Legislature
Legislative answer to late absentee ballot problem seems simple but elusive
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2018/11/20/absentee-ballots-deadline-pennsylvania-aclu-lawsuit-democrats-republicans-elections/stories/201811200183
920 participate in phone-in town hall on pipelines in Berks
https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/920-participate-in-phone-in-town-hall-on-pipelines-in-berks
Business
Surprise! Bayada Home Health chairman gifts $20 million to his employees
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/bayada-home-health-care-20-million-gift-mark-baiada-20181120.html
Major retailers’ gift-card policy changes aim to reduce scams
https://triblive.com/local/allegheny/14317904-74/changes-to-gift-card-policies-meant-to-cut-down-on-scams
Crime/Punishment
Judge rules that Rosfeld civil, criminal lawyers can share materials in Antwon Rose cases
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2018/11/20/michael-rosfeld-east-pittsburgh-antwon-rose-police-shooting-civil-criminal-share-discovery-judge/stories/201811200138
Creative solution: State prisons, advocates work around a book ban
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2018/11/21/Creative-solution-State-prisons-advocates-work-around-a-book-ban/stories/201811210069
Education
Plum teachers authorize strike if contract talks fail
https://triblive.com/local/plum/14319285-74/plum-teachers-authorize-strike-if-contract-talks-fail
Crestwood terminates district bus contract
https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/crestwood-terminates-district-bus-contract-1.2413293
Law enforcement raids Scranton School District administration building
https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/law-enforcement-raids-scranton-school-district-administration-building-1.2413098
Hazleton Area School Board seeks energy savings
https://www.standardspeaker.com/news/hazleton-area-school-board-seeks-energy-savings-1.2413253
Tamaqua teachers on target
https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/opinion/tamaqua-teachers-on-target-1.2413187
Reading School Board set to vote on immigration policy
https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/reading-school-board-set-to-vote-on-immigration-policy
Cheyney University’s accreditation extended another year
http://www2.philly.com/philly/education/cheyney-university-accreditation-extended-20181120.html
Elections/Politics
Special Election Looms In 37th District, Attracting Bipartisan Interest
http://www.wesa.fm/post/special-election-looms-37th-district-attracting-bipartisan-interest#stream/0
Provisional ballot tabulation trims Cook’s lead to 11 votes in 49th District
https://observer-reporter.com/news/election/provisional-ballot-tabulation-trims-cook-s-lead-to-votes-in/article_a917b746-ecdd-11e8-b6fa-d706264edcb8.html
Democrats flip Utah House seat as McAdams tops Rep. Mia Love
http://www2.philly.com/wires/ap/democrats-flip-utah-house-seat-mcadams-tops-rep-mia-love-20181121.html-2
Health Care
Partnerships build a model to find and reverse racial disparities in health care
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2018/11/21/partnerships-model-racism-health-care-Greensboro-ACCURE-North-Carolina-Pitt/stories/201811080166
UPMC income up $2.5 billion compared to last year
https://triblive.com/local/allegheny/14319805-74/upmc-income-up-25-billion-compared-to-last-year
Local News
Pop-Up Shops returning to downtown Wilkes-Barre for the holidays
https://www.timesleader.com/news/725463/pop-up-shops-returning-to-downtown-wilkes-barre-for-the-holidays
Wilkes-Barre council shows support for 2019 proposed budget
https://www.timesleader.com/news/725454/wilkes-barre-council-casts-first-vote-in-favor-of-2019-proposed-budget
W-B budget gets preliminary approval
https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/w-b-budget-gets-preliminary-approval-1.2413288
61 displaced in WB senior home fire
https://www.timesleader.com/news/725473/fire-causes-evacuation-at-wb-senior-home
Luzerne County DA’s Office adds K-9 to team
https://www.timesleader.com/news/725425/luzerne-county-das-office-adds-k-9-to-team
Pittston, Exeter ambulance associations to merge
https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/pittston-exeter-ambulance-associations-to-merge-1.2413257
Friends of the Poor annual dinner about food, and also community
https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/friends-of-the-poor-annual-dinner-about-food-and-also-community-1.2413251
