News Digest :: December 31, 2021

Legislature

Philly leaders push for gun safety ahead of New Year’s Eve | Local News | phillytrib.com

State lawmakers vow to better protect care home residents from convicted sex offenders | TribLIVE.com

Disability care sees low staffing, Advocates say Pa.’s plan to raise wages isn’t enough | News, Sports, Jobs – The Express (lockhaven.com)

Reintroduced legislation addresses eating disorders in school-age kids | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)

Nearly $570,000 in state funding awarded to protect Chester County waterways – Daily Local

Hazleton secures more than $1 million for traffic signal, crosswalk improvements on Church Street | News | standardspeaker.com

Schuylkill Technology Center among recipients of $1.5 million in state grant money | Education | standardspeaker.com

Alvernia receives $3 million state grant for planned Pottsville campus (readingeagle.com)

Local conservation projects get $473,991 in state funding – Daily Local

Six outdoor projects in region get DCNR funds | News | tribdem.com

5 recreation and conservation projects in Berks receive state grants (readingeagle.com)

Top Stories of 2021: How Pa. election misinformation helped inspire an insurrection, investigations and policies | WITF

Pennsylvania Republicans Refused to Advance Bills to Raise the Minimum Wage in 2021 (keystonenewsroom.com)

This week’s biggest Winners & Losers | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)

 

Coronavirus – COVID-19

Pa. adds nearly 20,000 COVID-19 cases, setting another new single-day record | Coronavirus | tribdem.com

All Regions of New Jersey Enter Level Red for Hospital Visitation Restrictions | The Ritz Herald

U.S. children hospitalized with COVID-19 in record numbers | Coronavirus | tribdem.com

Penn State Health urges people not to use ERs for routine COVID-19 tests | Health | lancasteronline.com

Paxlovid and molnupiravir, the COVID antiviral treatments, may be hard to find : Shots – Health News : NPR

New Virus Infections Driven By Omicron Soar in Australia : NPR

CDC warns against cruise ship travel regardless of vaccination status : Coronavirus Updates : NPR

UPMC begins administering COVID-19 prevention treatment, supply limited (abc27.com)

UPMC receives limited supply of preventative antibody treatment for the most immunocompromised | TribLIVE.com

Israel approves 4th vaccine dose for most vulnerable to COVID-19 | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Berks reinstates disaster emergency declaration amid COVID surge (readingeagle.com)

Berks COVID update: 666 cases as pandemic crosses 75,000 threshold (readingeagle.com)

New COVID studies show promise for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine booster | WITF

Health experts worry CDC’s COVID-19 vaccination rates appear inflated | Analysis – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Business/Jobs

Fed’s Moves in 2022 Could End the Stock Market’s Pandemic Run – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Business Leaders Struggle With Endless Upheaval – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

 

Crime/Punishment

Police remind Pennsylvanians of fireworks laws ahead of New Year’s Eve (abc27.com)

States diverge on police reforms after George Floyd killing | Across America | phillytrib.com

 

Education

Elizabethtown school board agrees to keep mask-optional policy | Community News | lancasteronline.com

Pitt says spring classes to begin as planned, but all will shelter in place for at least five days after phased arrival | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

University of Pittsburgh issues shelter-in-place request, required covid testing for students | TribLIVE.com

 

Elections/Politics

Lancaster city Councilwoman, former state Senate candidate Janet Diaz to announce she’s running for new 50th House District seat | PA Power and Policy | lancasteronline.com

Lamb says, ‘freedoms are under attack’ in first Senate campaign ad | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)

If you know the Democratic Party, you shouldn’t be surprised that Build Back Better seems doomed | Opinion (inquirer.com)

Mastriano lashes out at Breitbart after it questions use of senate campaign committee for possible gubernatorial run – pennlive.com

Capital-Star Q+A: GOP gubernatorial hopeful Guy Ciarrocchi says he can jumpstart Pa.’s economy – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Dr. Oz calls Biden’s open-border policies ‘disastrous’ | Fox News

 

