Reporter at WHYY, Philadelphia’s NPR stationhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3muudih4qo22mSPS Technologies and its parent company Precision Castparts Corp. reached a settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed after a 2025 four-alarm fire at their plant in Abington Township. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/sps-technologies-abington-settlement-class-action-lawsuit-2025-fire/06 Sep 2026 15:43 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muudih4qo22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mu5cfslmik27Another federally qualified health center is coming to Coatesville in 2027 — this time inside of a high school Union Community Care’s school-based community health center would be the first of its kind in Chester County. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/community-health-center-coatesville-area-senior-high-school/28 Aug 2026 11:52 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu5cfslmik27https://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mu3uw4bcnc2oThe Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office placed a deputy on paid administrative leave Wednesday after a video posted online showed him pushing a handcuffed male into the back of a police vehicle. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/montgomery-county-sheriffs-office-places-deputy-on-paid-administrative-leave-forcefully-pushing-handcuffed-man/27 Aug 2026 22:18 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu3uw4bcnc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mu346ljzhc2vRadnor High School and Hershey High School, a pair of early adopters of so-called bell-to-bell cellphone bans, have found success simply asking students to turn off their phones and keep them away. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/pennsylvania-school-cellphone-ban-delco-hershey/27 Aug 2026 14:56 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu346ljzhc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3msq52wqb2k2oCOVID-era relief funding provided Pennsylvania’s underfunded schools with laptops. “RAMageddon” — a worldwide shortage of computer memory — might send them back in time. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/laptops-philadelphia-area-schools-computer-prices/10 Aug 2026 12:47 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3msq52wqb2k2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mse72z4gdc26Students in Pennsylvania's rural, underfunded school districts like Otto-Eldred are using failing, outdated technology. The digital age is expensive — but the opportunity cost of missing out might be even heftier. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/pennsylvania-rural-school-technology-funding-students/05 Aug 2026 18:51 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mse72z4gdc26https://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mrn3244kos2kWHYY’s Schooled podcast has returned! I had the pleasure of spending four months reporting on this season. The focus? How technology is reshaping the educational experience in Pennsylvania's K-12 schools. @whyynews.bsky.social27 Jul 2026 14:08 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrn3244kos2khttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mrn3244kos2kWHYY’s Schooled podcast has returned! I had the pleasure of spending four months reporting on this season. The focus? How technology is reshaping the educational experience in Pennsylvania's K-12 schools. @whyynews.bsky.social27 Jul 2026 14:08 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrn3244kos2khttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mk6gydmbjc2zIn 2021, Delaware County’s juvenile detention center was vacated following explosive allegations of “physical, sexual, and psychological abuse by staff.” Five years later, the county is joining an effort to create a regional facility. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/delaware-county-delco-juvenile-detention-center/23 Apr 2026 16:35 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk6gydmbjc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mjp3gu4zs224West Chester-based QVC Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Thursday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/qvc-bankruptcy-chester-county/17 Apr 2026 13:58 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjp3gu4zs224https://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mgdvp4jrbc2cU.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Bucks County, joined other House Republicans and a few Democrats in voting against limiting President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran. In a statement, he called the resolution “dangerously overbroad.” @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/trump-iran-war-powers-house-vote/05 Mar 2026 23:01 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgdvp4jrbc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mgbh2rhxvc2fTo no surprise, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the only Democrat in the Senate to vote against scaling back Trump’s war in Iran. Fetterman split with his party after spending the first days of the conflict defending strikes on Iran. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/war-powers-resolution-vote-trump-iran/04 Mar 2026 23:34 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgbh2rhxvc2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3metds6di5c2mThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security is leasing an upscale working space at Westlakes Office Park in Berwyn. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/dhs-berwyn-ice-main-line-office-space/14 Feb 2026 15:33 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3metds6di5c2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mdvwzwhars27DHS and ICE have bought a 518,000-square-foot warehouse in Berks County for $87.4 million, according to official deed records. “The County had no prior knowledge of the sale,” a Berks County spokesperson said Monday. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/berks-county-warehouse-ice-detention-center-trump/02 Feb 2026 22:57 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdvwzwhars27https://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mdlzu7rdnk2eU.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon conducted a congressional oversight visit Thursday at Philly’s Federal Detention Center just weeks after one of her constituents died in ICE custody. She says detainees are treated like “prisoners.” @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/ice-detainees-philadelphia-mary-gay-scanlon-federal-detention-center/30 Jan 2026 00:21 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdlzu7rdnk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mdleuerspk2eLeon Smith, a Haverford High School history teacher, has been named as one of the five finalists for the 2026 National Teacher of the Year award. