Legislature
Agriculture Secretary Highlights Partnership that Keeps Food Safe from Farm to Fork – PennWatch
Pennsylvania Ag Connection – Redding Highlights Public-Private Partnership Ensuring Safe Food
Elected Leaders From Around Pennsylvania Honor Trumka as Labor ‘Champion’ (keystonenewsroom.com)
Local Legislators Announce $475K in Grant Funding for Berks | BCTV
Theft charges against Philly pol highlight Pa.’s lax reimbursement system for state lawmakers · Spotlight PA
Pennsylvania’s 15th opioid disaster declaration to be the last, lawmakers say | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com
Gov. Tom Wolf extends opioid disaster declaration through Aug. 26 – pennlive.com
GOP lawmakers say they will not extend Gov. Wolf’s opioid emergency declaration | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority receives $24 million loan for wastewater repairs | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com
Doug Mastriano to subpoena Philadelphia for election audit (audacy.com)
Wolf Administration announces expanding Medicaid coverage plan for postpartum mothers (abc27.com)
Pa. extends postpartum Medicaid coverage for pregnant persons | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
W.Pa lawmaker wants to fight deepfakes in Pa. politics. But will he hit a 1st Amendment wall? | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Wolf urges COVID-19 vaccines during visit to tout hospitality industry grants | News | thetimes-tribune.com
Senator Ryan Aument calls for senate committee to hold hearing on addressing fireworks law | PA Power and Policy | lancasteronline.com
Elected Leaders From Around Pennsylvania Honor Trumka as Labor ‘Champion’ (keystonenewsroom.com)
Reaction to Richard Trumka’s death | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Western Pennsylvanians React To The Death Of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka | 90.5 WESA
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)
Coronavirus – COVID-19
Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak : Goats and Soda : NPR
Mask-wearing now recommended for most of region, state adds 1,731 new COVID-19 cases | Coronavirus | tribdem.com
Pa. Department of Corrections taking extra steps to protect inmates from COVID-19 (abc27.com)
Pennsylvania to start housing unvaccinated inmates together, not let them have visitors in person – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
These major retail stores and businesses have revised their policies on masks as COVID-19 cases rise – pennlive.com
Children are getting more colds – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Masks mandated again in Northampton County buildings – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Citing increased transmission, Penn State shifts to require indoor masking across campuses | WITF
Serious cases remain rare, but coronavirus infections in children are on the rise | WITF
COVID in kids: Cases rising among children in Philadelphia region, expert says (theintell.com)
Leading Edge PA announces support of mandatory vaccines for health care workers | The Bucks County Herald
Get vaccine or lose your job, Pa.-based nursing home operator warns | | readingeagle.com
United Airlines mandates COVID-19 vaccine for all employees | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Allegheny County to require covid-19 vaccination for all new hires | TribLIVE.com
Business/Jobs
Amazon opens first Pennsylvania grocery store in Warrington, Bucks County – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Vanguard is offering employees a $1K Covid-19 vaccine incentive. HR experts are mixed on the benefits. – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Penn National acquiring Canadian sports betting company theScore for $2B – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Restaurants Are Dangling Big Perks But Are Still Short Of Labor : NPR
Some local businesses are updating mask policies | coronavirus | citizensvoice.com
Mushroom industry continues to grow strong in wake of 2020 shutdown, despite ongoing labor shortage | Local-news | dailylocal.com
Amazon pushes back return to office until 2022, will ‘closely watch’ COVID-19 conditions | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Crime/Punishment
Juvenile Detention Center employees plead for help from county council | News | delcotimes.com
Education
Biden Admin. approves Pa’s plan to spend billions in stim money for schools | Friday Morning Coffee | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Battered by the pandemic, college presidents are increasingly on the move – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
University of Pennsylvania planning new $31M performing arts center – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Back to School PA PAC Is Dishing Cash And Taking Names – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)
Suburban counties grapple with new CDC school guidelines (audacy.com)
9 states have a transgender school sports ban on the books. Now it’s being talked about in Pa. | WITF
Face coverings required at local colleges | Education | citizensvoice.com
Lackawanna College’s Tunkhannock Center ready for students | News | thetimes-tribune.com
Diversity, inclusion a hot topic in Downingtown Area School District | Local-news | dailylocal.com
Philadelphia school district launches Back-to-School Bus Tour | Local News | phillytrib.com
University of Pittsburgh announces indoor mask mandate, other protocols for fall | TribLIVE.com
Township supervisor cited for harassment after hitting someone with sign during Central Bucks school masking news conference (inquirer.com)
Elections/Politics
The Mad Dad Fighting Critical Race Theory Is Actually a GOP Strategist (vice.com)
GOP 2022 gubernatorial hopefuls spar over Pa. vote by-mail law | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Local Matters: Representative Conor Lamb set to join Pennsylvania Senate race – CBS News
Conor Lamb set to officially declare run for Senate in 2022 | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Wharton prof. Eric Orts speaks with the DP about U.S. Senate race, climate change | The Daily Pennsylvanian
Jane Mayer: ‘Dark Money’ Is Threatening The Elections Of 2020, 2024 : NPR
PA7: Wild Outraises Scheller in Q2 | PoliticsPA
Top Trump DOJ official’s letter staked out Georgia as path to a coup | Jay S. Bookman | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Online group planning door knocking campaign in Lancaster County in attempt to audit 2020 election | PA Power and Policy | lancasteronline.com
Jonathan Lovitz touts an endorsement while Deja Alvarez supporters see an identity politics dig (inquirer.com)
Environment
Auditor general’s office won’t review DEP’s approval of landfill’s expansion permit | News | thetimes-tribune.com
State environmental officials investigating oil leak at White Haven creek | News | standardspeaker.com