Environment

Pittsburgh opens largest electric vehicle charging station in Western Pa. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ida makes impact on Montgomery County with historic flooding, tornado damage (mainlinemedianews.com)

 

Transportation

Air Travel Is No Holiday as Covid-19 and Winter Storms Cancel Flights – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Airline disruptions could linger for days as 1,300 more flights are canceled Thursday | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls increase for 2022, again (readingeagle.com)

 

Health

Overdoses have killed a million Americans since the start of the opioid epidemic : NPR

It’s time for Pa. to stop allowing overdose deaths to be treated like homicides | Opinion (inquirer.com)

Federal medical personnel headed for Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Petition to save Chester County hospitals get more than 7,000 signatures (dailylocal.com)

Jennersville Hospital set to close on Friday – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Pa. nurses after 22 months of COVID-19 and a new surge: ‘It is so defeating’ (inquirer.com)

Vigil honors Monroe County man killed by police, spotlights need for mental health reform – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

 

State News

The top destination for Biden during his first year in office? Pennsylvania

Pa. Insurance Department finds violations in UPMC’s health coverage/options procedures (abc27.com)

State fines UPMC $250,000 after health insurance audit | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Live in Pa. or N.J.? IRS extends tax filing deadline to Feb. 15, for victims of Hurricane Ida (inquirer.com)

Pennsylvania farm wants your Christmas tree to feed their goats – pennlive.com

Delaware County on track to receive $40 million from opioid lawsuit settlement (delcotimes.com)

 

National News

Retired general warns the military could lead a coup after the 2024 election : NPR

High winds, severe drought, and warm temps led to Colorado’s historic wildfire : NPR

Truck driver in I-70 crash to serve 10 years in prison instead of 110 after commutation from Gov. Polis | Colorado Public Radio (cpr.org)

Each state’s population center, visualized (abc27.com)

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

New York jury holds drugmaker Teva liable in opioid crisis | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Local News

Delco Towns Ask Court to Block New Health Department Over Inspections – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

Somerset County elected officials sworn in; new treasurer, prothonotary, coroner take office | News | tribdem.com

Vigil held to remember Harrisburg homicide victim of domestic violence – pennlive.com

Retired area bishop shares memories of his friend, the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu | Local News | lancasteronline.com

Best of journalism: Damon Williams explores race in Bucks County (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Bucks County Playhouse announces South Asian Artistic Initiative (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

There’s more than meets the eye in alleyways of West Chester – Daily Local

A year of departures, new faces, in Luzerne County leadership | Times Leader

Schuylkill Avenue bridge in Reading to be replaced (readingeagle.com)

Berks crop and livestock farm is among those preserved (readingeagle.com)

LANTA announces service disruptions on Friday due to COVID absences – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

York City Council overrides Mayor Helfrich’s 2022 budget veto (ydr.com)

Kathy Dahlkemper: Outgoing Erie County executive reflects on 8-year run (goerie.com)

U.D. closes township building indefinitely and senior center for a month amid rising COVID cases (delcotimes.com)

 

Pitt

Allegheny County sees COVID infections spike ‘alarmingly’ | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh’s New Years Eve celebration will continue with COVID-19 precautions | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich to leave office | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Philly

Philly gun violence in 2021 featured more guns and more retaliatory killings (inquirer.com)

Councilmember Derek Green hopes to create a public bank for Philadelphia. Here’s how it could work. (inquirer.com)

Philly Counts helps city reach 77% adult vaccination rate | Local News | phillytrib.com

Briefs: December 30th, 2021 – South Philly Review

Philadelphia’s notable deaths in 2021 included musicians, activists, pioneers and more (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia housing complex for seniors bought by N.Y. firm (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia’s Mummers return after a canceled parade, even if that means recycled costumes and some missing brigades – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

 

Washington

Surprise medical bills are the target of a new law. Here’s how it works : Shots – Health News : NPR

Biden, Putin speak again amid “moment of crisis” in Ukraine : NPR

Biden, Putin talk nearly an hour as alarm rises over Ukraine | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

NORQUIST: After Biden’s Bumpy 2021, What Will 2022 Look Like? – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)