x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Pennsylvania in Focus

The Center Square

The podcast bringing you the most important stories out of Pennsylvania from TheCenterSquare.com. Join us as we dive into the top headlines and provide insightful commentary and analysis.

news

All Episodes

00:09:39

School Vouchers Called a Solution to ‘19th Century’...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/09/14

As Pennsylvania’s divide over education funding continues, House Republicans once again championed their plan to give scholarships to students in low-performing schools to enroll elsewhere. The House Republican Policy Committee met Tuesday in Philadelphia to hear testimony from education professionals, private school students, and parents on how families would benefit from Lifeline Scholarships, which has been controversial with Democrats who worry about diverting funding from public schools. ---

en

00:12:52

Taxpayers Sidelined Amidst School Funding Tit-For-Tat

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/09/08

As the state's prolonged game of chicken enters its third month, all eyes turn toward the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. That’s because two key pieces of legislation needed to enact the $45.5 billion budget sit unfinished on the chamber’s desk, though neither meets the demands of the Democrats in charge. As such, leadership dismisses the bills as nothing more than the Senate’s revenge for a school voucher program Gov. Josh Shapiro cut from the budget to appease his legislative

en

00:04:58

No Medical Marijuana Edibles in Pennsylvania, for Now

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/09/07

Officials tasked with monitoring the state's medical marijuana program said this week edibles don't belong in Pennsylvania's marketplace. Concerns about safety, efficacy and legal enforcement gave members of the Medical Marijuana Advisory Program pause. Six abstained from voting on the recommendation at all during its Wednesday meeting. Only two members supported the proposal, while two more rejected it. --- Support this podcast:

en

00:04:34

Pennsylvania’s Budget Reaches Deja VU

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/09/02

The state’s piecemeal budget negotiations fractured again this week after lawmakers split a key measure in half. When the Senate gaveled out of a rare one-day voting session Wednesday, the chamber left behind two fiscal codes for the House to sort out – an unorthodox strategy that’s brought the process no closer to conclusion, legislative sources say. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support

en

00:04:00

Report: Gas Production Plateauing in ‘Frackalachia’

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/09/01

A new report argues that Appalachian natural gas recently entered a production plateau and economic growth in the area now depends on other industries. “As measured by jobs, population, and income, Appalachia’s principal shale gas producing counties have done worse economically than the region and the nation since the dawn of the Appalachian boom,” the report from the Ohio River Valley Institute stated. --- Support this podcast:

en

00:04:18

Senate Called Back for Budget’s Final Lap

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/08/26

The state Senate will return to Harrisburg later this month to finalize crucial pieces of the budget, according to Republican leadership. Senate President Kim Ward, R-Greensburg, called session for Aug. 30 – two months past the start of the new fiscal year – to finalize code bills, which serve as the blueprint for how to spend money earmarked in the $45.5 billion budget itself. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support

en

00:05:23

‘We Suffer for Everybody Else’s Comfort,’ Critics of...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/08/25

A proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in Chester leaves some residents anxious about further environmental degradation, while advocates make promises of economic growth. The Philadelphia LNG Export Task Force met in Chester on Tuesday, with jobs and tax revenue at the front of the mind for both members and testifiers. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support

en

00:06:17

Amendment Suggests Curbing Cabinet Secretary Powers

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/08/19

A state constitutional amendment in the early stages of development suggests curbing the authority of unconfirmed cabinet officials. Republican Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill and Judy Ward recently began circulating a co-sponsorship memo for the proposal that says gubernatorial appointees unconfirmed by the Senate should exercise limited authority. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support

en

00:05:01

Red Tape Aggravates Homelessness, Experts Warn

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/08/18

Homelessness has declined nationally over the last decade, but the number of those who have been unhoused for long periods of time has crept upward. At the National Conference of State Legislatures’ annual summit, government officials and experts discussed expanding the housing supply and the need for leaders to change their approach when something isn’t working. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support

en

00:04:57

More Money, More Problems for National Broadband...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/08/17

A federal broadband expansion program triggers similar complaints across the country: red tape and labor shortages make the process daunting, even by bureaucratic standards, and many worry about the logistics of such a massive undertaking. At a summit hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures on Monday, officials emphasized the artificial barriers set up by the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program, or BEAD, which provides $42.5 billion in federal cash to states. ---

en

00:06:52

Feds Support Medication for Opioid Addiction;...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/08/12

