— PennLive – Jan Murphy: Republican Lawmaker Rep. Diamond Says He’s Running For Lt. Governor [He actively worked to overturn the 2020 election results and opposed COVID mitigation measures]

— Lawrence County Republican Committee To Sponsor Jan. 12 Gubernatorial, U.S. Senate Candidate Debate

— AP: Democrat Shapiro Backs Pittsburgh Area Lawmaker To Be Running Mate

— PG: Rep. Davis Launches Campaign For Lt. Governor Backed By Democrat Shapiro

— Inquirer: Democrat Josh Shapiro Wants Rep. Austin Davis To Be His Lt. Governor

— Inquirer: Who Is Shapiro’s Pick For Lt. Governor – Rep. Austin Davis?

— ErieT: PA Governor’s Race: Everything You Need To Know About Who’s Running In 2022

— U.S. Senate Race

— Inquirer: Republican Candidates For PA U.S. Senate Seat Won’t Say If They Would Have Backed PA’s 2020 Election Results

— Lawrence County Republican Committee To Sponsor Jan. 12 Gubernatorial, U.S. Senate Candidate Debate

— Inquirer: Philly Building Trades Unions Back Democrat Conor Lamb In U.S. Senate Race

— PA Cap-Star: Republican U.S. Senate Hopeful Bartos Tees Off On ‘Carpet Baggers’ In Nominating Race

— AP: Republican U.S. Senate Candidate McCormick Resigns Hedge Fund Job

— WHYY: Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Dr. Val Arkoosh Tests Positive For COVID

— YorkDR: U.S. Senate Race In PA: Here’s Who’s Running, So Far

— Nov. 2 Election

— MCall: Lehigh County Candidate For Judge Appeals Fight Over Counting Undated Mail-In Ballots To PA Supreme Court

— MCall: Judge Disqualifies Allentown Constable-Elect Who Was Convicted Of Impersonating A Police Officer

— PennLive: Northumberland DA Tries To Bar Newly Elected Shamokin From Council Post Because Of A Criminal Record

— Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

— PA Cap-Star: A Year After Assault On U.S. Capitol That Left 9 People Dead, Election Review Efforts Continue In PA

— AP: Dominion Voting Systems Asks Court To Require PA Republicans To Use Accredited Lab In Election ‘Investigation’

— TribLive: Senate Committee To Hold Hearings On Its Audit Of 2020, 2021 Elections

— City & State: House Democratic Leader Introduces Sweeping Election Reform Bill

— WHYY: A Year After The Assault On U.S. Capitol, PA Democrats Say There Is Work To Do To Protect Voting Rights

— PA Cap-Star: Pittsburgh Pols Remember Assault On U.S. Capitol – Warn Of Danger Ahead

— TribLive: Murrysville Democrats Hold Vigil On U.S. Capitol Attack, Call For Federal Voting Rights Law

— MCall: Commonwealth Court: Flawed Lehigh County Mail Ballots Should Not Be Counted In Close Judge Race, But Not Final Word

— MCall – Paul Muschick: Undated PA Mail Ballots: Could Someone Settle This Once And For All?

— PA Cap-Star: I’ll Soon Be A U.S. Citizen Living In PA, This Is Why Our Democracy Is Worth Defending – Laila Martin Garcia

— PG Editorial: Congress Must Reform The Way it Counts Electoral Votes

— PennLive: ACLU Sues Fulton County Over Missing Records From 2020 Election Review

— TribLive: Interim Westmoreland Election Chief Given Bonus As Search For New Director Restarts

— TribLive Editorial: Why Can’t Westmoreland Hire An Elections Director?

