Friday PA Capitol & COVID NewsClips 1.15.21

House returns to voting session Jan. 25, 26, 27

Senate returns to voting session Jan. 25, 26, 27

County Commissioners Group Release Recommendations To Improve Election Process, Processing Mail-In Ballots A Priority

Erie County Purges 25,000 From Voter Rolls

Luzerne County Election Inquiry Committee Starts Drafting Recommendations

Op-Ed: Don’t Gerrymander PA Courts

Editorial: Electing PA State Appeals Court Judges By Region Is A Terrible Idea

Editorial: Sen. Corman Talks Transparency, But Insincere When It Comes to Actually Doing Anything

Editorial: With Sen. Brewster’s Victory, Let The People’s Business Commence

AP: PA National Guard To Defend Pennsylvania Capitol, City To Close Streets

Wolf Orders State Capitol Closed, But Officials Say They Have Seen No Credible Threats Of Unrest

Philly Landmarks, Government Buildings To Be Guarded As Inauguration Precaution

AP: 21,000 National Guard Troops Approved For Washington, D.C.

Ford Turner: Lawmakers At PA Capitol Work Amid Barriers, Police In Tactical Gear

Gov. Wolf: 450 PA National Guard Members Support Security Efforts Across The State

Fmr Philly Independence Health Group  Executive Daniel Hiferty Eyeing Run For Republican Nomination For PA Governor

Why Does Lt. Gov. Fetterman Want To Run For U.S. Senate?

Sen. Street Ponders Running For U.S. Senate

PA Health Insurance Open Enrollment Ends TODAY

Undaunted By Pandemic, 2nd Philadelphia Casino Is Set To Open Its Doors

Cap-Star: PA School Districts Project $475 Million Increase In Private Charter School Costs They Have To Pay Due To Pandemic

PA Agency Rules Against PIAA On Open Records Access

Allegheny County Develops More Programs To Support Homeless Youth

Peduto Makes It Official, Will Seek 3rd Term As Pittsburgh Mayor

PA’s Role In The Assault On U.S. Capitol

AP: Retired Delaware County Firefighter Arrested On Federal Charges Of Assault For Throwing Fire Extinguisher That Hit 3 Capitol Police During Assault On U.S. Capitol

Katie Meyer: Retired Delco Firefighter Charged With Assault For Hurling Fire Extinguisher At Capitol Police During Assault On U.S. Capitol

Philly DA Investigator Placed On Restricted Duty After Sharing White Supremacist Post And Advocated Violence

Cap-Star: PA Member Of Congress Scanlon Says She Saw Suspicious Tour Groups In Capitol Before The Assault

Post: Democrats Seek Investigation Of Possible Republican ‘Accomplices’ In Assault On U.S. Capitol

WHYY: Many Black Philadelphians Don’t See How White People Didn’t See Insurrection Coming

Some PA Evangelicals Who Backed Trump Are Doing Soul Searching After Assault On U.S. Capitol

AP: Men Who Came Armed To Philly Vote Count Remain Free On Bail

U.S. Dept. Of Justice List Of Defendants Charged In Federal Court In Assault On U.S. Capitol [Continuously Updated]

Editorial: We’re Glad The FBI Is Asking Questions About The Role People Played Inside The Capitol During The Assault, Including A Luzerne County Republican

Lancasteronline.com/The Caucus: Can PA Republicans Recover From Damage Caused By Assault On U.S. Capitol?

Cap-Star: Will Businesses Cut Off Campaign Support To Harrisburg Lawmakers Who Baselessly Challenged Election Results Like National Counterparts? 

TNS: Republican Cong. Scott Perry, Lloyd Smucker Could Lose Campaign Contributions For Baseless Election Claims

Cap-Star: PA Republican Cong. Reschenthaler Among Pro-Trump Lawmakers Who Could Lose Support As Complies Flee Republicans

Corporate Boycotts Could Ding Coffers Of Reschenthaler, Kelly Campaigns

The Guardian: Billionaire Club For Growth Members Backed Republicans Who Sought To Reverse U.S. Election Results  [Philadelphia Businessman Jeffrey Yass a major contributor, Sen. Toomey Served As President From 2005 to 2009]

Republican PA Cong. Kelly Saw No Evidence Trump Incited Insurrection, Voted Against Impeachment [Kelly Filed Baseless, Unsuccessful Lawsuits To Overturn PA Election Results, Wants To End Mail-In Voting In PA]

The Atlantic: All But 10 Republican Members Of Congress Did What The Rioting Mob Wanted [All Of PA’s Republican Congressmen Did]

Will Bunch: Congress Must Expel Its Coup Plotters, Then Somehow Find Truth, Reconciliation

Bill White: All You Trump Voters Put Our Democracy At Tremendous Risk

Editorial: Republican PA Cong. Fitzpatrick Undeserving Of The Faith We Placed In Him With An Endorsement

Editorial: Democracy Defeats Trump

AG Shapiro: 50 Attorneys General Condemn Attack On U.S. Capitol [But Not Texas]

Reuters: U.S. Prosecutors Say Capitol Rioters Meant To ‘Capture And Assassinate' Officials

The Guardian: Capitol Rioters Planned To Capture And Kill Politicians, Say Prosecutors

Post: Dozens Of People On FBI Terrorist Watch List Came To D.C. On The Day U.S. Capitol Was Assaulted, A Majority Where Suspected White Supremacists

Cap-Star: FBI Declared Pittsburgh A New Hub For White Supremacy [Nov. 2020]

Southern Poverty Law Center Identified 36 Hate, White Supremacist Groups In PA In 2019

AP: Mix Of Extremists Who Assaulted U.S. Capitol Isn’t Retreating

AP: Those Who Assaulted U.S. Capitol Included Highly Trained Ex-Military And Cops

The Atlantic: Will Professional Associations And State Licensing Boards Hold Lawyers, Doctors Accountable For Making Our Political And COVID Crises Worse? 

