By Tim Lambert | Editor-in-chief
“It’s a huge disparity, it would be unusual in any context. Clearly, Shapiro is a fundraising machine and is going to be in a good position to counteract any attacks that Garrity makes.” — Chris Bonneau, a professor of political science at the University of Pittsburgh, on the fundraising advantage Gov. Josh Shapiro holds in his re-election bid against Republican Stacy Garrity.
A good Tuesday morning to you. A buddy of mine is headed to Hershey tonight for the Iron Maiden show (opening act — Megadeath). The metal band is marking its 50th anniversary on this tour and the stage show is expected to be pretty epic. So, a typical Maiden gig?
Today is also National Voter Registration Day. If you aren’t registered to vote in Pennsylvania, here you go.
Thanks for starting your day with us. As always, we deeply appreciate you reading, sharing and supporting our work. -- Tim
Bob Fabina talks with fellow poll workers at Fabina Hall in Johnstown on May 19, 2026. Fabina owns the former church hall that dates back to the early 1900s. (Photo by John Beale for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
By Charlie Wolfson of Pittsburgh’s Public Source
Gov. Josh Shapiro is barrelling toward Election Day Nov. 3 with an overwhelming financial advantage over his challenger, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
Shapiro, a Democrat from Montgomery County, has received more than $38 million in campaign contributions since the start of 2025. Garrity, a Bradford County Republican, raised $3.2 million over the same time.
Around 60% of Shapiro’s contributions came from within the commonwealth. But because his out-of-state checks skewed larger, 51% of the governor’s dollars came from outside its borders. Garrity attracted just $238,000 from out-of-state donors, accounting for about 7% of her intake.
Omara Nunez, wife of detained Haitian immigrant and pastor Molis Augustave, cries during a rally calling for her husband’s release in York, Pa., on September 14, 2026. (Photo by Jordan Wilkie/WITF)
By Jordan Wilkie of WITF
Immigrant rights activists and some religious leaders are calling on federal immigration officials to release a Haitian immigrant and York pastor who was detained after a traffic stop earlier this month.
West Manchester Township police stopped Molise Augustave for having a headlight out on Sept. 4. The police officers called Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which then sent officers to detain Augustave.
Sent to an ICE facility in Louisiana, Augustave leaves behind a U.S. citizen wife and their two children, ages 9 and 2. Her older child hopes Augustave will come home soon, but the 2-year-old is too young to understand.
“He waits by the door saying daddy, a lot,” said Omara Nunez, Augustave’s wife.
Photo of a single dose of the MMR vaccine. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)
COMMENTARY
By Katrine L. Wallace of The Conversation
If you’ve been following the dispute between Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., you probably know that it centers on the deaths of two infants in Lancaster County in late August 2026.
And you may be aware that despite the county coroner’s confirmation that one infant died due to measles, while the other’s death was “measles-associated,” the measles dashboard on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website counts neither death as of Sept. 10.
It’s easy to dismiss the squabble as political posturing between public officials. But as an epidemiologist who studies vaccine-preventable illnesses and health communication, I worry that for people seeking accurate information about how to keep their families safe – in this case, families in Lancaster County – there’s an enormous cost when health authorities no longer speak in one voice.
Independent reporting on Pennsylvania state government that impacts communities statewide — free to read and republish.
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The Maryland Museum of Military History is asking for help from the public to identify soldiers from the Eastern Shore in a set of Civil War-era photographs. (Photo by Christine Condon/Maryland Matters)
By Christine Condon of Maryland Matters
Nestled in the oldest armory in Maryland is a set of Civil War-era photographs vexing a small team of military historians.
So they’re asking for help.
The historians at the Maryland Museum of Military History hope that genealogy whizzes or military history buffs might be able to identify the 45 Union soldiers pictured in a set of individual tintypes, each ensconced in its own intricate metal frame.
The museum’s curators say that the framed collection is rare, in that it depicts an entire Civil War regiment.
TODAY IN THE CAPITAL-STAR
US Supreme Court blocks Trump rule limiting mail voting: The unsigned, one-paragraph order upheld a Massachusetts federal court’s injunction on a U.S. Postal Service rule until after Nov. 3 and did not decide whether the rule itself was lawful. But a majority said the groups challenging the rule were likely to succeed.
Senate Dems disclose Trump administration dug through voter rolls: Department of Homeland Security officers may have broken state laws carrying out the Trump administration’s orders to find noncitizens voting illegally in federal elections, Democratic senators alleged Monday following a whistleblower complaint.
Misinformation, hesitancy could blunt impact of new cancer vaccines: In the past two decades, there has been steady progress in developing vaccines for cancer. Researchers are especially excited about the potential of mRNA vaccines, which use synthetic genetic instructions to teach a person’s immune system how to recognize and destroy unique proteins found on cancer cells. But will Americans be willing to take them?
Pa. joins states, cities to sue Trump over new green card restrictions: Pennsylvania joined several states, cities and counties in filing a pair of lawsuits Monday that challenge new federal rules that will allow immigrants’ use of safety net resources to be taken into account for green cards and other applications to stay in or enter the country.
ICYMI
Crisis calls and cow stress balls: A look at suicide prevention in Pa.: Just under 2,000 Pennsylvanians die by suicide each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Jenna Baker, the CEO of the American Association of Suicidology, said that the national suicide rate today is 32% higher than it was in 2000.
Pa. fines Shell $15 million for air pollution from its plastics plant: The state Department of Environmental Protection has fined Shell $15 million for air quality violations at its Beaver County plastics plant. The agency says between 2023 and August 2026, Shell’s facility exceeded limits on visible emissions set by its state-issued air permit on more than two dozen occasions.
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