Legislature

After a decade of talks, inter-municipal trail system in Kennett area will become a reality | Local News | dailylocal.com

Kutztown Borough awarded $674,844 grant for walkable community project | Local News | berksmontnews.com

Town hall to be held Thursday on vaccine hesitancy | Coronavirus | delcotimes.com

Pa. Senate bill will remove ‘homosexuality’ from state’s crimes code | News | northcentralpa.com

Limiting Pennsylvania governor’s emergency powers is a bad idea (goerie.com)

Halcovage impeachment process begins | News | standardspeaker.com

Pa. doctors could be punished for rejecting vaccine-skeptical parents under advancing House legislation | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Mihalek to co-sponsor legislation to protect data collected for vaccine registration | Local News | observer-reporter.com

How the Pa. Black Caucus wants to dismantle systemic racism (poconorecord.com)

Pa. Black caucus pushes bills to dismantle systemic racism (ydr.com)

Harrisburg Diocese bankruptcy case could collide with bill giving child sex abuse victims a chance to sue | WITF

Pa.’s volunteer fire departments are in crisis. How Pa. lawmakers are moving to help | Mark O’Keefe | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Coronavirus – COVID-19

National

COVID-19’s U.S. toll projected to drop sharply by the end of July | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Libraries still quarantine books, even as cases drop and vaccinations rise (inquirer.com)

U.S. to back waiver of vaccine intellectual property protections at WTO | TribLIVE.com

‘Turning the Corner’: U.S. Covid Outlook Reaches Most Hopeful Point Yet – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

CureVac Covid Vaccine Could Bring Hope to the Unvaccinated World – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Americans Are Taking Outings Again, Giving A lift To Businesses : NPR

Why does COVID-19 cause neurological problems, including ‘brain fog’? Scientists might have an answer – pennlive.com

Public health, medical experts say removing most COVID-19 restrictions a reasonable next step | WITF

COVID mixed messages; sorting fact from fiction | Smart Talk (witf.org)

State

Gov. Wolf Announces Most COVID-19 Mitigation Orders Will Be Lifted By May 31 – CBS Pittsburgh (cbslocal.com)

Pennsylvania leads U.S. in plunge of first COVID-19 vaccine doses given | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Coronavirus vaccine hesitancy among Republicans high in Pa., but few GOP leaders speaking up (inquirer.com)

Republican Sen. Kim Ward endorses covid vaccine for return to normalcy | TribLIVE.com

PA contract with Insight Global not renew after data breach (audacy.com)

PSU’s James Franklin, Gov. Tom Wolf team up to promote COVID vaccines (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

The number of vaccinated Erie police officers, firefighters increases (goerie.com)

College kids urged to get vaccinated; statewide demand lags | WITF

Wolf to Pa.: Want to see Penn State in-person this fall? Get vaccinated | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

A full Beaver Stadium for Penn State football may be possible with enough vaccinations | WITF

Local

Vincent Hughes, Sheryl Lee Ralph-Hughes host vaccination clinics – WHYY

Debate over COVID-19 vaccine requirements intensifies in Harrisburg; Muhlenberg College joins Lehigh University in requiring shots – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

COVID-19 Latest: Allegheny County OK with Wolf’s restriction rollback; Sick leave bill will get public input | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Luzerne County tops 100,000 vaccinations | Times Leader

Wyoming Valley West planning COVID-19 vaccination clinic for students ages 12 and older | coronavirus | citizensvoice.com

Providers say mass vaccinations disappearing, but COVID fight marches on | Coronavirus | thetimes-tribune.com

COVID pandemic death toll for Berks residents reaches 1,000 | Coronavirus | readingeagle.com

Lancaster County mass vaccination site trims hours in the wake of declining demand | Health | lancasteronline.com

Local COVID-19 hospitalizations holding steady; Cambria, Blair each add two deaths | Coronavirus | tribdem.com

York County vaccine rate: How many people have been vaccinated? (ydr.com)

UPMC Hamot COVID nurse survives her own severe bout with virus (goerie.com)

Coca-Cola Park to host COVID-19 vaccinations prior to Thursday’s IronPigs game, with a free ticket as reward – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Montgomery County records 73 new coronavirus cases in daily report | News | mainlinemedianews.com

AHN to host a vaccination clinic Thursday in Aliquippa (timesonline.com)

Bucks County vaccine rate: How many people have been vaccinated? (theintell.com)

 

Business

Former Hazelwood coke works being considered for green manufacturing plant | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PNC, BNY Mellon share plans to bring remote workers back to the office | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Google Adopts Pandemic Telework Changes : NPR

Staffing crunch may impact Berks restaurants more than lifting COVID restrictions | Local News | readingeagle.com

