TL/DR – Jim Prokopiak has won a Pennsylvania House seat in a special election against Republican Candace Cabanas, giving Democrats a two-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House. The campaign largely centered around abortion rights, with Democratic lawmakers working to protect and expand access following the fall of Roe v. Wade.
Article Summary – Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has announced $1.6 million in grant funds to increase the affordability of higher education for parents. The Parent Pathways Grant funding will cover scholarships and programming for undergraduate students with children, addressing findings from a 2022 report that college-attending parents require improved
Article Summary – Pennsylvania’s Department of Education is offering $75 million in grants for school environmental repairs and upgrades through the Public School Environmental Repairs Grant Program. The funding aims to tackle issues such as asbestos, lead, and mold in school buildings. A further $100 million in grants is also
Article Summary – During a visit to Pittsburgh’s West Penn Hospital, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen praised the Biden administration’s actions to improve healthcare and grow the economy. Yellen emphasized the administration’s efforts to make healthcare more affordable, including expanding tax credits for families paying healthcare premiums through the 2021 American
Article Summary – The Women’s Service Program, a new initiative in Pennsylvania, will provide up to $15.9 million over the next two years to reproductive health groups offering free health services including prenatal and postpartum care, menstrual health education, and testing for sexually transmitted infections. The program is designed to
Article Summary – Dave McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO and the Republican Party of Pennsylvania’s endorsed candidate for a U.S. Senate seat, has expressed indifference to job outsourcing except in key industries he deems critical. Notably, during his time as an executive at Bridgewater Associates, the company accepted $52
Article Summary – A proposed US bill, the Life Saving Leave Act, will allow employees up to 40 nonconsecutive hours of unpaid leave annually for bone marrow or blood stem cell donation. The bill, introduced by Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and co-sponsored by Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, aims
Article Summary – Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is calling for a historic increase in education funding in his 2024-2025 budget, seeking more than $1 billion in new education funding. The proposed budget, following recommendations from the Pennsylvania Basic Education Funding Commission, invests $1.1 billion in new funding to make sure
Article Summary – The US economy added 216,000 jobs in December, with the unemployment rate remaining at 3.7%. Sectors that saw significant job growth include healthcare, local government, construction, and social assistance. Wages reportedly outpaced inflation, with average hourly earnings increasing by 15 cents and rising by 4.1% over the
Article Summary – The Appalachian Regional Commission has granted $10 million to aid small and mid-sized manufacturers in southwestern Pennsylvania in their expansion into green technology and clean energy. The commission, a collaboration between the federal government and 13 states, was established in 2022 as part of the Infrastructure Investment
Article Summary – The Hershey Company in Pennsylvania, ranked 33 on Forbes’ list of America’s Best-in-State Employers in 2023, has contributed positively to the local economy. In 2022, Hershey’s sales reached $10.4 billion, up 16% from the previous year, and the company employed 19,865 full-time workers. The company, together with
Article Summary – President Joe Biden announced a $7 billion initiative to increase the availability of hydrogen as a fuel source and curb carbon dioxide emissions, with a view to create seven regional hydrogen hubs. The Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub, covering the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware region, is estimated to create about 20,800
