News Digest :: April 14, 2022

Legislature

Fairness in Women’s Sports Act Passed by House – PoliticsPA

House passes bill banning transgender women from competing on women’s sports teams – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

Bill banning trans girls from girls’ sports moves to Senate (abc27.com)

Pa. Senate passes bill to ban ballot drop boxes (abc27.com)

‘The ballots are called mail-in ballots.’ Pa. Senate approves bill eliminating drop boxes – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Pa. Senate approves bills to end private election funding, ballot drop boxes | Local News | tribdem.com

PA Senate Says No Private Election Funding, Drop Boxes – PoliticsPA

Pennsylvania Senate approves ban on private election funding grants and ending ballot drop boxes | WITF

Pa. Senate approves legislation prohibiting third parties from funding elections – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Impact of marijuana legalization on children | WHP (local21news.com)

Senator Nikil Saval Hopes to Secure Funding for the Whole-Home Repairs Act (grantsforhomeowners.com)

Pa. House passes Whole Milk in Pennsylvania Schools Act (abc27.com)

Surprise stimulus check – Plans to hand millions of Americans $2,000 payouts to tackle cost of living crisis (the-sun.com)

Pennsylvania Democrats are working to lower costs while Republicans push tax hikes – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

Ciresi bill would make canceling services easier (mainlinemedianews.com)

New bill proposes giving employees time off to vote | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

Legalized marijuana not without risks to youth, experts tell Pa. senate committee | Don’t Miss This | dailyitem.com

 

Coronavirus – COVID-19

COVID remains a public health emergency for now, says WHO and Biden administration : NPR

Mask mandate for travelers extended : Shots – Health News : NPR

 

Business/Jobs

U.S. Tries New Tactic to Protect Workers’ Pay: Antitrust Law – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Opinion | The Case for Aggressively Raising Interest Rates – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Supply Chain Hurdles Will Outlast Covid Pandemic, White House Says – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Help wanted: minority workers sought for Erie redevelopment projects (goerie.com)

Vice President Kamala Harris offers union support in Philadelphia visit | Local News | phillytrib.com

Bloomfield Starbucks unanimously becomes first unionized location in Pennsylvania | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

A western Pennsylvania Starbucks is the first in the state to unionize | WITF

Worker organizing at Starbucks is on fire as more stores vote yes to a union : NPR

Sellers who ship through Amazon will see a new 5% fuel and inflation surcharge : NPR

Google says it will invest $15M in Pa. this year, including Bakery Square expansion in Pittsburgh | TribLIVE.com

 

Education

Harrisburg University sees success in E-Sports (abc27.com)

Mychalejko: Parental rights — and wrongs — in public education (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Penn State students ‘Take Back the Night’ for April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month | WITF

Penn Hills School District residents sound off on potential mascot change | TribLIVE.com

 

Elections/Politics

More than 664K Pa. voters have applied for mail-in ballots ahead of primary election, Pa. says – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Conor Lamb’s mission is to remake the Senate Democratic primary – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

New Pa. U.S. Senate poll: John Fetterman pulling ahead as Democratic favorite, GOP race still wide open | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Here are the primary candidates running to represent Berks in Harrisburg (readingeagle.com)

F&M Poll: Oz, Mastriano Hold Slim Leads – PoliticsPA

PA Senate Race Causes Headaches in Trumpworld – PoliticsPA

PA governor’s race: Doug Mastriano could ride election denial to win (ydr.com)

Jeff Bartos is running for U.S. Senate on ‘kitchen table’ issues (ydr.com)

Iowa and New Hampshire might not be first contests for Democrats in 2024 : NPR

Donald Trump is sticking his nose into already odd Pa. primaries for senator and governor | John Baer – pennlive.com

Democrat Enid Santiago survives petition challenge in Lehigh Valley’s 134th House District seat  – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Enid Santiago’s petitions ruled valid, rematch with Schweyer set – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Pennsylvania primary election 2022: See how much money the GOP candidates for governor have raised | WITF

The loyal opposition is a key element of democracy, and we’re losing it | Opinion – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Trumpworld scrambles to contain Oz endorsement fallout – POLITICO

 

Environment

Carbon program helps owners of forested land improve their trees (goerie.com)

