Wednesday PA Capitol & Coronavirus NewsClips 8.19.20

Senate returns to voting session Sept. 8 or at the Call Of President Pro Tempore

House returns to voting session Sept. 15 or at the Call Of The House Speaker [May be back late August for election fixes Read More Here.]

PA Legislature Nears Deal On Elections Law Fixes; Lancaster To Add 30 Elections Staff

AG Shapiro Announces Lawsuit To Stop Service Changes At Post Office To Secure Vote-By-Mail

AP: States Of Pennsylvania, Washington Lead Lawsuits Over Postal Changes

AG Shapiro Says PA Will Lead Multistate Coalition In Suing Postal Service Over Changes

AP: Postal Service Halts Some Changes Amid Outcry, Lawsuits

Laura Olson: Post Office Changes Put On Hold Until After Election As Complaints Pile Up

AG Shapiro, Sen. Casey Won’t Back Down On Postmaster General, Even As Changes Scrapped

Stephen Caruso: Despite Postal Service Pivot, Shapiro Primes Lawsuit; Wolf, Casey Urge Vigilance

Republican Cong. Smucker ‘Not Available’ For Interview About Postal Service Crisis

Pittsburgh Postal Workers Urge Americans To ‘Not Lose Faith’ In Mail System

Editorial: Attacks On Post Office Must Stop

WITF Smart Talk: PA’s Plan For Mail-In Voting - TODAY 9:00 a.m.

AP: Ballot Drop Boxes Seen As A Way To Bypass The Post Office

AP: Pennsylvania Opting In To Trump’s $300-A-Week Jobless Pa

Owners Of Live! Casino Pittsburgh Release Online Gaming Site Prior To Casino Opening

Erie Casino Sees 15.6% Decline In Revenue
Erie Casino Workers Test Positive For COVID-19

Turnpike Seeks 2nd Delay In Quarterly Transit Payments Due To COVID-19

John Micek: Report: Nearly 200 Pardons Still Awaiting Wolf’s Signature
Lt. Gov. Fetterman Announces Virtual Pardons, Commutations Hearings For Board Of Pardons

AP: State Prisons To Implement Modified Virtual Visits Sept. 1

State Agencies Offer Safe Return For Parolees

AP: Drug Treatment Firm Co-Founder Sentenced For Fraud Scheme

AP: Evictions At Philly Homeless Camps Paused After Court Petition

Cap-Star: Commonwealth Court Issues Unfavorable Name-Change Ruling For Trans Litigants

Dept. Of Agriculture Petitions USDA For Immediate Action To Ensure School-Aged Children Access To Food

Editorial: Extend Food Stamp Waivers
PA Ranks Third In Student Loan Debt Nationally, Study Shows

Shippensburg U. Announces Death Of A Student Over The Weekend

Op-Ed: The Problem With Private Charter Schools

Op-Ed: Questions About Penn State Health’s Proposal To Buy Holy Spirit Hospital

Philadelphia Parking Authority Charged Couple $1,700 To Get Back Towed Car It Already Sold

Amazon Announces 1,500 New Jobs In Pittsburgh

Report: Racial Disparities Prevalent In Job Opportunities In Philly

National/International

Trump’s 2016 Campaign Chair Communicated With Russian Intelligence Bipartisan U.S. Senate Panel Finds

U.S. Senate Committee Made Criminal Referral Of Trump, Jr., Bannon, Kushner, 2 Others To Federal Prosecutors

Wavering Voters Targeted By Democratic National Convention; Some Say Too Much Trump Bashing, Not Enough Substance

AP: Key Takeaways From Night 2 Of DNC

Women Of Color Connect With Kamala Harris, See Her VP Nomination As A Turning Point

Mifflinburg Becomes 4th Community Flag-Burning Activist Has Sued

George Floyd Protests

Protesters Again Gather Outside Of Pittsburgh Mayor’s Home On Protester’s Arrest

Editorial: Low-Visibility Arrest, High-Visibility Failure In Pittsburgh

Allegheny County Council Takes Up Ban On Chokeholds, But Hurdles Lie Ahead

United Clergy Of Erie Raises Possibility Of Reparations

Coronavirus

Dept. Of Health Reported 31 Additional Deaths Due To COVID-19; 735 New Cases [PaCN]  8.18.20

Dept. Of Agriculture Releases Weekly Restaurant COVID-19 Enforcement Actions

Flu Vaccines Are Important, Safe In Pandemic, Experts Say

Editorial: Twindemic Double Problem For Public Health
Editorial: PA Leaders Should Heed New Report’s Warnings On COVID-19 Nursing Home Disaster

Editorial: As We Face COVID-19, We Need To Follow The Example Of 102-Year-Old Emma Green
Erie Casino Workers Test Positive For COVID-19

Enforcing Mask-Wearing In PA?  The Struggle Is Real

Patton Twp, Centre County Considering Masking Ordinance

AP-Marc Levy: Masks To Be Worn At All Times In School State Says

Jan Murphy: Health Secretary: Social Distancing No Substitute For Wearing Masks In Schools

School Districts Tweak Reopening Plans Again To Require Full-Time Mask Use

Fall High School Sports In PA Continue To Look Like A Go
PA Athletic Oversight Committee Hears Testimony On Resuming School Sports Safety

Positive Virus Tests In Student Athletes Suspending Activities In 2 Dauphin County School Districts

Allegheny County School District Halts Football Workouts After Off-Campus Exposure To COVID-19

2 Pitt Students Test Positive For COVID-19

East Pennsboro Schools Make Last-Minute Switch To 100% Remote Learning

CMU Going Online Only With First Week Of Undergraduate Semester

Coming To College In The Middle Of A Pandemic

Bills Would Give PA Families $1,000 Each From COVID-19 Relief Funds For Educational Expenses

Northeast PA Employers To Be Reimbursed For $2.5 Million In Hazard Pay

York Restaurants Say They’ll Close Without Aid

Arts, Cultural Groups In Southwestern PA Can Apply For New Pandemic Relief Grants

Women In Pandemic Face Pressures Of Job Loss, Virtual School, Being Primary Caregivers

Editorial: Public Financial Fallout From Virus Is Real

Drone That Could Blanket Stadiums, Arenas In Disinfectant Nears Patent Approval

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FairDistrictsPA: Fix Our Broken Redistricting Process 

[Posted: August 19, 2020]