— Inquirer: Hate Crimes Are Soaring In PA, White Supremacists Have A New Recruitment Tool: Video Games

— Courier: Republican Middletown Twp. Official In Bucks County Resigns Amid Exposure Of Hate, Conspiracy-Filled Posts

— Harrisburg Potpourri

— PennLive – John Baer: Republican Cong. Scott Perry, The Governor’s Race And Other Big Questions Facing PA Politics In The Next 6 Months

— PG: PA Politics In 2022: On The Brink Of Political Change

— PA Cap-Star: Republican Senate Leader Says Bill To Extend Legal Window For Child Sexual Abuse Survivors Unlikely To See Vote

— PennLive: Lawmaker Once Called PA’s ‘No. 1 Conservative’ To Retire [Rep. Metcalfe]

— ScrantonT Editorial: Every Day Is Christmas At The Capitol In Harrisburg

— Lt. Gov. Fetterman Sets May 17 Special Election Date To Fill Sen. Sabatina’s Seat In Philadelphia

— Inquirer: Democrats In Northeast Philly Face Off For Special Election For Senate, House

— TribLive Editorial: Some New State Laws Show Refreshing Common Sense

— PennLive: Justice Renee Jubelirer Picked As President Judge Of Commonwealth Court

— AP: Brobson Takes Oath As State’s Newest Supreme Court Justice

— PennLive: For Fmr Auditor General DePasquale, Bowl Game Trip Turns Into Good Samaritan Role In Brawl That Goes Viral [DePasquale ran against Republican Cong. Scott Perry who is a leader in overturning 2020 election results]

— YorkDR: Fmr Auditor General DePasquale Protects Woman During Peach Bowl Brawl – Viral Video

— ErieT: Democratic Businessman Seeks Republican Cong. Mike Kelly’s Congressional Seat [Kelly Was A Leader In Trying To Overturn 2020 Election Results]

— TribLive: Pittsburgh On Short-List For 2025 Republican Convention

— Dept. Of Labor & Industry: Detects Escalation In Unemployment Compensation Fraud, Examination Continues

— ABC27: Why Isn’t State Using Cybersecurity Measure That Prevents 99.9% Of Hacker Attacks On Unemployment System?

— TribLive: PA Casinos Not Ready To Cut Smoking From Gambling Experience

— ScrantonT Editorial: Ban Smoking In Casinos

— PennLive Editorial: Gov. Wolf, Legislature Must Raise Wages Now For Workers Caring For People With Disabilities

— PG Guest Essay: How Officials Use Tax Dollars In Lobbying Efforts – Commonwealth Foundation

— ErieT: Is PIAA Subject To Right-To-Know Law? State, Appeals Court Say Yes, But PIAA Still Fighting

— MCall: Matt Tuerk, Grandson Of Cuban Immigrant, Sworn In As Allentown Mayor

— PG Editorial: A New Mayor, A New Era For Pittsburgh

— WBTimes Editorial: Republican Cong. Meuser Asked Right Questions About Immigrant Flights In Wilkes-Barre [Unlike Lou Barletta Who Wanted To Spread Fear]

— WilliamsportS: More Details Emerge On ICE Complex In Williamsport

— Budget 2022

— AP: Wolf Heads Into Last Budget Season With Flush State Coffers

— Dept. Of Revenue Reports December Revenues $464.3 Million Over Estimate; Fiscal Year To Date $1.5 Billion Over Estimates

— Independent Fiscal Office: Reports December Revenues $564.4 Million Above Its Estimates; Fiscal Year To Date $1.76 Billion Over Estimates

— PG Editorial: PA Turnpike Testing The Limits With Its Tolls

— COVID Pandemic Worsens Again In PA

— MCall: PA Adds 170,475 COVID Cases This Week, With Lehigh, Northampton, Monroe Among Top Rates

— PennLive: PA COVID Hospitalizations Shatter All-Time High, Hospitals Turning To Military Help, Other Tactics

— Inquirer: About 90% Of COVID Patients In PA’s Hardest-Hit Hospitals Are Unvaccinated

— MCall: Record 6,446 Hospitalized With COVID Thursday, Lehigh, Northampton Have Top Infection Rates

— PG: Allegheny County Posts Highest One-Day COVID Count

— PG: ‘We Don’t See Light At The End Of The Tunnel’ As COVID Surge Strains Allegheny Health Network Forbes Hospital

— PG: ‘It Will Overwhelm Us’: A Year After Vaccines Arrived, Surge Of COVID Cases Triggers More Of The Tough Phone Calls

— MCall: 28,000 New Cases Break Another Record As Childhood Hospitalizations Triple In A Month

— PA Cap-Star: Health Dept. Reports ‘Steep Increase’ In COVID Cases; People Should Not Panic