National/International

Biden Picks Scranton Woman As DNC Treasurer

Eastern District Trump U.S. Attorney Stepping Down

Editorial: Restore Federal Voting Rights Act

Civil Justice

Who Should Respond To 911 Calls Related To Mental Illnesses In Allentown? Path Forward Remains Hazy

A Decade After Wrongful Arrests By Rogue Philly Police, Fight For Compensation Drags On

Coronavirus

Dept. Of Health Reports 215 Additional Deaths Due To COVID; 6,047 New Cases-- 1.15.21

Gov. Wolf, House, Senate Democratic Leaders Urge Legislature To Act Now To Allocate $145 Million To Help Businesses Affected By COVID 

House Republican Response To $145M Proposal To Help Businesses: We Await Engagement From The Governor, Our Phone Lines Are Working

Stephen Caruso: Wolf, Republicans Not Talking As $145M COVID Relief Plan For Small Business Languishes

Wolf, Republicans Spar Over COVID Money For Businesses

Gov. Wolf Pushing Republicans To Move Money To Help PA Small Businesses

Sen. Yudichak: Businesses Deserve Financial Help, Not Political Rhetoric

WESA: Popular But Underfunded Hazard Pay Program Helped Many, Left Others Behind

Dept. Of Health Reports 313 Additional Deaths Due To COVID; 7,175 New Cases-- 1.14.21

Swiftly Rising COVID Death Toll Brings Concern Amid Vaccine Hope

Luzerne County Releases Report On 133 Recent COVID Deaths

Colten Brown, 24, ‘Mountain Of A Man’ Dies From COVID In Erie

PA Hospitalizations At 6-Week Low, Wolf Announces Waiver To Let Pharmacies Provide Vaccine

NE PA Sees Largest 2-Day COVID Death Count Since April

Wolf: PA To Unveil Plans To Vaccinate Older People Next Week

PA Officials Waiting On $100M As Federal Officials Press States To Expand COVID Vaccinations

PA Residents 65+ Eligible For COVID Vaccinations Sooner

Dept. Of State Expands Long-Term Care Vaccinations, Launches Retail Pharmacy Partnership

Dept. Of State Allows Pharmacies to Administer COVID Vaccine

PA Plans ‘Mass Vaccination Clinics,’ Other Steps To Speed Up Pace Of COVID Vaccinations

PNC Park In Pittsburgh Could Be Used As COVID Vaccination Center

You Have Questions About Vaccine Distribution In Lehigh Valley, We Have Answers

Op-Ed: COVID Vaccine Faces Major Hurdles In Reaching Philly’s Latino Communities

Editorial: Pennsylvanians Want To Know Why More People Are Being Vaccinated In Other States While We Wait

3 Lancaster County Restaurants Got Closure Notices Last Week For Violating COVID Rules

State Police Cite 8 Restaurants For COVID Violations In Allegheny, Westmoreland Counties

North Huntingdon Restaurant Defies Closure Ordered By State For COVID Violation

Dozens Of Restaurants, Bars, Clubs In PA Cited For Violating COVID Orders

Philly’s Most Creative Ways To Remind Us To Follow The COVID Safety Rules

Signs Of the COVID Times In The Philadelphia Region

Cap-Star: PA School Districts Project $475 Million Increase In Private Charter School Costs They Have To Pay Due To Pandemic

State’s Largest Teachers’ Union Pushes Back On New School Guidance Calling For In-Person Teaching Of Elementary Students 

Allentown School District To Remain In Online Learning Thru 3rd Quarter

Some Philly Students Will Likely Return To In-Person Learning In February

Expert Opinion: How The COVID Pandemic is Affecting STDs Among Teens

Wilkes U. Issues Guidance On COVID Testing Requirement

PA Eviction Moratoriums Do Not Protect Everyone

How Low-Income People Are Spending Their $600 Pandemic Stimulus Payments

Federal Judge: Philly Jails Must Relax COVID Lockdown Measures For Sake Of Mental Health

Pandemic Pay Continues For Contracted Nurses, But No Most Westmoreland County Employees

Wilkes-Barre Funding Emergency Utility Assistance Program Thru Federal CARES Act

National/International

AP: Biden Unveiling $1.9 Trillion COVID, Economic Relief Plan To Steady Economy, Stem Virus

The Hill: Biden To Unveil $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Plan With More Stimulus Checks

COVID Cases Increasing In Kids, Teens, Young Adults, CDC Study Finds

The Atlantic: Will Professional Associations And State Licensing Boards Hold Lawyers, Doctors Accountable For Making Our Political And COVID Crises Worse? 

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FairDistrictsPA: Fix Our Broken Redistricting Process 

[Posted: January 15, 2021]