LONDON (AP) — AstraZeneca says its COVID-19 vaccine provided strong protection against sickness and eliminated hospitalizations and deaths from the disease across all age groups in a late-stage study in the United States. AstraZeneca said Monday that its experts did not identify any safety concerns related to the vaccine, including finding no increased risk of rare blood clots identified in Europe. Although AstraZeneca’s vaccine has been authorized in more than 50 countries, it has not yet been given the green light in the U.S. It has struggled to gain public trust amid a troubled rollout. The study comprised more than 30,000 volunteers, of whom two-thirds were given the vaccine while the rest got dummy shots.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — In a private Facebook group called the Pittsburgh Area Police Breakroom, many current and retired officers spent the year criticizing chiefs that took a knee or officers who marched with Black Lives Matter protesters, who they called “terrorists,” “racist” or “thugs.” Posts from the group were shared with The Associated Press, showing some of the 2,200 members –police officers, chiefs and retired law enforcement officials—made regular transphobic bullying or violent posts, and bullied members who supported anti-police brutality protesters or Joe Biden in a forum billed as a place officers can “decompress, rant, share ideas.”

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Police say an officer and a police sergeant were struck as they and other officers tried to control a large crowd in northeast Philadelphia over the weekend. Police said officers responding to a report of a person with a gun saw a crowd of 100 to 125 people in the Kensington neighborhood at about 2 a.m. Sunday with people “throwing objects at each other and the police.” Police say the crowd grew and surrounded police, and a 30-year-old man was arrested after striking an officer and a police sergeant multiple times each. Police allege that he also damaged the doors of a patrol car following his arrest. Charges are pending.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Authorities say gunfire at an illegal large gathering in Philadelphia killed one person, wounded five and sent scores of people fleeing for their lives. Police officials said the gunfire erupted at around 3:45 a.m. Saturday inside and outside a rental hall adjacent to a restaurant in north Philadelphia’s Nicetown neighborhood. A 29-year-old man was shot 14 times and was pronounced dead minutes later at Temple University Hospital. Three men and two women were stable at hospitals. Commissioner Danielle Outlaw notes that large gatherings are illegal under COVID-19 restrictions and that police plan to increase patrols to prevent or disperse them.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — This past autumn, the lights went out for good at The Rex Theater, one of Pittsburgh’s most-beloved rock clubs. Like many independent venues across the United States, the South Side stage fell silent earlier in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the live music industry without warning. But on Sept. 22, The Rex announced it would not reopen, joining other sites that have shut their doors for good. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the live music scene hard nationwide, and for musicians, the choices have been to either take an extended break or innovate.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Authorities say a man who took his year-old daughter from her mother’s Pittsburgh home during an argument that sparked an Amber Alert is now facing several charges. Twenty-year-old Giante Lee Thomas Jr. went to the women’s home around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, and the woman said he pointed a gun at her during the subsequent dispute. She also said he threatened her life before he left the home with the infant. State police and other law enforcement officers spotted Thomas’ vehicle outside a city home about six hours later and found the child there unharmed. Thomas was ordered held without bail on  Friday and it wasn’t known if he’s retained an attorney.

Barletta to decide soon on whether to run for governor
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Lou Barletta, the former congressman who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Sen. Bob Casey in 2018, says he’ll make a decision in the next few weeks on whether to seek the Republican nomination for governor of Pennsylvania in 2022. Barletta said Friday that he felt the pull of running for office again during the pandemic and seeing the hardship of business owners and people losing their jobs. He says the final decision on whether to run is up to his family. The office is open since Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is term-limited. Attorney General Josh Shapiro is widely expected to seek the Democratic nomination.

(PITTSBURGH, PA) – Today, Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) announced that his office is now accepting requests for Community Project Funding (CPF) for the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Appropriations process, to direct funding to specific governmental entities, nonprofit organizations, or geographic locations.  Through the new CPF program, Members of Congress will be able to request funding for up to 10 specific projects in their districts to serve the public good.  The deadline for submission of CPF requests for PA-17 is Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 5:00 PM.  Late or incomplete requests will not be accepted or considered.

“This program is an opportunity to invest federal dollars in important projects in our communities.  These requests will be completely transparent, which makes them different from the previous ‘earmark’ process,” said Lamb.  “When it comes to how your tax dollars are spent, this program gives more of a voice to Western Pennsylvania and less to Washington.”

The new CPF program is being implemented with accountability measures to ensure a responsible and transparent process.  All CPF submissions are required to be posted on lamb.house.gov in order to ensure full transparency.  Therefore, all information submitted by a requesting organization should be considered public information.  The House Appropriations Committee will also establish an online, searchable public database of all CPF requests received by the Committee.

The House Appropriations Committee intends to fund community projects on a limited basis in the FY22 Appropriations bills.  Therefore, CPF requests that address the most significant needs of local communities or provide a significant public good are more likely to be included.  Not every CPF request submitted by a Member of Congress will be included in the FY22 appropriations bills.

Only eligible CPF requests that meet all the guidelines established by the Appropriations Committee will be accepted and considered.  Visit Lamb’s website to review the guidelines established by the House Appropriations Committee and to submit a request.