Wednesday PA Capitol & COVID NewsClips 3.31.21

House returns to voting session April 5, 6, 7

Senate returns to voting session April 19, 20, 21

Senate Budget Hearing Schedule

AP: PA Election Law Changes Won’t Be Ready For May Primary 

3 House Republicans Introduce Bill To Ban Nonprofit Grants To Help County Pay For Running Elections [Even Though The General Assembly Provides No Funding To Counties To Pay For Running Elections]

WHYY: Months Into Biden Administration, Election Tensions Are Still Raw In This Bucks County School District

ErieT: Fmr Sen. Andrezeski Stays On Primary Ballot In Erie

Op-Ed: Republican Sen. Mastriano Says Being Kicked Off Twitter Is ‘Slavery,’ How Breathtakingly Absurd - Sen. Vincent Hughes

WESA: Amendment Allowing Child Sexual Abuse Survivors To Sue Perpetrators Years Away Now

Charles Thompson: 10 Years Ago Today, Jerry Sandusky Was Outed As Child Predator

PennLive: Where Are Key People In Sandusky Child Sex Abuse Scandal Now?

PennLive: PA Advocates Draw Attention To Victims Of Child Abuse And Neglect

Op-Ed: Here’s What Happened To A Child Who Spent 18 Months In Prison

WHYY: Philly Police Chief Says Agency Can’t Fund Violence Prevention Even As Spending Grows

PennLive: Harrisburg Police Seized 256 Guns In 2020

PG Editorial: ACLU, League Of Women Voters Were Right: Victims’ Rights Constitutional Amendment Is Flawed

ABC27: Gov. Wolf Looks To Move Money From Horse Racing Fund To College Scholarships

Inquirer: Club At Temple Creates Prosthetics, Other Biomechanical Devices For Humans, Animals

WHYY: Protesters Again Push Drexel, Penn To Pay Payments In-Lieu Of Taxes To Philly Public Schools

Inquirer: Philly’s Pandemic Budget Hole Big Compared With Other Cities

Cap-Star: Black-Owned Brewery In Philly Debuts Its First Beers

TribLive: Steelworkers Begin Strike At ATI In Pittsburgh

TribLive: Effort To Override Allegheny County Executive’s Veot Of Paid Sick Leave Law Fails

Inquirer: Landlord Locks Out Tenants In Philly Despite Judge’s Order, Then Leaves To Sail The Caribbean

Inquirer: Immigration Activists Sue Berks County Commissioners To Learn Plans For ICE Detention Center

Biden Infrastructure Package

TribLive: Biden In Pittsburgh Today To Unveil Major Infrastructure Plan

NPR: Biden Set To Unveil Expansive $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan

Cap-Star: In Pittsburgh, Biden To Unveil $2 Trillion Plan To Rebuild Infrastructure, Create Jobs, Move To Clean Energy

White House: The American Jobs Plan Fact Sheet

National/International

Inquirer: Braddock’s Mayor Picks Rep. Kenyatta Over Lt. Gov. Fetterman In U.S. Senate Race

ScrantonT Editorial: Take A Chance To Make Politicians Honest With Federal Election Reforms

The Hill: Republican Voter Suppression Law In Georgia Prohibits Giving Water Or Food To Voters Waiting In Line To Cast Ballots  

PA’s Role In Assault On U.S. Capitol

NPR: U.S. Capitol Assault Conspiracy Cases Show Plans For Violence, Not Necessarily For Breach [PA Defendants Included]

ErieT: Erie County Republicans Vote To Censure Toomey Over Vote To Convict Trump Of Inciting Jan. 6 Assault On U.S. Capitol

WHYY: Months Into Biden Administration, Election Tensions Are Still Raw In This Bucks County School District

Coronavirus

Dept. Of Health: PA Accelerating Vaccine Eligibility To Phases 1B, 1C and 2

Dept. Of Health: Reports 44 Additional Deaths Due To COVID; 4,557 New Cases-- 3.31.21

Dept. Of Health: Reports 34 Additional Deaths Due To COVID; 5,032 New Cases-- 3.30.21

