Based on the snow, ice, and sub-zero wind chills we’ve been dealing with across Pennsylvania recently, and Washington Post meteorologist Ben Noll saying last week that “the eastern United States is forecast to be the coldest place, relative to average, on the planet over the next 10 days,” it should come as no surprise that Punxsutawney Phil is calling for six more weeks of winter.

The world’s most famous groundhog saw his shadow early this morning during the annual Groundhog Day festivities at Gobbler’s Knob, marking the 108th time the rodent has seen his shadow.

It was so cold in Punxsutawney that the usual ritual of guests being able to come up on stage and take pictures with Phil after his prediction was scrapped, as Phil’s handlers were afraid to keep him out in the cold too long. Instead, members of the audience had to settle for a giant group selfie.

We’ve got more on Monday morning’s festivities in Punxsutawney below.

Some may find this hard to believe, but not everyone watches the Super Bowl.

Last year’s Super Bowl between the Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs set a new all-time viewership record, with an average of 127.7 million viewers in the US.

That’s a whole lot of eyeballs, but it’s still far less than half the US population, which brings us to our QOTW:

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

Reply back with your non-Super Bowl plans, and please let us know where you live!

Charlotte Hauer of Connellsville, right, chats with medical assistant Courtney Breakion at Centerville Clinics Connellsville Medical and Dental Office during a wellness visit on Sept. 23, 2025, in Connellsville. (USA Today Network via Reuters Connect)

Last year, Heritage Valley Health System’s Kennedy Hospital near Pittsburgh and two Philadelphia-area hospitals run by Crozer Health closed due to financial instability.

According to a new report commissioned by the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, more than a dozen hospitals across the state could close for similar reasons over the next five years if lawmakers in Harrisburg fail to act and the industry’s economic climate continues to deteriorate.

The study finds that Pennsylvania hospitals face “increasingly precarious” environments and are hard-pressed by comparison with facilities elsewhere in the nation, strained by lower reimbursement rates for the care they provide and soaring malpractice costs.

On top of the problems hospitals are already facing, the massive tax bill passed by Congress in 2025 will pose yet another challenge, the report says.

The legislation’s changes will drive an estimated 300,000 Pennsylvanians out of the Medicaid program and 95,000 off of Affordable Care Act coverage. In addition, the bill imposes caps on Medicaid rates, further eating into provider revenues, according to the report.

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• During a brunch with the Washington press corps last week, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Pennsylvania is “prepared on every level” in the event of a federal immigration crackdown in the state and expressed he is “deeply concerned” about the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the midterm election. Get the story here.

• During a hearing in Philadelphia Friday over the abrupt removal of an exhibit on the history of slavery on Independence Mall, a federal judge warned Justice Department lawyers that they were making “dangerous” and “horrifying” statements when they said the Trump administration can decide what part of American history to display at National Park Service sites. Find out more here.

• Drugmaker Eli Lilly announced Friday it would invest $3.5 billion to build a new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Lehigh County that would create 850 new jobs in the next five years. Learn more about it in this story.

• Presidential campaign stops in 2024 cost Bucks County taxpayers more than $100K. We’ve got a breakdown of the costs in this report.

Bethel AME Zion Church in Reading. (Reading Eagle via Getty Images)

With Black History Month underway, it’s an important time to reflect on the significant achievements of Black Pennsylvanians and the pivotal moments in Black history and culture rooted right here in the Commonwealth—especially as the Trump administration aims to whitewash certain aspects of US history, as evidenced by the removal of the slavery exhibit from Independence Mall. 

To start, we’re highlighting Pennsylvania’s vital role in the Underground Railroad, the network of secret routes and safe houses that helped Black Americans escape enslavement. As the first free state north of the Mason-Dixon line, Pennsylvania provided many entry points to freedom.

Although it was loosely organized, the state’s network of “stations” on the Underground Railroad was extensive, according to historians. The Network to Freedom is the National Park Service’s preservation of sites related to the Underground Railroad and currently contains more than 60 locations in Pennsylvania, including Reading’s Bethel AME Zion Church, pictured above.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from Graham Harrington, The Associated Press, USA Today via Reuters Connect, and the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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