Legislature
GOP Sen. Cris Dush calls on state to disavow ballot drop box use – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)
Wolf calls for pandemic fund allocation to property, rent program during Lansdale visit (mainlinemedianews.com)
Wolf comes to Wilkes-Barre Area High School to promote education spending plan | Education | citizensvoice.com
State grant provides final piece of funding puzzle to replace Pottstown’s Memorial Park bridge (readingeagle.com)
Rally and legislative session address decreasing services at Delaware County Memorial Hospital (delcotimes.com)
Wolf Administration: Updated Minimum Wage Act Regulations Protecting Tipped Workers Approved – GantNews.com
Baby Formula Poised to Feed Dairy Industry | Dairy Farming News & Information | lancasterfarming.com
Pass compassionate release legislation in Pennsylvania – Workers World
Lancaster Stands Up protest in support of abortion rights at Pa. Capitol. – YouTube
GUEST VIEW: Both chambers of state legislature need more transparency | | sharonherald.com
Coronavirus – COVID-19
World Health Organization: COVID-19 levels falling – except in Americas and Africa | Coronavirus | tribdem.com
Creeping COVID-19 cases result in few schools mask mandates, including in Pennsylvania | WITF
Business/Jobs
Changes coming to Pa. Minimum Wage Act, modernizing rules for tipped workers | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)
Rising inflation curbing enthusiasm for small businesses – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
5 medical professionals on why they stay as hospital workers flee post-COVID (inquirer.com)
Inflation hit 8.3% last month but slows from 40-year high – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
SBA EIDL program wraps up with key deadline looming – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Crime/Punishment
York County Prison: Feasibility study for competency restoration area (ydr.com)
Education
Pennsylvania funding for education up 40 percent since 2000 | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com
Steelton-Highspire district unveils solar panel field (abc27.com)
Richland school board’s draft budget pitches 2-mill tax hike | News | tribdem.com
Harassing school boards sets poor example for all [column] | Local Voices | lancasteronline.com
Central Bucks School District faces LGBTQ complaints, addresses teacher suspension and bullying (buckscountycouriertimes.com)
Central Bucks School District decisions lead LGBTQ students and faculty to fear for civil rights | WITF
33 exceptional teacher-scholars recognized during WCU’s banner year for research and new R2 reclassification – Daily Local
Palisades High School ranks in top 6% in Pennsylvania | The Bucks County Herald
Parents at Northeastern School District fed up with bullying (ydr.com)
Eligible Pa. families to see relief after COVID-19 disrupted school meal programs – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
$137M Boyertown budget would raise taxes by 3% (readingeagle.com)
Elections/Politics
Jake Corman dropping out of Pennsylvania Governor race a second time; sources (abc27.com)
Source: Corman to exit GOP governor’s race and endorse Barletta | PA Power and Policy | lancasteronline.com
Pa. counties are getting rid of ballot drop boxes · Spotlight PA
Democratic hopefuls swing into crucial Erie County days before primary | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Republican Pa. governor candidate Mastriano surging, reacting to Republicans trying to stop him (abc27.com)
Shapiro ad targeting Mastriano exposes GOP division over governor’s race candidates – pennlive.com
GOP staffers fired after possible ‘ballot harvesting’ operation found in Pa. – pennlive.com
Republicans respond to potential South Philly ‘ballot harvesting’ by GOP operative with firings, campaign attacks (inquirer.com)
Pennsylvania ACLU and Lancaster County commissioners fight over ballot drop box removal in court | WITF
Mailer featuring gun to head of state rep causes upheaval at a Philadelphia PAC – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)
Kathy Barnette’s surge in GOP polls puts her in line with Oz, McCormick 6 days out from Pa.’s primary | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Bill McSwain: I’ll get Pennsylvania back on track — whatever it takes (broadandliberty.com)
Where are Pa. Senate candidates getting their cash? – WHYY
Pennsylvania House Speaker faces challengers in May 17 primary | PA Power and Policy | lancasteronline.com
Conservative groups go against Trump, Oz in Pa. Senate race – Daily Local
What Do Rural Voters Think? A Day in the “T” – PoliticsPA
After Hours: Natalie Bencivenga interviews Austin Davis | After Hours | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)
Decision time is here again: A procrastinator’s guide to the primary election in Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
