Kate Giammarise

Stories by Kate Giammarise

Illustration of a magnifying glass, showing pills changing to coins.

Records obtained by Spotlight PA and WESA reveal how Pa. counties used tens of millions in opioid settlement dollars

by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESA

May 2, 2024

The Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust is reviewing county spending reports in private.

GET THE RECORDS: How we’re tracking more than $100M in opioid settlement money in Pa.

by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESA

March 25, 2024

The Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust is reviewing county spending reports in private.

Oversight board will secretly review how Pa. counties spent millions of dollars to fight opioid crisis

by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESA

March 6, 2024

After questions from WESA and Spotlight PA, officials in McKeesport signed onto an opioid settlement deal that is expected to bring about $1 billion to Pennsylvania over 18 years.

Opioid settlement: Allegheny County won’t receive a $479,000 penalty after questions from WESA and Spotlight PA

by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESA

Dec. 7, 2023

Sullivan County commissioners used a portion of opioid settlement money to hire a county case manager. Her desk includes a box of the opioid overdose-reversal drug Narcan.

Which Pa. counties are receiving the most opioid settlement money — and why

by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESA

Oct. 18, 2023

Tom VanKirk, left, is chair of the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust. He's said the trust intends “to be as transparent as possible.” But he defended holding meetings in secret and barring the public from speaking at meetings. (Screenshot from a video of the board's May 18, 2023, meeting.)

Secret meetings by board overseeing Pa.’s $1 billion in opioid settlements draw criticism

by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESA

June 1, 2023

Opioid settlement documents describe a list of approved and recommended opioid remediation uses, including medication, such as Narcan, that can reverse opioid overdoses.

Pa. opioid settlement money: What you need to know

by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESA

May 18, 2023

Opioid overdoses kill thousands of people each year in Pennsylvania, and settlement money is meant to help the state respond to the epidemic.

Expecting more than $1 billion in opioid settlement money, Pa. grapples with policing versus treatment

by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESA

April 18, 2023

Gioia Maynor, a single mother who lives outside Pittsburgh, said the state’s Child Care Works program has been “a blessing.”

Waning signups for Pa. child care program could forecast weak economic recovery

by Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Kate Giammarise of WESA

March 7, 2022

Get the top news from across Pennsylvania, plus some fun and a puzzle, all in one free daily email newsletter.