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Philly area will go ‘green’ this week | Morning Newsletter

Plus, what Pennsylvania's primary means for November.

Gov. Tom Wolf speaks at a news conference.
Gov. Tom Wolf speaks at a news conference.Read moreCommonwealth Media Services

    The Morning Newsletter

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

Philadelphia and its surrounding counties are set to move to the final reopening phase this Friday, but it’s not a complete return to our old normal. And, we chatted with national politics reporter Jonathan Tamari about how Pennsylvania’s primary elections went and what we might be able to expect in November.

Happy Father’s Day to everyone. I hope you all can safely spend time with family and celebrate.

— Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

The week ahead

  1. Southeastern Pennsylvania will move to the “green” reopening phase on Friday. Philadelphia will also move to the green phase, but with some additional restrictions. Some businesses will be able to reopen Friday, but even more will be allowed to reopen the following week. Here’s a breakdown of what’s allowed to be open across the different phases. Even in the green phase, all businesses will be required to follow CDC and state health guidelines to prevent spreading the coronavirus. If you have questions about reopening or the virus, check out our FAQ.

  2. Philly Pride is usually celebrated with a parade. Instead, the queer community will march for Black lives today. At top of mind is Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, a 27-year-old Philadelphian who was one of three Black transgender people killed since George Floyd’s death. The demonstration is planned for this afternoon.

  3. Summer is here and the heat is coming. In Philadelphia and neighboring counties cooling centers are necessary to beat the sweltering temperatures, but concerns about spreading the coronavirus will complicate how they’re run.

  4. In the Pennsylvania legislature, a bill has been proposed that would create a confidential database of officer disciplinary records and other information that would be used during the hiring process. It could be considered by the full House this week. The bill has been applauded by the mother of Antwon Rose II, but experts say it does little to further public accountability and transparency.

  5. When will Philly’s major pro sports teams return? It’s hard to say. There are a lot of details still to work out, but my colleagues are tracking the progress. Here’s the latest status of the Eagles, Sixers, Union, Flyers, and Phillies, who might have a setback after five players and three staff members tested positive for the coronavirus.

This week’s most popular stories

Behind the story with Jonathan Tamari

Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with national politics reporter Jonathan Tamari about Pennsylvania’s primary election and what it could mean for the general election in November.

What were you expecting to see from this election and how did it actually play out?

I threw out any expectations in advance because the primary happened under such extraordinary circumstances: a deadly pandemic combined with historic protests. We knew turnout would be down, we knew there would be slower vote counting. The vote count was, indeed, slow and Republican turnout was significantly lower than in 2016 (a 29% drop), which wasn’t surprising since President Donald Trump had no opposition. What was interesting was that Democratic turnout nearly matched 2016, even though they also didn’t have a real presidential race anymore. That doesn’t decide anything, but it’s a sign of serious interest.

What do the results mean in relation to mail-in voting in Pennsylvania?

In short: Democrats are voting a lot by mail, and Republicans aren’t. Democrats cast more than 1 million mail ballots for president. Republicans cast around 397,000. Voting, of course, counts the same whether you vote by mail or in person, so it might not ultimately make a difference. But if the coronavirus is still a serious problem in November and people are worried about going out, many more Democrats have already voted from home and are now familiar with the process. That could also impact how the campaign plays out because people who vote by mail could start voting weeks before Election Day — so for them, the closing stages of the campaign could be meaningless. Their votes will already literally be sealed.

How does the overall turnout for the primary compare with what might be expected at the general in November? What complications might appear because of that?

It’s very risky to draw direct connections. The parties aren’t directly competing in a primary, and there’s much less media attention. The presidency wasn’t on the line in Pennsylvania’s primary. Turnout will be far higher in November — some people think we could see records — and circumstances can change fast, as we have seen these past few months. So I wouldn’t draw a straight line between the primary and general election. It’s almost certain that Trump supporters show up in much larger numbers in November.

Why did you become a reporter? What is something you wish more people better understood about your job?

I was first drawn to journalism because I always loved to write and in high school, I realized there was a job where I could write all the time and someone would pay me for it. I also quickly realized the excitement of having a front-row seat to history — whether it’s politics, sports, cultural moments — and conveying those events so all our readers can get a feel for the sights, sounds, and impact. And there’s a service aspect. As a politics and government reporter, it’s my job to tell people what their government is up to and to explain policy debates and political maneuvering in ways that give people a more clear understanding of the issues and their public officials. People are busy with other parts of their lives, so my job is to make government and politics digestible, and give them good information so they can make informed decisions.

My wish would be that more people understood that last part. The vast majority of reporters I’ve worked with feel the same way and we work extremely hard to convey accurate and clear information. We’re human so we don’t always get it right, but we go to great lengths to try to be as accurate as we can be against tight deadlines.

Is there anything else you wanted to mention?

VOTE!

Email Jonathan Tamari at jtamari@inquirer.com and follow him on Twitter at @JonathanTamari.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

These roses are beautiful. Love seeing some nature in the city. Thanks for sharing, @staceyelle!

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!

How to safely get a haircut in a pandemic

We’ve been fretting about our cuts, colors, and weaves from the moment we entered into quarantine. The good news is pretty soon we’ll be able to tend to our hair-care needs, but how safe is it to go to a salon? The risk doesn’t come from getting your hair done, it’s from being close to other people. At the very minimum, everyone should be wearing masks, including you and your stylist. You also shouldn’t go to a salon where the stations are less than six feet apart. Here’s what else you should know about getting your hair done during the coronavirus pandemic.

What we’re…

  1. Eating: Plant-based recipes. If you’re looking to set up a socially distanced picnic, we have a few meal ideas for your basket.

  2. Watching: Long Gone Summer. This is the latest installment of ESPN’s “30 for 30″ documentary series, focusing on the 1998 race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa to surpass Roger Maris’ record of 61 home runs in a season.

  3. Listening to: John Legend. His new album, Bigger Love, is out, and it’s all about, well, love. The album was made before current events, but Legend believes love is what the world needs right now.

Comment of the week

“Great story, great life. I would love to talk sports with this guy — I can’t imagine everything he’s seen.” — dusty finish, on At age 100, this retired WWII vet lives alone, walks the stairs, and shops for his disabled neighbor.

Your Daily Dose of | Fatherhood

Edward Landin Senn and Andrew Senn were the first gay couple married at First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. They began fostering twins Arabella and Anthony in 2017 as newborns. The children’s paternal grandmother hoped to obtain custody eventually. But as Edward and Andrew got to know her and the twins better, they eventually adopted the kids with the support of their grandmother. The couple plan to keep the kids in contact with their family, including their biological grandmother and father.