Of all the things I never thought we’d be covering in 2026, a measles outbreak is near the top of the list, seeing that the disease was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yet, here we are. Pennsylvania is experiencing the worst measles outbreak in the country. State health officials last week confirmed two additional measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania, bringing the total number in the state this year to four.

As of Friday, 767 measles cases had been recorded this year in 38 of the state’s 67 counties. By comparison, there were 16 reported cases of measles in Pennsylvania in 2025, and six in 2024.

And over the weekend, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health announced that a possible measles exposure took place at Philadelphia International Airport on Sept. 13.

City health officials also reported a possible measles exposure at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on Friday, Sept. 11 at CHOP’s main building, including the neonatal intensive care unit and the cafeteria. 

We’ve got more details on the possible measles exposure in Philadelphia right here.

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The small town of Jim Thorpe is especially scenic in fall, when it hosts its fall foliage festival. (Desha Utsick/Shutterstock)

As summer shifts into fall, you might be itching to trade city streets for winding country roads and grocery store produce sections for apple orchards. Less than two hours from Philadelphia, you can find small towns celebrating the season with fall festivals, sweeping views of changing leaves, and wooded trails perfect for crisp weather hikes.

If you’re looking to hit the road for a fall day trip from the Philly area, our food and travel writer Kalena Thomhave has some suggestions.

• Pennsylvania’s General Assembly will reconvene in Harrisburg next week for the first time since July. Find out what’s at the top of the legislative agenda in this story.

• US Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Allegheny) is calling on his colleagues in Congress to pass legislation that would substantially reform the US Supreme Court. Get the details on Deluzio’s SCOTUS pitch.

• York-area elected officials, organizations, and pastors quickly mobilized in solidarity over the weekend after a racist flyer appeared urging violence in response to an attack last week near the York College campus. Find out more here.

(Ted Tuerk)

This beautiful shot of early morning fog at the Brandywine River near Kennett Square comes courtesy of Ted Tuerk from Chester County.

We want to see Pennsylvania through your eyes! Send us your photos with your name, location, and a brief description of what you’re sharing.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from Kalena Thomhave, Sean Kitchen, USA Today via Reuters Connect, and Whitney Downard of the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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