Legislature

Elections, emergency powers, and mapmaking among the items on Pa. lawmakers’ fall to-do list | WITF

The 5 biggest fights as Pa. lawmakers return to challenge governor (poconorecord.com)

Pennsylvania Democrats sue over GOP election ‘investigation’ (apnews.com)

Pa. Senate Democrats sue Republicans to block election review subpoena (inquirer.com)

Pennsylvania Senate Democrats Sue Republicans to Block 2020 Election ‘Investigation’ (newsweek.com)

Pa. GOP’s voter info grab sets up a legal showdown · Spotlight PA

Pennsylvania Democrats sue over GOP election ‘investigation’ | State & Region | phillytrib.com

Pa. Senate Republicans subpoena voters’ social security numbers, including LGBTQ voters — Philadelphia Gay News (epgn.com)

Pa. Senate GOP’s quest for voter info not just embarrassing. It’s a security threat. | Opinion – lehighvalleylive.com

Bipartisan election bill introduced in Pennsylvania (apnews.com)

Election experts slam Pa. GOP request for personal info of voters — WHYY

Pennsylvania Democrats sue over GOP’s 2020 election ‘forensic investigation’ – Washington Times

Pennsylvania lawmakers introduce legislation for sexual assault evidence tracking system (yahoo.com)

State Senate To Subpoena Voters Info, State Communications – ButlerRadio.com – Butler, PA

Pa. attorney general says his office will protect voters’ private information amongst a subpoena by the state legislature | News | northcentralpa.com

Bipartisan election bill introduced in Pennsylvania | WITF

Voting reform bill reintroduced after Pennsylvania governor’s veto | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

Wolf tours Kensington, calls for renewed focus on opioids – Metro Philadelphia

Parents, top Pa. Republican are suing over school mask mandate. Here’s what to know about the cases – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Lawmakers return to Capitol with school mask controversy swirling | News | sharonherald.com

Nursing homes face an impossible task in meeting higher staffing levels, PHCA and LeadingAge PA said (inquirer.com)

Proposed overhaul of Pa. nursing home care splits labor union, health care group at Senate hearing | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pa. Governor apologizes for drug problem to Kensington residents – WHYY

Gov. Wolf visits Kensington, discusses needed legislation to support efforts to curb increased overdoses (fox29.com)

Pennsylvania leaders prepare to fight deadly overdose crisis without a disaster declaration – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Pa. House to vote on extending rule allowing members to participate remotely – pennlive.com

Lawmakers Tour Delaware River On Tall Ship – LevittownNow.com

Are Unlicensed Gambling Devices to Blame for Declining PA Casino Slots? (playpennsylvania.com)

Veteran suicide rally near Pennsylvania State Capitol raises awareness and prevention (abc27.com)

Wolf initiates regulatory ‘fix’ for Pennsylvania charter schools | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com

It’s session week in Harrisburg. Here is what to watch. | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)

Staats, Quinn Unveil Child Welfare Reform Legislation in Memory of Grace Packer – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

Legislation Introduced to Extend State of Emergency Declaration for Storm Damage – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

Pa. General Assembly’s disaster response faces first test with Hurricane Ida | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

Coronavirus – COVID-19

Pfizer Says Vaccine Trials For Kids Show Its Shots Are Safe : Coronavirus Updates : NPR

Kids COVID vaccine: Pfizer says low dose safe, effective for ages 5-11 (poconorecord.com)

FDA panel approves Pfizer boosters for people over 65, at high risk (poconorecord.com)

Biden’s vaccine mandate spurs mixed emotions in Chester County – Daily Local

How ivermectin became the new focus of the anti-vaccine movement | WITF

Chris Rock says he has COVID-19, has two words for his followers: ‘Get vaccinated’ – pennlive.com

Penn Health System’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate gets near total compliance (inquirer.com)

Fauci says data on Moderna, Johnson & Johnson boosters ‘a few weeks away’ from FDA review | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Westmoreland, Allegheny covid cases reach totals not seen since January | TribLIVE.com

 

Business/Jobs

Pa. unemployment rate falls for sixth consecutive month, reaches 6.4% in August (abc27.com)

