News Digest:: August 8, 2023

Legislature

A Pa. state senator wants to end legacy admissions at Pennsylvania universities after affirmative action ruling | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In Pittsburgh visit, Shapiro announces new job training effort | 90.5 WESA

Consultant recommends demolition of Pittsburgh prison popular with filmmakers – WPXI

The Whole-Home Repairs program is remaking the housing landscape – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

Banning Book Bans: Pennsylvania Democrats Want to End the Practice – The Keystone (keystonenewsroom.com)

ICYMI: WSJ Highlights How Information about Private Equity Investments in Health Care is Widely Available – American Investment Council

Water & Sewer Authority Asks Judge To Force Repairs To New Hope Bridge – New Hope Free Press

Pennsylvania students to receive free breakfast this school year (abc27.com)

How gun violence affects the mental health of Philadelphia children – Metro Philadelphia

Pennsylvania considers letting psychologists prescribe medicine for patients | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Pa. Legislature’s unfinished budget business leaves uncertainty for schools, human services – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Business/Jobs

Trucking company files for bankruptcy after receiving $700 million in taxpayer dollars | National | thecentersquare.com

National fuel prices on the rise, Washington follows California toward $5 a gallon | Washington | thecentersquare.com

Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing is worth $1.55 billion : NPR

Central Pa. company opens 1-million-square-foot distribution center – pennlive.com

Here’s when Christmas Tree Shops will close – pennlive.com

The Cheesecake Factory opening new Pennsylvania location (abc27.com)

Crime/Punishment

Vehicle crashes into 2nd story of Pa. home: ‘There’s a car on your roof’ – pennlive.com

Lancaster police kill armed juvenile who broke into home | WITF

3 passengers dead after charter bus crashes in Pennsylvania | WITF

Teenage Cousin of Uvalde Gunman Arrested Over Threats to a School – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

3 people were killed fighting a California fire after two helicopters collided : NPR

Coroner IDs woman killed in Hilton hotel in Harrisburg – pennlive.com

Motorcyclist killed in Cumberland County crash ID’d – pennlive.com

Girl, 8, shot to death by man upset over children’s noise: witnesses – pennlive.com

Central Pa. teen ID’d as person shot, killed by police during suspected burglary – pennlive.com

Education

Kids with blurry vision can fall behind in school, face issues later in life | WITF

Penn State’s gender wage gap among worst in Big Ten · Spotlight PA State College

Bill would drop student loan interest rates to 0% – pennlive.com

Pennsylvania sees spike in homeschooling interest | Today in Pa. – pennlive.com

Environment

More rain expected near the end of the week in the Harrisburg area – pennlive.com

Storms kill 2 people, cancel flights, cut power in eastern U.S. – pennlive.com

Monday’s storm left thousands without power in parts of central Pa. – pennlive.com

Transportation

Report gives suggestions to improve safety on Pennsylvania’s rural roads | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Thousands of Flights Disrupted by Weather in Eastern U.S. – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

How safe are charter buses? Do your homework before you ride: experts – pennlive.com

Health

Pennsylvania considers letting psychologists prescribe medicine for patients | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Kids with blurry vision can fall behind in school, face issues later in life | WITF

Share Your Experience With the Opioid Epidemic in Baltimore – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Pa. agency sanctions memory care home in which disturbing photos of residents were taken – pennlive.com

State News

Shapiro Administration To Allow State Contract With CPC Organization To Expire (politicspa.com)

Shapiro signs expansion of property tax rent and rebate program – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Shapiro terminates state funding for Real Alternatives anti-abortion centers in Pa. – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Report gives suggestions to improve safety on Pennsylvania’s rural roads | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

5 takeaways from our ‘Lost in Transition’ investigation about Pa.’s struggling mortgage assistance program | WITF

The Whole-Home Repairs program is remaking the housing landscape – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

Pennsylvania State Police launch body camera initiative (abc27.com)

Pennsylvania utility company to pay $990K settlement after blast leveled home, injured 5 (abc27.com)

National News

Fitch downgrade follows years of warnings about growing federal debt | National | thecentersquare.com

Split in U.S. House GOP raises potential for government shutdown this fall – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Coyotes: The lynchpin to human smuggling operations | National | thecentersquare.com

Border crisis creates national security threat for U.S., observers say | National | thecentersquare.com

Three felony cases crowd Trump’s campaign schedule | National | thecentersquare.com

Ohio Election: What to Know About the Vote on Amending the State Constitution – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Los Angeles City Workers on Strike to Protest Staffing Shortages – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Biden creates a new national monument near the Grand Canyon : NPR

Biden to Designate Monument Near Grand Canyon, Preventing Uranium Mining – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

States seek to let teens as young as 14 serve booze in restaurants – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Local News

Lebanon tattoo artist helps cancer survivors, others | WITF

Lancaster-Lebanon IU13 gets funding boost for adult ESL | WITF

Steel city startups are set to send new tech to the moon – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

Cumberland County attorney, developer charged with assaulting cops with flagpole during Jan. 6 riot – pennlive.com

Alligator caught by kayakers in Kiski River heading to new home – pennlive.com

Dozens of survivors of fatal bus crash treated at Harrisburg-area hospitals – pennlive.com

Pa. department offers financial help to eligible children of veterans – pennlive.com

Rolling traffic shifts planned on bridge between Lancaster, York counties: PennDOT – pennlive.com

Berks man recounts surviving after tree fell on home, trapping him for hours | Berks Regional News | wfmz.com

Lancaster home rule commission gets overview of city’s finances, approves preliminary budget | Local News | lancasteronline.com

Hoke House move: What you need to know, how to help (ydr.com)

Pitt

Allegheny County executive, DA candidates make safety a focus | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Fayette County residents battle Pennsylvania over oil and gas disposal well permit | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Perryopolis community library sets opening date at new location after months of uncertainty | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mt. Lebanon showcases its renovated main street | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh Zoo’s 6-year-old male lion dies | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Speed humps to be placed in Pittsburgh’s South Side Flats to slow motorists | TribLIVE.com

Groups combating rising antisemitism in Pittsburgh, nationally | TribLIVE.com

Philly

219-room hotel in Chester County heads to auction with starting bid of $2.5M – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Leaders speak out on Brewerytown tragedy | Local News | phillytrib.com

Philadelphia School District announces new school selection guidelines | Local News | phillytrib.com

DA files charges against driver in SEPTA trolley collision | Local News | phillytrib.com

Philadelphia prisons overcrowded with inmates staying longer than intended | Local News | phillytrib.com

Washington

Federal agency asks for public input on proposal to implement Pregnant Workers Fairness Act – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)