Legislature
Panel gives state House, Senate district maps preliminary OK – Daily Local
Pennsylvania House redistricting map 2022: Better for Democrats or Republicans? (inquirer.com)
Pennsylvania map drafts could upend political status quo – WHYY
Pa. House and Senate seat maps released, 30-day public comment period open (abc27.com)
Yudichak raises concerns over proposed redistricting’s impact on 14th | Times Leader
Proposed Pa. House map puts Scranton in four different districts | Election | thetimes-tribune.com
A political shakeup could be in store for Pa. state lawmakers under new map proposals | WITF
Gov. Wolf to discuss student loan forgiveness for working Pennsylvanians (abc27.com)
Board waffles on fair tax | Opinion | thetimes-tribune.com
Pennsylvania Senate moves to overhaul probation system – WFMJ.com
In Scranton, Wolf calls on legislature to improve worker pay, paid sick leave | Times Leader
2 Penn Hills parks to be upgraded with help from state grant | TribLIVE.com
Park, trail, transportation projects to receive state funding – Times News Online (tnonline.com)
PA House, Senate committees hear about problems with state fireworks law (readingeagle.com)
Wolf, lawmakers fail to address collapse of Pa. disability system (theintell.com)
Gender parity should be important to all of us (theintell.com)
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)
Coronavirus – COVID-19
COVID-19 fears dash hopes for the holiday season — again – Daily Local
CDC panel recommends Pfizer, Moderna vaccines over J&J shot (abc27.com)
Military: Vaccine holdouts in Army and Navy will be dismissed | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Soaring infections rattle Europe, fuel dread about holidays | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Omicron variant of COVID-19 confirmed in Lehigh Valley – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Business/Jobs
US jobless claims rise but still historically low at 206,000 – Daily Local
Kellogg’s reaches tentative agreement with striking workers | WITF
Fed may take steps to keep inflation from being permanent | ABC27
International Paper to build plant in Chester County, creating 150 new jobs – Delco Times
Crime/Punishment
Ex-director of child welfare agency sentenced to probation | WITF
Education
What to Know as Student Loan Repayments Restart in February 2022 – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Student loan payments return in February, are you prepared? | fox43.com
In wake of Pa. court ruling, mask decisions fall back to school districts (dailylocal.com)
CMU announces COVID-19 booster requirement for spring | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
TikTok threats have Philly-area schools stepping up police presence on Friday (inquirer.com)
Schools in Central Pa. and elsewhere step up security in response to threats on TikTok | WITF
How Penn State students say the pandemic has affected their mental health | WITF
Elections/Politics
Transportation
Health
State News
PSERS reaps record profits, but taps Pa. taxpayers for yet another funding increase (inquirer.com)
Here are the farms Pa. added today to its preservation program – pennlive.com
Letters: Fracking and the Delaware River Basin, Biden’s carbon order (theintell.com)
National News
Why America’s child care costs keep soaring : NPR
Cities hire private weather forecasters amid climate change : NPR
Former Police Officer Expected On Stand In Trial Over Daunte Wright Killing : NPR
Justice Department breaks off talks on compensation for separated families : NPR
Judge rejects Purdue Pharma’s opioid settlement that would protect the Sackler family : NPR
EPA details push to tighten rules for lead in drinking water | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Local News
Chester County officials push for lower-cost housing models – Daily Local
Luzerne County acting manager presents yearly review | Times Leader
Berks County passes a 2022 budget with no tax increase (readingeagle.com)
Reading passes a $95 million 2022 budget with no tax increase (readingeagle.com)
Allentown residents won’t see a tax increase in the 2022 budget – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
Harrisburg University professor names newly discovered dinosaurs | Smart Talk (witf.org)
Pitt
Pittsburgh Changes Lightbulbs for Stars in a Dark Sky – Bloomberg
Proposal to stop Pittsburgh police from making minor traffic stops moves forward | TribLIVE.com
Philly
Philly foster-care kids are getting fleeced | Morning Newsletter (inquirer.com)
USPS mail collection box theft spreading in Philadelphia (inquirer.com)
Philly area holiday parties are on, despite health commissioner’s COVID warning (inquirer.com)
Philly Council votes to require affordable housing in some neighborhoods (inquirer.com)
Philadelphia council votes to extend eviction diversion | WITF
Washington
Biden’s Build Back Better agenda stalls in the Senate : NPR
Biden awards Medals of Honor to 3 soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan : NPR
Senate parliamentarian rejects immigration reform in Democrats’ spending bill : NPR
Democrats’ push for voting rights legislation by Christmas hits a wall | ABC27
Biden, Democrats punt reconciliation and voting rights bills to 2022 | TribLIVE.com
Manchin’s child tax credit stance draws criticism back home | News | tribdem.com