Voter support for Trump remains a wildcard as Pa. approaches major election for governor
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Democrats feel confident they’ll prevail in next year’s gubernatorial race after recent election wins they believe...
Bessent says new Trump child savings accounts are ‘back door for privatizing Social Security’
WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the Trump administration was committed to protecting Social Security hours after he said in an interview that a new children’s savings program President Donald Trump signed into law “is a back door for privatizing Social Security.” Bessent said Wednesday evening that...
Deputy director hired for Westmoreland election bureau
For the first time in five years, Westmoreland County has a deputy director of the election bureau. The county commissioners on Thursday announced the hiring of Hannah Lindley, 31, of Bentleyville, Washington County, to serve as second in command of the office that oversees elections in Westmoreland County. Lindley served...
Campaign cash already flowing in Pa. ahead of pivotal 2026 midterms
Republican incumbents in Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation outraised their Democratic counterparts by nearly a 2-to-1 margin, on average, during the first half of the year, according to federal election filings. Chris Borick, a political science professor at Allentown’s Muhlenberg College, said the fundraising gap is less of a reflection of any...
Americans’ views of racial discrimination have shifted since 2021, new poll finds
WASHINGTON — Slightly less than half of U.S. adults believe that Black people face “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of discrimination in the United States, according to a new poll. That’s a decline from the solid majority, 60%, who thought Black Americans faced high levels of discrimination in...
All the ways Republicans want to honor Trump, from the $100 bill to Mount Rushmore
WASHINGTON — Imagine getting the day off work for Donald Trump’s birthday. Receiving a $100 bill with Trump’s portrait on it. Touching down at Donald J. Trump International Airport near the nation’s capital. And taking in a show at the Donald J. Trump Center for Performing Arts. All would be...
Trump seeks to use Canada’s recognition of Palestinian state as leverage in trade talks
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Canada’s announcement it will recognize a Palestinian state “will make it very hard” for the U.S. to reach a trade agreement with its northern neighbor. Trump’s threat, posted in the early hours Thursday on his social media network, is the latest way he has...
John Fetterman’s memoir, ‘Unfettered,’ is latest offering in Library of Congress
“Unfettered” — described by its publisher as an unapologetic account of the unconventional life of U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, as written by Fetterman — will become part of the canon of the literal Library of Congress when it comes out on Veterans Day. It’s Fetterman’s maiden memoir, but the second...
Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she will not run for California governor in 2026
LOS ANGELES — Former Vice President Kamala Harris will not run for California governor next year, leaving open the possibility that she could mount a third run for the White House in 2028. “Over the past six months, I have spent time reflecting on this moment in our nation’s history...
Trump administration freezes $108M at Duke amid inquiry into alleged racial preferences
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is freezing $108 million in research funding to Duke University as the federal government accuses the school of racial discrimination in the form of affirmative action, according to a person familiar with the matter. The National Institutes of Health halted the funding to the private...
FDA vaccine chief leaving agency after less than 3 months
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration’s polarizing vaccine chief is leaving the agency after a brief tenure that drew the ire of biotech executives, patient groups and conservative allies of President Donald Trump. Dr. Vinay Prasad “did not want to be a distraction” and was stepping down from his...
Texas Republicans propose new U.S. House map with more winnable GOP seats
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a new congressional map that creates five additional GOP-leaning districts, bolstering their chances of maintaining control as they brace for a challenging midterm election. The redrawn map comes during a special legislative session called by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, as President Donald...
Trump announces 25% tariff on India starting Friday, unspecified penalties for buying Russian energy
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he’ll impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India’s purchasing of Russian oil. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that India “is our friend” but its “Tariffs are far too high” on U.S....
What Americans think about Israel’s military action in Gaza, according to a new Gallup poll
WASHINGTON — Support for Israel’s military action in Gaza has declined substantially among U.S. adults, with only about one-third approving, according to a new Gallup poll — a drop from the beginning of the war with Hamas, when about half of Americans approved of Israel’s operation. The new polling also...
Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will run for U.S. Senate in North Carolina in 2026
RALEIGH — Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will run for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, giving Democrats a proven statewide winner in an open-seat race that is expected to be one of the most competitive 2026 contests. Cooper made the announcement Monday with a video released on social media...
TV Talk: How media companies are responding to political, legal pressure from Trump
As some media companies and personalities facing political or legal pressure from President Donald Trump are capitulating to his demands or censoring themselves, others are standing firm or lashing out defiantly against the administration, media observers say. Some of the companies and personalities just don’t want the headaches. Others are...
Will Doug Mastriano run for governor again? He says the decision will be made on his timeline
Doug Mastriano might run for governor. He also might not. However, two things are certain for Mastriano — he’s not going to stop teasing an entrance into the gubernatorial race on his social media accounts, and he’s not going to listen to Republican magnates telling him not to run. Unless...
The House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here’s what could happen next
WASHINGTON — A key House committee is looking into the investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking crimes, working to subpoena President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice for files in the case as well as hold a deposition of Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. The Republican-led House Oversight...
Immigration judges fired by Trump administration say they will fight back
CHICAGO — Federal immigration judges fired by the Trump administration are filing appeals, pursuing legal action and speaking out in an unusually public campaign to fight back. More than 50 immigration judges — from senior leaders to new appointees — have been fired since Donald Trump assumed the presidency for...
Police investigate vandalism at U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly’s office in Hermitage
Local and federal police forces have opened investigations after the Hermitage office of U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly was vandalized overnight. According to a statement from Kelly’s office, the damage was discovered Saturday. Expletives, disparaging accusations and derisive comments directed toward the Republican from Butler were scrawled across office windows in...
Trump plays golf in Scotland while protesters take to the streets and decry his visit
EDINBURGH, Scotland — President Donald Trump played golf Saturday at his course on Scotland’s coast while protesters around the country took to the streets to decry his visit and accuse United Kingdom leaders of pandering to the American. Trump and his son Eric played with the U.S. ambassador to Britain,...
With Columbia as a model, White House seeks fines in potential deals with Harvard and others
WASHINGTON — The White House is pursuing heavy fines from Harvard and other universities as part of potential settlements to end investigations into campus antisemitism, using the deal it struck with Columbia University as a template, according to an administration official familiar with the matter. Fines have become a staple...
In Epstein furor, Trump struggles to shake off a controversy his allies once stoked
WASHINGTON — Despite the sun bearing down on him and the sweat beading across his face, President Donald Trump still lingered with reporters lined up outside the White House on Friday. He was leaving on a trip to Scotland, where he would visit his golf courses, and he wanted to...
Education Department says it will release billions in remaining withheld grant money for schools
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is releasing billions of dollars in withheld grants for schools, the Education Department said Friday, ending weeks of uncertainty for educators around the country who rely on the money for English language instruction, adult literacy, and other programs. President Donald Trump’s administration had suspended more...
Rep. Mike Kelly reprimanded by House ethics panel over wife’s stock purchase tied to steel company
The House Ethics Committee issued a formal reproval Friday of Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., following a yearslong investigation into an insider-trading allegation over his wife’s purchase of stock in a steel company in his Butler-area congressional district. The panel also said Kelly and his wife, Victoria Kelly, should divest of...
