DCED analysis: PA secured $5.2B private sector investments, created 9,500 jobs
May 23—WILKES-BARRE — The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) this week completed new analysis showing that the Shapiro Administration has secured more than $5.2 billion in private sector investment, creating more than 9,500 new jobs, since taking office.
"Since day one, my administration and I have been laser focused on making Pennsylvania a leader in economic development, job creation, and innovation," said Gov. Josh Shapiro. "From historic investments in site development, to cutting red tape, we're showing the world how we get stuff done — and we'll continue to make bold, strategic investments that create real opportunity for Pennsylvanians."
As part of the Shapiro Administration's work to implement the 10-year Economic Development Strategy, DCED created the BusinessPA team — an experienced group of economic development professionals dedicated to Getting It Done for businesses looking to thrive in Pennsylvania.
"Economic development is a team sport, and the DCED team is committed to partnering with regions across our Commonwealth to make sure Pennsylvania is open for business," said DCED Secretary Rick Siger.
Pennsylvania's appeal to businesses has not gone unnoticed. DCED was recently named a top state economic development group by Business Facilities Magazine. The Commonwealth recently ranked 10th overall in Site Selection Magazine's Governor's Cup — and third among Northeast states. Additionally, BusinessPA was honored with a Deal of the Year — Impact Award from Business Facilities Magazine for its role in GSK's expansion in Lancaster County.
US House passes bill to simplify veterans forms
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, Jr.'s legislation — H.R. 1286, the Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act.
The bipartisan bill, which passed by a vote of 386-1, would simplify forms required by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans and survivors.
Bresnahan, R-Dallas Township, introduced this bill on Feb. 13, 2025, and it passed unanimously out of the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs on May 6. This is the first piece of legislation Bresnahan introduced and is his first legislation to pass the House.
"When our military members return home from serving our country, they are often tasked with filling out dozens of pages of paperwork in order to receive the benefits they've rightfully earned," Bresnahan said. "Veterans and their families should not be subjected to a VA claims process that is more difficult and stressful than necessary, which is why I am incredibly proud to see my legislation, the Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act, pass out of the House this evening.
"Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District is home to nearly 40,000 veterans, and I am proud to spearhead this legislation for each and every one of them and their families."
The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) requires veterans and survivors to complete standard forms to initiate and pursue claims for VA benefits, including disability compensation, pension and survivors' benefits.
These forms can often be arduous and difficult to understand for veterans or their survivors, and failure to do correctly fill them out can result in delays in processing their claim, delays in receiving a decision on their claim, or even a denial of their claim.
Bresnahan said he introduced the Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act to simplify the forms process to make VA standard forms more user-friendly.
The legislation would require VA to contract with a nonpartisan, federally funded research entity to conduct a study on, and provide recommendations for, revising VA forms to be more understandable for veterans and their survivors.
Following this study, the VA Secretary would be required to report findings to Congress and implement recommendations.
AG: Congress needs to fund PSAs
Attorney General Dave Sunday this week joined a bipartisan coalition of 38 Attorneys General calling on Congress to pass the Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act — a federal bill that aims to reduce youth drug use through research-based public education and community outreach.
The bill would employ prevention methods proven to be effective in forming public service announcements and initiatives — produced by student peers — aimed at young people when they have first exposure to dangerous substances.
"Protecting children is a core function of the Office of Attorney General, and it is crucial that young people receive this positive messaging at a time when they are most impressionable," Sunday said. "Without a doubt, the best way to solve a problem or crisis is to prevent it from happening. As a father, I am well aware of the challenges and influences facing our children. We must do all we can to equip them with the tools they need to make healthy choices."
The legislation, introduced by U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), would amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide targeted federal funding for public service announcements (PSAs), youth-led campaigns, and other outreach tools that help prevent early substance use.
All campaigns funded under the bill must be grounded in evidence, designed for cultural relevance, and adapted to meet the specific needs of local communities.
"This thoughtful and timely legislation represents a critical, evidence-based step toward reducing youth substance use through strategic public education and engagement," write the attorneys general in a letter to Senate leadership.
The Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act would fund a range of efforts to better reach youth with timely, credible and accessible information, including:
—Culturally relevant PSAs tailored specifically to youth.
—Youth-led PSA contests to drive peer-to-peer engagement and creativity.
