Just shy of three months after Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 budget was signed into law, Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled his 2026-27 budget proposal in Harrisburg on Tuesday—a $53.26 billion spending plan that includes a $100 million transfer for a new fund designed to handle disruptions from the federal government, such as when SNAP benefits lapsed last year.

Our Sean Kitchen was on hand as Shapiro once again renewed calls to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and called for a sales tax plan to provide more than $300 million annually for local public transit agencies.

The governor also renewed calls to legalize recreational cannabis and increase education funding, while addressing the need to balance demands for data centers in the state with building them responsibly. Shapiro said data center developers need to commit to bringing their own power generation, hiring local workers, and meeting environmental standards.

We’ve got much more on Shapiro’s latest budget proposal below.

If you’re not going to watch the Super Bowl, what are you planning to do instead on Sunday?

Believe it or not, some of your fellow Pennsylvanians will not be tuning into the Super Bowl. Here’s what they’ll be up to instead:

“Preparing meals and packing the car for a cross-country ski trip to White Grass in West Virginia.” 

— Kay, Bradford County

“Watching the Olympics, or reading a book, as I am assaulted by my cats. (Oh, the horror…)”

— Tom Kyrk, Bristol

“My husband and I will be doing anything not affiliated with the Super Bowl. We may go grocery shopping, watch TV, I may work on my plants (it’s a little early, but I may start preparing the seeds for spring planting), or laundry.”

— Denise and Greg, Schuylkill Haven

“Watch a movie, do some baking.”

— Marlene, Macungie

“I’ll most likely be reading, or watching something besides football.”

— Sandy, Athens

If you’re not going to be watching the Super Bowl, we want to hear about your plans. (And please let us know where you live!)

The Mount Washington Branch of the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh. (Shutterstock)

Seeing as February is National Library Lovers Month, I want to talk a little bit about Pennsylvania’s public libraries and all the services they offer besides loaning out books. 

Many people aren’t aware of how many valuable resources their local library provides. I used to be one of those people, until a former colleague at the Bucks County Courier Times—from where we had both just been laid off in 2019—turned me on to all the professional development resources that were available online from the Free Library of Philadelphia to all Pennsylvania residents, not just those living in Philly. All I needed to access them was a library card. After an easy online application process, I was learning Adobe Premiere Pro video editing.

Across the state, you’ll find public libraries that provide many enrichment opportunities and services, such as the Lackawanna County Library System, which offers low-cost digitization of analog media, and the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh, where you can check out musical instruments as you would a book.

Want to learn more about how to take advantage of the many services offered by Pennsylvania’s public libraries? We’re here to help!

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Pennsylvania families are struggling with rising costs—but too many of our representatives aren’t taking action. Share how higher prices affect you and help hold our leaders in Congress accountable to fight for lower costs.

• Federal officials have been scouting cities and counties across the US for places to detain immigrants, and it looks as though they’ve settled on a location in Berks County with the purchase of a warehouse in Upper Bern Township. Find out more in this story.

• The national spotlight in recent years shone on Bucks County near Election Day, and there’s good reason to expect the 2026 midterms to focus back on a county that narrowly reelected US President Donald Trump one year, then historically packed its row offices with Democrats the next. Get the story here.

• A former Army Ranger from Montgomery County who was arrested for protesting ICE at a church in Minnesota—the same protest where former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested—has reportedly been released from jail. Get the details here.

Welcome to our weekly advice column, courtesy of Grace: She’s the big sister who shares her own mistakes so you can avoid making them, the coworker who builds you up to ask for the raise you deserve, and the friend who is always happy to listen.

We all need someone like Grace in our corner. Submit your own questions here. 

Dear Grace,
When I was younger, I was a little chubby, but I didn’t mind having curves. Since having kids, my body isn’t the same. My weight just keeps going up. Everyone is getting skinny now and I keep seeing ads for weight loss shots like Ozempic, but I’m scared to take it. Do you think it’s safe? I do want to lose weight. I can honestly say I love myself, but not my body. What do you think? What’s the best way to lose weight?

– Can’t Stop Dieting in Pa.

Dear Can’t Stop Dieting,

We all deserve to have a happy, healthy relationship with our bodies, and I have struggled with some of the same feelings you’re describing. I don’t always have the answers, and with so many people out there claiming to be experts on healthy eating and dieting, I decided to reach out to a registered dietician to get advice we can all trust. 

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from Sean Kitchen, The Associated Press, and USA Today via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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