Rebecca Moss

Stories by Rebecca Moss

Economy

The Department of Labor and Industry addressed the problem publicly after being contacted by Spotlight PA. — Jelani Splawn / For Spotlight PA

Department of Labor admits it overcharged unemployed Pennsylvanians millions of dollars

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

July 9, 2021

Economy

Within the first 12 hours of the launch, more than 62,000 Pennsylvanians had filed claims and the Department of Labor & Industry deemed the new system a success. — DAVID MAIALETTI / Philadelphia Inquirer

Jobless in Pa. livid over new unemployment system errors as state declares victory

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA and Christian Hetrick of The Philadelphia Inquirer

June 8, 2021

Economy

Unemployed workers and advocates from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia protest over more than 300,000 unemployment claims still waiting for review by the state Department of Labor and Industry. The department this week is launching a massive overhaul of its computer system. — Rebecca Moss / Spotlight PA

Anxiety runs high as Pa. begins massive overhaul of 60-year-old unemployment computer system

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

May 31, 2021

Environment

Rebecca Britton, a school board director for the Downington Area School District and founder of the Uwchlan Safety Coalition, was one of several residents who contended that Sunoco, the operator of the Mariner East pipeline system, had failed to properly inform nearby residents and emergency responders of all of the risks should an accident occur. — MICHAEL BRYANT / Philadelphia Inquirer

Sunoco failed to disclose some risks of Mariner East pipeline, was ‘negligent’ in response to concerns, judge rules

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

April 26, 2021

Coronavirus

Michelle Perry of Philadelphia protested outside Gov. Tom Wolf's Center City office earlier this month, demanding "a working unemployment system to provide timely responses and benefits to unemployed workers." — DAVID MAIALETTI / Philadelphia Inquirer

As thousands of unemployment claims expire, Pa. residents refile, wait on federal benefits

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

March 24, 2021

Coronavirus

Spotlight PA wants to hear from current and former employees of the state Department of Labor and Industry about administering unemployment benefits during the pandemic. — Courtesy of PennLive

Have you helped process Pa. unemployment claims this past year? Spotlight PA wants to hear from you.

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

March 23, 2021

Coronavirus

The Department of Labor & Industry is holding its first budget at the state's House of Representatives on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. — Jelani Splawn / For Spotlight PA

Victims of unemployment fraud in Pa. are blindsided by tax documents

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

March 2, 2021

Coronavirus

Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians, including Sandra Huffman of East Greenville, Pa., have been struggling to make ends meet in January because of a month-long gap in coronavirus unemployment benefits. — JESSICA GRIFFIN / Philadelphia Inquirer

Stress, delays, and confusion still plague jobless in Pennsylvania, and January brought little relief

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

Feb. 1, 2021

Environment

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

Dec. 22, 2020

Environment

The case centered on Delaware County resident Eric Friedman’s request to the Public Utility Commission for information about the hazards posed by Sunoco’s Mariner East pipeline, a controversial natural gas liquids project spanning the southern half of the state. — MICHAEL BRYANT / Philadelphia Inquirer

Secrecy law for Pa. utilities gets boost in court ruling sidelining public records agency

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

Oct. 23, 2020

Environment

Lisa Jones, a mother of eight, lives at Meadowbrook Mobile Home Park in York County. Many residents of the community live less than 100 feet from the Mariner East pipeline system. — STEVEN M. FALK / Philadelphia Inquirer

Along Mariner East pipelines, secrecy and a patchwork of emergency plans leave many at risk and in the dark

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

Oct. 15, 2020

Environment

Christi Marshall, left with her sisters Karen Greene, center and sister Laura Hervey at Hershey's Mill in West Chester. Laura depends on her sisters in the event of a pipeline problem for her evacuation, Thursday, October 8, 2020 — STEVEN M. FALK / Philadelphia Inquirer

Emergency plans fail to consider complexity of Mariner East pipelines, and those most at risk in an accident

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

Oct. 15, 2020

Environment

Pipefitters, left, work to connect a long segment of pipe that is being suspended in air to make it ready to be pulled undergroud in a residential area of West Chester, PA on Ship Road and South Pullman Drive as part of the Mariner East Pipeline that is going through the area on November 11, 2019. — Michael Bryant / Philadelphia Inquirer

