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Immigrant detentions surge at Pa. center accused of abuse as Trump crackdown intensifies
HARRISBURG — As the Trump administration ramps up efforts to deport undocumented immigrants, advocates in Pennsylvania worry that existing civil rights and safety problems at the state’s largest federal detention center will get worse. Known problems at Moshannon...
Home Repairs 2.0 Hits Harrisburg
There are many sides to the housing crisis. While rental prices in cities get a lot of attention, the rising costs of homeownership in rural and suburban areas have also swelled. In Pennsylvania, where about 60 percent of all homes were built before 1970 (and roughly...
Philly immigrant communities and allies brace for ICE workplace raids
José has lost count of how many times he’s shuttered his store in the last three months amid rumors that ICE was poised to strike the venerable Italian Market. The undocumented 45-year-old business owner, who declined to provide a last name out of fear of deportation,...
Passionate advocates, elected officials rally in Harrisburg for more state transit funding
State Rep. Ben Waxman, D-Philadelphia, doesn’t have to look very far to see the importance of public transit in his Central City district. Studies have shown a higher percentage of workers in Waxman’s district use public transit to get to work than any other district...
Senator Saval Introduces Jaylah, a Student Transit Rider from Philadelphia
Hundreds Rally at Capitol to Call for Statewide Transit Funding in Upcoming Budget
Hundreds of Transit Riders, Advocates, Labor Leaders, and Businesses Rallied at the Capitol to Call for Dedicated State Funding to Restore and Stabilize Transit Across PA
Harrisburg, PA − June 4, 2025 − Today, as the General Assembly returned to session this week in the run-up to the passage of the 2025–2026 state budget, hundreds of transit riders, advocates, labor leaders, and businesses convened at the state Capitol to rally for full funding for transit across Pennsylvania.
Abney, Benham bill would tax rideshare services to fund public transit
Allegheny County state House Democrats Aerion Abney and Jessica Benham say they’ve got some ideas to fund the state’s struggling public transportation system: add a tax on ride-share trips such as Uber and Lyft, and increase fees on car rentals and leases.
PA Fairness Act reintroduced by LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus
HARRISBURG, June 3 – As Pride Month begins, state lawmakers in the Pennsylvania LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus on Monday announced the reintroduction of the Fairness Act at a state Capitol news conference. “Discrimination is something many LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians still...
Allegheny County state House members hope to revive a pandemic-era home repair program
A bipartisan group of state lawmakers, including two from Allegheny County, want to bring back a program that helps pay for badly needed housing repairs — this time using state funds instead of federal pandemic aid. Restarting the Whole-Home Repair initiative,...
SEPTA appoints Scott Sauer general manager, removing interim tag, to lead authority through dire budget crisis
SEPTA's board appointed Scott Sauer general manager of the transit authority on Monday, removing the interim title he received when Leslie Richards stepped down in November, officials said. Sauer, who began his career as a SEPTA trolley driver in 1990, will continue...
Pride March and Festival mark milestone with joy, remembrance
The 2025 Philadelphia Pride March and Festival kicked off Pride Month with a vibrant cascade of color, and a half-mile procession through the city and its history. Marking 50 years since Pennsylvania became the first U.S. state to protect LGBTQ+ employees from...
Pictures of Philly’s Pride March and Festival
Marchers carried a newly expanded 600-foot-long Pride flag up Walnut Street from Washington Square to the Gayborhood for a Festival with food trucks, stages, and performances to continue the celebration. The The theme for this year's event was LUV or “Legacy, Unity...
‘We are not going anywhere.’ Philly kicks off Pride Month with a parade and day-long festival
GAYBORHOOD (KYW Newsradio) — Pride Month is here and Philadelphia kicked it all off on Sunday with a 600-foot Pride flag, a parade full of drummers, and tens of thousands of community members flocking from Old City to the Gayborhood for the celebration.
Proposal announced by group of Pennsylvania legislators for a program that will help to fix houses in Pennsylvania every year
(Harrisburg, PA) According to a release from the Pennsylvania Senate, a bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators announced a legislative proposal for the PA Home Preservation Program. The sponsors for the legislation are: State Senators David Argall (R–Luzerne,...
Bipartisan legislation introduced to battle blight, housing crisis
HARRISBURG – A bipartisan, bicameral effort led in part by local legislators is attempting to fight blight and the state’s housing crisis. Senators David Argall (R-Schuylkill) and Nikil Saval (D-Philadelphia) sponsored the legislation in the Senate while Reps. Lindsay...
Pennsylvania Senators look to protect worker gender identity, expression in workplace
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — Two Pennsylvania Senators announced legislation that aims to prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Senators Steven Santarsiero (D-Bucks) and Nikil Saval (D-Philadelphia) argued in...
State Legislators Announce PA Home Preservation Program in Bipartisan Effort to Tackle Pennsylvania’s Housing Crisis
Responding to the enormous need revealed from the implementation of previous home repairs programs, the PA Home Preservation Program will increase the resources available to support critical health and safety repairs for low- and moderate-income homeowners. ...
Pa. lawmakers to consider sealing certain eviction records, as pitched by Rep. Smith-Wade-El
Most rental applications ask potential tenants whether they’ve ever faced an eviction. This Watchdog, whose lease ends in July, has been asked that question quite a few times recently. It’s best not to lie when answering. Eviction filings are public documents, and...
Governor Shapiro Visits Philadelphia’s Chinatown, Highlighting His Administration’s Support for Small Businesses and Communities Across Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro visited Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood to meet with small business owners, celebrate the community’s cultural and economic contributions, and highlight his Administration’s work to support local economies, improve...