Light the fuse on the holiday season with annual Times Radio Tower Lighting festival
https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/lifestyles/light-the-fuse-on-the-holiday-season-with-annual-times-radio-tower-lighting-festival-1.2412794
Local brewery joining effort to aid victims of California wildfire
https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/local-brewery-joining-effort-to-aid-victims-of-california-wildfire-1.2413279
Three have applied to follow John Fetterman as Braddock’s mayor until next election
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/east/2018/11/20/john-fetterman-braddock-mayor-sheldon-stoudemire-chardae-jones-tina-doose/stories/201811200150
Kiski Township starts planning to expand public sewage to 700 households
https://triblive.com/local/valleynewsdispatch/14318608-74/kiski-township-starts-planning-to-expand-public-sewage-to-700-households
Police from Reading, other departments deliver holiday meal to fallen officer’s family
https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/police-from-reading-other-departments-deliver-holiday-meal-to-fallen-officers-family
RAWA passes $32 million budget
https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/rawa-passes-32-million-budget&template=ourcityart
Health official, railroad at odds over idling trains in Kutztown
https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/health-official-railroad-at-odds-over-idling-trains-in-kutztown
Salvation Army distributes hundreds of Thanksgiving meals
https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/salvation-army-distributes-hundreds-of-thanksgiving-meals
National News
Former Michigan State president charged with lying to police about Nassar sex-abuse scandal
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/former-michigan-state-president-charged-lying-police-nassar-sex-abuse-scandal-20181121.html
Local restaurants, markets scramble to get rid of romaine lettuce after E. coli warning
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2018/11/21/romaine-lettuce-recall-CDC-warning-e-coli-restaurants-grocery-stores-pittsburgh/stories/201811200189
Romaine lettuce is not safe to eat, CDC warns U.S. consumers
http://www2.philly.com/philly/health/romaine-lettuce-is-not-safe-to-eat-cdc-warns-u-s-consumers-20181120.html
Conservative nonprofit with obscure roots, undisclosed funders paid Whitaker $1.2 million
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/conservative-nonprofit-obscure-roots-undisclosed-funders-paid-whitaker-million-20181121.html
Tech giants plunge again, pushing market into red for year
https://triblive.com/local/allegheny/14317349-74/global-markets-sink-again-as-tech-and-retail-stocks-drop
Philly
Philadelphia’s overdose death rate remains stubbornly high
http://www2.philly.com/philly/health/addiction/philadelphias-overdose-death-rate-remains-stubbornly-high-20181120.html
City Council should play a bigger role in opioid crisis | Editorial
http://www2.philly.com/philly/opinion/editorials/opioid-crisis-philly-city-council-editorial-20181121.html
Philly’s premiere hunger fighter is departing
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/hunger-share-food-program-steveanna-wynn-poverty-20181121.html
‘The offer of all offers’: Ex-Brady challenger describes $90K payoff that bought him out of the race
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/politics/offer-of-all-offers-bob-brady-judge-jimmie-moore-ken-smukler-20181120.html
Uber adds wheelchair accessible rides in Philadelphia
http://www2.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/uber-wheelchair-accessible-rides-mv-transportation-philadelphia-20181121.html
Thanksgiving Day parade in Philadelphia: Route, road closures and other details
http://www2.philly.com/philly/blogs/things_to_do/thanksgiving-day-parade-philadelphia-route-road-closures-time-tv-20181121.html
South Philly street collapses after water main break
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/water-main-break-south-philadelphia-dickinson-street-20181121.html
Philadelphia’s low wages hurt single mothers most of all | Opinion
http://www2.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/single-mothers-wage-gap-equity-20181121.html
First operating gain in years for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
http://www2.philly.com/philly/business/archdiocese-philadelphia-parishes-gain-20181120.html
Fund Philly libraries so that they can be fully staffed | Opinion
http://www2.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/philadelphia-library-funding-under-staffed-budget-cuts-20181121.html
