News Digest :: January 3, 2022

Legislatura

Senator Santarsiero Highlights 2021 Service to District, Local and Legislative Achievements – MyChesCo

The PA Politics Podcast: S2, E2: The PA Politics Podcast: Senator Jay Costa on Apple Podcasts

Philly ends 2021 with record murders. Some leaders have hope for 2022 – WHYY

Proposed Legislative Map Draws GOP Ire – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

5 takeaways from Pennsylvania’s new state House and Senate maps – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Stop accusations of retaliation and partisanship over the new Pa. legislative maps | Opinion (inquirer.com)

Letter: Give credit to people too often overlooked (readingeagle.com)

These Lehigh Valley park projects just got a combined $1.5M in state grants – lehighvalleylive.com

LVHN receives $4.5 million in state funding for LVH-Muhlenberg, Reilly – Lehigh Valley Press (lvpnews.com)

Community College of Philadelphia receives $3 million Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program Grant – The Philadelphia Sunday Sun (philasun.com)

Delaware County receives $4.6M to improve its aging 911 system – WHYY

Hellertown, L. Saucon Awarded $300K+ in Grants for Park Upgrades (sauconsource.com)

Several parks in Berks to benefit from state grants | Berks Regional News | wfmz.com

Nathan Benefield: How officials use tax dollars in lobbying efforts | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Coronavirus - COVID-19

CDC could add a negative test to its new isolation guidelines, Fauci says : Coronavirus Updates : NPR

CDC considers COVID-19 test requirement for asymptomatic: Fauci – pennlive.com

Is 5-day COVID quarantine good guidance? | Smart Talk (witf.org)

What is the endgame for COVID? Omicron clouds forecasts (abc27.com)

Cases remain high in region, dip slightly in state | Coronavirus | thetimes-tribune.com

Penn State to start upcoming Spring semester in-person | ABC27

Enfermeras de Pensilvania tras 22 meses de COVID-19 y una nueva oleada: "Es tan derrotista" (inquirer.com)

 

Empresa/Trabajo

Omicron dashes Pittsburgh companies’ plans to bring workers back to the office | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Philly face office reckoning but labs and apartment conversions may help (inquirer.com)

A tale of two raw pet-food companies, locked in a legal battle in rural Pennsylvania. (inquirer.com)

N.J.’s minimum wage rises to $13 an hour on its way to $15 (inquirer.com)

A generous unemployment package can help workers on the job, too | Opinion (inquirer.com)

Beer, turnpike tolls, groceries and more: 10 things that will be more expensive in 2022 – pennlive.com

 

Delito/Castigo

We can’t take a Soros-supported ‘progressive’ approach to crime, bail (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Police Ask Your Help Identifying Theft, Credit Card Fraud Suspect – MyChesCo

Western Pennsylvanians accused in Capitol riot face judgment day | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Capitol rioters’ tears, remorse don’t spare them from jail | WITF

Hate crimes are soaring. White supremacists have a new recruitment tool: Video games. (inquirer.com)

Report: regional police force would provide better service at less cost for some | News | citizensvoice.com

Report: Unaffordable cash bail is ‘a statewide crisis’ in Pa. | Monday Morning Coffee – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Educación

Pushing back on former Temple professor’s alien abduction claims (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Some schools around the region announce school closings (dailylocal.com)

School District of Lancaster closed Jan. 3 due to holiday COVID-19 surge (abc27.com)

PPS moves 12 schools to online learning hours after announcing all would return to in-person classes Monday | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Staffing shortages at Pittsburgh Public Schools require remote learning | TribLIVE.com

Central Bucks School District cancels school citing COVID-related teacher absences (inquirer.com)

Hanover Area shifts to virtual learning because of “alarming rate” of COVID-19 | coronavirus | citizensvoice.com

Exeter School Board reinstates mask requirement (readingeagle.com)

Some Delaware County schools going virtual as COVID numbers increase (delcotimes.com)

Delaware Valley short of bus drivers | News | thetimes-tribune.com

 

Elecciones/Política

Pa. governor’s race: Here’s who is running in 2022 (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Candidates fighting 2020 misinformation run to administer local elections – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

‘It can happen again’: Disinformation splits nation as anniversary of Capitol siege approaches | News | tribdem.com

ROSICA: Will Parents Tip the Elections in 2022? – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

Poll: A majority of Americans believe U.S. democracy is in crisis : NPR

6 questions for politics in 2022 : NPR

Pennsylvania’s wide open elections | Morning Newsletter (inquirer.com)

‘A hell of a year’: GOP eyes big 2022, but weaknesses remain (inquirer.com)

Hispanics are the majority in Hazleton. When will they win at the ballot? | News | citizensvoice.com

 

Transporte

Pa. Turnpike officials say they have plans to reduce unpaid tolls, which hit $105M last year – pennlive.com

Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls increase for 2022, again (mainlinemedianews.com)

Sustitución del puente de Schuylkill Avenue en Reading (readingeagle.com)

These Lehigh Valley road projects are moving along thanks to infrastructure bill. Others, including Route 22 widening, will have to wait. – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Editorial: Turnpike toll troubles continue (delcotimes.com)

 

Salud

Andrew Abramczyk: Medicaid, the federal program that ate Pennsylvania (broadandliberty.com)