MCall: PA COVID Case Rate Increases 34% In One Week

WITF: COVID Cases, Hospitalizations On Rise As PA Prepares To Loosen Rules

TribLive: Allegheny County, PA See Highest COVID Hospitalizations In A Month

Inquirer: Philly Health Official: Pandemic ‘Returning To Where It Began A Year Ago’

Inquirer: Hospitalized COVID Patients In Philly Region Are Getting Younger

PG: COVID Now Widespread In 13 University Of Pittsburgh Residence Halls As Officials Fear End Of Semester Surge

TribLive: Pitt: COVID Is ‘Widespread’ In Residence Halls, Adds 30 Cases

Dept. Of Health: Update On COVID Investigations, Contact Tracing, Monitoring Efforts

Dept. Of Health & Education: Update COVID Guidance For K-12 Schools To Match CDC Guidance

PG: PA Aligns School Social Distance Guidance With CDC

Ford Turner: PA Reduces Safe COVID Social Distancing In Many Schools To 3 Feet; Reduces School Closure Time After Outbreaks

PennLive: PA Changes COVID Guidance For Schools

Fox56: PA Will Have Essentially The Same Summer Camp Guidance This Year As Last Year

Gov. Wolf: Visits Mass COVID Vaccination Clinic In Dauphin County, Discusses Vaccine Success

PG: Gov. Wolf Says End Of Phase 1A Vaccinations Coming Soon

WITF: Wolf Still Won’t Say When People In Phase 1B And Beyond Will Be Eligible For COVID Vaccine

Ford Turner: Wolf Says PA On Track To Have All Phase 1A Shots Scheduled By Wednesday; Fight On ‘Vaccine Passports’ May Be Brewing

House Republican Leader: Opposes “Passport” As Proof Of COVID Vaccination As Intrusion Into People’s Personal Lives

AP: PA In Talks to Expand COVID Vaccine Eligibility

ErieT:  Erie County: Time For Phase 1B Of Vaccination Plan

ErieT: Who’s Getting Vaccinated In PA?  It Depends On Where You Live

PennLive: Wednesday Cumberland County Goes Live With Phone Number For Vaccination Appointments

PG: PA’s Shift To Bigger Vaccine Distributors Leaves Out McKean County

PennLive: WellSpace Has COVID Vaccine Appointments Available In York, Adams, Franklin, Lebanon, Lancaster Counties

ScrantonT: Vaccination Clinic On Montage Mountain To Reach More Than 3,000 People

WITF: Central PA Immigrant Farmworkers Welcome Vaccines

LancasterOnline Editorial: Wolf Needs To Come Clean On Wasted COVID Vaccine Doses

ScrantonT: Wright Medical Center In Scranton Admits Patients Wrongly Billed For Office Visits For COVID Tests; Following Wrongly Billing Patients For Vaccination Office Visits

TribLive Editorial: COVID Testing In Jail Is Better Late Than Never

MCall: OraSure Seeking FDA Approval For COVID Rapid Test

Dept. Of State: COVID License Enforcement Actions March 21-28

CentreDT: Senior Centers Ease Into Reopening With COVID Restrictions In Place

TribLive: Pittsburgh Schools Prepare For Students’ Return To In-Person Classes

MCall: 2 More Lehigh Valley Schools Close Temporarily Due To COVID Cases

CourierT: Bucks Schools Deliver Millions Of Free Meals

AP:  States Struggle To Get Rent Relief To Tenants Amid Pandemic [Includes PA]

PG: Pittsburgh Council To Consider ‘Clarifying Language’ For Eviction Moratorium

PennLive: Central PA Restaurants, Bars Desperate To Fill Positions 

LancasterOnline: Lancaster County Commissioners Expected To OK $6 Million For Area Tourism, Hospitality Businesses

PG: Allegheny County Courts Order Judges To Offer Remote Access After Lawsuit

National/International

Cap-Star: 5 PA Republican Congressmen Haven’t Said If They Are Vaccinated

The Hill: COVID’s 4th Wave Is Hitting The U.S. Hard [Includes PA]

