Aug. 25, 2020KALIM A. BHATTI / For Spotlight PAThwarted at every turn, Pa. GOP lawmakers hatch new plan to curtail Wolf’s emergency powersby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAAfter a loss in the state Supreme Court, Republicans will attempt to override a Wolf veto and curtail his powers.
Aug. 21, 2020HEATHER KHALIFA / Philadelphia InquirerReview of COVID-19’s effect on communities of color largely ignores Pa. inmatesby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PAThe report recommends greater flexibility to release people from state prisons after Gov. Tom Wolf’s reprieve program came up short.
Aug. 19, 2020Office of Sen. Andrew W. DinnimanPa. lawmakers concerned ‘guidance’ for schools could open the door to COVID-19 lawsuitsby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAPotential liability should students or staff become infected with COVID-19 at school is a top concern among some education leaders.
Aug. 19, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesA decades-old law is shielding the Wolf administration from scrutiny of its coronavirus responseby Aneri Pattani of Spotlight PAOfficials are routinely citing the law to deny public records requests, but legal experts say the state can be more transparent — if it wants.
Aug. 17, 2020TYGER WILLIAMS / Philadelphia InquirerAre antigen tests the silver bullet to Pa.’s coronavirus testing delays? Not so fast.by Sara Simon of Spotlight PAHere's everything you need to know about the different coronavirus tests and what they can — and can't — tell you.
Aug. 14, 2020DAN NOTT / For Spotlight PAWATCH: Answers to the most frequently asked questions about COVID-19 in Pennsylvaniaby Sara Simon, Yaasmeen Piper and Kent Wilhelm of Spotlight PAIs the data legit? Will wearing a mask really help? Are we going back to a shutdown? Reporter Sara Simon answers your most pressing questions.
Aug. 13, 2020TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerPenn State reverses course, plans to provide modified COVID-19 agreement for studentsby Sara Simon of Spotlight PASome had criticized the university for forcing students to "assume any and all risk" of contracting the virus, which they said amounted to a liability waiver.
Aug. 13, 2020DAN NOTT / For Spotlight PAInside some Pennsylvania rehabs, ‘it’s like COVID doesn’t exist’by Aneri Pattani of Spotlight PAWhen treatment facilities ignore coronavirus protocols, patients are forced to choose between recovery and safety.
Aug. 12, 2020TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerStudents at Penn State forced to sign COVID-19 liability waiver to participate in fall semesterby Sara Simon of Spotlight PAOther universities across the country have required similar waivers, but students and legal experts say Penn State’s crosses the line.
Aug. 7, 2020Tom Gralish / Philadelphia InquirerHow arguments in Washington are holding up coronavirus relief in Pennsylvaniaby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAKey players in Harrisburg say they won’t make any decisions about how to spend $1 billion in remaining stimulus cash until Congress finishes negotiating.
Aug. 4, 2020DAN NOTT / For Spotlight PAPa. cancels on volunteer coronavirus contact tracers, moves to hire 1,000 paid staffby Sara Simon of Spotlight PA and Sarah Gantz of The Philadelphia InquirerDespite the state’s struggles to keep case counts low, the department told volunteers it planned to wait until the fall to resume trainings.
Aug. 3, 2020ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Philadelphia InquirerTax collections in Pa. rebound on pent-up shopper demand, but state still faces huge budget deficitby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAWithout additional federal aid, the state will probably have to make serious budget cuts or significantly increase borrowing to make ends meet.
Aug. 3, 2020Kalim A. Bhatti / The Philadelphia InquirerPa. pursuing huge cleaning plan for Capitol Complex after custodial worker tests positive for the coronavirusby Julia Shanahan for Spotlight PAState officials say the six-month contract is needed to give workers and visitors greater confidence that the facilities are safe.
July 31, 2020Dan Gleiter / PennLive for Spotlight PAMinority-owned small businesses were largely shut out of Pa.’s first coronavirus loan programby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAState officials are trying again, this time with a grant program targeted at the smallest and most vulnerable operations.
