Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

2021 election endorsements from our editorial board | Morning Newsletter

And, the Ben Simmons saga churns on.

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Good morning, good people. You’re reading The Inquirer Morning Newsletter, catching you up on all the news that’s fit to email. Today we look at The Inquirer Editorial Board’s picks for the 2021 elections, explore the unending Ben Simmons saga, and dig into the relationships between state lawmakers and recipients of public contracts.

We’d love to know what you think. Send a reply to this email, and let’s start a conversation.

— Tommy Rowan (@tommyrowan, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

The 2021 general election is on Nov. 2.

But who’s running? And whom should you vote for?

The Inquirer’s Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom, vetted candidates in key races across the state, including for Philly district attorney and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, to help you decide.

Each election cycle the board makes endorsements to help readers understand where candidates stand on issues and why its members think voters should support (or not support) a particular candidate. The board does its own reporting and hosts meetings with candidates. The board tries to cover as many races as it can, with an aim toward helping you make up your mind when you fill out your ballot.

Here are its choices for 2021.

On Monday, Ben Simmons took a COVID-19 test in the Wells Fargo Center parking lot upon his return to Philadelphia after spending the summer in the Los Angeles area.

On Tuesday, the three-time All-Star point guard took the required physical for the Sixers. He also met with the team brass at the Sixers’ practice facility.

So, seemingly, he is taking steps to return to the court. But whether or not he will be suiting up as a 76er is still unsettled.

And even if he suits up, will his Sixers teammates welcome him back?

Read the latest update on the never-ending saga. And then read columnist Marcus Hayes’ column from yesterday. He nailed it.

What you need to know today

  1. A host of politically connected law firms are pouring millions of dollars into the campaigns of Pennsylvania legislators, who in turn hire those firms for all types of legal matters on the taxpayer’s dime — and it happens with little public scrutiny.

  2. The bankrupt Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden made a new offer to sex-abuse survivors that averages to about $81,000 to each victim of clergy sexual abuse. The offer has outraged the lawyers of the survivors.

  3. The start of the second week of John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty’s federal bribery trial saw testimony from the former head of Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses & Inspections, who claimed the labor leader threatened to “have [him] replaced.”

  4. City officials on Tuesday rebuffed a request by a nursing home trade group for a deadline extension to have all staff at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19.

  5. A former Bucks County police officer is on trial for allegedly using a police database to threaten a motorist.

Through your eyes | #OurPhilly

Life is finding a way.

Tag your Instagram posts with #OurPhilly, and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature here and give you a shout-out.

That's interesting

🚗 In a town known for its aggressive parking-violation enforcement (there was even a TV show!), here’s a guide to parking for cheap or free in Philadelphia.

🏌️ The pandemic has reversed the declining popularity of golf. So there’s that.

🏒 The Wells Fargo Center has revamped the arena’s code of conduct to include a zero-tolerance policy for racial or other identity-based slurs, becoming the first in the NHL to do so.

Opinions

“In a system where one of the league’s most prominent leaders freely spouts hate, it’s clear that there are those in positions of power who don’t mind racism, homophobia, and misogyny,” writes columnist Solomon Jones, arguing that Jon Gruden’s departure from the Las Vegas Raiders means little when it comes to addressing the NFL’s tortured history.

  1. Rebecca Poyourow, a committeeperson in the 21st Ward, wants a ballot drop box in every neighborhood in Philly. The city’s goal, she writes, should be encouraging voter participation, and making voters drive around the city or spend extra hours on the bus does the opposite.

  2. While you’re here: Do you have an opinion of your own? Read up on how to submit your point of view to the opinion editors.

What we're reading

  1. In the New Yorker, a look at our decade-thinking tendencies, and our need to compare various generations. Is it a helpful way to understand anything?

  2. In the Washington Post, if the idea of being terrified in the woods sounds right up your alley, check out these eight terrifying (and allegedly haunted) American campsites.

Photo of the day