The Constitution gives Congress — not the president by executive order — the power to override state election regulations. From @statesnewsroom.com

The judge wrote, “Because the First Amendment does not tolerate viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of this type, the Court will issue judgment against the federal agency defendants declaring Section 3(a) of the Executive Order is unconstitutional..." From @statesnewsroom.com

The states claim the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Medicaid, has admitted to sharing with ICE “a large and complex” set of data on Medicaid recipients, even though the court said the data of citizens and lawful permanent residents is off limits. From @stateline.org

“It’s hurt us. It’s hurt every fire company in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Jim Capuzzi, the president of the volunteer Broomall Fire Company in Delaware County. “I think it’s hurt every fire company in the United States.” From @wdownard.bsky.social

The average cost of a gallon of regular gas in Pennsylvania is below the national average at $3.97, according to AAA. The highest average price in the state was in Pike and Philadelphia counties at $4.04, while the lowest was in Clinton County at $3.83. From @statesnewsroom.com

States with and without abortion bans are advancing bills that would shield anti-abortion pregnancy resource centers from certain government mandates and attempts at regulation, allowing them to sue for damages if any part of the law is violated. From @statesnewsroom.com

Spokespeople from Pennsylvania’s and Colorado’s Medicaid agencies said, as of March, the states had found no one who needed to be terminated from Medicaid. That was after checking a combined 79,000 names. From @kffhealthnews.org

Lift Every Voice’s work shows how hard it can be for parents in the city to affect change, but also how it can be done. From @chalkbeat.org

Staging the planet’s most popular sporting event is never easy, but this year the conflict in the Middle East and the congressional impasse over funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are creating additional complications. From @stateline.org

"Our customers are feeling the rising costs everywhere — everything from when they go into their department store or their grocery store,” said Jenni Leister of Bunyaad Marketplace in Lititz. “This is not a way to make the world a more just and equitable place for all.” From @wdownard.bsky.social

The lack of pay had produced long wait lines for security checks at some of the nation’s busiest airports after TSA officers quit or called out sick. The 45-day partial government shutdown of DHS remains ongoing. From @statesnewsroom.com

Missed the last episode of Stories From The States? Click the link below for an examination of the public opposition to data canters. @maddyfitz.bsky.social @stateline.org @kentuckylantern.com @danielleegaines.bsky.social

Crime in the United States continued to fall in 2024, according to two new federal reports from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, with declines in both violent and property offenses even as some states had higher-than-average crime rates. From @stateline.org

Dozens of people -- including six from Pennsylvania -- who participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, have filed a federal class action in Florida against the U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. Metropolitan Police. From the @floridaphoenix.com

Pedestrian deaths fell 11% in early 2025 over the previous year, the largest drop since the Governors Highway Safety Association began reporting them 15 years ago, but remain higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. From @stateline.org

Commentary: We are asking pharmacists to shoulder more responsibility at the very moment pharmacies in rural and low-income zip codes are closing at higher rates. That imbalance is unsustainable.

Trump and his loyal aides have set out to remake the nation in the president’s image. Along the way, retribution and raw power have become the primary tools to bend recalcitrant states to its will. Grants are pulled, armed force deployed, disaster aid withheld. From @stateline.org

Public dollars are driving efforts to market and execute the NFL draft next month. But questions remain about who might benefit. From @publicsource.org

Almost as soon as the state House passed a bill to raise the minimum wage, the Employment Policies Institute began reaching out to reporters to share its view. But the group, which described itself as “a nonprofit research organization,” may not be what it seems.. From @iankarbal.bsky.social

We are committed to fact-based, contextualized reporting on the policies and people shaping the commonwealth. Don't count on social media algorithms to help you find a trusted source for news. Sign up for our free morning newsletter delivered right to your inbox. penncapital-star.com/subscribe/

Protesters took to the streets in cities and rural communities Saturday in Pennsylvania and across the country to rally against President Donald Trump’s policies. It was the third No Kings demonstration since the Republican’s return to office last year. From @statesnewsroom.com

Catch up on all of our local coverage of the No Kings protests. Our veteran journalists across the country have been reporting from the #NoKings demonstrations. Check out @ashleymurray.bsky.social's updated story below with reports from more than two dozen states.

