Sunday, January 23, 2022

Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

 

-- 2022 Priorities

--- Gov. Wolf Highlights Strong Financial Position Of Commonwealth Going Into Next Budget  [He forgot to thank Biden & Congress for billions in federal aid]  

-- PA Cap-Star: Wolf Touts Multi-Billion State Surplus, But Projections Depict Gloomy Fiscal Future 

-- TribLive: Wolf Joins Pittsburgh Leaders To Tout PA’s Fiscal Improvements

-- WESA: ‘Seize The Moment’: Gov. Wolf Talks About His Legacy And Sets Table For Budget Speech

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Wolf Touts PA’s Strong Financial Position, Why That’s Only Half The Story

-- Governor’s Budget Address Feb. 8 

-- Spotlight PA: Jan. 27 Panel Discussion On 2022 Legislative Agenda And What’s At Stake

 

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

-- AP: Trial Set For State College Man Charged With Assaulting Capitol Police Officer Who Died In Jan. 6 Insurrection 

-- WPost: As Giuliani Coordinated Plan To Get Fmr President Electoral Votes In States Biden Won, Some Electors Balked [PA Republican Actions]

 

-- New Voting Districts - Senate, House, Congressional

-- Spotlight PA: Effort To Redraw PA Voting Districts Enters Final Stretch To Complete House, Senate Maps

-- PA Cap-Star: PA Creeps Closer To Voting District Map Deadline Without Final Lines In Place

-- PA Cap-Star: Lawsuit Asks State Court to Clean Up PA’s Political Calendar Disrupted By Redrawing Voting Districts

-- AP: Commonwealth Court Sets Jan. 30 Deadline To Break Stalemate On Congressional Voting Districts Map

-- Spotlight PA: Proposed Congressional Voting District Map Advances As Wolf, Lawmakers Prepare For Court Battle

-- WHYY: With Court Deadline Looming, Lawmakers Ready One Last Congressional Map Attempt

-- PA Cap-Star: Senators Interrogate Wolf Congressional District Map, Though No One Could Speak For It

-- TribLive: Westmoreland Officials Favor Congressional District Map That Unifies County

-- TribLive: Candidate Withdraws From Race For Rep. Gainey’s House Seat Due To New Voting District Map

-- PA Cap-Star: Where To Draw Voting District Lines In Black, Latino Communities At Center Of PA Legislative Map Fight

-- TribLive Guest Essay: House Redistricting Plan Will Improve Latino Representation - Reps Burgos, Cruz, Guzman (Ds)

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: End Prison Gerrymandering: Count People In Philly-Run Jails In Their Home Districts

-- PA Cap-Star Guest Essay: We’re PA Small City Mayors, Fair Voting District Maps Will Aid Our Recovery

-- PA Cap-Star Guest Essay: Prison Gerrymandering: Who Counts In PA? That Depends On Who’s Counting

-- YorkD Editorial: Republicans March Backwards On Redistricting

-- WilliamsportS Editorial: Gerrymandering Truest Form Of Election Fraud

-- ScrantonT Editorial: Reject Republican Bill To Gerrymander Judicial Branch

 

-- Governor’s Race

-- LancasterOnline: Republican Candidate For Governor Dave White Puts $3 Million Of His Own Money Into Campaign

-- AP: Republican Candidate For Governor Bill McSwain Endorsed By Billionaire Campaign Funder Jeffrey Yass

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Republican Sen. Martin Is ‘Running’ For Governor, Well More Like Scooting These Days With Broken Leg

-- ABC27: Republican Mike Turzai Opts Against Run For Governor

-- Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Sen. Corman Calls On House Leaders To Begin Impeachment Proceedings Against Philly DA Krasner  [Corman worked to overturn 2020 election results]

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Republican Corman Calls For Impeachment Of Philly DA

-- ScrantonT Editorial: Corman Could Help Fight Crime In Philly Rather Than Pander

-- TribLive Editorial: Open Governor, U.S. Senate Seats Chance To Step Up

-- Inquirer: AG Shapiro, Republican Candidates For Governor Call For School Pension Plan To Disclose Investigation Results

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Republican Candidate For Lt. Gov. Ends His Campaign, Endorses Jeff Coleman

 

-- U.S. Senate Race

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Jeff Bartos Emerging As Republic Faithful’s Favorite For U.S. Senate

