Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is running for a second term. Shapiro made the official announcement Thursday at events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Meantime, Republican State Senator Doug Mastriano has announced that he is not running for his party's nomination for governor this year.

Pittsburgh is losing its biggest and oldest daily newspaper. The owner of the Post-Gazette announced it will shut down in May.

The Public Utility Commission has scheduled a series of hearings in mid-January to gather public input on proposed rate increases by the Pennsylvania American Water Company for both its water and wastewater service.

Cases of influenza are on the rise - regionally and nationally. Lancaster County has the fifth-highest rate of influenza cases in Pennsylvania, according to state health department data.

Four special elections will be held across Pennsylvania to fill four vacated state lawmaker seats - including one in south central Pa.

The food court at the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show opens today (Friday) with free parking and hours from 12 noon through 9 p-m. A full slate of events kicks off Saturday at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.

And a deeper dive:

When you think of whiskey, places like Scotland, Ireland or even Tennessee or Kentucky may come to mind. But Pennsylvania has a rich whiskey tradition … particularly for rye whiskey. Now, whiskey lovers are trying to put Pennsylvania back on the map.

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