AP-NORC poll: Optimism fades jobs lost to virus will return
By JOSH BOAK and EMILY SWANSON Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly half of Americans whose families experienced a layoff during the coronavirus pandemic now believe those jobs are lost. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s a sharp change from April, when 78% of those in households with a job loss thought they’d be temporary. Still, the poll shows that 72% of Americans would rather have restrictions in place in their communities to stop the spread of COVID-19 than remove them to help the economy. Just 27% want to prioritize the economy over efforts to stop the outbreak.

Story By Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) Dr. Peter M.  Carbone, superintendent sent a letter  to the district community  announcing  that there is a reopening  plan in place  and the district will be starting classes on Monday August 31, 2020. Dr. Carbone said that the school district  wants to provide a safe environment  with flexible  and effective opportunities  for its students  to receive  a high quality education. The plan is to  implement  a hybrid learning model which includes classroom and remote learning   opportunities for all students. Students will be assigned to A group or B group depending on their neighborhood.

(WASHINGTON, Pa.) As reported last week by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board revenue has been down at all casinos across the state due to the Coronavirus Pandemic and the Meadows Racetrack and Casino is no exception. Penn National Gaming Inc., the owner of the Meadows announced that they are laying off Over 170 employees at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino permanently starting Sept. 15, 2020 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The Meadows will continue to stay open despite the layoffs.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board  issued clarifying guidance to reinforce the targeted statewide mitigation efforts at bars and restaurants in response to the recent rise in COVID cases. The guidelines have been questioned since new orders were put in place by Gov. Tom Wolf and Dr. Rachel Levine last week. According to the PLCB:

• Sales of alcohol for on-premises consumption are only permissible as part of a larger transaction that includes a meal purchase. The term “meal” is defined in section 406 of the Pennsylvania Liquor Code as “food prepared on the premises, sufficient to constitute breakfast, lunch or dinner.” The definition expressly states that a snack, such as pretzels, popcorn, chips, or similar food, does not meet the definition of a meal.
• A customer who wishes to consume alcohol on premise must also purchase a meal; a group of customers who wish to consume alcohol on premises may do so as long as a meal is part of the purchase made by the group.
• Additional drinks may be purchased while the customer is consuming the meal, but no further drinks may be purchased after the meal is finished.
• Bar service of food and/or alcohol is prohibited.
• For Pennsylvania manufacturers (breweries, distilleries, and wineries), meals may be provided by the licensee or by a third party, such as a food truck.
• Casinos may no longer provide drink service on the casino floor.
• If a club does not sell food, either directly or through a concessionaire, it cannot use its liquor license.
• The governor’s additional order directing targeted mitigation measuresspecifically prohibits businesses that meet the definition of a “nightclub” under the Clear Indoor Air Act from operating.

Enforcement of the order is occurring through the Pennsylvania State Police and local law enforcement, the Liquor Control Board, and the Department of Agriculture.

For restaurants and bars, social distancing, mask-wearing and other mitigation measures must be employed to protect workers and patrons. In addition, occupancy is limited to 25 percent of the fire-code maximum occupancy for indoor dining, or 25 persons for a specific indoor event or gathering in a restaurant. The maximum occupancy limit includes staff.

AP-NORC poll: 3 in 4 Americans back requiring wearing masks
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD and EMILY SWANSON Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three out of four Americans favor requiring people to wear face coverings while outside their homes to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, including a solid majority of Republicans. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Support for wearing masks is overwhelming among Democrats, while 58% of Republicans say they back such policies. As coronavirus cases rise, about half of Americans now say they’re extremely or very worried about themselves or family members becoming infected. The poll also finds that about two-thirds of Americans disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling the outbreak.

White House drops payroll tax cut as GOP unveils virus aid
By LISA MASCARO and ANDREW TAYLOR AP Congressional Correspondent
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has dropped a bid to cut Social Security payroll taxes as Republicans unveil a $1 trillion COVID-19 rescue package. The tax cut had been opposed by top Senate GOP allies. The legislation, set to be released Thursday morning by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., comes amid alarming developments on the virus crisis. McConnell’s package is an opening GOP bid in talks with top Capitol Hill Democrats in a negotiation that could be rockier than talks in March that produced a $2 trillion rescue package. GOP senators and President Donald Trump are at odds over priorities, and Democrats say it’s not enough to stem the health crisis, reopen schools and extend aid to jobless Americans.

