Connecticut is tapping into federal funding to provide hundreds of thousands of public school students with free breakfast and lunch.
The state Department of Education announced that $16 million of funding the state received from the American Rescue Plan Act will be diverted to Connecticut’s free school meals program for the 2023-2024 school year, allowing students to get free meals regardless of their family’s income.
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Pennsylvania homebuilders are caught in a bind: labor costs are high and the state’s bureaucracy slows down construction.
The result is a situation where it takes months longer to build a house in the commonwealth and prices are higher.
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As the federal farm bill gets debated in Congress, Pennsylvania lawmakers and agricultural leaders hope to see a boost in research funding along with action to improve broadband internet and child care in the rural reaches of the state.
Senate and House lawmakers from around Pennsylvania came together Wednesday to talk about their priorities and concerns for farmers.
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A new survey by private polling firm Cygnal finds former President Donald Trump still dominating the GOP presidential primary field, and political outsider Vivek Ramaswamy overtaking Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for second place.
Trump leads with 53 percent support, followed by Ramaswamy (11.4%), who has moved ahead of DeSantis (10.4%), according to the poll. The Florida governor has plummeted from 29 percent support in March.
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Ohio entrepreneur and GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has taken a lot more flak from his opponents as he rises in the primary polls.
But the political outsider and first millennial to run for the Republican Party presidential nomination is starting to draw fire about his youth — from none other than former Vice President Mike Pence, Ramaswamy’s elder by 26 years.
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Residents of manufactured home communities often face the same problem: constantly rising lot rental fees that some critics say “predatory” investors use to hold residents “hostage.”
That’s why Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Reading, offered a simple solution that’s gained the approval of advocates long battling the issue: rent caps.
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A federal appeals court has upheld a 2021 Connecticut law banning religious exemptions for immunization requirements for schools, colleges and early education, but critics of the restrictions are vowing to take their case to the Supreme Court.
In the 2-1 ruling issued on Friday, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed a lower court ruling that rejected a lawsuit challenging the repeal of the state’s long-held religious exemptions to childhood vaccines.
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Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a shortcut of sorts to expand health care access: let psychologists, not just psychiatrists, prescribe medication.
A handful of states and the federal government already do so, but critics worry about a lack of proper training and other innovations of the past that have not panned out.
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Former President Donald Trump’s support among New Hampshire Republicans remains solid.
A significant majority — 62 percent — of Republican primary voters say they would vote for Trump even if he’s convicted of a felony by the time they cast their ballots for president, according to a new NHJournal/co-efficient poll.
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Rural America has 20 percent of the country’s population and 46 percent of the nation’s car crashes. A lack of resources, both in cash and workers, poses a challenge to avoiding wrecks and deaths.
Though rural traffic studies have been of questionable quality, a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) suggests broader cooperation to pool local resources, more public outreach, and better road design to curb collisions.
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A circle of farmers in Pennsylvania have embraced hemp as state and federal money encourages growth of the industry.
With government support, farmers troubleshoot how hemp plays a role in the production of textiles, paper, automotive bio-composites, and construction projects.
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If special prosecutor Jack Smith hoped his latest round of indictments against Donald Trump would convince Republicans to reconsider their support for the former president, he failed — particularly in the Granite State.
But if, as many political operatives believe, part of Smith’s goal is to get Republicans to rally around Trump’s troubled candidacy and help him become the GOP nominee, it’s mission accomplished.
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Seniors across Pennsylvania can officially look forward to 2024.
That’s because Gov. Josh Shapiro will finally sign a $134 million expansion of the state’s property tax and rent rebate program for low-income seniors and disabled residents that will go into effect in the new year.
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Fourteen state attorneys general asked the Biden Administration to do more to “combat the plastic pollution crisis.”
An Aug. 3 media release, the group stated, “Plastic does not fully degrade, instead breaking down into smaller pieces called microplastics, which have been found in drinking water, food, air, and even human blood and living lung tissue.”
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The Republicans hoping to replace Gov. Chris Sununu in the corner office next year have all embraced universal school choice, a deep contrast with their Democratic rivals.
On WFEA Morning Update with Drew Cline Monday, former U.S. Sen. and Republican gubernatorial candidate Kelly Ayotte said that, as governor, she would support universal school choice in New Hampshire, building upon the New Hampshire GOP’s successes with the popular Education Freedom Account (EFA) program.
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Washington state’s attorney general is among 20 attorneys general to have filed legal arguments in a federal lawsuit challenging Idaho’s law that makes it illegal to either obtain abortion pills for a minor or to help them leave the state for an abortion without their parents’ knowledge and consent.
In a Tuesday news release, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said the collective states’ amicus brief is in support of a lawsuit filed last month in U.S. District Court against Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador. The plaintiffs allege that Labrador’s interpretation of the law threatens to punish medical providers and residents outside Idaho’s borders for giving information and assistance to minors about legal abortion access in their states.
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A jury announced Wednesday that they believed Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people in a targeted attack against Pittsburgh Jews in 2018, should receive the death penalty, according to multiple reports.
