By Tim Lambert | Editor
“Some people know that it can cause dependence and harm, and are intentionally using it that way. But some people don’t. Then they get started on it and don’t realize they’re dependent until they stop.” — Sarah Kawasaki, an addiction medicine specialist at Penn State, on the increasing number of patients seeking treatment for kratom use.
A good Saturday morning to you. I don’t know about you, but this past four-day work week sure felt like it was five days long. My plans are to take a deep breath and just veg out. And watch football. Lots of football.
Thanks for starting your day with us. As always, we deeply appreciate you reading, sharing and supporting our work. -- Tim
The crash of United Flight 93 is marked by a boulder at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County on August 26, 2026. (Photo by Tim Lambert/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
By Natalie Bencivenga
The Week in Focus is a recap of our top stories.
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By Carter Walker of Votebeat
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from Pennsylvania and 21 other states sued Amazon Monday, claiming the online retail company used artificial bids to inflate costs for advertisers, bringing in tens of billions of dollars.
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It says that Amazon has carried out the scheme for more than seven years, increasing prices for more than a million brands and sellers.
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A vape shop advertises kratom in Etters, York County. (Photo by Ian Karbal/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
By Ian Karbal
Sarah Kawasaki first heard about kratom around five years ago. It wasn’t through her work — she’s an addiction medicine specialist at Penn State, and the medical director of their associated opioid treatment program — but through her personal life.
“People would say, ‘Hey, what do you know about kratom?,’” she told the Capital-Star. “And I’d be like, ‘What?’”
So Kawasaki began looking into it. Kratom, she found, is an herbal supplement with opioid-like effects. In low doses, it can act as a stimulant, and in higher doses it produces a more sedative-like effect. Along with being a recreational drug, many users have reported using it to manage chronic pain or opioid withdrawal symptoms.
Fast forward to the present and Kawasaki has 10 to 20 patients in central Pennsylvania she is treating exclusively for kratom use, most of whom (around 80%) had previously sought treatment for opioid addiction and managed to kick the habit.
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