Girl Scouts Develop Community Space at Hillside Park

Faith Bennett and Grace Bennett from Newton Township, earned the Girl Scout Gold Award by transforming a section of Hillside Park in South Abington Township into a peaceful community gathering space over the course of six years.

The sisters created a stone labyrinth during the pandemic to provide a place for reflection and wellness and expanded the area with a memorial pathway, pollinator garden, gazebo, benches, and an educational library focused on pollinators.

Their combined efforts have created a lasting community asset that promotes both mental well-being and environmental stewardship in an outdoor gathering place. 

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How Pennsylvania Could Catch Up on Solar Adoption

Pennsylvania, once a leader in renewable energy, is now lagging behind neighboring states in solar adoption.

A new report from PennFuture argues that legislative inaction and continued emphasis on natural gas have slowed progress on initiatives such as community solar programs, rooftop solar on warehouses, and expanded energy-efficiency measures.

The report urges lawmakers to increase renewable energy requirements and support policies that would lower energy costs, expand access to solar power, and reduce climate pollution. 



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A New PA Database Will Track Expiring Housing Subsidies 

In response to over 9,700 affordable housing units across the state expecting their requirements to expire in the next five years, Pennsylvania will create a searchable database to track affordable housing properties and identify when rent-restriction agreements are set to expire.

This database will help state officials better monitor potential housing losses.

Supporters say the new database will provide early warnings to policymakers and housing advocates, giving them more time to preserve affordable units and prevent displacement of residents. 

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How States Assess Legislation for Fairness in Outcomes 

An Urban Institute brief found that at least ten states have created or tested processes to evaluate proposed legislation for its potential effects on fairness and outcomes across different population groups, including race, income, geography, disability, and gender.

These policy impact assessments are designed to help policymakers identify unintended harms, improve transparency, and make more evidence-based decisions about legislation before it is enacted.

This report highlights a range of state approaches and offers lessons on staffing, funding, data use, and assessment methods, while recommending a standardized framework to better compare policy impacts and advance fairer outcomes. 

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54 Percent of Americans in Their 40s Have Both an Aging Parent and Own Child 

A new Pew Research Center analysis finds that 25 percent of American adults are part of the “sandwich generation,” meaning they have a parent age 65 or older while also raising a child under 18, and financially support an adult, child, or both.

Americans in their 40s are the most likely to face these dual caregiving responsibilities, with 54 percent fitting this definition.

The study notes that longer life expectancy and the financial challenges facing many young adults contribute to these multigenerational caregiving demands, which have grown modestly in recent years. 

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Patients Navigate Push for AI as a Rural Healthcare Solution

There are growing efforts to use artificial intelligence to address rural healthcare challenges, including federal and state investments that support AI-powered tools for patient care, mental health services, and administrative tasks.

While some healthcare providers say AI can reduce staff burdens and improve efficiency, experts note there is limited evidence that these technologies meaningfully improve healthcare access or outcomes in rural communities.

This article highlights skepticism among many rural residents, who worry about AI errors and prefer human-centered care, underscoring the tension between technological innovation and patient trust. 



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