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/haverford-national-teacher-year-finalist-leon-smith/29 Jan 2026 18:05 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdleuerspk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mdeddgjufs27Senate Democrats are threatening to shut down the government in an effort to withhold funding for Trump’s immigration crackdown. In another split with his party, U.S. Senator John Fetterman says he will never vote for a government shutdown. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/john-fetterman-ice-funding/26 Jan 2026 22:49 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdeddgjufs27https://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3md2oa7s3zk2aAn independent investigation found “no evidence of intentional wrongdoing” behind an error that omitted more than 70,000 third-party voters in Chester County from poll books during the 2025 general election. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/chester-county-poll-book-human-error/23 Jan 2026 02:38 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3md2oa7s3zk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3md24ooix722tAfter a long-standing back and forth, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled that the city of Chester does not have the “unilateral authority” to seize the assets of the Chester Water Authority. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/pennsylvania-supreme-court-chester-water-authority/22 Jan 2026 21:24 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3md24ooix722thttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mczxk5f5qs2pThe U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has opened a Title IX investigation into the Great Valley School District in Chester County over a decade-old policy regarding transgender students and sports. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/great-valley-school-district-transgender-sports-trump-investigation/22 Jan 2026 19:52 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mczxk5f5qs2phttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mcxtjjkj6s2vThe Friends Association unveiled a new, 10-unit family shelter and office building in West Chester on Wednesday. The multilevel space is the latest expansion of emergency housing in Pennsylvania’s wealthiest county by the local nonprofit. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/west-chester-pennsylvania-friends-association-family-shelter-homelessness/21 Jan 2026 23:34 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcxtjjkj6s2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mcwtostvyk2uAs ICE activity rises, Norristown residents are demanding answers from the police regarding their proximity to masked ICE agents. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/norristown-ice-raids-police-coordination/21 Jan 2026 14:05 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcwtostvyk2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3mckaglenbs2jParady La, of Upper Darby, died Jan. 9 while in ICE custody. La was hospitalized after being held at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia. His family mourns. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/parady-la-upper-day-ice-custody-death/16 Jan 2026 13:48 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mckaglenbs2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3m7zv57tys227A bill aiming to impose a ban on cellphones in Pennsylvania’s K-12 schools is gaining momentum in Harrisburg as educators struggle to compete with mobile devices for their students’ attention. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/pennsylvania-cellphone-ban-schools-k-12/15 Dec 2025 14:53 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7zv57tys227https://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3m6hhdyyjbc2hThe Haverford Township Education Association has appointed a new union president in the middle of contract negotiations with Delaware County’s second-largest school district. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/haverford-teachers-union-new-president/25 Nov 2025 13:33 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6hhdyyjbc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3m6f3bfcses2bFor the first time in more than three decades, “Everybody’s Hometown” in Delaware County will have a new mayor. What does Joi Washington have in store for Media? @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/media-borough-mayor-joi-washington-interview/24 Nov 2025 14:52 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6f3bfcses2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3m5cs7kn6d22jPhilly-area U.S. House members expressed displeasure over Senate Democrats making a deal to reopen the federal government without healthcare guarantees. Each of the local members of Congress dismissed calls for an overhaul in Senate leadership. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/congress-boyle-dean-scanlon-philly-shutdown-senate-deal/10 Nov 2025 23:39 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5cs7kn6d22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3m4w3k3jals2rWe crunched the numbers (that were available). Philadelphia’s suburbs saw their highest voter turnout for an off-year election cycle dating back to 2011. Was it Trump backlash? Interesting judicial races? Or good local candidates? @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/pennsylvania-election-2025-philadelphia-suburbs-voter-turnout/05 Nov 2025 22:21 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4w3k3jals2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3m4uh5vjms22uA small town a few dozen miles west of Philadelphia made history Wednesday morning by electing Pennsylvania’s first openly transgender mayor. Downingtown mayor-elect Erica Deuso said she carries “that responsibility with care and with purpose.” @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/election-2025-pennsylvania-downingtown-mayoral-race/05 Nov 2025 06:44 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4uh5vjms22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/kennycooper.bsky.social/post/3m4udr4zgpc2rDelaware County’s highest elected office will remain under sole Democratic control. Unofficial results in this high-turnout, off-year election show Democrats defeating Republicans in the race for two seats on Delaware County Council. @whyynews.bsky.social https://whyy.org/articles/election-2025-pennsylvania-delaware-county-council/05 Nov 2025 05:43 +0000at://did:plc:mutsxnpskait76g7d5ai2bbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4udr4zgpc2r