AP: Germany To Restrict AstraZeneca Use In Under-60s Over Clots

The Hill: U.S. Joins 13 Countries In Raising Concerns With Data In WHO Team’s COVID Origins Report

Click Here For This Week’s PA Coronavirus NewsClips

Wednesday - PA Environment & Energy NewsClips 3.31.21 -- Click Here

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FairDistrictsPA: Fix Our Broken Redistricting Process 

[Posted: March 31, 2021]

Tuesday PA Capitol & COVID NewsClips 3.30.21

House returns to voting session April 5, 6, 7

Senate returns to voting session April 19, 20, 21

Senate Budget Hearing Schedule

Senate, House Republican, Democratic Leaders Seek Applicants Interested In Serving As Chair Of Legislative Reapportionment Commission [PaCN]

Cap-Star: Redistricting Commission Seeks Applicants For Chair To Oversee Redrawing Legislative Districts

PA House Democrats: Launch Effort To Defend Democracy, Offer Election Security, Reform Recommendations

Tony Norman: Voter Suppression Is Ready For Its Close-Up

WBTimes: Bob Morgan Hired As Luzerne County Election Director

IndianaG: Parties Choose Candidates To Run To Succeed Rep. Pyle

WBTimes: Lackawanna Commissioner Gets Republican Nod To Run For State Senate Seat

WBTimes: PA Senate Honors The Life Of Patrick Solano

Op-Ed: Dual Path For Victims Of Child Sexual Abuse, Victims Deserve Justice - Rep. Rozzi

Jan Murphy: Lawmaker Wants To Tie School Dollars To Students’ Return To In-Person Learning

AltoonaM Editorial: Users Should Pay For State Bridge Tolling

PG Editorial: State University System Chancellor Willing To Do Away With The System If Merger Plan Not Approved

ScrantonT: Lackawanna College, Johnson College Sign Articulation Agreement

Column: Racial Achievement Gap In Suburban Philadelphia Schools Points To Broken PA Funding System

ScrantonT Editorial: Test Students On Basic Civics Knowledge

AP: Lackawanna County Prison Guard Named In Sexual Abuse Case Sues AG Shapiro After Charges Were Dropped

Inquirer: Philly Gun Arrests On Record Pace, But Convictions Drop Under Philly DA

WHYY: Philly DA To Launch LGBTQ Advisory Board

CentreDT: Fmr Centre County DA One Step Closer To Being Reinstated

WilliamsportS: Bill Addresses District Attorney Qualifications

TribLive Editorial: A Death In County Prison Is Public Information, In Real Time

PG Editorial: Dr. Levine’s Appointment Breaks Barriers

MCall: Tolls On Delaware River Bridges To Increase In April

National/International

Inquirer: PA’s 2022 U.S. Senate Race: Who’s In, Who’s Out And What’s Next

NBCNews: Toomey: Expanded Gun Background Checks Could Pass U.S. Senate

WESA: State Lawmakers Call On Biden To Fund Mon Valley Transportation Projects

Civil Justice

PG: CMU Student Election Debate Zoombombed With Racist, Homophobic, Sexist, Hateful Speech In Pittsburgh

PennLive: State College Again Defends How Police Handled Incident That Led To Death Of Autistic Man

PennLive: Penn State Says It’s Making Progress On Diversity, Inclusion Despite Critical Report From Black Faculty

Op-Ed: Dismantle Racial And Gender Bias In PA Courts - Rep. Bullock

Op-Ed: How We Can All Help Reduce School Inequities

Coronavirus

Dept. Of Health: Reports 34 Additional Deaths Due To COVID; 5,032 New Cases-- 3.30.21

Dept. Of Health: [3 Day Totals] Reports 62 Additional Deaths Due To COVID; 10,101 New Cases-- 3.29.21

MCall: State Reaches 25,000 Deaths Since Start Of Pandemic, Even As Rate Halves

TribLive: Rising PA COVID Cases Not As Steep As Late 2020 Surge

PennLive: COVID Hospitalizations, ICU Cases Rise Again

Inquirer: Worrisome COVID Variants Are Taking Hold In PA,NJ, Threatening The Success Of Vaccines