—Federal grants for outreach across TV, radio, social media, streaming platforms and other media.
—Annual reporting requirements to measure reach and effectiveness, ensuring transparency and accountability.
PUC: Add energy efficiency to 'summer utility checklist'
With summer fast approaching and new default electric generation prices taking effect on June 1, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) this week is urging residents and businesses across the Commonwealth to #SaveInPA by taking proactive steps now to manage their utility bills — with a strong focus on energy efficiency, conservation and understanding supply options.
"As temperatures rise, so do energy costs — especially when demand for air conditioning peaks," said PUC Chairman Steve DeFrank. "Now is the time to review your past energy usage, make smart adjustments at home or work, and explore tools that can help you take control of your summer electricity bills."
—Why now? Understanding June 1 price changes
Every June 1 and Dec. 1, electric distribution companies (EDCs) in Pennsylvania adjust their "Price to Compare" (PTC) — the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) charged to customers who have not selected a competitive supplier. These prices are based on wholesale market rates and can significantly impact monthly bills.
Note: These changes only affect customers receiving "default service" from their electric utility — that is, those who have not selected a competitive supplier. Customers already shopping with a supplier will continue paying the generation price set by their contract, but they should also be aware of these broader market trends to prepare for potential impacts when their current contract ends.
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
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2 hours ago
- CBS News
Feds warn about threats to Israeli and Jewish institutions and supporters in U.S.
Washington — Federal law enforcement agencies have issued a new intelligence bulletin, obtained by CBS News, warning that recent attacks in Boulder, Colorado, at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., and at the Pennsylvania governor's residence "could motivate others to conduct violence against Israeli and Jewish institutions, or their supporters." The memo was issued by the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center to law enforcement nationwide Wednesday, voicing concern that "some individuals online are sharing the manifesto of the alleged Capital Jewish Museum attacker, praising their actions, and calling for additional violence." "We advise security partners to remain vigilant for threats of targeted violence against Jewish and Israeli communities, and their supporters," the memo says. On Sunday, a suspect allegedly used Molotov cocktails to attack a march for Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colorado, injuring more than a dozen people. He has since been charged with 118 state criminal charges, including 28 counts of attempted murder. On May 21, two Israeli Embassy employees, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were shot and killed as they left the Capital Jewish Museum. The suspect, who shouted "Free Palestine" as he was taken into custody, faces first-degree murder charges. And in April, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, was allegedly targeted by a man who officials say intentionally set fire to the governor's residence while Shapiro and his family were home asleep. The suspect has been charged with attempted murder, terrorism and other crimes. The law enforcement bulletin said intelligence analysts assess that "online messaging promoting violence by foreign terrorist organizations, their supporters, and other threat actors particularly messaging that highlights successful attacks –- could compel threat actors motivated by various ideologies to engage in violence." The law enforcement agencies also warned that foreign terrorist organizations have pushed content encouraging violence regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, "and the online messaging is one of many factors that has influenced the radicalization of violent extremists." contributed to this report.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pa. pharmacists demand state action to regulate PBMs, curb pharmacy closures
A shuttered independent pharmacy in Harrisburg. (Capital-Star photo by Vincent DiFonzo) Last month, pharmacists from across the state travelled to Harrisburg for an urgent meeting with lawmakers. Their goal was to communicate a simple message — pharmacies are closing at an alarming rate, eliminating one of the few places customers can receive free, unscheduled consultations with medical professionals. They warned they're being driven out of business by middlemen in the pharmaceutical supply chain called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. Lawmakers took aim at this problem last year by passing the Pharmacy Benefit Reform Act, which sought to decrease the costs of prescription drugs and regulate PBMs. The legislation was touted by Gov. Josh Shapiro as an example of successful bipartisan reform while he was being considered for the vice presidential nomination. Nearly a year after the law's passage, pharmacists say it has failed to prevent closures. Since January 2024, at least 200 pharmacies have closed across the state. Now, they're asking lawmakers to act again. 