News Digest :: January 28, 2022

Legislatura

Rich Fitzgerald and Farnam Jahanian: Autonomous vehicle testing bill essential to regional economy | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Local schools get state funding to improve safety – Daily Local

PA Democrats Seek Bipartisan Support for Prison Reform – Erie News Now | WICU and WSEE in Erie, PA

Lawmakers join forces for plan to get shooters off of Philly’s streets | Local News | phillytrib.com

Pennsylvania to provide $210 million to hospitals for front-line workers – Pittsburgh Business Times (bizjournals.com)

The Berks Community Action Program has awarded a $ 600,000 grant to curb violence – Pennsylvania News Today

Berks Community Action Program awarded $600,000 grant to curb violence (readingeagle.com)

Sen. Schwank, Sen. Vogel Unveil Legislation to Protect PA Grain Farmers – NewsBreak

State Awards BCAP $600K for Violence Prevention Programming – BCTV

$1 Million Announced for Environmental Conservation in Chester County – MyChesCo

Gov. Tom Wolf visits Montco to promote minimum wage raise (mainlinemedianews.com)

State lawmakers looking to stop Pennsylvania municipalities from banning natural gas use | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Pennsylvania congressional map in court’s hands after Wolf veto | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Mappapalooza: The fight over Pennsylvania’s congressional district lines has headed to court – pennlive.com

A Pennsylvania Court sifts through a stack of Congressional maps, hears from those who drew them | WITF

Redistricting in 2022 is making gerrymandered districts safer, undermining majority rule | Opinion – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Judge begins review to pick new congressional district maps | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The proposed state House map is good for Asian Americans – and for PA | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)

Gov. Tom Wolf defends Pennsylvania redistricting veto during trip to Erie (ydr.com)

Town Hall: Responding readers in favor of new design for District 8 (poconorecord.com)

Gov. Wolf visits expERIEnce Children’s Museum to highlight $5 million state investment to help expand the museum | ABC27

Wolf administration highlights resources for older adults struggling with substance use disorder (abc27.com)

‘Vulnerable’ and ‘overlooked’, state officials highlight need to address substance use disorder in older adults – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Pennsylvania law creates task force dedicated to protecting kids born into addiction | Today in Pa. – pennlive.com

Gov.Wolf to award $4.5 million for organizations targeted by hate (abc27.com)

Lawmakers, Jewish leaders announce $4.5M in security grants; call for permanent funding – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

SCHILLINGER: Survival Mode is Not Sustainable – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

Pa. to spend $225M to retain, recruit hospital nurses, provide loan debt relief | TribLIVE.com

Organizations encouraged to apply for state grants to improve security (readingeagle.com)

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman: Pennsylvania’s farmers need right-to-repair (theintell.com)

Shusterman applauds passage of bill that helps health care workers – Daily Local

Los mayores ganadores y perdedores de la semana | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)

 

Coronavirus - COVID-19

El coronavirus en Pensilvania, en cifras | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)

When will children under 5 be eligible for the COVID vaccine? (abc27.com)

Kids getting sick with more than COVID (abc27.com)

Pa. passes 40,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19 (abc27.com)

Hospitals still stressed as COVID patient numbers level off | coronavirus | citizensvoice.com

Kids getting sick with more than COVID (abc27.com)

Fauci declines to predict COVID vaccine timetable for kids under 5 – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Upper Darby opens walk up COVID testing site – Delco Times

New omicron variant is putting scientists on alert. Here’s what to know : Goats and Soda : NPR

 

Empresa/Trabajo

U.S. economy grew 5.7% in 2021 in rebound from 2020 recession | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jim Snell: PA’s energy revolution is bigger than Pennsylvania (broadandliberty.com)

U.S. Attorney Calls for ‘All Hands on Deck’ to Combat Philly Crime – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

ACMH Hospital nurses vote to authorize potential strike | TribLIVE.com

Gopuff reportedly prepping for IPO with Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

The Great Resignation is changing how higher education approaches employee flexibility – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Unions have enthusiasm, media spotlight. But membership numbers lag : NPR

 

Delito/Castigo

New lessons on Philly’s gun crisis | Morning Newsletter (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia Reviewed Over 2K Shootings. Here’s What Was Found – NBC10 Philadelphia (nbcphiladelphia.com)

 

Educación

What the fight for voting rights and the Pa. school funding lawsuit have in common | Opinion – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Karin Majewski: Life after the teachers’ union (broadandliberty.com)

Biden admin pushes to double federal funding for Title I schools (abc27.com)

‘Gag orders’ for U.S. teachers are becoming our new McCarthyism | Will Bunch (inquirer.com)

District court in Pittsburgh split on school masking, issue likely to be decided by appellate court | TribLIVE.com

Hamburg School District: Masks optional and no encouraging COVID vaccines (readingeagle.com)

Alvernia plans to fall opening of CollgeTowne campus in Pottsville (readingeagle.com)

Pa. ‘cyber charter school capital’ of the nation – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Study: Pa. cyber-charter schools lead on cost; lag on results | Friday Morning Coffee – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

New questions about whether kids should wear masks : NPR

 

Elecciones/Política

As Biden’s Polls Sag, Top PA Dems Dodge His Pittsburgh Visit – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