— Dept. Of Health Weekly Update On COVID Trends In Cases, Hospitalizations, Vaccinations

— ScrantonT: PA Recorded 200,000 New COVID Cases In Last 2 Weeks Setting New Record

— ScrantonT: No End In Sight In Latest COVID Surge

— TribLive: COVID Positivity Rate In Allegheny Skyrockets To 26% As Omicron Spreads

— WESA: COVID Positivity Rate Hits All-Time High In Allegheny County

— WHYY: COVID Cases ‘Skyrocketing’ In Philadelphia Says Health Commissioner

— CitizensV: Restrictions Returning As COVID Cases Surge In Luzerne County

— PG: PA Hospitalizations Nearing All-Time High As Nearly 25,000 Cases Added In One Day

— PennLive: COVID Infections, Hospitalizations Spike Over Holidays In PA

— ErieT: Erie Hospitals Prepare Following Record Surge In New COVID Cases

— Inquirer: COVID Surge Has Overwhelmed Some PA Hospitals, Now Workers Getting Sick

— Inquirer: Main Line Health Pauses Elective Surgeries, Procedures Amid COVID Surge

— CourierT: Bucks, Montgomery Counties See Rising Vaccine Demand With Holiday COVID Surge

— Gov. Wolf Announces Efforts To Increase Hospital, Long-Term Care Capacity Thru Regional Support Sites, Strike Teams

— AP: Pennsylvania Seeks More Hospital Beds, Staff In COVID Surge

— PG: Wolf Expands Medical Help To PA Hospitals As COVID Cases Rise

— PA National Guard Supports Federal COVID Response Teams In PA

— PG: Spiking COVID Cases Prompt Activation Of PA National Guard At Scranton, York Hospitals

— YorkD: Federal Team Arrives To Aid York Hospital As County Reports 2,000 More COVID Cases

— WITF: Medical Strike Teams Arrive At WellSpan York Hospital To Help With COVID Surge

— TribLive: Hospitals Across Pittsburgh Region Brace As COVID Surge Delivers More Patients

— CitizensV: Wilkes-Barre Paramedics Get No Compensation For COVID-Related Work Loss

— CitizensV: NE PA COVID Testing Sites Overloaded As Local Infections Surge

— CitizensV: COVID Testing Site Relocates To Accommodate Higher Demand In Luzerne County

— ErieT: Long Lines Seen At Erie County COVID Testing Sites

— Inquirer: Philly Officials Warn Residents Against Using Pop Up COVID Testing Sites In Center City

— Inquirer: Philadelphia’s New Vaccine Mandate Starts Today, Here’s What You Need To Know

— Inquirer: Thousands Of Philly Employees Remain Unvaccinated As Jan. 14 Deadline Approaches

— PennLive: UPMC Using Lottery To Distribute Scarce COVID Blocker To People Not Helped By Vaccine

— ErieT: New COVID Antibody Cocktail Available From Erie Hospitals

— CourierT: Bucks County Pharmacies Overwhelmed As Omicron Drives COVID Cases

— WESA: Oral COVID Medications Have Shipped, But Good Luck Getting A Prescription In PA

— MCall: Lehigh Valley Transit Cancels Bus Routes Monday Due To COVID Absences

— MCall: Lehigh Valley Transit Forced To Cancel Bus Trips Again Amid COVID Driver Shortage

— PG: COVID Surge Causing Gaps In Pittsburgh Transit Trips Due To Operator Illness

— PG: Allegheny County Courts Delay Jury Trials Through End Of Month Citing COVID Concerns

— CitizenV: Luzerne County Restaurants Close Dining Rooms Again As COVID Cases Surge

— TribLive: Pittsburgh Diocese Releases New COVID Safety Protocols Amid Surge

— Gov. Wolf: Encourages Pennsylvanians To Sign Up For Health Care Coverage Before Jan. 15

— MCall: Map: Where Flu Rates Are Highest In Pennsylvania

— Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Declares State Of Emergency, Mobilizes National Guard To Respond To COVID Surge [Pennsylvania Can’t]

— COVID – Schools

— PennLive: Kids’ COVID Hospitalizations Reach All-Time High, Although Overall Risk Remains Low