-- AP: Democrats’ No. 1 Issue In PA’s U.S. Senate Race?  Kill The Filibuster

- PG: Conor Lamb Gets Big Boost In U.S. Bid With Endorsement From Philly Mayor Kenney

-- ScrantonT: Dr. Oz A No Show At Campaign Event In Wyoming County

-- ScrantonT: Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Dr. Oz Visits Lackawanna County

-- PG - Gene Collier: We’re Looking At 10 Months Of TV Ads From The Land Of Oz

 

-- Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

-- WITF: Election Experts Say PA’s Voting Process Well-Protected From Ballot Tampering 

-- WESA: Fulton County’s Voting Machine Review Has Its Roots In 2020 Election Fraud Lies  

-- PA Cap-Star: What We Know About 2020 Fulton County Republican Election Review Thru Open Records

-- WITF Smart Talk: Looking At Fulton County Voting Machine Issues

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster County Republicans To Provide Election Training To Conservative Group That Regularly Spreads Disinformation On Election Fraud, COVID 

-- LancasterOnline: PA Republicans’ Hedge Language May Save Them From Prosecution Over Fake Electoral Vote Scheme 

-- MCall Guest Essay: Why It’s Dangerous For Our Society To Tolerate Intolerance

-- Gov. Wolf Urges U.S. Senate To Pass Voting Rights Act

-- PA Cap-Star: Casey, Toomey Split Vote On U.S. Senate Filibuster Change For Voting Rights Bill

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Fierce Urgency Of The Battle For Voting Rights Demands We Join It 

 

-- Harrisburg Potpourri

-- Spotlight PA: PA Republicans Answered Wolf’s Pandemic Vetoes With Constitutional Changes, That Strategy Is Here To Stay

-- YorkD Editorial: Amending The State Constitution Is An Easy Trick For Republicans, It Shouldn’t Be

-- PennLive - John Baer: COVID And Politics In PA And Beyond - Where Time Stands Still

-- ScrantonT Editorial: Reject Republican Bill To Gerrymander Judicial Branch

-- CourierT Guest Essay: Can PA Republicans Ride A Republican Wave?

-- PA Cap-Star: Updated PA Incumbent Retirement Tracker

-- WTMZ: Rep. Rosemary Brown Will Not Seek Reelection

-- The Sun: Republican Rep. Ryan Not Running

-- ReadingE: Rep. Knowles Announces He Will Not Run For Reelection

-- TribLive Editorial: PA Senate Shouldn’t Be Childish With Open Records

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Proposed Constitutional Amendment Would Get State Out Of Liquor Business

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Legislative Report Seeks Action On PA Primary Care Doctor Shortage

-- AP: Senate Passes Bills Aimed At Ransomware, Data Breaches

-- TribLive: Allegheny Health Network Patients Possible Victims Of Data Breach

-- PG: CMU, City Of Pittsburgh Have Concerns About Proposed Bill For Self-Driving Vehicles

-- WESA: Pittsburgh Could Make $200 Million From Republican Convention, But There’s No Guarantee

-- The Patch: William J. Green Dies, Was Notable Pittsburgh Political Analyst

-- PennLive: Bill Green, Longtime Political Analyst Who Served Multiple Roles Under Thornburgh, Dies At 76

-- PennLive: Budd Dwyer’s Suicide At Press Conference After 35 Years Still Shocks

-- YorkDR: Fmr Auditor General’s Official Portrait Pays Homage To Star Wars, Football

 

-- Budget 2022

-- Gov. Wolf Highlights Strong Financial Position Of Commonwealth Going Into Next Budget  [He forgot to thank Biden & Congress for billions in federal aid]  

-- PA Cap-Star: Wolf Touts Multi-Billion State Surplus, But Projections Depict Gloomy Fiscal Future 

-- TribLive: Wolf Joins Pittsburgh Leaders To Tout PA’s Fiscal Improvements

-- WESA: ‘Seize The Moment’: Gov. Wolf Talks About His Legacy And Sets Table For Budget Speech

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Wolf Touts PA’s Strong Financial Position, Why That’s Only Half The Story

-- Governor’s Budget Address Feb. 8

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Remember The Republican Plan To Tax Retirement Income In PA?  It’s Back 

-- PA Cap-Star: PA To Get $1.6 Billion Extra For Bridge Funding, But Toll Plans Still On Amid Funding Shortfalls

-- Gaming Control Board Reports 2021 Revenue Of $4.7 Billion, All-Time Calendar Year High

