PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh: UPMC offers voluntary severance
In order to cut costs, UPMC wants to buy out employees over age 60 who have worked for the company for more than 10 years.
Pittsburgh: The struggles of homeless camps
When the city decides homeless camps are too unsanitary or unsightly, police shut them down, leaving the inhabitants scrambling for a place to sleep. A program by the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System helps the homeless find affordable housing.
Pittsburgh: Duquesne University receives $2 million state grant
A clean energy grant will allow Duquesne to replace the 50-year-old boilers that provide electricity, heating and cooling with larger, high-efficiency equipment.
Harrisburg: Projected $2 billion state deficit creates tension for Gov. Wolf
Time is running out for Gov. Tom Wolf to persuade the Senate to pass legislation on proposed tax reforms, as budget negotiations will end in June.
Statewide: PA might push its presidential primary to March
Lawmakers have proposed to move the primary to the third week of March next year, a decision that would bring national attention to the state.
NATIONAL
Cleveland revises policy on police force
A Justice Department investigation into the Cleveland Police Department has led to the adoption of several new, stringent rules when it comes to use of force. Among other rules, officers will have to document each time they unholster their weapons.
Amtrak to install cameras
Cameras will be installed to monitor engineers while they work and will save the data to the black boxes on the trains, a safety measure recommended by the National Transportation Safety board following the derailment of Amtrak 188 in Philadelphia.
Charter Communications acquires Time Warner Cable
Charter Communications will become the second-largest cable company in the nation after completing the purchase of Time Warner Cable for $56.7 billion.
Oklahoma and Texas assaulted with relentless storms
Both states have declared states of emergency, and FEMA is on the ground in Texas to provide aid to the flooded and tornado-wracked plains. At least nine people are dead, and the count of missing people continues to grow. Tens of thousands of people are without power and several towns don’t have drinkable water. More rain and flooding are expected.
IN OTHER NEWS
Commercial asteroid mining
The SPACE Act passed Tuesday in the House, and it grants all businesses that mine asteroids “finders-keepers” status to whatever’s inside them.
The daily report was compiled by Stephanie Roman, a PublicSource intern. You can reach her with questions or suggestions at sroman@publicsource.org.