— PG: UPMC Children’s Hospital In Pittsburgh Opens 2nd COVID Unit As Cases Surge

— PG: PA Teachers Union Encourages School To Boost COVID Mitigation Efforts Amid Surge

— MCall: Lehigh Valley School Districts, Health Networks Grapple With More Children Testing Positive For COVID

— MCall: Lehigh Valley School Districts Review COVID Safety Policies In Light Of Surge

— MCall: More Than Half Of 700 Students Absent From Lehigh Valley District Were COVID-Related

— YorkD: York County Schools Break Grim COVID Records In Week Since Winter Break

— ScrantonT: Attendance Plummets In NE PA Schools As COVID Cases Soar

— PG: Pittsburgh Public Schools Move More Schools To Remote Learning Due To COVID-Related Staff Shortages

— WESA: 17 Pittsburgh Public Schools Close Due To Staff Shortages Caused By COVID

— TribLive: COVID-Related Staffing Shortages At Pittsburgh Public Schools Require Remote Learning

— TribLive: Teacher Shortage Stokes COVID Threat For Western PA Schools Fighting To Stay In The Classroom

— Inquirer: Philly Shifts School Closing Threshold From 3% to 10% Students And Staff Must Test Positive For COVID

–KYW: 81 Philly Schools Going Virtual Due To COVID-Related Staff Absences

— WESA: Pittsburgh Public Schools To Transport Students To 5 Vaccination Clinics Jan. 8

— ErieT: Erie’s St. Luke School Halts In-Person Classes Due To COVID

— ErieT: Erie School District Installs $250,000 Air Purification System To Battle COVID

— MCall: Catasauqua H.S. Going Virtual Due To COVID Cases

— PennLive: School District Of Lancaster To Shut Down Monday Due To High Number Of COVID Cases

— PennLive – Charles Thompson: Central Dauphin To Close Secondary Schools, COVID Blamed

— TribLive: Fox Chapel School District Reports Nearly 170 COVID Cases, In-Person Instruction Continues

— TribLive: Pine-Richland Considers Segregating Masked, Unmasked Students

— Inquirer: Central Bucks School District Cancels School Citing COVID-Related Teacher Absences

— WHYY: Central Bucks School District In Deep Need Of Substitutes, Urges Community Members To Apply

— CourierT: How COVID Surge, Staff Shortages Impacting Bucks County Schools

— TribLive: Bus Driver Shortage Causing ‘Emergency’ At Woodland Hills School District

— YorkD: 8 York County Libraries Close To In-Person Browsing Due To COVID

— AltoonaM Editorial: Pandemic’s Effect On Kids Should Be Focus

— PennLive: Bucknell U. To Unenroll Students Who Do Not Get A Pre-arrival COVID Test Or Required Booster Shot

— LancasterOnline: Elizabethtown, Franklin & Marshall Push Back In-Person Instruction Due To COVID Surge

— TribLive: Duquesne Students Must Show Negative COVID Test Before Returning

— CentreDT: ‘Reckless’: Penn State Community Criticizes University’s Decision To Start Spring Semester In Person

— TribLive – Deb Erdley: Slippery Rock U. Program For Students With Intellectual Disabilities Offers Greensburg Woman Chance To Thrive

— PG: Music Aspirations Hit A Hard Reality At Rural Lock Haven University

— WLVR: The Latest Way To Earn A Varsity Letter In PA? Competitive Gaming

— Opioid Settlement

— AG Shapiro Announces 10 More Counties Sign On To Opioid Settlement

— MCall: Northampton County Signs On To Opioid Settlement

— School Funding/Administration

— City & State: PA School Funding Trial Could Be A Watershed Moment For Teachers

— PA Cap-Star: PA School Funding Trial Resumes In Court, Here’s What To Know

— TribLive: Leechburg Schools Placed On Lockdown After Threat Made On Social Media

— TribLive: Teen Charged In Snapchat Threat That Locked Down Leechburg Schools

— ExploreClarion.com: Racism Issues Remain A Concern At Franklin Area Schools

— PG: Elizabethtown College President Resigns, Citing COVID Demands Among Reasons

