PA Capitol Report: Top 10 Stories On Harrisburg/PA Politics Last Week

— New Voting Districts – Senate, House

— Inquirer: Reapportionment Chair Mark Nordenberg On Drawing New Voting Districts, Republican Attacks And What Comes Next

— Spotlight PA: PA Redistricting Maps: Search How To See Your Old, New Voting Districts

— AP: PA Secretary Of State Issues Warnings To Lawmakers  Over Voting District Map Delays Affecting Primary Election

— PA Cap-Star: PA Lawmakers Say They Have Time To Draw New Voting District Maps, State Courts, Wolf Administration Disagree

— Inquirer: PA Republicans Going On The Attack Against New Voting District Map For State House

— LancasterOnline: Winners, Losers In Lancaster County Under Proposed Voting District Plan

— Inquirer: 5 Takeaways From PA’s Proposed Senate, House Voting District Maps

—  TribLive Guest Essay: 30 Years Of Racial Inequity vs. PA’s Only Growing Populations – Salewa Ogunmefun [New Voting Districts]

— Governor’s Race

— AP: Republican Sen. Mastriano All But Declares He’s In The Race For PA Governor [Actively Worked To Overturn Nov. 2020 Election Results, Was At The Jan. 6 Assault On U.S. Capitol]

— TribLive Guest Essay: Republicans’ Crowded PA Gubernatorial Field A Help Or Hindrance?

— MeadvilleT: Republican New Castle Mayor Chris Frye Announces Bid For Lt. Governor

— U.S. Senate Race

— PG: Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Dr. Val Arkoosh Wants To Go Toe-To-Toe With Dr. Oz In Senate Battle

— Newsweek: Dr. Oz Holds 10-Point Lead Among Republicans Seeking U.S. Senate Seat

— PennLive/AP: Dr. Oz Show Ending In January, As Star Runs For U.S. Senate Seat In PA

— MCall: Dr. Oz Takes U.S. Senate Campaign To Lehigh Valley

— LancasterOnline Editorial: Dr. Oz Brings A Lot Of Baggage To Republican U.S. Senate Race

— Inquirer: Rep. Kenyatta’s Internal Poll Shows Path For U.S. Senate Run, If He Can Get His Message Out

— AP: Hedge Fund Manager David McCormick Draws High-Level Support In Republican Senate Race

— ErieT: Once An Undocumented Immigrant, Gisele Fetterman Creates Identify With ‘Heart Of Service’

— Inquirer: David McCormick Taking First Public Steps To Run For U.S. Senate In Tumultuous Republican Primary

— Nov. 2 Election

— MCall: Lehigh County DA Moves To Bar Allentown Constable-Elect With Lengthy Conviction Record

— Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

— AP: PA Republicans Open New Front In Election ‘Investigation’ – They Want Access To Voting Machines

— AP: Judge: County, State Must Agree On Voting System Inspection Rules As Part Of Republican ‘Investigation’ Of Nov. 2020 Election

— PA Cap-Star Guest Essay: PA Republicans Look To Ban Private, Nonprofit Election Grants [When They Don’t Provide Counties Funding For Elections]

— ScrantonT Editorial: Move Up PA 2024 Presidential Primary

— AP: Jan. 6 House Panel Seeks Interview, Records From Republican Cong. Scott Perry On His Role In Trying To Overturn Nov. 2020 Election Results

— NPR: Republican Cong. Scott Perry First Sitting Lawmaker Jan. 6 Panel Wants To Question

— PA Cap-Star: Jan. 6 House Committee Requests Interview With Republican Cong. Scott Perry

— AP: Republican Cong. Scott Perry Denies U.S. House Panel’s Request For Interview On His Role In Trying To Overturn Nov. 2020 Election Results

— PennLive – Charles Thompson: Republican Cong. Scott Perry Declines Invitation To Meet With House Committee Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol

— WITF: Showdown Could Be Brewing Between Republican Cong. Scott Perry And House Committee Investigating Efforts To Overturn The Nov. 2020 Election Results

— YorkDR Guest Essay: Assault On U.S. Capitol Treason, Plain And Simple, Congress Should Pass The Freedom To Vote Act – Jim Sandoe, U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran

— Inquirer: Bucks County Man Charged With Crimes In Assault On U.S. Capitol Gets Probation

