News Digest :: May 31, 2022

Legislature

Texas school shooting raises questions about lack of red flag laws in Pennsylvania – CBS Pittsburgh (cbsnews.com)

Pass Red Flag laws, which have bipartisan support, and reduce firearms deaths | Opinion – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Rally in Philadelphia against gun violence draws Gov. Tom Wolf, students (inquirer.com)

Philadelphians rally against gun violence, call for action – WHYY

Wolf, Shapiro, students and activists demand new gun policy (audacy.com)

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and others governors diverge on gun control, school security efforts | WITF

Fight blight with Whole Home Repairs | Editorial (inquirer.com)

The Senate Transportation Committee unanimously approved stricter DUI laws on Wednesday (delcotimes.com)

Level Up Advocates Deliver Letters Signed By 60 Superintendents to Legislators – MyChesCo

Bipartisan bill aims to end juvenile fees, fines in Pa. (abc27.com)

High-profile Republican primary losses could make passing Pa.’s next budget painful | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Wolf Administration, Women’s Health Caucus, Community Partners Discuss Importance Of Investing In Maternal-Child Health – MyChesCo

Gift ban, other good-government changes stall in Pa. despite promises from leadership · Spotlight PA

Gift ban advocates look to circumvent GOP leadership, pressure lawmakers – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Reps. Gregory, Rozzi call on AG to investigate Southern Baptist sex abuse | Five for the Weekend – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Pa. Senate advances bill blocking trans female athletes from girls, women’s school sports | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pa. lawmakers hear testimony on proposal to inform consumers on sales of their data | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Gov. Wolf Promises Grants For Veteran Farmers | Eyewitness News (pahomepage.com)

Man with a ban: How Gov. Tom Wolf’s veto tally is defining his legacy | Analysis – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Exit Interviews Part 2: Tom Wolf, The Backstop – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

Exit Interviews Part 3: Jake Corman, The Leader – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

 

Coronavirus – COVID-19

Shanghai moves toward ending 2-month COVID-19 lockdown : NPR

Dominant coronavirus mutant contains ghost of pandemic past | Coronavirus | tribdem.com

 

Business/Jobs

With budget season approaching, Pennsylvania business leaders want a corporate tax cut – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

Governor helps open Bowery Farming’s largest vertical farm yet, in Bethlehem – lehighvalleylive.com

Nursing shortage can be fixed by speeding up the licensing process (inquirer.com)

CEO pay rose 17% in 2021, far higher than workers’ pay – pennlive.com

Letter: Child care industry needs help to survive (readingeagle.com)

Inflation putting the squeeze on Philadelphia residents and businesses alike – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

How Pennsylvanians are coping with price hikes: ‘Inflation is ridiculous’ – pennlive.com

Wall Street’s Losing Streak Ends, but Uncertainty That Drove It Lingers – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Pay transparency laws raise women’s salaries (and slightly lower men’s) (inquirer.com)

 

Crime/Punishment

York police offer form for residents that suffer from mental illness. (ydr.com)

Public safety officer deaths by suicide, PTSD could soon be considered line-of-duty injuries | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Education

Pennsylvania’s students deserve equity, and we can deliver | Opinion – pennlive.com

Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. got teary at the Philly school board’s sendoff (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia Board of Education to invest in improvement with latest budget | Local News | phillytrib.com

St. Joe’s fires prof. who survived investigation over Twitter controversy, but later sued the university (broadandliberty.com)

Interest rates on new federal student loans going up for 2022-23 (abc27.com)

Pleasant Valley School parents fight to keep band program intact (poconorecord.com)

Lower Makefield board approves $30M middle school project | The Bucks County Herald

Penn State, State College school district require masking again, as the county moves back to ‘high’ COVID-19 level | WITF

Drexel President John Fry reflects on development and why the school is graduating more engineers rd (inquirer.com)

Special education costs in Pa. are rising, but the state isn’t footing the bill. Now, children in poorer districts are ‘losing out,’ new report says | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Elections/Politics

‘It’s a lie’: Aument calls out, but supports push for recount in 36th Senate district primary | PA Power and Policy | lancasteronline.com

Democrat Josh Shapiro launches governor campaign in Johnstown, PA (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Chester County begins GOP Senate race recount Tuesday – Daily Local

This year’s Pennsylvania gubernatorial election will be a clear litmus test of our willingness to protect democracy [editorial] | Our Opinion | lancasteronline.com

‘Gas tax refund’ giveaway presents big, inequitable hit to state budget | Editorial (inquirer.com)

Progressives Try To Counter Right-Wing School Board Anger : NPR

Christian nationalism on the rise in some GOP campaigns — including Doug Mastriano’s in Pennsylvania | WITF

U.S. House loses more ‘swing’ in 2022 | WITF

 

Transportation

Rising US traffic deaths put focus on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia – Delco Times

Inflation could put severe limits on the benefits of infrastructure funding increase, PennDOT officials say | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Health

Lawmakers, county officials tour Paoli Hospital in wake of hospital closings – Daily Local

Guest Opinion: ‘Pro-Life and Pro-Gun’ a paradoxical message (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Telehealth Abortions Are Changing The Culture Of Medicine : Short Wave : NPR

How we can solve PA’s behavioral health care crisis (ydr.com)

The state of abortion, infant, and maternal care in Pa. | The Numbers Racket – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Pa. study examines if private wells cause illness in children (mcall.com)