President Joe Biden pushes strategy to promote use of electric vehicles – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Associated General Contractors of America wants to seat at the table for climate-change reform – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
PPL now wants to reduce its carbon emissions by 80% by 2040 – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Expanded ‘no drill zones’ will make Pennsylvanians safer (theintell.com)
Pennsylvania should enact methane regulations (poconorecord.com)
Fracking in Pennsylvania used toxic ‘forever chemicals’ as Pa. officials maintain willful ignorance | Editorial (inquirer.com)
Transportation
Is A Mileage-Based Road Fee in Pennsylvania’s Future? – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)
Pennsylvanians can soon expect multiple fees or taxes for using public roadways (abc27.com)
An Obstacle to Amtrak Expansion That Money Won’t Solve – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Health
How Privatizing The Health Department Undermined Public Trust In Detroit : Shots – Health News : NPR
Pa. patients swear by cannabis as a tool to fight opioid addiction. The research still isn’t there. · Spotlight PA
How UPMC picked a new CEO to replace Jeffrey Romoff – Pittsburgh Business Times (bizjournals.com)
Understaffing in LVH-Pocono’s emergency room caused patient care to suffer, Pennsylvania report shows – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Just in time for a COVID surge, health experts also bracing for a harsher flu season | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
State News
Opioid crisis: Pa. attorney general defends proposed $26 billion deal (ydr.com)
AG Shapiro touts $1B settlement with opioid companies amid criticism from district attorneys | WITF
‘Nowhere else to go’: Area social service agencies scramble to distribute rent relief | WITF
White House: Pennsylvania would receive billions from infrastructure bill | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Amid flurry of amendments, Sen. Toomey wants changes to cryptocurrency requirements | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pa. firefighters return home after battling Montana wildfires (abc27.com)
PPL Electric customers didn’t get bills for 9 months – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Lack of health care affecting mortality rates among Black, poor mothers (theintell.com)
Pa.’s competitive energy costs an important economic development tool (theintell.com)
PA elk hunting applications soar, according to game commission (poconorecord.com)
D.A. warns of unrequested unemployment benefits scam | News | delcotimes.com
Pa. taking steps to help endangered bats by limiting firewood cutting in state forests | News | delcotimes.com
National News
Richard Trumka, a Western Pa. native and lion of organized labor, has died | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)
Lawmakers give Cuomo deadline in impeachment probe (abc27.com)
Some Florida School Districts Push For Mask Mandate Despite Funding Threat : NPR
Both U.S. Women Competing In The Olympic 400 Meter Final Are Moms : Live Updates: The Tokyo Olympics : NPR
U.S. Women Take Olympic Gold In Beach Volleyball : Live Updates: The Tokyo Olympics : NPR
U.S. women’s basketball rolls past Serbia and will play in the gold medal game.
CNN Fires Three Employees For Coming To Work Unvaccinated : Coronavirus Updates : NPR
Black women with children excluded from federal cash assistance program, report finds | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
No Work, No Food: Pandemic Deepens Global Hunger – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Simone Biles’ mental health admission may help others (theintell.com)
US average mortgage rates flat to lower; 30-year at 2.77% | Business | dailylocal.com
FAA head seeks more prosecution of unruly airline passengers | Business | dailylocal.com
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says 2nd special session to start on Saturday | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Gov. Phil Murphy’s outburst at vaccine protesters latest sign of anger over pandemic divide (inquirer.com)
Local News
Bethlehem to hold public hearing for affordable housing tax abatement program | Lehigh Valley Regional News | wfmz.com
Proposal for recycling center stirs up debate in Silver Spring Township (abc27.com)
Lehigh Valley will see high levels of smog Friday, DEP warns – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
An Allentown Catholic church choir has been invited to sing in Rome – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
New commercial office space coming to Nanticoke | Times Leader
Consultant: ATV and recreation park in Newport, Mocanaqua would boost region | News | citizensvoice.com
Delinquent tax collection deal between county, city in jeopardy; officials say it can be salvaged | News | thetimes-tribune.com
Developers announce plan for massive Olyphant warehouse | News | thetimes-tribune.com
Bucks restaurants, lodgings use $7 million in COVID grants from PA (theintell.com)
Waterford parking: Back-in rules are hurting downtown businesses, say residents (goerie.com)
‘It’s kind of our baby’: Weaver Nut Company owners thankful for firefighters, plan to rebuild following fire | Local News | lancasteronline.com
CDC eviction moratorium will remain in Lancaster County if COVID-19 spread rate stays high | PA Power and Policy | lancasteronline.com
Pitt
City Of Pittsburgh Working With State Officials To Address Issues On The South Side – CBS Pittsburgh (cbslocal.com)
Report: Pittsburgh house flippers earn highest average gross return on investment | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com
New bike lanes and speed humps coming to Pittsburgh’s North Side, in effort to improve road safety | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)
Pittsburgh nonprofits receive $70K in grants focused on social equity | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)
Philly
In Philly, violent crimes are down, but Mayor Kenney warns of a ‘long process’ to reduce it | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
City to open 3 youth resource centers in effort to stem gun violence | Local News | phillytrib.com
Philly man’s wrongful conviction (inquirer.com)
‘We’re going to be processed to death’: Activists push Kenney to do more on gun violence | Local News | phillytrib.com
Washington
Infrastructure Bill Would Add $256 Billion to Deficit, Analysis Finds – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Democrat and Republican senators pile on the pressure to declassify 9/11 secrets | ABC27
As Biden aims to pass 2 big bills, things are about to get really complicated | WITF
‘This attack happened’: Medals to honor Jan. 6 responders | National and World | dailylocal.com
Biden administration considers withholding funds and other measures to spur vaccinations | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
