Alcosan’s Sewer Project to Cost Billions from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"The next step toward clean water, which Alcosan plans to announce on Tuesday, will cost billions of dollars and will take 14 years — if the work finishes on time. Preventing sanitary waste overflows into the region’s rivers is complicated and certain to raise customers’ water bills. It has many municipal officials wondering how they’ll pay their share."

Alcosan Plan to Fix Overflowing Sewer System Focuses on 'Gray' Construction from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The Alcosan plan to fix wet weather sewer overflows is costly and contains no "green infrastructure.""

EDITORIAL!!

Local Victory: For Now, the Court says Towns May Restrict Drilling from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
"Commonwealth Court overruled the new law that would leave all power to control gas drilling in state hands."

Low Gas Prices Drive Drillers to Ohio from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"If you're looking for a shale success story, look no farther than Lisbon, a small town that's hit it big. Local roads have been transformed from gravel to asphalt. There's talk of widening Lincoln Way, the main thoroughfare, to four lanes. And three new restaurants have opened -- including The Shale Bar and Grille, a nod to the industry that's making all this possible. It's everything the proponents of natural gas development have promised Pennsylvania. There's only one problem: Lisbon is in Ohio."

Shaner to Finish O'Hara Condo Project from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"New owner. New name. New hopes. And a major infusion of new capital. That’s the formula for the former Marbella, a 53-unit condo building in the Allegheny riverfront development of Chapel Harbor in O’Hara Township."

Hostel Coming to Pittsburgh's South Side from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"The Pittsburgh Hostel Project has found a home. After four years of stalled plans and changing players, a director has been named and a building owner has offered 10,000 square feet above three South Side storefronts."

PERSPECTIVE!!

Boni Reflects on Pittsburgh's Growing Startup Scene from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Since arriving in Pittsburgh in 1996, when he established the University of Pittsburgh technology transfer office, Boni has seen the region’s startup community grow. “At that time very little of the entrepreneur ecosystem in Pittsburgh existed,” he said. “While CMU was teaching entrepreneurship and it had started a tech transfer program there was not a lot going on outside CMU and Pittsburgh. Since that time so much has happened at the university and in the community to the point where today, we are seeing the kind of startups in the community that are growing companies and exits are starting.”"

W&J’s Energy Policy Center Offers Insight on Energy Security, Independence from Imagine Pittsburgh Online
"W&J established the center in April to provide opportunities for the free exchange of ideas and information, encouraging civil discourse in the energy debate. Researchers at the center have created the W&J Energy Index, which tracks data from the federal Energy Information Administration starting in 1949 to determine progress on goals towards energy security and independence. It translates complex data about energy development, imports and consumption into straightforward terms that the general public can understand."

Commonwealth Court Strikes Some Provisions of State’s New Gas Drilling Law from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Parts of the state’s new oil and gas law unconstitutionally limit local governments’ ability to keep gas drilling rigs and waste pits away from homes, schools and parks, a divided state appeals court ruled on Thursday in a decision the Corbett administration likely will appeal."

Court Throws Out State Zoning for Marcellus Shale Drilling from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A Commonwealth Court panel this morning threw out Pennsylvania's attempt to establish statewide zoning for Marcellus Shale drilling, setting up a likely appeal to the state's top court."

Experts: Some Frackling Critics Use Bad Science (Kevin Begos) from the Associated Press
"Critics of fracking often raise alarms about groundwater pollution, air pollution, and cancer risks, and there are still many uncertainties. But some of the claims have little — or nothing— to back them."

Hill District Education Council Demands Better Schools from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The Hill District Education Council today said it is putting Pittsburgh Public Schools on notice that the district must do better for Hill District students or the council will seek the ouster of school board members, administrators and teachers."

Housing Authority Scholarships Help Realize College Dreams from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The college scholarship Cecelia Johnson watched her daughter receive Thursday provided more than just money. It also sent a message.m"Just because you're from low-income housing, doesn't mean you have to stay there," said Ms. Johnson, a legal secretary with the Allegheny County public defender's office and a single mother who lives in the Hill District."

