never seeing the benefit of this court’s ruling with further delay.”

Forgotten at the center of a fight about measles vaccinations in the wake of a press conference on measles-associated deaths: the family who lost a newborn. www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/...

The Measles-Stricken Mother Who Lost Her Newborn Son

The family at the center of Pennsylvania’s measles controversy tells their story.

theatlantic.com

Scarlotte has such a big presence and wasn't at all phased by an adult stranger taking several (226 to be exact) photos in her home. I'm grateful to her dad for opening up their home and letting me see a little slice of their lives. penncapital-star.com/health-care/...

‘We can’t wait any longer’: Latest Pa. budget lacks home health nurse funding increase • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Lawmakers didn't include any additional funding in the latest budget to increase wages for home health nurses.

penncapital-star.com

@kelciemmorris.bsky.social is doing an incredible job on her beat. Always look forward to getting one of her stories in my inbox! More GOP party platforms include anti-IVF language. Is surrogacy next? stateline.org/2026/08/13/m...

More GOP party platforms include anti-IVF language. Is surrogacy next? • Stateline

Brooke Green thought she needed a mammogram. Green, a Democratic state representative in Idaho, knew that breast cancer ran in her family and she “just had an inkling” that she should be tested. She w...

stateline.org

Much of the public discussion has devolved into partisan mudslinging and “soft-on-crime” accusations, but many of the people in state prisons for second-degree murder with life sentences may have their first real hope for freedom.  From @iankarbal.bsky.social and @wdownard.bsky.social

Who’s serving felony murder sentences in Pennsylvania prisons? • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Who's impacted by a state Supreme Court ruling that found mandatory life sentences for felony murder to be unconstitutional?

penncapital-star.com

Fifty years after a devastating outbreak that gave Legionnaires’ Disease its name, Pennsylvania legislators met less than a mile from the Philadelphia site where it happened to discuss the practicality of minimum prevention standards that could prevent future cases. From @wdownard.bsky.social

Lawmakers consider how to prevent Legionnaires’ Disease in Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Legionella, the bacteria behind Legionnaires' Disease, has been found in cooling tanks, hot tubs, water faucets and dental offices.

penncapital-star.com

Gov. Shapiro signed the below into law today, eliminating one of the last holdovers criminalizing people living with HIV. Pennsylvania poised to strike down its last law criminalizing HIV penncapital-star.com/criminal-jus...

Pennsylvania poised to strike down its last law criminalizing HIV • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

With Gov. Josh Shapiro's signature, Pennsylvania will eliminate the last criminal charges singling out people living with HIV.

penncapital-star.com

"The legalization of online casinos in PA in 2017 has led to the creation of the largest online gambling market in the country. PA's $7.7 billion in total gambling profits in 2025 now rivals all of the casinos on the Las Vegas Strip and its profits are growing 10 times as fast as Nevada’s."

The @penncapital-star.com's @wdownard.bsky.social recently wrote about the lack of studies on this issue.

Do data centers impact our physical health? Studies are few and far between. • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

There research into physical health impacts related to data centers is still in its early stages, but seems comparable to other industries.

penncapital-star.com

Jennifer Shutt@jennifershutt.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Sen. Hawley asks Schwartz a question about the health effects of living near a data center. Only senator to bring this up so far. "Is the CDC currently doing any kind of study of the health effects of living near one of these massive industrial data centers?"

Me, rushing to to my inbox for more details and finding nothing: 😬

Governor Josh Shapiro@governor.pa.gov · 4mo ago

BREAKING: We just sued the Trump Administration for trying to rip away Medicaid from Pennsylvanians who need it most. Donald Trump, Dr. Oz, and RFK Jr. are hellbent on trying to push aside people who rely on Medicaid to get the care they need.

Pa. coroners refuse to release autopsy reports – and that hinders research on deaths in custody penncapital-star.com/commentary/p...

Pa. coroners refuse to release autopsy reports – and that hinders research on deaths in custody • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

In counties with fewer than 500,000 residents – or 60 of the 67 counties – the coroner is still required to deposit all autopsy reports and other records for the preceding year with the prothonotary.

penncapital-star.com

While there is no civilian version of a corpsman or medic, Pennsylvania’s working to create one. Though focused on primary care, medic responsibilities could touch on four other critical health needs in rural Pennsylvania. From @wdownard.bsky.social

Primary care medics: lessons from the military might help close healthcare gaps in rural Pa. • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

While there is no civilian version of a corpsman or medic, Pennsylvania’s working to create one.

penncapital-star.com

I can't wait to get started on this project!!

Pennsylvania Capital-Star@penncapital-star.com · 4mo ago

Commentary: Twenty percent of Pennsylvanians live in a rural area, yet only 10% of doctors and hospitals are located in their communities. The numbers are even worse for dentists, with only 6% practicing outside of the state’s metropolitan and suburban counties. From @wdownard.bsky.social

Excellent story from the talented @petehallpa.bsky.social Pa. lawmakers renew push to regulate, tax skill games after high court ruling penncapital-star.com/justice-the-...

