Author

A 3-decade veteran of the news business, John L. Micek is the Pennsylvania Capital-Star's Editor-in-Chief. An award-winning political reporter, Micek’s career has taken him from small town meetings and Chicago City Hall to Congress and the Pennsylvania Capitol. His weekly column on U.S. politics is syndicated to 800 newspapers nationwide by Cagle Syndicate. He also contributes commentary and analysis to broadcast outlets in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Micek’s first novel, “Ordinary Angels,” was released in 2019 by Sunbury Press.
Another GOP abortion ban bill. The same glaring weakness | John L. Micek
By: John L. Micek - October 21, 2019
There’s no mistaking where state Rep. Stephanie Borowicz stands on abortion. She wants it gone. And to help that goal on its way, the freshman Republican from Clinton County is sponsoring a bill that would prohibit the procedure as soon as a doctor can detect a fetal heartbeat. That’s at around six weeks, which is […]
Salaries grew by 25 percent nationwide over the last decade. How did Pa. do? | Monday Morning Coffee
By: John L. Micek - October 21, 2019
Pennsylvania's growth rate mirrored the nationwide rate, report shows. What will that mean for the minimum wage debate this fall?
Bill by U.S. Rep. Susan Wild would streamline student loans | Friday Morning Coffee
By: John L. Micek - October 18, 2019
The bill by U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-7th District, is part of a larger effort higher education reform pushed by Democrats on Capitol Hill.
Damage wrought by the tyrant-in-chief will take decades to undo | John L. Micek
By: John L. Micek - October 17, 2019
Trump's betrayal of the Kurds, letter to Turkish president Erdogan, and other blunders highlight his hubris, ignorance of history and national security.
‘The conscience of our caucus’: Pa.’s U.S. House lawmakers pay tribute to Rep. Elijah Cummings
By: Robin Bravender Capital-Star Washington Bureau and John L. Micek - October 17, 2019
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., will temporarily lead the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which Cummings chaired
Report: Uncertain work hours lead to food insecurity, anxiety in kids | Thursday Morning Coffee
By: John L. Micek - October 17, 2019
Big box stores say employees like flexible schedules. There's a hidden human cost to it, a new report finds, particularly among kids
Pentagon’s Inspector General’s office will study PFAS use at military bases | Wednesday Morning Coffee
By: John L. Micek - October 16, 2019
The review comes on top of one by the Centers for Disease Control and Pa. Dept. of Health
A glut of unfilled jobs could jeopardize economic growth. What Pa. and other states are doing to address that | Tuesday Morning Coffee
By: John L. Micek - October 15, 2019
Pennsylvania made workforce development a centerpiece of last spring's state budget debate.
RNC sends ‘Census’ to U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon’s district to raise money for Trump | Monday Morning Coffee
By: John L. Micek - October 14, 2019
The mailer mimics the look and feel of the official U.S. Census, provoking fears that it could confuse voters ahead of the 2020 government headcount.
Report: Emissions from driving grew faster than Harrisburg region’s population | Friday Morning Coffee
By: John L. Micek - October 11, 2019
That's some gross air you got there, Harrisburg.
Here’s the price of our inaction on gun violence: More dead. More wounded. And no answers | John L. Micek
By: John L. Micek - October 11, 2019
by the time you finish reading this, someone, somewhere, will have been shot with a gun in America. The data suggests they might die.
Dozens of Pa. bird species are under threat from climate change, National Audubon Society warns in new report
By: John L. Micek - October 10, 2019
The species include such easily recognizable birds as the pine warbler, the red-headed woodpecker, and the American black duck,