Headlines:
• Pa. Health Dept. seeks $124 million in emergency Covid-19 contracts: The testing and contact-tracing contracts would be awarded on an emergency basis without competitive bidding, an approach Republican lawmakers are questioning. (Source: Spotlight PA)
• Faith leaders encourage vaccination: The Pa. Coalition of Churches says it is encouraging congregations to embrace vaccination and hold pop-up clinics. (Source: CBS 21)
• Pa. tightens ID verification for unemployment compensation: The move comes in the wake of an increase in fraud. (Source: WGAL)
• Lawmaker changes course on fireworks law: State Sen. Gene Yaw, who previously defended the law he authored that liberalized Pennsylvania fireworks sales, now says he will propose reforms to it. (Source: Capital-Star)
• National/world roundup: Olympics open in Tokyo. (Source: NBC News) Mississippi asks SCOTUS to overturn Roe v. Wade. (Source: ABC News) Heat 'dome' to form over continental U.S. next week. (Source: Washington Post) Spike in Covid-19 deaths likely unless behavior changes, new modeling predicts. (Source: NPR)