HARRISBURG – House Republican members from Allegheny and Washington counties today expressed outrage at Gov. Tom Wolf’s statements that he plans to veto a government transparency bill (House Bill 2463) that addresses access to public records during a disaster declaration and received unanimous support from the Legislature. In response, Reps. Jason Ortitay (R-Allegheny/Washington), Bob Brooks (R-Allegheny/Westmoreland), Bud Cook (R-Washington/Fayette), Valerie Gaydos (R-Allegheny), Josh Kail (R-Beaver/Washington), Natalie Mihalek (R-Allegheny/Washington), Lori Mizgorski (R-Allegheny), Tim O’Neal (R-Washington) and Mike Puskaric (R-Allegheny/Washington) issued the following statement:

“Gov. Tom Wolf claims he is for government transparency and said on Tuesday at a press conference in York under questioning that if he were a member of the General Assembly he would have voted favorably for this bill.

“However, he said he will veto House Bill 2463 because he doesn’t believe it is feasible to have state employees come into the office and provide answers to Right-to-Know requests. State workers can easily social distance when their co-workers are working remotely. The governor seems to believe it is safer to work in a big box store than to come into an office building with few people present to provide the public and press with information.

“The governor has time and time again during this pandemic shown that he believes no one should question his actions. He has held closed-door press conferences and only allowed the media to submit written inquiries which were then vetted and read by one of his staffers. When he finally in late May again allowed a limited number of reporters to attend his press conferences in person, he has dismissively scoffed when they have questioned his actions.

“In addition, the governor directed state agencies to not respond to Right-to-Know requests during the first several months of the pandemic, thus preventing the public and the press from obtaining information to analyze the state’s response. He only recently allowed work on Right-to-Know requests to resume.

“We are calling on the governor to reverse his public statements and sign this important legislation. Especially in times of crisis, barriers should not be enacted that prevent the public and press from understanding how government is responding.”

US labs buckle amid testing surge; world virus cases top 15M
By MATTHEW PERRONE, TAMMY WEBBER and MATT SEDENSKY Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Laboratories across the U.S. are buckling under a surge of coronavirus tests, creating long processing delays that experts say are actually undercutting the pandemic response. The bottlenecks are creating problems for workers kept off the job while awaiting results, nursing homes struggling to keep the virus out and for the labs themselves, dealing with a crushing workload. That comes as cases are rising in most U.S. states, with particular hot spots developing across the South and West. Worldwide, the count of people infected with the coronavirus passed a staggering 15 million people, with some 618,000 killed by the pandemic.

County sues Wolf, seeking $13M in virus funding he withheld
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania county has filed suit to compel Gov. Tom Wolf to release $12.8 million in federal coronavirus relief funding that he withheld after county leaders defied his shutdown orders. Wolf withheld nearly $12.8 million in funding from Lebanon County, where local Republican leaders voted in mid-May to lift pandemic restrictions in defiance of the Democratic governor. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Commonwealth Court, says Wolf had no legal right to withhold funding appropriated by the legislature. The suit accuses him of a “gross abuse of power” and acting like a “de facto King.” A message was left with Wolf’s office seeking comment.

World virus cases near 15M; Trump says things will get worse
By MATT SEDENSKY AP National Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The global count of people infected with the coronavirus is nearing a staggering 15 million people, with more than 617,000 killed by the pandemic. The latest shocking milestone comes while in the worst-hit pandemic hot spot of the United States, President Donald Trump is adopting a shifted tone, acknowledging it is likely to “get worse before it gets better.” Meantime in Washington, lawmakers are crafting the next stage of the government’s response to the coronavirus, the fifth bill to provide aid. Leaders are seeking compromise between a sweeping $3 trillion proposal from the Democratic-controlled House and a more modest $1 trillion proposal emerging from Republicans.