This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

While other forms of public transportation are limping along, Pennsylvania’s airports are flying high. The Philadelphia Department of Aviation just allocated $500 million for a makeover, including more bathrooms and exit lanes, at the city’s gateway, Philadelphia International Airport – just in time for the extra visitors expected for this year’s World Cup, semiquincentennial celebrations and other marquee events. Meanwhile, Harrisburg International Airport saw record traffic in 2025, according to airport officials, who anticipate another banner year in 2026.

Looking to buy a home? You may want to consider the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metro area. The region made a recent Realtor.com list of the most desirable metros in the U.S. where you can buy a home for under $300,000 – the only area in Pennsylvania to make the cut. Hannah Jones, a senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com, said the regions on the list – which also include Bangor, Maine; Louisville, Kentucky; and Amarillo, Texas, to name a few – “offer a combination of affordability and steady local employment bases.”

Philadelphia-area book lovers with disabilities that impact reading are finding more options at the Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians, whose Philadelphia location – one of only two in the commonwealth – has been expanding its services. In addition to personalized assistance with materials ranging from Braille volumes to electronic readers, patrons have access to a growing library of audiobooks, thanks to the facility’s new recording studio – and an enthusiastic band of volunteer readers.

Two terror suspects accused of tossing makeshift bombs near the New York City mayor’s home have commonwealth connections. Investigators are digging into the backgrounds of Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, both U.S. citizens from Pennsylvania who are accused of trying to use improvised explosive devices at an anti-Islam demonstration in New York last Saturday, though no device exploded. Both suspects reportedly cited ISIS when speaking to investigators.

These card tricks didn’t go unsolved. Aidan E. Smith, the head priest and dean at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh, has been accused of stealing more than $1,000 in baseball cards from a Walmart. Smith was arrested on Feb. 27 when, according to police, he had 27 packs of baseball cards hidden under his clothes and in a cardboard box.

You’ve likely heard of the Gettysburg Address, but what about the Gettysburg Arrest? According to police, 36-year-old Lucas Reisinger of Carlisle has been arrested for vandalizing two monuments in Little Round Top in Gettysburg last September. WGAL reported that Reisinger carved his initials into the plaque of the 44th New York Infantry Monument and into the face of Col. Patrick O'Rorke on the 140th New York Infantry Monument.