News Digest :: September 13, 2022

Legislature

State Sen. Wayne Fontana calls for audit of tourism group VisitPittsburgh’s use of tax dollars | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Regulatory relief bills advance from Pennsylvania license committee | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Pennsylvania lawmaker unveils bills designed to make electric vehicles more affordable (abc27.com)

Pennsylvania law would increase penalty for concealing a child’s death (abc27.com)

Pa. Supreme Court tells Wolf to bring abortion amendment challenge to Commonwealth Court – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Pennsylvania Supreme Court tells Tom Wolf it won’t fast track amendments lawsuit | WITF

People gather on capitol steps in Harrisburg for gun rally (abc27.com)

‘They are coming after you’: GOP lawmakers vow to defend gun rights at annual rally – City & State Pennsylvania (cityandstatepa.com)

Low turnout, same message: pro-gun Pa. legislators rally for Second Amendment | News | tribdem.com

Pennsylvania House advances 3 election law changes | WITF

Gift ban does not see House vote, but advocates say ‘there’s still time’ – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Only you can prevent amendment abuse | Bruce Ledewitz – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Reducing tuition would more effectively cut student debt [opinion] | Local Voices | lancasteronline.com

A bipartisan call to give more Pennsylvanians a clean slate | Opinion – pennlive.com

 

Coronavirus – COVID-19

Two new COVID vaccine boosters are now available. (dailylocal.com)

So you haven’t caught COVID yet. Does that mean you’re a superdodger? | WITF

 

Business/Jobs

Soaring electricity bills are the latest inflation flashpoint : NPR

C.P.I. Report Live Updates: U.S. Inflation Remains High in August – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Having trouble hiring? Penn-Mar might be able to help (ydr.com)

New contract for Lancaster city union nursing home workers includes average pay hike of more than $3 an hour | Local News | lancasteronline.com

Lancaster County sets $15 minimum wage for its employees | Local News | lancasteronline.com

Schuylkill County nursing home employees receive raises in agreements with facilities | Business | standardspeaker.com

NLRB issues complaint of Starbucks intimidating workers who unionized | TribLIVE.com

 

Crime/Punishment

Ride-along program pairs addiction treatment providers with police (abc27.com)

Opioid crisis: Erie County sues 5 chain pharmacies, claims negligence (goerie.com)

Police chief salaries in central Pa. can top $100K: Here’s who made the most – and least – pennlive.com

 

Education

PSEA treasurer predicts ‘devastating’ results from candidate’s school funding plans in meeting with local teachers | News | tribdem.com

Why did Penn State create a new vice president position during a hiring freeze? | WITF

Drexel, Penn look to ‘densify’ University City amid life sciences boom – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Republican governors ask Joe Biden to ax student loan forgiveness in letter : NPR

Parents Protest GVSD Transgender Bathroom Policy – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

Lower Merion School District’s new staff members, opens new Black Rock Middle School – Mainline Media News

Why did Penn State create a new vice president position during a hiring freeze? | WITF

Teacher shortages are real, but not for the reason you heard | WITF

 

Elections/Politics

Group led by Stephen Miller, Mark Meadows sues Lehigh Co. over ballot drop-off boxes – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Lehigh County sued over mail ballot drop boxes (mcall.com)

Election-denying ‘patriot’ groups are trying to stop the use of electronic voting machines across Pa. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

John Fetterman talks reproductive rights, stroke recovery during campaign stop in Montgomery County | WITF

Central Pennsylvania Chapter of Independent Electrical Contractors expands statewide – pennlive.com

Pa. election 2022: Where governor candidates Mastriano, Shapiro stand on LGBTQ rights · Spotlight PA

Op-Ed: Bleier Calls for End to Closed Primaries (politicspa.com)

Fetterman victory fund to receive $1M from Schumer (abc27.com)

Luzerne County Councilman Thornton proposes ban on ballot drop boxes | Election | citizensvoice.com

