Pennsylvania's vaccination numbers have been found to be a bit too good to be true. The state health department over calculated total COVID-19 vaccinations by several hundred-thousand. The department says about 11.3 million vaccinations have been administered. That's down from the 11.8 million reported Friday.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says the state's COVID numbers are driven by people who have yet to get vaccinated. It comes as the Garden State reported 227 new cases Monday and confirmed four additional COVID-related deaths.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro was in the Lehigh Valley Monday ripping proposed service cuts within the U.S. Postal Service. Speaking in Whitehall Township, Shapiro says those cuts would be particularly harmful to certain groups. "I'm talking about the millions of Americans, especially older Americans and our veterans, who use the USPS to pay their bills, to receive their unemployment checks, or to get the medications they rely on," Shapiro said. The AG says he views the Postal Service as a tradition and a promise and cutting those services would renege on that promise.
The Upper Saucon Township Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved the preservation of 112 acres of farmland bought for just under $900,000 with the township contributing $225,000 and the state and county paying the balance of the purchase. The state will pay $656,530 and Lehigh County's portion amounts to just under $18,000. The land has been owned for generations by an Upper Saucon Township family for generations and has an appraised value of $1.15 million. The property is located along Chestnut Hill and Kozy Korner Rds.
Forks Township-based Famous Smoke Shop has shut down its website, store and lounge due to a ransomware attack, according to company CEO Arthur Zaretsky. He says his business was one of 1,500 globally hit by the cyberattack over the Fourth of July weekend. Zaretsky says all his company’s data was scrambled by cyber-criminals, who offered to unscramble the data if he pays a ransom. He says he's not willing to do that.
President Biden will be in Philadelphia today for what the White House says will be a major speech on voting rights. It comes as St. Sen. Doug Mastriano has called for another audit of the 2020 election in at least three Pennsylvania counties. Democratic St. Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta says the proposal is toxic. "It really has a corrosive effect on our democracy. I remind folks all the time. Democracy is fragile. Sen. Mastriano is so full of it, it's coming out of his ears," Kenyatta says. Republican Sen. Scott Martin says there are changes needed in the way Pennsylvania conducts its elections. "We have a sitting state senator where votes were counted differently in two different counties, Allegheny and Westmoreland. If anybody is denying that absurd or does not find that to be problematic, I think they're full of it," Martin says. President Biden is scheduled to speak at 2 this afternoon.
Public schools in Pennsylvania are going to continue offering students free meals this upcoming school year. Pennsylvania Education Secretary Noe Ortega says it's thanks to the U.S. Department of Agriculture releasing waivers and eligibility guidelines so schools can offer free meals without using federal income guidelines. Ortega encourages K-through-12 schools across the state to take advantage of the waivers to ensure students continue to have access to free, nutritious meals.
The federal judge presiding over the case involving the suspect in the Tree of Life synagogue shootings pushed attorneys Monday to get things moving. Progress in pre-trial actions has been slow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Monday, the judge gave defense attorneys until October 1st to inform the court if they intend to pursue an insanity defense for defendant Robert Bowers, who is accused of killing 11 people in the 2018 attack at the Pittsburgh synagogue.
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs have the first endorsement deal with a college athlete since the NCAA allowed them. The IronPigs are paying Lehigh University softball player Carley Barjaktarovich to make an appearance at a game on July 22nd. She will also work with the team on initiatives including social media and merchandise as the first "IronPigs Athlete."
The COVID-19 protocols for the upcoming Little League World Series are posted. Little League officials say they're comitted to organizing these events in a safe and responsible manner as only teams from the United States will be able to participate. Players and coaches are not required to be vaccinated from COVID, but everyone will be tested upon arrival regardless of vaccination status. If a team reports positive cases and can't field nine players, they'll be removed from the tournament. Game attendance will be limited with each team receiving about 250 passes and unvaccinated individuals are encouraged to wear masks except when eating or drinking.
New Jersey is expunging tens of thousands of marijuana offenses. These 88,000 cases are the first of roughly 360,00 to be automatically vacated and dismissed after New Jersey decriminalized specific cannibis offenses.
Tad Brown has been named the new CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers. Brown comes to the organization from the Houston Rockets, where he served in the same role for the last 15 years. The new CEO will replace Scott O'Neil, who recently stepped down. Brown will also be overseeing the business operations for the New Jersey Devils.