— Inquirer: Delaware County Teacher Made A Black Muslim Student Kneel And Beg For His Cell Phone, Lawyer Says

— Inquirer/WPost: Fulton County Commissioners Called LGBTQ Gathering A ‘Hate Group’ And Denied Funds To County Library Where It Was To Meet. So Citizens Stepped In

— LancasterOnline: Members Of Militia Group Who View U.S. Govt. As Tyrannical And Vow To Oppose It With Arms Met In Lancaster County Restaurant

— LancasterOnline Editorial: Lancaster Elected Officials Need To Condemn Extremist Militia And Other Groups

— The Guardian: U.S. Conservative Parents Push For Book Bans And Unintentionally Make Reading Cool Again [York County, PA]

— Harrisburg Potpourri

— PA Cap-Star: 2022 PA Incumbent Retirement And Primary Tracker

— Courier Times Guest Essay: Republican Message To Taxpayers – Your Livelihood Isn’t As Important As The Culture War Issues – Cyril Mychalejko, Bucks County Teacher

— PA Cap-Star: Gift Ban Advocates Call House Republican Leader Latest Holdup

— ScrantonT Editorial: State Legislators Gave Themselves A Big Gift They Didn’t Deserve– A Pay Raise

— MCall – Paul Muschick: My Gift Wishes For The Naughty (Charged With Assaulting The Capitol, Dr. Oz) And Nice (Hospital Workers)

— ScrantonT Editorial: Legislative Incompetence And Greed Are Expensive [Pension Funds, Pay Raise]

— Williamsport Sun Editorial: Do Liquor Sales Belong In The State Constitution?

— ErieT: Gov. Wolf Talks COVID Strategy As Omicron Spreads, 2022 Agenda, Plans After Office 

— Gov. Wolf Signs Bills To Protect Prescription Drug Savings, Expand Broadband Access

— WPXI: PA Residents Still Struggling With Unemployment Compensation System

— MCall/TNS: 732 PA Senate Staffers Get 5% Raise In New Year [Lawmakers Got 5.9%]

–Spotlight PA: Low Pay Causing Staffing Crisis For Disability Care, Advocates Say PA’s Plan To Raise Wages Isn’t Enough

— AP: State Employees Aiding Nonprofit In Investigations Into Neglect And Abuse Of Older People

— WHYY: PA Prepares To Roll Out Ban On Surprise Medical Billing

— PennLive: Homeless In City Of Harrisburg Sicker Than Ever

— MCall – Ford Turner: PA Lawmakers Giving Up On Banning Consumer Fireworks, Despite Widespread Complaints

— MCall – Ford Turner: Lawmakers Getting Involved In Expanding Alcohol Sales At Dorney Park

— TribLive Editorial: Westmoreland County Commission Have To Prove Emailed Comments Are Important Too

— Inquirer: New ‘Afghans Of Philadelphia’ Seeks To Forge Vibrant Community As Hundreds Of Evacuees Resettle Here

— PG Editorial: Marking History Requires Delicacy, Not Ideology

— Budget 2022

— PA Gaming Control Board: Reports Record Gaming Revenue In Nov. – $432.4 Million

— TribLive: PA Casinos Continue To Shatter Revenue Records, Generate $432 Million In Nov.

—  Inquirer – Andrew Maykuth: PA Gaming Revenue Is On A Roll, But Not At Casinos

— PG: PennDOT Pushes For Increased Revenue, But Republican Leaders Remain Skeptical

— MCall – Paul Muschick: Bridge Tolls Are Looming, Why A Lot Of People Will Never Pay Them

— COVID Pandemic Worsens Again In PA

— PennLive: UPMC Doctor: Few Nursing Home Residents Ending Up Hospitalized For COVID; Unvaccinated Account For 95% Of Deaths, 90% Of Intensive Care Patients

— WESA: PA’s Hospitals Are Already Strained, Omicron Will Likely Make It Worse

— ScrantonT: PA Surpasses 10,000 New COVID Cases In A Day

— TribLive: Republican Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward Shares Reports Of COVID-Fueled ‘Dire Situation’ At Hospitals, But Opposes Vaccine Mandates

— PG: Dr. Peter Salk, Son Of Polio Vaccine’s Developer, Speaks On COVID Hesitancy: ‘He Would Have Been Shocked’