Employers, employees differ on post-pandemic work arrangements – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

More than 180,000 businesses apply to Restaurant Revitalization Fund in opening days – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Minimum wage: How would $15 an hour impact restaurant owners, workers? (poconorecord.com)

PPL earnings tumble during first quarter, blaming discontinued overseas operations – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Pa. tech firm that makes iPhone components gets $410 million from Apple, could grow in the Lehigh Valley – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

 

Crime/Punishment

‘Please, don’t shoot me’: Complaints and lawsuits piled up for years before a Philly detective was arrested (inquirer.com)

Shade Township supervisors to vote Thursday on disbanding police department | News | tribdem.com

States push back against use of facial recognition by police – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Activists want open data about how Pittsburgh police use ‘less-lethal’ weapons | WITF

Warminster releases settlement with ex-cop accused of child sex abuse (theintell.com)

Honoring fallen law enforcement heroes including those from Wade dump fire | News | delcotimes.com

 

Education

Pa. superintendents, charter advocates continue to spar over school funding | WITF

Philly-area superintendents press for reforms, say payments to charter schools aren’t sustainable (inquirer.com)

After student push, Pa.’s state university system adopts strategy to address campus racism (inquirer.com)

Small crowd attends hearing on closing Meyers and Coughlin | Education | citizensvoice.com

Officials tour new Lackawanna College campus | Education | thetimes-tribune.com

Penn State Schuylkill sets plans for in-person graduation, fall semester | Education | standardspeaker.com

Columbia Borough School District plans to spend $6M in projects through 2026 | Community News | lancasteronline.com

Chester Upland charter bidders to make their pitch tonight | News | delcotimes.com

 

Elections/Politics

A week after FBI raid, Rudy Giuliani prepares to host Midstate fundraiser for Mastriano | ABC27

Philadelphia DA primary endorsements: Vega nabs more unions, Krasner more officials – On top of Philly news (billypenn.com)

2021 primary ballot questions: No to partisan bickering, yes to fairly funding fire departments | Endorsement (inquirer.com)

Democratic Primary Election 2021 Pittsburgh City Council District 4 | Election Guide | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

LETTER: Early ballot prep needed | Letters to the Editor | observer-reporter.com

Inquirer endorses Judge Kevin Brobson for Pa. Supreme Court in Republican primary | Endorsement

NRCC Adds Houlahan to 2022 Target List | PoliticsPA

Lugar Center: Fitzpatrick Ranked As Most Bipartisan Member For The 116th Congress | PoliticsPA

How ‘socialism’ stopped being a dirty word for some voters – and started winning elections across America | Opinion | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Environment

Climate report predicts weeks of 90-degree days by mid-century in Pa. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Report: Pennsylvania will warm 5.9 degrees by midcentury without carbon regulations; critics question integrity of study | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

This report predicts PA’s annual temperature will rise by 6 degrees (poconorecord.com)

Regional groups ask feds to renew Falcon Pipeline scrutiny (timesonline.com)

Ron DeSantis Pushes Coastal ‘Resilience’ While Doing Little To Tackle Climate Change : NPR

 

Transportation

Wenzell Ave. reopens after bridge replacement and improvement project – WPXI

Duquesne-McKeesport Bridge reopens Thursday morning after closing for possible barge strike | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Harrisburg’s North Second Street won’t become a two-way until 2022 – pennlive.com

 

Health

Site near Monroeville Mall eyed for new $91 million VA outpatient clinic | TribLIVE.com

Allentown ranked as worst city for people with asthma in U.S. – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

How Food May Improve Your Mood – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

 

State News

Sen. Toomey vows to find out why U.S. Steel canceled $1.5B Mon Valley Works project | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Comcast diversity program provides tech makeovers, other awards to minority-owned businesses | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jobless want state to end backlog, pay benefits now | TribLIVE.com

GOP wants to restore work-search rule for jobless benefits | Pennsylvania State News | lancasteronline.com

Northeast Pennsylvania ready to celebrate #570Day on social media | News | thetimes-tribune.com

National chicken wing shortage hits NEPA | Business | standardspeaker.com

EXCLUSIVE: Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff’s Allentown Visit Paints ‘Inspiring’ Image Of Small Community Coming Together – CBS Philly (cbslocal.com)

Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, hears about challenges facing Lehigh Valley business owners – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

League of Women Voters honors Thomas for Pennsylvania mapping proposal (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

‘Democracy requires full representation’: Group pushes for racially equitable redistricting | Thursday Morning Coffee | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Voting laws by state: How other places compare to Georgia (ydr.com)

Trans YOUniting announces Trans Crisis Fund to provide housing and other essential services | LGBTQ | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper (pghcitypaper.com)

