News Digest :: June 14, 2022

Legislature

Democrats fail in efforts to force votes on gun legislation in Harrisburg – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

GOP majorities stymie Dems’ push to debate gun laws in PA House, Senate – pennlive.com

Pa. GOP defeats Dems on proposed gun control bills in House, Senate | News | tribdem.com

Democratic lawmakers in Pa. call for minimum wage increase as inflation rises | fox43.com

Gov. Tom Wolf signs long-sought legislation to sell old state prison on the North Side | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pennsylvania House GOP moves to bottle up 4 gun safety proposals (abc27.com)

State House GOP moves to bottle up 4 gun safety proposals | AP News

As Washington acts, Pa. House panel moves to strand gun violence-reduction bills – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Pennsylvania no closer to passing new gun bills | WITF

Pennsylvania House committee punts gun control bills to different committee | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

House Republicans in Pennsylvania respond to gun violence by trying to impeach Philly’s DA | WITF

Pa. House Republicans initiate impeachment proceedings against Philadelphia DA – pennlive.com

Impeach Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner, Pa. House Republicans say (inquirer.com)

Pa. House GOP moves to impeach Philly DA Larry Krasner | Tuesday Morning Coffee – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

House GOP jumpstarts proceedings to impeach Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

Gov. Tom Wolf, Lawmakers Launch PA Budget Season, With Billions to Spend – NBC10 Philadelphia (nbcphiladelphia.com)

Pennsylvania Still Has $2.2 Billion in Stimulus Money — Does the State Plan to Send Residents Checks? (aol.com)

Budget mavens Browne and Saylor’s reelection losses not a factor in negotiations, experts say – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Wolf, lawmakers launch into busy budget season stretch | State | standardspeaker.com

Pennsylvania nurses to rally in Harrisburg to protest staffing, safety issues – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Pa. is considering a ban on trans athletes. Experts say it’s discriminatory and ‘anti-evidence.’ · Spotlight PA

Pa. lawmakers: Some say girls can’t compete against ‘biological boys’ (poconorecord.com)

Sen. Hutchinson To Remember Late Sen. Shaffer In Harrisburg – ButlerRadio.com – Butler, PA

Boscola Announces $564,562 in State Grants for Slate Belt Projects | The Valley Ledger | Its All About The Lehigh Valley

 

Coronavirus – COVID-19

US: Pfizer COVID-19 shot appears effective for kids under 5 – Daily Local

COVID is making flu and other common viruses act in unfamiliar ways (inquirer.com)

 

Business/Jobs

Whitehall industrial building that recently sold for more than $34 million to welcome new tenant – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Here’s how gas prices rank around the country | National | thecentersquare.com

SKY-HIGH: Gas prices soar past $5 a gallon in Chester County, elsewhere – Daily Local

Why some of the country’s top CEOs fear a recession is coming : NPR

The S&P 500 enters a bear market as stocks sink : NPR

 

Crime/Punishment

23 arrested, nearly 90K doses of heroin/fentanyl seized in Kensington Initiative Operation | The Bucks County Herald

Northampton County’s drug task for is expanding. Experts say transparency, accountability are keys to success (mcall.com)

 

Education

Lehigh Valley colleges recycle items students discard (mcall.com)

Guest Opinion: Pennridge redistricting piece raises interesting points (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Public servants left out of student loan forgiveness plans : NPR

School-to-Work Grant Program designed to create student pathways to employment for students at BCCC | The Bucks County Herald

Hempfield School Board to discuss ‘sex-based distinctions in athletics’ policy Tuesday | Local News | lancasteronline.com

 

Elections/Politics

Sen. Doug Mastriano adds a Trump luminary to his Pennsylvania campaign team – pennlive.com

Doug Mastriano brings election denier Jenna Ellis onto his campaign for governor in Pennsylvania | WITF

Guest Opinion: We won’t overcome the Horsemen by staying in our corners (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Guest Opinion: Long past time for Congress to do what’s right on guns (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Commonwealth Court upholds Lancaster County Judge Ashworth’s ruling on hand recount in 100th House District | PA Power and Policy | lancasteronline.com

Gun rights and control groups spend on elections of NEPA Congressional, state legislators | News | thetimes-tribune.com

Dr. Mehmet Oz ‘all-in’ for Senate run as he courts support in Bethel Park | TribLIVE.com

Mehmet Oz makes pitch to voters in first trip to Pittsburgh area since primary | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

John Fetterman faces brutal midterm election landscape against Mehmet Oz in Pa. Senate race (inquirer.com)

 

Transportation

Transit agencies, including SEPTA, dangle discounts and perks to woo riders | Analysis – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Health

