skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, May 23, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration says it's halting Harvard's ability to enroll international students; Post-George Floyd, MN communities drive Black wealth building; FL's fluoride ban sparks concerns over dental health; Despite barriers, TN adults want college degrees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A deadlocked Supreme Court prevents nation's first publicly funded religious school, House Republicans celebrate passage of their domestic policy bill, and Trump administration sues states for taking climate action.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Despite lawmaker efforts, rural communities still short of crucial broadband, new Trump administration priorities force USDA grant recipients to reapply, and Appalachia's traditional broom-making craft gets an economic boost from an international nonprofit.

Funds for Internet Expansion Could Help Thousands in PA

play audio
Play

Friday, March 4, 2022   

Pennsylvania is poised to receive $100 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for improving broadband access. Advocates and local lawmakers say it has the power to transform rural communities.

Susan Boser, professor of sociology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, said the decline in manufacturing jobs in the mid-20th century hit rural towns the hardest, including in the Keystone State. In a Thursday news conference hosted by Keystone Research Center and ReImagine Appalachia, Boser argued broadband connectivity is key to bringing economic development back to these communities.

"On any weeknight, if you would drive into Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, you'd see cars in the parking lot around the McDonald's," Boser recounted. "It's parents who are sitting there, accessing the broadband so that their children can do their homework. That's been the state of things in Pennsylvania, rural areas, for about the last 10 years."

According to the Governor's office, 500,000 rural Pennsylvanians lack reliable internet coverage. In October, the state awarded $20.6 million to schools and libraries through the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

With the influx of federal dollars, state lawmakers unanimously passed legislation to create the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority. It will coordinate the broadband rollout, including construction of new towers, lines and equipment.

Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Greene County, a member of the Authority, said there is a lot of work to do to make sure the process is equitable.

"We're going to need folks from our labor union sector, you know," Snyder pointed out. "We want to make sure that this money is utilized properly and that it goes to Pennsylvania workers. This is to make sure that we are servicing unserved and underserved areas in the Commonwealth."

The Broadband Development Authority hosted its first meeting last month and is searching for an executive director. Snyder pointed out the state has the potential to access more funds through the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program. She added the Authority plans to apply for the grant to receive extra support.

Disclosure: Keystone Research Center, Inc. contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, and Livable Wages/Working Families. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Florida has become the second state to officially ban fluoride in public drinking water. (Pixabay)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Florida's new law banning fluoride in public water systems has drawn sharp criticism from dental professionals, who cite decades of evidence …


Environment

play sound

Tax revenue from marijuana sales in Montana will now support a wider variety of conservation projects, since Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed House …

Environment

play sound

Memorial Day weekend is the start of recreational boating season in Minnesota. State officials are encouraged by recent trends in keeping people safe …


Five years after George Floyd's murder, Minnesota government researchers say racial disparities are still a challenge, including a widening homeownership gap for Black residents. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

The racial reckoning spurred by George Floyd's murder got the public's attention about possible progress in ending wealth disparities. A Black-led …

Environment

play sound

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service C…

More than 145,000 Kentucky children have had a parent incarcerated, according to data from the University of Kentucky. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

May is National Foster Care Month, and Kentucky advocacy groups across the political spectrum say the state hasn't done enough to keep kids out of …

Social Issues

play sound

By Enrique Saenz for Mirror Indy.Broadcast version by Terri Dee for Indiana News Service reporting for the Mirror Indy-Free Press Indiana-Public News …

Health and Wellness

play sound

California lawmakers are considering a bill to ease regulations on birth centers at a time when maternity wards are closing in many counties…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021