We’ve spent some time the last couple of months looking at how much monthly health insurance premiums for Pennsylvanians enrolled in the state marketplace Pennie were expected to rise without the extension of federal tax credits.

With congressional negotiations over those subsidies “effectively over,” reality is setting in for Pennie customers. About 85,000 enrollees (one in five Pennsylvanians) have dropped coverage, according to figures released by Pennie. Those who have remained enrolled are dealing with astronomical price hikes.

For Tom and Carol Shaw of Lewisberry, York County, that means paying $3,505 a month for a plan that last year cost them $1,090 a month with federal subsidies—a 221% increase. To put that in perspective, the average monthly mortgage payment in York County is about $1,300, according to the US Census.

They felt they had no choice but to pay the higher premiums and absorb the higher costs. They still have a couple of years before they qualify for Medicare.

“We’re fortunate; we can afford it,” Carol said. “I really feel for people who can’t, people who have to make the choice between paying the rent and buying groceries or paying for health insurance. It has to be frustrating for people: Do I get food or do I get medicine?”

Should you be allowed to save your parking spot after a snowstorm?

An overwhelming majority of you feel well within your right to do so, having done the grunt work to shovel out—but not everyone feels that way:

“I do not understand the ‘savesies.’ If I dig out a spot and my neighbor then parked in it, that means their car is out, thus they have also dug out a spot. Two cars = two spots. The only thing I get mad about is when two spots have been dug out and then someone parks in the middle! There’s 2 clearly defined spots! Why?!”

— Nicole Lemanski-Allman, Fairmount/Philadelphia

“Yes, you should be allowed to save your parking space in front of your home if you cleaned it for that purpose. I live in a smaller neighborhood and everyone seems to respect the idea of having a spot in front of your house for your car.”

— MT, Olyphant

“No. Streets belong to us all! If you want a garage, rent one.”

— Tom Cutter, Langhorne

“I do think one should be able to save a space, especially if they have no driveway or other option. If I worked to clear a space, I wouldn’t want someone else parking there. 

— Sandy, Athens

“It is illegal to put anything in shoveled out parking spaces except a vehicle. It would be nice to be able to but it is against the law.”

— KP, Carlisle

Where do you stand on saving spaces after a snowstorm? Share your thoughts, and please let us know where you live!

The Rocky statue is one of the most photographed landmarks in the city. (Hope Daluisio/Visit Philadelphia)

When it comes to movies set in Philadelphia, Sylvester Stallone’s underdog saga “Rocky” has arguably had the largest impact globally—this despite the fact that not a single person in the movie (or its many sequels) has a Philadelphia accent (aka, “hoagiemouth.”)

Nevertheless, so essential is “Rocky” to the identity of Stallone’s hometown of Philadelphia that visitors travel from all over the world to check out many of the landmarks depicted in/related to the film, like the Art Museum steps Rocky climbed at the end of a run while training to fight Apollo Creed, the museum’s soon-to-be-relocated Rocky statue, the gym where Rocky trained, his rowhome in the movie, and more.

If you’re interested in taking a tour of Rocky Balboa’s Philadelphia, our Kalena Thomhave has outlined nine “Rocky”-adjacent locations you can visit in Philly. 

• More than a third of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties have not performed a full property reassessment since 2000, leaving around 40% of the state with antiquated data used to tax it. Find out more in this story.

• With the election of a new mayor following last year’s fatal explosion at the US Steel Clairton Coke Works and Nippon Steel’s purchase of US Steel, Clairton residents are wondering if they can hope for a sustained departure from decades of disinvestment and persistent pollution. Learn more here.

• US Sen. John Fetterman campaigned against voter ID while running for the Senate in 2022, but showed support for the idea in a recent Fox News interview. Our Sean Kitchen has the story.

York County’s Summer Britcher prepares for the start of a luge competition at the 2026 Winter Games. (Getty Images)

There’s perspective, and then there’s the eloquence with which York County’s Summer Britcher spoke after finishing 14th for USA Luge at the Winter Games in Italy on Tuesday.

“I’m proud of the work that I put in to get here,” said Britcher, a two-time World Cup race winner this season and now a four-time Olympian. 

“A year ago, no one would have guessed that I would have even had a chance at a medal, so to be standing here heartbroken is a privilege.”

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from Sean Kitchen, USA Today via Reuters Connect, Galvanize Together, and Peter Hall and Ian Karbal of Pennsylvania Capital-Star. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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