Spotlight PA

Spotlight PA is committed to delivering impartial investigative journalism focused on Pennsylvania's government and critical issues affecting the state. As an independent watchdog, we aren't afraid to explore deeply, advocate for the truth, and challenge those in power to uncover misconduct and drive real change. Our mission is to link Pennsylvanians to their state and to one another through impactful public service journalism that resonates with their daily lives, presented in various innovative and digital formats that cater to how they prefer to receive news.

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Your guide to the primary candidates for Commonwealth and Superior Courts

1 week ago | spotlightpa.org | Katie Meyer

HARRISBURG — On May 20, Democrats and Republicans will choose their parties’ candidates for a vacancy on Commonwealth Court and on Superior Court. The winners will compete in the November general election. Pennsylvania’s two intermediate appellate courts have the power to affirm or reverse decisions made in lower courts. Their rulings can be appealed to the state Supreme Court, Pennsylvania’s court of last resort. Each court serves a distinct role within the commonwealth’s legal system.
Outside security review of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence ordered

1 week ago | spotlightpa.org | Stephen Caruso |Angela Couloumbis

HARRISBURG — A “third-party expert” will conduct an independent security review of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence after a hammer-wielding man broke into the mansion and set fire to the building, the Pennsylvania State Police announced Wednesday. Top Pennsylvania lawmakers say they won’t consider whether to hold hearings about the security breach until a review is complete, or are still weighing what actions to take.
Understanding the PA State Police detail protecting Josh Shapiro

1 week ago | spotlightpa.org | Stephen Caruso |Angela Couloumbis |Danielle Ohl

HARRISBURG — When Cody Balmer allegedly broke into the governor’s stately residence on the banks of the Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania State Police troopers working the overnight shift were the first to respond. These troopers are assigned to an elite, specially trained detail known as the Executive Services Office, which has protected Pennsylvania’s governors, lieutenant governors, and their families for decades. When the governor travels, troopers in the detail travel with him.
Who is Cody Balmer, the arson suspect accused of targeting PA Gov. Josh Shapiro?

1 week ago | spotlightpa.org | Stephen Caruso

PENBROOK — The man who police say set fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence and planned to beat Shapiro with a hammer is “mentally ill,” his mother told CBS News. Conversations with 38-year-old Cody Balmer’s family and neighbors and a review of public information reveal a chronically troubled man with young children who did not seem to have a strong political ideology.
Arson suspect planned to beat Josh Shapiro with hammer if encountered

1 week ago | spotlightpa.org | Angela Couloumbis |Stephen Caruso |Sarah Anne Hughes

HARRISBURG — A Harrisburg man walked an hour from his home with gasoline-filled beer bottles and a hammer before setting fire to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official state residence early Sunday, then fled the scene and later turned himself in, authorities said.
Fire at Josh Shapiro’s residence caused by arson: PA police

1 week ago | spotlightpa.org | Sarah Anne Hughes

We grant elected officials extraordinary power when we give them our vote, which means we must demand extraordinary accountability once they are in office. That’s why Spotlight PA’s reporting is more important than ever, and why we need you now. We’re independent, with no corporate owner or profit motives. We’re nonpartisan, with no political agenda or opinion pieces. And we’re a nonprofit, allowing us to prioritize investigative and public-service journalism that gets results.
What James Malone’s surprise win means for PA Democrats in 2026 • Spotlight PA

2 weeks ago | spotlightpa.org | Katie Meyer

HARRISBURG — A surprise Democratic win in a Pennsylvania Senate district that heavily voted for President Donald Trump bodes well for the party at large as the 2026 midterms approach. But politicians, operatives, and analysts warned that the special election result in a corner of Lancaster County may not be repeated during a higher-turnout contest — and that Democrats’ struggles with less engaged voters remain a real problem for the party.
Pigeon shoot enthusiasts spent big to keep controversial sport legal

2 weeks ago | spotlightpa.org | Stephen Caruso

HARRISBURG — To a wild round of applause, a Pennsylvania House committee passed a bill to ban live pigeon shoots at the end of last April. The bill’s bipartisan advancement was a new chapter in a bitter debate over the practice, also known as flyer shooting, in which people armed with shotguns aim at real birds rather than clay projectiles. “It's the kind of thing that's not top of mind for people,” state Rep. Perry Warren (D., Bucks), who introduced the legislation last March, told Spotlight PA.
PA News Quiz: a ballot ruling and canvassers vs. Elon Musk

3 weeks ago | spotlightpa.org | Colin Deppen

We grant elected officials extraordinary power when we give them our vote, which means we must demand extraordinary accountability once they are in office. That’s why Spotlight PA’s reporting is more important than ever, and why we need you now. We’re independent, with no corporate owner or profit motives. We’re nonpartisan, with no political agenda or opinion pieces. And we’re a nonprofit, allowing us to prioritize investigative and public-service journalism that gets results.
How Spotlight PA and Resolve Philly reported ‘For the Child’

3 weeks ago | spotlightpa.org | Julie Christie |Steve Volk

Resolve Philly and Spotlight PA partnered to investigate how county foster care agencies across Pennsylvania take Social Security money owed to children in their care. This story is a follow-up to the 2022 Resolve Philly and Philadelphia Inquirer investigation that focused on Philadelphia Department of Human Services. That investigation revealed the city was taking nearly $1 million every year from children and depositing the money into its general fund.