Nationally, gun owners often support more relaxed gun laws, while non-gun owners tend to favor stricter regulations. The trend continues to demonstrate substantial momentum. That pattern persists.
According to Pew Research Center’s 2021 surveys, 37% of gun owners support banning assault-style weapons, compared with 74% of non-gun owners — a divide that has grown.
In 2023, Pennsylvania issued a total of 335,975 licenses for carrying firearms and sold 15,457 handguns. According to the Pennsylvania State Police, Philadelphia accounted for 23,634 of those carry permits.
Local gun violence trends
Between 2020 and 2022, Philadelphia saw a sizable increase in gun violence, though more recent data shows a downturn. Below is a snapshot of the last decade.
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According to the Center for American Progress, Philadelphia experienced the most significant reduction in gun violence among major cities so far in 2024.
‘Businesses Must Act’ campaign
Hudson Munoz, executive director of Guns Down America, urges corporations to view gun violence as both a business concern and a moral imperative. The organization contends that consumers can wield their purchasing power to influence companies’ responses to gun violence.
“Consumers see an increasing range of options for businesses to address gun violence in communities,” Munoz said. “They’re willing to spend more on brands that are doing things to solve the problem.”
Munoz and his team developed the “Business Must Act” campaign to push corporate America toward greater responsibility in the communities where they operate — specifically by addressing gun violence. They evaluated 38 corporations based on three criteria: in-store policies, corporate actions and political and lobbying contributions.
4 Pennsylvania-Based Corporations
Dick’s Sporting Goods (headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania) A- : Dick’s Sporting Goods has emerged as a prominent advocate for gun reform following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Since 2018, the company has decreased its gun sales, which accounted for less than 5% of total revenue in 2022.
Sheetz (headquartered in Altoona, Pennsylvania) D- : Sheetz has not publicly addressed the issue of gun violence, and there are no available public statements or policies related to this matter.
Rite Aid (headquartered in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania) F: Rite Aid has not made any public statements or established policies addressing the issue of gun violence. Additionally, the company has contributed to lawmakers who receive support from the gun lobby.
Wawa (headquartered in Wawa, Pennsylvania) F: Wawa has not publicly addressed the issue of gun violence, as evidenced by the absence of any official statements or public policies on the matter. Furthermore, the company has made contributions to lawmakers who are supported by the gun lobby.
All four corporations are headquartered in regions that generally lean Republican. As part of the campaign, Guns Down America released details on political contributions in Pennsylvania related to gun legislation.
FILE – Powerball logo displayed on a phone screen and coins are seen in this illustration photo.
PHILADELPHIA – A Powerball ticket sold in Pennsylvania matched five numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing, winning $1 million, according to lottery officials.
What we know:
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The Pennsylvania ticket was one of several nationwide that matched all five white balls. The ticket did not include the Power Play multiplier.
Because no one matched all six numbers, the Powerball jackpot continues to climb. The next drawing will feature an estimated $1.5 billion jackpot, with a cash option of $689.3 million.
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Winning numbers (Dec. 17, 2025)
25 – 33 – 53 – 62 – 66
Powerball: 17
Power Play: 4x
The Pennsylvania Lottery has not yet announced where the winning ticket was sold.
What’s next:
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The next Powerball drawing takes place Saturday night, Dec. 20. The estimated jackpot is an astounding $1.5 billion.
The Source: This article is based on official Powerball drawing results.
More than $22 million in “Money Match” checks were mailed to nearly 100,000 Pennsylvanians, the treasury said.
In a news release on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Treasury said people should be on the lookout for the checks, which are part of the Pennsylvania Money Match program. Treasurer Stacy Garrity said to cash or deposit the checks “promptly.”
The first Pennsylvania Money Match checks, totaling more than $1.7 million, are now on the way to Pennsylvanians’ mailboxes. Pennsylvania Money Match is a new program that allows Treasury to return certain unclaimed property to rightful owners automatically, which was approved unanimously by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor last year.
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“I want Pennsylvanians to know that this is a real check, it is real money, and it belongs to them,” Garrity said in the news release. “And as always, I still encourage everyone to regularly search for unclaimed property online, as many claims will not qualify for the Money Match process.”
With the mailing of the year’s last batch of checks, more than $50 million will have been returned automatically to Pennsylvanians.
What are Money Match checks?
The program allows the state treasury to automatically return unclaimed property valued up to $500 owned by a single individual. Before the program was created in 2024, residents themselves had to seek out unclaimed property.
“I’m thrilled to continue this program as we work hard to get more money back to its rightful owners,” Garrity said in the news release.
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However, if the property has multiple owners or is valued higher than $500, Pennsylvanians still need to file a claim.
What is unclaimed property?
Unclaimed property includes dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten stocks, rebates and insurance policies, among other things. It can also include the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes.
According to the state treasury, more than one in 10 Pennsylvanians is owed some of the $5 billion in unclaimed property in the treasury’s care, and the average value of a claim is more than $1,000.
Unclaimed property scam
On its website, the state treasury has a warning about scammers using text messages to target potential unclaimed property claimants.
The department “never reaches out to people in regard to any program, including unclaimed property, via unsolicited text messages.”
A special weather statement was issued by the National Weather Service on Friday at 10:06 a.m. until 1 p.m. for Warren, McKean, Elk, Cameron, Clearfield, Cambria and Somerset counties.
“Temperatures will drop below the freezing mark through midday with rain showers quickly changing to snow showers. Blustery winds may dry off roads and other paved surfaces, but any residual water from previous rain or melting snow could freeze up and result in slick spots through the afternoon,” explains the weather service.