Chronic Wasting disease spreads. in Pennsylvania (goerie.com)

 

National News

Here’s a round-up of this week’s redistricting news: May 5, 2021 – Ballotpedia News

JetBlue passenger faces $32,750 in fines for refusing to wear mask, shouting obscenities at crew members | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Federal judge strikes down CDC’s national moratorium on evictions | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Effects of CDC eviction moratorium decision unclear as advocates, landlords fear fallout | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

ICE deportations fell in April to lowest monthly level on record, enforcement data shows | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Explainer: Will juror’s march presence impact Derek Chauvin case? | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Nature at its craziest: Trillions of cicadas about to emerge after years underground | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Chlorine shortage expected this summer | Business | citizensvoice.com

Anti-Olympic petition gains tens of thousands of signatures | Coronavirus | thetimes-tribune.com

How two Black CEOs got corporate America to pay attention to voting rights | Business | phillytrib.com

 

Local News

Heritage of Green Hills Breaks Ground on State-Of-The-Art Health Care Center | BCTV

Churchill residents voice concerns over proposed e-commerce warehouse | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Prantl’s hit with health citations for opening Squirrel Hill bakery without permit | TribLIVE.com

NAACP: Hollenback Golf Course employee made racist comment | Times Leader

Geisinger shows off new LIFE facility in Wilkes-Barre for seniors | Times Leader

Officials in Hazleton prepare for fire fleet upgrade | News | standardspeaker.com

Berks County hands over letter supporting residential center plan to the Reading Eagle | Berks and Beyond | readingeagle.com

Editorial: Broadband internet access must be addressed | Editorials | readingeagle.com

Reading Area Community College senior co-founds program to help kids eat healtier | Local News | readingeagle.com

Chester County picked for new low-income housing mobility program | Local News | dailylocal.com

If prison leaves East King Street, ‘unique’ redevelopment possibility would replace it, officials say | Local Business | lancasteronline.com

New Lancaster County program aims to resolve foreclosure, debt issues outside of litigation | Local News | lancasteronline.com

‘Resilience is like a muscle’: Books donated to help Greater Johnstown students learn mental toughness | News | tribdem.com

Eateries in the Poconos look forward to lifted restrictions (poconorecord.com)

Filmmaking is thriving in Lancaster County – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Cancer victims sue over toxic gas emissions from B. Braun’s Lehigh Valley plant, claiming 3 died – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Beaver County to survey broadband access to fill gaps (timesonline.com)

Doylestown cancels Memorial Day Parade (buckscountyherald.com)

National Day of Action draws Bucks County citizens to rally against gerrymandering (buckscountyherald.com)

Haycock eligible for $218,498 from American Recovery Plan (buckscountyherald.com)

Radnor continues to debate Raider nickname | Local-news | delcotimes.com

 

Pitt

Transportation Secretary Buttigieg visiting Pittsburgh today to tout president’s American Jobs Plan | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh film incentives could translate into more jobs for Pittsburghers post-pandemic (wtae.com)

Speakers at public hearing criticize Peduto, City Council for Pittsburgh’s loss of Black population | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Activists call for Pittsburgh to cancel bid for supplies of less-lethal weapons | TribLIVE.com

Pittsburgh residents, council members take up issue of Black flight from city | TribLIVE.com

 

Philly

Part of Center City hotel high-rise to open, hoping for a visitor rebound (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and challenger Carlos Vega meet in only TV debate (inquirer.com)

Biden’s American Families Plan can boost Philly students and teachers | Opinion (inquirer.com)

Mayor Jim Kenney says Philly is ready for a ‘tourism comeback’ (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia region poised for ‘greatest tourism comeback we have ever seen,’ leaders say – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Philadelphia coronavirus restriction easing date should be set, City Council members say (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia DA candidate profile: Larry Krasner (audacy.com)

Philadelphia District Attorney Debate profile: Carlos Vega (audacy.com)

Jazz Pharmaceuticals closes deal for cannabis-based drugmaker – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Philadelphia’s African-American Museum welcomes visitors with new exhibits and safety precautions | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

New monument in N. Philly honors women helping others survive long Pa. prison sentences | Lifestyle | phillytrib.com

 

Washington

Biden touts $28.6B restaurant relief program, orders tacos | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Trump, Republicans express outrage over extension of Facebook ban | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Judge blasts William Barr, Justice Dept. for ‘disingenuous’ handling of secret Trump obstruction memo | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cheney clings to GOP post as Trump endorses replacement | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Elise Stefanik moves to quickly consolidate GOP support as Cheney replacement: ‘The fix is in’ – CNNPolitics