Written by Damon C. Williams

March 5, 2026: 

• Pennsylvanians are growing increasingly wary of Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics, believe President Donald Trump is floundering and are generally supportive of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's job so far, but are troubled by the overall direction in which the state is heading.
• Here are those and other findings in the Franklin & Marshall Poll for March for polling conducted between Feb. 18 and March 1.

March 5, 2026: 

• U.S. weapons contractors with plants in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other Mid-Atlantic states mays soon have to ramp up production.
• The ongoing Iran conflict, which President Donald Trump indicated could last for weeks, if not months, has led to several American military casualties abroad and may raise electric and fuel prices here. Could the war also deplete America's stockpile of munitions?
• Industrial military watcher Breaking Defense noted the war is causing some shortages, which may impact this and future conflicts.
• Here's what we know about weapons contractor operations in the region.

March 4, 2026: 

• The ongoing Iran conflict — and Iran's closing the Strait of Hormuz — is having little impact on the price of gas in the greater Philadelphia region, but that could change the longer the conflict continues.
• Here's how much gas is right now in the Philadelphia area, and what you can expect to pay in the coming days and weeks.

March 4, 2026: 

• We're halfway through tax season 2026, and so far, the IRS processed more than 41 million income tax returns according to the latest available IRS tax filing data, resulting in tax filers receiving a total of $109.329 billion in federal tax refunds.
• The average 2026 federal income tax refund as of Friday, Feb. 20 is $3,804.
• If you already filed income tax returns and looking for your refund, here's how you can find it, along with locating your state income tax return as well.