DON’T MISS A BEAT: Get all of the top Pa. news in one daily newsletter, plus some fun, too

Top News Coronavirus

The Department of Corrections will not release the health status of inmates to family members unless they are listed as the emergency contact in documents that in some cases are as old as when the inmate was first incarcerated. — DAVID SWANSON / File Photograph

Pa. prisons don’t always tell families when inmates are sick. Officials are defending that policy.

by Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PA

The department says it can only release medical details to emergency contacts, but critics contend it’s not doing enough to notify inmates of the need to update those authorizations.

Every decade, states undergo a process called redistricting, in which the boundaries of state legislative and U.S. House of Representative districts are redrawn to account for shifts in population as accounted for in the decennial census count. — TIM TAI / Philadelphia Inquirer

Redistricting will be the definitive political fight of 2021 in Pennsylvania. Here’s how it’ll work.

by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA

Daniel Greenstein, chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, joined Spotlight PA for a live interview Jan. 13. Watch the full recording. — KRISTON JAE BETHEL / For the Inquirer

WATCH: A live Spotlight PA interview with PASSHE Chancellor Daniel Greenstein

by Spotlight PA Staff

Inside the Pennsylvania Supreme Court — Christopher Millette / PennLive

Angered by Pa. Supreme Court rulings, GOP moves to exert more control over judiciary branch

by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA

Like what you read?

Become a Member

Help Spotlight PA hold the powerful to account with a gift today.

Other Amount:

Donate now Yes, accountability matters

Most Popular Stories

Editor’s Pick

Live updates on the latest numbers of Pa. coronavirus cases, as well as a county-by-county coronavirus map. — DAN NOTT / For Spotlight PA

Live Pa. coronavirus tracker: County-by-county map of coronavirus cases, updates on case counts

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA and Garland Potts of the Philadelphia Inquirer

More top stories

Law enforcement has erected orange fencing and deployed armed officers outside the Pennsylvania State Capitol. — Mark Pynes / PennLive

Law enforcement in Pa. preparing for possible unrest despite ‘no specific threats’ to the Capitol

by Joseph Darius Jaafari of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

PASSHE Chancellor Daniel Greenstein said he was committed to eliminating racism and the achievement gap on campus, but offered few specific new initiatives beyond what the university system has done in the past. — Commonwealth Media Services

Head of Pa.’s public university system to examine historic roots of racism in state schools

by Jamie Martines of Spotlight PA

In a statement, Gov. Tom Wolf said the proposal “would hinder our ability to respond quickly, comprehensively, and effectively” to another wave of COVID-19.” — ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Philadelphia Inquirer

Pa. GOP lawmakers want voters to give them the power to end governor’s emergency orders

by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

Criminal Justice

Studies warned the Pennsylvania State Police of potential racial bias in vehicle searches right before the agency ended the research. — DAN GLEITER / PennLive

Pa. State Police resume tracking racial data during traffic stops in response to Spotlight PA report

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA

Sen. Jim Brewster (D., Allegheny) — James Robinson / Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus

Federal judge rules in favor of Democratic Pa. Senate candidate GOP refused to seat

by Sarah Anne Hughes of Spotlight PA

In his first speech as top leader of the Pennsylvania Senate last week, Republican Sen. Jake Corman positioned himself as a reformer seeking to restore faith in government by greatly increasing transparency in the legislature and by elected lawmakers. — CHRISTINE BAKER / The Patriot-News

New Pa. GOP leader pushes transparency reforms despite party’s past reluctance, obstruction

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Brad Bumsted and Sam Janesch of The Caucus

State Sen. Doug Mastriano is facing calls to resign from state Democrats over his attendance at a rally in Washington that led to the mob attack on the Capitol. — Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PA

A Pa. Republican lawmaker who marched to the Capitol before the mob attack is facing calls to resign

by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

People shelter in the House gallery as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) — Andrew Harnik / AP

Top Pa. lawmakers who rejected election results denounce U.S. Capitol mob

by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

The letter signed by President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (seen here, center) said Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar “usurped legislative authority." — JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia Inquirer

Republican leaders in Pa. Senate ask Congress to delay Electoral College count

by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA

From Dec. 16 through Dec. 22, the health department said it received 490,592 results. That breaks down to roughly 560 results daily per 100,000 people. — JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia Inquirer

Pa. lags nation in people tested per day, is nowhere near level needed to suppress the virus

by Yaasmeen Piper of Spotlight PA

Amid high emotions and partisan fingerpointing, Republicans also took the rare step of removing the Democratic lieutenant governor, John Fetterman, from running the session. — JOSE F. MORENO / Philadelphia Inquirer

Pa. GOP senators refuse to seat Democrat and remove Lt. Gov. Fetterman from presiding

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

Lawmakers from both parties and the anti-gerrymandering group Fair Districts PA want the rules adopted in 2021 to emphasize collaboration, rather than partisan politics. — KALIM BHATTI / The Philadelphia Inquirer

Frustrated by the Pa. legislature? How obscure rules kill reforms and fuel partisan gridlock

by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA

In 2021, election officials want their voices to be heard. — Matt Smith / For Spotlight PA

Election officials want a say in Pa.’s voting reforms, but politics may get in the way

by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA

Sen. Jim Brewster — James Robinson / Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus

GOP leaders in Pa. Senate will refuse to seat Democrat certified by state as winner

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

Former Gov. Dick Thornburgh and wife Ginny in 2008. — DAVID SWANSON / Philadelphia Inquirer

Former Pa. Gov. Dick Thornburgh dies at 88

by Andy Wallace of The Philadelphia Inquirer and Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

The temporary restrictions, in effect for the last three weeks, suspended indoor dining at restaurants, and shut down entertainment facilities such as movie theaters, concert venues, casinos, and clubs, as well as gyms and fitness facilities. — TOM GRALISH / Philadelphia Inquirer

Pa.’s ban on indoor dining, school sports won’t extend beyond Jan. 4

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Jamie Martines of Spotlight PA

Some sites in Bucks County, Montgomery County, and Philadelphia (where voters are shown here, at Tilden Middle School) saw long lines of voters who wanted to request a mail ballot without having to risk U.S. Postal Service problems. — JESSICA GRIFFIN / Philadelphia Inquirer

Satellite offices gave Pa. voters more options to cast early ballots in person. Were they worth it?

by Tom Lisi for Spotlight PA

President Donald Trump is still seeking to overturn Pennsylvania’s election results in the courts. — TIM TAI / Philadelphia Inquirer

As he seeks to overturn Pa.’s election, Trump invites GOP senators to White House lunch

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

The review means more work for election officials, many of whom are burnt out and have a reduced staff during the holidays while they begin preparing for the municipal primaries in 2021. — Matt Smith / For Spotlight PA

Thousands of ballots will be audited as part of Pa.’s post-election review

by Marie Albiges for Spotlight PA

Legal experts told Spotlight PA the law is inherently archaic, implemented before the state overhauled its approach to public records and became the center of the fracking boom, leading to a proliferation of pipelines, most notably the Mariner East system. — MICHAEL BRYANT / Philadelphia Inquirer

Reform of secrecy law for Pa. utilities faces long odds despite agreement that it’s a problem

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

Who We Are

Support fearless accountability journalism in Pennsylvania. Become a member of Spotlight PA.