ScrantonT: Despite Vaccinations, COVID Keeps Spreading In New Surge

CitizensV: COVID Numbers Take Turn For Worse In NE PA

Gov. Wolf: COVID Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard Update For March 19-25

PennLive: 35 Counties Have Substantial Spread Of COVID; Percent Positivity Rises For 2nd Week In A Row

ErieT: Erie Nursing Home Sees Dramatic COVID Improvement In 2021

State Police: Liquor Enforcement Issues 17 NOVs, 31 Warnings For COVID Violations March 26-28

TribLive: Allegheny County Restaurant Asks Commonwealth Court To Allow Maskless Customers In Restaurant

ErieT: Millcreek Mall Drops COVID Shutdown-related Lawsuit Against Gov. Wolf

WHYY: North Philly To Get Vaccination Site, Study Finds Variants Spread In The City

ScrantonT: Residents 60+ Can Call Hotline For Vaccine Appointment In Lackawanna County

WESA: The Ethics Of Crossing State Lines For COVID Vaccine

WilliamsportS: UPMC Offers Vaccination Clinic On Weekends

Dept. Of Health: Visits Masonic Village To Highlight Resident & Staff Vaccinations, Updated Visitation Recommendations

TribLive: Westmoreland Commissioners To Host Info Session Tuesday On COVID Vaccine

CitizensV: Misericordia, King’s, Wilks Colleges Not Mandating COVID Vaccinations For Students

LewistownS: Wolf Administration Needs To Improve Vaccine Distribution Performance

MCall: 3 Catasauqua Area Schools To Learn Remotely This Week Due To COVID Cases

TribLive: 3 COVID Cases Spur Allegheny County H.S. To Close Before Spring Break

MCall: COVID Cases Prompt Switch To Remote Learning For Bethlehem H.S.

PG: Allegheny County Community College Planning In-Person Fall Classes

Jan Murphy: Lawmaker Wants To Tie School Dollars To Students’ Return To In-Person Learning

WHYY: CDC Extends Eviction Ban Thru June As 30% Of PA Households Fall Behind On Rent

Cap-Star: Federal Eviction Ban Extended Thru June, How To Get Help With Rent Payments In PA

Inquirer Editorial: Eviction Filings Are At Historic Low, Philly Has 90 Days To Keep It That Way

Dept. Of Human Services & Sen. Corman Urge Families, Landlords In NC PA To Apply For Rental & Utility Assistance

PG: 3 Pittsburghers Accused Of Defrauding State’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program

LancasterOnline: Lancaster’s Mass Vaccination Clinic Gives Much-Needed Boost To Rock Lititz Business

Federal COVID Relief

Gov. Wolf: Announces Nearly $5 Billion In Federal COVID Relief For Pre-K To 12 Schools

National/International

AP: Biden, CDC Director Warn Of COVID Rebound If Nation Lets Up

The Hill: Biden Calls On States to Keep Mask Mandates, Pause Reopenings 

The Hill: Biden To Announce 90% Of Adults Eligible For Vaccine By April 19

AP: More Than A Dozen States To Open Vaccines To All Adults

AP: CDC Director Has Feeling Of  ‘Impending Doom’ Amid New COVID Spike

NPR: CDC Extends Federal Eviction Moratorium Thru June 30 

AP: WHO Report: COVID Likely 1st Jumped Into Humans From Animals

Click Here For This Week’s PA Coronavirus NewsClips

Tuesday - PA Environment & Energy NewsClips 3.30.21 -- Click Here

Helpful Resources:

Click Here for LATEST Continuously Updated PA Capitol NewsClips

Click Here for Latest PA Capitol News

Like PA Capitol News on Facebook

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Click Here for latest Environmental NewsClips & News

Like PA Environment Digest on Facebook

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Read Weekly PA Environment Digest

FairDistrictsPA: Fix Our Broken Redistricting Process 

[Posted: March 30, 2021]