A bill moving through the Pennsylvania legislature that would criminalize spitting on a police officer is partially predicated on junk science, and public health experts warn it could harshly punish people who are sick with a cold. 

Spotlight PA reports anyone who knowingly has a communicable disease and spits or throws feces, urine, or other bodily fluids on law enforcement could face up to seven years in prison under the measure introduced by Rep. Lou Schmitt (R., Blair). The penalty would be lower for people without an illness.

While it's already a crime to spit on someone, police included, Schmitt says the bill would offer greater protection for law enforcement by imposing tougher penalties when officers and an illness are involved. But experts warn it could end up being used to levy felony counts against people with common viruses, such as the flu or even a cold.

THE CONTEXT: The language in Schmitt’s bill is a carbon copy of a law that's been on the books in Pennsylvania since the 1990s. That law made it a felony for inmates to spit on another person if they are known to have a communicable disease. The statute names HIV and hepatitis B as two examples, even though those viruses can’t be transmitted through saliva.

Schmitt's bill, which would be applied to the public at large, is similarly open-ended, identifying "communicable diseases" warranting a tougher charge as "including, but not limited to" HIV and hepatitis B. That lack of specificity has experts concerned about how selectively it might be applied or, as the ACLU put it, how it might be "weaponized broadly against civilians."

“This bill is remarkably vague,” said Robert Field, a law professor who specializes in public health at Drexel University. “You’re essentially criminalizing being sick.”

OH, CANADA: Pittsburgh/Chicago-based Heinz is branching out with a trio of new condiments. They've got Tarchup, an unfortunately named tartar sauce-ketchup hybrid; Wasabioli, a wasabi-spiced mayo; and Hanch, a hot sauce-ranch combo. Pittsburgh City Paper says Canadians will get to have all the fun, for now, at least.

OPEN HISTORY: State-owned historic sites and museums are set to reopen on April 30 with reduced hours of operation and limited capacity, per the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. They were closed last March to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Mask and social distancing rules will still apply.

YES TO THE YURT: Consider staying in a yurt on your next trip to one of Pennsylvania's state parks. Philly Mag has a definitive guide to finding rustic and rentable yurts and cabins but warns the reservation process can be a little intense. Other warnings from the magazine: air conditioning, private bathrooms, and WiFi not included.

ZOOM BOOM: Zoom fatigue is real, just ask Pennsylvania college students. Some first-years have only ever known virtual higher education, but that's come with some insight into what works and what doesn't with learning online. “I know there’s definitely not a ‘right’ way to teach right now,” one Temple junior told Billy Penn, “but there’s definitely a wrong way.”

'PEPSI X PEEPS': Full disclosure: Our newsroom is divided over the deliciousness, or lack thereof, of Pennsylvania-made marshmallow Peeps. But I think we can all appreciate the feat of engineering Pepsi just managed in turning the edible pillow birds into a soda they're giving away to 3,000 lucky, or maybe unlucky, winners, USA Today reports.