Tech Titans Find Pittsburgh an Ideal Spot to Grow Innovative Companies (Ben Kamber) from Imagine Pittsburgh Online
"Did you know that Pittsburgh is the only place in the world with an R&D center for Apple, Google, Microsoft, Intel and Disney? While the region has attracted these IT heavy-hitters  — in part because of the wealth of talent emerging from such universities as Carnegie Mellon and Pitt — it is also home-growing fresh IT pioneers whose work is turning heads at international consumer electronics shows and beyond. The Pittsburgh region is home to  1,500 IT companies."

Recession Takes Toll on Region's Small Businesses from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The recession proved fatal to 170,000 small businesses across the U.S. — and Pittsburgh's number of small businesses dropped a bit between 2009 and 2010."

New Manufacturer Coming to Ford City from the Pittsburgh Business TImes 
"A former PPG Industries property in Ford City, Armstrong County, totalling 90,000 square feet of manufacturing space, has been sold to a steelmaker with an expanding line of business serving the energy and oil and gas market, bringing back to life a building which hadn’t been used by a private manufacturer in more than 30 years."

271 Pittsburgh School Workers Await Layoff Vote from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The board of Pittsburgh Public Schools is expected to vote tonight to furlough an estimated 271 employees, including 178 teachers and other professional members of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers in a cost-cutting move."

Marty's Market (AUDIO) from the program, Essential Pittsburgh
"Last Friday we spoke with City Councilman Patrick Dowd about renovation plans for the historic Strip District. Our guest today is especially interested in the area’s revitalization. The newly opened Marty’s Market seeks to bring people together through food and by listening to what customers want — to the extent that some of the shelves will remain empty until it’s decided what products they will hold. Regina Koetters joins us to talk about the aims of Marty’s Market, whose advertising motto is, “food made with food.”"

Clairton to Get Grocery Store from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"After more than five years without a grocery store, the city of Clairton is one step closer to having one. According to Clairton City Councilman Richard Ford, the body—thanks to a 5-0 vote at its April regular meeting—gave the green light for a Save-A-Lot grocery store on the former Blair Heights Housing Project property along state route 837 near Chambers and Frances Streets and Maple Avenue in the city’s second ward."

Document: EPA Completes Drinking Water Sampling in Dimock, Pa. from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Based on the outcome of that sampling, EPA has determined that there are not levels of contaminants present that would require additional action by the Agency."

Insurance Companies are Slow to Cover Risks of Drilling from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"One company has written an exclusion that forces clients working with oil and gas companies to obtain additional coverage. An industry group drafted a memo encouraging brokers to brush up on potential liabilities, even including knowledge of the rare earthquakes said to be a byproduct of some industry practices. The changes represent another form of growing pains for the far-reaching drilling industry and the ancillary businesses it involves."

A Neighborhood's Comeback in Pittsburgh from the Wall Street Journal
"Part of Pittsburgh Finally Recovers From 1950s Planners; Google Sets Up Office."

10 Best Places to Live on $100 a Day from AARP Magazine
"These cities offer all the ingredients for a rich retirement — at a fraction of the cost."
"When it comes to looking for a place to retire, cost of living often tops the list of considerations. But there's a difference between living cheaply and living well. In narrowing down our list of The 10 Best Places to Live on $100 a Day, we sought out towns and cities that offered not only bargain prices, but also a rich quality of life."
Pittsburgh is No. 6 on the list.

Frackers Fund University Research That Proves Their Case from the Bloomberg News Service
"Pennsylvania remains the largest U.S. state without a tax on natural gas production, thanks in part to a study released under the banner of the Pennsylvania State University. The 2009 report predicted drillers would shun Pennsylvania if new taxes were imposed, and lawmakers cited it the following year when they rejected a 5 percent tax proposed by then- Governor Ed Rendell. ... What the study didn’t do was note that it was sponsored by gas drillers and led by an economist, now at the University of Wyoming, with a history of producing industry-friendly research on economic and energy issues. The researcher, Tim Considine, said his analysis was sound and not biased by industry funding."

