Spotlight PA: Pennsylvania news and investigations

Top News Elections

Lehigh County voter registration workers sort mail ballots Nov. 5, 2024, at Lehigh County Government Center in Allentown, PA.

Pennsylvania’s mail ballot dating rules have been in flux for years. Here's what you need to know.

by Carter Walker of Votebeat

Election officials still recommend dating the envelope, even though counties aren’t currently rejecting ballots with improper dates.

Related Stories

Pa. primary election 2026: Everything you need to know about requesting, filling out, and returning your mail ballot
1000s of mail ballots have been rejected because of Pa.’s disputed dating rule. Will the courts finally settle the issue?
Court orders Pa. to stop rejecting mail ballots solely over incorrect dates
Mail voters must be told of ballot mistakes, Pa. Supreme Court rules

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The Capitol

Governor Josh Shapiro speaking at a September 2023 event in Pittsburgh.

Shapiro demands a stop to “excessive” utility rate increases, but has little authority to force change

by Charlotte Keith and Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA

As energy costs climb in Pennsylvania, Governor Shapiro pressures utilities to limit rate hikes and change how profits are determined.

Lawmakers, Shapiro admin push to end practice of counties taking Social Security money owed to foster kids

by Steve Volk / Resolve Philly for Spotlight PA

Investigations

An illustration of two police officers standing in front of filing cabinets with hands coming out of the files.

Hundreds of rapes in the State College area weren’t reported in public police data over nearly a decade

by Min Xian of Spotlight PA State College and Mark Fazlollah for Spotlight PA

The missing data masked the true extent of the crime surrounding Penn State. The central Pa. department never publicly disclosed the error until contacted by Spotlight PA.

A photo illustration of Raymond Hohl encircled by images of the Penn State Cancer Institute, a medical device, and a nurse’s binder of thank you notes.

Alarming internal probes found chemo errors, delays, and ‘toxic’ leadership by Penn State’s cancer chief

by Wyatt Massey of Spotlight PA State College and Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PA

Good News from Pennsylvania

The Media Theater in Media, Pennsylvania.

Meet a Mayor: Hidden gems and hometown charm in one of the last streetcar suburbs

by Colin Deppen of Spotlight PA

Joi Washington became Media’s first Black mayor and first woman mayor in last year’s election, at the age of 39.

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A fresh look at the incredible people, beautiful places, and delicious food Pennsylvania has to offer.

State College Bureau

Spotlight PA staff and donors at Centre Gives Fest on May 15, 2025, in Bellefonte, Pa.

This Centre Gives, donate to Spotlight PA State College and support vital local journalism

by Sarah Rafacz of Spotlight PA State College

All gifts to Spotlight PA during Centre Gives, a 36-hour online fundraiser hosted by Centre Foundation on May 6-7, will benefit the State College regional bureau.

Gov. Josh Shapiro (left) and PA Treasurer Stacy Garrity

Where Garrity and Shapiro stand on broadband, federal cuts, and other key rural issues

by Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State College and Jaxon White of Spotlight PA

Berks County Bureau

Ge Fangyuan, a farmer in Washington Township, stands with his dog for a portrait at the farm Feb. 20, 2026. Fangyuan's farm was disrupted after a sewer main break dumped about 8,000 gallons of raw sewage in November 2024.

When a public pipe bursts on private land, who fixes it? One PA farmer wants answers

by Amanda Fries of Spotlight PA

A fence installation struck an unregistered sewer pipe on a disabled veterans’ farm, spewing 8,000 gallons of raw sewage and exposing years of missing township records.

Christine Kreisher

Meet a business leader connecting teens to entrepreneurship

by Susan Shelly McGovern for Spotlight PA

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