Saturday, October 31, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 2008, the Phillies celebrated their World Series title with a Halloween parade down Broad Street, the city’s first championship parade in more than 25 years.

Residents at a Clearfield County nursing home handed out candy to trick-or-treaters this week, and a few superheroes paid a surprise visit to a Pittsburgh children’s hospital. Find more Halloween fun in Top Stories. What was your favorite Halloween costume growing up? Hit reply and tell us.

The toilet gets scrubbed every week. So why do scientists say it’s one of the cleanest spots in the house? Today, we count down the seven biggest germ hotspots in the average home. Which refrigerator drawer tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria? What morning ritual grows mold in half of homes? Why would a microbiologist rather make a sandwich next to the toilet than in most kitchens? Amy has the answers on today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, Fisher Investments, is offering a guide for tips and advice on creating a retirement strategy that’s cohesive, current, and aligned with your full financial picture.

Navy Shipbuilding Returns to Philly

Hanwha Philly Shipyard has won a $269 million contract to build a medium landing ship for the Navy and Marine Corps, a major milestone in the South Korean-owned yard’s push into U.S. naval shipbuilding.

The deal covers one ship, with options for three more, as part of a planned 35-ship fleet. The first vessel is expected to be delivered in 2030.

Hanwha is the first shipyard selected by TOTE Services, which holds a $2.2 billion contract to manage construction of the new landing ships.

The commercial yard sits on the site of the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, which closed in the 1990s, and Hanwha agreed to buy it for $100 million in 2024.

Frost Claims Most of Apple Crop

Pennsylvania lost nearly 60% of its apple crop this year to hard spring freezes, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates.

An unusually warm spring pushed fruit trees into bloom early, and state agriculture officials put total losses to the specialty crop industry at $150 million to $200 million.

The state opened a $10 million aid program for freeze-hit growers, though officials say the losses are 15 to 20 times what the program can cover.

Peaches fared even worse, with losses topping 80%. At Solebury Orchards in New Hope, where the freeze wiped out nearly the whole crop, owners trucked in apples from upstate New York and set them among the trees so families could still go picking.

A Very Pennsylvania Halloween

Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, and Captain America rappelled down UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh yesterday, as window washers from Allegheny Window Cleaning kept up their yearslong tradition of surprising young patients.

In Clearfield County, Mountain Laurel Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center opened its doors to trick-or-treaters Thursday, letting residents hand out candy and visit with neighbors at a pizza party and costume contest.

Harrisburg’s Whitaker Center brought Halloween science to life with bubbling beakers and exploding pumpkins.

Plenty of today’s candy haul will be made right here, from Twizzlers made at a Lancaster plant to Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, first created by a Philadelphia family.

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When to Retire: A Quick and Easy Guide

A successful retirement strategy should account for more than individual investments. Your goals, health, spending needs, family and other accounts all influence when you may be able to retire and how much you may need. For investors with $1 million or more, bringing those pieces together can be especially important. When to Retire: A Quick and Easy Planning Guide explores how to balance short-term volatility against long-term growth needs, prepare for inflation, generate investment income, schedule withdrawals and keep your retirement plan current.

Download the guide for tips and advice on creating a strategy that’s cohesive, current and aligned with your full financial picture. Then schedule a conversation with a financial professional to discuss ways to bring your retirement plan to life.

➤ Statewide: Starting tomorrow through April 30, boaters must wear a life jacket on any boat under 16 feet, plus all kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards, under Pennsylvania’s annual cold-weather rule. (See Details)

➤ Pittsburgh: Criminal charges are expected next week in the investigation into city finances under former Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala confirmed. (Read More)

➤ Fayette County: About 300 voters’ mail ballots may never have been sent, possibly because of a glitch in the state voter system’s files, and the county says it will replace any missing ballot. (Read More)

➤ Centre County: Eight fire departments responded to a wildfire near Peck’s Rock that burned an estimated 12 acres Thursday night after it was reported around 6:20 p.m., officials said. (Read More)

➤ Philadelphia: Customs officers at the airport seized more than $250,000 in undeclared Cartier jewelry, including a $183,818 bracelet, from a Pennsylvania traveler returning from Amsterdam, who also lost her Global Entry membership. (Read More)

➤ Westmoreland County: A winning lottery ticket worth more than $1.7 million was sold at a gas station in the county. (See Details)

The Pennsylvania Flyover exists to call things what they are, fairly and objectively. We keep the spin out and trust you with the facts. So today we’re asking: if news that calls things what they are is something you want to see thrive, will you stand behind it? Support the news in plain words. Free, every morning. Will you make a generous donation to support The Pennsylvania Flyover?
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➤ Penn State hosts Purdue today, coming off a bye, looking to snap a four-game losing streak and earn its first Big Ten win, while Pitt can clinch bowl eligibility with a win over Georgia Tech. (See Schedule)

➤ Logan Cooley completed a hat trick against his hometown Pittsburgh Penguins with one second left in regulation Thursday, and the Utah Mammoth went on to win 4-3 in overtime. As a 5-year-old, Cooley attended Sidney Crosby’s first Learn to Play program. (More)

➤ Charles Barkley called LeBron James’ practice golf swing during the national anthem before his Philadelphia 76ers debut “very disrespectful.” (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NHL | NBA | Soccer | Golf

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More accounts, managers and investment choices do not always add up to a cohesive wealth strategy—especially when you’re considering when to retire. Investors with $1M+ may benefit from considering how each decision fits their goals, time frame and full financial picture.

When to Retire: A Quick and Easy Planning Guide examines risk, inflation, withdrawals and your investment income sources. Download the guide and schedule a conversation with a financial professional to talk about your plan.

➤ Philly’s Wanamaker Building is on track to reopen in 2028, with restaurants and shops filling its Grand Court, 622 apartments upstairs, and the return of its famous organ and holiday light show. (Read More)

➤ Nearly 100 trees and bushes cut down on Pittsburgh’s North Shore for April’s NFL Draft are being replaced, with up to 300 new trees set to be planted near Acrisure Stadium. (See Details)

➤ HBO Max’s The Pitt will film its next scenes at Max’s Allegheny Tavern, one of Pittsburgh’s historic restaurants. (Read 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, straight from the heart of the country.

➤ What are the seven dirtiest things in your home? Hint: the toilet doesn’t make the list. (Hear List)

➤ Election season may take a measurable toll on your heart, researchers say, no matter which party wins. (Listen Now)

➤ New research is challenging centuries of scholarly doubt over a nearly 2,000-year-old non-Christian account of Jesus. (Podcast Available)