-- PG: PA Casinos Had Record-Breaking Year In 2021

-- Gaming Control Board Reports $406.3 Million In December Gaming Revenue

-- AP: PA Sets State Record For Gambling Revenue In 2021

-- TribLive: PA Casinos Shatter Record, Generate $4.7 Billion In Revenues In 2021

-- Dept. Of Drug & Alcohol Programs Releases Report On Impact Of Interactive Gaming In PA - Half Exhibit At Least One Problem Gambling Behavior 

-- Inquirer Editorial: Lawmakers Must Seize The Opportunity To Upgrade Public Transit In PA

-- PA Gaming Control Board: Awards Mini-Casino License in Cumberland County

-- PennLive: Shippensburg Mini-Casino Wins State License; Opening Expected By Year’s End

-- Inquirer Pro/Con: Should We Ban Sports Betting Ads During Games?

-- PG: Turnpike Seeking New Contract For Processing Toll Payments

-- CitizensV: Horse Racing Vital To State’s Economy And Agricultural Industry

-- ScrantonT: Proposed Legislation Would Pay Retention Bonuses To Long Term Care Facility Employees

-- PennLive: PA’s Nursing Loan Forgiveness Program’s Popularity Outstrips Available Funding

 

-- COVID Pandemic In PA

-- Dept. Of Health Weekly Update On COVID Trends, Vaccinations, Hospitalizations

--WHYY: Overwhelmed Delaware County Hospitals Get Help From Volunteers During COVID Surge

-- ErieT: Erie County Set COVID Case Record For January After Just 16 Days

-- ErieT: COVID Cases Drop Nearly 18% In Erie County, But Peak Might Not Have Passed

-- TribLive: PA COVID Data Follows Recent International Trends, But Hospitals Remain Busy

-- CitizensV: COVID Surging Again At Luzerne County Nursing Homes

-- CentreDT: Centre County Sets More Daily COVID Case Records

-- WHYY: COVID Surge Has Peaked In Philadelphia; City Issues New School Guidance

-- PG: Allegheny County Officials Say COVID Cases Stabilizing

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley Health Network Nurse: ‘One Of The Last Things That Patients Say Is, I Should Have Just Gotten The Vaccine’ 

-- TribLive: Westmoreland Group Holds Prayer Vigil For COVID Victims

-- MCall: Berks County Medic Pepper-Sprayed During COVID Call

-- TribLive/AP: White House Soft-Launches Free COVID Test Request Website

-- PG: Here’s How To Get Free At-Home COVID Tests

-- Dept. Of Health Adds New Free COVID Test Sites Across PA

-- WHYY: Company That Opened Pop-Up COVID Testing Site In Philly Faces Lawsuit

-- PG Editorial: Free At-Home COVID Tests A Milestone In Public Health

-- CentreDT: Patton Township Puts Indoor Masking Requirement Back In Place

-- ErieT: Biden Administration To Ship 400 Million Free N95 Masks Across The U.S. Starting This Week

-- TribLive: Experts Back CDC Guidance Recommending N95, KN95 Masks

-- Reuters: Is COVID Retreating In U.S.?  Data Paints Encouraging Scenario

-- PennLive - John Baer: COVID And Politics In PA And Beyond - Where Time Stands Still

-- TribLive: Republican Rep. Nelson Wants ‘Natural Immunity’ Exemption For Employer Vaccine Mandates [Science Isn’t There Yet To Determine Natural Immunity Levels]

-- PG: UPMC Doctor’s Advice On Having Respectful Conversations About COVID Vaccine Hesitancy

-- Inquirer: Philadelphia’s Full Vaccine Mandate Now In Effect; COVID Cases Dropping Across Region

-- WHYY: Philly Again Delays Vaccine Mandate For City Workers Due To Union Disputes

-- PG: Other Transit Agencies Not Suffering From Vaccine Mandate Proposed By Pittsburgh Authority

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley Doctors Start Prescribing Antiviral COVID Pills, Supplies Limited

-- Dept. Of Health Update On Flu Season, Urges Pennsylvanians To Get Flu Vaccine

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Legislative Report Seeks Action On PA Primary Care Doctor Shortage

-- PG: Staffing Issues Stresses Western PA 911 Centers Due To COVID 

-- ScrantonT: Proposed Legislation Would Pay Retention Bonuses To Long Term Care Facility Employees

-- PennLive: PA’s Nursing Loan Forgiveness Program’s Popularity Outstrips Available Funding

-- ErieT: In 1894, PA Supreme Court Ruled In Favor Of Smallpox Shots For Students.  What Does It Mean Today?

