Pennsylvania

Mary Jo and Mike Picklo stand in their front yard in Somerset County, Pa. Behind them is the Acosta Deep Mine.

A Bother, A Brotherhood: Living Among The Mines In Coal Country

7:00am July 22, 2017

by Daniella Cheslow

When Mary Jo and Mike Picklo bought their house in 2003, they expected to retire in it — until a coal mine opened across the street. They don't want it there, but they are nearly alone in their view.

Uncertainty Over Obamacare Leaves Next Year's Rates In Limbo

5:35pm July 19, 2017

While Washington ponders the future of the Affordable Care Act, health insurers need to decide right now what to charge people for health insurance in 2018. "It's insane," says one CEO.

Queue Listen Now

National

Second Man Charged In Deaths Of Four In Pennsylvania

6:25pm July 14, 2017

by Scott Neuman

Authorities have charged Sean Kratz, 20, in connection with the deaths of four men last week a day after Cosmo DiNardo confessed to the murders.

Cosmo Dinardo, 20, has been deemed a person of interest in the case; his parents own the property where one of the men's body was found.

National

Police Identify 1 Of 4 Missing Men In Common Grave In Rural Pennsylvania

11:01am July 13, 2017

by Bill Chappell

"This was a homicide. Make no doubt about it," says Bucks County District Attorney Matthew D. Weintraub.

FACT CHECK: Is President Trump Correct That Coal Mines Are Opening?

7:33pm June 02, 2017

by Reid Frazier

Locals in Jennerstown, Pa., are celebrating the grand opening of a coal mine and the estimated 70 jobs it brings. But the broad trends pushing the industry down are likely to continue, experts say.

NPR's Michel Martin talks with the audience at the live performance of "Going There" at Colorado State University May 24, 2016.

Politics & Government

Going There: Civics 101 - What Does It Mean To Be A Good Citizen?

4:49pm May 31, 2017

Join NPR's Michel Martin and WVIA in Scranton, Pennsylvania for a night of conversation and entertainment as we discuss the meaning of an active citizen.

Cooling towers at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pa., earlier this month.

Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant To Shut Down In 2019

12:31pm May 30, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

The company that owns the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, site of the worst nuclear disaster in U.S. history, says the facility will be closed unless the state of Pennsylvania decides to bail it out.

Ashley Funk plans to move back home to southwest Pennsylvania to work on environmental projects in a place where climate change and the local economy are intertwined.

A Daughter Of Coal Country Battles Climate Change — And Her Father's Doubt

8:08pm February 16, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

In southwestern Pennsylvania, collapsed mining and steel industries led to economic and environmental downturn. A divided father and daughter work to find common ground to save their hometown.

Queue Listen Now

Jamie Ruppert (R) was featured in an NPR story about Obama voters who supported Donald Trump in last year's presidential election. Amy Whitenight (L) labeled Ruppert an "idiot" in a comment on NPR's Facebook page. They recently met in person to talk about

A Trump Voter And Facebook Insulter Talk It Out — In Person

7:20am February 11, 2017

by Jeff Brady

A commenter on NPR's Facebook page called Jamie Ruppert an "idiot" for voting for Donald Trump. We brought them together to talk it out.

Jamie Ruppert and her husband Jesse Ruppert live in White Haven, Pa. Jamie voted for Barack Obama twice but switched parties and voted for Republican Donald Trump this election. She hopes Trump will bring more good-paying blue-collar jobs to communities l

A Trump Swing Voter Looks Ahead

9:17am January 14, 2017

by Jeff Brady

Voters in Pennsylvania's Luzerne County have reliably picked Democrats for president — until now. Jamie Ruppert is among those blue-collar, working-class voters who switched parties to vote Trump.

Queue Listen Now