News Digest :: December 28, 2021

Legislature

Senator Street Applauds Signing of Bill to Expand High-Speed Broadband Internet in Pennsylvania – MyChesCo

PA Department of Aging: New Laws Maintain Enrollee Benefits and Expand Income Eligibility for PACE Enrollees – MyChesCo

Governor’s Administration Urging Minimum Wage Increase – LevittownNow.com

PennDOT keeps pushing for more revenue, but GOP leaders skeptical – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Top stories of 2021: The fight over RGGI | StateImpact Pennsylvania (npr.org)

Dorney Park alcohol sales would be expanded under Pa. House bill – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

New Kennett Library gets $1.9 million in state funding as construction begins – Daily Local

Red light fines fund 4 Montco signal projects (mainlinemedianews.com)

A chance for Pennsylvanians to speak up for fair redistricting maps | Editorial (inquirer.com)

 

Coronavirus – COVID-19

CDC cuts recommended isolation and quarantine time after coronavirus exposure : Coronavirus Updates : NPR

Fauci says New York was right to ease quarantine rules for health care workers : Coronavirus Updates : NPR

Fauci: US should consider vaccine mandate for US air travel | WITF

Fauci: U.S. should consider vaccine mandate for domestic air travel | Coronavirus | tribdem.com

CDC recommends shorter COVID isolation, quarantine for all (abc27.com)

Say what?? Stop worrying about surging COVID-19 case counts?? Maybe so, if you’re vaccinated (abc27.com)

U.S. hospitals brace for a continuing surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by omicron (inquirer.com)

Pennsylvania COVID cases surge 22% ahead of holidays (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

COVID in Berks: 300 new cases, 20 more deaths (readingeagle.com)

Pennsylvania broke a COVID-19 record, but that’s not the only data you should look at – pennlive.com

COVID can persist for months in almost every organ: study – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

State adds more than 40,000 COVID-19 cases over holiday, including record 13,286 on Friday | Local News | tribdem.com

Lancaster County sets pandemic record for weekly COVID-19 cases | Health | lancasteronline.com

A new year brings new changes to Bucks County COVID-19 vaccine clinics (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

An epidemiologist who studies COVID-19 tested positive. Here’s what she learned. | Expert Opinion (inquirer.com)

 

Business/Jobs

Women business owners see growing divide over broadband internet – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Kellogg’s workers return to plant for first day of work after 11-week strike (abc27.com)

Utz acquires snack manufacturer for $56M – pennlive.com

Bitcoin worth $15 quintillion is just another day in crypto | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Crime/Punishment

What it’s like to be LGBTQ and in prison | Special Report – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Josiah Brown has been charged with carjacking U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-5, at gunpoint Wednesday (delcotimes.com)

 

Education

A shortage of substitute teachers has led to a new law that makes it easier for schools to find them. (dailylocal.com)

Global COVID school closures will cost trillions of dollars : Goats and Soda : NPR

Top 10 local education stories of 2021 | Local News | phillytrib.com

 

Elections/Politics

DR. OZ: President Biden’s COVID Fumble – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

Gen Z and millennial conservatives seek to recruit and mentor young, diverse candidates | Across America | phillytrib.com

PODCAST: Lou Barletta Says He’s The Trump Guy PA Dems Can Love – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

 

Environment

The cost of this year’s 10 worst climate disasters: $170 billion | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Transportation

Pennsylvania’s highways rank near bottom of U.S. | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Omicron, storms disrupt air travel for 4th consecutive day | TribLIVE.com

 

Health

Flu is making a comeback in US after an unusual year off | WITF

5 years later, researchers assess how children exposed to Zika are developing | WITF

Paramedics equipped with opioid recovery drug call it ‘huge tool’ to fight crisis | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

State News

Congressman pushes back on Pennsylvania bridge tolling plan | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Houlahan, local officials tout new infrastructure law at Paoli Train Station | The Unionville Times

Hunt clubs sue Pennsylvania Game Commission claiming illegal searches | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Governor Wolf announces New Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth (abc27.com)

Wolf names new top election official for Pa. | News | tribdem.com

Pa.’s acting consumer advocate: ‘This is not an easy space’ | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

ICE denies it organized charter flights filled with minors to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport | News | standardspeaker.com

Pennsylvania Horse Racing 2021 Highlights and Lowlights (playpennsylvania.com)

 

National News

Food recalls fell during the pandemic. Experts are not entirely sure why : NPR

A judge will reconsider a trucker’s 110-year sentence in a deadly crash : NPR

States bill parents for the cost of foster care, keeping families apart : NPR

Putin threatens military action if NATO rejects demands; lawmaker pushes back | ABC27

How the pandemic is sweetening the lure of smaller cities’ relocation incentives | Analysis – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

PG Special Report: With shadowy money, Ukraine oligarch became Cleveland’s biggest landlord | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Moral giant Tutu helped defeat apartheid | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Local News

Highlights From the Year 2021 | Farm Policy News | lancasterfarming.com

The Mercury’s Sound Off for Sunday, December 26 – The Mercury (pottsmerc.com)

Chester County volunteers depart for Kentucky to support recovery efforts after deadly ‘quad-state tornado’ – Daily Local

Phoenixville concert raises nearly $45,000 for flood victims (dailylocal.com)

Inside Quakertown’s Bush House Hotel: Former residents detail years of living with fear, frustration and filth – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

New Year’s Eve 2021: Here’s what’s dropping and what’s not – pennlive.com

Organizers cancel York St. Patrick’s Day parade for third year | WITF

Bucks County, Montco housing markets still hot, but real estate in 2022 could restore some balance (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Betty Hungerford is a beloved and revered community treasure (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Harrisburg Mayor-Elect Wanda Williams announces dates for inaugural ceremony and ball – pennlive.com

Donations flowing in for Kentucky Care-A-Van | News | thetimes-tribune.com

Cognetti signed Scranton budget ordinance last week | News | thetimes-tribune.com

East Union approves budget, tax hike | News | standardspeaker.com

 

Pitt

Allegheny County housing market report shows hot market for some, but not residents of color | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

Mary Jo Coll, the Pittsburgh music scene’s ‘Mama Jo,’ dies at 64 | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh ‘mimics’ a functioning land bank, but needs help to be effective | 90.5 WESA

 

Philly

Philadelphia-area public company insiders cashed out almost $1B in stock in 2021 – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Philadelphia’s biggest commercial real estate stories from 2021 – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

City’s Office of Black Male Engagement launches online resource finder | Local News | phillytrib.com

Donna Allie to be honored by Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia | Business | phillytrib.com

No cancelation for Mummers Parade over rising COVID cases, Philly officials say – On top of Philly news (billypenn.com)

Ten of the weirdest moments of 2021 in the Philly region (inquirer.com)

Philly ranks No. 3 on a list of trendy and affordable cities (inquirer.com)

From high school students to trauma specialists, this is my list for Philadelphia’s People of the Year | Helen Ubiñas (inquirer.com)

 

Washington

Biden gets a diverse group of 40 federal judges confirmed in 2021 : NPR

Biden signs $768.2 billion defense spending bill into law | News | tribdem.com