July 23, 2021Elizabeth RobertsonHealth officials request $124 million in pandemic-related emergency contracts as GOP calls for oversightby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAIn House and Senate hearings this week state lawmakers pushed for more oversight as health officials doubled down on its needs to secure emergency contracts for contact tracing and COVID-19 tests.
July 21, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesNursing homes would provide more direct care to residents under proposed Pa. ruleby Jaime Martines of Spotlight PA and Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PAThe state currently requires nursing homes to provide residents with 2.7 hours of direct care each day, despite a much higher federal recommendation.
July 19, 2021Dan Nott / For Spotlight PAPa. requested $340 million in emergency contracts in 2020 with little oversightby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAPennsylvania agencies turned to the emergency procurement process that avoids public scrutiny 483 times last year. In years prior, they made on average 135 requests annually.
July 13, 2021Jelani Splawn / For Spotlight PA‘Human error,’ lack of oversight led to multimillion-dollar unemployment mistake, Wolf admin disclosesby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAAn internal investigation was completed in mid-2017, but a summary of the probe was not released until Spotlight PA began asking questions.
July 9, 2021Jelani Splawn / For Spotlight PADepartment of Labor admits it overcharged unemployed Pennsylvanians millions of dollarsby Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PAThe agency publicly estimated Friday that the mistake affected roughly 250,000 people, after months of inquiries from Spotlight PA about the issue.
July 2, 2021Elizabeth RobertsonAfter contact tracing data breach, Pa. sidesteps scrutiny on proposed $34M contractby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAState lawmakers are calling into question whether the Department of Health should be jumping into another, more expensive contact tracing contract after a severe data breach with the last company.
June 17, 2021Elizabeth RobertsonFired Pa. contractor seeks to secure contact tracing data after learning personal info still onlineby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAAfter Spotlight PA found that Insight Global, the company handling contact tracing for the state, had not secured its data breach issues, the company called on former and current staff for help.
June 10, 2021CHARLES FOX / Philadelphia InquirerLegislature votes to immediately end Pa.’s coronavirus disaster declaration while keeping waivers in placeby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PARepublicans said terminating the emergency order was what Pennsylvanians demanded when they granted the legislative branch new powers during the May primary.
June 9, 2021DAN NOTT / For Spotlight PAPersonal data from Pa. contact tracing calls still online despite assurances it had been securedby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAA spreadsheet of data was still online as of Wednesday, raising questions about whether the company, Insight Global, or the state can be confident they know where all the information might be stored.
June 8, 2021DAVID MAIALETTI / Philadelphia InquirerJobless in Pa. livid over new unemployment system errors as state declares victoryby Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA and Christian Hetrick of The Philadelphia InquirerA new wave of problems blocked numerous people from filing for benefits they had already been approved for.
June 7, 2021Shaniece Holmes BrownWith $10,000,000,000 to spend, advocates press Wolf, Pa. lawmakers to prioritize poor peopleby Shaniece Holmes Brown for Spotlight PABuoyed by $3 billion in excess tax revenue and more than $7 billion in stimulus dollars, Democrats want the state to go big, while Republicans are wary of huge new spending.
May 28, 2021Yong Kim / Philadelphia InquirerMark Zuckerberg helped some Pa. counties survive the 2020 election. Right-wing lawmakers say that was unfair.by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PAMore than 20 Pennsylvania counties turned to private philanthropy when it became apparent the Republican-led General Assembly wasn’t going to help them cover COVID-related expenses.
May 26, 2021Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAA stark racial divide on vaccinations leaves many at risk as Pa. reopensby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAAs the state eases distancing and mask mandates, health officials are still failing to successfully vaccinate communities that have been disadvantaged from the start.
May 25, 2021JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia InquirerNewly empowered, Pa. GOP lawmakers move to end parts of Wolf’s coronavirus disaster orderby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PAGov. Tom Wolf called the vote “a discouraging development” following a “productive meeting with the legislature” after the May 18 primary, when voters backed curtailing his powers.
May 25, 2021Fred Adams / Spotlight PAAfter citing privacy law, Pa. backtracks and discloses wasted vaccine detailsby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAJust 0.18% of more than 10 million doses given to hospitals, pharmacies, and other providers through May 21 were discarded.