A jury determined in July that Bowers was eligible for capital punishment despite his defense team arguing that he suffered from mental disorders that prevented him from understanding the weight of his actions. The jury deliberated for over ten hours during the course of two days before issuing its verdict that Bowers should be put to death for deliberately going after Jewish worshipers at the Tree of Life synagogue, according to various reports.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled his economic plan to revamp the U.S. economy at a presidential campaign event in Rochester, New Hampshire, on Monday.
He launched his “Declaration of Economic Independence” platform at a manufacturing facility with local business owners and workers suffering from 40-year high inflation, higher costs and regulatory burdens resulting from what he says are Biden administration policies.
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Tracking how Pennsylvania legislators spend money in office can be a hassle, requiring a public records request — and patience.
That process, however, could soon change if lawmakers post expense reports online in one place.
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The growth of solar generation in Pennsylvania over the last decade owes largely to farmers willing to share their land, a fact that leaves others worried about neighboring property values and future sustainability.
As such, Sen. Doug Mastriano – former gubernatorial candidate and right-wing firebrand who represents a district that spans Franklin and Adams counties – recently introduced a bill limiting the use of farmland for solar development in Pennsylvania. The legislation would prohibit development on prime farming land considered class one or class two by the USDA.
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Connecticut will join a handful of states in banning the sale of new fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2035, but critics say the dramatic shift to electric vehicles will be costly for consumers and could impact energy supplies.
On Wednesday, second-term Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont rolled out new regulations that will require car manufacturers to ramp up sales of electric vehicles in Connecticut leading to a ban on the sale of new fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2035.
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On the 28th day overdue, a key budget negotiator released a hopeful, albeit stern, message indicating a budget deal may come together in August after all.
Senate President Kim Ward, R-Greensburg, said Friday that Republican leaders in the chamber are “actively negotiating” with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and “things are moving forward.”
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Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has tapped a former federal prosecutor to conduct an independent investigation of allegations that state police may have issued hundreds of “fake” tickets.
Lamont said he has hired former U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly to investigate allegations outlined in a recent audit by a taxpayer-funded group that reviews police records to look for racial bias in law enforcement activities. Lamont said the inquiry seeks to determine “how and why the misconduct occurred” and why it went undetected for years.
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Employees at a Pittsburgh-area Starbucks say they want to de-unionize amid growing workplace tension.
The request comes just one year after the Penn Center East location became one of 25 in Pennsylvania to organize under Starbucks Workers United, which is affiliated with the SEIU.
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State and federal officials continue to monitor the impact of the Norfolk Southern train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, but independent scientists worry that indoor air quality has been ignored.
The lack of transparency, too, has made it harder to build and maintain public trust.
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Former President Donald Trump holds a 30-point lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a multi-candidate ballot in News Hampshire, according to the latest National Research Inc. survey of 500 likely New Hampshire Republican Primary voters.
Senator Tim Scott and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie are tied for third place at 8 percent each.
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A group of parents says State College Area School District bars their children from joining extracurricular activities simply because they attend faith-based schools.
The families, members of the Religious Rights Foundation, recently filed a lawsuit against the district for prohibiting their students from participating in sports, clubs, and college-level classes, based on religious discrimination.
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Former President Donald Trump increased his substantial lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the latest Marquette Law School Poll.
While DeSantis has seen his support erode among Republican voters, he again fares slightly better than Trump in a head-to-head match-up with President Joe Biden, according to the survey.
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Federalist Society Co-Chairman Leonard Leo, who served as an advisor in the selection process of former President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court appointees, has been targeted in his home town in Maine by what a prominent Catholic leader calls “anti-Catholic bigots” in the wake of recent rulings by the High Court.
Activists have been protesting at Leo’s home in Northeast Harbor, tying him to Supreme Court rulings with which they disagree.
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Connecticut utility regulators have rejected a proposed rate increase by one of the state’s largest utilities, which was seeking another $130 million from energy consumers.
The state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority turned down a request from United Illuminating to increase electric rates by nearly $131 million over the next three years. Instead, the agency approved a rate increase of just over $2 million for next year, which is still subject to final approval by the PURA board.
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While the Pennsylvania budget stalemate remains, senators argued over the importance of school choice and increasing public school funding at a committee hearing in Reading.
The Senate Education Committee met Tuesday to discuss “student opportunities for success,” hearing from parents of children in public and private schools in Reading, as well as public school leaders of Reading School District.
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Republican presidential hopeful Tim Scott returns to Iowa this week riding high in a new Hawkeye State poll and looking to capitalize on two key campaign events.
The South Carolina U.S. senator will host a town hall with Governor Kim Reynolds Thursday evening in Ankeny before speaking at the Iowa GOP’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner fundraiser on Friday.
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Pennsylvania hospitals may soon test urine samples for fentanyl and xylazine, two of the most common additives found in heroin.
The state government legalized fentanyl test strips for personal use last year, following a number of other states responding to more overdose deaths in the last decade. More than 5,200 Pennsylvanians have died from an overdose death in the last year, according to CDC data.