Union Re-label: Organization Once Worked at the Steel Mills, Can it Work at UPMC?  (Charlie Deitch) from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"In January, the Service Employees International Union began seeking to unionize some 20,000 to 30,000 employees — administrative and other non-medical staffers — across the UPMC system. That's roughly half of the employees at Western Pennsylvania's largest employer, the second largest in Pennsylvania. If successful, the campaign would be a sea change for local labor. Since the collapse of the steel industry, private-sector unions have dwindled"

EDITORIAL!!

Public Interest: Buncher's Strip District Plan Rates Special Attention from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"While forward progress is the ultimate goal, Buncher's plans were moving ahead too fast. Advancing the legislation allows council to schedule a public hearing, where members can participate in a full airing of the project's details."

Judge: Former St. Nicholas Church on Route 28 can be Demolished from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The ruling describes the church's historic designation as, in effect, "a taking" that left the church hobbled by historic code demands."
Sad that some use could not be found for this interesting historic building.

Traveling Money (Lauren Daley) from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Customers of the Port Authority of Allegheny County are used to change — much of it for the worse, as service reductions and other cutbacks have dramatically reshaped the system. But the region's transportation picture could face even more drastic changes on Sept. 2 if the authority goes through with plans to cut service by 35 percent — moves intended to prevent a $64 million budget deficit. "

City, Pitt Initiate Bike-friendly Efforts from the Pitt News [of the University of Pittsburgh]
"Each using different measures, the city, the state, and the University have recently done their part to cultivate this breed of Pittsburgh biker by taking steps that make it easier to choose two wheels instead of four."

EDITORIAL!!

Cyber Excess: Taxpayers Should Not Over-fund Charter Schools from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"There is something very wrong with an education funding system that has public school districts chopping staff and ending programs while a publicly funded charter school is making so much money that it can pay millions to its spinoff companies. ... Offices of the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, which can pocket $3,200 per student, were searched last week by federal agents."

Pa’s Job Growth Advantage Over Other States Slipping Away as State Budget Cuts Yield Pink Slips from the Keystone Research Center
"Pennsylvania’s strong job growth coming out of the recession has slipped away in large part because of state budget cuts to education and other services, according to a new analysis by the Keystone Research Center."

Top 5: Largest Marcellus Shale Gas Producers in Southwestern Pennsylvania from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"This week, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked the largest Marcellus Shale gas producers in southwestern Pennsylvania."

Consultants Share Ideas for Allegheny Riverside Development from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Suggestions include a bike trail, new parks, better stormwater collection and mixed-use residential development in Lawrenceville."

Mid Mon Valley Transit Wins $4M Grant from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"A new LEED-certified bus maintenance building from the Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority got a big boost with the announcement that it had won a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation."

Federal Grant to Help Pittsburgh Curb Stormwater Runoff from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pittsburgh is one of 17 communities nationwide awarded federal money for "green infrastructure" -- tree and vegetation planting, permeable pavement and street garden installation and soil improvement -- work aimed at keeping polluted stormwater out of sewers, streams and rivers."

Study: Pittsburgh Region Continues Slow Growth from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A snapshot released at the National Conference of Mayors shows the Pittsburgh region's gross product grew $5.2 billion last year."

Drought Watch Issued in Pittsburgh Region from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday afternoon issued a drought watch for Allegheny County and 14 other counties in western Pennsylvania."

Season Cycle Affects Businesses’ Bottom Lines During Summer from the Pitt News [of  the University of Pittsburgh]
"When thousands of students leave Oakland deserted for the summer, businesses must adapt to remain profitable."

Local Companies to Borrow $8.75M from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"Washington County commissioners Thursday approved $8.75 million in borrowing through Washington County Industrial Development Authority to allow two nonprofits and two for-profit firms to expand."

Defense Cuts Could Cost Pa. Jobs from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Pennsylvania will be walloped when it comes to expected defense cuts, with almost 40,000 layoffs predicted in a new report from an aerospace trade group ahead of cuts that will automatically go into place under the so-called "sequestration" plan."

EDITORIAL!!

