Legislature
Pa. Senate votes to strengthen First Amendment rights for teachers | ABC27
Pa. Senate extends remote participation rules to May 31 – pennlive.com
With return of lawmakers, victims of child sex crimes implore Pa. Senate to advance reform bill – pennlive.com
Child sex abuse survivors urge Pa. Senate to take action on 2-year lawsuit window (wgal.com)
New Pa. bill would make it harder to rent out your home and jeopardize your privacy | Opinion (inquirer.com)
Protect Women’s Sports Act proposed in House | News, Sports, Jobs – Times Observer
Kennett Township Awarded $2 Million Grant for Five-Point Project – MyChesCo
Rep. Lawrence to Assume Speaker’s Role in Cutler’s Absence – MyChesCo
State Rep. Ortitay proposes ‘Great Pennsylvania Giveback’ | Local News | observer-reporter.com (observer-reporter.com)
Key GOP lawmaker eyes photo ID, signature matching as Pa. considers voting changes · Spotlight PA
Pa. House, Senate bills would update state’s outdated definition of marriage | Tuesday Morning Coffee | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Pa. House passes bill to rein in Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
‘Free the lemonade stand’: Pa. House approves bill to help businesses run by minors – pennlive.com
$3 million state grant brings Valley Crest project closer to fruition | News | citizensvoice.com
York County man pleads guilty to harassing U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (ydr.com)
Coronavirus – COVID-19
State Department To Issue Travel Warnings Amid ‘Unprecedented’ COVID-19 Risks : NPR
Smart Talk: Poll finds majority of Pennsylvanians remain concerned about public health situation | Smart Talk (witf.org)
Governor Wolf receives COVID-19 shot today as state combats vaccine hesitancy | WHP (local21news.com)
Acting Secretary Of Health Alison Beam Receives First Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine, Encourages Others To Get Vaccinated – CBS Pittsburgh (cbslocal.com)
Pennsylvania posts lowest 2-day covid case report since March 23 | TribLIVE.com
Where are Pa. coronavirus cases rising? Here are the key numbers to watch – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Billions spent on coronavirus fight, but what happens next? | National and World | delcotimes.com
CDC director: Officials examining ‘a handful’ of unconfirmed clotting reports after J&J vaccine pause | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (post-gazette.com)
Flyers join the effort to get Philadelphia residents vaccinated against Covid-19 – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Coronavirus positivity rate increases in Montgomery County, stays elevated in SE Pa. counties | News | mainlinemedianews.com
Neshaminy Manor in Warrington will lose employees to mandated vaccine policy (theintell.com)
Another View: The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe and lifesaving (theintell.com)
Percent positivity for COVID-19 is high in Northeast Pa. counties (poconorecord.com)
COVID-19: Daily update on coronavirus cases in Erie County (goerie.com)
Cambria leads region for residents fully vaccinated, state reports fewer than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases | Coronavirus | tribdem.com
Lancaster County mass vaccination site marks 100,000th patient milestone | Health | lancasteronline.com
Mobile COVID vaccine clinic makes 2 visits to serve underserved communities in Reading | Coronavirus | readingeagle.com
Berks County launches hotline for those struggling to get the COVID vaccine | Coronavirus | readingeagle.com
Penn State Health St. Joseph drive-thru COVID testing moving to new locations | Coronavirus | readingeagle.com
Three-county area sees 186 new COVID cases, 3 new deaths on Thursday | Coronavirus | standardspeaker.com
Putting Luzerne County’s latest coronavirus figures in perspective | Times Leader
How to take yourself off COVID-19 waitlists in Philadelphia and the suburbs (inquirer.com)
COVID-19 still spreading through Philly region as more can get vaccine, but Pa. and N.J. see different trends (inquirer.com)
To vaccinate more Latino Philadelphians, community-led clinics are key | Opinion (inquirer.com)
Philadelphia COVID-19 updates: Cases, hospitalizations quickly rising in Delaware (inquirer.com)
AHN vaccine clinic accepting walk-ins this afternoon at Pittsburgh Mills mall | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (post-gazette.com)
Business
SBA releases new details on its $28.6B Restaurant Revitalization Fund – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Chester County Economic Development Council announces organizational changes, responding to changing needs of area businesses as they rebuild from COVID-19 | Business | dailylocal.com
Knoll furniture being acquired by Herman Miller for $1.8 billion – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Nike to lease 1 million-square-foot warehouse in Bethlehem, could bring ‘in the ballpark of 250 jobs’ – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Schuylkill Chamber CEO, restaurant owner testify on COVID’s impact on hospitality industries | Business | standardspeaker.com
Restaurants, delivery apps still at odds as demand grows | National News | thetimes-tribune.com (thetimes-tribune.com)
