Headlines:
• Lancaster County loses 13,400 jobs year-over-year: The unemployment rate in January was 5.7%, versus 3.7% in January 2020, and there are 8,000 fewer county residents in the work force. (Source: LNP)
• Pa. to distribute money to offset missed school lunches: More than $1 billion in federal funds will be distributed to the families of about 928,000 school children to make up for school breakfasts and lunches that couldn't be served to students because of pandemic closures since September. The first of three rounds of benefits will be sent out in late April or early May. (Source: WITF)
• Republicans press Levine on nursing home data: U.S. House Republicans have sent a letter to former Pa. Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine asking why state records on Covid-19 nursing home deaths were incomplete on her watch and remain so. Levine has been nominated to be U.S. assistant health secretary. (Source: Spotlight PA)
• Local police to try pilot program providing on-call assistance for mental-health incidents: Over the weekend, therapists from the Second Chance PA program will be available to help police dispatched to mental-health crises. Leaders say the experiment could lead to creation of a permanent program. (Source: LNP)
• National/world roundup: Biden, Harris to meet with Asian-American leaders in wake of spa killings. (Source: USA Today) Concerns raised over emergency sites for migrant children (Source: AP) Europe resumes use of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. (Source: CNBC) U.S.-China talks kick off with testy exchange. (Source: CBS News)
