Missing out on millions in coronavirus relief | Morning Newsletter
And, the path forward for Democrats.
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 from The Inquirer newsroom. There’s a winter weather advisory in effect and ice accumulations expected in the region. The freezing rain is to start this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
First: We bring you the inside story of how Pennsylvania failed to deliver millions in coronavirus rent relief.
Also: President Joe Biden’s victory aside, 2020 wasn’t so winning for Democrats elsewhere, and this is the road ahead for them now.
Then: A Salvation Army program provides resources that can help Philly sex workers toward leading a new life.
And: Pete Buttigieg has a plan to make roads shareable for walkers, cyclists, transit riders, and cars. Philly took one step forward toward that vision.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_AshleyHoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
People working on Pennsylvania’s first push to aid renters warned that central issues made it doomed from the start.
That’s what Spotlight PA’s review of thousands of emails obtained under the state’s Right-to-Know Law found.
The effort left struggling tenants in need of some state help living in fear of losing their homes as they missed out on about $96 million of $150 million in federal coronavirus relief.
Read on for what went wrong at the expense of the common good — and another chance the state has now.
Joe Biden won the critical battleground state prize in the presidential race. But the year was far from a win for the Democrats.
The major down-ballot losses the party experienced elsewhere, like in the same suburbs Biden won over, make it clear it won’t be easy forging ahead and facing voters again soon. The atmospheric pressures of the Trump presidency are over for the party, but Trumpism is not going anywhere.
Does John Fetterman have a shot in Pennsylvania’s Senate race? How long will Democrats have to fight Trumpism? Reporters Julia Terruso and Andrew Seidman explore these questions about the path forward for Democrats in their story.
Salvation Army’s New Day Women’s Drop-In Center on Kensington Avenue has been serving women and girls who have fallen victim to human trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation in the sex trade since 2010.
Women who worked in the sex trade have sought solace in the program that could help them feel safe, and get food and clothing. Over the years, the program has connected women who had been sex-trafficked or exploited with a Montco housing program, social services, family court assistance, and a hotline.
Program director Heather LaRocca says she measures the program’s success “in the number of people it serves and the relationships it has built.”
Read on for their survival stories.
Stimulus Q&A: Who gets $1,400 and when? How does this affect taxes?
Where can you get a vaccine in the Philly area if you’re eligible? Use our lookup tool and find out.
Here are the updated coronavirus case numbers as COVID-19 spreads in the region.
We organized our coronavirus coverage by county for you all in one place.
What you need to know today
Pete Buttigieg’s goal of making the road more shareable has come to a Philly street near you.
Demonstrators gathered on Allegheny Avenue yesterday to demand a safer haven from the coronavirus for those experiencing homelessness.
Trump’s actual lawyers including the one who invoked actual place “Phillydelphia” may have won the impeachment trial. But at home, they’re facing a rancor that could last.
The Pa. Department of Health plans to take primary care providers off the list of people who can administer the COVID-19 vaccine. Wrong move, these doctors say.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
This door just puts a smile on your face. Thanks for sharing, @aimeebsiegel.
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
🎬 The doo-wop decade is suddenly back in the form of the pop-up drive-in movie theater.
🦅 Simply put, the Eagles should never have fired Doug Pederson, a plain fact lost in the chaos, columnist Marcus Hayes writes.
🎭 This dance company found a way to stay a live venue in an evolving world.
🚗 Pa. is addressing a renewed debate over granting undocumented immigrants driver’s licenses.
Opinions
“The milestone that mattered was figuring out how to do something most people master in grade school,” writes opinion editor Elena Gooray on taking 29 years to ride a bike. It’s never too late. Whether it’s winning a World Series, opening a hit restaurant, or earning that degree: 5 Philadelphians discuss how they achieved their longtime-coming goals.
Anyone with a history of suicide, mental health disorders, and behavioral health disorders should be prioritized to receive a vaccine, writes freelance journalist Shealyn Kilroy.
It’s not over. Columnist Helen Ubiñas turns to mental health experts for the best way for Americans to process feelings of frustration after Trump’s impeachment outcome.
What we’re reading
When is life going to look a little more normal? Unanswerable question. But a heartening take from New York magazine suggests we’re getting there.
“With the hammer, the only way you get better is by throwing it,” says Jude Misko of the rigorous, esoteric sport of hammer throwing. He is training for the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship in May.