Crime/Punishment
Scranton backs lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania’s restrictions on local gun control | News | thetimes-tribune.com (thetimes-tribune.com)
Man to serve 20 to 40 years in prison for 2014 deadly shooting in York (ydr.com)
Adams County man accused of scamming $300k from residents, police say (ydr.com)
Sex crimes: NY man accused of using Erie-area hotels in sex trafficking (goerie.com)
Advocates want juvenile center closed permanently and funds diverted | Local News | delcotimes.com
The Pa. Corrections Department shouldn’t renew its contract with Smart Communications. This is why | Opinion | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Leaders of Proud Boys ordered jailed on Capitol riot charges | WITF
Eight recruits join ranks of Wilkes-Barre Police Department | News | citizensvoice.com
Education
Why Schools Should Be the Center of a Green New Deal (gizmodo.com)
No tuition hike at Pennsylvania’s 14 state universities. Here’s the latest (theintell.com)
Pensions board in Pennsylvania votes to raise rates for 94K school employees | WITF
PSERS revises investment returns and, in turn, will increase teacher pension contributions – pennlive.com
Pennsbury looks to raise taxes to fund $223 million budget (buckscountycouriertimes.com)
Morrisville seeks merger talks with Pennsbury (buckscountycouriertimes.com)
Fewer incumbents in this year’s crowded school board field | News | dailylocal.com
Philly’s 7 best principals win Lindback award and $20,000 to improve their schools (inquirer.com)
‘I’m excited to see my favorite lunch lady, my teacher, my friends:’ After a year away, Allentown elementary students return to the classroom – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Allentown school board votes 9-0 at special meeting to hire interim superintendent to replace Thomas Parker – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
York County school board member resigns, calls its leadership’s behavior ‘abhorrent and beyond belief’ – pennlive.com
COVID cases close Schuylkill Valley High School for 2 days | Coronavirus | readingeagle.com
Isaac Tripp Elementary temporarily closes due to COVID-19 | Coronavirus | thetimes-tribune.com (thetimes-tribune.com)
Hempfield Area temporarily closes high school due to covid-19 cases | TribLIVE.com
Elections/Politics
Judge rules Flynn may remain on state Senate special election ballot | Election | thetimes-tribune.com (thetimes-tribune.com)
Supreme Court rejects lingering Pennsylvania 2020 election challenge case | WITF
League of Women Voters to hold Tuesday forum for 48th Senatorial District candidates – pennlive.com
League of Women Voters Day of Action for Fair Maps | News | mainlinemedianews.com
Allentown’s youth: Mayoral candidates weigh in on keeping the city’s children engaged | Lehigh Valley Regional News | wfmz.com
Garrity Backs Bartos For U.S. Senate | PoliticsPA
Jonathan Lovitz running for Pennsylvania House seat in 182nd District – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Beaver County primary candidates released (timesonline.com)
Supreme Court rejects PA election challenge (poconorecord.com)
Lou Barletta launches PAC while considering a run for governor | Election | standardspeaker.com
Luzerne County solicitor recommends special election for DA | Election | standardspeaker.com
Environment
Plastic bag preemption suit takes aim at long time Harrisburg dealmaking mechanism | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
NY recycling plant to open in Poconos, promises 30 jobs (poconorecord.com)
Exxon Mobil Proposes Carbon Capture Plan – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Group plants 100 trees in Centralia, gives away 250 more | News | standardspeaker.com
Miners’ union backs shift from coal in exchange for jobs | National News | thetimes-tribune.com (thetimes-tribune.com)
Transportation
PA, and the Poconos, need passenger rail | My Turn (poconorecord.com)
After vehicle strikes children, Reading officials wonder how to make intersections less dangerous [Survey] | Local News | readingeagle.com
PennDOT plans traffic stoppages on Tarentum Bridge | TribLIVE.com
Traffic restrictions set to start on Harrison’s Springhill Road for path project | TribLIVE.com
Health
Casey, Garrity, Baker announce PA ABLE’s $50M asset milestone | Times Leader
Humana Inc. Overcharged Medicare Nearly $200 Million, Federal Audit Finds : Shots – Health News : NPR
Alternative to opioids: Electrostimulation device aids pain relief (timesonline.com)
Allegheny Health Network to build $14 million West Penn cancer center (timesonline.com)
Op-Ed: Opioid addiction still a public health emergency in Pennsylvania (theintell.com)
Op-Ed: George Floyd and the opioid crisis (theintell.com)
To help workers, residents, Pa. needs to boost nursing home staffing ratios | Opinion | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Brain cancer ended his NFL dreams. Now he’s scoring touchdowns for rare-disease researchers. (inquirer.com)
State News
Financial relief available to farmers impacted by COVID (timesonline.com)
Shapiro: New ‘ghost gun’ regulations a step in the right direction (theintell.com)
Nonprofits can learn a lot about mutual aid from the team that was at Taggart Elementary on Saturday – Generocity Philly
