AAA: Small Dip in Pennsylvania Gas Prices as Fall Driving Season Sets In
The average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is two cents lower this week at $2.534 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                  $2.534
Average price during the week of September 14, 2020                             $2.555
Average price during the week of September 23, 2019                             $2.884

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:      

$2.554      Altoona
$2.553      Beaver
$2.609      Bradford
$2.546      Brookville
$2.532      Butler
$2.490      Clarion
$2.552      DuBois
$2.587      Erie
$2.447      Greensburg
$2.564      Indiana
$2.396      Jeannette
$2.572      Kittanning
$2.484      Latrobe
$2.586      Meadville
$2.587      Mercer
$2.422      New Castle
$2.561      New Kensington
$2.599      Oil City
$2.510      Pittsburgh
$2.586      Sharon
$2.524      Uniontown
$2.599      Warren
$2.426      Washington

Trend Analysis:
The latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) report measures demand at 8.48 million b/d, which is a slight uptick from the previous week’s 8.39 million. However, the small increase — likely due to holiday road trips — is still 461,000 b/d lower than last year at this time. Low demand, even as total domestic stocks of gasoline declined to 231.5 million barrels, has helped keep pump prices low.

Today’s national gas price average is $2.18, which is one cent less than last week, the same price as a month ago, but 48 cents cheaper than mid-September last year. On the week, all states saw gas prices decrease or remain stable at the pump. Most state averages have pushed cheaper by a penny or two since last Monday. With the nation entering the fall driving season, which typically sees fewer road trips, a continued drop in demand will likely lead to pump prices continuing to decrease.

Additionally, the National Hurricane Center is currently tracking Tropical Storm Beta, which is expected to produce severe flooding and heavy rain in coastal Texas and Louisiana later today. The expected damage to infrastructure will likely hinder ongoing recovery efforts in the region due to other recent storms and hurricanes, which have shuttered total U.S. crude refining capacity by 8.7%. Any crude or pump price impacts will likely be contained to the region and not have a national impact.

At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by 14 cents to settle at $41.11. Domestic crude prices increased last week after the EIA’s weekly report revealed that total domestic crude inventories decreased by 4.4 million barrels to 496 million. Decreasing stocks could signal that supply and demand are rebalancing, even while production grew by 900,000 b/d last week to 10.9 million b/d. For this week, crude prices could increase again if the EIA’s next weekly report shows another decrease in total inventories.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 76 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Secrecy envelopes will cause electoral chaos, official warns
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Philadelphia’s top elections official is warning of electoral chaos in the presidential battleground state if lawmakers there do not remove a provision in Pennsylvania law that, under a days-old court decision, requires counties to throw out mail-in ballots returned without secrecy envelopes. Lisa Deeley, chairwoman of the three-member board overseeing Philadelphia’s elections, wrote Monday to the state Legislature’s presiding Republicans to urge them to back legislation to remove the requirement. Some 30,000 to 40,000 mail-in ballots could arrive without secrecy envelopes in Philadelphia alone in November’s presidential election, Deeley estimates, and the state Supreme Court’s interpretation of current law forces election officials to throw them out.

Wolf vetoes school sports bill; override attempt planned
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press
Gov. Tom Wolf has vetoed a bill that would give school districts the sole ability to make decisions on sports, including whether and how many spectators to allow. Lawmakers are planning to vote to try to override Wolf’s veto. Legislation that cleared the House and Senate would have empower schools to make their own rules about the number of spectators permitted at games. Wolf says his gathering limits of no more than 25 people indoors and 250 people outdoors should apply to youth sports to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Below is the press release from Gov. Tom Wold’s Office:

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today vetoed House Bill 2787, which would have mandated that school fall activities be under the sole jurisdiction of local school districts. This bill is superfluous given that local school governing bodies already have authority but it restricts state and local officials’ ability to respond to health concerns and potential outbreaks as we enter this year’s particularly risky flu season.

The bill would have done nothing more than create legislation for something that already exists. Instead of drafting bills such as this the legislature should be focused on bills that protect the health and safety of our children in their learning environments, minimize exposure to COVID-19 and prevent the spread of this deadly virus.

Gov. Wolf’s HB 2787 veto message:

“We have been confronting extraordinary challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue the fight against COVID-19, we need to continue to prioritize the health and welfare of Pennsylvanians and minimize public health risks. However, this bill does nothing to promote public health or ensure that our children have a safe learning environment. As we reopen our schools, we need to continue to be vigilant and take precautions to keep ourselves, our communities, and our children healthy. These mitigation efforts not only help keep our children, teachers, and staff healthy, they also help keep our schools open.

“This bill is entirely unnecessary. While I recommended against holding school sports before January 2021, it was a recommendation and neither an order nor a mandate. Local school governing bodies have maintained the authority to decide how extracurricular activities, including school sports, proceed at the local level. Furthermore, to the extent COVID-19 cases may rise and spread during the fall and through the upcoming cold and flu season, the Department of Health must maintain the critical authority to limit exposure to COVID-19. Minimizing this exposure is paramount.

“This bill also has constitutional infirmities as it attempts to take away executive authority during the 2020-2021 school year. Instead of unnecessary legislation, we need to focus on providing schools the tools and resources they need to be successful in educating our children and we need to help people impacted by the pandemic with legislation such as funding for small businesses and child care, and paid sick leave for employees.”

Wolf to veto school sports bill; override attempt expected
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf says he will go through with his plan to veto a bill that would give school districts the sole ability to make decisions on sports, including whether and how many spectators to allow. The Wolf administration’s gathering limits of no more than 25 people indoors and 250 people outdoors apply to youth sports. Legislation that cleared the House and Senate would empower schools to make their own rules about the number of spectators permitted at games. Both chambers of the GOP-controlled General Assembly approved the bill by veto-proof two-thirds majorities, and lawmakers are expected to attempt to override Wolf’s promised veto.

Arrest in case of ricin letters sent to White House, Texas
By MICHAEL BALSAMO, ERIC TUCKER and COLLEEN LONG Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A woman suspected of sending an envelope containing the poison ricin, which was addressed to the White House, has been arrested at the New York-Canada border. She is also suspected of sending similar poisoned envelopes to law enforcement agencies in Texas. Law enforcement officials tell the AP the woman was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and is expected to face federal charges. Officials say the letter addressed to the White House was intercepted at a government facility that screens mail addressed to the White House and President Donald Trump.

More Biden, Trump visits this week in fight for Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President Donald Trump will make his fourth and fifth appearances in September in Pennsylvania, flying into and out of rallies at two different airports this week. Tuesday’s event is at Pittsburgh International Airport and Saturday’s event is at Harrisburg International Airport. Trump’s visits underscores the importance of Pennsylvania to the Nov. 3 presidential election, as Trump seeks a second term against Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Biden has made four visits to Pennsylvania this month, including an address Sunday in Philadelphia, where he slammed Trump and leading Senate Republicans for trying to install a replacement on the Supreme Court for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

As Democrats balk, Trump to make high court pick by Saturday
By JONATHAN LEMIRE, LISA MASCARO and ALEXANDRA JAFFE Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he expects to announce his pick for the Supreme Court on Friday or Saturday, after funeral services for Ruth Bader Ginsburg and just days before the first presidential debate. Trump told “Fox & Friends” on Monday that he had a list of five finalists, “probably four,” and that he is pushing for a confirmation vote before Election Day. Democrats have howled in protest, pointing to the hypocrisy of Republicans for rushing through a pick so close to the election after refusing to do so for President Barack Obama in 2016. Trump confirmed that among the top contenders are Indiana’s Amy Coney Barrett and Florida’s Barbara Lagoa, both appellate court judges he appointed.