Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
@chrisottolnp.bsky.social
Professional journalist. Deputy Opinion Editor at LNP | LancasterOnline. Covering Lancaster and York counties in Pennsylvania.
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Starter pack for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, journalists on Blue Sky. Subscribe to @lancasteronline.bsky.social and support necessary local journalism. We are the ones covering local governments and school boards and making sure they operate transparently. bsky.app/starter-pack...
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
Federal judge orders Trump admin to restore slavery exhibits to the President's House in Philly www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
Federal judge orders Trump administration to restore slavery exhibits to the President’s House
The order does not give the federal government a deadline for restoring the President's House site.
www.inquirer.com
February 16, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Federal judge orders Trump admin to restore slavery exhibits to the President's House in Philly www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
A Code Orange air quality alert has been issued for south-central Pennsylvania, including Lancaster County, beginning on Tuesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
lanc.news/3Oc8Ah7
lanc.news/3Oc8Ah7
Air quality alert issued for Tuesday as air pollution reaches unhealthy levels for sensitive groups
A Code Orange air quality alert has been issued for south-central Pennsylvania, including Lancaster County, beginning on Tuesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
lanc.news
February 16, 2026 at 9:19 PM
A Code Orange air quality alert has been issued for south-central Pennsylvania, including Lancaster County, beginning on Tuesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
lanc.news/3Oc8Ah7
lanc.news/3Oc8Ah7
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
ICYMI: PJM — the grid operator that supplies energy to your home — agreed to extend my price cap for the next two years.
What does that mean for you? Pennsylvania families will save nearly $600 on their utility bills over the next 4 years.
What does that mean for you? Pennsylvania families will save nearly $600 on their utility bills over the next 4 years.
February 16, 2026 at 8:48 PM
ICYMI: PJM — the grid operator that supplies energy to your home — agreed to extend my price cap for the next two years.
What does that mean for you? Pennsylvania families will save nearly $600 on their utility bills over the next 4 years.
What does that mean for you? Pennsylvania families will save nearly $600 on their utility bills over the next 4 years.
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
The infected person spent time in Terminal E of the Philadelphia International Airport last Thursday.
There was possible measles exposure at Philadelphia International Airport last week
www.inquirer.com
February 16, 2026 at 8:07 PM
The infected person spent time in Terminal E of the Philadelphia International Airport last Thursday.
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
Have you ever once seen the New York Times quote Trump like this?
February 16, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Have you ever once seen the New York Times quote Trump like this?
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
Robert Duvall, the legendary actor whose career has spanned over six decades, has died at 95, his wife announced
February 16, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Robert Duvall, the legendary actor whose career has spanned over six decades, has died at 95, his wife announced
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
Thread of local Opinion content you may have missed over the weekend.
1. "So we are begging parents, school and government officials and health care systems to take action now to reduce the risk of additional measles cases so we do not lose even one child." lancasteronline.com/opinion/colu...
1. "So we are begging parents, school and government officials and health care systems to take action now to reduce the risk of additional measles cases so we do not lose even one child." lancasteronline.com/opinion/colu...
What parents should know about measles amid Lancaster County outbreak [column]
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is currently continuing to support measles, mumps and rubella vaccination (the MMR vaccine) for all children, so we were not planning to
lancasteronline.com
February 16, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Thread of local Opinion content you may have missed over the weekend.
1. "So we are begging parents, school and government officials and health care systems to take action now to reduce the risk of additional measles cases so we do not lose even one child." lancasteronline.com/opinion/colu...
1. "So we are begging parents, school and government officials and health care systems to take action now to reduce the risk of additional measles cases so we do not lose even one child." lancasteronline.com/opinion/colu...
ICYMI
A large crane placing steel beams and excavators leveling ground are among the signs of progress at a planned Lancaster city data center, but millions in payments to the city and a local nonprofit tied to construction milestones won’t begin…
lanc.news/4rgzdji
lanc.news/4rgzdji
Here's when Lancaster city will see payments from data center agreement
A large crane placing steel beams and excavators leveling ground are among the signs of progress at a planned Lancaster city data center, but millions in payments to the city
lanc.news
February 16, 2026 at 4:33 PM
ICYMI
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
Ars Technica issues an apology for publishing an article "containing fabricated quotations generated by an AI tool and attributed to a source who did not say them."
