Legislature
Philly holds vigil to remember horror of insurrection – WHYY
Lawmakers offer perspectives on Jan. 6 anniversary – Mon Valley Independent, 1/7/2022 (olivesoftware.com)
State officials unveil legislation that would allow AV companies to operate vehicles without humans – Pittsburgh Business Times (bizjournals.com)
These 4 Big Political Questions Will Loom Over Philly in 2022 (phillymag.com)
Hughes Gets Views on National TV | Philadelphia Public Record (phillyrecord.com)
Lehigh Valley Projects in PA Moving Forward with Federal Funding : CEG (constructionequipmentguide.com)
New bill looks to expand school choice for Pennsylvania military families | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com
Joanna McClinton introduces sweeping election reform bill | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)
On anniversary of Jan 6, PA Dems call for voting rights expansion | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)
Senator Gene Yaw: What critics get wrong about energy choice (broadandliberty.com)
Elected officials: Why weren’t we included in early talks about Afghanistan immigrants possibly coming to area? | News | tribdem.com
Failing to approve a congressional map could carry unwanted consequence for Pa., lawmaker says – pennlive.com
Pennsylvania redistricting proposals with splits of Allentown criticized as hurting minority election chances – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Redistricting chair Nordenberg defends proposed state House map against GOP attacks – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Pennsylvania Republicans are planning a redistricting redo in time for the 2024 election | Opinion – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Lawmaker calls for public hearing on Pennsylvania Senate, House legislative maps | State | tiogapublishing.com
Pa. House bill would allow state to join national popular vote compact | Friday Morning Coffee – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
A year after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, election review and reform efforts continue in Pa. – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
More than $1.1M to fund recreation, conservation projects | News | thetimes-tribune.com
Coronavirus – COVID-19
Vaccine mandate regulations are under the Supreme Court’s microscope : NPR
Supreme Court weighs vaccine rules affecting more than 80M | Coronavirus | tribdem.com
Is the omicron variant less severe? And what are its symptoms? : Shots – Health News : NPR
White House finalizing details to send free COVID tests to Americans soon, report says (abc27.com)
New Pa. COVID-19 cases remain above 20,000; region has 26 deaths | Coronavirus | tribdem.com
Erie hospitals offer Evusheld to those at-risk of COVID complications (goerie.com)
Acting PA Health Secretary Keara Klinepeter visits Delaware County amid COVID surge (delcotimes.com)
All Delaware County hospitals at capacity due to COVID cases (delcotimes.com)
‘It will overwhelm us’: Surge of COVID cases triggers more of the tough phone calls – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Interactive
Kids’ COVID-19 hospitalizations reach all-time high, although overall risk remains low – pennlive.com
Lehigh Valley’s omicron-fueled COVID surge is putting the strain on EMS services, adding to stress on crews – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
When will Omicron peak? A Penn State professor shares national COVID-19 modeling team’s projections | WITF
At Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton, latest COVID outbreak seems like deja vu | Coronavirus | standardspeaker.com
Business/Jobs
Employers add just 199,000 workers in a slow December : NPR
Supreme Court’s OSHA mandate decision unlikely to end employer uncertainty – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
High salary remote jobs are surging, Ladders report says – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Inflation hits record of 5% in 19 countries using the euro | News | tribdem.com
Crime/Punishment
Nighttime pipeline demonstrators charged with disorderly conduct at Marsh Creek – Daily Local
Cooperation, trust and equal justice must guide Erie police reform (goerie.com)
Allegheny County Jail violating solitary confinement ban, oversight board says | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Judge slams US Capitol rioter’s request to take Jamaican vacation – CNNPolitics
Education
Emily Kreps: University of Pennsylvania versus reality (broadandliberty.com)
Universities continue to feel pandemic pain with big declines in 2021 student revenue – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Federal plan aims to help alleviate school bus driver shortage | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Philly-area colleges differ in COVID-19 protocols for new semester (inquirer.com)
Lehigh University will start spring semester with a week of remote learning – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Former William Penn superintendent testifies in historic school funding trial about lack of resources (inquirer.com)
A Bucks County school district told teachers not to discuss the Jan. 6 insurrection with students | WITF
Woodland Hills School District shifts to remote learning the rest of the month due to covid cases, related issues | TribLIVE.com
NEPA legislators offer additional assistance for Scranton School District’s move to payroll tax | Education | thetimes-tribune.com
Elections/Politics
How false GOP views of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack came to be : NPR
Court ruling throws out more than 250 mail-in votes in Lehigh County (broadandliberty.com)
13 GOP Candidates Pack Stage in First Gubernatorial Debate – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)
Will Wood: Let’s work together to exorcise the ‘Big Lie’ (dailylocal.com)
Philadelphia building trades unions back Conor Lamb in Democratic primary for U.S. Senate | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Democrats in Northeast Philly face off for a special election, with more to come (inquirer.com)
ACLU sues Pa.’s Fulton County over missing records from 2020 election review – pennlive.com
A year after the U.S. Capitol riot, Pa. voters, candidates and policy are still influenced by what happened. | WITF
Jan. 6 succeeded. Here’s what’s next | Quentin Young – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Pgh pols remember Jan. 6 as ‘insurrection’ – warn of danger ahead – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Given a minute, Republican candidates debate their case for a shot to be Pa. governor | State | thecourierexpress.com