America’s grand reopening, postponed – Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Worker shortages forces central Pa. restaurants to close, delay openings and shave back hours – pennlive.com

Many area businesses holding off on vaccine mandate for employees | Business | citizensvoice.com

Pa. unemployment rate dropped slightly in August | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

How Car Rentals Explain the 2021 Economy – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Pa. weed jobs are growing even before legalization (inquirer.com)

Philly construction trades seek to recruit more women (inquirer.com)

Shop-Vac rebounds in Pa. under Chinese ownership after near-death experience (inquirer.com)

Economist’s view: End of pandemic unemployment programs to weigh on consumers | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PennDOT to hold job fairs in Westmoreland, region for hiring winter crews | TribLIVE.com

 

Crime/Punishment

Erie crime: Federal designation to support efforts of local task force (goerie.com)

Paws on patrol: K-9 training to join Hazleton police force | News | standardspeaker.com

Hundreds expected to testify at kids-for-cash damages hearing | Cops and Courts | standardspeaker.com

Jail Oversight Board set to meet over controversial prison contract | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Editorial: Allegheny County Jail dispute shows peril of no-bid contracts | TribLIVE.com

 

Education

Thousands of Pennsylvania students request mask exemptions (apnews.com)

Parents, including a top Pa. Republican, are suing over the school mask mandate. Here’s what to know about the cases. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Parents Decry Norristown Area School District’s ‘Chaotic’ Response to Bomb Scare – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

Gov. Wolf’s COVID mask mandate offers freedom to stay safe in school (poconorecord.com)

Racial justice: Central York students protesting school board book ban (ydr.com)

Central York board maintains ban on Black and Hispanic books (ydr.com)

Emergency permits necessary to staff Scranton classrooms | Education | thetimes-tribune.com

COVID-19, staff shortages challenge school bus drivers in Schuylkill County | Education | standardspeaker.com

Pennsylvania independent school association investigating parent complaints against Sewickley Academy | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Feds ask for feedback as majority of public service workers denied student loan forgiveness | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pa.’s school mask mandate is law. Will Lancaster County officials enforce it? | Local News | lancasteronline.com

Elanco ditches doctor’s exception as other Lancaster County schools crack down on mask noncompliance | Local News | lancasteronline.com

How will the shift to online learning impact students long term? Students, teachers, others share their stories | Local News | lancasteronline.com

School District of Lancaster enrollment numbers drop | Community News | lancasteronline.com

Palisades School Board ends meeting when audience members refuse to don masks | The Bucks County Herald

 

Elections/Politics

Maricopa County and Arizona GOP-led Senate reach agreement after months of partisan sparring over 2020 ballots – Forbes Talk

Super PAC hits Parnell on protective orders requested by wife – POLITICO

PRO and con: The ups and downs of ‘Protecting the Right to Organize’ | City & State PA (cityandstatepa.com)

Christian Nascimento: First Generation American Wants To Challenge Dem Dean in 4th CD – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

BARLETTA: Biden’s Vaccine Mandate is Unconstitutional and Should Be Stopped – DV Journal (delawarevalleyjournal.com)

PAC Aims to Elect Pro-Business Republicans in SEPA | PoliticsPA

Poll workers are hard to recruit and retain, impacting future elections | Smart Talk (witf.org)

Lackawanna County canvass finds poor compliance with spotted lanternfly quarantine rules | News | thetimes-tribune.com

Chester County chamber CEO Guy Ciarrocchi is running for Pennsylvania governor (inquirer.com)

McSwain cites his conservatism and toughness as pathway to GOP nomination for Pa. governor | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Environment

Fall is getting warmer in Philly. Here’s what that means for trees, ticks, and birds. (inquirer.com)

 

Transportation

Creating friction: PennDOT, Allegheny County install rough surface to make intersections, curves safer | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Health

‘We have a lot to talk about’: Honoring helpers and survivors during National Recovery Month | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

State News

Cartwright: Child Tax Credit tax cut payments helping area families | Times Leader

Spotted Lanternflies Are Invasive and Must Be Killed, US States Say (businessinsider.com)