Businesses prepare for potential unrest, looting after a possible Chauvin verdict | Local News | phillytrib.com
REPORT: These states export the most energy | The Numbers Racket | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Favorite PA Farm Show foods will be available at spring food fest (ydr.com)
States with the highest and lowest tax rates – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Flag burning activist Gene Stilp posts $20k more in settlements of civil rights suits against Pa. communities – pennlive.com
National News
How to Get a Stimulus Payment If You Don’t Have a Permanent Address Or a Bank Account – NBC10 Philadelphia (nbcphiladelphia.com)
For-Profit ICE Detention Faces Resistance After Big Expansion Under Trump : NPR
Guest editorial | Transitioning away from fossil fuels means transitioning away from housing injustice | Editorials | tribdem.com
Consumers have $5.4 trillion in excess savings. That could unleash a global spending boom | Business | phillytrib.com
Union alleges Amazon pressured workers as it seeks to set aside warehouse vote | Business | phillytrib.com
Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died from strokes, autopsy finds (theintell.com)
How Heinz is navigating a national shortage of ketchup packets | Food | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)
COVID continues shift from cities to suburbs. Where people are moving. (poconorecord.com)
A Global Tipping Point for Reining In Tech Has Arrived – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Chadian president killed on battlefield after 30 years in power, military says | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (post-gazette.com)
FedEx shooter visited ‘white supremacist’ sites and surrendered a shotgun, but didn’t trigger ‘red-flag’ law | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (post-gazette.com)
Local News
$1.5M water line upgrade begins in Wilkes-Barre | News | citizensvoice.com
Erie Community Blood Bank needs donors to boost supplies (goerie.com)
Erie firefighters: First Black member remembered for giving life to service (goerie.com)
Rare Randall Lineback cattle have been revered since 1700s, called the ‘breed that saved America’ | History | lancasteronline.com
Lehigh Valley group to remember workers who’ve died on the job – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Lehigh Valley police monitor for potential protests with verdict looming in Derek Chauvin trial – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Mom’s ‘biggest blessing’ – pennlive.com
Harrisburg hands down moratorium on water shut-offs due to COVID-19 – pennlive.com
Reading again looks at updating its aggressive panhandling ordinance | Local News | readingeagle.com
Berks community steps up to offer pet cages to shelter pets after a fire, chief says | News | readingeagle.com
Valley View looks to sever ties with Archbald police | Education | thetimes-tribune.com (thetimes-tribune.com)
It’s official: Keystone State Games returning to Luzerne County | Times Leader
Celebrating cannabis: NEPA dispensary prepares ahead of 4/20 | Times Leader
No tax hike in Norwin prelim budget | TribLIVE.com
Lower Burrell woman wins $25,000 grant from Pens and 84 Lumber | TribLIVE.com
Bears, eagles and bigfoot: Chainsaw carvers descende on Central Pa. (inquirer.com)
Pitt
Pittsburgh releases public electric vehicle charging plan – WPXI
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto Signs Executive Order Targeting Tax Fraud – CBS Pittsburgh (cbslocal.com)
Pittsburgh is seeing a spike in homicides and violent crimes | Today in Pa. – pennlive.com
Officials plead for help as Pittsburgh sees 90% surge in violence in 2021 | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (post-gazette.com)
‘Blood is on our hands’: Pittsburgh leaders call on community response to violent crime | TribLIVE.com
Philly
Is Philadelphia ready to return to in-person events? Here’s what our exclusive survey found. – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Report: Probation, parole reforms under Krasner reduce racial disparities | Local News | phillytrib.com
‘Peace, not Guns’ meeting recommends community approach to violence | Local News | phillytrib.com
Philly gun court aims to move cases through faster, prevent future crimes | Local News | phillytrib.com
Philadelphia police asked federal drug agents to ‘infiltrate’ protests last June, emails show (inquirer.com)
Malcolm Jenkins teaching Philly kids how to build wealth (inquirer.com)
Washington
Looming Chauvin Verdict Will Test Biden’s Leadership On Race : NPR
Former Vice President Walter Mondale Dies At 93 : NPR
In death, long after loss, Mondale’s liberal legacy stands | National and World | delcotimes.com
Immigration agencies ordered not to use term ‘illegal alien’ under new Biden policy | WITF
Biden’s virtual climate summit: Diplomacy sans human touch | Hosted (ap.org)
Treasury Secretary Yellen’s corporate tax plan could halt war on Middle America | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (post-gazette.com)
Manchin backs labor-organizing bill while standing against carbon tax and fossil fuel bans | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (post-gazette.com)
