This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

The end-of-year events at Philadelphia public schools are giving staff whiplash. Mayor Cherelle Parker and the School District of Philadelphia announced the district is restoring 340 classroom-based jobs, a week after leaders said they would be eliminated next fall due to budget cuts. The ongoing spat between the district and city leadership was at the center of this year’s budget negotiations, where Philadelphia City Councilmembers loudly voiced their frustrations with district leadership seemingly moving the goalposts throughout the process.

The Philadelphia-founded fashion conglomerate announced it will add at least 1,000 new jobs in Southeastern Pennsylvania – including 450 new jobs at its Navy Yard headquarters, where Gov. Josh Shapiro was on hand for the recent announcement.The company also unveiled plans for an additional 600 new positions at a new Bucks County distribution site for Nuuly, Urban Outfitters’ clothing-rental line.

The Flying Dutchmen in Annville are soaring even as other schools stumble. Lebanon Valley College announced this week that the incoming class is the largest in its history. The 533 new undergraduate students hail from 11 states, as well as Canada, Finland and Germany, with the most popular majors of incoming freshmen being physical therapy, nursing and business administration.

Some 32,000 residents of Philadelphia’s western suburbs could lose critical healthcare access by July if UnitedHealthcare is unable to negotiate a new contract with Main Line Health, a key regional provider. Meanwhile, across the state, UPMC, one of the commonwealth’s largest employers, announced 200 layoffs and eliminated an additional 300 open positions. The negative healthcare news is particularly unwelcome on a week when Pennsylvania announced its highest measles caseload in 30 years.

Lawmakers puffed, puffed and passed this week at the idea of a state-level Cannabis Control Board overseeing all things marijuana, with the Senate rejecting a bill that would have created a new regulatory board focused on Democrats' cannabis policy. Most  – and Gov. Josh Shapiro – opposed to the idea of moving oversight of the state’s medical marijuana program to a new independent board. Apparently, Democrats aren’t too high on that idea.

The Sweetest Place on Earth is leaving a bitter taste in visitors' mouths. Hershey’s Chocolate World announced this week that there will no longer be guaranteed free parking, according to WGAL. This summer, if the Chocolate World lot is full, visitors will have to pay to park at the nearby Hersheypark lot, which costs between $25 and $40. The news came the same week that 55 children and teenagers were charged after an opening day brawl broke out at the theme park in April, forcing the closure of the Skyrush rollercoaster.