News Digest :: April 16, 2021

Legislature

Democrats and Republicans square off in court over Delaware River Basin Commission fracking ban (inquirer.com)

Chester County lawmakers support marriage equality legislation | Local News | dailylocal.com

An Unexpected Journey | AL DÍA News (aldianews.com)

Cutler Tests Positive for COVID-19 | PoliticsPA

Smart Talk: Radar guns for Pa. law enforcement? | Smart Talk (witf.org)

Will Pa. lawmakers pass local police radar bill — or let it pass them by again? | Mark O’Keefe | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Pa. Republicans eyeing tighter voter ID requirements to meet wall of Wolf veto | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Adopting a puppy or in need of dog boarding service? Use this tool first | News | northcentralpa.com

 

Coronavirus – COVID-19

States Struggle With Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Pause as Federal Officials Reassure Public – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Odds of dying from J&J vaccine are astronomical, benefits are many (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Covid-19 Live Updates: Pfizer and Others Plan for Vaccine Boosters – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Can the Covid Vaccine Protect Me Against Virus Variants? – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Pa. extends J&J vaccine ‘pause’ by 4 days | Times Leader

As COVID-19 cases rise among children, parents wonder what’s safe: ‘No activity is risk-free’ (inquirer.com)

State promoting vaccine to minority communities | Coronavirus | dailylocal.com

Pa. COVID-19 update: hospitalizations rise by more than 100 in a week – pennlive.com

Pa. Health Department survey finds only about half of state’s nursing home staff have been vaccinated | WITF

More COVID-19 vaccines to go to Pennsylvania nursing homes (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Vaccine tourism: International travelers visiting U.S. for COVID shots (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Neshaminy Manor in Warrington will lose employees to mandated vaccine policy (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

LGH holding COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Columbia Borough Sunday | Health | lancasteronline.com

Homeless finally getting a chance at COVID-19 shot | News | phillytrib.com

J&J vaccine pause complicates plans to vaccinate Philly region’s vulnerable homeless residents (inquirer.com)

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy still high in Pennsylvania Muhlenberg College Survey shows – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Poll shows many Pennsylvanians still hesitant to get COVID-19 vaccine | State | standardspeaker.com

Should colleges mandate COVID shots? – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Moderna plans for COVID-19 booster shot to be prepared in time for fall, CEO says – pennlive.com

Letter: It’s wrong to punish people for not getting vaccinated | Letters to the Editor | readingeagle.com

Berks County will launch hotline for those struggling to access COVID vaccine | Berks and Beyond | readingeagle.com

Excela Health has more vaccine doses than appointments in Westmoreland County | TribLIVE.com

Covid hospitalizations continue to be a concern in Allegheny, Westmoreland | TribLIVE.com

 

Business

Union members rally for a $15 minimum wage | News | standardspeaker.com

$15 backers rally outside Toomey’s offices | Times Leader

More than 20 Philadelphia-area banks form $100M fund for minority-owned businesses – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Philadelphia-area hospitality industry grapples with hiring difficulties – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

 

Crime/Punishment

East Berlin police chief never served unpaid suspension after all (ydr.com)

Pa. couple accused of using fraudulently obtained paycheck protection loan to buy bitcoins – pennlive.com

Feds: Scott Twp. man set up fake PPP loans for gold bars, college tuition, fancy cars and more | TribLIVE.com

Police were justified in fatal shooting of a Berks man, district attorney says | Berks and Beyond | readingeagle.com

 

Education

Investment in health, safety and jobs focus of hearing on Pennsylvania’s toxic schools – The Philadelphia Sunday Sun (philasun.com)

Matthew Stem to leave state Education Department, take leadership role at IU13 | Local News | lancasteronline.com

Board member sues powerful Hershey School, claims he’s being denied financial records · Spotlight PA

Westmont school board approves Price Field design with $1 million cost increase for project | News | tribdem.com

Letter to the editor | Private school sports have an advantage | Readers Forum | tribdem.com

Guest Opinion: Pennridge must choose transparency when filling vacancy (theintell.com)

Allentown, Bethlehem school districts would get extra money under push to fix ‘atrocious reality of underfunding’ – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Pa. state universities freeze tuition for third consecutive year – pennlive.com

PSSA standardized tests are coming back to schools this year: What parents need to know – pennlive.com

Editorial: Schools deserve credit for keeping music alive | Editorials | readingeagle.com

Exeter High School closed due to COVID cases | Coronavirus | readingeagle.com

Dallas High School suspending in-person learning Friday due to COVID-19 | coronavirus | citizensvoice.com

Groundbreaking held for Howard Gardner School | Education | thetimes-tribune.com (thetimes-tribune.com)

Tour of new WB Area high school shows much of work completed | Times Leader

 

Elections/Politics

The 2022 Senate race’s first ad hits John Fetterman in a sore spot on race (inquirer.com)

State Sen. Sharif Street Files Candidacy Statement in Senate Race | WDIY

Perelman School of Medicine professor Kevin Baumlin joins race for Pa. Senate seat | The Daily Pennsylvanian (thedp.com)

Dickinson Announces Rematch Vs Doyle | PoliticsPA

Pennsylvania GOP launches ‘super MAGA Trump’ primary – POLITICO

Bolus mayor ballot appeal dismissed | Election | thetimes-tribune.com (thetimes-tribune.com)

First question in Harrisburg mayor’s race: How’s Eric Papenfuse doing? – pennlive.com

Objections raised to Luzerne county GOP endorsing council candidates | Election | standardspeaker.com

 

Health

Doylestown Hospital’s new Clark Center for Critical Care Medicine to begin seeing patients – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Opioid crisis: Erie advocate Taylor Miller dies at 27, losing her battle (goerie.com)

Former York funeral home, now recovery, veteran support (ydr.com)

St. Luke’s aims to treat linger COVID symptoms through COVID recovery clinic – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

 

State News

Pennsylvania is fixing system that mistakenly believed people on SNAP benefits were shopping improperly (inquirer.com)

Pa. Cannabis Festival returns this weekend to Kutztown. Here’s what to expect. – lehighvalleylive.com

Bitcoin, Stock Prices Are Economic Warning Signs: Senator Pat Toomey – Bloomberg

PA veterans will start seeing EIP payments of up to $1,400 this week (poconorecord.com)

Outdoors: Changes in regulations will impact deer, turkey seasons (timesonline.com)

These are the greenest states in the U.S. How’d Pa. do? | Friday Morning Coffee | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

ParkMobile data breach hits Lehigh Valley’s three cities – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Pittsburgh Parking Authority app affected by massive data breach | Today in Pa. – pennlive.com

Explainer: Can cops stop drivers for objects hanging from rearview mirror? Pennsylvania is one of six states with such laws. – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Central Pa. baker known for animal crackers celebrates 150 year anniversary – pennlive.com

Sheetz makes Fortune Magazine’s list of best companies to work for | TribLIVE.com

 

National News

Gunman Kills 8 At FedEx Warehouse In Indianapolis : NPR

Chicago releases video of fatal police shooting of boy, 13 | News | phillytrib.com

Republicans And Democrats Largely Oppose Transgender Sports Legislation, Poll Shows : NPR

Why Local Election Officials In Georgia Take Issue With Many Parts Of New Law : NPR

Subdued Protests Over Police Shootings in Brooklyn Center and Chicago – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Head of Tokyo Olympics again says games will not be canceled | News | dailylocal.com

Iran starts enriching uranium to 60%, its highest level ever | News | dailylocal.com

Defense rests without Chauvin testimony at murder trial | National News | lancasteronline.com

Nearly 60M Americans don’t drink their tap water, research suggests. Here’s why that’s a public health problem | Opinion | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Discussion on the Chesapeake Bay watershed clean-up efforts | WITF

U.S. weekly jobless claims fall to 576,000, the lowest since the coronavirus pandemic began (inquirer.com)

Mich. GOP official blames maskless colleagues for his COVID-19 bout: ‘Masks and vaccines shouldn’t be political’ | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (post-gazette.com)

 

