PENNSYLVANIA
Harrisburg: Budget deadline
Gov. Tom Wolf must accept or veto a Republican budget plan by 11:59 p.m. today. Gov. Wolf stated he would veto the plan, so his administration sent out letters advising how a government shutdown could affect the public.
Pittsburgh: Annual pay increase
The average pay in Pittsburgh last year was $50,955, which increased nearly 3 percent. The lower cost of living means that although the wages are lower, the dollars go farther than other areas, like Boston.
Pittsburgh: American Airlines executive charged with sex crimes
The airline official, Ray Howland, is alleged to have organized a meeting in Moon Township with a mother and 10-year-old daughter to engage in sexual acts, but the meeting was actually a setup by sting operatives from the Attorney General’s office.
Pittsburgh: Alcosoil fertilizer
The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority pays farmers to use human waste as fertilizer. It’s laced with limestone to kill bacteria and pathogens and to reduce odor, but some residents who live near where the sludge is used fear that it attracts flies and causes health problems.
York: Coding school
“The Fortress” will open in the Western National Bank Building. It’s a startup that teaches the Python coding language used in robotics, data mining and artificial intelligence. The school will provide scholarships to women, veterans and people with disabilities, but also hopes to bring other jobs and businesses to the area.
Statewide: Police enrollments down
In the 1990s, it was commonplace for about 16,000 people to apply to become a state trooper. Now, it’s fallen to about 3,000 applicants. Although some guidelines have lightened to entice new officers, the negativity surrounding a militarized police force seems to be keeping people from signing up.
NATIONAL
Death by lethal injection
The Supreme Court voted 5-4 on Monday to continue the use of the three-drug lethal injection procedure to execute people, including the problematic sedative midazolam, despite a nationwide shortage of the drugs.
Clean Air Act blocked
The Obama Administration sought to limit the amount of toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants, but the act was voted down in the Supreme Court on Monday. The Environmental Protection Agency and industry groups had drastically different arguments about the costs the bill would impose.
Six black churches burned
Investigators are looking into six church fires in five southern states that occurred in the last week and a half since the shooting at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.
Puerto Rican debt crisis
With $72 billion in public debt, Puerto Rican Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla hopes to defer payments as he speaks to various creditors. A budget plan will set aside $1.5 billion to start repaying loans. Puerto Rico has a higher debt per capita than any of the 50 states.
IN OTHER NEWS
PA is the ‘12th coolest state,’ according to hipsters
Home to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, sandwiches encapsulating French fries and consistently colored sports teams, Pennsylvania beat out Florida snowbirds but failed to be cooler than Washington, D.C., or New York City.
The daily report was compiled by Stephanie Roman, a PublicSource intern. You can reach her with questions or suggestions at sroman@publicsource.org.