'The current PBM system is aptly harming our local pharmacies, jeopardizing patient access to care and threatening the very fabric of our community health infrastructure,' Victoria Elliot, CEO of the Pennsylvania Pharmacist Association, told lawmakers during the meeting last month. Pharmacy benefit managers are companies hired by insurance providers to administer prescription drug benefits of a health plan. They negotiate drug prices, decide what drugs are covered under insurance plans and reimburse pharmacies for drugs dispensed. Theoretically, PBMs secure lower drug prices for patients by streamlining communication between insurance companies, drug manufacturers and pharmacies. Pharmacy advocates insist the opposite is true — that PBMs are raising drug costs and driving them out of business through anticompetitive practices that force them to dispense prescriptions at a loss. Prescription for trouble: Pennsylvania pharmacists say PBMs are driving pharmacy closures The three largest PBMs — CVS Caremark, OptumRx and ExpressScripts — control about 80% of the market and are owned by companies that also own national pharmacy chains and insurance companies. That means pharmacies that don't agree to accept the reimbursement rates they set are likely to lose customers whose insurance plans rely on them. E. Michael Murphy, senior advisor for state government affairs at the American Pharmacists Association and assistant professor of clinical pharmacy at Ohio State University, says low dispensing and reimbursement fees paid to pharmacies by PBMs are a leading cause of closures. 'Oftentimes, when pharmacies dispense a medication for a patient, they're taking a loss on that medication, either in the reimbursement for acquiring that medication from a wholesaler or in the professional dispensing fee,' Murphy said. 'And unfortunately you can only do that for so long before the business model crumbles. That's one of the big reasons that we've seen community pharmacies closing across the country.' Murphy said community pharmacy closures not only hurt small business owners, but also impact the ability of patients to access medications as they have to travel further to pick up prescriptions. 'When a community pharmacy closes, it can have a pretty dramatic impact on the health outcomes of that community,' he said. 'There's concern that can disproportionately affect patients in more marginalized or socioeconomicly vulnerable communities.' Murphy voiced support for ensuring state agencies have the resources to enforce existing laws and regulate 'anticompetitive' PBM practices. Greg Lopes, a spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, a D.C.-based trade group that represents the country's largest PBMs, says PBMs help, not harm, Pennsylvania pharmacies. 'PBMs recognize that pharmacies provide access for patients to get drugs, so it makes no sense to blame PBMs for pharmacy closures in Pennsylvania,' said Lopes. 'PBMs aren't trying to put pharmacies out of business, in fact, PBMs are supporting community pharmacies in Pennsylvania through programs that increase reimbursement and advocating to allow them to expand the additional clinical services they can offer.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE He pointed to 'customer preferences for online options and changing demographics,' as factors driving pharmacy closures. PBM reforms passed with bipartisan support in last year's Act 77, which expanded the Pennsylvania Insurance Department's regulatory power and created new transparency requirements for PBMs operating in the state. But pharmacy advocates say the law didn't go far enough, and pharmacies are still closing at an alarming rate. Rob Frankil, executive director of the Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists told the Capital-Star that out of approximately 225 pharmacies represented by his organization, 12 have closed since January and 25 closed in 2024. He pointed to low reimbursement as the primary cause. 'Eleven of the 12 pharmacies that my association lost this year are in Philadelphia,' he said. 'They all went out of business because they're not being paid enough for the prescriptions they're filling.' He wants legislation that addresses reimbursement rates directly. One proposal is to require PBMs to reimburse pharmacies based on the average national cost of the medication they're dispensing, plus a fee set by the state that accounts for a pharmacist's time and materials used. Neighboring West Virginia passed a similar law in 2021. A spokesperson for Shapiro, asked if the governor would support further PBM reforms, responded with a quote from the governor's February budget address, highlighting last year's PBM reform law. 'We knew it was a problem that shady middlemen could jack up the cost of prescription drugs while driving our community pharmacies out of business,' the statement said. 'So we came together to pass landmark reforms that bring transparency to how pharmacy benefit managers operate, keep more money in Pennsylvanians' pockets, and protect the small and independent pharmacies we rely on in our communities.' The primary sponsor of that PBM reform law, Rep. Jessica Benham (D-Allegheny), told the Capital-Star that further PBM reform is necessary, but said, 'We are somewhat limited on the state level with what we are able to do.' Benham added that understanding the full impact of Act 77 will take time. She noted the bill required the state Insurance Department to conduct a study on the impact on consumers and pharmacies of future legislation to set a standard dispensing fee of $10.49. They will also study the impact of patient steering and spread pricing on prescription drug costs and pharmacy access. Patient steering is a practice in which PBMs drive customers to their preferred pharmacies, often owned by the same parent company as the PBM. Spread pricing occurs when a PBM pays one price for a drug and reimburses a pharmacy less, profiting off the difference. An Insurance Department spokesperson said the study requires 'specialized expertise.' The department will procure a vendor 'to assist with the development and implementation of the study,' but have not begun this process yet. 