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A daily newsletter by  |
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| Today: Budget update, Trump ruling, new ballot suit, Dauphin's emergency clerk, Loehmann landing, and the most common age in your county. |
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FLASH CHALLENGE
We've been challenged to raise $10K for Spotlight PA this Independence Day to unlock a $10,000 matching gift.
Don't miss this chance to support Spotlight PA's unmatched reporting for PA & get your gift DOUBLED.
GIVE NOW, GET 2X » |
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Pennsylvania’s budget is late for a second straight year, and as talks continued Monday, top lawmakers were hoping for a quick deal.
But what if it isn't quick?
Spotlight PA reports: The state government will still function without a spending deal. The commonwealth is obligated to keep paying its employees, make debt payments, and pay for federal programs like Medicaid, among other obligations. Schools, mental health and addiction treatment, and libraries will face a crunch only if the delay continues for weeks.
Read the full report: Pa. missed its budget deadline. What’s next? |
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We have just 5 days to raise $10,000 for Spotlight PA and unlock a $10,000 matching gift. Help us win this Independence Day challenge and vital financial support for our independent, nonpartisan journalism.
Make a gift now »
You can also give via PayPal or Venmo, or you can send a check to: Spotlight PA, PO Box 11728, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1728.
Thank you to those who have given so far, including Tracy S., who said, "The reporting is consistently well-researched, fair, balanced, nonpartisan, and critical to the functioning of a healthy PA government and democracy." Join Tracy & give now » |
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Berks County residents are extremely frustrated with the diminished capacity of the local newspaper and they are concerned about a lack of access to trustworthy information in their community, according to a groundbreaking study released last week by Spotlight PA.
In response to the findings, Spotlight PA is planning to launch a new regional reporting bureau in Berks County to be supported primarily by people living and working in the region. Read the full story, and then support the effort »
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ROCKY WATERS: Join us Thursday, July 18 from 6-7 p.m. ET on Zoom for a live panel on Pennsylvania’s private water industry, how it is regulated, and how communities are affected when service is subpar. Register for the event here and submit your questions to events@spotlightpa.org. |
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| Bear family outing, as seen by Colleen B. Send us photos by email, use #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania. |
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 OFFICIAL ACTS: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled former President Donald Trump has some immunity from prosecution for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. But The Inquirer (paywall) reports: Trump may not be immune from charges tied to his efforts to squeeze lawmakers in battleground states, like Pennsylvania, to overturn their election results, the court said. Presidents do not have authority over state lawmakers.- Gov. Shapiro: SCOTUS' Trump immunity ruling has "ushered us into a dangerous new era," via PoliticsPA.
 ACLU LAWSUIT: A new lawsuit accuses Washington County of voter disenfranchisement over its policy on mail ballots with incorrect or missing dates. WESA reports: The 41-page complaint alleges that the county has “deliberately concealed information about which voters had made disqualifying errors on their mail-in ballot envelopes,” preventing voters from correcting those errors by election day.  VOUCHER VERSUS: Private school vouchers have a chance at making it into this year's state budget in Pennsylvania. ProPublica reports on the conservative friction around the issue in other states, with voucher advocates — backed by billionaires like Pennsylvania's richest person, Jeff Yass — facing intraparty resistance, some of the strongest from rural areas where public schools are key employers and community hubs.  CLERK CHAOS: A veteran of Dauphin County's Clerk of Courts Office has been appointed its temporary head amid a judicial emergency touched off by a paperwork backlog and several sudden departures late last week. The AP reports Patti Sites took the oath as acting clerk on Monday to lead the office until Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro makes a more permanent appointment, as outlined under state law.  |
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ON THE DIVIDE: Become a Spotlight PA member and join us July 9 for a members-only event with author Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, whose new book says the urban-rural divide in Pa. is overstated — and doing harm.
FATAL FIREWORKS: An Erie County man was killed in what police say was a fireworks explosion in the garage of his Union City home. Erie Times-News (paywall) reports the man put on a display every year for locals.
RIDING HIGH: An 11-year-old dirt bike rider from Haverford has 1.4 million followers on YouTube and earned roughly $100,000 last year in related income, The Inquirer (paywall) reports. The local police are not fans.
COMMON AGE: Pittsburgh-based economist Chris Briem has a map charting the most common age in each Pennsylvania county: "Many tied for youngest at age 19 ... Oldest is Cameron County at 69."
BAR FOR SALE: Pittsburgh’s oldest gay bar is up for sale, QBurgh reports. The family owners say slow business left them with no other option. It's unclear if any potential buyer would keep the bar an LGBTQ space. |
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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. Please include your first name and last initial.
N B T A S O B E R
Yesterday's answer: Albatross
Congrats to our daily winners: Stacy S., Mike B., Eric F., Daniel M., Marty M., Bob C., Becky C., Dave B., Vicki U., Lynne E., Jon W., Barbara F., Jodi R., Wendy A., Karen W., Don H., Jane R., Richard A., William S., Stanley J., Karen K., David T., Perry H., Susan N.-Z., Marla C., Marc G., Timothy A., Jackie S., Annette I., Tom M., Daniel S., William Z., and Ada M. |
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