Though thousands of Pennsylvanians die from a drug overdose every year, using medication as treatment to wean them off an addiction is rarely used. That approach reflects a national trend. A new report funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only 22% of Americans with an opioid use disorder received any medication to treat it. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support

en

00:06:36

Report Gives Suggestions to Improve Safety on...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/08/11

Rural America has 20% of the country’s population and 46% of the nation’s car crashes. A lack of resources, both in cash and workers, poses a challenge to avoiding wrecks and deaths. Though rural traffic studies have been of questionable quality, a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association suggests broader cooperation to pool local resources, more public outreach, and better road design to curb collisions. --- Support this podcast:

en

00:05:49

Hemp and Pennsylvania’s ‘Bio-Based Future’

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/08/10

A circle of farmers in Pennsylvania have embraced hemp as state and federal money encourages growth of the industry. With government support, farmers troubleshoot how hemp plays a role in the production of textiles, paper, automotive bio-composites, and construction projects. The need, advocates argue, lies in more research funding and building new markets in the commonwealth to support the crop. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support

en

00:06:46

State a Partner, Not Just an ‘ATM’ for Higher Ed, PA...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/08/05

Pennsylvania’s public higher education system received bipartisan praise when it didn’t raise tuition for a fifth year. The General Assembly’s relationship with the commonwealth’s state-related universities, however, has been rockier as political disagreements and rising costs have made legislative Republicans more skeptical of the status quo. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support

en

00:06:47

Sudden Pennsylvania Senate Return Signals Budget Revival

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/08/04

The Senate’s top-ranking Republican called lawmakers back to Harrisburg to face the $45.5 billion spending plan sitting on the chamber’s desk for the last four weeks. It's the same budget they all voted for on June 30, before the House did the same five days later. All the Senate had left to do was sign it – per parliamentary procedure – and wait for the blessing of Gov. Josh Shapiro's pen. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support

en

00:05:33

PEMA Hits Brakes on Pittsburgh Emergency Task Force

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/08/03

An urban search and rescue team could come to western Pennsylvania at the behest of a bipartisan group of state lawmakers — but not with the endorsement of the state’s emergency response director. Philadelphia hosts a federally funded PA Task Force 1, one of 28 federal urban search & rescue teams, while the rest of the commonwealth relies on smaller teams. Two bills, House Bill 843 and Senate Bill 792, would establish a similar task force based in Pittsburgh to respond to emergencies. ---

en

00:04:04

Pennsylvania Hospitals May Soon Test for Fentanyl

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/07/29

Pennsylvania hospitals may soon test urine samples for fentanyl and xylazine, two of the most common additives found in heroin. The state government legalized fentanyl test strips for personal use last year, following a number of other states responding to more overdose deaths in the last decade. More than 5,200 Pennsylvanians have died from an overdose death in the last year, according to CDC data. --- Support this podcast:

en

00:05:43

Senators Spar Over School Choice in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/07/28

While the Pennsylvania budget stalemate remains, senators argued over the importance of school choice and increasing public school funding at a committee hearing in Reading. The Senate Education Committee met Tuesday to discuss “student opportunities for success,” hearing from parents of children in public and private schools in Reading, as well as public school leaders of Reading School District. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support

en

00:06:30

Land Banks May Soon Claim Blighted Properties

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/07/22

In the fight against blight, neglectful property owners may soon feel more pressure to clean up their act – or else lose control to a land bank. House Bill 1163, now awaiting action in the Senate, would let municipalities take a “use it or lose it” approach to blight. Once a locality declares a property blighted or abandoned, it could then be deemed liable to be acquired by a land bank. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support

en

00:07:15

Red Tape, Low Prices to Blame for Pennsylvania’s...

Pennsylvania in Focus ·

2023/07/21

As natural gas production expands in other states, Pennsylvania’s has flatlined and seen productivity declines. Industry leaders blame permitting issues and other roadblocks, while environmentalists say the economic outlook for gas has weakened and nature benefits. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pennsylvania-in-focus/support

en

449 results

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

PBS News Hour - Full Show

PBS News

CD Voice

China Daily

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Noa Levi

Jeffrey Epstein: The Coverup Chronicles

Bobby Capucci