Local News

‘Erie County is ready’: Tyler Titus looks to become Pa’s first openly transgender county executive | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Ralliers in West Chester support transgender athletes | Local News | dailylocal.com

Luzerne County still has $19 million in federal pandemic funding for rental assistance | Times Leader

Lycoming County Commissioners ‘don’t have authority to draft’ 2nd amendment ordinance | News, Sports, Jobs – Williamsport Sun-Gazette

Personal income per capita in Bucks County: How it changed in 2019 (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Bucks community gardens support food pantries as well as pollinators (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Migrant children in Erie: Here is what we know (goerie.com)

NJ company pleads guilty to violation after 2019 death of PA employee (poconorecord.com)

Stroudsburg’s Monroe Farmers Market SNAP shoppers can double benefit (poconorecord.com)

Quakertown makes start on bigger and better playground (buckscountyherald.com)

After years of searching, Bethlehem Food Co-op found site that had everything they were looking for – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Bethlehem water bills to rise for thousands of customers under rate settlement – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Berks citizens helping scientists learn more about spotted lanternflies | Living | readingeagle.com

Hazleton City Council adopts relaxed regulations for mobile food establishments | News | standardspeaker.com

Cargill employees in Hazle Twp. OK three-year pact | Business | standardspeaker.com

Drug take back day planned in Schuylkill County | Cops and Courts | standardspeaker.com

Recycling center not taking yard waste until May 1, frustrating some officials, landscapers | News | thetimes-tribune.com (thetimes-tribune.com)

WB Council quizzes Brown about sale of city park, shootings and federal aid | Times Leader

Westmoreland commissioners say $140 million borrowing plan will put off future tax hike | TribLIVE.com

An Underground Railroad site in Montgomery County eyed by developers will be preserved (inquirer.com)

Sunoco floats Mariner East 2 pipeline reroute plan to avoid more Marsh Creek Lake spills (inquirer.com)

 

Pitt

Democratic Allegheny County Councilor makes insensitive remark about motion denouncing anti-trans sports bills before voting against it | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

Save Our Stages Concert Series is back with themed virtual shows by Pittsburgh artists | Music | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

The best-paying cities for teachers – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Peduto orders crackdown on contractors committing tax fraud | TribLIVE.com

Pittsburgh police report another black bear sighting, create email for wildlife concerns | TribLIVE.com

Penalty, interest on local income taxes filed after April 15 waived for 80+ Allegheny County communities | TribLIVE.com

Former Rex Theater donates $80K in equipment to new Pittsburgh arts group | TribLIVE.com

Transit riders who pay cash tell Port Authority about concerns with fare-structure changes | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (post-gazette.com)

Liquor control cites 27 businesses in Pittsburgh region for breaking pandemic rules | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (post-gazette.com)

First a pandemic, now rising prices complicate Pittsburgh-area construction projects | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (post-gazette.com)

 

Philly

School District of Philadelphia expands program to support young Black men | Local News | phillytrib.com

Residents express outrage over new construction in Point Breeze | Local News | phillytrib.com

SEPTA moves cleanup blitz to Allegheny El stop in Kensington (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia businesses would see modestly cut tax rates under Kenney’s budget plan (inquirer.com)

 

Washington

House panel votes to advance bill on slavery reparations | Across America | phillytrib.com

Equal pay bill passed by House but faces long odds in Senate | News | phillytrib.com

How the G.O.P. Lost Its Clear Voice on Foreign Policy – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

White House Warns Russia on Bounties, but Stops Short of Sanctions – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Biden meets Japan’s leader to boost China-facing alliances | National and World | dailylocal.com

LTE: The US should let the International Criminal Court do its work (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Biden Supreme Court commission panders to the left (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Democrats begin push to expand Supreme Court | News | phillytrib.com

US Senator greets Sikhs on ‘Baisakhi’, Guru Tegh Bahadur 400th birth anniversary (devdiscourse.com)

Op-Ed: Biden must take action on PFAS (ydr.com)

Op-Ed: Oil industry support for carbon tax could help producers, public (poconorecord.com)