New Dem ad in Pa. hits GOP plan to sunset Medicare, Social Security | Thursday Morning Coffee – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Trump’s election lies are truth for far too many 2022 GOP hopefuls | Mark O’Keefe – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Luzerne County election director reports ballot drop box incident | Times Leader
Mail ballot applications exceed 893,775 on last day to apply | The Bucks County Herald
Environment
Boating Owners Association U.S. improves services in PA, nation (poconorecord.com)
Muhlenberg survey finds most Americans say they’ve felt the effects of climate change | Smart Talk (witf.org)
Transportation
Pennsylvania had about 9% more traffic deaths in 2021 than the year before; Northampton, Lehigh counties show decline – The Morning Call (mcall.com)
King of Prussia rail line moves closer to federal funding decision (inquirer.com)
Health
Pennsylvania EMS bill would give ambulance crews more flexibility | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com
Could birth control be at risk if Roe is overturned? : NPR
Mychalejko: These Bucks County moms want abortion to stay safe, legal (buckscountycouriertimes.com)
US overdose deaths hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says | News | phillytrib.com
Officials make case for syringe service programs to fight opioid epidemic, reduce harms | News | thetimes-tribune.com
State News
Sen. Pat Toomey pushes tariffs exclusions as the Senate and House attempt to reconcile China competitiveness bills | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Rising natural gas prices means up to 45% increases on Pennsylvania utility bills (broadandliberty.com)
Public database significantly undercounts former drug labs in Pa. Here’s why home buyers, renters should care. · Spotlight PA
See what’s happening with the Pennsylvania’s 121 state parks (theintell.com)
Black homebuyers in Pennsylvania still face many hurdles, report finds | WITF
PSERS hires appraiser for suspect Harrisburg deals, law firm to review lawsuit for Aon ‘errors’ (inquirer.com)
National News
Lawyers: Nearly $1B tentative settlement in condo collapse (abc27.com)
A nearly $1 billion settlement is reached in Surfside condo collapse lawsuit : NPR
Finland’s leaders say they are in favor of seeking NATO membership : NPR
U.S. identifies Native American boarding schools and burial sites : NPR
A judge says Trump must pay $110K to end contempt of court order : NPR
Nationwide shortage in baby formula impacts families across region – Daily Local
US housing market starts shift from pandemic frenzy but not evenly across all markets – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)
Study finds higher density of gas leaks where people of color live | Health | phillytrib.com
Curbing gun violence: Another plea for finding common ground | Rob Schofield – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Local News
Four new city programs set to launch Friday, backed by $2M each from pandemic relief bill | News | tribdem.com
Fallen police officers in Delaware County remembered – Delco Times
Erie’s Hammermill plant closed 20 years ago this week (goerie.com)
State official takes a hike with students at Nolde Forest in Berks (readingeagle.com)
Bethlehem is taking a new approach to improving this busy thoroughfare – lehighvalleylive.com
Pitt
New Pgh youth programs get a boost from state gun violence-prevention funding – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)
Developer officially withdraws plans for Amazon warehouse in Churchill | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Two big Downtown Pittsburgh apartment projects are ready to advance | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Allegheny County Health Department hears from activists and steel workers on new coke oven regulations | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Next Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent needs to collaborate, move district forward, city residents say | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
BikePGH celebrates second annual Bike Anywhere Week | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)
Philly
Outlaw updates police involved shooting | Local News | phillytrib.com
Should Philadelphia schools scan middle school students for weapons? | Pro/Con (inquirer.com)
Philadelphia’s poverty could be solved with better tax policy and jobs, business leaders say (inquirer.com)
Philadelphia needs leaders to start showing up in person | Editorial (inquirer.com)
Washington
Women’s Health Protection Act to codify abortion protections fails in the Senate : NPR
5 ideas for the White House’s Global COVID Summit : Goats and Soda : NPR
U.S. Senate Democrats fail to enshrine nationwide abortion protections, vow more action | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)
