News Digest :: May 24, 2021

Legislature

Bill would block companies from getting second round of Keystone Opportunity Zone tax breaks (inquirer.com)

Constitutional amendments met with mixed reactions in Chesco | Local-news | dailylocal.com

Wolf refocuses on education policies ahead of budget negotiations | National News | kpvi.com

Brooks: Direct more vaccines to pharmacies | News, Sports, Jobs – Times Observer

Pa. Senate Holding Hearing Over COVID-19 Contract Tracing Data Breach – CBS Pittsburgh (cbslocal.com)

Legislation prohibiting sale of puppy mill animals introduced to state House | News | citizensvoice.com

New wave of lawmakers build off of pandemic-era hurdles – ABC News (go.com)

Lawmakers report receiving fewer gifts during pandemic as push for ban continues · Spotlight PA

Wolf refocuses on education policies ahead of budget negotiations | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Auditor General says Pennsylvania must do better to protect relief dollars | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Republicans float spending protections for federal coronavirus aid | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)

Wolf promises a collaborative approach to emergency declarations | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)

Readers’ Views: Lawmakers must fund 988 suicide prevention hotline | Opinion | delcotimes.com

Headed for a new gig, Flynn promises to be a hard-working senator | Election | citizensvoice.com

A bad idea whose time has come (again). Pa. House panel to take up local gun preemption bill | Monday Morning Coffee | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Coronavirus – COVID-19

National

Dr. Fauci: Booster shots may depend on variants | WHP (local21news.com)

Families applying for federal reimbursement for COVID funeral expenses thankful for help during a tough time | Local News | pottsmerc.com

Giant Eagle ending mask requirement for vaccinated customers Monday | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CDC ramps up research on highly contagious variant from India | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CDC increasing its research on highly contagious variant from India – pennlive.com

What if vaccine incentives aren’t enough? | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

New U.S. COVID-19 cases plummet to lowest levels since last June | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

COVID-19 testing’s value shrinks as vaccines beat back virus | National News | thetimes-tribune.com

With many Americans vaccinated, some experts are asking whether the ‘benefits of testing outweigh the costs’ – pennlive.com

New COVID-19 cases haven’t been this low in the U.S. since last June | WITF

US COVID-19 vaccination pace is down by nearly half in the last month. These states slow to vaccinate may struggle this summer, expert warns | Coronavirus | phillytrib.com

State

Coronavirus numbers for Pennsylvania and New Jersey (inquirer.com)

Pennsylvania reaches COVID vaccine milestone, thanks pharmacy partners (poconorecord.com)

Easing of mask guidelines opens new phase of COVID pandemic controversy | Local News | delcotimes.com

COVID-19 Update: Pa. cases drop by 3,000 this week, continuing month long streak | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pa. and N.J. kids are lining up for COVID-19 shots as parents experience both relief and hesitancy (inquirer.com)

As covid cases decline, only 1 Pa. county reports more than 100 cases | TribLIVE.com

Mask policies vary at businesses throughout NEPA | coronavirus | citizensvoice.com

State on the way to ending mask mandates before July 4 | coronavirus | citizensvoice.com

Even with Wolf’s disaster powers clipped, Pa.’s mask mandate remains. Why? | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

State data shows low vaccination rates for staff at area nursing homes (timesonline.com)

Local

Resume in-person meetings | News, Sports, Jobs – Altoona Mirror

State College Repeals Masking Requirement For Those Who Are Fully Vaccinated | WPSU

COVID-19: Daily update on coronavirus cases in Erie County (goerie.com)

Delaware County reaches 57 percent of adult vaccinations | News | delcotimes.com

Somerset, Blair add weekend COVID-19 deaths; Cambria hits 42% vaccination rate | Coronavirus | tribdem.com

Solanco district to keep some COVID-19 restrictions in place | Community News | lancasteronline.com

Pittsburgh-area groups raising funds to send India aid amid COVID-19 surge | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A shot and a taco. That was the offer at Jefferson’s mobile vaccine unit at South Philly Barbacoa (inquirer.com)

As COVID-19 case counts plummet in Philly area, life feels more normal. At least for now. (inquirer.com)

Luzerne County adds 33 new COVID-19 cases Sunday | News | citizensvoice.com

Avoca plans COVID-19 vaccine clinic | coronavirus | citizensvoice.com

Parents and students request change in mask rule at Blue Mountain – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

 

