Philadelphia is doing recession prep; A South Philly neighborhood fights over stray properties | Morning Newsletter
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Do you know who Billy Ciancaglini is? That’s part of the problem the Republican mayoral candidate says he faces as he tries to win the seat away from Democrat Jim Kenney. Whoever wins the election will be responsible for leading the city during a term that may include an economic recession, according to experts. And, already, the city is prepping for an economic downturn. But is it doing enough?
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Less than a generation ago, it was hard to even give away land in this South Philly neighborhood. But, due to rapid change, a Grays Ferry community is facing internal conflict.
As values have soared, the nominal leader of a civic group that was formed to acquire and maintain some stray properties has apparently taken ownership of those properties himself. And some of his longtime neighbors aren’t happy.
Billy Ciancaglini is trying to become Philly’s first Republican mayor in decades. While his campaign messages hitting incumbent Democrat Jim Kenney might resonate, it’s going to be hard to overcome the fact that Democrats outnumber Republicans 7-1 in Philadelphia.
“The problem is there are a lot of people who don’t leave their houses to go to community meetings and have never heard of me,” he said.
A survey of economists finds a majority believing that the U.S. will enter the next recession by the end of 2021, and some even predicted that it could come sooner. State organizations are worried about how Philadelphia has been planning for a potential downturn.
For example, the state board that oversees the city’s budget is concerned that Philadelphia’s five-year spending plan didn’t account for the possibility of a significant revenue hit. The city does have a rainy-day fund, but the reserves would last only 33 days.
What you need to know today
U.S. special forces in Syria carried out a successful operation in which the leader of the Islamic State militant group died, President Trump announced Sunday.
Medical debt is forcing Americans to take some risks with their health. People are rationing or eliminating medicine they might need, delaying necessary care, and skipping preventive scans and tests.
More than 60 homeowners in small New Jersey towns have a way out from under their oft-flooded houses. That’s if the state’s offers to buy their homes make financial sense.
After vowing to bring as many as 15 “paramilitary” types and neo-Nazis with him, and boasting that he was ready to fight anti-fascists and federal agents “'til one of us are not moving," federal authorities have charged a Navy Yard employee for allegedly lying about his ties to a white supremacist group.
A ban on flavored e-cigarettes has been proposed in Pennsylvania. That follows the lead of New Jersey and other states that are scrambling to limit access to vaping products.
The nationalization of local political contests has hit Philadelphia, with a number of regional races referencing “MAGA” and warning of “radical extremists.”
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
Fairmount Park in the fall is the place to be. Great pic, @knicolephilly_!
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
A 31-13 win in Buffalo shows that the Eagles have put a tumultuous month behind them.
The architects of an “amazing” church in West Philly built their reputations when they constructed an “elegant marble palace” in New York City.
The cast and crew of the new movie Harriet discuss the city’s crucial role in establishing Tubman’s legacy. Meanwhile, a local screening in Burlington County has been canceled because of a squabble with Comcast.
Two siblings were left to starve in a Fairmount basement in 1997. Now, the brother who survived won’t let his sister be forgotten.
Apparently, at the Wyck Historic House in Philadelphia, no one met a piece of paper they didn’t like — for 300 years. The American Philosophical Society has now taken control of its 100,000 documents, which, when piled up, would reach more than 15 stories high.
Opinions
“But this rally was about so much more. It was about the arrival of women in Pennsylvania’s halls of power in historic numbers. It was about making sure that the men who control the House and Senate with Republican majorities, and ranking Democratic leaders, too, understand that these new colleagues are here to be heard and not herded into an invisible corner.” — columnist Maria Panaritis writes about what happens if you call Pa.'s new female lawmakers “girlie.”
The Inquirer Editorial Board calls for justice for the less-famous “Meek Mills” who are caught in the probation trap.
Gun violence is expensive. And responding in the wrong way is costly, too, The Inquirer’s Abraham Gutman writes in his Brain Trust column.
What we’re reading
Before they were indicted on charges they torched their business in Old City, former employees allege, the pair of brothers committed wage theft and tax fraud, WHYY reports.
“Our housing doesn’t make sense anymore,” a civil rights lawyer told Vox. “When you’re subsidizing people who make $140,000 a year so they can live in an apartment, that doesn’t make sense. You’re setting the floor, and it’s not sustainable.”
The way we have lived over the last decade may have fundamentally changed how we conceive time, Buzzfeed News reports.
Your Daily Dose of | The UpSide
A decade after leaving Iraq, refugees and veterans have found friendship in Philadelphia. “What happened [has] happened,” one Iraqi refugee said, “but what we can do is to build a friendship.”