Wolf Administration highlights substance abuse disorder (abc27.com)

Ask the experts: Gender-affirming care explained – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

Cambria coroner reports spike in suicides; 24-hour national ‘Lifeline,’ loved ones among resources that can help, advocates say | Local News | tribdem.com

Paragon Behavioral Health Services strives to build a model of excellence (readingeagle.com)

Safe Berks now able to meet survivors at more community locations (readingeagle.com)

This World Blood Donor Day, we’re facing a “blood crisis” | Expert Opinion (inquirer.com)

 

State News

Toomey, Casey take a stand on gun control legislation | wnep.com

Pa. senators, Rep. Wild supportive of framework for gun safety bill | Pennsylvania News | wfmz.com

Pennsylvania Takes Center Stage on Day Two of Hearings – PoliticsPA

Pennsylvania tackling 30,000-case backlog of unemployment fraud | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Pennsylvania’s difficult shift for funding roads | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey visits Colebrookdale Railroad to tout $14.7 million in federal funding (readingeagle.com)

What’s stopping the flow of beer in Pennsylvania? | WITF

A proposed liquefied natural gas plant in Chester would be gigantic — and hardly anyone knows about it | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

National News

“Big Lie” looms over Nevada’s legislative primaries (kunr.org)

An ‘important first step’ for gun control | Morning Newsletter (inquirer.com)

Sales of body armor are on the rise. Who’s buying and why? : NPR

Primary elections to watch in Nevada, South Carolina, Maine : NPR

Team that includes Pa. paleontologist discovers giant, predatory dinosaur – pennlive.com

Ohio Gov. DeWine says he’ll sign a bill arming teachers after 24 hours of training | WITF

Russians control 80% of Sievierodonetsk, contested city in eastern Ukraine (inquirer.com)

New York state to protect abortion providers under new laws (inquirer.com)

 

Local News

Former Warminster supervisor to sit on DOJ’s Uvalde review board (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Committee’s mission: End racism; Juneteenth forum tackles serious issues, surrounded by fun and food | Local News | tribdem.com

Gun sales strong in area shops following mass shootings | Business | thetimes-tribune.com

News Engine Podcast Season 2: Interview with Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti | News Engine | thetimes-tribune.com

 

Pitt

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald defends record on fracking amid calls for drilling ban | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Work underway on $5.2 million South Side traffic signal upgrades | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

Former congressman presents coping mechanisms for pandemic stress, anxiety in students | TribLIVE.com

Community meeting planned to discuss public safety concerns on Pittsburgh’s South Side | TribLIVE.com

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey to hold South Side listening event to discuss public safety | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh begins upgrades to six South Side intersections with new traffic signals, crosswalks and street lights | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Philly

Philadelphia schools impacted by gun violence to get new security cameras (inquirer.com)

Joe Biden in Philadelphia today for AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention (inquirer.com)

DA’s office files motion to hold Joshua Macias in criminal contempt | Local News | phillytrib.com

Philly DA seeks contempt charge for Vets for Trump cofounder who was part of meeting between Proud Boys and Oath Keepers | WITF

Mayor Kenney welcomes indictment for gun trafficking | Local News | phillytrib.com

Philly’s medical examiner’s office is understaffed and struggling to investigate deaths. Fixing it might take years. (inquirer.com)

Local 98 agrees to oversight of internal election after lawsuit alleged intimidation by Johnny Doc (inquirer.com)

 

Washington

Jan. 6 committee hearing features Al Schmidt, Bill Barr, and lots of Pa. highlights (inquirer.com)

Biden, Dems praise Senate’s bipartisan gun deal – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

The ‘red mirage,’ the ‘Giuliani factor’ and other takeaways from panel hearing on Jan. 6 riots – pennlive.com

6 takeaways from the second day of Jan. 6 hearings : NPR

Jan. 6 witness William Barr: Trump ‘detached from reality’ over election | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Former Fox News politics editor: Trump’s anger in 2020 led to ‘panic’ at Fox : NPR

Trump spread claims of election fraud debunked by his own legal team, Jan. 6 panel says – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Jan. 6 panel says Trump fleeced his base and 5 other takeaways from the 2nd hearing | WITF

Liz Cheney’s lonely fight against the extremist wing of the GOP | Editorial (inquirer.com)

White House takes new look at federal gas tax holiday (abc27.com)

Tentative Senate gun deal has surprises and loose ends | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Worrying phone call adds to concerns about Dianne Feinstein’s cognitive health : NPR

There’s a plan to regulate crypto and stablecoins. Here’s what you need to know : NPR