'We will have to wait for the results to then move forward on further legislation,' Benham said. As it stands, a number of PBMs are contracted by individual Medicaid providers, and are allowed to set their own reimbursement policies. Frankil told lawmakers last month that dispensing fees can be as low as a dollar. A 2020 study commissioned by a community pharmacy advocacy group found the average cost of dispensing a prescription for a pharmacy is $12.40. One proposal Benham said she supports would have the Department of Human Services, which oversees state Medicaid, use a single PBM to administer Medicaid benefits, an action pharmacy advocates are demanding that has precedent in other states. In 2022, the Ohio Medicaid Department moved to a single PBM to administer Medicaid, with one entity overseeing prescriptions covered by Medicaid. This forced Medicaid managed care organizations to work with a single PBM contracted through the state's Medicaid Department, rather than procuring their own. A 2025 study found this move saved Ohio's Medicaid Department $140 million, saved the state $333 million in administrative costs and allowed $700 million dispensing fees to be paid to pharmacies in the two years since its implementation. Murphy, an Ohio resident, praised this move. 'Oftentimes, when I talk to pharmacists in Ohio, they'll say that Ohio Medicaid is the best and most stable source of revenue for their businesses, which is just indicative of how positive this program has rolled out,' he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
7 hours ago
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Shootings in DC and firebombs in Boulder: Attacks mark dangerous surge in antisemitism
Editor's Note: This article has been updated to accurately reflect the mission of Run for Their Lives to raise awareness about the hostages held in Gaza. A man firebombed the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in April, hours after the governor and his family hosted more than two dozen people to celebrate the first night of Passover. The suspected arsonist targeted the governor because of "what he wants to do to the Palestinian people," according to police records. Two weeks ago, a man shot and killed a young couple outside the Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. "Free Palestine," the man shouted. "I did it for Gaza," he later told investigators. Then, on June 1, a man hurled Molotov cocktails at a peaceful gathering in Boulder, Colorado, to support the Israeli hostages in Gaza. Hurling abuse at the Run for Their Lives crowd, the attacker shouted "Free Palestine" as he set fire to several people, including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor. These attacks come after years of escalating rhetoric, protests and demonstrations against the war in Gaza. A report released last month found that antisemitic incidents across America hit a record high for the fourth year running last year, and the same researchers worry that trend will continue throughout 2025. The wave of attacks has Jewish communities across the country on high alert. And it has experts and analysts who study extremist movements concerned the antisemitism that has already flooded online spaces and infested some protests on college campuses and elsewhere could be entering a more deadly phase. 'The Jewish community is used to having bulletproof glass and metal detectors at their institutions, but this was a public gathering,' Oren Segal, the Anti-Defamation League's senior vice president of counter-extremism and intelligence, told USA TODAY after the Boulder attack. 'The Jewish community is now concerned about being publicly Jewish.' Antisemitic violence is, of course, not new in America. The deadliest anti-Jewish attack in U.S. history occurred just seven years ago, in 2018, at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, where 11 people were shot to death and six were wounded. The country also saw periods of antisemitic violence in the 1980s and '90s, including bombings and targeted assassinations by a White supremacist group. Though the new wave of violence certainly appears to have been inspired by the war in Gaza, there are notable differences between the attacks in Washington and the one in Boulder, said Javed Ali, senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council in 2017 and 2018. The suspect in the District of Columbia shooting had recently been involved in leftist politics and protesting, but the suspect in the Colorado attack had spent more than a year planning his assault and doesn't appear to have been involved in the protest movement, Ali said. 'We've seen these waves of antisemitic violence throughout modern U.S. history,' Ali said. 'Is this now presenting another one of these kinds of waves? Hopefully it doesn't get bigger than these two attacks.' In the Washington attack and the assault in Boulder, the perpetrators shouted about the war in Gaza. