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Did the Philly refinery shutdown have to pit workers against climate activists? Also, coronavirus death rate is likely lower than 3.4% | Morning Newsletter

Plus details on SEPTA Regional Rail schedule changes.

Becca Ersek, of North Wilmington and Cameron Powell, of University City, adjust a sign outside of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions oil-refinery complex in Philadelphia, Pa., on Monday, February 3, 2020. Philly Thrive organized a 10-hour occupation at the refinery, that denounces reopening the refinery as an oil-processing facility.
Becca Ersek, of North Wilmington and Cameron Powell, of University City, adjust a sign outside of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions oil-refinery complex in Philadelphia, Pa., on Monday, February 3, 2020. Philly Thrive organized a 10-hour occupation at the refinery, that denounces reopening the refinery as an oil-processing facility.Read moreMONICA HERNDON / Staff Photographer

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After the shutdown of the South Philly refinery site, it was workers vs. climate activists. My colleague Juliana Feliciano Reyes explores why and whether that was the only possible outcome. And it feels like coronavirus is everywhere, but it’s not actually killing 3.4% of patients as one estimate said.

We also have reactions from Elizabeth Warren supporters on her leaving the presidential race, more on SEPTA Regional Rail schedule changes, and a look inside an apartment building on the edge of Fishtown that powers itself. Oh, and you’ll lose an hour this weekend when daylight saving time comes back.

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

Hundreds of union workers lost their good-paying jobs when the East Coast’s largest oil refinery abruptly shut down after an explosion last summer. If the workers want to stay in the industry, they’ll likely have to leave Philly. Some in the union see climate activists as hypocrites because they claimed to support the workers, but cheered when the refinery closed.

This is a longstanding struggle in the climate justice movement: jobs vs. the environment. But experts say this is a troubling — and false — choice; that if climate activists and labor worked together, better solutions could emerge. Here’s a look at what happened in Philly, and how the city can learn from other places where things played out differently.

In February, Chinese researchers said 2.3% of people infected with coronavirus had died in their country. This week, World Health Organization officials put the rate at 3.4%. But the real rate is likely lower. With better testing, we’ll get better numbers in the future.

This is an evolving situation, and it can be stressful. But here are a few things to check out:

  1. The virus appears to be most dangerous to seniors. This is how they can be protected.

  2. Religious groups in Philly are changing their age-old practices to avoid spreading coronavirus through Communion or challah bread.

  3. Some tips to avoid touching your face, which is a hard habit to break.

Remember, you can follow our coverage, including live updates, at inquirer.com/coronavirus.

What you need to know today

  1. Central Bucks School District closed five schools Friday morning after “individuals within the district were exposed to a confirmed case of coronavirus” from a person in another state.

  2. SEPTA Regional Rail will have a new schedule starting Sunday, along with daylight saving time kicking in.

  3. Philadelphia police have been quietly experimenting with Clearview AI, the controversial facial-recognition company that mines images from social media and across the web. But this type of technology is already a reality in the city.

  4. Because of a new law in Pennsylvania and an expected increase in voter turnout, Philly may almost double the budget for its elections office.

  5. Mayor Jim Kenney faced debate over a supervised injection site during his annual visit to City Council. Meanwhile, Philly prisons are investigating four overdoses, including three deaths, that happened in custody.

  6. The Pennsylvania House dropped its claim to “legislative privilege” and will publicly release how and why lawmakers spend hundreds of millions in taxpayer money. The state Senate is still shielding financial records.

  7. Elizabeth Warren has dropped out of the 2020 race. Her supporters are seeing the chance to have a woman in the White House slip away again.

[Winning Pennsylvania will go a long way toward winning the White House. And we have a new weekly email newsletter covering how Pennsylvania is shaping the 2020 election. Sign up here, and don’t forget to share it.]

Through your eyes | #OurPhilly

I’ve been appreciating the art in the city recently and this photo is stunning. Thanks for sharing these artists’ work, @amyjani!

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

  1. 🏒 For the first time, an NHL game broadcast will be manned entirely by women.

  2. 🏛️ A lawsuit is being threatened over Trump flags — one of which features the president holding a rocket launcher — that are on display in a rural Pennsylvania municipal building.

  3. 🎵 Philly musicians are planning to band together at a benefit concert to “resurrect" the arts and events space PhilaMOCA after it was shut down last year.

  4. 🔄 Joel “the Process” Embiid has embraced a new nickname after a Jeopardy! contestant gave him one.

  5. 📻 After 60 years on the air, Lansdale-based radio station WNPV will shut down.

  6. 💌 A Pennsylvania woman creates 100 get-well cards a month for cancer patients she doesn’t even know.

Opinions

“When SEPTA charges a fee to transfer, that’s an unfair burden for all whose homes aren’t on the same route as their job, family, school, grocery store, doctor’s office, or place of worship. Instead of enabling riders to use SEPTA as a true network, we have a fragmented system where countless riders stay on longer bus trips because they can’t afford the transfer fee.” write Philly residents Dena Ferrara Driscoll and Daniel Trubman on why SEPTA transfer fees should be eliminated. They are also both involved in 5th Square, a statewide PAC focused on issues around land use, mobility, and the built environment.

  1. The Jefferson-Einstein medical merger would help patients on the margin, write hospital executives Stephen K. Klasko, president of Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health, and Barry R. Freedman, president and CEO of Einstein Healthcare Network.

  2. After the National Museum of American Jewish History filed for bankruptcy, what’s at stake for Philly’s cultural institutions goes beyond brick and mortar, the Inquirer Editorial Board writes.

What we’re reading

  1. Studies have shown that representation in schools matters, and just 5% of Philly schools are named after women. Billy Penn breaks down the stats.

  2. Philadelphia’s homeless and emergency shelters are uniquely at risk from coronavirus due to the close quarters. WHYY looks at how shelters are responding.

  3. Dispatches From Elsewhere, Jason Segel’s new show that’s set in Philly, premiered on AMC last week. Philadelphia Magazine talked with the show’s location scout about how they picked where to film in the city.

Your Daily Dose of | Architecture

A new apartment building on the Kensington-Fishtown border looks a little different. Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron describes it as a cross between a D-volt battery and the Death Star. That’s because the four-story building is covered with solar panels. The panels are designed to produce enough electricity for the 28 apartments inside and still have power left over to send back to the grid. Saffron explores whether this kind of design is the future of eco-friendly architecture.