Is Biden’s Popularity Slide Having an Impact With PA Voters? | PoliticsPA

Philadelphia progressives target Seth Bluestein’s appointment as city commissioner (inquirer.com)

Dr. Oz makes his pitch at Grove City College | Local News | ncnewsonline.com

Luzerne County facing ‘tight turnaround’ on elections | Times Leader

Election board addresses mail-in ballot deadlines for special election for vacant state House seat | Election | standardspeaker.com

Multimillionaire Candidates Spur Big Spending in GOP Senate Race | PoliticsPA

 

Medio ambiente

Harvard study links air pollution from fracking to early deaths among nearby residents | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A federal judge canceled major oil and gas leases over climate change : NPR

Legislation pits two climate efforts — solar energy and plugging abandoned gas wells — against each other | StateImpact Pennsylvania (npr.org)

 

Transporte

U.S. DOT unveils new plan to reduce road deaths | ABC27

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg: Reducing traffic deaths requires ‘national change of mentality’ | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Salud

Pennsylvania opioid settlement: How much each county will get (inquirer.com)

Pa. poised to see $1B from national opioid settlement, with all 67 counties signing on – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Local leaders expect ‘significant’ boost to drug-fighting efforts from opioid settlement | News | tribdem.com

In midst of blood supply shortage, advocates call for change on who can donate (abc27.com)

Former buyer of Tower Health hospitals asks judge to halt closures – Reading Eagle

Tower Health faces lawsuit over botched sale of Brandywine and Jennersville Hospitals (inquirer.com)

Facial feminization surgeries for trans women now covered by UPMC | LGBTQ | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

Editorial: State must do more for families in need (delcotimes.com)

People undergoing trauma of miscarriages can also face discrimination on the job : Shots – Health News : NPR

 

Noticias del Estado

Biden looks for a lift from visit to Pittsburgh to tout infrastructure, administration’s accomplishments | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Lamb bill to research abandoned oil and gas wells advances out of committee | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Wolf admin: DCED Secretary Dennis Davin to resign next month – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

COVID has not sickened commonwealth finances; record surplus projected (abc27.com)

Groundhog Day duel: Punxsutawney Phil vs. PETA and persimmon seeds | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

District 7’s seat on PGC board remains vacant | News | citizensvoice.com

10 reasons why Pennsylvania is better than New Jersey, a clap back – pennlive.com

Game Commission seeks applicants for eastern Pa. commissioner – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Pennsylvania unemployment offering free credit monitoring (ydr.com)

 

Noticias nacionales

The expanded child tax credit briefly slashed child poverty. Here’s what else it did | WITF

Letter to the editor | President is trying to resolve issues | Readers Forum | tribdem.com

Kyle Rittenhouse is going to court to get his gun back : NPR

China’s ambassador to the U.S. warns of ‘military conflict’ over Taiwan : NPR

Russia sees ‘little ground for optimism’ in the U.S. response on Ukraine crisis : NPR

Snow and powerful winds expected in major winter storm hitting Northeast : NPR

After Vanessa Guillén’s murder, U.S deems military sexual harassment a crime : NPR

 

Noticias locales

County commissioners push for more money toward mental health services among top 2022 priorities | WITF

Costello details funding hardships at Wilkes-Barre Area | Education | citizensvoice.com

Hazleton mayor sees progress, hope in city | News | standardspeaker.com

Lehigh Valley rent prices spike amid affordable housing crunch – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Amid decreasing COVID cases Lower Merion cancels vote on state of emergency declaration – Mainline Media News

Delaware County Council gets update on American Rescue Plan Act funds (delcotimes.com)

More than 100 in Lancaster County have applied for new water assistance program [Lancaster Watchdog] | Local News | lancasteronline.com

A refugee activist, an orthopedic surgeon and a former record store owner: Here are the 18 applicants to be Lancaster city’s next council member | PA Power and Policy | lancasteronline.com

 

Pitt

Bridge collapses along Forbes Avenue through Frick Park in Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh school superintendent says ‘this is not who we are’ amid recent spate of violence | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Hazelwood Green a fitting backdrop for Biden | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh health care systems are working to comply with federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh Promise unveils scholarship aimed at increasing amount of Black educators in city | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Report looks at how Wilkinsburg annexation would impact Pittsburgh Public Schools | TribLIVE.com

Controversial Pittsburgh media figure Wendy Bell goes national on Newsmax | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

Port Authority gets federal money to look at extending East Busway | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

 

Filadelfia

Philly school board considers a $4.1M Penn partnership with Lea Elementary (inquirer.com)

No lights, no sidewalks: A deadly bus stop needs big improvements from SEPTA | Helen Ubiñas (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia snow in weather forecast prompts winter storm warning (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia man cleared after 37 years in prison, sues city | WITF

Philadelphia councilman wants to repeals the city’s soda tax | WITF

Oh seeks repeal of Philadelphia’s soda tax | Local News | phillytrib.com

Durst partners with Black-owned firm on Penn’s Landing project | Local News | phillytrib.com

Westpark residents say they want to remain in West Philly after towers emptied | Local News | phillytrib.com

 

Washington

Defense Secretary Austin orders U.S. military to step up efforts to prevent civilian harm | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Who’s who among some possible top Supreme Court contenders | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Supreme Court Justice Breyer formally announces his retirement | WITF