Daniel Simmons-Ritchie

Stories by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie

An updated map of COVID-19 vaccine locations in Pennsylvania as reported by the state Department of Health.

Where to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Pennsylvania and who can get it (DISCONTINUED)

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA

Jan. 22, 2021

Criminal Justice

Studies warned the Pennsylvania State Police of potential racial bias in vehicle searches right before the agency ended the research.

Pa. State Police resume tracking racial data during traffic stops in response to Spotlight PA report

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA

Jan. 12, 2021

Criminal Justice

See how often your local Pa. district judges are actually in the courtroom

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA

Dec. 12, 2020

Criminal Justice

A PennLive and Spotlight PA investigation into the workloads of Pennsylvania district judges encompassed more than 3.8 million case events and more than 40 interviews.

Piles of records and months of reporting lead to eye-opening report on Pa. district judges

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA and Christine Vendel of PennLive

Dec. 10, 2020

Criminal Justice

An empty judicial chamber

Some local Pa. judges enjoy light workloads as taxpayers pay millions for salaries, pensions, health care

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA and Christine Vendel of PennLive

Dec. 10, 2020

Pipefitters, left, work to connect a long segment of pipe that is being suspended in air to make it ready to be pulled undergroud in a residential area of West Chester, PA on Ship Road and South Pullman Drive as part of the Mariner East Pipeline that is going through the area on November 11, 2019.

INTERACTIVE: Explore the Mariner East pipeline system and its history

by Dan Simmons-Ritchie and Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

Oct. 15, 2020

It’s been three months since Pennsylvania’s first reported cases of the coronavirus.

The deadliest day of the coronavirus in Pa., plus other insights we can glean from the data

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA

June 22, 2020

More than half of the state’s counties have entered the Wolf administration’s “green” phase for reopening, which lifts most restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

With reopening underway, see how the coronavirus is trending in your county with our new early warning tool

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA

June 15, 2020

Based on interviews with hospital system officials over the past week, Spotlight PA found a number of hospital systems are using only about 30% to 50% of their overall testing capacity.

Pa. sets modest goal to conduct 8,500 coronavirus tests per day, far less than what some experts say is needed

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA

May 1, 2020

Health Secretary Rachel Levine said the testing benchmark will be “aspirational,” and stressed that it will be one of many factors in deciding which counties or regions can safely begin to relax restrictions on May 8.

Pa. to set coronavirus testing, contact tracing benchmarks just days before gradual reopening is set to begin

by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of Spotlight PA

April 29, 2020

Pa.’s lobbying law got tougher in 2018. But it still falls short in exposing influence.

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie

Feb. 17, 2020

Micah Sims, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, apologized Friday for failing to comply with the state lobbying law, sparking a $19,900 fine.

Government watchdog group apologizes for violating Pa. lobbying law

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie

Feb. 7, 2020

Micah Sims, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, speaks at the Capitol during the signing of an election reform bill on Oct. 31, 2019. The group, which helped champion the state's 2006 lobbying law, was fined $19,900 for breaking it. Sims attributed the failure to technical difficulties.

Champion of Pa. lobbying disclosure law was fined $19,900 for breaking it

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie

Feb. 6, 2020

Behind the Story

Pennsylvania State Police helicopter

The case of the missing records and the Pennsylvania State Police

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie

Jan. 31, 2020

Criminal Justice

The Pa. State Police was warned about possible racial bias in car searches. The agency's answer? End the research.

The Pa. State Police was warned about possible racial bias in car searches. The agency's answer? End the research.

by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie and Angela Couloumbis

Jan. 23, 2020

Criminal Justice

A Pa. State Police vehicle

Racial profiling in traffic stops? We won’t know, because Pa. State Police no longer track racial data.

by Angela Couloumbis and Daniel Simmons-Ritchie

Sept. 20, 2019