By Whitney Downard | Reporter
“AI-driven automatic license plate reader technology allows the government to do something now that it has never been able to do before, and that is to travel back in time and reconstruct where people traveled, whom they saw, and what they did. And all this information is now available at the click of a button and does not require law enforcement to first obtain a warrant.” — Mitchell Smith, legislative counsel at the Institute for Justice, arguing for limitations on the popular technology.
Hiya, Pennsylvania, and welcome to Tuesday.
Today is apparently Goose Day in parts of the Juniata River Valley, a tradition that stretches back to the 1700s. According to the visitor’s bureau, those who eat a goose on Michaelmas won’t want for money in the upcoming year. Pretty tempting, huh?
Thanks for starting your day with us. As always, we deeply appreciate you reading, sharing and supporting our work. -- Whitney
A Flock camera monitors passing traffic on Sept. 2, 2026 in Miami. The state department of transportation said this month it will remove license plate readers, such as Flock cameras, from all state highways, citing an increase in reports of misuse of the systems. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
By Peter Hall
Amid a growing national backlash against automatic license plate reader technology and its potential for misuse, Pennsylvania lawmakers grilled law enforcement, tech and civil liberties advocates about how to ensure it isn’t abused.
Automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) are broadly deployed by law enforcement, parking enforcement and toll collecting agencies in the commonwealth. They collect images of passing vehicles and record the location, time, license plate number and, in some cases, identifying features such as bumper stickers or roof racks.
In recent years, they’ve been credited with helping police locate stolen vehicles and wanted people and allowing the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to eliminate toll booths, among other uses, speakers said Monday at a joint hearing of the state House Transportation and Judiciary Committees.
At the same time, proponents of the technology say they share concerns about privacy, data retention, unauthorized access, sharing and selling data and potential misuse.
The Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg. (Photo by Peter Hall/Capital-Star)
By Ian Karbal
A bill advanced through the Senate Judiciary committee Monday with bipartisan support that would require Pennsylvanians to provide proof of their age, such as state identification documents, when accessing websites with at least one-third of their material consisting of adult content. The goal, according to the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Cris Dush (R-Jefferson), is to protect minors.
“When it comes to the protection of children from exposure to pornography, the only verification measure, if any, is clicking a button indicating you’re 18 years old,” Dush said in committee. “Why should we not protect our kids from pornography websites the same way we protect them from online gambling?”
But experts warn that, while such measures may be intended to protect children, they can ultimately wind up burdening adults, posing data privacy concerns, and restricting access to First Amendment-protected material.
A vape shop advertises kratom in Etters, York County. (Photo by Ian Karbal/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
By Emily Previti
In its natural form, kratom is derived from a tree with the same name native to southeast Asia. There also are synthetic versions out there. But anyone buying it doesn’t really know what they’re getting because we don’t have labeling standards for it.
Kratom acts as a stimulant in small amounts. In larger doses, the effects are more similar to opioids – leading some people to use it while recovering from opioid addiction to help with withdrawal symptoms.
In recent years, its availability has exploded as research and regulation have lagged.
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Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) speaks to reporters about skill games and other legislative priorities following a Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon on Sept. 28, 2026. (Photo by Whitney Downard/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
By Whitney Downard
It takes a lot to knock football out of the headlines in Pittsburgh. But reports of measles cases, exposure alerts and calls for residents to double-check their vaccination status have dominated news since August 2026.
My office at Allegheny College, where I am an epidemiologist, is within a few steps of a classroom dedicated to Dr. Thomas Francis. Francis coordinated the entire polio vaccine field trial, which included 1.8 million children, and deemed the polio vaccine “safe, effective, potent.”
As of Sept. 23, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has confirmed 835 measles cases across 39 of the state’s 67 counties this year, including 164 hospitalizations and four deaths among unvaccinated residents. That compares with 16 cases statewide in all of 2025.
A nurse vaccinates a child at the Latino Community Development Agency on July 9, 2026, in Oklahoma City. As vaccination rates decline nationwide, measles cases have surpassed 2025 to the highest since the disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. (Photo by Courtney Bell/Oklahoma Voice)
COMMENTARY
By Rebecca Dawson of The Conversation
It takes a lot to knock football out of the headlines in Pittsburgh. But reports of measles cases, exposure alerts and calls for residents to double-check their vaccination status have dominated news since August 2026.
My office at Allegheny College, where I am an epidemiologist, is within a few steps of a classroom dedicated to Dr. Thomas Francis. Francis coordinated the entire polio vaccine field trial, which included 1.8 million children, and deemed the polio vaccine “safe, effective, potent.”
As of Sept. 23, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has confirmed 835 measles cases across 39 of the state’s 67 counties this year, including 164 hospitalizations and four deaths among unvaccinated residents. That compares with 16 cases statewide in all of 2025.
TODAY IN THE CAPITAL-STAR
The signs offer quick cash for homes. States want more oversight: The signs, text messages and mailers promise cash, quick sales and a seamless means of unloading unwanted homes. But advocates say the business of buying homes for cash can confuse vulnerable homeowners and rob them of home equity. And now, many states are cracking down.
Trump administration revokes $810M approved by Congress for refugee aid and more: The decision by the White House budget office to cancel the funding could make it much more difficult for negotiators to reach agreement on the dozen full-year government funding bills later this year.
Venezuelan men shipped to brutal prison under Alien Enemies Act ask court for due process: An appeals panel Friday seemed inclined to agree that more than 100 Venezuelan men the Trump administration sent to a brutal prison in El Salvador are entitled to due process hearings to challenge their removal, which was made under an archaic 18th-century wartime law.
ICYMI
Fears about care following ICE enforcement around healthcare facilities: Advocates warn that as word of raids near hospitals and medical centers spreads, so can fears of seeking healthcare services in immigrant communities. Medical workers too have warned that more aggressive immigration enforcement has led to immigrants delaying or refusing necessary care.
Everything you need to know about voting in Pennsylvania in 2026: Election Day isn’t until Nov. 3, but the 2026 election is officially underway in Pennsylvania: The first ballots are starting to hit voters’ mailboxes. Voters around the state will weigh in on everything from control of the U.S. Congress to the commonwealth’s next governor.
York pastor with gubernatorial, congressional support deported to Haiti: After receiving a reprieve last week, York pastor Molis Augustave was flown out of the country Thursday, according to a community group organizing on his behalf. Augustave was deported 20 days after he was detained.
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