 

-- COVID - Schools

-- ErieT: Erie County Reports First Child Death Due To COVID

-- TribLive: COVID Hospitalizations High Among Young Children In Allegheny County

-- TribLive: Parents Sue Upper St. Clair School District Over Lifting Mask Mandate

-- TribLive: Federal Judge Rejects Request To Reinstate Masking In Upper St. Clair Schools

-- TribLive: Judge Orders North Allegheny School District To Reinstate Universal Masking

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Public Schools Close, Cancels Activities Tuesday Due To COVID Surge

-- TribLive: More COVID Tests From Feds Likely To Help On Western PA Schools Already Using Them

-- CourierT: Photo Of Teacher Taping Mask To Student’s Face Causes Outrage In Montgomery County School District

-- ScrantonT: Some NE PA Colleges Increase COVID Restrictions As Students Return

-- PG: College Students Struggling In The Pandemic, But Mental Health Awareness Is Growing

 

-- Opioid Epidemic

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Lawmakers Propose Needle Exchange Programs As Drug Crisis Worsens

-- Inquirer: Staff At Montgomery County Addiction, Behavioral Hospital Say They’re Understaffed And Unprotected From COVID

 

-- School Funding/Administration

-- PA Cap-Star Guest Essay: PA Constitution Supports Fair Education For All - Rich And Poor Alike

-- ScrantonT Editorial: No Automatic Tax Credit Increases For Private Schools

-- PA Cap-Star: Senate Committee Advances Bill To Increase Tax Credit Caps To Fund Private Schools

-- YorkD Guest Essay: It’s Long Past Time For Legislature To Pass Private Charter School Reform - Rep. Bernie O’Neill (R)  and Fmr Auditor General Eugene DePasquale (D)

-- LancasterOnline: Efforts To Ban Books In Lancaster County School Districts Part Of National Trend

-- The Mercury: Teen Come Out For Newly Created Kutztown Banned Book Club

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Lancaster County School Officials Shouldn’t Surrender To Those Seeking To Ban Books From School Libraries 

-- Inquirer: AG Shapiro, Republican Candidates For Governor Call For School Pension Plan To Disclose Investigation Results

-- Spotlight PA: School Pension Fund Board Members Asked To Sign Secrecy Oaths

-- Inquirer: Lawmakers Mull Pension Reforms As School Pension Fund Remains Under Scrutiny

-- ScrantonT Editorial: No Excuse To Withhold School Pension Fund Investigation

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Black Community Needs Better Internet Access Now

-- Inquirer: Penn To Invest Nearly $5 Million Over 5 Years In Another West Philly School

-- PG: Technology Glitches Fixed Saying 2,400 Pitt Students Owed Thousands More In Tuition

-- ReadingE: State Of The Art Esports Facility Coming To Albright College

-- AP: Penn Pledges To Work With NCAA, Support Transgender Swimmer

-- TribLive Guest Essay: State Legislators As College Administrators?  It Would Be An Improvement

-- PG Editorial: Firing Professor Who Scuffled With Counter-Protester Would Taint Penn State

-- ErieT Guest Essay: Diversity Of Talent And Experience Tapped To Lead New Erie Community College

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Don’t Blame COVID For Turnover In PA College Presidents

 

-- Gun Violence/Law Enforcement

-- PA Cap-Star: Senate Committee Advances Local Firearm Ordinance Preemption Bill
-- ScrantonT Editorial: Republican Senators Should Stop Accommodating Gun Traffickers

-- WHYY: Police Commissioner: 2022 Brings ‘Same Troubling Trends’ For Crime In Philly

-- Inquirer: A Temple Trauma Surgeon’s Tweet On Gun Violence: ‘Last Night Was An Abomination In Our City. Our Community Is Dying. Where Is The Outrage… From Everyone?’