Pa. lawmakers renew push to regulate, tax skill games after high court ruling • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

The state Supreme Court’s ruling Monday declaring skill games illegal brought both clarity and a sense of urgency for the legislature to act.

penncapital-star.com

Getting told by a local dentist that the first available new patient appointment was August 2027 is really the best dental shortage anecdote I could ask for

With summer nearly here and hot weather ahead, Pennsylvanians working outdoors or in high-temperature settings will be at an increased risk for heat-related illnesses, injuries and even death. From @wdownard.bsky.social

Lawmakers consider Pa. heat protections as temperatures climb • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Climate change will increase the number of high-heat days, potentially endangering those working without heat protections.

penncapital-star.com

With hundreds of millions of federal dollars flowing into the commonwealth’s coffers for rural health, a coalition of stakeholders considered the potential funding opportunities Wednesday for nearly three hours in Harrisburg. From @wdownard.bsky.social

Pennsylvania is getting $193M for rural health. What comes next?  • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

The state has $193 million to spend for rural health initiatives in the first round of a five-year program.

penncapital-star.com

“As long as we have that convenient narrative that it’s just a bunch of broken people needing medicine and treatment, then we’re never accountable for fixing the broken things in our communities,” psychologist Sally Spencer-Thomas said. kffhealthnews.org/mental-healt...

Saving Lives by Changing Lives: The Next Frontier in Suicide Prevention - KFF Health News

Someone in America dies by suicide every 11 minutes. It’s a tragic and entrenched problem. A new approach to prevention shifts the focus from stopping harm in moments of crisis to upstream policies th...

kffhealthnews.org

While reading the new chair's bio, I noticed that another commissioner has disappeared from the PHRC's page ... potentially bringing their number down to four? penncapital-star.com/briefs/gov-s...

Gov. Shapiro appoints interim chair to Pennsylvania’s civil rights body • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

The state's civil rights body has just four members, below the 11 allowed by law, following several resignations.

penncapital-star.com

PHRC is now telling me that it's always been a quorum of "seated" commissioners?? Which seems to contradict their own release ...

Pennsylvania Capital-Star@penncapital-star.com · 6mo ago

For 70 years, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission has enforced civil rights throughout the commonwealth. But in a matter of weeks, the number of PHMC commissioners fell from seven to five, below the six required for a quorum. From @wdownard.bsky.social

The commission has only had seven of its 11 members since Shapiro took office, but the administration didn't respond to questions about why no one has been nominated in that time.

Pennsylvania Capital-Star@penncapital-star.com · 6mo ago

For 70 years, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission has enforced civil rights throughout the commonwealth. But in a matter of weeks, the number of PHMC commissioners fell from seven to five, below the six required for a quorum. From @wdownard.bsky.social

“There’s nothing that’s as horrible as watching a kid die who didn’t have to die, or get really sick and be permanently harmed," Dr. Wolynn said. “It tears your heart out.” newsinteractive.post-gazette.com/pennsylvania...

How Pa.'s falling school vaccination rates and enforcement failures put thousands of children at risk

A six-month Pittsburgh Post-Gazette investigation found that school leaders have allowed thousands of children into schools without all the required vaccines even though they had no special exemptions...

newsinteractive.post-gazette.com

In a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates among wealthy nations, Black women are two-to-three times more likely to die in childbirth than their peers. Dozens of state Capitol advocates this week were clear-eyed about how they’d change those numbers. From @wdownard.bsky.social

Combating stubbornly high Black maternal mortality with ‘Justice and Joy’ in Pa. • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Black women die in childbirth at the twice the rate of white women. But Black Maternal Health Week wasn't only about justice, but also joy.

penncapital-star.com

I'm so excited to take part!! Can't wait to get started.

National Press Club Journalism Institute@npcinstitute.bsky.social · 6mo ago

We're thrilled to announce the 2026 Public Health Reporting Fellowship cohort! This opportunity supports journalists across the country in producing in-depth, community-centered reporting on critical public health issues. Congrats to our six fellows: www.pressclubinstitute.org/2026/04/15/n...

In a rapidly aging state, Pennsylvania officials are identifying ways to shore up services dedicated to its seniors — and $193 million for rural health could help build out a long-standing program to every corner of the commonwealth. From @wdownard.bsky.social

State-funded senior programs in Pa. see opportunity in federal rural health dollars • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE) providers care for thousands. Stakeholders want to expand enrollment to every corner of the state.

penncapital-star.com

Another day ... another announcement of impending layoffs at another national media organization. 1/

The Associated Press to cut under 5% of global news staff

The Associated Press will cut under 5% of its global news staff, as part of a restructuring of its U.S. operations, ​according to a memo sent to employees and seen by ‌Reuters.

reuters.com

Pennsylvania — and its drivers — will be in the spotlight with high-profile events, including the FIFA World Cup and the NFL Draft. So, Senate Republicans evaluated the tools at their disposal to crack down on aggressive driving and pushed for stronger enforcement. From @wdownard.bsky.social

Ahead of busy tourism year, Pa. lawmakers scrutinize aggressive driving • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Aggressive driving, including speeding and running red lights, can be deadly for pedestrians and fatalities are highest in Philadelphia.

penncapital-star.com

The PUC’s Investigation and Enforcement arm alleges UGI violated multiple state and federal regulations related to pipeline safety and is seeking $2.57 million in civil penalties — the maximum allowed by federal law — for the deadly accident in West Reading. From @wdownard.bsky.social

PUC seeks $2.57M from utility following deadly 2023 chocolate factory explosion in Berks County • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Seven workers died in the 2023 chocolate factory explosion in West Reading, which investigators determined was caused by natural gas.

penncapital-star.com

Gender-affirming health records from UPMC can’t be made anonymous, federal judge rules penncapital-star.com/children-fam...

Gender-affirming health records from UPMC can't be made anonymous, federal judge rules • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

The DOJ subpoenaed the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children’s Hospital last year for records relating to transgender patients.

penncapital-star.com