May 19, 2021Commonwealth Media ServicesVoters back curtailing Wolf’s emergency powers in win for GOP lawmakersby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PAThe votes represent a victory for Republican lawmakers in what is widely seen as a referendum on the Wolf administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
May 4, 2021ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Philadelphia InquirerPennsylvania will lift most COVID-19 restrictions on Memorial Dayby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAA universal mask order will be lifted after 70% of adults are vaccinated, Gov. Tom Wolf's administration announced.
April 19, 2021TYGER WILLIAMS / Philadelphia InquirerYour guide to Pa.’s 2021 primary ballot questionsby Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PAVoters will be asked to settle a contentious dispute between the Wolf administration and the GOP-controlled legislature about the governor's executive powers.
April 13, 2021HEATHER KHALIFA / Philadelphia InquirerPa. ‘pauses’ Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after blood clotting reportsby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAThe move comes after health regulators established a small number of cases of blood clotting in women after being given the shot.
April 9, 2021Fred Adams / For Spotlight PAPa. lawmaker wants to compel Wolf administration to release details of wasted COVID-19 vaccine dosesby Ese Olumhense of Spotlight PAThe state Department of Health denied a public records request from Spotlight PA, citing a decades-old law that it has frequently used to shield the public from scrutinizing its pandemic response.
April 8, 2021Tim Tai‘A turning point’: Thousands in Pa. prisons will be offered COVID-19 vaccineby Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PAPublic information about the vaccine rollout in the facilities is limited, after the Department of Corrections failed to meet its own deadline to relaunch a transparency dashboard.
March 31, 2021Fred Adams / Spotlight PAAll Pa. adults eligible for COVID-19 vaccine as of April 19, Wolf saysby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAAs part of the accelerated rollout, law enforcement, grocery store workers, and people who work in food-processing plants are eligible as of today.
March 29, 2021Fred Adams / Spotlight PAInside Pennsylvania’s race to expand who’s eligible for the coronavirus vaccineby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAThe state has made significant progress in its vaccination effort after Gov. Tom Wolf came under intense scrutiny, but that progress still depends, in part, on where you live.
March 25, 2021Courtesy of Commonwealth Media ServicesWolf administration refuses to release details of wasted COVID-19 vaccine dosesby Ese Olumhense of Spotlight PAThe state Health Department is once again citing a decades-old law that it has used numerous times to prevent greater public scrutiny of its coronavirus pandemic response.
March 24, 2021DAVID MAIALETTI / Philadelphia InquirerAs thousands of unemployment claims expire, Pa. residents refile, wait on federal benefitsby Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PAThe expiration of state benefits for many and the new federal stimulus law are creating fresh confusion and potential gaps in payments for people who have been desperate for help for the past year.
March 23, 2021Courtesy of PennLiveHave you helped process Pa. unemployment claims this past year? Spotlight PA wants to hear from you.by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PAWe're seeking current and former employees of the state Department of Labor and Industry about their experiences during the pandemic.
March 22, 2021Leise Hook / For Spotlight PAA huge spike in Medicaid enrollment in Pa. shows how devastating the coronavirus has beenby Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA and Ese Olumhense of Spotlight PAEnrollment in the program rose by more than 388,000 people, or 13.7%, including in counties that, historically, have been wealthier than some of their counterparts.
March 19, 2021James Robinson / Pennsylvania Senate Democratic CaucusBan on meal, lodging payments for Pa. lawmakers introduced as constituents sound off in angerby Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe bill has just four co-sponsors, a reflection of how difficult it is to garner support in Harrisburg for measures that pare back government perks.
March 18, 2021TIM TAI / Philadelphia InquirerLevine pressed for answers on Pa.’s missing nursing home data as confirmation advancesby Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAU.S. House and Senate Republicans also want more information on the state’s overall response to nursing homes, citing several Spotlight PA reports.
March 17, 2021Handout from Department of CorrectionsTwo Pa. prisons have vaccinated more than 70% of inmates. An incentive program may be making a difference.by Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PA and Jamie Martines of Spotlight PAWhile the vast majority of Pennsylvania’s inmates reject flu shots, most who were offered a COVID-19 vaccine have taken it.