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A radical Massachusetts bill that would end nearly all restrictions on abortion in the state would also allow girls of any age to “consent” to an abortion without informing parents or requiring their consent.
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After Democrats threatened to censor him during last week’s House committee hearing on censorship, Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to hold a “Roundtable on Censorship” next month.
“We’re not waiting for the election to elevate free speech in the public mind,” the campaign for the Kennedy family scion said in a mass email message sent Monday.
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After Democrats threatened to censor him during last week’s House committee hearing on censorship, Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to hold a “Roundtable on Censorship” next month.
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Former New Hampshire GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte launched a bid for governor Monday, just days after Republican Gov. Chris Sununu announced his retirement.
Sununu, who recently ruled out a presidential bid, was first elected in 2016, and said last Wednesday that he would not seek a fifth term as governor. Ayotte, who served for one term as senator, told Fox News that her top priority as governor would be bolstering safety by imposing stricter penalties for fentanyl dealers to reduce the number of overdose deaths.
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Pennsylvania’s treasury holds about $4.5 billion in unclaimed property for residents, businesses and local governments.
Recent efforts, however, have seen more of that get returned as the treasurer announced $274 million was returned in the last fiscal year – a single-year record.
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Following on the heels of an expected 6% increase in funding from the General Assembly, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education voted to freeze tuition for the fifth year in a row.
The 6% represents a $33 million increase over last year, though it’s a 2% overall increase because the General Assembly only provides about 30% of the system’s total revenues, Chancellor Dan Greenstein said.
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Nikki Haley is bringing her “China Watch” back to New Hampshire next week, as the Republican presidential candidate hosts several campaign events around the Granite State.
Haley’s campaign says she plans to discuss China’s growing role in the fentanyl crisis in the United States and her “plan to crack down on Communist China.”
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Rural Pennsylvania has seen its population drop, with residents moving to suburbs, cities, and out-of-state.
The demand for rural life, however, isn’t always shrinking.
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Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) signed a bill into law Wednesday that expanded access to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, making the state one of the least restrictive in the nation when it comes to ending the lives of unborn babies.
LD 1619, dubbed “An Act to Improve Maine’s Reproductive Privacy Laws,” states an abortion may be performed “after viability,” i.e. when the unborn baby can survive independently outside his or her mother’s womb, “when the abortion is necessary in the professional judgment of a licensed physician.”
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Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (D) signed into law a series of bills Wednesday that seeks to protect abortion rights and access to both contraception and college students’ transgender drugs and surgeries.
In an official statement, Lamont also noted the new Connecticut laws counter those in Republican-led states that have sought to protect unborn life from abortion, and teens from life-altering transgender drugs and surgeries.
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The relatively high cost of Pittsburgh’s bus and light-rail operations means that, in the near future, Allegheny County officials must choose between raising taxes to fund it or find a way to cut costs.
So argues the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy’s Research Director Eric Montarti and research assistant Scott T. Cross in a policy brief advocating for “hard decisions” to be made instead of raising county taxes and fees.
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North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum sees his presidential prospects rising following the release of a new Granite State poll.
The GOP presidential hopeful, who is barely showing up in national polls, garnered 6 percent support in the University of New Hampshire’s latest poll of likely Granite State primary voters. That’s good for a fourth-place showing.
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Pennsylvania officials announced an expansion of its directory that helps residents find addiction services near them, part of a multi-year effort to simplify the process of finding licensed providers for drug and alcohol problems.
Information for about 600 licensed treatment facilities in the state have now been submitted for Pennsylvania’s Treatment Atlas, centralizing information for 81% of all licensed centers statewide. The Atlas has been a work in progress since 2021 and 7,000 assessments have been filed through it, DDAP noted.
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He was booed on the stage in Florida, grilled in Des Moines. And his campaign events are sparsely populated — generally speaking.
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has had some rough days of late on the presidential campaign trail.
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Recently slashed fees on the state’s educational savings program could save taxpayers more than half a million over the next year.
State Treasurer Stacy Garrity said the 1.25 basis point reduction will impact 286,000 accounts enrolled in the state’s 529 Investment Plan, netting $579,000 in savings.
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U.S. Senator and Republican presidential hopeful Tim Scott rolled out a new campaign ad Monday in Iowa and New Hampshire in front of two significant campaign events in the first nominating states.
In the ad, titled “Commander in Chief,” the South Carolina senator denounces China for spying on children, stealing U.S. jobs, and buying up American farmland.
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As natural gas production expands in other states, Pennsylvania’s has flatlined and seen productivity declines. Industry leaders blame permitting issues and other roadblocks, while environmentalists say the economic outlook for gas has weakened and nature benefits.
“Productivity declines and limits on natural gas takeaway capacity resulted in a 0.4 (billion cubic feet per day) decrease in Pennsylvania’s total natural gas production in 2022,” the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported. “Until last year, output had increased every year since 2013 on the back of drilling efficiency gains.”
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