Luzerne County Council majority not in favor of revisiting a mail ballot drop box ordinance | Times Leader

Major party candidates get the attention, but Pa. voters have minor party options, too – pennlive.com

Josh Shapiro, Austin Davis announce $1.4 million campaign to reach Black voters in Pa. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pa. governor’s race: Inside Josh Shapiro’s effort to mobilize Black voters (inquirer.com)

Pa. governor, Senate races devolve in trash talk over debates (inquirer.com)

 

Environment

At 75, the Father of Environmental Justice Meets the Moment – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Erie Coke property: DEP launches further environmental review of site (goerie.com)

 

Transportation

PennDOT phasing in new driver licenses, identification cards (delcotimes.com)

Amtrak cancels some long-distance trips as freight strike threat looms (inquirer.com)

 

Health

Pennie is a one-stop shop for health care for Pennsylvanians (dailylocal.com)

COVID-19 showed the benefits of at-home testing. A new partnership is expanding access to HIV testing kits (inquirer.com)

Tower Health’s lawsuit against Community Health dismissed – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

UPMC West Shore opens cardiac care center (abc27.com)

In a post-Roe America, Pennsylvanians consider permanent birth control procedures | WITF

 

State News

Pennsylvania election integrity measures advancing | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

A third of U.S. House Dems, including Pa., oppose Manchin permitting deal in stopgap spending bill – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

PA activists demand U.S. House ethics investigation of Rep. Scott Perry (ydr.com)

Inflation Reduction Act will bolster PA natural gas, hydrogen (goerie.com)

New maps will decide where up to $1 billion goes for Pa. broadband expansion (buckscountycouriertimes.com)

Pennsylvania gives millions to boost EV adoption | StateImpact Pennsylvania (npr.org)

Pennsylvania counties have received their first payments from prescription drug companies | WITF

 

National News

Fifty million people lived in ‘modern slavery’ last year, U.N. agency says (inquirer.com)

New Hampshire’s Maggie Hassan hopes to defend her U.S. Senate seat : Live Coverage: 2022 Primaries : NPR

Frances Haugen on Twitter whistleblower Peiter Mudge Zatko’s upcoming testimony : NPR

Justice Department says it is OK with 1 Trump pick for Mar-a-Lago arbiter : NPR

No new talks planned as 3-day nurses strike starts in Twin Cities, Duluth | MPR News

‘Abbott Elementary’ star Sheryl Lee Ralph forged her own path in Hollywood : NPR

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Succession, Ted Lasso: five takeaways from the 2022 Emmys : NPR

Report: Online trolls are spreading offline hate against LGBTQ Americans | Tuesday Morning Coffee – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Seawater expected to swallow up 6,000+ N.J. buildings by 2050 (inquirer.com)

Queen hailed in service as a ‘constant in all our lives’ | TribLIVE.com

 

Local News

York Day Nursery turning 90 this year (ydr.com)

Cambria conservation group breaks ground on new section of Ghost Town Trail C&I extension | News | tribdem.com

Looming bridge project in Bear Creek to block access to Route 115, shutter turnpike in NEPA at times | News | citizensvoice.com

 

Pitt

City Council proclaims Sept. 12 as ‘Protect Trans Kids Day’ in Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Gas firm and residents clash over plans to drill near a public school in Allegheny Co. – Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Philly

Philly Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. is positioning to be the next majority leader (inquirer.com)

Center City Philadelphia sees more foot traffic, but also more office vacancies – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Philly’s gun-violence spending is surging, but many funded programs lack clear goals to show progress (inquirer.com)

PnB Rock’s death: Nicki Minaj, Questlove and more react to the Germantown rapper’s killing (inquirer.com)

 

Washington

Biden reignites cancer moonshot on anniversary of Kennedy’s 1962 moon speech : NPR

Biden hopes ending cancer can be a ‘national purpose’ for U.S. | TribLIVE.com

Biden has achieved historic diversity. A new study says more can be done. | Across America | phillytrib.com