INTERACTIVE: Explore the Mariner East pipeline system and its history

by Dan Simmons-Ritchie and Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

Oct. 15, 2020

Environment

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, right, holds a jar of discolored tap water during a news conference. He said the sample was from the home of a state resident whose well had been tainted by nearby natural gas drilling. — Mark Scolforo / Associated Press

Damning report on Pa.’s failure to protect residents from fracking unlikely to result in major reform

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

July 13, 2020

Coronavirus

More than 4,300 people have died of COVID-19 inside the state's long-term-care facilities. — DAN NOTT / For Spotlight PA

Pa. will give health systems $175 million to lead coronavirus response inside struggling nursing homes

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA and Jordan Wolman for Spotlight PA

June 18, 2020

Coronavirus

As of early June, more than 4,200 residents of Pennsylvania’s long-term-care facilities have died from the coronavirus, nearly 70% of all the deaths attributed to the disease in the state. — Dan Nott / For Spotlight PA

The coronavirus exploited failure of Pa. health officials to improve long-standing problems with nursing home oversight

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

June 13, 2020

Coronavirus

The Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County is the site of one of the state's worst outbreaks. — Gene J. Puskar / AP

FULL LIST: Pa. releases names of nursing homes with coronavirus cases, deaths

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

May 19, 2020

Coronavirus

As of Tuesday, Pennsylvania reported 12,130 cases of COVID-19 inside 540 long-term care facilities. More than 2,600 residents have died. — JESSICA GRIFFIN / Philadelphia Inquirer

In major reversal, Wolf administration says Pa. will begin widespread testing of nursing home residents, employees

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

May 12, 2020

Coronavirus

Pennsylvania emergency response officials had a plan to protect nursing homes before the coronavirus swept across the state, but it was never fully implemented. Now, many say the state still isn't doing enough, and what it is doing might be too little, too late. — JESSICA GRIFFIN / Philadelphia Inquirer

Pa. had early plan to protect nursing homes from the coronavirus, but never fully implemented it

by Aneri Pattani of Spotlight PA and Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

May 9, 2020

Coronavirus

The state has so far declined to release the names of the more than 400 facilities with reported cases and deaths. — Jean-Francois Badias / AP

AARP calls on Pennsylvania to release list of nursing homes with coronavirus cases

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

April 23, 2020

Coronavirus

Pennsylvania has one of the oldest populations in the United States and is home to about 126,000 people in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. — Curtis Compton / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

Pa. nursing homes left to largely police themselves as coronavirus deaths mount

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

April 17, 2020

Coronavirus

More than 830,000 Pennsylvanians have abruptly found themselves without a job or income following the statewide shutdown of schools and all but “life-sustaining” businesses — decisions intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. — TIM TAI / Philadelphia Inquirer

Pa. unemployment system buckles under deluge of workers laid off during coronavirus pandemic

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

March 31, 2020

Coronavirus

Commonwealth Media Services

Wolf administration lays off about 2,500 state employees as financial fallout from the coronavirus deepens

by Angela Couloumbis and Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

March 29, 2020

Coronavirus

Pennsylvania is averaging more than 64,000 new jobless claims per day since Gov. Tom Wolf ordered a large portion of businesses to close to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. — JESSICA GRIFFIN / Philadelphia Inquirer

Pa. coronavirus shutdown wreaks havoc on economy as new unemployment claims top 645,000

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

March 26, 2020

Coronavirus

Unemployment claims in Pennsylvania topped half a million as a result of the statewide coronavirus shutdown. — ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Philadelphia Inquirer

Pa. unemployment claims skyrocket to 540,000 since coronavirus shutdown, shattering records

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

March 25, 2020

Coronavirus

The Fraternal Order of Police has drafted legislation that would add the coronavirus to the list of occupational illnesses covered under the Workers’ Compensation Act for first responders. — TIM TAI / Philadelphia Inquirer

Why workers’ compensation might not provide relief for Pennsylvanians sickened by the coronavirus

by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

March 22, 2020

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