Business/Jobs

NoLibs site trades for $16M, clearing the way for Amazon grocery store and apartment complex – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

EIDL grant map boundaries causing headaches for small business owners, putting some at risk of closure – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Cheerleaders Strip Club say they deserve access to federal COVID funds, lawsuit | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

Strip clubs sue for access to federal bailout funds for restaurants and bars | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Survey: Business economists foresee best growth in 37 years | News | tribdem.com

Local officials optimistic about the future of travel and tourism in region | Business | citizensvoice.com

Safety precautions, online shopping help retailers through pandemic | Business | citizensvoice.com

Employment rises, workers retrain as pandemic wanes | Business | citizensvoice.com

Experts: Pandemic-induced trends could shape NEPA’s post-COVID economy | Business | citizensvoice.com

Basalyga buys building on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton | Business | thetimes-tribune.com

Company plans to hire more than 575 people in Pa., spin off logistics segment – pennlive.com

What the rise of Amazon has to do with the rise of Trump | WITF

 

Crime/Punishment

Other Voices: In support of first steps in gun violence prevention | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jewish Exponent, Philly Pops ex-business head charged with stealing $1.4M – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

York father thinks working for the feds led to his son’s murder charge (ydr.com)

Drug investigation: Erie County gets aid through federal designation (goerie.com)

Clergy abuse cases: Erie Catholic bishop ‘concerned’ about finances (goerie.com)

On patrol with Bristol Borough police Officer Kevin Riley (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Police reform efforts making mixed progress, even after months of protests | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Gun violence is growing. One Philly school community says enough is enough. (inquirer.com)

10 shot, two fatally, in 3 hours in Philly; a 1-year-old was spared (inquirer.com)

State trooper shot and killed man during Williams Township domestic response, authorities say – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

‘Something out of a war movie’: Mass shooting leaves two dead, 12 wounded at huge N.J. house party – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

 

Education

Bloomsburg ends association with fraternities and sororities | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Exclusive: Campaign by former St. Joe’s students to get professor fired for allegedly racist tweets fails (broadandliberty.com)

Highest-scoring Pennsylvania school districts of the decade – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Edinboro professors, alumna want more time, details on integration (goerie.com)

Pa. education officials talk about impact of COVID on schools, what future has in store | News | delcotimes.com

Letter to the Editor: Delco has been denied over $195M over the last six years | Opinion | delcotimes.com

C&N donates $800K to Bucks County educational organizations (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Gateway School District, teachers union reach last-minute deal to avert strike | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Gateway School District officials, teachers union reach deal and avoid strike | TribLIVE.com

Steel Valley grad couldn’t pick one applicant, so he gave scholarships to all of them | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Two $1 million donations given to Pittsburgh Promise | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Schools expand summer programming to help reckon with turbulent year | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

I spent a year and a half studying a ‘no-excuses’ charter school. This is what I saw. | Opinion (inquirer.com)

Nikole Hannah-Jones and the secret history of the real ‘cancel culture’ on U.S. campuses | Will Bunch (inquirer.com)

A declining national birthrate means hard times ahead for colleges (inquirer.com)

Editorial: Back to school in September demands listening to all needs | Editorials | readingeagle.com

‘Saying this year was challenging is an understatement’: The pandemic high school senior year – pennlive.com

What will Pa. schools look like next fall? Education officials answer questions about vaccines, masks and more – pennlive.com

Op-Ed: Racing against student debt (timesonline.com)

 

Elections/Politics

Guest editorial | Republican lawmakers should deal with real issues instead of targeting transgender children | Editorials | tribdem.com

Pennsylvania Republicans target Tom Wolf over Joe Biden to win 2022 governor’s race (inquirer.com)

Pa. voters limited Wolf’s emergency powers. No good deed goes unpunished | Fletcher McClellan | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

“The Clampdown”, Part II – The Philadelphia Sunday Sun (philasun.com)

Constitutional amendment encountered mixed reaction in Chesco | Local News – Pennsylvania News Today

How Pennsylvania’s Senate race is shaping up so far (onenewsnow.com)

EDITORIAL: Too many races are already over (yorkdispatch.com)

Linda Stein: Sean Parnell for Senate campaign complains Google bias buried website (broadandliberty.com)

Erie candidate Tyler Titus scores historic win as first trans county executive nominee | LGBTQ | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

Dr. Nche Zama has announced his candidacy for governor of Pennsylvania (poconorecord.com)

