Afghans arriving in Philly might not find help | Morning Newsletter
And, Bucks’ Democrats head off potential ‘defund the police’ attacks.
The Morning Newsletter
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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 into Afghan evacuees who are facing a serious labeling issue, check in on Bucks Democrats who are trying to get ahead of GOP attacks, and dig into a syringe exchange’s fight to remain open in Atlantic City.
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— Tommy Rowan (@tommyrowan, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Philly extended its arms to Afghanistan evacuees after the Taliban’s hostile takeover. The city’s two major resettlement agencies resolved to welcome 1,000 Afghans to new beginnings.
And then the federal funding numbers arrived. Suddenly, resettling 1,000 people became impossible. The number dropped to 300, and still there are shortfalls.
The problem is the way many incoming Afghans are classified under federal immigration laws.
The designation of “refugee” is a specific status, one that comes with benefits and privileges designed to help some of the world’s most vulnerable people gain footholds on new lives.
But many of the evacuees are under what’s called “humanitarian parole,” which is merely permission to enter, and not any immigration status. And it provides little of the government assistance that automatically goes to refugees.
Read reporter Jeff Gammage’s full story.
In the tumultuous 2020 elections, Republicans attacked Democrats for being hostile to police.
So now Democrats, many of whom believe the label cost the party dearly in congressional and state legislative races, are anticipating similar attacks in this year’s local elections.
Already in Bucks County, a key Pennsylvania swing county, Democrats are getting an early start on winning back the true-blue ballots.
The hope is the messaging ⏤ ”to fight crime we must fund the police” ⏤ will sway voters and serve as a model for winning competitive races in next year’s midterm elections.
Reporter Andrew Seidman has the breakdown.
Reopening resources
Here’s our latest list of restaurants, large performance venues, universities, and gyms in the Philly region where you need to show proof of vaccination.
Here’s where to get a COVID-19 test in the Philadelphia region.
What are the symptoms of breakthrough COVID-19? And when should you get tested?
Here’s what you need to know about medical exemptions.
The most effective double-masking strategies.
What you need to know today
Operators of Atlantic City’s only needle exchange are suing the city to allow them to keep distributing clean syringes — just weeks before the city is set to close it down.
For the third straight year, school nurses are on the front line in the pandemic. And like other states, New Jersey has been coping with a national school nurse shortage that has made the job even tougher.
A federal judge has ruled against parents challenging the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District’s masking requirements, citing a lack of evidence that wearing a mask violated their religious beliefs.
Rutgers professors are saying they were shortchanged in salary equity adjustments, especially those who work in Camden.
A Montgomery County jury took a little more than two hours to convict a Fox Chase teen of first-degree murder for stabbing his ex-girlfriend at least 30 times at a SEPTA station parking lot last year.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
How can you not be romantic about the fall? Wonderfully framed, @suzyq825.
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
🏃The Broad Street Run is mostly downhill, but is that enough to make a difference in racers’ performance?
🏀Joel Embiid will have to step up his defensive role now that Ben Simmons is set to leave the 76ers.
🧀In Kensington, a cheesemaker is churning out inventive and original creations like you wouldn’t brie-lieve.
🏨The historic Lincoln Motor Court in Bedford County is for sale, a vintage gem in the heart of central Pennsylvania.
Opinions
“Hosting 2026 World Cup games could be the kind of win that Philadelphia needs in these trying times. But as we tout our city globally, we can’t take our eye off the ball — or miss a chance to improve green spaces and create the kind of much-needed recreational opportunities that can be used by every child in Philadelphia,” writes The Inquirer Editorial Board.
There is a segment of society who will never see what R. Kelly did as a crime, which is why Kelly got away with what he did for so long, writes Elizabeth Wellington. “We ignored the truth when we knew that our young women — and boys — have been sexually assaulted by people we know.”
Nurse Marion Leary says in 2021, it’s nearly impossible to prioritize which bad thing to protect your kid from first.
What we're reading
In the New York Times, an essay about how voice mail messages from family members allowed a woman to slowly climb out of a state of gloom and self-imposed isolation.
In The Atlantic, an essay asking: Why are people nostalgic for early-pandemic life?