Main Line Health temporarily stops elective surgeries due surge in Covid-19 cases – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

UPMC opens faith-based OB-GYN practice – pennlive.com

 

Noticias del Estado

Rep. Dwight Evans: Attacks on our democracy didn’t end Jan. 6. We must protect the vote | Opinion (inquirer.com)

Right-to-Know: York County won’t provide all messages about ICE contract (ydr.com)

PA permanently ditches dual trout season openers; shifts to one early date, which could make for cold fishing | News | lancasteronline.com

Fifty of 67 Pennsylvania counties have signed onto opioid settlement | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Pennsylvania casinos not ready to cut smoking from gambling experience | TribLIVE.com

State supports veteran businesses with record-setting $856M contract | Times Leader

 

Noticias nacionales

New laws take effect across U.S. on abortion, policing, taxes (inquirer.com)

Here’s what the new ban on surprise medical billing means for you | WITF

Overnight storms bring damage to parts of US South | News | tribdem.com

Child Tax Credit’s Extra Help Ends, Just as Covid Surges Anew – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Twitter bans Marjorie Taylor Greene for violating COVID-19 misinformation policy : NPR

Founder of CrowdTangle Hopes to Bring Transparency to Social Media – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Why Eric Adams and Kathy Hochul ‘Need Each Other’ – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

When the answers are not in books, some libraries hire social workers to help : Shots – Health News : NPR

Remembering Betty White : NPR

What is the Fed taper? How the Federal Reserve withdraws stimulus from the economy | Analysis – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Americans say New Year’s Resolutions will be harder to keep in 2022 | The Numbers Racket – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Noticias locales

Chester County volunteers grateful to help tornado victims – Daily Local

Rovito, Verwey sworn in as new Chester County Common Pleas Court judges – Daily Local

Chester County man is nation’s first lottery millionaire of 2022 – Daily Local

Year in Review: Chester County gave ‘Mare’ its look, feel – Daily Local

Council split as Plymouth’s 2022 budget raises taxes amid rising expenses | Times Leader

United Way of Wyoming Valley puts emphasis on reading in fight against childhood poverty | Times Leader

Tuzinski will not serve third term as Forty Fort mayor | News | citizensvoice.com

New year to bring changes to Lackawanna County Court | News | thetimes-tribune.com

2022 looking ahead: Pandemic remains an influencer (readingeagle.com)

Wanda Williams to take oath as Harrisburg’s 39th mayor – pennlive.com

LANTA cancels bus routes Monday due to COVID absences; Allentown School District also facing transportation woes – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Bethlehem development: Projects in 2022 include Boyd Theater, Wind Creek expansion – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Increased costs for the new Black Rock Middle School as board approves change orders – Mainline Media News

YDR editor Randy Parker shares diversity engagement plans for 2022

People, places, things around Erie to watch for in 2022 (goerie.com)

Erie County Emerge 2040 plan offers blueprint for historic investments (goerie.com)

Delaware County sees progress on some goals, conflict on others (delcotimes.com)

Chester City responds to Receiver regarding parking manager situation (delcotimes.com)

 

Pitt

Looking back at the tenure of Mayor Peduto – Pittsburgh: In Focus (post-gazette.com)

Ed Gainey’s virtual inauguration on Monday will be a day of firsts | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

New Year’s Day boom remains a mystery, but it was heard (and felt) far and wide | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

National Weather Service says meteors are likely to blame for New Year’s Day boom in Pittsburgh | TribLIVE.com

Meteor blamed for causing Pittsburgh-area boom that shook the ground – pennlive.com

Ed Gainey has plans to work toward a safer, more affordable, more diverse Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Filadelfia

Here are some good reasons to feel hopeful as we head into 2022 (thephiladelphiacitizen.org)

De facto charter school ban in Philly leads to growing waitlist (broadandliberty.com)

GIORDANO: Only One Person Can Turn Philly Around in 2022 – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

Philadelphia vaccine mandate: How to prove vaccination status at restaurants, sports venues, movie theaters, and more (inquirer.com)

Mummers strut down Broad Street in Philadelphia for the first time in 2 years, take out ire on politicians, vaccine mandates – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Amid COVID-19 pandemic and rain delays, Mummers strut in Philly | WITF

PHA looks at its accomplishments from 2021 | Local News | phillytrib.com

2 killed, 12 wounded in shootings in Philadelphia | Local News | phillytrib.com

Over 65 shots fired on busy Philadelphia street; 6 wounded | Local News | phillytrib.com

Maxine McNair, last parent of a child killed in 1963 church bombing, dies at 93 | Obituaries | phillytrib.com

 

Washington

Biden to meet with farmers as he seeks to cut meat prices | News | tribdem.com

Biden’s words on voting rights meet call to action after 1/6 | News | tribdem.com

Jan. 6 Panel Faces Difficult Questions as Anniversary of Capitol Riot Approaches – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger says agency is ‘much better prepared’ : NPR

Is the ‘smoking gun’ in Trump’s Jan. 6 attempted coup hiding in plain sight? | Will Bunch (inquirer.com)

Biden talks sanctions, Putin warns of rupture over Ukraine | WITF

Pentagon chief Austin says he has tested positive for COVID | News | phillytrib.com