Readers’ Views: Pa. residents demand an end to partisan gerrymandering | Opinion | delcotimes.com

Ballot counting in Lancaster County likely to persist into Monday; Sen. Aument proposes pausing mail-in balloting altogether | PA Power and Policy | lancasteronline.com

Perkasie mayoral candidates, others await write-in ballot counting (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Vote count shows 22 of grassroots group’s 26 candidates won fall ballot spots | TribLIVE.com

Chris Kelly Opinion: Voters escalate downfall of old guard operators | Chris-kelly | thetimes-tribune.com

How party politics played into crowded Lehigh Valley school board primaries – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Pennsylvania mail-in voting is changing how politicians campaign – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

A look at why so many incumbents lost – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

From mayor to magistrate, Democrats backed diverse candidates in 2021 primary | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Amid 2024 Speculation, Florida’s DeSantis Tells Allegheny County Republicans ‘Don’t Back Down’ | 90.5 WESA

Pennsylvania Republicans celebrate amendment curbing governor’s emergency powers: ‘Voice of the people’ | Fox News

 

Environment

We must have cleaner waterways [letter] | Letters To The Editor | lancasteronline.com

Ask me about … how to make sustainability central to the post-pandemic recovery | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Community data collectors play key role in Lake Wallenpaupack water monitoring program | News | thetimes-tribune.com

Lackawanna County joins voluntary program to reduce pollutants in area waterways | News | thetimes-tribune.com

How electric cars can advance environmental justice: By putting low-income and racially diverse drivers behind the wheel | Opinion | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Transportation

PennDOT spending $10 million for upgrades at 12 airports | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Roadwork begins on I-78 and I-81 in Dauphin and Lebanon counties (ydr.com)

As Trenton-Mercer Airport eyes expansion, residents fear impact (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Scudder Falls Bridge: Work could cause 2-hours delays, heavy traffic (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

New airline Breeze Airways brings 4 routes to Pittsburgh airport | TribLIVE.com

Scheduled roadwork for the week of 5/24/21 | News | citizensvoice.com

Pandemic-stricken mass transit would get $85B in Biden stimulus plan. That’s a down payment on reviving American cities | Opinion | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Electric buses, asphalt and bridges: On Capitol Hill, pols from Pa., nationwide jostle for federal transportation cash | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Health

The pandemic has created a ‘crisis’ in home care, keeping some kids from leaving the hospital: ‘It’s like these babies are in jail’ (inquirer.com)

Horses and healing: Equine-assisted psychotherapy business helps people deal with depression | TribLIVE.com

Casey holds hearing on long-term care for people with Alzheimer’s Disease | Times Leader

In health care, tragic loss couples with needed change | Business | citizensvoice.com

Letter: Big improvements needed in path to dementia care | Letters to the Editor | readingeagle.com

LVHN cited on federal patient’s rights violations for failing to watch suicidal patient – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Nursing homes in Pa., hit hard by pandemic, seek American Rescue Plan funding | WITF

With new guidelines for emergency response, how will Pa. lawmakers address the opioid crisis? | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

State News

It’s 1-4-3 Day Weekend in Pa. Commit a random act of kindness | Five for the Weekend | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

143 Day of Kindness in PA | WITF

Juneteenth: PA state courts to observe Black emancipation anniversary (goerie.com)

Pa. State System Redesign reaches the final stage, what does that mean? | ABC27

Teachers union demands leadership changes at embattled state employees’ pension fund – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Teachers union demands leadership changes at embattled PSERS pension fund | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Electrifying all Pennsylvania’s buildings is essential (poconorecord.com)

PA drops lawsuits against restaurants that violated 3-week dining ban around winter holidays | Local Business | lancasteronline.com

A stocked golden rainbow in one of Pennsylvania’s wildest trout streams [column] | Outdoors | lancasteronline.com

PUC to hold public hearings on proposed PECO $246M rate increase | Business | dailylocal.com

Winning Mega Millions ticket for $515M jackpot sold in Pa. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CNN cuts ties with Rick Santorum over disparaging comments on Native American culture | News | tribdem.com

CNN cuts ties with Rick Santorum over disparaging comments | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Destructive insects threaten to attack, kill Eastern hemlocks in Western Pa. | TribLIVE.com