-- Inquirer: Community-Based Violence Prevention Works, But It Needs Sustained Support

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $15 Million In Grants For Gun Violence Prevention

-- Inquirer: Family Believes Jamaican Immigrant’s Death From 9 Gun Shots In Venango County Was A ‘Modern-Day Lynching’

-- WHYY: How One Survivor Dealt With Philadelphia’s Gun Violence

-- KYW: 16-Year-Old Shot Seven Times In West Philadelphia

-- AP: Pittsburgh Student Dies After 2 Shoot Into School Van At Dismissal Time

-- WESA: New Mayor Says Pittsburgh Need To Address Gun Violence Following Deadly Shooting Of 15-Year-Old

-- TribLive Editorial: Truth Is Kids Need To Be Safe From Gun Violence - 15-Year-Old Marquis Campbell Should Not Be Dead

-- PG Editorial: Pittsburgh School Van Shooting A Call For Action

-- PG Editorial: Give Young People A Voice On Gun Violence

-- TribLive: 3 People Injured After Shooting At Butler County Mall

-- AP: Suspected Arrested In Butler County Mall Parking Lot Shooting That Injured 3

-- TribLive: Police: Woman Had Protection Order Against Ex Accused Of Killing Her With Her Own Gun

-- TribLive: Accused Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooter Wants Trial Moved Out Of Western PA

-- TribLive: Judge Denies Motion To Suppress Statements Made By Defendant In Pittsburgh Synagogue Murders

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit Jan. 21 Goes Virtual Again For ‘Equity In Action’ Program

-- PG: Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit Addresses Equity Issues In Black Communities

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: My Father Survived the Holocaust By A Miracle, It Shouldn’t Take A Miracle To Be Jewish And Alive - Cong. Houlahan  [Most Recent Synagogue Shooting]

-- TribLive Editorial: Big Criminal Cases Defy Change Of Venue

-- PG Editorial: Don’t Play Politics With Antisemitism

-- AP: 3 Police Officers Charged In Shooting Death Of 8-Year-Old Girl In Delaware County

-- WHYY: 3 Police Officers Fired After Being Charged In 8-Year-Old's Shooting Death In August

-- TribLive: Court Won’t Force Pittsburgh To Turn Over Jim Rogers Taser Death Report To DA’s Office

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Considers Stop-And-Frisk Policy For Police

-- PA Cap-Star: Advocates Call For Further Investigation After Allegheny County Jail Officials Deny Abuse Allegations

-- PA Cap-Star: Allentown Police In Line To Undergo Active Bystander Training

-- TribLive: FBI Warning Of Hoax Mexican Kidnapping Scam Targeting Western Pennsylvanians

-- CentreDT: Female Truck Driver Wins $1 Million+ In Discrimination Lawsuit Against Dept. Of Corrections; ‘We Are No Longer Living In The 1950s’

-- CentreDT: Why State College Ranks Among The Best For LGBTQ Community Protections

-- PennLive: Chambersburg Poised To Become First To Repeal LGBTQ Protections

-- PennLive: Biden Nominates First Black Woman To Federal Court In PA


-- PA Economy

-- PennLive: Staffing Shortages Still Hurting Retailers As Sales Are ‘Through The Roof’

-- ScrantonT: Grocery Stores Continue To Feel Effects Of Supply Chain Issues

-- PG: Western PA Hotels Could Bounce Back To Near Pre-Pandemic Levels In 2022

-- PG - Anya Litvak: PPG Details Supply Chain Difficulties - ‘If We Could Make Product, We Could Sell Product’

-- MCall: Untold Numbers Of Lehigh Valley Workers Have Joined The ‘Great Resignation,’ Here Are Their Stories

-- WESA: Unemployment Fraud Problems Continue For State, Laid-Off Claimants In PA

-- Dept. Of Labor & Industry Offers Free Credit Monitoring Services To Unemployment Claimants Amid Ongoing Fraud Investigation 

-- Dept. Of Labor & Industry Reports PA Unemployment Rate Fell 0.3% to 5.4% In December; Workforce Decreased Over 18,000

-- AP: PA Payrolls Grew In December Amid Labor Shortage

-- TribLive Guest Essay: PA No. 22 By Site Selection Trade Magazine - Sen. Aument (R) 

-- CitizensV: Horse Racing Vital To State’s Economy And Agricultural Industry

-- ScrantonT: Proposed Legislation Would Pay Retention Bonuses To Long Term Care Facility Employees

-- PG: Staffing Issues Stresses Western PA 911 Centers Due To COVID 

-- CentreDT: Female Truck Driver Wins $1 Million+ In Discrimination Lawsuit Against Dept. Of Corrections; ‘We Are No Longer Living In The 1950s’

-- ScrantonT: Scranton’s 30-Year Designation As Financially Distressed Finally Ending

[Posted: January 23, 2022]

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