U.S. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Junior is touting the Trump administration’s new national nutrition guidelines in what he’s calling the “Take Back Your Health Tour.” His first stop — a rally in Pennsylvania’s state Capitol.

Some Democrats say Kennedy himself is a danger to health.

State Senator and registered nurse Maria Collett says Kennedy, blaming most health issues on diet alone, is oversimplifying a complicated issue.

Pittsburghers are interested in learning how to respond to Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence, as the agency ramps up detentions and deportations in major cities. A meeting by an immigrants’ rights groups earlier this week drew hundreds.

An eastern Pennsylvania woman who lost both her husband and son to suicide is now working to increase awareness about the issue, especially now that the holidays are in the rearview mirror.

More than seven in ten public school students in Pennsylvania are enrolled in at least one arts class, according to the Arts Education Data Project. It’s good news, but there are caveats.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Art Association of Harrisburg. Executive Director Carrie Wissler-Thomas recalls the organization's founding by Gertrude Olmsted McCormick in 1926.

Art Association of Harrisburg Marks 100 Years with April Gala at the King Mansion | The Spark

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Pennsylvania lawmakers and consumer advocates are blaming new data centers for rising home energy prices.

A new statewide program is designed to preserve and expand Pennsylvania's supply of affordable rental housing for residents at risk of homelessness.

The State Department of Environmental Protection is encouraging Pennsylvanians to test their homes for radon during Radon Action Month in January.

The federal government is buying a former Schuylkill County distribution center with plans to turn the site into a processing facility for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is considering adding more than 1,100 acres of additional state game land across the state.

Hersheypark is announcing upgrades and expansions to its attractions for 2026. Plans include a new hotel, a new restaurant, and new features at its water park known as The Boardwalk at Hersheypark.

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Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick broke with his party last week when he led a discharge petition to extend healthcare subsidies for three years.

A new online tool is set up, to connect Pennsylvania's SNAP recipients with volunteer opportunities. It's designed to help recipients meet the new federal work and reporting requirements to keep their benefits.

Harrisburg is named number two in the nation for first-time homebuyer affordability, in a new study by Realtors.com. Last year, Harrisburg was in the top spot.

A public forum on Cumberland County's data center development - originally slated for Tuesday (January 20th) is postponed because organizers are searching for a larger venue. The Cumberland County Planning Commission says overwhelming public interest was pushing the event to capacity at a Dickinson College auditorium.

The expansion of broadband across Pennsylvania is on hold, as federal officials miss a self-imposed deadline to review the state's spending plan. That means hundreds of millions of dollars to help fund the expansion are also on hold.

The enhanced tax subsidies that helped millions of Americans pay for their health insurance expired at the end of last year. Thousands of Pennsylvanians are dropping their health coverage and others are seeing their rates skyrocket.

In uncertain times, our community counts on facts, not noise. Support the journalism and programming that keep you informed. Donate now at www.witf.org/givenow. And thank you!

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Pennsylvania Republicans want to change how the state runs Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Their effort comes as federal changes are already tightening the use of both programs statewide.

Democrats in the state House and Senate have successfully won more public school funding in the past few state budgets — against pushback from some Republicans. Democrats will fight that same battle this year.

During a recent visit to Northeastern PA, Governor Josh Shapiro addressed concerns about the growing number of data center proposals in Pennsylvania.

Before the Pennsylvania Farm Show officially wrapped up late last week, state officials designated 11 farms as bicentennial and centennial farms.

Nearly two dozen Philadelphia neighborhoods are installing new sculptures, as part of America250 PA's "Bells Across PA" project.

Governor Shapiro's pick for a Board of Pardons vacancy is being opposed by clemency advocates.

Harrisburg City officials say a planned demolition will take place this week at the Broad Street Market's brick building damaged by fire in July of 2023.

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Pennsylvania's hemp business leaders are embracing statewide calls to regulate their products in the face of an upcoming federal ban. State lawmakers expect to consider restrictions sometime this year.

And Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana industry is pushing state lawmakers to rein in hemp products that can make users high.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is considering shifting the beginning of firearms deer season to start the week before Thanksgiving. Many hunters are against the change.

Gov. Josh Shapiro says tariffs imposed by President Trump are hurting farmers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. During a visit to the PA Farm Show late last week, Shapiro said if it weren't for the tariffs, Trump wouldn't be providing billions in bailouts to make up for the losses farmers are experiencing.

