News Digest :: August 3, 2022

Legislature

Wolf, Delloso ‘reintroduce’ $2,000 payments | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Pennsylvania awards $955,000 to organizations to develop ATV, snowmobile trails | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Gov. Wolf, Pa. Democrats try to revive plan for $2,000 checks for some households; Republicans say it will make inflation worse [Updated] – Daily Local

Gov. Wolf visits Folcroft to push for $2,000 checks for Pennsylvanians – Delco Times

State lawmakers, advocates present shared environmental action plan | Wednesday Morning Coffee – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Resolution opposing new well-site regulations passes through Pa. House committee | News | meadvilletribune.com

GIORDANO: Forget Harrisburg; Hold Krasner Impeachment Hearings in Philly! – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

Chester County scores $3.8 million for early childhood education programs – Daily Local

$384 million in state money could expand pre-K programs across the region | TribLIVE.com

Property tax, rent rebate checks to be bigger this year (dailylocal.com)

 

Business/Jobs

Overall unemployment rates across region, Pennsylvania continue recovery (dailylocal.com)

Bandit, vegan cheesemaker in South Philly, received a $1.5 million investment to expand (inquirer.com)

Area unemployment rate continues decline | Business | thetimes-tribune.com

Despite recession fears, Fisher Phillips survey finds most employers aren’t backing off hiring plans – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Robinhood cuts nearly a quarter of its staff : NPR

BP records highest profits in 14 years, raking in $8.5 billion while consumers feel gas pump pinch | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Crime/Punishment

Federal grand jury to investigate Pa. State Police shooting of Monroe County teen | WITF

Philly Crime Hasn’t Crossed Into Suburbs; These DAs Think They Know Why – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

Delaware County Black leaders call on Sharon Hill to release full Hodge report (delcotimes.com)

 

Education

Penn State won’t answer key questions about its handling of sexual extortion involving student athletes · Spotlight PA

Feds drop probe of Pa. teachers’ pension fund property purchases – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Penn State won’t answer key questions about its handling of sexual extortion involving student athletes (inquirer.com)

Back to school spending is on track to match last year’s record of $37 billion : NPR

Scranton School Board hires security director, moves school start date, approves building projects | Education | thetimes-tribune.com

 

Elections/Politics

PA Senate Race: End Citizens United PAC rolls out $2M ad buy hitting Oz over NJ ties (abc27.com)

PA Governor Race: Mastriano endorsed by all but one Pennsylvania House GOP member (abc27.com)

What is Gab? A look at the far-right social media platform backing Doug Mastriano – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

Polls: Fetterman is beating Oz in the Senate race – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz touts American manufacturing, ‘burn pit’ bill, in visit to Western Pennsylvania | WITF

U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz pushes his message in meeting with McCandless crowd | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Berks County elections director resigns (readingeagle.com)

Berks County election director resigns after scrutiny, lawsuit over election problems | WITF

This week is a good time to be a Pennsylvania Democrat | Fletcher McClellan – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Transportation

The future of historic Skinners Falls Bridge is unclear (inquirer.com)

Weeks after Dauphin County road repaved, UGI rips it up (abc27.com)

Pa. Turnpike tolls increasing again. See how much it will cost to go from Lehigh Valley to Philly – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Pa. Turnpike tolls to go up for 15th straight year | TribLIVE.com

Pa. Turnpike tolls to rise again in 2023 – pennlive.com

Pennsylvania Turnpike approves 5% toll hike for 2023, the 15th consecutive annual increase | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Higher rates coming for Pennsylvania Turnpike customers (dailylocal.com)

 

Health

Pennsylvania hospital profits increased by 7% in 2021 | Today in Pa. – pennlive.com

Medicare patient safety data proposal is dropped after outcry from consumer advocates (inquirer.com)

The Allentown Health Bureau, which played a key role in fighting coronavirus pandemic and could be critical to fight monkeypox, has a new leader – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Pennsylvania health insurers requested bigger rate increases for 2023 (inquirer.com)

Biden chooses FEMA, CDC officials to lead country’s monkeypox response – pennlive.com

Festivals allowing overdose reversal drugs, but not fentanyl test strips : Shots – Health News : NPR

Allentown’s proposed abortion rights legislation: what’s good, what’s not (mcall.com)

 

State News

Justices uphold Pennsylvania’s 2019 mail-in voting expansion (abc27.com)

Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting upheld by state Supreme Court, likely keeping it in place for November election | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pennsylvania Act 77 state Supreme Court decision is released : NPR

