HARRISBURG — Thousands of Pennsylvanians who have lost a job, cannot afford health insurance or are having trouble paying household bills may be able to take advantage of an expansion of state benefits.

At a cost of more than $30 million, Gov. Ed Rendell is expanding several existing state aid programs as a way to help struggling families survive a recession that continues to claim jobs, homes and health insurance coverage.

Rendell is scheduled to speak further about his relief plan today at Pittsburgh's Brashear High School, while his top Cabinet officials will fan out to schools statewide to host regional meetings on the plan.

To help people apply to one of the state's aid programs, the Rendell administration has set up a Web site called Here to Help that leads to information about everything from unemployment benefits to a search tool for lower prescription drug prices.

Rendell is also ordering the state's 67 CareerLink offices to expand their hours into the evening, and possibly Saturdays. The different offices do not have standard hours, spokesman Christopher Manlove said Tuesday.

HARRISBURG — Gov. Ed Rendell says the state's labor unions must agree to money-saving concessions by the end of March.Rendell said Monday that otherwise he'll take action and possibly lay off employees to help state government close a huge budget gap.He said he is considering a system of rolling closures of nonessential offices in an effort to minimize the number of layoffs. Employees would lose their pay for the days their offices are closed.Rendell already has frozen the salaries of managerial employees and ordered a hiring freeze.Union officials say an agreement to cut personnel costs is possible. But they are resisting suggestions to cut wages because they say they have already accepted wage freezes in past contracts with Rendell.

PHILADELPHIA — A jury has finished a third day of deliberations without a verdict in the 137-count corruption case against former state Sen. Vincent Fumo.The 65-year-old Philadelphia Democrat is charged with defrauding the state senate, a nonprofit and a museum of more than $3.5 million. He is also charged with trying to destroy evidence during the FBI probe.A former aide, Ruth Arnao, is charged in 45 counts.The federal jury is working four days a week and is expected to resume deliberations today.The jurors heard opening arguments on Oct. 22. The trial featured more than 100 witnesses and 1,300 exhibits.

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has officially announced his re-election plans, and the namesake of Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Franco Harris plans to join Ravenstahl on the November ballot.Ravenstahl was City Council president and thus became mayor when Bob O'Connor died Sept. 1, 2006. Ravenstahl won a special election in 2007 to serve the rest of O'Connor's first term, and will run for the Democratic nomination for a second term on May 19.City Councilman Patrick Dowd and attorney Carmen Robinson are Ravenstahl's Democratic challengers.Twenty-nine-year-old Franco "Dok" Harris, who works for his father's Super Bakery Inc., is running as independent in the November general election.