Federal Reserve to smooth lending to small businesses
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve will provide support to the government’s new small business lending program in its latest attempt to smooth the flow of credit in the virus-stricken U.S. economy. The Fed said Monday that it will allow banks to borrow from the Fed by using loans from the government’s small business facility as collateral. That could encourage banks to lend more to small companies. The Fed’s two-sentence announcement said that further details will be provided this week.

Appeal rejected in 1998 police chase crash that killed boy
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — An appeals court has rejected a bid for a new trial by a man convicted of third-degree murder in the death of a 7-year-old boy on a bicycle during a western Pennsylvania police chase more than two decades ago. PennLive.com reports that now-44-year-old Jamal Tait argued unsuccessfully that the Superior Court panel should order a new trial because a key prosecution witness now says he lied when he said Tait was driving recklessly and police had broken off the chase. Authorities said Tait, then 22, led police on a high-speed chase in Allegheny County in June 1998 and hit Raymond Michelotti.

Governors plead for food stamp flexibility amid pandemic
By ASTRID GALVAN and ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) — There are only a handful of states in the country where food aid recipients can buy groceries online. The coronavirus pandemic is shining a light on that and other inflexibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, colloquially known as food stamps. The program helps millions of Americans pay for food, and with the economy collapsing, activists say it’s more vital than ever. But with the virus outbreak forcing many to stay home, governors are pressing the federal government to relax its rules and make the program more accessible.

Pennsylvania jobless claims exceed 1 million since outbreak
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Unemployment compensation claims in Pennsylvania exceeded 283,000 last week, a 30% drop from the prior week’s all-time high. Those came as the state pressed for business shutdowns to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Last week’s claims vaulted Pennsylvania past 1 million jobless claims since the coronavirus began taking a severe toll on the economy in mid-March. Meanwhile, 4,550 employees of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board will join another roughly 9,000 state employees who are going on unpaid leave after Friday. An agency spokeswoman says the employees keep their health insurance and have the option to use sick leave and vacation days.

Wisconsin election still on, but Supreme Court may intervene
By SCOTT BAUER and STEVE PEOPLES Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin is moving ahead with plans to hold in-person voting for its presidential primary and spring election on Tuesday, despite the coronavirus pandemic. National Guard members plan to help staff the polls, even as the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday weighed whether to intervene. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers had originally pushed for Tuesday’s election to proceed as planned. But on Friday he changed course and asked the Republican-controlled Legislature to extend absentee voting until May 19 and have it all be done by mail. Republicans have refused. Mayors are calling on Evers to take emergency action to stop the election, something he has declined to do.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 1,470 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 12,980

Harrisburg, PA-The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., April 6, that there are 1,470 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 12,980 in 65 counties. The department also reported 12 new deaths among positive cases, bringing the statewide total to 162. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here. All people are either in isolation at home or being treated at the hospital.

Locally Beaver County cases of the COVID-19 Coronavirus are increased to a total of 96. Beaver County Deaths remain at 6.

“Now more than ever, as we continue to see COVID-19 cases and deaths rise in Pennsylvania, we need Pennsylvanians to take action,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Those actions should be to stay calm, stay home and stay safe. If you must go out, please limit it to as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but other people as well. We need all Pennsylvanians to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, and also our healthcare workers and frontline responders.”

There are 70,874 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

• Less than 1% are aged 0-4;
• Nearly 1% are aged 5-12;
• 1% are aged 13-18;
• 7% are aged 19-24;
• Nearly 42% are aged 25-49;
• 29% are aged 50-64; and
• Nearly 20% are aged 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are aged 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. There have been no pediatric deaths to date. More data is available here.

All non-life-sustaining businesses are ordered to be closed and schools are closed statewide indefinitely. Currently the entire state is under a stay-at-home order.

Below is a county by county breakdown of positive cases:

County Case Counts to Date

Stocks rise sharply on hopes of progress in battling virus
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are jumping after some of the world’s hardest-hit areas offered sparks of hope that the worst of the coronavirus outbreak may be on the horizon. U.S. stocks climbed 4.5% in Monday morning trading, and the Dow was flirting with a rise of 1,000 points, following up on gains nearly as big  in Europe and Asia. In another sign that investors are feeling more optimistic about the economy’s path, the yield on the 10-year Treasury was headed for its first gain in four days. Oil fell after a meeting between Russia and OPEC aimed at defusing a price war was pushed back a few days.

Pope Francis earmarks initial $750,000 aid fund
The Associated Press undefined

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has earmarked an initial $750,000 for a new fund for hospitals, schools, nursing homes and other structures run by the Catholic Church in poor countries to use to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
Francis on Monday urged church entities around the world to contribute to the fund being run by the Pontifical Mission Societies, which is the pope’s official outreach arm to 1,110 mostly poor dioceses in Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Amazon region.
The fund is the latest example of papal charity amid the pandemic. The Vatican in late March purchased 30 ventilators to be distributed to hard-hit Italian hospitals.
And Francis’ chief alms-giver hand-delivered milk, yogurt and other products from the papal gardens outside Rome to two communities of nuns in Rome who were put in quarantine after several of them tested positive.
Francis also sent special rosaries to medical personnel at Rome’s Gemelli hospital who have been caring for COVID-19 patients.

Senator Pam Iovino Proposes Bipartisan Legislation to Support School Contract Workers, Help Secure Healthcare & Paychecks 

Saturday, Senator Pam Iovino (D – Allegheny & Washington) announced a bipartisan legislative proposal to provide consistent protections for all school contractors, many of whom want to work but are unable to due to the physical closure of schools. The recently passed Pandemic of 2020 section of the Public School Code included an amendment that allows school entities to renegotiate contracts, specifically for school bus transportation services, with the goal of ensuring contracted personnel and fixed costs are maintained during closure. Senator Iovino’s proposed legislation would extend this protection to all other contract service providers, including but not limited to food service, custodial, and security contracts.

“In light of the disruptions and uncertainty caused by the necessary closure of Pennsylvania schools, we must extend basic protections to all school contract workers – protections that have already been granted to school bus drivers,” said Senator Iovino. “Creating consistent protections for all contractors will help workers secure continued healthcare coverage and income, which are critical to these workers and their families weathering this unprecedented crisis.”

Senator Iovino’s proposed legislation would be an amendment to the recently passed Pandemic of 2020 section of the Public School Code (Act 13 of 2020, formerly Senate Bill 751).