— WilliamsportS: Lycoming County Grassroots Group Pushes Back Against Vaccine Misinformation

— WilliamsportS: UPMC Expert Stresses The Importance Of Vaccinations

— ErieT: Gov. Wolf Talks COVID Strategy As Omicron Spreads, 2022 Agenda, Plans After Office 

— TribLive: PA, Allegheny County Report Record COVID Cases

— TribLive: Allegheny County Health: More Than 400 COVID Deaths Since October

— PG: Allegheny County Hits Pandemic Record For Daily COVID Case Counts

— WESA: Allegheny County Detects Omicron Variant In Wastewater, A COVID Surge On The Way

— Inquirer: How Temple’s Episcopal Hospital Lost Control During COVID

— PG: Allegheny County Health Says No New Mask Rule, Despite Climb In Cases

— MCall: Lehigh Valley Health Network Requesting All Visitors Be Vaccinated

— PG: ‘Unprecedented Demand’ For COVID Rapid Tests Poses Challenge For Local Pharmacies

— MCall: Rapid COVID Tests In Short Supply In Lehigh Valley

— TribLive: Demand For Rapid COVID Testing On Rise In Western PA

— AP: Philadelphia Cancels Rapid COVID Test Giveaway As Supplies Wane

— AP: Biden To Pledge 500 Million Free COVID Tests To Counter Omicron

— MCall: Lehigh Valley’s St. Luke’s To Require All Visitors Be Vaccinated Amid COVID Surge

— TribLive: City Of Pittsburgh Pauses Vaccine Mandate As Officials Negotiate With Unions

— Inquirer: As Omicron Cases Spike, Philly Restaurant Owners Wrestle With Closures

— Inquirer: Philly Shuts Down 19 Restaurant For Violating COVID Vaccine Rule

— MCall: Bethlehem Catholic H.S. To Close Early For Christmas Break

— TribLive: Omicron Variant Of COVID Detected At Penn State’s Main Campus

— Inquirer: Philly Vaccination Rates For Black, Hispanic Children Lag

— PG: 15% Of Pittsburgh’s Employees Did Not Comply With Faccine Mandate, Face Disciplinary Action

— TribLive: Pittsburgh Mayor-Elect Ed Gainey Tests Positive For COVID

— ScrantonT: Cong. Cartwright Tests Positive For COVID, Was Fully Vaccinated

— Inquirer: PA, NJ See Strong Uptick In Health Insurance Signups

— COVID – Schools

— PennLive: PA Supreme Court Opinion Issued: We Voided PA’s School Mask Mandate Because The Health Secretary Circumvented The Law

— AP: PA Supreme Court: Lack Of Emergency Order Or Regulation Doomed School Mask Mandate

— MCall: ‘Masking Is Political Theater,’ Lehigh Valley School Board Member Tries To End District’s Masking Requirement

— MCall Guest Essay: Record Number Of Children Are Getting COVID, Now Is Not The Time To Say Goodbye To Masks – LVHN Pediatrician

— MCall: COVID Cases Prompt Lehigh Valley H.S. To Go Remote Thursday

— Inquirer: As Many Philly Schools Shift To Virtual, District Still Plans To Be In-Person In January, For Now

— MCall: Emmaus H.S. Students To Work Remotely Monday Because Of Bus Driver Shortage

— MCall: Bethlehem H.S. Students Returned, But Fallout From Pandemic Remains

— MCall: Lehigh Valley Colleges Begin Requiring COVID Booster Shots For Spring Semester

— Inquirer: Temple To Switch To Online-Only Classes Due To COVID

Opioid Settlement

— WITF: Here’s How Much Money PA Counties Would See From $26 Billion Opioid Settlement

— TribLive: Several Westmoreland Municipalities Sign On To Proposed Opioid Suit Settlement

— TribLive Editorial: Settling On Opioid Suit Is Right Thing For Westmoreland County

School Funding/Administration

— Inquirer: 5 Takeaways From PA’s Ongoing, Landmark School Funding Trial After One Month

— WHYY: ‘It Doesn’t Feel Legitimate’: William Penn School District Takes The Court Stand In PA School Funding Trial

— PennLive – Jan Murphy: Wolf Vetoes Curriculum ‘Transparency’ Bill Calling It A ‘Dangerous And harmful Imposition’