July 30, 2020YONG KIM / Philadelphia InquirerLawmaker mimics top health official’s call for transgender acceptance to defend not wearing a maskby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA and Julia Shanahan for Spotlight PAGOP Rep. Russ Diamond denied he was mocking the official, though he falsely equated being transgender to a “lifestyle choice.”
July 28, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. health secretary denounces transphobic attacks: ‘Our children are watching’by Sara Simon of Spotlight PAAs the face of the state’s COVID-19 response, Health Secretary Rachel Levine has been the subject of numerous personal attacks.
July 27, 2020Dan Nott / For Spotlight PADeath reports are still lagging. Pa. hasn’t made it easy to find out just how badly.by Sara Simon of Spotlight PAThe state has struggled to report deaths soon after they occur since the beginning of the pandemic, blaming challenges on a disjointed web of technologies.
July 26, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesGov. Tom Wolf will allow transparency bill to become law despite veto threatby Julia Shanahan for Spotlight PAState agencies stopped processing public-record requests in mid-March as Wolf shut down much of Pennsylvania.
July 24, 2020DAN NOTT / For Spotlight PACiting ‘overwhelming’ spread, Pa. moves to add staff, app to trace the coronavirusby Aneri Pattani of Spotlight PA and Sara Simon of Spotlight PAThere are currently 661 contact tracers across the state. The health department wants to add potentially thousands more.
July 22, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesGov. Tom Wolf cited his emergency powers to withhold millions from a Pa. county. Now it's suing.by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe lawsuit represents yet another test of Wolf’s emergency powers, which have been unsuccessfully challenged several times.
July 21, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesMore help may be on the way for Pennsylvanians struggling to pay utility billsby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThere’s currently a moratorium on utility shutoffs, though regulators have started to debate when it should come to an end.
July 16, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. lawmakers want voters to weaken governor’s emergency powers, boost their ownby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAThe constitutional amendment process is a lengthy one with no guaranteed outcome, but it has a major benefit for lawmakers — it doesn’t require Gov. Tom Wolf’s approval.
July 15, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesGov. Tom Wolf imposes new restrictions on bars, restaurants, businesses as the coronavirus surgesby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Justine McDaniel of The Philadelphia InquirerThe rollbacks are the first the administration has announced since it began reopening counties in May.
July 14, 2020TYGER WILLIAMS / Staff PhotographerPa. Democratic state senator tests positive for the coronavirusby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAA spokesperson for Senate Democrats said Sen. Anthony Williams received the result Tuesday.
July 14, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesUPMC’s claim of ‘less severe’ coronavirus strain in Pa. is not supported by scienceby Sara Simon of Spotlight PAThe health system said a recent study backed up its assertion. But the study itself contradicts UPMC’s own takeaways.
July 10, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. emite nueva moratoria de desalojo tras temores de que el alivio de pagos de alquiler sería demasiado lentoby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PALa moratoria de desalojo y perdida de derechos sobre la propiedad (foreclosure) en todo el estado, que debería expirar el sábado, ahora se extenderá hasta el 31 de agosto.
July 9, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. issues new eviction moratorium after fears rent relief would be too slowby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAAdvocates say the order, which puts evictions on ice until Aug. 31, gives the state’s new rental assistance program more time to reach those who need help.
July 8, 2020YONG KIM / Philadelphia InquirerEvictions loom large as Pa. renter relief program stumbles, lacks Spanish-language applicationby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAPressure is mounting on Gov. Tom Wolf to extend his moratorium on evictions as advocates fear the relief effort is coming too late.
July 2, 2020TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerA promising year for Pennsylvania’s state budget ends with a $3.2 billion thudby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAThe state lost $444 million in June alone, with that number expected to be $5 billion overall by this time next year.
July 1, 2020Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. GOP can’t unilaterally end Gov. Tom Wolf’s coronavirus disaster declaration, state Supreme Court rulesby Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PAIn the first of two constitutional showdowns, the court rejected the GOP’s argument that it can strip Wolf of his emergency power without his consent.
