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| Today: Cybersecurity spending, ghost gun lawsuit, prison population, transformation officer, and Biden's home-state critics. |
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Local governments in Pennsylvania could soon have access to up to $25 million in federal funding to help them combat cybersecurity threats against critical infrastructure, according to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal.
But following a wave of attacks against local infrastructure in Pennsylvania and other states, county and municipal leaders say the money is not enough to keep up with cybersecurity expenses — including required technology updates, higher insurance rates, and the rise of artificial intelligence.
And Shapiro's budget proposal does not include dedicated state funding to help municipalities cover such costs.
Read Spotlight PA’s full report: Pa. local governments want long-term state money for cybersecurity as federal grant fills the gap. |
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NOTABLE / QUOTABLE
“For those that do not get the inside joke, yes, I’m 38. Yes, my mother still makes me Easter basket. No, I do not care what anybody thinks about it.”
—State Rep. Jordan Harris (D., Philadelphia) riffing with his GOP counterpart in the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Seth Grove (R., York) |
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EDUCATION EMPOWERMENT: Join us THIS Thursday, March 14 from 6-7 p.m. ET on Zoom for a roundtable discussion with Pennsylvania reporters on transparency in education, and how you can hold school officials accountable. Register here and submit questions to events@spotlightpa.org. |
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Every gift in support of Spotlight PA's vital journalism will be DOUBLED between now and March 23 by The Benter Foundation in Pittsburgh. Our uniquely impactful journalism shines a light on those in power, demands answers, and gets results. But it can only continue with your support.
Make a tax-deductible gift now & get it DOUBLED »
You can also give via PayPal or Venmo, or send a check to: Spotlight PA, PO Box 11728, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1728.
Thank you to the more than 132 people who have given so far, including Becca S., who said, "You are a trustworthy source of news and you ask hard questions." Join Becca and make a gift now » |
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NAME CHANGE: Some 14,000 people have signed a nonbinding petition calling on officials to remove President Joe Biden's name from two roadways in his hometown of Scranton. Elsewhere: Stephen Caruso notes a nascent Dem protest vote forming here against Biden on Israel.
TRAIL TUSSLE: Pennsylvania's contested trail connector for all-terrain vehicles in northern tier state forests is a go through at least 2025. Its pilot phase was unpopular with 71% of nonmotorized recreationists and 46% of residents, who cited dust, noise, and police availability.
SURPRISE GIFT: Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott — an Amazon shareholder and ex-wife to Jeff Bezos — has made a $4 million donation to a Philadelphia nonprofit that had no idea it was coming, per WHYY.
PHILLY STITCH: Decades after I-676 split Philadelphia's Chinatown neighborhood in two, federal lawmakers on Monday announced $159 million in federal grants to help "stitch" it back together.
GROUNDED: A Montgomery County aviation museum's expansion is on hold due to toxic "forever chemical" contamination, The Inquirer (paywall) reports. Expansion funders are waiting, but there's no end in sight. |
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ON SALE NOW 'All Sun, No Shade' Beach TowelIt's Sunshine Week, and our limited-edition towel is selling fast!
Promote government transparency & tan lines, all in support of Spotlight PA's vital journalism. SHOP THE SALE NOW > |
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Unscramble and send your answer to scrambler@spotlightpa.org. We'll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA swag. Answers submitted by 5:30 p.m. on issue date will be counted. E I A B O N T R
Yesterday's answer: Changemaker
Congrats to our daily winners: Stacy S., Bob C., Eric F., Carol S., Mike B., Jon W., Jody A., Daniel M., Jane R., Lynne E., Karen W., Tracy S., Craig E., Stanley J., William Z., David T., Wendy A., Vicki U. and Beth H.
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GUN RULES: The ghost gun supplier in the above case is already on the federal government's radar. In 2022, one year after shipping the ghost gun kit to Michigan, 
THE TRANSFORMER: The "first person to sell coffee on the internet" is now Pennsylvania's first chief transformation officer. Handpicked by Gov. Shapiro, Ben Kirshner told Philly Mag how he plans to improve Pennsylvania's economic climate — and his 
IN BRIEF: A judge has ordered a takeover of six health care and rehabilitation centers in Western Pennsylvania after the owner 