Mobile, online sports wagers upping tax revenues in Pennsylvania | TribLIVE.com

Former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Stephen Zappala Sr. remembered for distinguished public service | TribLIVE.com

Letter: Child care centers need help from government | Letters to the Editor | readingeagle.com

Increase in first-time boat owners could mean busy, accident-prone Memorial Day weekend | Today in Pa. – pennlive.com

Pennsylvania adds old-growth forest to national network, with 5 more to follow this year – pennlive.com

This app takes crowdsourcing cicadas to the next level | WITF

Homeless students, including those in Pa., slipping through the cracks during the pandemic, congressional panel told | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

National News

What sex assault survivors face when coming forward (chronicle-express.com)

Justice in My Town: Activists, civil rights leaders seek racial equity (ydr.com)

George Floyd’s family holds rally, march in brother’s memory | News | tribdem.com

One Year Later: The Legacy of George Floyd (post-gazette.com)

Floyd killing prompts some states to limit or ban chokeholds | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Tennessee Bans Hormone Treatments for Prepubescent Minors – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Texas Eyes Laws to Limit Teaching Slavery in Classrooms – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Steel Price Surge Revives U.S. Industry – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

West Virginia To Mark Juneteenth As A State Holiday For The First Time – CBS Pittsburgh (cbslocal.com)

Child tax credit in PA: What we know about the extra money (poconorecord.com)

COVID changed amusement parks. Here’s how they’ve upped their game (ydr.com)

Celebrate National Bike Month by learning the rules of the road with bike laws | Lifestyle | dailylocal.com

Ageless wonder Mickelson wins PGA to be oldest major champ | Times Leader

Christine Flowers: Why Roe v. Wade may soon be aborted | Opinion | delcotimes.com

Ramesh Ponnuru: Pro-lifers needn’t fear a post-Roe abortion-rights backlash | Times Leader

Roe v. Wade gave people who can get pregnant a choice about having children. Here’s how that changed their lives | Opinion | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Iran agrees to extend deal on cameras at its nuclear sites | News | tribdem.com

Average U.S. price of gas jumps 8 cents per gallon to $3.10 | News | tribdem.com

‘State-sponsored hijacking’: EU promises swift retaliation after Belarus forces airliner to land, detains dissident | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Spate of anti-Jewish attacks in U.S. draws calls for more forceful response | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

For Gaza shop owners, building back could take years | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Quiet holds for 2nd day in Israel and Gaza as focus turns to rebuilding | WITF

Flight 93 families hope heroism award helps keep story alive | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Leaving home: West Virginia population drop is largest in U.S. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

U.S. again extending temporary protected status for Haitians (inquirer.com)

Liz Weston: The checks that could change your financial life | Times Leader

Growing mystery of suspected energy attacks draws US concern | National News | thetimes-tribune.com

Japan speeds up vaccine rollout 2 months ahead of Olympics – pennlive.com

Steady increase in the cost of red meat putting consumers in a ‘really tough spot’ – pennlive.com

It’s harder than ever to buy a house, and bidding wars keep breaking out | WITF

Asian Americans, Hispanics are the fastest growing part of the U.S. population | The Numbers Racket | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Gun control fight has surprising new allies | News | phillytrib.com

How America Talks can help save our nation from toxic polarization (timesonline.com)

 

Local News

Casey shows optimism at town hall | Times Leader

Casey rips Republicans who don’t want commission probe of Jan. 6 Capitol attack | News | citizensvoice.com

Burkes officials and developers embark on the long-awaited Buttonwood Gateway project | Local News – Pennsylvania News Today

Fall film festival underway, says ReadingFilmFEST | Berks Regional News | wfmz.com

Free shredding event in Reading draws more than 100 vehicles | Local News | readingeagle.com

Dino Don says deal with Shark Tank’s Mark Cuban has been ‘a great partnership’ – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Some Route 940 developments see progress, others stall (poconorecord.com)

Pa. PUC kills proposed high-power transmission line (ydr.com)

Hanover man dies after workplace accident at Growmark FS, coroner says (ydr.com)

York State Fair 2021: It’s on this summer, what to expect, what’s new; will masks be required with the COVID pandemic? (ydr.com)

12 become U.S. citizens at naturalization ceremony at Erie Federal Courthouse (goerie.com)

George Floyd vigil: Erie group to mark anniversary of Floyd’s death (goerie.com)

Erie County United-backed candidates enjoy municipal primary success (goerie.com)