Sued over ‘sellout’ opioid deal, AG Shapiro counters · Spotlight PA

It’s ‘leaf peeping’ season in Pennsylvania | WITF

Bats are making a comeback in Pennsylvania, and that will mean fewer mosquitoes. Here’s how you can help – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

If we fail to act on women’s reproductive rights, Pa. will become the next Texas | Opinion | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

 

National News

U.S. Begins Flying Haitian Migrants Home From Texas In Mass Expulsion : NPR

Search for Gabby Petito’s boyfriend continues in Florida after her body is found – pennlive.com

Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg Is Back In Court : NPR

Education Secretary Kicks Off Back To School Tour In Wisconsin : Back To School: Live Updates : NPR

Botched International Submarine Deal Leaves France Feeling Betrayed : NPR

SpaceX mission led by Jared Isaacman lands – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Another flight has left Kabul’s airport, this time with 28 U.S. citizens on board | WITF

Op-Ed: We shouldn’t return to welfare as we knew it (theintell.com)

Slim majority sees reckoning over racial history as a positive | The Numbers Racket | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Report finds decline in household income, rise in poverty rate | Monday Morning Coffee | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

MacKenzie Scott dominates donations to racial equity (inquirer.com)

Trudeau rolled the dice on a snap election. Canadian voters will decide whether his gamble pays off. | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

U.S. aims to thwart ransomware attacks by cracking down on crypto payments | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

NY millionaire Robert Durst guilty of best friend’s murder | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Local News

Activists in downtown Reading push for Freedom to Vote Act (readingeagle.com)

Harrisburg’s Hispanic Heritage Festival celebrates culture and gives vaccines (abc27.com)

York County Libraries react to Central York SD book ban (abc27.com)

Montgomery County opens FEMA center for residents with Ida damage (theintell.com)

Stevens-Arroyo: Inclusion and diversity go together for Pocono Latinos (poconorecord.com)

Lake Erie water levels drop in August. What’s the forecast for the months ahead? (goerie.com)

Erie sewer pipes that need repair: Report says crumbling system will cost $10.5M to fix (goerie.com)

Appalachian Trail in Lehigh Valley relocating to its original route – The Morning Call (mcall.com)

Green diamond: St. Patrick’s Parade returns to W-B | News | citizensvoice.com

‘We missed this so much’ | Times Leader

Schuylkill County firefighters lament closing of KME plant | Schuylkill | standardspeaker.com

Spotted lanternflies seem to be on decline in Berks (readingeagle.com)

Veterans, first responders recognized during Lower Merion, Harriton football game | Mainlinetimes | mainlinemedianews.com

Paradox? Study says area is cheap to live in but not attracting young | Times Leader

 

Pitt

Selling the site of Western Pen | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Visitors are returning to Pittsburgh museums, sometimes at pre-pandemic levels | WITF

Outdoor medical tents pop up at 2 of Pittsburgh region’s hospitals amid patient influx | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Philly

Pennsylvania man returns 108-year-old beer bottles for ‘deposit’ from Irving Cliff Brewery | PhillyVoice

4 suspects sought in deadly beating at Pat’s Steaks in Philly; the 2nd homicide this year at cheesesteak icon – pennlive.com

Philly’s school nurses are exhausted as shortages and COVID-19 double their workload (inquirer.com)

Philadelphia closes several streets in Center City for Adam Sandler’s new movie (inquirer.com)

The U.S. once had a friendship with Iran born in Philadelphia | Opinion (inquirer.com)

 

Washington

Rail service within reach amid the spending push | News, Sports, Jobs – The Sentinel (lewistownsentinel.com)

Biden Faces Questions At U.N. About His Commitment To Working With Allies : NPR

In A Blow To Democrats, Senate Official Blocks Immigration Reform In Budget Bill : NPR

How House Democrats would expand Medicare and Medicaid and lower prescription drug costs | Pennsylvania Capital-Star (penncapital-star.com)

Joe Manchin Will Craft U.S. Climate Plan – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Jill Biden Is Chasing the President’s Most Elusive Campaign Promise: Unity – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Biden pitching global partnership after tough stretch with allies | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

House to try suspending cap on borrowing authority next week | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Milley: Calls to China were ‘perfectly’ within scope of job | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette