News Digest:: September 20, 2023

Legislature

PA Environment Digest Blog: Senators Santarsiero, Comitta To Introduce Bill Increasing Setback Safety Zones From Shale Natural Gas Drilling Sites From 500 To 2,500 Feet, Based On Latest Science (paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com)

Pennsylvanians Gather to Fight for the Right to Read and Book Bans – PennWatch

Democrats retain narrow control of Pennsylvania House after special election (inquirer.com)

Democrats have retained narrow control of the Pennsylvania House following a special election in Pittsburgh – ABC News (go.com)

Pa. Senate committee advances bill to restrict children’s access to social media – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Grants allow Glassport to upgrade police department – The Mon Valley Independent

Advocates rally for addiction recovery services – Healthcare – The Black Chronicle

Big money influence in Philadelphia politics: Ethics Board loses (billypenn.com)

When is the 2024 Pa. primary? State lawmakers want to move up the presidential primary, but haven’t agreed on a new date (inquirer.com)

Free Senior Expo | Haverford Area YMCA, Havertown, PA | September 28, 2023 (happeningnext.com)

Lehigh Valley Ramblings: Is It Time to Ban Guns in Public Parks?

Pa. Treasury has $10.7 million of unclaimed property from Indiana County | Indiana | tncontentexchange.com

Attorney general races to watch heading into 2024 | News | gazette.com

Philly City Council bans supervised injection sites for drug use (broadandliberty.com)

Grinch bots targeted in new bill | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Business/Jobs

Fed-up consumers are going after food companies for misleading claims : NPR

Consumer Product Safety Commission releases album on common young adult hazards : NPR

Bob Ross art from ‘The Joy of Painting,’ episode one is for sale for $10 million : NPR

Kraft recalls cheese slices that have the potential to make you gag or ‘could be unpleasant’ – pennlive.com

COVID-19

A new COVID-19 booster is here. Will those at greatest risk get it? – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

The latest COVID boosters are in for the fall. Here’s what that means for you : NPR

Crime/Punishment

1-year-old’s fentanyl death at Bronx day care leads to federal charges : NPR

Prosecutors charge two after daycare death, kilo of fentanyl on top of children’s mats | National | thecentersquare.com

15-year-old killed in Pa. shooting: reports – pennlive.com

Mother, daughter asked what they did with the almost $339k they stole from Pa. credit union – pennlive.com

North Catasauqua double homicide: Teen charged with killing two (mcall.com)

Education

JoAnne A. Epps, acting president at Temple University, has died : NPR

Temple Acting President JoAnne Epps dies after collapsing at university event – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Elections/Politics

Vice President Kamala Harris urges Reading students to lead peers to the polls – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Democrats retain narrow control of Pennsylvania House after special election (inquirer.com)

Pennsylvania opts into automatic voter registration | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Environment/Energy

Burned Lahaina Banyan Tree Grows New Leaves, Giving Residents Hope – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

‘Risky’ energy retail market deterring consumers | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Report: US oil and natural gas made ‘accelerated progress in emissions reductions’ | National | thecentersquare.com

Rain could overtake central Pa. later this week, forecasters say – pennlive.com

Transportation

Speed camera enforcement laws sunsetting soon | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Gun Safety

California passes 11% gun, ammo excise tax critics say is unconstitutional | California | thecentersquare.com

California passes call for US constitutional convention to limit gun access | California | thecentersquare.com

Lehigh Valley Ramblings: Is It Time to Ban Guns in Public Parks?

Students taught to counter shooter in new safety drill ALICE | WITF

State Supreme Court To Decide If Cities Can Enact Stiffer Gun Laws Than State (politicspa.com)

Health

California’s controversial mental health courts to start up in October : Shots – Health News : NPR

Fentanyl’s threat to children: Hundreds have died in Pa. from overdoses – pennlive.com

State News

Pennsylvania wants to make it easier to register to vote | WITF

Pennsylvania Governor Calls for Automatic Voter Registration (dailysignal.com)

Pennsylvania opts into automatic voter registration | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Pennsylvanians will now be automatically registered to vote when they go to the DMV | National | union-bulletin.com

Pa. agency subpoenaed for chocolate plant explosion records | WITF

Pa. courts have no interpreters for Pennsylvania Dutch | WITF

National News

Hunter Biden to plead not guilty in felony gun case : NPR

Governors ask Biden for ‘honest, accurate’ information on illegal immigration | National | thecentersquare.com

Alabama school band teacher was tased by police for not stopping performance : NPR

Abortion Rights Group Sees Mission Beyond ‘Pro-Choice,’ So It Has a New Name – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Unlawful Border Crossings Are Rising Fast After a Brief Decline – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Prosecutor Sues Sacramento Over Homeless Camps as Tensions Rise – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Andrew Yang debates value of alternative political parties | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

U.S. troops describe living in military barracks as ‘continuous misery’ | National | thecentersquare.com

Local News

Vice President Kamala Harris visits Berks County. (mcall.com)

Middletown Youth Club investigating altercation between parents and coaches during football game – pennlive.com

3 people leave youth center in Dauphin County amid diversion (abc27.com)

Pratt Industries to invest $500 million in Pa. facilities (mcall.com)

Hearing for proposed Lonat Drive warehouse continues in Lower Nazareth | Lehigh Valley Regional News | wfmz.com

Bethlehem City Council OKs ask for federal housing aid | Lehigh Valley Regional News | wfmz.com

International Paper adds 100 jobs in Chester County (dailylocal.com)

Philly Pretzel Factory mascot stolen, returned from Langhorne shop (phillyburbs.com)

PennDOT: Roundabouts reducing fatalities, injuries, and crashes | Times Leader

Downtown WB lots would offer parking for proposed daycare center | Times Leader

Pitt

Powell special election victory affirms narrow Democratic control of Pa. House – Pittsburgh Union Progress

Lindsay Powell wins Allegheny County special election, Democrats keep Pa. House | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Clairton school directors to submit letter to state opposing new cyber charter school | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

National Blue Ribbon Schools in 2023 include three in Pittsburgh area | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Steelers superfans get married at tailgate before Monday Night Football game | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Spotted lanternfly home remedies may be worse than the bugs | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Morning Roundup: 2 hurt in garbage truck crash in Overbrook; vandalism in Squirrel Hill; 2 shot in Mt. Oliver | TribLIVE.com

Philly

Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2023 Veterans in Business honorees – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Jerry Sweeney says Brandywine won’t build next Schuylkill Yards tower on spec – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

3 Philadelphia restaurants make New York Times top 50 list for 2023 – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Some in the 3rd District confused by councilwoman’s stance on injection sites | Local News | phillytrib.com

Despite record global heat, Philly had coolest summer since 2014 | Local News | phillytrib.com

Washington

New Senate dress code, John Fetterman, others choose casual | WITF

John Fetterman mocks Republicans ‘losing their minds’ over him ‘dressing like a slob’: Hoodie-wearing Democrat hits back over dropping dress code – as GOP senator, 70, jokes she’ll, start wearing a ‘bikini’ – Internewscast Journal

Pa Sen. Bob Casey wants hunter safety courses | WITF