Will national gun control legislation see movement from Congress?; The 400th anniversary of Africans being kidnapped to Virginia is coming up | Morning Newsletter
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In the aftermath of this weekend’s mass shootings, politicians, the president, religious leaders, soccer players, and more have spoken out about gun control and the tragedies in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. Locally in Philadelphia, many in the Latino community — a group the suspect in El Paso was linked with attacking in an online manifesto — say they feel fearful.
“As a person of color, it’s been hard over the past couple years, but as a Latina, now I feel I’m being hunted, like I literally have a target on my back,” a woman who grew up in El Paso and lives in Abington told The Inquirer.
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— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The U.S. House has passed four pieces of gun-control legislation. But they’re all awaiting action from the Senate.
In a statement yesterday morning, President Donald Trump spoke about the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, but did not mention gun control legislation. Since 2014, the U.S. has seen a total of 1,927 mass shootings in which four or more people were killed or injured (excluding the perpetrator).
In Philadelphia, many in the Latino community reacted to the shootings with fear. The suspect in El Paso was linked to an online hate manifesto that attacked immigrants and cited a “Hispanic invasion of Texas.”
The nation and world will take note of ceremonies from Aug. 23 to Aug. 25 at the site known as Point Comfort in Virginia. It’s where the first of two ships transporting human cargo to a British colony in North America landed in late August 1619.
To commemorate the 400th anniversary, Michael Coard, a lawyer, activist and founding member of Philadelphia’s Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, is centering children as part of an Aug. 25 ceremony to highlight a particular atrocity of slavery. “Many children, especially male children, were considered such a valuable commodity that they were bred like cattle,” he said. At the same time, Coard says that children “are the future of genuine black liberation."
Coard said he insists on acknowledging the legacy of enslavement because it is important to repair the harm that’s been done.
By now you might’ve seen what Philadelphia Union captain Alejandro Bedoya did during his team’s 5-1 win over rival D.C. United on Sunday night. In case you missed it though, here’s the video of Bedoya scoring an early goal, then racing to a microphone connected to a national TV broadcast to leave a message for U.S. lawmakers in the wake of this weekend’s tragic shootings.
“Hey, Congress! Do something, now! End gun violence! Let’s go!” he yelled. The MLS won’t punish the midfielder for his action.
Bedoya, who grew up about 15 minutes from the site of last year’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, has for years been outspoken about social and political issues.
What you need to know today
Bernie Sanders accused Hahnemann University Hospital’s owners of a plan that would see them make money off of the closing hospital’s real estate. But how realistic is that?
A top State Police official said that all 11 state troopers who were involved in cases of alleged racial profiling last year were cleared by internal reviews. The complaints, he added, were unfounded and motivated largely by anger. The official made the comments in the wake of a black Chadds Ford couple’s allegation that they were victims of racial profiling by a white state trooper in their own driveway last month.
JPMorgan’s CEO talked to The Inquirer about the trade war, U.S. economy, and why the bank is hiring coders.
An ex-Haverford College student is expected to plead guilty to federal prosecutors. His charge? Hacking into an IRS database to obtain Donald Trump’s tax returns. It was a clever plan, one that probably should have worked.
Philadelphia is shutting down the nation’s largest trolley system for repairs. It’ll impact over 60,000 riders who use it daily.
South Jersey political power broker George E. Norcross III appealed his lawsuit loss against N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy over a tax credit investigation.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
Whoa ... spooky pic, @matthewscottbarber.
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
Figuring out if, when, and how to tell an employer or a partner about a cancer diagnosis is a complex process that can be equal parts distressing and humorous.
Ocean City, N.J. is in an all-out war with seagulls. They’ve called in reinforcements to protect your funnel cakes, fries — and kids.
A new season of a TV show is focusing on Philadelphia’s opioid crisis. Does the show sensationalize it?
Wawa is paying a huge settlement because of a lawsuit that claimed the chain short-changed workers out of overtime and wages.
Jen Utley and a Pennsylvania anti-animal cruelty group launched a fund to help rescued horses, pigs, and chickens.
Bam Margera is reaching out to Dr. Phil for help. “The only person I believe is you," he said.
Opinions
“When things fall apart, they shatter into a million pieces. I can’t tell you yet exactly how the bloodshed in El Paso is related to a mass murder in Dayton, or to the social dysfunction right here in Philadelphia that caused someone to spray bullets into a crowd of people shooting a hip-hop video, or into a crowded block party in Brooklyn the night before that.” — Inquirer columnist Will Bunch writes about how the tragedies this weekend felt like a “Great Unraveling of America.”
Jennifer Murphy, an associate professor at Penn State, wants Philly to learn from a European country about ways to handle the opioid crisis.
The Inquirer Editorial Board writes about the Curtis Institute of Music’s response to The Inquirer’s investigation on an alleged sexual assault of a student.
What we’re reading
Tickets for trash-filled sidewalks are up 300% over the last 10 years, according to a Billy Penn analysis. Have the tickets made Philly any cleaner?
Have you ever used the “hidden-city” trick to book cheaper flights? It’s when you book a flight to one city, with a layover in the city you actually intend to stay in. Is it more theft or thrift? Regardless, Conde Nast Traveler reports that a major airline is cracking down.
The new trend of digital textbooks has serious implications for higher ed, WIRED reports.
Your Daily Dose of | Entrepreneurship
Young Philly entrepreneurs — some not even 10 years old — pitched their business ideas and, in some cases, dreams, for cash at a daylong event at the city’s school district HQ.