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the suspect in the Boulder attack, said he specifically targeted the group because of its pro-Israel stance and stated he 'would do it again,' according to a court filing from the FBI. Ali said it stands to reason that the more people grow angry about the war, the more likely it is that some will become radicalized and, in turn, that some will take violent action. That's typically how social movements spawn violent domestic extremists, Ali said. It's essentially a numbers game. 'If there's a bigger pool of people who are radicalized, then potentially that increases the probability that there will be a smaller number of people who funnel from that larger pool of radicalization into the violent action, and maybe, maybe, that's what we're seeing now,' he said. The ADL's Segal put it differently. He said the protest movement has consistently and unfairly blurred the lines between the actions of the Israeli government and the Jewish people at large. Violence is the inevitable result of that bias, he said. 'When you have 600-plus days of rhetoric that is not just about opposition to Israeli government policy but that often features language that dehumanizes Israelis, Zionists and Jews, it creates an atmosphere in which these plots and attacks are much more likely.' The events in Colorado and Washington and the arson attack at the Pennsylvania governor's mansion in April are part of a pattern in which anti-Israel sentiment is used as a justification for antisemitic violence, said Halie Soifer, chief executive officer of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, a Washington-based group that calls itself the voice for Jewish Democrats. 'We see a deeply troubling pattern, and it has shattered a sense of security that we should have as American Jews,' Soifer said. Synagogues and other Jewish establishments increased their security after the Tree of Life shooting. Ever since that attack, people entering synagogues typically go through security measures similar to TSA airport checkpoints, Soifer said. 'You go through a mag, and there is a device to check bags,' she said. But the latest attacks have been largely outdoors, which requires another layer of security that wasn't necessarily needed before. Groups are now considering how to create larger perimeters around Jewish institutions and gatherings, she said. 'This has created a crisis in terms of every Jewish American rethinking their security,' Soifer said. 'It's devastating to think we're at a point where that's needed. But we are.' Students at the University of Denver were already concerned about the rise of antisemitic violence across the country, said Adam Rovner, director of the university's Center for Judaic Studies. The attack on the marchers in Boulder heightens their fears, he said. 'Some people feel frightened. Some people feel angry,' Rovner said. 'Some people feel resolute and a sense of solidarity.' Rovner said that when he went to synagogue on June 1, members of the congregation were warned not to mill around outside the building because it was the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and there were fears of an attack. Since the attack on the marchers in Colorado, 'there is just a real awareness that Jewish events are requiring extremely high levels of security all the time, and there is a very strong awareness that Jews are targets,' said Rachel Harris, director of Jewish Studies at Florida Atlantic University. There is also a growing concern that the public tends to normalize terrorism against Jews by attributing it to political protest, Harris said. 'Any other group that is targeted by acts of terrorism, we call them acts of terrorism,' she said. 'We don't try and normalize that. This continued refrain that says, well, they shouted 'free Palestine,' so it was really a political gesture, is really disturbing.' Everyone has the right to protest and peacefully voice their opinion, Rovner said. 'There are certainly horrors that the Palestinians are suffering,' he said. 'There are certainly horrors that Israelis and Jews are suffering. They don't cancel each other out. They both exist. The people who can't seem to contain two conflicting opinions in their mind at the same time are the ones who lash out violently. They are simple-minded, idealized.' Twenty-four hours after the attack in Boulder, Lisa Turnquist returned to Pearl Street to lay flowers and a small Israeli flag at a small memorial. Police say Soliman, an Egyptian immigrant who overstayed his visa, threw Molotov cocktails at the marchers while yelling 'Free Palestine.' Twelve people, ages 52 to 88, suffered burn injuries ranging from serious to minor. Turnquist, 66, said she had attended the Sunday marches, rain snow or shine, in which demonstrators call for the militant group Hamas to release the Israeli hostages it is holding in Gaza. She was just arriving June 1 when she saw flames on a woman's legs. Turnquist, who is Jewish, said she grabbed a towel from her dog stroller and used it to smother the flames. Turnquist said she started going to the marches a few weeks after they began in the wake of the October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel. She recounted how week after week the walkers have been confronted with allegations that they are complicit in genocide for demanding that Hamas release the hostages. "We just want them home, and that's why we do this," she said. The morning after the attack, she woke up and didn't want to get out of bed. But she did. 'This is when we have to get up and stand up,' she said, 'and we have to push back.' Contributing: Trevor Hughes This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Violent antisemitic attacks mark new phase in anti-Israel protests