Pa. has more Lyme disease cases than any other state in the country (inquirer.com)

 

State News

We cannot surrender to gun violence – Sen. Bob Casey (goerie.com)

Toomey, Casey may support gun bills after Buffalo, Uvalde shootings (poconorecord.com)

‘Why aren’t you giving us back our money?’ reader asks of local governments with ARPA funds (yahoo.com)

Judge rules fair share fees unconstitutional in Pennsylvania teachers union lawsuit | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

More oversight, transparency for Pennsylvania economic development loans proposed | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

IRS Data: Pennsylvania keeps losing population and wealth (broadandliberty.com)

Army base could be renamed after decorated Pennsylvania veteran (abc27.com)

Russia says ‘Nyet’ to any more visits from hundreds of members of Congress, including Pa. – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Declining deer hunter numbers pose serious questions about future of deer management – pennlive.com

Consumer advocates in Pennsylvania caution against switching electric suppliers as utilities raise rates | WITF

Pennsylvania drivers spend more on repairs as the chip shortage cuts off supply of new cars | WITF

 

National News

EU leaders agree to ban 90% of Russian oil by the end of 2022 : NPR

Canada to cap the market for handguns with new legislation : NPR

FDA investigates hepatitis A outbreak potentially linked to strawberries : NPR

Don’t be ‘horrified and heartbroken’ at Uvalde. Get mad as hell and do something. | Will Bunch (inquirer.com)

U.S. marks Memorial Day weekend with at least 11 mass shootings | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

More than $2.7 million has been raised for the children of a Uvalde teacher : NPR

Inflation boosts home values, but can affect taxes and insurance (goerie.com)

A different America demands a different kind of Memorial Day | Monday Morning Coffee – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

State courts could overturn abortion bans in red states | Analysis – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Bidding to rent a home? It’s an unexpected tactic in a competitive market. (inquirer.com)

 

Local News

Claim: Upper Darby financial fight is under investigation by DA (broadandliberty.com)

Reading, West Reading to hold flag-raising ceremonies to kick off Pride month | Berks Regional News | wfmz.com

Planned garden will honor Gold Star families – Northeast Times

Community holds remembrance celebration with triumphant return of Kennett Square Memorial Day Parade – Daily Local

Local foundations start aid fund for explosion victims with $10K donation (dailylocal.com)

Suicide awareness vigil to be held in Stroudsburg on Monday (poconorecord.com)

Pottstown mourns lives lost in explosion during prayer vigil (readingeagle.com)

Cincinnati experts give boost to Erie’s East Side Renaissance plan (goerie.com)

Why $47M in affordable housing rehab is happening in downtown Erie (goerie.com)

Erie City Councilman Michael Keys urges Rodger Young Park renewal (goerie.com)

Returning Ukrainian war veteran highlights Media Memorial Day Ceremony – Delco Times

Commemorations planned for 1889 Johnstown Flood’s 133rd anniversary | News | tribdem.com

Hearings set for controversial Venue development in Hilltown may soon begin | The Bucks County Herald

Crowds flock to 140th Ashley Memorial Day parade | News | citizensvoice.com

Scranton honors those lost on Memorial Day | News | thetimes-tribune.com

Return of Mohnton Memorial Day parade a welcome sight for residents – Reading Eagle

From Lady Liberty to Hersheypark, check out this drone’s eye view over central Pa.: video – pennlive.com

Ground breaking video gaming facility opens at Whitaker Center | Smart Talk (witf.org)

 

Pitt

Pittsburgh light rail’s costs are 25% above national average | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard to expand thanks to $2 million state grant (nextpittsburgh.com)

Pittsburgh begins gathering community input on 2023 budgets | TribLIVE.com

Gold Star Mothers honored during Trafford Memorial Day program | TribLIVE.com

Pittsburgh’s gun violence takes troubling turn to younger victims | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Port Authority, Amalgamated Transit Union negotiating new contracts after COVID vaccination firings | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Plan to alter Pittsburgh bridges to accommodate double-stacked train cars moves forward | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Philly

Independence Visitor Center generates $72M a year in additional spending on hotels, food, and more, new report says (inquirer.com)

Philly Pride is fun for kids. Really | Opinion (inquirer.com)

Senior lifeguards are stepping in to save city pools | Helen Ubiñas (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia braces for busy June with city set to host more than 360 events – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Chambers, minority firms call for business and wage tax cuts | Local News | phillytrib.com

Philadelphia students walk out for abortion rights – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Philly’s reassessment hurting African Americans, seniors on fixed incomes – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

City Councilmember Johnson introduces property tax relief plan | Local News | phillytrib.com

Philly needs 60 more lifeguards to open most pools this summer | Local News | phillytrib.com

Philly DA’s office group that offers compassion to victims’ families seeks some for itself | Local News | phillytrib.com

Philly lost nearly 25,000 residents in 2021, according to new census report | Local News | phillytrib.com

 

Washington

January 6 committee is doing sacred work so, no, we won’t move on (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Peter Navarro, Former Trump Aide, Gets Grand Jury Subpoena in Jan. 6 Inquiry – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Biden sees chance of ‘rational’ Republican approach on guns | News | phillytrib.com

Justice Dept. to review response to Texas school shooting (inquirer.com)

‘Today we are free because they were brave’: Biden honors nation’s fallen in Memorial Day remarks | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette