High Court Asked To Review Men-Only Draft Registration Law

By JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is being asked to decide whether the government can continue to require men alone, and not women, to register for the draft when they turn 18. The question of who has to register for the draft could be viewed as one with little practical impact. The last time there was a draft was during the Vietnam War, and the military has been all-volunteer since. But the requirement to register for the draft is one of the few remaining places where federal law treats men and women differently. The justices could say as soon as Monday whether they will hear a case involving the Military Selective Service Act.

Online Tracker to Provide Status Updates When UC System Launches Tuesday

Online Tracker to Provide Status Updates When UC System Launches Tuesday
Workshops on new UC system continue
User guides, video tutorials, and additional helpful resources online now
 
Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier today announced that a new tool, the UC System Check Enhancements Tracker, is now available. When the new Unemployment Compensation (UC) system comes online on Tuesday, the UC System Check Enhancements Tracker will allow the public to monitor ongoing technical work and improvements to the system.
“The new system will be a different experience than the previous UC system, and we want to provide as many tools as possible to help users understand if they are encountering a change in procedure or a system issue,” said Acting Secretary Berrier. “The UC System Check Enhancements Tracker will allow us to notify the public of ongoing work to the new system, helping reassure users that we are aware of and fixing any technical issues that arise.”
The UC System Check Enhancements Tracker is online and available for bookmarking, though system updates will not begin being populated until after the new system comes online Tuesday, June 8. Updates on the transition to the new system are also being posted regularly on L&I’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
With the new system coming online in just four days, L&I is encouraging UC and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) claimants to familiarize themselves with the new system through a series of 25 workshops and other easy-to-use tools and helpful resources.
Upcoming Workshop Dates and Links:
A full list of scheduled workshops and links to connect to them are here. Recordings of each workshop will be uploaded to this page on www.uc.pa.gov.
  • Login – Create a New Keystone ID
  • Login with an Existing Keystone ID
  • Reset a Forgotten Password
  • How to File an Appeal
  • Waiting Room 101
  • How to Change Communication Preferences
Other Helpful Resources:
Claimant User Guides:
Employer User Guides:
Claimant and Employer User Guides:
The UC system went offline Wednesday evening and will continue to be offline until the launch on Tuesday to allow for the migration of data to the new system. When the new system comes online Tuesday, all eligible UC and PEUC claimants will be able to file for available weeks and filing will change from biweekly to weekly.

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The Extended Benefits program will also operate on the new system. The final week of eligibility for this program has passed, but individuals who need to take action within the program – such as viewing past payments – will be able to do so once the new system comes online.
The transition to the new UC system does not affect Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claimants, who file through a separate system.
For more information and updates on unemployment benefits programs, visit www.uc.pa.gov or follow L&I on Facebook or Twitter.

PA State Police Serve Search Warrant On County Election Office

State police serve search warrant on county election office
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A county official says state police executed a search warrant at a western Pennsylvania county election office. Cambria County Solicitor William Barbin told The (Johnstown) Tribune-Democrat that the Cambria County Election and Voter Registration Office “cooperated 100 percent” and provided the records requested Thursday. Barbin said the search was for nominating petitions for a candidate in a recent primary election. He added that the search was not necessarily targeted toward the candidate. A message seeking additional information was left with the state police.

Trump to GOP: Support Candidates Who Stand For Our Values’

By STEVE PEOPLES AP National Political Writer
Former President Donald Trump is pushing Republicans to support those candidates who share his values in next year’s midterm elections as he launches a new more active phase of his post presidency. The former Republican president on Saturday teased the prospect of another presidential bid of his own in 2024, but vowed first to be an active presence on the campaign trail for his allies in next year’s fight for control of Congress. Trump delivered his latest comments in a speech to hundreds of Republican officials and activists gathered for the North Carolina GOP convention. It was the opening appearance in what is expected to be a new phase of rallies and public events.

Dinosaurs are invading the area! Beaver County Radio gets a sneak preview of Jurassic Quest

(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Curtis Walsh)

(Burgettstown, PA) If you take a ride out towards Burgettstown, don’t be alarmed if you see a dinosaur or two.  Jurassic Quest is currently hosting a “Northeast Evolution” Drive Thru Event at The Pavilion at Star Lake. Guests are able to take a drive to experience 70 different dinosaurs that are real life size, paired with animatronics for realistic effects.  An audio tour goes along with the drive as well.  After taking a drive through dinosaur land, Beaver County Radio spoke with dinosaur handlers Nick Schaefer (Prehistoric Nick) and Joe Johnson (Prehistoric Joe), who answered a few questions about the event and gave some insight on what guests can expect. When asked what guests will experience at Jurassic Quest, Schaefer said “Jurassic Quest is a full interactive and educational experience for families and people of all ages, we have 70 full size, life-like animatronic dinosaurs that customers can see up close and personal in a covid safe environment”.  I asked Prehistoric Nick his favorite part about Jurassic Quest and he replied “It definitely has to be the interactions, people seeing a dinosaur up close, that’s something that most people won’t get to experience everyday of their lives and also the educational aspect to it”. You can hear the full interview below.  Jurassic Quest will be stationed in Burgettstown through June 20th. Tickets and more information can be found at jurassicquest.com.

Hear the interview here:

 

 

 

Facebook suspends Trump accounts for 2 years

Facebook suspends Trump accounts for 2 years
By BARBARA ORTUTAY undefined
Facebook says it will suspend former President Donald Trump’s accounts for two years following its finding that he stoked violence ahead of the deadly Jan.6 insurrection. Facebook also plans to end a contentious policy championed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg that automatically exempted politicians from certain moderation rules on its site. The social media giant said on Friday that will it will still apply this “newsworthiness” exemption to certain posts it deems to be in the public interest even if it violates Facebook rules, it will no longer treat material posted by politicians any differently from what’s posted by anyone else.

House Dems Unveil $547B Infrastructure Bill Amid Biden Talks

House Dems unveil $547B infrastructure bill amid Biden talks
By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats are releasing a plan for spending $547 billion over the next five years on road, mass transit and rail projects. It’s a blueprint for what they want parts of President Joe Biden’s broader infrastructure proposal to look like. The plan from Rep. Peter DeFazio, chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is a policy bill that continues existing programs set to expire, plus key pieces of a larger measure Biden and Republicans are negotiating. The plan doesn’t address how to pay for the improvements, a sticking point in the talks between Biden and Senate Republican negotiator, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. Biden and Capito will talk again on Friday.

PFAS Contamination Found In One-Third Of Tests, State Says

PFAS contamination found in one-third of tests, state says
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration says a statewide sampling program doesn’t indicate widespread contamination of drinking water supplies by a class of highly toxic chemicals used in products like nonstick cookware, carpets, firefighting foam and fast-food wrappers. Results show about one-third of more than 400 sites tested across Pennsylvania contained one of the chemicals, known collectively as PFAS. Two results were above the federal government’s health advisory level. The statewide sampling began in 2019, and wrapped up in March. Studies have found “associations” between the chemicals and cancer, thyroid disease and other health issues, although state officials say their effects on human health aren’t fully understood.

GOP Fight Over 2020 Election Audit Brews In Pennsylvania

GOP fight over 2020 election audit brews in Pennsylvania
By MARC LEVY and MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A key member of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives is flatly rejecting talk of any sort of audit of the 2020 presidential election. Rep. Seth Grove, who chairs the committee that handles election matters, said on Twitter on Thursday that the chamber “will not be authorizing any further audits on any previous election.” Grove made the statement a day after three fellow Republican state lawmakers toured the Arizona Senate GOP’s partisan audit of the 2020 election. Republican Sen. David Argall, however, says legislation or a resolution in his chamber to commission some sort of audit is a possibility. No election official or prosecutor has raised a concern over widespread election fraud in November’s election in Pennsylvania.

Leading Breast Cancer Surgeon Joins Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute

(Photo Courtesy of AHN)

PITTSBURGH PA (June 4, 2021) – Jill Dietz, MD, FACS, a nationally recognized breast surgeon and leader in the development of innovative, high-quality breast disease treatment centers, has joined Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute as its Chief Transformation Officer, Director of Breast Growth and Strategy, and clinical breast surgeon.

Prior to joining AHN Cancer Institute, Dr. Dietz served as Director of Breast Center Operations at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Associate Professor of Surgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.  Dr. Dietz previously led breast centers at Washington University, Barnes Jewish Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals of Cleveland.  She also served as Chief Quality and Allocation Officer for the Cleveland Clinic ambulatory surgery centers, and as principal at TrueNorth Medical Consulting, she serves as a consultant for breast centers around the world.

Dr. Dietz just completed a two-year term as President of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, during which she led the development of a robust virtual education platform for the organization’s 3,200 members. In that capacity, she also formed the COVID-19 Pandemic Breast Cancer Consortium, gathering leaders from major national cancer organizations to expeditiously publish “Guidelines for the Prioritization and Treatment of Breast Cancer during the Pandemic.” Leveraging her national and international reputation and influence in the field of breast surgical oncology, Dr. Dietz also co-developed “Global Breast Hub,” the first global platform for gathering and sharing data and best practices to decrease gaps in breast cancer care.

“We are thrilled to welcome a physician, researcher and educator of Dr. Jill Dietz’s exceptional accomplishments, talents and vision to the AHN Cancer Institute team,” said David L. Bartlett, MD, Chair, AHN Cancer Institute. “She brings a unique combination of clinical excellence, innovative thinking and clinical operations expertise to our organization, and we look forward to the positive impact it will have on the quality and scope of care that we offer to our cancer patients.”

Dr. Dietz serves as Chair of the Standards and Accreditation Committee of the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), an American College of Surgeon’s quality program. She is currently leading the complete rewrite of the standards to be value-based and patient focused, and to offer NAPBC program members a roadmap to becoming centers of value and excellence.

A frequently published author, Dr. Dietz has published numerous scientific articles in leading journals such as JAMA Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology and the Annals of Surgical Oncology, as well as many other abstracts and book chapters. She was one of the first fellowship trained breast surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic and went on to train many other breast fellows herself.

Dr. Dietz received her undergraduate degree from Allegheny College, and her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College and has just completed her Masters in Health Care Management degree at Harvard Harvey Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Dietz has been named one of Cleveland’s Best Doctors by Cleveland Magazine from 2009-2020.

At AHN Cancer Institute, Dr. Dietz joins a multi-disciplinary team of more than 200 physicians and 500 advanced-practice oncology professionals.  Clinicians within the Institute annually deliver more than 150,000 cancer treatments to more than 11,000 patients at clinical sites across western Pennsylvania.

Dr. Dietz’s clinical practice will be based at Wexford Health & Wellness Pavilion and AHN Wexford Hospital, scheduled to open in September.

For more information, call 412-330-2873.