Category: Pennsylvania

Former Trans Teen Who Sued Health Care Provider Shares Painful Testimony: ‘I May Not Be Able to Have Kids’

HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa.—Eighteen-year-old Chloe Cole—a self-described “former trans kid”—joined a panel of speakers on March 18 to discuss the threat that gender ideology presents to children at “Innocence Under Siege.” The event, hosted by conservative activist group No Left Turn in Education, was hosted by New Life Community Church. Cole told the audience: “Neither my…


Senators Continue to Express Dismay Over Norfolk Southern CEO’s Answers About Ohio Toxic Train Derailment

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw on March 22 offered his “full-throated endorsement” for “many provisions” in a bipartisan Senate bill to strengthen railroad safety regulations but he would not commit to promoting the legislation’s passage. Shaw’s testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation was similar to the remarks he delivered at the Senate…


Pennsylvania Health System Sued Over Data Breach Affecting 461,000 Patients

A healthcare system with services in 17 Pennsylvania counties says a ransomware incident last year allowed unknown actors to access sensitive patient information such as Social Security numbers, medical records, and health insurance information. Wilkes-Barre-based Maternal and Family Health Services Inc. (MFHS) discovered the breach on April 4, 2022. The sensitive patient information that could have…


Philly Agrees to $9.2 Million Payout Over Police Response to 2020 Protests

The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $9.25 million to about 350 people who were injured when police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to break up protests following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis Police custody. The payout agreement settles a group of four lawsuits against the city, over actions Philadelphia Police officers…


State Senators Press Norfolk Southern CEO About Burning of Toxic Chemicals After Train Derailment

As he did before a U.S. Senate committee hearing on March 9, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw apologized to residents in East Palestine, Ohio, and surrounding communities during a hearing before the Pennsylvania state senate on March 20. Unlike his appearance at the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in Washington, Shaw faced in-depth questioning…


Shapiro’s Pennsylvania Budget Includes Free School Breakfast, Extra State-Funded SNAP Benifits

Pennsylvania’s Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro has included two new charitable feeding plans in his proposed state budget—free breakfast to all students and a new state fund to raise the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) minimum monthly benefit by 50 percent. SNAP is federally funded, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture sending money to states which…


Shapiro’s Pennsylvania Budget Includes Free School Breakfast, Extra State-Funded SNAP Benefits

Pennsylvania’s Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro has included two new charitable feeding plans in his proposed state budget—free breakfast to all students and a new state fund to raise the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) minimum monthly benefit by 50 percent. SNAP is federally funded, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture sending money to states which…


Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade: The Second Oldest Parade in the US

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.— Over 140 groups, including marching bands, Irish dancers, and cultural groups with 15,000 participants, marched through the streets of downtown Philadelphia for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade to celebrate Irish culture on Sunday. As founded in 1771, Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day parade is the second oldest parade of any kind in the…


Shapiro’s Pennsylvania Budget Projects Revenue From Sale of Still-Illegal Recreational Marijuana

Although he didn’t mention cannabis in his budget address, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s $45 billion spending plan (pdf) sets the stage for a bill to legalize recreational marijuana this legislative session. The legislature is now working on the 2023/2024 budget. The budget projects spending beyond the fiscal year, as common, so lawmakers can predict how…


GOP Congressmen Seek Federal Law to Override California’s Gas-Powered Vehicle Ban

Republican congressmen filed legislation March 8 to prevent states like California from banning the sale of gas-fueled cars and light trucks. The “Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act”—introduced by Reps. John Joyce of Pennsylvania, Bob Latta of Ohio, Gus Bilirakis of Florida, and Jay Obernolte of California—would restrict the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing…