How COVID-19 might be changing seniors’ minds about the 2020 election | Morning Newsletter
And, how Philly paid tribute to Memorial Day this year.
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The Morning Newsletter
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It was a different sort of Memorial Day in the Philly region this year, with social distancing measures preventing mass gatherings to commemorate the day. Smaller gatherings and virtual ceremonies were held, though. And, at the Shore, cloudy skies kept beaches less crowded than they otherwise might have been, even with the coronavirus pandemic.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Philly region pays tribute to Memorial Day by visiting war memorials, cemeteries, and playing ‘Taps’
Normally, there would have been a public service at the Washington Crossing National Cemetary in Bucks County. This year, though, retired Marine Tom Jankiewicz and two other members of the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation placed American flags in front of about 135 gravestone markers.
The coronavirus pandemic meant that there were no large gatherings to commemorate Memorial Day in the region yesterday. Instead, virtual ceremonies were pre-recorded or shown live online. And, nationally, musicians marked the day with a playing of “Taps.” Here’s what the weekend looked like in pictures.
Hilco Global, the Chicago company that’s buying the 1,300-acre Philadelphia Energy Solutions property in South Philly, has a long history of buying and salvaging distressed businesses and real estate. But its record as a developer is mixed. With the sale of what used to be the East Coast’s biggest oil refinery set to close around the end of the month, Hilco officials still have not publicly released a plan for the South Philly property.
National polling averages show President Trump is near even with Joe Biden among voters older than 65. That’s a group of voters he won by 10 points in the 2016 election. One of the likely reasons for his “senior slide,” my colleague Julia Terruso reports, is Trump’s response to the coronavirus, which has disproportionately affected the elderly.
What you need to know today
When offices reopen, fresh air is going to be a hot amenity — if companies can afford it.
The next time you go to the dentist, you could have to pay more. Here’s why.
Even though economies are reopening, a new survey finds that American consumers’ confidence is shattered.
The future of higher education could be shaped, in part, by what colleges learned when they adapted to holding virtual exams this spring.
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker renewed his effort on Memorial Day to get the names of 74 sailors added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Memorial Day can help us reflect on the past and remember those who are no longer with us. Thank you for sharing, @kslouf.
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!
That’s interesting
🛋️Here are the ways your home office is ruining your back. (Hint: sitting on your couch is not the same as having a desk.)
⚾An unsung hero from the 1980 Phillies changed the World Series with a single pitch. Then he changed his life by getting sober.
🦅A non-traditional offseason could mean that the Eagles’ rookies won’t play key roles this season.
🎭The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t stopped this middle-school musical, which is now going virtual.
⚽Missing sports? The two best teams in one of the world’s best soccer leagues are squaring off today. Here’s a preview and information on how you can watch.
Opinions
“Anticipation is sometimes the best part of life. We are lucky when we are happy and healthy enough to make future plans. But this summer, we may only have memories to share, not plans to make. Philadelphia, I already miss you.” — writes Tina Isen Fox, a freelance writer in suburban Philly, about the things she’s already missing about summer.
Mayor Kenney hasn’t taken advantage of Philadelphia’s fiscal boom, writes Dan Pearson, an urban policy enthusiast and political activist in South Philly.
Jessica Sabella, also known as Jammin’ Jessie on Radio 104.5, writes about missing the “magical bond” music creates.
Inside The Inquirer
Every day this week, we’re taking you behind the scenes of The Inquirer newsroom to learn more about what we do and how we do it. If you missed yesterday’s edition, you can find it here.
Today, we’re talking about breaking news coverage and how our Now Team works. Here’s how the editor Molly Eichel describes it: “Team Now is breaking news, plus a little extra zazz. Every day, we start at 5 a.m. and wrap up at 1 a.m. Right now, we are responsible for operating the coronavirus liveblog. It’s a running feed for breaking news, such as Gov. Tom Wolf moving all counties to the “yellow phase” on June 5; important news you-can-use; and links to the newsroom’s comprehensive coronavirus coverage. But we also take time for fun stuff, like finding the Instagram star who Lysol’d North Philly, figuring out what happens to the cats at cat cafes during a pandemic, or following a surfer’s return to the water after the coronavirus shutdowns. Our job is to make sure the biggest Philadelphia-area story of the day is covered from all angles. If you’re talking about it, it’s probably because we wrote about it.”
Check this out: To get our latest breaking news coverage as it happens, sign up for alerts on our mobile app (available on iPhone and Android) — and now on desktop. Here’s how to turn them on.
Tomorrow, we’ll talk about what our opinion section is.
Your Daily Dose of | Helping others
Philadelphia-based Amerihealth Caritas launched a program called Care Crew to encourage employees to volunteer at least four hours a year. But in 2019, employee Vidya Iyer blew that suggestion way out of the water, donating 533 hours of her own time, energy, and skills to nonprofits and causes close to her. And the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t slowed her pace.