Larry Krasner moves Philadelphia beyond ‘eye-for-an-eye’ on murder | Opinion
http://www2.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/larry-krasner-murder-criminal-justice-reform-20181120.html
Could a garden tended by drug users be the thing that unites fractured Kensington? | Ronnie Polaneczky
http://www2.philly.com/philly/columnists/ronnie_polaneczky/paul-yabor-memorial-garden-kensington-opiod-adddiction-phs-vision2027-20181120.html
Philadelphia police buy and deliver 450 Thanksgiving dinners
https://www.readingeagle.com/article/20181120/AP/311209560/1009
Pennsylvania diocese rolls out $25 million clergy sexual abuse reparations fund
https://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-nws-philadelphia-diocese-priest-victim-abuse-fund-20181120-story.html
Pitt
Pagan seen beaten in South Side bar brawl sues Pittsburgh police officers, city
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2018/11/20/pagans-pittsburgh-police-brawl-undercover-cops-biker-gang-fight-kopys-south-side-frank-deluca-civil-rights-federal-lawsuit/stories/201811200172
Region’s bid for Amazon’s HQ2 may have been the biggest of them all
http://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2018/11/21/Region-s-bid-for-Amazon-s-HQ2-may-have-been-the-biggest-of-them-all/stories/201811210083
Another 134 apartments on tap for Downtown
http://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2018/11/20/Another-134-apartment-units-on-tap-for-Downtown/stories/201811200067
Woman claims BNY Mellon fired her for Antwon Rose-related Facebook post because she’s white
https://triblive.com/local/allegheny/14314918-74/woman-claims-bny-mellon-fired-her-for-facebook-post-because-shes-white
State News
Upper Bucks residents are scrambling to oppose Adelphia, the pipeline coming to their backyards
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/gas-pipeline-pa-talen-energy-adelphia-quakertown-compressor-station-protest-20181121.html
Consumer advocacy group singles out dangerous toys
https://triblive.com/local/allegheny/14318121-74/consumer-advocacy-group-singles-out-dangerous-toys
Bear hunting numbers down in Westmoreland County, on par in rest of Pennsylvania
https://triblive.com/local/regional/14318439-74/bear-hunting-numbers-down-in-westmoreland-county-on-par-in-rest-of
Pa.’s Hunters Sharing the Harvest sets record for donations
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/11/pas-hunters-sharing-the-harvest-sets-record-for-donations.html#incart_river_index
Police: Pa. mom drove with son on car hood over dentist dispute
https://triblive.com/state/pennsylvania/14316532-74/police-pa-mom-drove-with-son-on-car-hood-over-dentist-dispute
Be wary about bringing spotted lanternfly along for holidays
https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/be-wary-about-bringing-spotted-lanternfly-along-for-holidays
Pa Supreme Court agrees to hear case over donor names and Harrisburg’s legal defense fund for gun lawsuits
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/11/pa-supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-case-over-donor-names-and-harrisburgs-legal-defense-fund-for-gun-lawsuits.html#incart_river_index
Transgender people killed around the world remembered in Reading
https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/transgender-people-killed-around-the-world-remembered-in-reading
Harrisburg marks Transgender Day of Remembrance, calls for legislative action
http://www.witf.org/state-house-sound-bites/2018/11/harrisburg-celebrates-transgender-day-of-remembrance-calls-for-legislative-action.php
Transportation
COLTS hopes jingle will promote ridership
https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/colts-hopes-jingle-will-promote-ridership-1.2413281
Washington
Trump answers Mueller’s questions on Russian interference
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2018/11/20/Trump-Answers-Mueller-s-Questions-on-Russian-Interference/stories/201811200180
Pat Toomey tries again: Congress should back gun buyer checks
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2018/11/21/Pat-Toomey-tries-again-Congress-should-back-gun-buyer-checks/stories/201811210068
Congress to probe Ivanka Trump’s private email use in WH
http://www2.philly.com/wires/ap/congress-probe-ivanka-trumps-private-email-use-wh-20181120.html-2
Houlahan won’t commit to Pelosi as Speaker … yet
https://www.dailylocal.com/news/houlahan-won-t-commit-to-pelosi-as-speaker-yet/article_aab81d34-ec24-11e8-8701-af852931d863.html