Editor’s Note: Retraction of article containing fabricated quotations
We are reinforcing our editorial standards following this incident.
arstechnica.com
February 16, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Ars Technica issues an apology for publishing an article "containing fabricated quotations generated by an AI tool and attributed to a source who did not say them."
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
This was what the NY skyline frequently looked like in the 1960s and 1970s. You could taste the air.
February 16, 2026 at 2:15 PM
This was what the NY skyline frequently looked like in the 1960s and 1970s. You could taste the air.
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
“Any resulting shift by American automakers toward gas guzzlers that can’t be sold in Europe or China could further isolate the U.S. market. And the United States would increasingly cede the future of automotive technology to Chinese electric vehicle giants like BYD, experts said.”
February 16, 2026 at 12:31 PM
“Any resulting shift by American automakers toward gas guzzlers that can’t be sold in Europe or China could further isolate the U.S. market. And the United States would increasingly cede the future of automotive technology to Chinese electric vehicle giants like BYD, experts said.”
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
“Even if a new administration came in and was inclined to regulate greenhouse gasses, it would take years to reissue and defend the endangerment finding,” Professor Carlson said. “And in the meantime, they would have no authority to write any new greenhouse gas regulations.”
February 16, 2026 at 12:30 PM
“Even if a new administration came in and was inclined to regulate greenhouse gasses, it would take years to reissue and defend the endangerment finding,” Professor Carlson said. “And in the meantime, they would have no authority to write any new greenhouse gas regulations.”
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
“The U.S. no longer has emission standards of any meaning,” said Margo T. Oge, who served as the E.P.A.’s top vehicle emissions regulator under three presidents and has since advised both automakers and environmental groups…
“Nothing. Zero,” she added. “Not many countries have zero.”
“Nothing. Zero,” she added. “Not many countries have zero.”
With Latest Rollback, the U.S. Essentially Has No Clean-Car Rules
www.nytimes.com
February 16, 2026 at 12:28 PM
“The U.S. no longer has emission standards of any meaning,” said Margo T. Oge, who served as the E.P.A.’s top vehicle emissions regulator under three presidents and has since advised both automakers and environmental groups…
“Nothing. Zero,” she added. “Not many countries have zero.”
“Nothing. Zero,” she added. “Not many countries have zero.”
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
Denied for the Elizabethtown Area curriculum over the past year:
“Turtles All the Way Down”
“Station Eleven”
“Long Way Down”
“The Hate U Give”
“The House on Mango Street" lancasteronline.com/news/local/e...
“Turtles All the Way Down”
“Station Eleven”
“Long Way Down”
“The Hate U Give”
“The House on Mango Street" lancasteronline.com/news/local/e...
Elizabethtown school board rejects 3 more books; teacher says she's 'baffled'
Students in 10th grade English class at Elizabethtown Area High School will read about the fictional March sisters as they tended hearth and home during the Civil War in Louisa
lancasteronline.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:51 PM
Denied for the Elizabethtown Area curriculum over the past year:
“Turtles All the Way Down”
“Station Eleven”
“Long Way Down”
“The Hate U Give”
“The House on Mango Street" lancasteronline.com/news/local/e...
“Turtles All the Way Down”
“Station Eleven”
“Long Way Down”
“The Hate U Give”
“The House on Mango Street" lancasteronline.com/news/local/e...
Thread of local Opinion content you may have missed over the weekend.
1. "So we are begging parents, school and government officials and health care systems to take action now to reduce the risk of additional measles cases so we do not lose even one child." lancasteronline.com/opinion/colu...
1. "So we are begging parents, school and government officials and health care systems to take action now to reduce the risk of additional measles cases so we do not lose even one child." lancasteronline.com/opinion/colu...
What parents should know about measles amid Lancaster County outbreak [column]
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is currently continuing to support measles, mumps and rubella vaccination (the MMR vaccine) for all children, so we were not planning to
lancasteronline.com
February 16, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Thread of local Opinion content you may have missed over the weekend.