Cranberry Bog restoration project aims to allow rare flowers to thrive (poconorecord.com)

 

Transportation

PennDOT: Federal funds will smooth road to Presque Isle, sync Erie signals (goerie.com)

Portion of Route 611 to remain closed after heavy rains (poconorecord.com)

Scranton to NYC passenger train gets boost with New Jersey contract award | News | thetimes-tribune.com

 

Health

CDC reports sexually transmitted infections in the US increased to record high in 2020 – pennlive.com

Editorial: Sexual assault, child abuse awareness coincide (mainlinemedianews.com)

How rising temperatures would intensify and lengthen allergy season : Shots – Health News : NPR

April is Autism Acceptance Month to signify inclusion and support | Smart Talk (witf.org)

Teen drug overdose deaths rose sharply in 2020, driven by fentanyl-laced pills | WITF

 

State News

Houlahan to hold ‘State of the Sixth’ town hall on April 19 (dailylocal.com)

Pennsylvania inheritance tax: a $1.2 billion burden | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Pa. Veterans concerned with care council appointees (abc27.com)

More deer with deadly chronic wasting disease lead to expanded state reaction – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Toomey’s vote against Ketanji Brown Jackson set a dangerous precedent. Here’s why | Bruce Ledewitz – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey commends Hazleton LaunchBox on receiving competitive grant | News | standardspeaker.com

 

National News

Latest Ukraine-Russia War News: Live Updates – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Ukrainians have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border by the thousands : NPR

Ukraine says it sank Russian flagship Moskva, but Moscow claims it was only damaged (inquirer.com)

Manhunt Ends but Questions Linger After Arrest in Subway Attack – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Police search for motive in Brooklyn subway suspect’s videos. He has ties to Pennsylvania | WITF

Tesla CEO Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter (abc27.com)

Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter for $43 billion : NPR

Alyssa Nakken becomes the first woman to coach on the field in MLB history : NPR

Report: High taxes, low profits. Tavern gaming licenses a bust for Pa. | Thursday Morning Coffee – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Amazon’s $2B housing push has mostly left out Washington, D.C., area’s poorest (inquirer.com)

 

Local News

Briarcliffe Fire Company will disband, but won’t face charges over racist meeting comments (delcotimes.com)

Sen. Judy Schwank Announces Veterans Expo in Berks County – BCTV

Community Briefs: Lansdowne holds dedication ceremony for Gateway Slope Project – Delco Times

Delaware County Solid Waste Authority approves contract with Covanta (delcotimes.com)

Poverty levels decreased in Lancaster faster than other Pennsylvania counties | Local News | lancasteronline.com

Reading’s new Climate Corps is looking for workers, 18 through 26 (readingeagle.com)

Reading group loses $225K anti-gun violence grant because it’s not an official nonprofit | WITF

Greater Pittston Ambulance Rescue Service Association to receive $226,000 from USDA | Times Leader

Lackawanna County looks to upgrade Montage amphitheater | News | thetimes-tribune.com

A Native American burial ground in Chester County is returning to its ‘rightful owners’ (inquirer.com)

 

Pitt

Pittsburgh City Council puts hold on Burgess’ bill on warrantless police pedestrian stops | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Allegheny County Council Divided Over Appointments To Allegheny County Sanitary Authority – CBS Pittsburgh (cbslocal.com)

Pittsburgh joins Philadelphia in banning plastic bags | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Protecting elephants: New Pittsburgh Zoo CEO wants to make Somerset conservation space more welcoming | Local News | tribdem.com

Pittsburgh region’s economy rebounding from pandemic more slowly than other metro areas | TribLIVE.com

Pittsburgh City Council condemns proposed Save Women’s Sports Act | TribLIVE.com

Downtown Pittsburgh office market gets a boost — but it still has a long way to go | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Philly

PPD attributes work of the non-fatal unit to solving more cases | Local News | phillytrib.com

Jury deliberations to get underway in the federal bribery trial of Kenyatta Johnson | Local News | phillytrib.com

Philly’s first-time home buyers will get more help from the city when its grant program returns (inquirer.com)

 

Washington

WH environmental justice advisors press for Justice40 action | News | phillytrib.com

Federal agencies are trying new ways to ease the burden of medical debt : Shots – Health News : NPR