Pa. GOP debate: The most important question wasn’t asked (timesonline.com)
Schnee eyes Toohil’s former state seat | Times Leader
Environment
Messaging is critical for weather forecasts to save lives : NPR
Pennsylvania is poised to make progress on climate strategy (buckscountycouriertimes.com)
DEP outlines a path for Pa. to hit ‘100 percent’ of Chesapeake Bay pollution reduction goal – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Transportation
Snow updates: Central Pa. hit with first real mess of the season (ydr.com)
UPDATE: PennDOT lifts vehicle & speed restrictions for I-83, still in place for I-78 (abc27.com)
PennDOT extends deadline for public feedback on Route 30 reconstruction project (dailylocal.com)
Pocono weather: Speed restrictions implemented on area roads (poconorecord.com)
Health
A look back: Pandemic results in greater awareness of health in all forms (readingeagle.com)
Health department investigating hepatitis outbreak in Montgomery County (readingeagle.com)
What is ‘flurona’? Why are people talking about it now? | WITF
Delaware County Memorial Hospital to close maternity unit. Just two will remain in the county | Health | phillytrib.com
State News
‘A terrible day for our nation’ | Times Leader
Pennsylvania sounds alarm on unemployment fraud schemes | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com
Wolf Administration launches Pa. Homeowner Assistance Fund (abc27.com)
PA Power Grid Up to Cold Weather Challenges, Experts Say – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)
Pennsylvania Farm Show butter sculpture seeks to bridge rural-urban divide | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)
How much snow fell during central Pa.’s first storm of 2022? – pennlive.com
More people are leaving Pennsylvania than moving in, says U-Haul | Today in Pa. – pennlive.com
Big ‘Back to the Future’ move for Pennsylvania fishing regulations in 2022 – pennlive.com
The Pennsylvania connection to the January 6 insurrection (abc27.com)
Capitol riot, reaction involved dozens of Pennsylvanians | Election | standardspeaker.com
National News
The Western drought is revealing America’s ‘lost national park’ : NPR
Kazakhstan Leader Says Order “Mainly Restored” After Unrest : NPR
Banned from Facebook and Twitter, far right groups are still a presence online. : NPR
Fermo: A year after Capitol riot, character counts more than ever (buckscountycouriertimes.com)
What will 2022 bring in the way of misinformation on social media? (buckscountycouriertimes.com)
Kazakhstan Protests Lead President to Crack Down: ‘Fire Without Warning’ – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Peter Bogdanovich, 82, Director Whose Career Was a Hollywood Drama, Dies – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
How one Capitol police officer’s experience underscores the role of race on Jan. 6 | Solomon Jones (inquirer.com)
Local News
Yellow Cab of Lancaster permanently closes, cites COVID-19 pandemic among reasons | Local News | lancasteronline.com
First snowstorm of winter delivers several inches of snow in region – Daily Local
Nation’s first hydrothermal system at wastewater plant to be installed in Phoenixville (dailylocal.com)
The We Believe in Erie Fund targets equity and Erie’s economic growth (goerie.com)
Vigil at Fifth and Penn streets marks anniversary of Capitol insurrection (readingeagle.com)
First snow in Lehigh Valley shuts schools, brings plummeting temperatures; a wintry mix may cause issues Sunday before the arrival of arctic air – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Wilkes-Barre paramedics get no compensation for COVID-related work loss | coronavirus | citizensvoice.com
Moira Mulroney elected president of the Radnor Board of Commissioners (mainlinemedianews.com)
Montgomery County Commissioners react to Jan. 6 anniversary (mainlinemedianews.com)
Montgomery County poll workers still waiting on Election Day compensation (mainlinemedianews.com)
Pitt
Pittsburgh politicians remember Jan. 6 as an “insurrection,” warn of danger ahead | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)
Allegheny County posts highest one-day COVID-19 case count; Pa. hospitalizations at record level | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Covid positivity rate in Allegheny skyrockets to 26% as omicron spreads | TribLIVE.com
Michael Lamb: Annexing Wilkinsburg to Pittsburgh is the right move | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Obituary: James Mellon Walton | Executive who shaped Carnegie museums, Carnegie Library and Heinz Endowments | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Mayor Ed Gainey: ‘Heartbeat of our country’s democracy was attacked’ on Jan. 6 | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh City Council reintroduces legislation on single-use plastic bags | TribLIVE.com
Philly
12 People, Including 8 Kids, Killed in Fire at Philadelphia Apartments – NBC10 Philadelphia (nbcphiladelphia.com)
Philadelphia fire updates: Fairmount rowhouse tragedy may have started with a Christmas tree fire (inquirer.com)
Investigators look into whether a 5-year-old might have started the deadly Philadelphia blaze | WITF
Philly Lyft driver uses gun to defend self, passenger from armed carjackers (broadandliberty.com)
Cause undetermined in Philadelphia house fire that killed 12 (abc27.com)
LYNETT: Philadelphia DA’s Office Sheds Prosecutors, Crimes Go Unpunished – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)
Philly QAnon detective Jennifer Dugger in D.C. last Jan. 6 still on limited duty awaiting a hearing (inquirer.com)
Philadelphia is ending its rental assistance program because it’s running out of funds (inquirer.com)
How to get free smoke detectors in Philadelphia (inquirer.com)
Intervention teams offer unique way to fight Philly’s gun violence – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Philly schools shifting to virtual learning Friday due to winter storm | Local News | phillytrib.com
Washington
On Jan. 6 Anniversary, Biden Goes After Trump and Trumpism – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Biden blasts Trump over Capitol attack, calls him an undemocratic liar (ydr.com)
Trump lashes out after Biden speech: ‘Used my name today to try to further divide America’ (abc27.com)
1 year later, Congress still divided on Capitol riot | ABC27
Dems say voting rights in Pa. are still at risk, a year after Jan. 6 – WHYY