Eligibility Check: The Feds are Right to Ask About Assistance Cutoffs from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"In 2011, Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare cut off more than 100,000 people who had been receiving Medical Assistance, and tens of thousands more this year have lost that insurance, which covers those who are disabled, poor or gravely ill -- many of them children."

PeoplExpress Airline Postpones Takeoff in Pittsburgh from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The new discount carrier had hoped to start service in August, but still is trying to win approval from the federal government."

RMU to Open Downtown Satellite Center from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review  
"Robert Morris University is moving back to its roots this fall with the opening of RMU Downtown at the Heinz 57 Center on Sixth Avenue. School officials said the Moon Township university that was founded Downtown in 1921 will offer two bachelor’s degrees, four masters degrees and various certificate programs..."

Drivers Line Up as Pa. Turnpike Officials Open Newest Leg of Mon-Fayette Expressway from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission on Monday opened the newest leg of the Mon-Fayette Expressway, but it remains unknown when the huge highway project will be completed."

Pittsburgh Council to Set Hearing on Buncher's Strip Project from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Legislation to create the district was introduced in council this morning. The legislation would establish setback requirements, building height limits and other regulations for Riverfront Landing, a mixed-use development."

Redeveloping the Strip (AUDIO) from the NPR program, Essential Pittsburgh
"Since the 1960’s there has been talk of redeveloping the historic Strip District. However, it’s a redevelopment project that seems to be permanently on hold. We’ll talk with Pittsburgh Councilman Patrick Dowd about the latest developments preventing this project from moving forward."

Groups Plan Precious Metals Refinery in the Strip from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"A plan to bring a precious metals refinery to Pittsburgh’s Strip District is moving along, and the investment group behind the plan intends operations to begin by the end of the year or early 2013."

Welfare-to-Work Standards Being Waived from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 
"Under a new federal directive, states can apply for waivers regarding work requirements under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, commonly known as welfare. A memo issued on Thursday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicates it can allow states to “test alternative and innovative strategies, policies and procedures that are designed to improve employment outcomes for needy families.” Critics question the department’s authority to allow waivers and complain that the Obama administration is trying to reverse reforms from the mid-1990s." 

Building a New Generation of Leaders from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"Take a look around Southpointe on any given day, and you see an international business campus that is now home to companies involved in practically every aspect of the American economy from energy production to high-tech, insurance, communications, hospitality, law, medicine, manufacturing and commercial real estate and construction. Working within these companies are more than 8,000 people, many of whom began as entry-level employees and are earning promotions that often place them for the first time in their careers in some type of supervisory or leadership position."

OPINION!!

Special Treatment: How Did Two Counties Rate a Ban on Gas Drilling? from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The state's we're-all-in-it-together approach was shattered two weeks ago when, in the General Assembly's flurry of activity to pass a $27.65 billion budget, seven paragraphs were slipped into the fiscal code giving Bucks and Montgomery counties a moratorium on Marcellus Shale drilling."

What's Happening in Energy in Region? from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"What are the latest energy-related events and conferences in the Pittsburgh region? Find out in the Pittsburgh Business Times' Energy Calendar, available online."

Community Group: Cuts to Pittsburgh-area Public Transit Service Could Cost More than Budget Gap from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The combination of higher costs to transit riders who lose their service and increased congestion for all who drive adds up to between $328 million and $405 million, said Chris Sandvig, regional policy director for the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group."

OPINION!!

Risky Drilling in PA from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"Legislators in Bucks and Montgomery counties put a moratorium on drilling in their counties in the budget."

Pittsburgh Hot Spot for Under-30 Professionals, Report Says from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"KDKA-TV has the details about a Moving.com study that found Pittsburgh amid select company in having benefits for the under-30 crowd. Moving.com cited the job market, entertainment options and the low cost of living, among others."

Job Market for Teenagers May be Improving from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"How's the job market for teenagers? It's been really difficult, with nearly 24 percent unemployment in the demo. But American Public Media's "Marketplace" finds that things might be getting better."

Caiman to Build $800M in Utica Infrastructure from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Caiman Energy is looking to the Utica Shale with plans to build $800 million in natural gas pipelines and other infrastructure in Ohio and Pennsylvania."

Mentoring Emphasized at Solidarity CEA Meet from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"On June 23, the Community Empowerment Association held their Day of Black Male Day of Solidarity. Now in its sixth year, the annual event is meant to empower African-American men and bring them together to address societal issues in the Black community."

Natural Gas Drilling Industry Fights 'Gasland' with Own Film from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The industry has responded to Josh Fox and his infamous flaming tap water with a movie -- and flammable kitchen faucet -- of its own."

New Pa. Law to Benefit Higher Education Staff from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"Hailed by Board of Governors Chairman Guido Pichini as the most significant legislative changes since the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education was created in 1982, the Higher Education Modernization Act was signed into law Thursday by Gov. Tom Corbett. Comprised of a series of bills aimed at modernizing the state system, the act provides the 14 state universities, including California University of Pennsylvania, with new opportunities for generating increased revenue by allowing employees to commercialize the fruits of their research and to participate in private fundraising."

UPMC Bonds Get Council’s OK from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Monroeville Council voted Tuesday night to approve $210 million in tax-exempt bonds for the construction of UPMC East hospital and other UPMC projects in Pittsburgh."

Ravenstahl Pursuing Grant for Expansion of Pittsburgh's Bakery Square from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is seeking a $2 million federal grant to go toward private redevelopment of the former Reizenstein school site on the Larimer and Shadyside border."

Natural Gas Drilling Moratorium Violated Pennsylvania Legislative Promises from the Philadelphia Inquirer via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Call it the mystery moratorium. Just over a week ago, a ban on drilling for natural gas in a little-known rock formation under Bucks and Montgomery counties made its way into Pennsylvania law. It did so in a way the state's oft-maligned legislators had pledged to avoid: at the last minute, with no public hearings and little substantive debate as lawmakers rushed to send Gov. Tom Corbett the annual budget on time."

Alliance Says Pittsburgh Saves by Spending Green from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Members of the Pittsburgh Greenspace Alliance encouraged the city to see spending on green infrastructure and maintenance as an investment."

Pittsburgh Ranks 69th in Worker's Access to Public Transit from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The Pittsburgh public transit system isn’t doing the best job of connecting employers to their labor pools, according to Washington, D.C.’s Brookings Institution, and it could soon get worse. Pittsburgh was ranked 69th out of the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas in the think tank’s report, “Where the Jobs Are: Employer Access to Labor by Transit.""
HERE's the original Brookings report.

Duquesne U. Union Ballots Impounded from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"The National Labor Relations Board has impounded the ballots in the union election of the Adjuncts Association of the United Steelworkers at Duquesne University. The ballots were impounded Tuesday while the appeals process continues. The university at one point signed an agreement to authorize an election and then argued it had a religious exemption." 

More Pittsburgh Councilmen Pick at Strip District Development from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Bill Peduto and Bruce Kraus, along with Patrick Dowd, want more information about the proposed Strip District project by Buncher Co."

Pittsburgh Development Authority Gets $500,000 Grant from State Gambling Funds from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The grant to the Urban Redevelopment Authority is for infrastructure, engineering and architectural work on the Gardens at Market Square."

Public School Groups Decry Formula for Funding Charters from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"Pennsylvania charter schools are reaping a multimillion-dollar, taxpayer-funded bonus on pension reimbursements at the expense of public school districts..."

EDITORIAL!!

Charter Omission: All Public Teachers Should be Held Accountable from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Gov. Corbett and the Legislature give charter-school teachers a free pass on achieving student progress."

OPINION!!

Lost Art: A Partisan Congress Does Little on Transportation from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pennsylvania is among the states that comes up short in federal transportation funding."

'Dark Knight Rises' Cast Dishes on Experience Filming in Pittsburgh from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Cast members and director Christopher Nolan participated in a press conference today at a Beverly Hills hotel. The movie opens July 20."

PERSPECTIVE!!

Chief Concerns: From Union Contracts to Massive Service Cuts, New Transit Union Head Has Full Plate of Issues (Lauren Daley) from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Riders just began dealing with a July 1 fare increase and are bracing for massive cuts to service, including eliminated routes, severe modification of paratransit and nearly 500 employee layoffs. Add to that ongoing negotiation of one recently expired union contract and the pending expiration of another, and you get pretty tough conditions to start a new job under. Palonis, who began as a bus operator in 1993, spoke to City Paper about the challenging road ahead."

PERSPECTIVE!!

Executive Privilege: Fitzgerald Taking Hands-on Approach to Solving PAT issues (Lauren Daley) from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Rich has been an asset so far." When Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald took office in January, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85's contract with the Port Authority wasn't set to expire for six more months. Still, Fitzgerald asked that the parties come to the table early."

Developer's Plan for Strip District Evokes Decades-old Controversy from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Gleaming new office buildings, a park-like setting, relocation of produce vendors and a huge capital investment. Before Buncher Co.'s proposed 55-acre Strip District project, the Pennsylvania Railroad proposed its own ambitious plan for remaking the Allegheny Riverfront -- in 1966. The railroad's proposal, billed as a 148-acre extension of the Golden Triangle and a venture six times the size of Gateway Center, faltered for financial reasons. Buncher's plan, with a prospective investment of $400 million over 10 to 15 years, highlights the Strip District's enduring economic importance and the lingering challenges of large-scale development. Neither proposal escaped controversy."

REGIONAL HISTORY STORY!!

In the Region, Great Depression Program Still Benefiting Americans Today from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration deal still provides relief to art and infrastructure projects across Western Pa."

Corbett Signs State Budget that Preserves Pitt Funding from the Pitt News [of the University of Pittsburgh]
"Pitt can breathe a little easier this upcoming year. Gov. Tom Corbett signed the $27.66 billion state budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year into law late on June 30 without a cut in funding to the state-related universities."

Harnessing the Power of the Sun from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"Consol Energy Inc. hopes later this month to begin tapping energy from the sun to treat wastewater at one its Greene County natural gas wells."

Two Counties Exempted from Gas Drilling from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"Language inserted into the state budget appears to give two counties in eastern Pennsylvania a gas drilling moratorium, drawing criticism from environmental groups as well as Washington County lawmakers who have watched their ability to regulate local zoning for gas drilling be eroded by recently enacted Act 13."

County Human Services Pilot Program Fact Sheet from the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
"The newly enacted Human Services Block Grant pilot program will be instituted in up to 20 counties. We have the details."

Plan in Works to Avoid Port Authority Cutbacks from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Local officials and Gov. Tom Corbett's administration have agreed on a framework for closing the Port Authority's budget deficit and reversing record-breaking cuts in public transit service scheduled to take effect Sept. 2."

WPAHS Land May be Ideal for Highmark from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"For two decades, hospital network West Penn Allegheny Health System -- which is in the process of being acquired by Highmark Inc. -- and its predecessors have been sitting on dozens of undeveloped acres in the North Hills, at the Camp Horne Road exit along Interstate 279."

EDITORIAL!!

Clean Power: The EPA Raises the Bar on Future Coal-fired Plants from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"...the Obama administration last week turned to a regulatory proposal to control carbon emissions from new power plants. In so doing, the Environmental Protection Agency could sidestep political gridlock to address air quality. The rule is only a baby step compared to what the scientific community contends must happen if the planet is to avoid cataclysmic consequences of polluting its air."

CEA Hopes to Heal Black Community from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"Community Empowerment Association has an ambitious goal: to heal the African-American community. With this objective in mind, the organization recently brought in experimental social psychologist Wade Nobles for a two-day brainstorming session on education, criminal justice, mental health and economic justice."

Highmark, UPMC Reach Final Agreement from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and health insurer Highmark Inc. on Tuesday reached a final agreement, which gives Highmark members uninterrupted in-network access to key UPMC services through 2015, including cancer and inpatient psychiatric care."

New Law Will Require Documented Workers on Public Projects from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The bill requires contractors working on public projects to verify that all workers involved are legal citizens. The house passed the bill Thursday. The state Department of Labor and Industry will be tasked with making sure contractors are compliant using the Department of Homeland Security's E-verify system. "