CDC Confirms a Measles Death amid Outbreak

The CDC confirmed the first U.S. measles death of 2026 on Wednesday, weeks after Pennsylvania reported the first of four measles-associated deaths in the state.

The agency didn’t disclose where the death occurred, though some sources reported it was one of Pennsylvania’s, easing a months-long dispute with the state over what counts as a measles death.

Pennsylvania, the hardest-hit state, had 835 cases as of yesterday, and the Health Department is urging residents to consider a “titer test,” a blood test that checks for measles antibodies and confirms immunity.

State officials say the safest protection remains the MMR vaccine as they work to contain Pennsylvania’s largest measles outbreak in decades.

Auditor General Finds Aging Department ‘Cracks’

Pennsylvania Auditor General Tim DeFoor released a scathing audit of the state Department of Aging, saying weak oversight is leaving vulnerable seniors at risk of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.

The audit, which covered January 2024 through June 2025, identified 10 findings and 39 recommendations, faulting how the department monitors elder-abuse investigations by the state’s 52 Area Agencies on Aging and how it trains front-line staff.

DeFoor reserved his sharpest criticism for the new CAPE monitoring system, which he said fails to flag when older adults are left at risk and lets counties look compliant when they aren’t.

The Shapiro administration rejected the findings as inaccurate, and a department spokesperson accused DeFoor, a Republican, of releasing the report just before an election to help political allies. DeFoor, who said the department delayed the audit by six months, called that response disappointing.

Model Train Village Replicates Coal Country

A sprawling model train village inspired by Pennsylvania’s coal regions is a highlight of this year’s 107th Ephrata Fair in Lancaster County.

The display, built by the Ephrata-based Short Line Model Railroad Club, recreates northeastern Pennsylvania’s railroads with remote-controlled trains, working crossing lights, and mountain signals that show when track is occupied.

Club members add homespun touches too, fashioning trees from colored pillow stuffing and rivers from poured epoxy.

The exhibit runs today and tomorrow as the fair, one of the state’s largest street fairs, winds down through the weekend.

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➤ Statewide: Pennsylvanians may be owed cash from settlements with generic drug makers. The Attorney General’s Office is urging consumers to check the eligibility lists. (More)

➤ Also Statewide: Pennsylvania launched a new tool letting voters apply for, complete, and return a mail ballot in a single in-person visit, with over 986,000 applications already approved for November. (More)

➤ Clay County: Flock license plate cameras helped police locate and charge a man in the 2002 cold-case murder of 20-year-old Sabrina Kahler. (More)

➤ Indiana: The state Department of Human Services partnered with Indiana University of Pennsylvania to create a new medical training program aimed at bolstering the healthcare workforce. (More)

➤ Westmoreland County: Fans were left disappointed after Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour organizers announced that the local stop will not be rescheduled after being rained out. (More)

➤ Frackville: A state prison is seeking a professional tattoo artist to lead a first-of-its-kind inmate apprenticeship, teaching the trade as a path to jobs after release. (More)

➤ Penn State will lose receiver Koby Howard for an “extended period of time,” coach Matt Campbell said. Howard has 12 catches for 344 yards and three touchdowns in three games. (More)

➤ The Lehigh Valley IronPigs led Minor League Baseball in attendance for the fourth straight season, drawing 559,602 fans to home games in 2026, an average of 7,772 per game. (More)

➤ Temple hosts Army in an early game tonight in Philadelphia, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. (See Preview)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NCAAF | MLB | WNBA | NHL | Golf | Soccer

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➤ Pittsburgh-based Wabtec signed a $700 million long-term services deal to maintain locomotives on a 373-mile mine-to-port railway in Guinea, its largest services contract in Africa. (More)

➤ Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate fell to 3.7%, its lowest level in more than two years, according to new state labor data. (More)

➤ A spring freeze wiped out much of Pennsylvania’s apple crop, forcing farms to cancel or limit fall apple-picking. Bedford County’s Ridgetop Orchards reportedly lost 80%-90% of its crop. (More)

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Genius Gadgets: The 37 That Actually Earn Their Keep

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➤ A local runner will represent Pennsylvania at the 2027 Special Olympics World Games in Chile, capping years of training and dedication. (See Details)

➤ A Pennsylvania rescue team expecting a routine call instead found a critically endangered bat, a rare and welcome surprise for wildlife officials. (See Bat)

➤ A man wearing a panda onesie was arrested in Myerstown after allegedly blocking traffic at a busy intersection and yelling at a farm vehicle. He faces disorderly conduct charges. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ Researchers tracking some of the world’s last hunter-gatherers say one overlooked factor may control the human sleep cycle. (Hear Details)

➤ Narcotics investigators are looking into two student deaths at Ole Miss as reported druggings spread fear across campus. (Listen Now)

➤ One reporter tried a $499 high-tech health scan and left with news her doctors had missed. (Hear Story)

Will you attend a fall fair or festival this year?

1. Yes, multiple
2. Maybe one
3. Probably not

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you know how to write in cursive?

1. Of course: 94%
2. Just a bit: 3%
3. Only my signature: 3%
4. Not at all: 0%

What room-sized machine, unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946, was the world’s first general-purpose electronic computer?

Show me the answer