Fauci says there’s no end in sight | Morning Newsletter
Plus, farm workers aren't safe from COVID-19
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It seems like the heat wave won’t be as bad as the city initially expected. Nevertheless, protesters rallied in Philadelphia’s blistering heat to call for higher wages and more workplace protections.
President Donald Trump threatened to send law enforcement to Philadelphia to quell unrest while people on-the-ground and on the Senate floor organize for safety mandates to keep South Jersey’s seasonal farm workers from spreading COVID-19.
— Madeline Faber (@maiden_memphis, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Philadelphia joined other cities across the country with rallies demanding a living wage, more protections for workers, and an end to racial discrimination in the workplace. Nearly half of Philadelphia’s workforce is low-wage service workers who make a median salary of $25,000 a year.
At the Old City demonstration, workers called on the Senate to pass the HEROES Act, which will provide personal protective equipment, hazard pay, and extended unemployment benefits to workers.
Farmers can easily opt out of the current New Jersey guidelines to provide testing and personal protective equipment to their employees. Democrats in the state Senate are working to make those lifesaving protocols mandatory.
“If both sides don’t understand the sensitivity of this moment ... our workers will get sick, even fewer will work the crops, and the harvest will be lost,” said the owner of a staffing company that connects seasonal workers with farm employers.
Bryce Harper is embarking on the second season of his team-record $330 million contract with the Phillies. But for a star of his stature now eight seasons into his major league career, he tends to be misunderstood. Or, as teammate J.T. Realmuto put it, he’s “one of the most misunderstood people in baseball.”
That can come with the territory of being on the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 16 with labels declaring you “Baseball’s Chosen One” and “the most exciting prodigy since LeBron.”
Phillies beat writer Scott Lauber talked to Harper’s former and current teammates to get a sharper idea of the rightfielder’s fiery personality.
What you need to know today
Dr. Anthony Fauci said at a Philly conference that there is “no end in sight” to the coronavirus pandemic.
President Trump threatened to send federal law enforcement to Philadelphia to quell unrest. Recent protests in the city have been peaceful, but the early days saw chaos and astonishing police force.
A babysitter of 2-year-old King Hill, who was reported missing in early July, has been charged with the child’s murder.
A self-described “anti-feminist” lawyer is the prime suspect in the shooting of a federal judge’s family in New Jersey.
Conservative nonprofits spent over $500,000 on attack ads during the Chester County Democratic primary race to undermine candidates who oppose the Mariner East pipeline, according to newly disclosed campaign records and data recorded by an ad tracking firm.
New Jersey parents will be able to opt their children in to all-remote learning.
The top leaders of PlayPenn have left the organization following allegations of racism and sexual harassment.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro have sued Lincoln University’s board over its controversial ousting of president Brenda Allen.
Philly residents should put their trash cans out a day later than usual this week to help the city catch up on garbage collection.
If you’re a small business owner, here’s what you need to know to apply for the federal Paycheck Protection Program.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Rittenhouse Square looks so sunny and peaceful. Thanks for the photo, @strangerphilly!
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
🎻 Classical music critic Peter Dobrin writes how the piece performed at recent musical vigils for Elijah McClain is “the perfect ode to our times.”
🍺 A Philly brewery crafted a special beer to raise funds for Black Lives Matter. The beer sold out almost immediately.
☀️ This week’s heat wave might not be as bad as initially expected.
🏈 Facing pressure from the players’ union, the NFL has agreed to issue daily COVID-19 tests for the first two weeks of training camp.
🥊 Meet Philly’s first boxing coach who is a woman.
Opinions
“I will vote no matter what obstacles are placed in front of me. Not just because racism was killing Black people when Lewis was fighting against it. I will vote because even after all Lewis gave, racism is killing Black people today.” — Columnist Solomon Jones on how he’ll honor the life of Rep. John Lewis.
Having students live on campus while classes are online just doesn’t make sense, Penn professor Jonathan Zimmerman writes.
Gov. Wolf sinks Pennsylvania into more pollution and dependence on fossil fuels by supporting a petrochemical tax credit bill, the Inquirer Editorial Board writes.
What we’re reading
Rwanda is using systems and equipment that were designed to address HIV to execute contact tracing for every case of COVID-19, NPR reports.
The Atlantic writes about mutual aid networks and other “infrastructures of care” that are becoming necessary during the pandemic.
Philadelphia Neighborhoods examined how local nonprofits have adapted to new safety measures to provide free food for folks.
Your Daily Dose of | Flowers
Petals Please repurposes bouquets from weddings, funerals, and other events and delivers the recycled floral arrangements to lonely seniors. While the coronavirus has put the kibosh on large events, the Chester County nonprofit is instead making paper flower creations.