“I’m against it. Period,” said Patti Rose, wearing a “No ICE in Berks County” pin. “It’s not about criminals. It’s about rounding people up randomly. We have a lot of empty warehouses in Pennsylvania, we’re a prime target for their campaign … it’s barbaric.” From @wdownard.bsky.social

“I’m against it. Period,” said Patti Rose, wearing a “No ICE in Berks County” pin. “It’s not about criminals. It’s about rounding people up randomly. We have a lot of empty warehouses in Pennsylvania, we’re a prime target for their campaign … it’s barbaric.” From @wdownard.bsky.social

Don’t forget to follow our live coverage of the #nokings protests at www.newsfromthestates.com/live-feed/no.... #FairFearlessFree #LocalJournalism #ReportLocal

Large crowds were gathering Saturday morning in the nation’s capital for the third No Kings protest, rallying with others across the United States against what organizers say is an unprecedented expansion of power by President Donald Trump. From @statesnewsroom.com

All 41 states that expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act will see fewer people covered due to new federal work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks. But the percentage of recipients who lose coverage will vary greatly from state to state. From @stateline.org

The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed in court Thursday that it is sharing sensitive voter data with the Department of Homeland Security in a search for noncitizen voters. But a DOJ lawyer denied the department is building a national voter database. From @stateline.org

U.S. Speaker Mike Johnson announced Friday afternoon the House will not even consider a Senate-passed funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, likely prolonging the shutdown that began in mid-February. From @statesnewsroom.com

With many Americans struggling to afford the basics, consumers and lawmakers alike are becoming more concerned about how retailers are using algorithms — many of which rely on personal data — to price products. Some companies are using a tactic known as surveillance pricing. From @stateline.org

Kevin Bethel was in charge of Philadelphia school safety during what he called “a very difficult, dark time” for the city. But now, it's in “a far, far better place,” said Bethel -- the now the city’s police commissioner. The number of shootings has fallen dramatically. From @chalkbeat.org

COMMENTARY: Few regions pose as much of an economic conundrum as Pittsburgh. Is the city and region – once the center of U.S. steelmaking – a paragon of postindustrial transformation, or a left-behind region still struggling to move beyond its industrial past? From the @us.theconversation.com

The election director in Chester County, under fire for a series of administrative errors and accusations of a hostile work environment, is resigning from her role. From @votebeat.org

The U.S. Senate early Friday approved funding for the vast majority of the Department of Homeland Security, sending a bill to the House that could end the shutdown that began in mid-February. From @statesnewsroom.com

The Week in Focus is a recap of our top stories: 1. The Pa. House has approved a bill to raise the minimum wage. 2. Lawmakers advance a bill to increase state oversight of data center water use. 3. Bradford Regional Medical Center will stop being a hospital on May 17 due to financial pressures.

What the ruling means for the more than 1,000 Pennsylvanians serving life sentences without parole on felony murder charges is still unclear. From @iankarbal.bsky.social

John Deere, Caterpillar and the Wisconsin-based Case New Holland had all laid off U.S. workers in recent years while moving manufacturing jobs to Mexico. From @statesnewsroom.com

The U.S. Senate was unable to agree Thursday whether to require photo identification to vote in federal elections, as the chamber debated a larger bill that would make several changes to how Americans register and cast ballots. From @statesnewsroom.com

Small counties in the coastal Southeast had some of the largest population gains between mid-2024 and mid-2025 in estimates being released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau, mostly because of people moving from larger areas. From @stateline.org

Two and a half years into Pennsylvania’s new program to register more voters, rural counties have seen some of the biggest gains, an analysis has found. From @votebeat.org

Pennsylvania is a center of the current avian flu outbreak, with more than 480 cases officially detected in wild birds and almost 16 million domesticated birds affected over the past four years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. \ From @insideclimatenews.org

Organizers expect millions of people to turn out for this third round of No Kings demonstrations, with more than 3,000 local-level events mapped on the movement’s official website, including dozens across Pennsylvania. From @stateline.org

A judge sentenced two teenagers in Lancaster County to probation and community service — along with restitution — after they used artificial intelligence to generate nude images of female classmates and their friends. From @wdownard.bsky.social

The blend, known as E15, is usually barred in many Midwest states over the summer to reduce smog, though the federal government has routinely in recent years issued waivers to allow summer sales. From @statesnewsroom.com

Pennsylvania has the lowest hourly reimbursement rate among its neighboring states at $20.63, despite being the fifth-oldest state in the nation. From @wdownard.bsky.social

Officials at the Bradford Regional Medical Center are now sharing the date when the facility will stop being a hospital; they say inpatient and emergency services are scheduled to end because of financial pressures on May 17. From @radio.wpsu.org.web.brid.gy

If you want to keep up with how policy decisions impact Pennsylvania, but don't have confidence in social media algorithms to put a trusted source in your feed, we have an easy solution for you. Just subscribe to our newsletter, the Morning Guide, and we'll bring the news right to your inbox.

Commentary: Springtime in Pennsylvania is peanut butter egg season. This year some consumers may taste the eggs a bit more critically and scrutinize the ingredients and label more carefully From @theconversation.com

As of Tuesday morning in Pennsylvania, the average cost of a gallon or regular gas was $3.95, up 15 cents from a week ago and 83 cents from a month ago. The price of a gallon of diesel in Pa. sat at $5.85, an increase of 53 cents over a week ago and $1.67 from a month ago. From @stateline.org

For the third time in four years, the state House has passed a bill to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage. The latest measure, which was approved on a mostly partisan vote, would see the current minimum wage of $7.25 an hour rise gradually to $15 an hour in 2029. From @iankarbal.bsky.social