๐ Wanted: Federal help for rising rents | Morning Newsletter
And what medical students can learn from actors.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
I hope you enjoyed the slight coolness yesterday because weโre getting a high of 82 today. The showers may cool you off (a bit), so grab an umbrella on your way out this morning.
In todayโs newsletter:
๐ญ Actors: Discover what these artists are teaching medical students.
๐๏ธ A Philly urban legend: An architect of the Roundhouse building discusses the origin of the design.
๐ Rising rents: How the federal government is trying to address the need for people with housing vouchers.
If you see this ๐ in todayโs newsletter, that means weโre highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.
โ Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The federal government is acknowledging what low-income renters already knew: Housing vouchers arenโt keeping up with rising rents.
The response: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced new prices it will consider as โfair market rents.โ These annual values determine the maximum amount a housing choice voucher will cover in a given zip code. The new values take effect beginning Oct. 1.
The big problem: Renters who need vouchers struggle to find homes because the federal government doesnโt have enough vouchers for all households that need them. Itโs common for families to spend years on wait lists. The Philadelphia Housing Authority voucher wait list has been closed for years.
Important figures: HUDโs calculation of fair market rents in the Philadelphia region will increase more than 13%.
Nationwide, fair market rents will increase by an average of about 10%.
Note: We have an interactive dataset to check out fair market rents by zip code in the metro area.
Reporter Michaelle Bond breaks down how HUD came up with the new values and how voucher holders can get help.
What you should know today
As the Senate race heats up, John Fetterman held a packed abortion-rights rally in Montgomery County.
Philly officials gathered at the Betsy Ross House to honor first responders who died on 9/11.
Vaping habits differ by race and sexual orientation among teens.
Phillyโs โwalking artistโ arrived in St. Catharines, Ontario, where Harriet Tubman once lived.
Seventy Pennsylvania school board members have signed a letter against gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastrianoโs public education plan.
โDisney100: The Exhibitionโ will make its world premiere at the Franklin Institute next year.
Local coronavirus numbers: Hereโs your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
While veteran doctors teach medical students how to repair broken bones, actors working as standardized patients teach medical students how to care for people with compassion and understanding.
Why itโs needed: Itโs a type of training medical schools are using as they grapple with deeply rooted racial biases in the health-care system that affect both patient care and physician training.
Drexel recently launched a program using standardized patients to teach doctors how to handle racial insensitivity in the workplace.
At the University of Pennsylvania, these actors are teaching students how to be sensitive to gender identity. The university is exploring how to use role-playing scenarios to better care for patients who are distrustful of doctors.
Reporter Paul Jablow explains how medical students are confronting their own biases.
๐ง Philly Trivia Time ๐ง
Which of these music artists are not coming to perform in the Philly area?
A. Diana Ross
B. Marcus King
C. Kehlani
D. Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
Find out if you know the answer.
Robert Geddes, an architect who designed the former police headquarters, said the idea that the building is meant to resemble handcuffs is false and โsilly.โ
Oh, and he also doesnโt love the nickname.
Notable quote: โI, personally, am not interested in naming a building by its shape in Philadelphia or elsewhere,โ said Geddes, who will turn 99 this December. โWhat would you call the Empire State Building? The giant tower?โ
Reporter Jake Blumgart shares his interview with Geddes as he discusses the origins of the building as well as what he hopes for its future. ๐
What weโre ...
๐ฐ Sharing: Tips about next steps for student loan relief.
๐ค Listening to: The new JID Tiny Desk Concert. All of it is worth your time, but the stripped-down version of โWorkin Outโ is my favorite.
๐ Anticipating: A new play about Chester Countyโs mushroom industry from Brooklyn artist Eisa Davis, a cast member of Mare of Easttown.
Photo of the day
And thatโs your Monday. Todayโs shout-out goes to Daniel J. Tureck, who correctly guessed Jason Reid as Sundayโs answer to the anagram.
Thanks for beginning your day with The Inquirer. Iโm starting the day with a quick run at Fairmount Park. Letโs start the week strong.

