Pennsylvania mail voting law Act 77 upheld by state Supreme Court (inquirer.com)

Court upholds no-excuse, mail-in voting in Pennsylvania – pennlive.com

Pa. aims to fight robocalls by joining task force that would sue scammers – pennlive.com

Pennsylvania’s Casey, Toomey on opposite sides of federal burn pit legislation | WITF

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visits Pa., tours new $29M terminal upgrades at LVIA | WITF

Buttigieg gets up-close look at infrastructure bill projects in Lehigh Valley – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Feds drop probe of Pa. teachers’ pension fund property purchases – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

US prosecutors see no criminal charge for PSERS teacher pension fund (inquirer.com)

 

National News

Kansas Votes to Preserve Abortion Rights Protections in Its Constitution – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Results: Kansas voters decide ‘no’ on the abortion amendment : Live Coverage: 2022 Primaries : NPR

Rep. Peter Meijer narrowly loses to Trump-endorsed challenger in Michigan primary : Live Coverage: 2022 Primaries : NPR

Eric Schmitt wins Missouri Republican U.S. Senate primary : Live Coverage: 2022 Primaries : NPR

Arizona results: Katie Hobbs wins Democratic primary for governor : Live Coverage: 2022 Primaries : NPR

Finchem wins Republican Arizona secretary of state nomination : Live Coverage: 2022 Primaries : NPR

Trump-backed Blake Masters wins Republican primary in Arizona : Live Coverage: 2022 Primaries : NPR

Drone strike on al-Qaida leader Zawahiri points to a new U.S. approach : NPR

The U.N. chief says we are ‘one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation’ : NPR

Uvalde rekindles school police officer’s looming fears (inquirer.com)

Oatly oat milk recalled for possible cronobacter contamination (inquirer.com)

Samuel Alito, a workhorse on the Supreme Court, shapes its conservative path : NPR

How the U.S. gave away a new battery technology to China : NPR

Sandy Hook dad says Alex Jones made his life a ‘living hell’ | News | phillytrib.com

Vin Scully, Dodgers broadcaster for 67 years, dies at 94 | Sports | tribdem.com

 

Local News

Local crime watch members, residents celebrate National Night Out | News | standardspeaker.com

Lancaster County commissioner accuses progressive group of threatening violence | Local News | lancasteronline.com

Manheim Township commissioners hire consultant to mentor, advise township managers | Local News | lancasteronline.com

Work begins on $100M Queen Street Flats project adding 244 apartments, medical building at former Lancaster YMCA site | Local Business | lancasteronline.com

Newly opened Reading supermarket eliminates a food desert (readingeagle.com)

Officials postpone recommendation on Cumru warehouse plans (readingeagle.com)

Bethlehem City Council approves Banana Factory demolition (mcall.com)

Americans with Disabilities Act turns 32. Here’s what Lehigh Valley officials, advocates say about accessability (mcall.com)

 

Pitt

Pittsburgh sex worker on why monkeypox vaccine access needs expanded | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

Delta Foundation drops “Pittsburgh Pride” trademarking efforts | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

5 Pittsburgh neighborhoods will split $500,000 in grants from URA (nextpittsburgh.com)

Allegheny County Jail Watch: July 2022 | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

Controversial Oakland office project advances as court rules 10-story tower can be built | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Delta Foundation withdraws trademark application for ‘Pittsburgh Pride’ | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Philly

Philadelphia’s inability to attract large companies is stifling its economy, report finds – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Justice Dept. orders $496K settlement in SEPTA discrimination case | Local News | phillytrib.com

Strawberry Mansion Health Center Capital Improvements Ribbon Cutting | Local News | phillytrib.com

Philly property assessments are systemically inaccurate in Black and low-income neighborhoods (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia vaccine mandate: Firefighters union wants overtime for COVID tests (inquirer.com)

Free space for businesses in rec center in exchange for mentoring kids (inquirer.com)

 

Washington

PACT Act passes Senate, aiding veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins : NPR

U.S. Senate in turnaround backs aid for veterans exposed to burn pits – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Explaining the $14 billion ‘carried interest loophole’ Democrats hope to close : NPR

Pelosi says US will not abandon Taiwan as China protests : NPR

Nancy Pelosi says U.S. will not abandon Taiwan as China protests (inquirer.com)

An Idaho abortion law draws a Justice Department lawsuit : NPR

Senate set to vote to ratify adding Sweden, Finland to NATO | News | tribdem.com