— TribLive Editorial: Wolf’s School Book Listing Bill Veto Was Political

— The Guardian: U.S. Conservative Parents Push For Book Bans And Unintentionally Make Reading Cool Again [York County, PA]

— PG: Butler County Student Charged For Allegedly Making Threats To School District On TikTok

— PennLive: PA Supreme Court: Student Who Said He Wanted To ‘Beat The Record’ After School Massacre Didn’t Issue A ‘True Threat’

— PennLive: Harrisburg Mom Charged With Felony In Bleach Attack Against 6th Grader

— LancasterOnline Editorial: Threat Of School Violence Plausible In Face Of TikTok Challenge

— PG: How One Munhall Home Purchase Illustrates Allegheny County’s Property Tax Assessment Issues: ‘A Newcomer Tax?’

— MCall: eSports Becoming A Big Thing In Lehigh Valley High Schools

— Gun Violence/Law Enforcement

— WPVI: PA Democratic Member Of Congress Mary Gay Scanlon Carjacked At Gunpoint By 2 Men In Philadelphia

— Inquirer: PA Member of Congress Mary Gay Scanlon Carjacked, Robbed After Touring FDR Park In Philly

— AP: Member of Congress Scanlon Carjacked In Philadelphia Park, Uninjured

—  Inquirer: 19-Year-Old Will Be Charged In Carjacking Cong. Scanlon In Philly, 4 Other Teens Arrested

— Inquirer: Rising Tide Of Stolen Guns Helps Fuel Philadelphia’s Gun Violence Epidemic

— Inquirer: She Was Hit By Stray Bullet Playing Kickball, Now She’s 36, Paralyzed, Reclaiming Her Independence

— Inquirer: More Than 70 Lawyers Hired By Philly DA Have Left

— Inquirer Guest Essay: We’re Experiencing A Public Health Crisis, And It’s Not COVID – Guns

— PA Cap-Star: PA Supreme Court Rules Victim’s Rights Constitutional Amendment Cannot Be Enacted, Attempted To Make Too Many Changes

— AP: PA Supreme Court Rules Against Victims’ Rights Amendment To Constitution Voters Supported

— ScrantonT Editorial: PA Supreme Court Rejects Lawmakers’ Pandering On Constitutional Amendment

— PennLive: Wolf Implores Senate To Act On ‘Window’ Bill For Child Sex Abuse Survivors To File Civil Lawsuits

— ScrantonT: Catholic Diocese Adds Deceased Franciscan Friar To Credibility Accused List

— MCall: Lawsuit Claims Mennonite Farm Held Boys For Forced Labor, Experts Say Those Allegations Highlight Role Of Discipline In Mennonite Faith

— Inquirer: Police In Philly Region Forging Partnerships With Social Workers To Better Handle Mental Health Crises

— PG Editorial: It’s Time To Abolish The Death Penalty

What Happened To COVID Aid?

— PG: Pittsburgh Redevelopment Authority Forgives More Than $2.9 Million In Loans To Small Businesses Hit By Pandemic

— AP: Secret Service: Nearly $100 Billion Stolen In Pandemic Business, Individual Relief Funds

— PA Economy

— WPXI: PA Residents Still Struggling With Unemployment Compensation System

— Gov. Wolf: 25 States Will Raise Minimum Wage Next Year, Governor Urges Republican Legislators To Act For PA Workers

— AP: Payrolls Grew In November, But PA’s Labor Force Shrinks Again

— Inquirer: Philadelphia Businesses Modestly Recovering From Pandemic, Pew Data Show

— TribLive Editorial: Can UPMC Solve The Nursing Shortage?

— PG: How One Munhall Home Purchase Illustrates Allegheny County’s Property Tax Assessment Issues: ‘A Newcomer Tax?’

— WilliamsportS Editorial: State Needs To Address Ransomware Attacks

— WESA: PA Housing Finance Agency Applied For $350 Million To Help Struggling Homeowners

— Inquirer: Philadelphia Landlords Filed Fewer Than Half The Usual Number Of Evictions After Federal Moratorium Ended

— TribLive: Food Service Vendor Sues Pitt For $7 Million For Failing To Honor Contracts During Pandemia

— AP: Yuengling Accuses Bud Light Of Trampling On Trademark

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