PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is calling for legislation to prevent an interest rate increase on federally subsidized student loans.

The current interest rate on Stafford loans is nearly 3.4 percent, and it's set to double July 1. Democrat and Republican bills to stop the rate increase failed to get enough votes to pass the Senate in early June. Casey, D-Pa., said in a speech in Philadelphia on Monday that Congress should draft a new bill that has bipartisan backing.

He says, “It's the least Congress can do.”

The office of Republican Sen. Pat Toomey says the interest rate increase would amount to only few dollars a month, and that the focus should be on the economy and on the rising cost of education in general.

ALTOONA — The president and chief executive officer of Altoona Regional Health System says its move to affiliate with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is set to be announced July 1.Executive Jerry Murray, made that announcement in a letter to the central Pennsylvania hospital's employees on Friday.About 2,000 workers had signed a petition asking the hospital's board to reconsider, largely because of concerns that patients covered by Highmark Inc. will be shut out of the hospital's services if it merges with UPMC.That's because UPMC is refusing to extend an agreement with Highmark that lets the insurer's patients use UPMC facilities at in-network prices beyond June 2014.But Murray says in the letter that UPMC plans to negotiate with Highmark and other insurers.

HARRISBURG — Gross revenue from table games at Pennsylvania's 11 casinos rose sharply last month.The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board says table games generated $72.7 million in May, up 13.6 percent from the same period last year.The increase was fueled by gains at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem (up 27 percent) and The Meadows Racetrack and Casino (up 52 percent), as well as growth at the newest casino, Valley Forge Casino Resort.Regulators said Monday that six other casinos also reported table games growth.Presque Isle Downs Casino in Erie and Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh showed declines, the result of increased competition from other states.

WASHINGTON — A measure of U.S. consumer prices likely ticked up in May after two months of declines caused by lower gas prices. The small increase would add to evidence that inflation remains tame.Economists forecast that the consumer price index increased a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent last month from April, according to a survey by FactSet. Small increases in the cost of gas, food and rent likely pushed the index higher.Consumer prices fell 0.4 percent in April — the largest monthly decline in four years — and 0.2 percent in March.