Housing crunch, omicron updates, police force, at odds, preschool discipline, off label, and Jason Isbell headbangs with Krampus. Hello! It's Wednesday.
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💉 COVID-19 NEWS
» POLL RESULTS: Fifty percent of Pennsylvanians are against employee vaccine mandates, a Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll found.
» LAWFUL VS. AWFUL: Join us Thursday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. EST via Zoom for a free panel discussion on why killings by police often are ruled justified and who oversees the process. Register for the event here and submit your questions to events@spotlightpa.org.
📷 POST IT
A gorgeous fall day hiking and taking pics at Greenwood Furnace State Park in Huntingdon County! Thanks for the photo, Don H.! Send us your gems, use the hashtag #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania.
DAILY RUNDOWN
OMICRON EXPLAINER: The U.S. government has classified omicron as a COVID-19 "variant of concern." Spotlight PA rounds up what you should know about the strain, details Pennsylvania's first confirmed case, and explains the COVID-19 situation in hospitals statewide.
IN CONFLICT: Philadelphia opposes state legislation that would restrict the ability of municipalities to rein in fossil fuels and, in turn, their ability to combat climate change. But StateImpact reports that emails show a city-owned gas utility has been a driving force behind the bill.
PA BACKSLIDE: While suspensions and expulsions of preschoolers have dropped in Pennsylvania, Chalkbeat reports some education experts worry that progress is in jeopardy — and a pandemic-era rise in behavioral problems is fueling their concerns.
PRIMETIME: Disgraced and fired CNN anchor Chris Cuomo is being replaced in his former 9 p.m. time slot this week by Doylestown native and former Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Michael Smerconish. "The entire saga is sad on many levels," Smerconish told radio listeners on Monday.
ON CALL: A new 835 area code is coming to southeastern Pennsylvania where old area codes are stretched too thin. The Inquirer reports the new code will not require dialing changes and won't affect existing phone numbers.
RESCUE CAT: A cat pulled from a serious house fire in Stroudsburg over the weekend is lucky to be alive but maybe didn't realize it right away, judging by this glowering Pocono Record photo from the scene.
THE SCRAMBLER
Unscramble and send your answer to scrambler@spotlightpa.org. We'll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA swag.
S C U U I D O D E
Yesterday's answer: Pugnacious
Congrats to our daily winners: Susan F., Craig W., Susan N., Vicki U., Pamela M., Neal W., Joanne C., Don H., Michelle T., Craig E., Kim C., Judith D., Heidi B., Jessica K., Elaine C., Becky C., Beth T., Marty M., Kimberly S., Dianne K., George S., Bruce B., James B., Keith F., Bill S., Elizabeth W., John P., Susan D., Joel S., Lex M., and David W.
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Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and WITF Public Media.
OMICRON EXPLAINER: The U.S. government has classified omicron as a COVID-19 "variant of concern." Spotlight PA rounds up 
UNDER REVIEW: Pennsylvania's Supreme Court is set to weigh in on the 
IN CONFLICT: Philadelphia opposes state legislation that would restrict the ability of municipalities to rein in fossil fuels and, in turn, their ability to combat climate change. But StateImpact reports that emails show a 
PA BACKSLIDE: While suspensions and expulsions of preschoolers have dropped in Pennsylvania, Chalkbeat reports some 
BLOCK PARTY: The Democratic race for U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania could inform the party's new swing state playbook, Politico reports, with President Joe Biden and U.S. Senators 