Legislature

Pa. Sen. Mastriano’s plan to issue election subpoenas ‘stopped’ – WHYY

Mastriano blames ‘the powers that be’ for blocking plan to issue election subpoenas | WITF

Pa. barbers, salons to get $20M in belated pandemic relief | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

How to get involved in Pennsylvania’s pivotal redistricting process | WITF

Pa. lawmaker calls his school choice bill a ‘game changer’ with its focus on students, not systems – pennlive.com

Business leaders, Pa. lawmaker urge U.S. House to pass $1 trillion plan to improve roads, bridges and more – pennlive.com

Doug Mastriano: ‘Our cause is weakened and diminished.’ | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)

Overtime Pay For Up To 190K Salary Earners Died In Harrisburg This Summer. Why Aren’t More Workers Upset? | 90.5 WESA

Legislators don’t have to be moderate to work together (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Sen. Bob Mensch: 40 years later, a tax lesson still not learned | Opinion | mainlinemedianews.com

Coronavirus – COVID-19

Three senators test positive for COVID in breakthrough cases – WHYY

COVID booster shots: What you need to know – WHYY

COVID-19 vaccine is free, but medical bills or fear of cost a barrier to vaccination for some (inquirer.com)

A shot against COVID for kids under 12 — your questions answered | WITF

In a hiring crisis, Pa. nursing homes push back against Biden’s vaccine mandate | Friday Coffee | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Will everyone get the coronavirus at some point? – pennlive.com

Do face masks harm children? Penn State Children’s Hospital doctor says no – pennlive.com

Feds seize over 3,000 fake vaccination cards from China – pennlive.com

Missouri lawmaker’s husband dies from COVID-19 after they decline vaccines – pennlive.com

Pa. sees biggest one-day COVID-19 case count in months – pennlive.com

Do I need a booster if I got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine? | TribLIVE.com

Record delta wave hits kids, raises fear as nation’s schools open | TribLIVE.com

Pa. will hire 100 coronavirus contact tracers to replace 1,000. Experts say it’s not enough. · Spotlight PA

Business/Jobs

Small Business Administration: PPP loan borrowers under $150K get forgiveness through new portal (inquirer.com)

Lockheed Martin Sikorsky helicopter plant near Coatesville, Pa. is closing (inquirer.com)

Landlords look for an exit amid federal eviction moratorium | WITF

Crime/Punishment

Fines for disruptive plane passengers, often over masks, have reached $1 million – WHYY

Philly police ID man fatally shot by officer (inquirer.com)

Pa. has made strides, but Wolf’s successor must continue criminal justice reform | Capital-Star Letters | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Deposition Raises Questions About Fatal Police Shooting In Pittsburgh | 90.5 WESA

FAA proposes $20K in fines for father, son who became unruly on Pittsburgh-bound flight | TribLIVE.com

A Capitol riot suspect was hours from sentencing. Then prosecutors got video of him apparently attacking an officer. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Woman weeps while testifying against R. Kelly about assault | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Yardley Police Chief Joe Kelly released from hospital after shooting (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Grave marker company sued again | News | delcotimes.com

Reading Area Community College shooting suspect caught while trying to leave U.S., police say | Local News | readingeagle.com

York County is hiring behavioral health ‘co-responders’ to work with police | WITF

Education

Education Dept. to erase $5.8B in loans for borrowers with disabilities – WHYY

Philly schools vaccine mandate will be voted on next week (inquirer.com)

West Chester will randomly test students who don’t submit proof of vaccination (inquirer.com)

More central Pa. schools are requiring masks. Is yours on the list? – pennlive.com

Pittsburgh Public School Board Votes To Delay Start Of School Year | 90.5 WESA

Pittsburgh-area parents, schools bicker over mask rules as COVID-19 cases surge ahead of new year | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In a reversal, North Allegheny schools make masks optional | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Lower Merion taps Reading superintendent to replace Copeland | Mainlinetimes | mainlinemedianews.com

Letter: Show more respect to people on school boards | Letters to the Editor | readingeagle.com

Hazleton Area schools will require masks | Coronavirus | standardspeaker.com

Elections/Politics

Philadelphia judges and the Democratic Party ‘magic seats’ that create them (inquirer.com)

F&M poll shows a majority of conservative Pennsylvanians view 1/6 attack negatively | WITF

Rematch? Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse weighs write-in bid against Wanda Williams, May primary winner – pennlive.com

Environment

Tornado hit Bucks and Montco, National Weather Service says – WHYY

Excavation of radiological waste delayed by 1 year at nuclear site in Parks | TribLIVE.com

Health

‘We are in a state of emergency’: What’s behind the rising suicide rate among Black kids — WHYY

Medically complex children can’t get home nursing care in Pennsylvania | WITF

New state online tool aims to ID, address health inequities across Pa. | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Pa. faces ‘critical’ blood shortage as COVID-19 pandemic, worker shortage cut into donations – pennlive.com

Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley deaths from fentanyl soar – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

State News

Berks County to detain asylum-seeking immigrant women for feds – WHYY

Some Gold Star families remain stoic, others struggle, as Afghanistan falls to Taliban (inquirer.com)

Central Pa. organizations preparing for Afghan refugee arrivals | WITF

National News

Explainer: N.J. approves first set of rules for weed sales – WHYY

Will Joe Biden’s executive order spark real change in food production? | Opinion | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Aid flows a bit more quickly into Haiti; challenges remain | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Taliban suppress more dissent as economic challenges loom | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Local News

Delco sets Narcan giveaway in Upper Darby | News | delcotimes.com

Limerick OKs strip mall, eyes large warehouse approval | Local News | pottsmerc.com

West Pottsgrove ‘suspends’ relationship with West End Fire Co., hires Pottstown for 18 months | Local News | pottsmerc.com

Limerick Fire Department recognized, will host statewide convention | Local News | pottsmerc.com

Pa. farmland preservation milestone commemorated at Berks farm | Berks and Beyond | readingeagle.com

Appliances, tires to be collected at Schuylkill County fall cleanup | News | standardspeaker.com

Luzerne County manager search committee members welcomed | Times Leader

Pitt

Proposed Coal Mine In The Mon Valley Hits Roadblock At Township Meeting | 90.5 WESA

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Names New President | 90.5 WESA

More Than Two Dozen Pittsburgh Arts Venues Announce Vaccine Requirement, Indoor Masking | 90.5 WESA

5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Aug. 20-22 | TribLIVE.com

What’s happening on the South Side? It’s been a rough year for the neighborhood, but residents stick together | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

‘The people don’t want it’: Coal company’s plan for large Allegheny County mine gets unwelcome greeting at first public meeting | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Philly

Census heralds political power for Philly’s growing Latino population – WHYY

Philly will go back to court to remove Columbus statue – WHYY

‘Look at all the hurt’ as Philadelphia’s homicides climb and more children are shot and killed | Helen Ubiñas (inquirer.com)

How a stop sign named Stoppy that gets ‘knocked over constantly’ became a beacon of resiliency (inquirer.com)

Gun violence leaves lasting wounds for our children | Local News | phillytrib.com

City doesn’t roll out new programs to protect students as violence stays on the rise | Local News | phillytrib.com

Tax forms show Philly Pride Presents exhausted funds, had no assets | Analysis | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Washington

Man surrenders after claiming to have bomb near U.S. Capitol – WHYY

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey pitches infrastructure, services for the elderly and children | TribLIVE.com