Lonestar tick found in Erie County, can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (goerie.com)

New grand jury empaneled in Montgomery County | News | timesherald.com

Montgomery County awards $2.5M in grants to 23 local projects | Local News | thereporteronline.com

‘A unique property’ How proposed prison site never got developed all these years | Local News | lancasteronline.com

The Hill restaurant to close May 29 in Ephrata; liquor license sold to Sheetz | What’s in store | lancasteronline.com

Elanco approves proposed final budget with 2.22% tax hike | Community News | lancasteronline.com

United Way’s Bucks Knocks Out Hunger seeks donations, volunteers (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Kennett Memorial Day Parade planned for 2022 | Local-news | dailylocal.com

Luzerne County Second Amendment sanctuary designation up for vote Tuesday | Times Leader

Olyphant Freedom Fighter Monument to have dedicated park | News | thetimes-tribune.com

Locally sourced mushrooms kick Vegan Potstickers up a notch | Food and Wine | thetimes-tribune.com

As Sugarloaf Twp. preps for next cell tower hearing, zoners limited in which concerns they can consider | News | standardspeaker.com

Immanuel Christian students package 10,000 meals for impoverished Haitian children | News | standardspeaker.com

Zoning variance request denied for new retail store near Frackville | News | standardspeaker.com

Judge rules against newspaper’s request | News | standardspeaker.com

Retired Air Force nurse in Lebanon County presented with Quilt of Valor | Local News | readingeagle.com

Safe Berks sets Celebration of Peace/Walk for No More | Local News | readingeagle.com

Family remembers Bucks County teen shot by hunter at Lake Nockamixon – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

You can now buy alcohol in these two, formerly dry, Cumberland County boroughs – pennlive.com

 

Pitt

Local artist highlights Pittsburgh community gardens in silkscreen series | Visual Art | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

‘We want to hear from everybody’: Submissions open for Women in Film and Media’s short film festival | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Industrialist Hotel celebrates Pittsburgh’s hard-working past and present | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Weddings are booming — masks and all — in the Pittsburgh area | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Port Authority to expand and improve McCandless park-and-ride lot | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

‘Come on home’: Ed Gainey promises reforms if elected in November as Pittsburgh’s mayor | TribLIVE.com

Criminal justice reforms, progressive victories, and other takeaways from Pgh.’s historic 2021 primary election | Analysis | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Philly

Is Philly Democratic leadership a friend or foe of Blacks? | Michael Coard | phillytrib.com

Larry Platt: The forgotten victim of MOVE (broadandliberty.com)

Sixers selling playoff tickets on the fly as Covid-19 restrictions keep changing – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Rethinking reopening our streets | Morning Newsletter (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia needs to manage the return of the car as the pandemic subsides (inquirer.com)

Loan preference is shutting some FHA-backed buyers out of Philly area’s hot housing market (inquirer.com)

Mayor Kenney’s ‘safe’ budget is not good enough | Opinion (inquirer.com)

Amid anti-Asian violence, Philly community groups offer a weekend of free self-defense classes – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Philly and beyond celebrates the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Will Philadelphia see a rise in gun violence this summer? | Local News | phillytrib.com

Morale down: Philly’s Black police face post-Floyd era | Local News | phillytrib.com

Philly Council intros bill to change mixed-income housing bonus — WHYY

 

Washington

Pa. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. is pitching a big, expensive plan to help kids. And he’s ready for a fight. – pennlive.com

GOP House Rep. Scott Perry votes against COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (poconorecord.com)

Pa.’s Rep. Perry only Keystone State Republican to vote against bill protecting Asian-Americans from hate crimes | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Infrastructure deal slips, GOP pans $1.7T White House offer | News | tribdem.com

Antony Blinken heads to Mideast to push Israeli-Palestinian peace talks after Gaza truce | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A new carbon market or existing USDA aid? GOP lawmakers debate how to bolster small farmers’ climate credentials | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

‘Patriotic group’ met in central Pa. to plan Capitol riots: report | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Biden betting on wage growth, while GOP warns of inflation | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Lawmakers clash over security concerns as states reopen and threats follow them home (inquirer.com)

Rand Paul says he’s skipping vaccine for now, may reconsider | TribLIVE.com

Democrats shouldn’t negotiate with terrorists over 1/6 panel | Dick Polman | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Guest Opinion: H.R. 19 is the drug-pricing legislation to support (timesonline.com)