1. "So we are begging parents, school and government officials and health care systems to take action now to reduce the risk of additional measles cases so we do not lose even one child." lancasteronline.com/opinion/colu...
1. "So we are begging parents, school and government officials and health care systems to take action now to reduce the risk of additional measles cases so we do not lose even one child." lancasteronline.com/opinion/colu...
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
We must speak out against hate now and call for what we know is right [column]
lanc.news/406rJUa
lanc.news/406rJUa
We must speak out against hate now and call for what we know is right [column]
We keep likening it to Nazi Germany, this idea of being told not to believe what we can clearly see. We quote George Orwell. We make the idea distant, like
lanc.news
February 14, 2026 at 10:03 AM
We must speak out against hate now and call for what we know is right [column]
lanc.news/406rJUa
lanc.news/406rJUa
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
We're not sold on a state bell-to-bell cellphone ban for schoolkids, but what do you think? [editorial]
lanc.news/3OqYwka
lanc.news/3OqYwka
We're not sold on a state bell-to-bell cellphone ban for schoolkids, but what do you think? [editorial]
THE ISSUE
lanc.news
February 14, 2026 at 10:05 AM
We're not sold on a state bell-to-bell cellphone ban for schoolkids, but what do you think? [editorial]
lanc.news/3OqYwka
lanc.news/3OqYwka
"the right people voting, electing the right leaders"
Kristi Noem: "When it gets to Election Day, we've been proactive to make sure we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country."
February 14, 2026 at 4:44 PM
"the right people voting, electing the right leaders"
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
February 13, 2026 at 7:41 PM
On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
The complete refusal from the Department of Justice and FBI to investigate the allegations in the Epstein Files and made by Epstein survivors is also proof of what victims everywhere go through every day when authority figures refuse to do anything about what happened to them
February 13, 2026 at 8:55 PM
The complete refusal from the Department of Justice and FBI to investigate the allegations in the Epstein Files and made by Epstein survivors is also proof of what victims everywhere go through every day when authority figures refuse to do anything about what happened to them
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
Shapiro’s administration is questioning the legality of the facilities, saying his administration will “aggressively pursue every option to prevent these facilities from opening.”
Josh Shapiro tells Kristi Noem he’ll ‘aggressively pursue every option” to block new ICE detention centers, in new letter to DHS
www.inquirer.com
February 13, 2026 at 7:47 PM
Shapiro’s administration is questioning the legality of the facilities, saying his administration will “aggressively pursue every option to prevent these facilities from opening.”
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
Police departments across the US are quietly leveraging school district security cameras to assist Donald Trump’s mass immigration enforcement campaign, an investigation by @the74.bsky.social reveals.
February 13, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Police departments across the US are quietly leveraging school district security cameras to assist Donald Trump’s mass immigration enforcement campaign, an investigation by @the74.bsky.social reveals.
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
“The plan’s $38 billion budget is more than the total annual spending for 22 states, according to state budget data.”
"ICE plans to spend $38.3 billion turning warehouses into detention centers." www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
ICE plans to spend $38.3 billion turning warehouses into detention centers
ICE plans to spend $38.3 billion converting warehouses into detention centers, according to planning documents, more than the annual budgets of 22 states.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 13, 2026 at 6:24 PM
“The plan’s $38 billion budget is more than the total annual spending for 22 states, according to state budget data.”
Reposted by Chris Otto (LNP | LancasterOnline)
Some 10,000 USAID personnel and thousands of contractors were fired and thousands of programs shuttered, throwing into turmoil U.S.-funded global humanitarian aid operations on which millions of the world’s poorest people depended. USAID stopped distributing aid in July.
February 13, 2026 at 6:03 PM
Some 10,000 USAID personnel and thousands of contractors were fired and thousands of programs shuttered, throwing into turmoil U.S.-funded global humanitarian aid operations on which millions of the world’s poorest people depended. USAID stopped distributing aid in July.
Final results of our most recent LNP | LancasterOnline Opinion poll regarding Social Security cost of living adjustments.
February 13, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Final results of our most recent LNP | LancasterOnline Opinion poll regarding Social Security cost of living adjustments.