(Pittsburgh, Pa.) People with cancer that affects the blood, bone marrow or lymph nodes are at elevated risk of COVID-19 vaccine failure, particularly those with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, according to new results from an analysis of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center patients.

The finding prompted University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC clinician-scientists to issue a cautionary statement in the preprint journal medRxiv, urging such patients and those who interact with them to take the COVID-19 vaccines available, but to continue wearing masks and practicing social distancing, even after full vaccination. They simultaneously are pursuing peer-reviewed publication of the findings.

“As we see more national guidance allowing for unmasked gatherings among vaccinated people, clinicians should counsel their immunocompromised patients about the possibility that COVID-19 vaccines may not fully protect them against SARS-CoV-2,” said senior author Ghady Haidar, M.D., UPMC transplant infectious diseases physician and assistant professor in Pitt’s Department of Infectious Diseases. “Our results show that the odds of the vaccine producing an antibody response in people with hematologic malignancies are the equivalent of a coin flip.”

Haidar cautioned that a negative antibody test does not necessarily mean that the patient lacks protection from the virus. At this time, UPMC and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection do not recommend repeat or booster vaccinations for previously vaccinated people, even if they test negative for antibodies.

Hematologic malignancies are a classification of non-solid tumor cancers, including leukemias, myelomas and lymphomas. These patients have a greater than 30% risk of death if they contract COVID-19 and often receive antibody-depleting therapies, which means they should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination. However, they were excluded from COVID-19 mRNA vaccine trials, so data on the vaccines’ effectiveness are nonexistent.

Approximately three weeks after their final vaccination, 67 patients with hematologic malignancies who had been vaccinated with either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 two-dose vaccines had their blood tested. Haidar and his colleagues found that more than 46% of the participants had not produced antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

Moreover, only three in 13 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)—a slowly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow—produced measurable antibodies, even though 70% of them weren’t undergoing any form of cancer therapy.

“This lack of response was strikingly low,” said Mounzer Agha, M.D., the study’s lead author and a hematologist at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. “We’re still working to determine why people with hematologic malignancies—particularly those with CLL—have a lower antibody response and if this low response also extends to patients with solid tumors.”

The team did not find a link between cancer therapy and antibody levels to indicate why some of the patients did not mount an adequate immune response to the vaccine. As expected, however, older patients were less likely to produce antibodies compared to younger patients.

“It’s critically important for these patients to be aware of their continued risk and to seek prompt medical attention if they have COVID-19 symptoms, even after vaccination,” Agha added. “They may benefit from outpatient treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies, before the illness becomes severe.”

Additional authors on this research are Maggie Blake, R.N., Charles Chilleo and Alan Wells, M.D., D.MSc., all of UPMC or Pitt.

(Perry Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle are reporting that they were called to a location on Portersville Road in Perry Twp. for a report of vehicle parts being attempting to be stolen. Upon arriving on the scene, a male victim from Ellwood City reported that he caught someone attempting to steal items from his vehicle parked at his residence. The victim told Police that he scared off the suspect.

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf  announced that five projects will be awarded $2.2 million for the construction or rehabilitation of mixed-used developments. The funding was raised through the sale of tax credits under the Mixed-Use Development Tax Credit Program, the proceeds of which are being used to fund the work of the Community Revitalization Fund Program.

“We believe there is pent up economic demand coming out of the pandemic, and these mixed-use developments can be a part of our economic recovery,” said Governor Tom Wolf. “Investments in our communities are so critical at this point in time, which is why I am pleased to announce the funding for these projects with their potential to provide an economic stimulus.”

The goal of the Community Revitalization Fund Program is to stimulate high-impact neighborhood revitalization projects across the state. This round of funding prioritized applications from smaller cities and communities, including third-class cities.

The Mixed-Use Development Tax Credit Program is administered by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, and the selected projects were approved earlier today by its board of directors. The list of funding recipients is provided in the table below.

The Community Revitalization Fund Program seeks to expand or rehabilitate affordable housing stock coupled with retail/commercial space to promote community revitalization, especially in those parts of the state that are struggling economically. The term “mixed use” for these projects refers to buildings that combine both commercial/retail and residential space.

“What we appreciate most about these mixed-use developments is that they help communities by providing commercial space to spur economic growth, as well as creating much-needed affordable housing,” said PHFA Executive Director and CEO Robin Wiessmann. “The pandemic has revealed the depth of our housing shortage. These mixed-use projects are part of the solution for increasing our housing stock in the commonwealth.”

The five developments being funded today will create 25 units of new or rehabilitated housing for people whose incomes are at or below 80% of the area median income. As these are mixed-use projects, they also will create 27,250 square feet of new or rehabilitated commercial and retail space. Additionally, this investment of $2.2 million in Community Revitalization Fund dollars is producing the maximum benefit by leveraging $9.2 million in additional funding for these developments.

The projects being awarded funding today through the Community Revitalization Fund Program are listed in the table below.

The Mixed-Use Development Tax Credit Program was created as part of the commonwealth’s fiscal year 2016-17 budget. The agency is allocated $3 million in credits annually to sell in order to generate community revitalization capital. PHFA was directed by the General Assembly to administer both the tax credit and program components of this initiative.

(Perry Twp. Pa.) Pa State in New Castle are reporting that someone stole items from C&C Equipment Company in Perry Twp., Lawrence County sometime between March 31 at 4 PM and April 01, 2021 at 7:30 AM.

Troopers said via release that the victim reported that someone entered through an unlocked door and took a Milwaukee Metal Cutting saw and other misc. items. The stolen items are valued at approximately $230.00.

(North Beaver Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle are reporting that they were dispatched to McClain Road in North Beaver Township for a report of a stolen utility trailer.

The male victim from Enon Valley reported to Troopers that on April 3, 2021 between the hour of 10 AM and 12:15 PM his 1970 single axle black metal trailer with wood flooring was missing. The victim reported that the trailer was freshly painted and that the trailer has a black mesh gate and a diamond plated toolbox on the front with a spare tire under the toolbox.

State Police in New Castle are asking anyone with information to call them at (724) 598-2211.

(Wampum, Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle are reporting that they were dispatched to New Beaver Boro to speak to a victim who stated her vehicle was egged as she was driving South on Pa. Route 18 through Wampum Boro. The victim stated she was in the area of old route 18 when a white male wearing a short sleeve shirt threw an egg from the rear driver’s side seat of a dark (possibly gray) smaller SUV at the front of her 2021 Jeep. Troopers report that the victim’s vehicle sustained minor damage. The SUV continued to travel north on route 18 after the incident.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced up to $35 million for a new Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program focused on developing technologies to reduce methane emissions in the oil, gas, and coal industries. This funding opportunity will support projects that can be replicated easily and commercialized quickly to cut methane accumulation in the atmosphere and mitigate the effects of climate change.

“Methane is the second-largest source of greenhouse gases, many times more potent than carbon dioxide—that’s why it’s crucial we develop solutions to decrease these emissions at their source,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The REMEDY program will help us support the Biden Administration’s mission to tackle climate change head-on, create good-paying jobs, and deliver cleaner, fresher air for American communities.”

Methane is a greenhouse gas that is emitted during the production, processing, and across the value chain of natural gas, coal, and crude oil. Recent EIA estimates show that methane makes up nearly 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions every year, with the energy sector being one of the largest sources of U.S. methane emissions.

ARPA-E’s “Reducing Emissions of Methane Every Day of the Year” (REMEDY) program, will specifically address three target methane production sources in the oil, gas, and coal value chain:

• Exhaust from natural gas-fired lean-burn engines used to drive compressors, generate electricity, and increasingly repower ships;
• Flares required for safe operation of oil and gas facilities; and
• Coal mine ventilation air methane (VAM) exhausted from operating underground mines.

REMEDY seeks to directly address the more than 50,000 engines, 300,000 flares, and 250 mine shafts that are producing methane emissions.

“We don’t have to choose between climate, jobs, energy, and security if we can invent the best greenhouse gas-reducing technologies. Methane reduction is a critical priority for shale regions like western Pennsylvania and will be a strategic advantage for the United States. I will continue to support ARPA-E in taking on this challenge,” said U.S. Representative Conor Lamb.

Successful REMEDY proposals will develop highly-replicable technologies that work to decrease methane emissions across the oil, gas and coal energy generation industries, and directly address challenges related to commercialization of the technologies themselves. Potential projects should be able to operate in generation spaces where very-low methane concentrations are common, for integration into complete oil, gas and coal generation systems that can quantify emission reductions while ensuring consistent system operations.

REMEDY funding will be spread across two phases of the program over three years. Phase 1 focuses on confirming the operability of technical proposals, approaches, and system components. Following a down-select, Phase 2 teams will confirm performance in a limited field test or in larger, extended-lab-scale test environments. ARPA-E encourages diverse teams to apply for this funding, including those with manufacturing and operations expertise.

Find more information on the REMEDY funding opportunity HERE. Details on how to apply can be found on ARPA-E eXCHANGE.

(Hanover Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that they were called to a residence on Temple Road in Hanover Twp. for a report of a stolen Side by Side ATV Vehicle.

Troopers are reporting that the 2020 HONDA SXS 500M vehicle was taken sometime between April 3 and April 6, 2021 and is camouflage and black in color. The vehicle also has a new front winch, after market LED lights mounted on the front and two eagle stickers on each side of the winch.

Troopers are asking anyone with information to contact them at the Pennsylvania State Police Barracks in Beaver at 724-773-7400

Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, dies aged 99
By JILL LAWLESS and GREGORY KATZ Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — Buckingham Palace officials say Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, has died. He was 99. Philip spent a month in hospital earlier this year before being released on March 16 to return to Windsor Castle. Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, married Elizabeth in 1947 and was the longest-serving consort in British history. He retired from public engagements in 2017 after carrying out more than 20,000 of them. Philip was a member of the Greek royal family and was born on the Greek island of Corfu in 1921. He was an avid sportsman who loved country pursuits. He had four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

(Harrisburg, Pa.) Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier announced today that Pennsylvanians will have a much quicker and easier time filing claims for unemployment compensation (UC) benefits when the department’s new UC system launches on June 8, 2021. The system with modern software will replace an obsolete 40-year-old mainframe legacy system.

“The new system will be easy to use, provide access to important information, and streamline the unemployment claim filing process for workers, employers, unemployment program staff, and third-party administrators,” said Berrier. “The pandemic stressed an already-antiquated IT platform and we look forward to improving the process so that out-of-work Pennsylvanians can focus their time and attention on finding a new job.”

Programs that will transition to the new system are:

Unemployment Compensation (UC);
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC);
Extended Benefits (EB);
Shared Work or Short-Time Compensation (STC); and
Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA).
The new UC system will have a different look and feel than the current system and is better aligned with the user interface of modern websites, making it more intuitive to use. It will also provide access to more information and self-serve options and reduce the need for claimants to contact the UC service center.

“Our goal is to modernize the overall process and make it easier for Pennsylvanians who file unemployment claims to receive the payments to which they are entitled,” continued Berrier. “The hardworking team at L&I is committed to resolving issues as they arise and helping Pennsylvanians who need our services.”

Helping Users Prepare

L&I will provide user guides and hold live workshops with UC experts to assist individuals with learning how to use the new system before its implementation. Announcements will be made in the coming weeks regarding the dates of the workshops and how to access them. L&I is also in the process of hiring and training an additional 500 to 1,000 customer service representatives and 180 interviewers to help Pennsylvanians with their questions and claims.

New System Features

Individuals currently filing for benefits through one of the above-listed programs will need to use the new UC system to file their weekly or biweekly claims. Additional features of the new system include:

Filing a new or reopened claim;
Accessing information about a claim;
Filing an appeal;
Checking the status of a payment;
Using a dashboard to receive important messages from UC staff; and
Changing options such as whether communication is sent electronically or by physical mail, and whether federal income tax is withheld.
The new UC system will provide employers with the ability to receive important information and notices via their dashboard and additional self-service options for managing their benefit information. While the current system provides notices of separations, appeal hearing dates, and UC correspondence only on paper, the new system will allow employers to view this information in real-time. This will provide greater oversight, faster response time, and better communication regarding changes in an employer’s information.

During the transition, the claims system will need to be taken offline for all users for a period of approximately two weeks. L&I will be providing regular updates and information about this and other changes.

Claimants, businesses, and other users can view tutorials and instruction guides for the new system at www.uc.pa.gov, and should follow L&I on Facebook or Twitter to stay up-to-date.

Important Note: The federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program operates on a separate system and will not be affected by the transition of other programs to the new UC system.