— Inquirer: From Boosters To Travel Restrictions, Philly-Area Colleges Differ In COVID Protocols For New Semester

— Inquirer: As Temple Grew In Popularity, Its Share Of Black Students Shrank: ‘We Dropped The Ball’

— The Guardian: University Of Pennsylvania Professor Makes Xenophobia, White Supremacits Comments About Asians

— YorkDR: Enrollment In PA Colleges Continue To Decline

— Gun Violence/Law Enforcement

— WHYY: Philly DA Focuses On Gun Violence During 2nd Inauguration Ceremony

— Inquirer: What Does It Mean To Take A Public Health Approach To Reducing Gun Violence?

— Inquirer Editorial: A New Year Requires A Better Plan To Tackle Gun Violence Crisis

— Inquirer Guest Essay: Why Don’t Philly Officials Support Independent Reviews Of Police-Involved Shootings?

— TribLive: Allegheny County Medical Examiner Rules Jim Rogers’ Death Was Accidental After Being Tased Repeatedly By Pittsburgh Police

— PG Editorial: Jim Rogers’ ‘Accidental’ Death In Pittsburgh Police Custody Leaves Questions

— WilliamsportS Editorial: Realistic Goals On Police Reform Deserve Optimism

— AP: Philadelphia Man Free After 37 Years Due To ‘Sex For Lies’ False Witness Testimony

— AP: Federal Judge Vacates 1984 Philadelphia Murder Conviction

— PA Cap-Star: Report: Unaffordable Cash Bail Is ‘A Statewide Crisis’ In PA

— First Lady Wolf Discusses Clemency, Expungement, Clean Slate For Women With Criminal Records

–WESA: Allegheny County Jail Violating Solitary Confinement Ban, Oversight Board Says

— ScrantonT: Concealed Carry Gun Permits Remain In High Demand In Lackawanna County

— PennLive: Harrisburg Killings Drop In 2021, Defying National Trend

— ScrantonT: Lackawanna County Man Threatened To Shoot Up Unemployment Compensation Office

— PG: Allegheny County Courts Delay Jury Trials Through End Of Month Citing COVID Concerns

— ErieT: First Women Take Office To Serve As DAs In Erie, Crawford Counties

— PA Economy

— PG: Pittsburgh Office Market Struggles To Overcome Impacts Of COVID Pandemic

— Inquirer: COVID’s Legacy Could Empty Out The Office Towers Of Philly’s Center City

— MCall: Lehigh Valley Transit Cancels Bus Routes Monday Due To COVID Absences

— MCall: Lehigh Valley Transit Forced To Cancel Bus Trips Again Amid COVID Driver Shortage

— PG: COVID Surge Causing Gaps In Pittsburgh Transit Trips Due To Operator Illness

— WilliamsportS: Sen. Aument, Yaw Leading Group Of Senators To Loan Businesses Affected By Pandemic Hundreds Of Millions In Taxpayer-Backed Gifts, Tax Breaks, Zero-Interest Loans [Proposed A Year Ago]

— CitizenV: Luzerne County Restaurants Close Dining Rooms Again As COVID Cases Surge

— Dept. Of Labor & Industry: Detects Escalation In Unemployment Compensation Fraud, Examination Continues

— PA Cap-Star: PA Investigating ‘Aggressive And Sophisticated’ Unemployment Fraud Efforts

— ABC27: Why Isn’t State Using Cybersecurity Measure That Prevents 99.9% Of Hacker Attacks On Unemployment System?

— ScrantonT: Lackawanna County Man Threatened To Shoot Up Unemployment Compensation Office

— Gov. Wolf: Launches $350 Million PA Homeowner Assistance Fund With American Rescue Plan Monies, Applications Accepted Starting Feb. 1

— Inquirer: Philadelphia Ending Rental Assistance Program Because It Ran Out Of Money

— TribLive: At Carnegie Mellon, A Bipartisan Effort To Address PA’s Antonymous Vehicle Industry

— WHYY: Montgomery County Will Count Number Of People Experiencing Homelessness

— Inquirer: Tale Of Two Raw Pet-Food Companies Locked In A Legal Battle In Rural PA

T AP HERE for all articles in January 10 EXPRESS Update