Today is Martin Luther King Junior Day - a federal holiday honoring the Civil Rights activist. A slate of community events will be unfolding across central PA in his memory, today.

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Pennsylvania farmers and agricultural experts say they’re dealing with a mental health crisis and need more support from the state.

A joint hearing of the state House and Senate Agriculture committees at the Pennsylvania Farm Show included testimony from Penn State researchers.

During this week's Pennsylvania Farm Show, officials announced the awarding of more than $400,000 in state grants to benefit organizations in 33 counties that support youth seeking careers in agriculture.

Philadelphia's elected officials are speaking out against the potential of mass ICE raids in the city.

A recent poll finds 42% of Pennsylvania do not want data centers built in or near their community. Yet many state and local lawmakers are accepting the proliferation of data center plans across Pennsylvania, according to reporting by our partners at Spotlight PA.

Pennsylvania is officially launching its America250 celebration county-by-county. The nearly two-week-long statewide tour through all 67 counties begins this Friday (Jan. 16) in the Philadelphia region, with ceremonies at each county's courthouse. The tour travels to Lancaster County on Saturday with ceremonies at 4 pm and onto Schuylkill County on Sunday with ceremonies at 9:30 am.

Artists in all 67 Pennsylvania counties are researching, painting and decorating large fiberglass bell sculptures in conjunction with America250 PA festivities. We talk with a local artist, Phil George of Carlisle, to learn more about the significance of the symbols he painted on Cumberland County’s bell, now on display on the square in Carlisle.

If you're already a member of WITF's Sustaining Circle, you know how convenient it is to support programs like this. By increasing your monthly gift, you can help WITF close the budget gap left by the loss of federal funding. Visit us online at witf.org/increase or become a new Sustaining Circle member at www.witf.org/givenow to help build a sustainable future for WITF and public media. Thank you.

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As of this week there are eight counties in northwestern Pennsylvania without a hospital where a person can give birth. Warren County is the latest addition to the region’s expanding maternity care desert.

Some public health experts worry the Trump administration's new vaccine guidelines could harm immunity from highly contagious diseases. An analysis of school vaccination data finds that vaccine rates were already declining.

A new program being developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging would create community-based groups to address protective services cases for older adults. The pilot program includes several central PA counties.

Police have charged an 11-year-old Perry County boy with homicide after they say he shot and killed a 42-year-old man that neighbors identify as his father.

Dina Powell McCormick, the wife of U.S. Senator Dave McCormick is the new president and vice chairman of Meta, the parent company of Facebook.

The Mike Tomlin era with the Pittsburgh Steelers is over. The longest tenured head coach in major American professional sports stepped down Tuesday after yet another quick playoff exit.

Latvia is the first country that will have to make an injury replacement for the men's hockey tournament at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Forward Eriks Mateiko was sliced by an opponent's skate blade while playing in the American Hockey League with the Hershey Bears.

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Republican gubernatorial candidate and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who hopes to unseat Josh Shapiro as Governor this year, has previously suggested Donald Trump won the 20-20 election. She revised those remarks on Monday.

Meantime, Garrity says rural Pennsylvania should embrace the data center boom. Polling shows voters may not be so interested.

Facebook's parent company Meta has announced it reached a deal to purchase nuclear power from the Beaver Valley power plant in western Pennsylvania and two others in Ohio.

Penn State officials say two unique programs at closing Commonwealth campuses – including Mont Alto - will be moved to the Altoona campus.

A Berks County township is spending thousands of dollars to apparently hide details of a proposed law from local residents. According to reporting by our partners at Spotlight PA, a group of residents is also spending thousands of dollars trying to get Tulpehocken Township officials to disclose the proposed ordinance that could affect their farms.

A York County Sheriff’s Office K9 has died, just weeks before his retirement.

And a contest that celebrates the much maligned but enduring mullet hairstyle brought thousands of spectators to a stage at the Pennsylvania Farm Show on Monday.

Did you know that if every one of WITF’s sustaining circle members gives as little as $12 more a month, we'd close the gap caused by federal funding cuts? Increase your gift at https://witf.org/increase or become a new sustaining member at www.witf.org/givenow, and thanks!

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