Philly cops will get raises in new contract | Morning Newsletter
And, a team of Black Inquirer journalists presents the Wildest Dreams project.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning, good people. You’re reading The Inquirer Morning Newsletter, catching you up on all the news that’s fit to email. Today we inspect the new contract for Philadelphia’s police union, explore the Wildest Dreams project presented by a team of Black Inquirer journalists, and dive into COVID-19 closing the first Philly public school two weeks into the year.
We’d love to know what you think. Send a reply to this email, and let’s start a conversation.
— Tommy Rowan (@tommyrowan, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Philadelphia’s police union got its cops a new, three-year contract.
The city’s more than 6,000 officers will get one-time bonuses of $1,500 in addition to raises of 2.75% this year and raises of 3.5% in 2022 and 2023. The average salary for a Philadelphia cop is $74,733, and many officers take in significant overtime pay.
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, the local police union, defeated the administration’s attempt to require all officers to live in the city. Cops can move out of Philadelphia after five years on the force.
Mayor Jim Kenney successfully pushed to add incremental changes to the process for disciplining officers, but said: “This is not enough, and it’s a beginning, and we’ll continue to make progress.”
Reporters Sean Collins Walsh and Chris Palmer have the full report.
A team of Black journalists here at The Philadelphia Inquirer proudly presents Wildest Dreams, a multimedia anthology centered on Black inheritance, legacy, and joy.
This project is a compilation of articles, poetry, videos, photographs, and music that explores what being Black means to Black people. The journalists created this space for Black writers, photographers, videographers, and designers to share their work, and to show that their stories matter.
Among the multimedia offerings is a video that explores what Black Philadelphians have learned about their Blackness from their families from videographer Raishad Hardnett. And photographer Monica Herndon compiled an intimate series of photos and reflections.
Among the stories is columnist Elizabeth Wellington’s look at her family’s Black identity, and reporter Mensah Dean’s report on Black people’s migration.
Every piece of this extraordinary presentation can be found here.
Join the Wildest Dreams community on Instagram to take part in the conversation.
Or sign up for the newsletter for a behind-the-scenes look at the project.
You can also listen to the music that inspired the Wildest Dreams project on Spotify.
Reopening resources
Here’s our latest list of restaurants, large performance venues, universities, and gyms in the Philly region where you need to show proof of vaccination.
Should you laminate your vaccination card? What if you lose it? Here are the dos and don’ts.
Here’s what you need to know about medical exemptions.
It could be time to upgrade your face gear. Which masks work best?
What you need to know today
Two weeks into the new term, COVID-19 has temporarily closed the first Philadelphia School District building.
Amazon plans to hire thousands of workers in the Philadelphia region as the retail giant accelerates its rapid expansion across the area.
Unvaccinated people account for 94% of the new coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania this year, state health officials say.
Elizabeth Grimaldi, Fleisher Art Memorial’s executive director, resigned her position at the nonprofit community art school months after an assault arrest in New York.
Poverty declined in the United States in 2020 thanks to infusions of federal money, according to a new report.
The drugstore chain Rite Aid intends to relocate its “remote-first” headquarters to Philly’s Navy Yard from central Pennsylvania.
A Delaware County woman who admitted to stealing nearly $40,000 in food vouchers intended for HIV and AIDS patients in need was sentenced to three years’ probation Tuesday.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Sorry, @jochris.215, but let go. Summer is over (thankfully).
Tag your Instagram posts with #OurPhilly, and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature here and give you a shout-out.
That's interesting
🦅Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith have skyrocketed to near the top of NFL jersey sales after the Eagles’ Week 1 victory.
🌿A plant-based diet could help fight climate change. Seriously, it’s surprising to see by how much.
🏒Flyers will allow fans to attend training camp practices next week, and the team will be 100% vaccinated for the coming season.
🏃It’s never too late to start moving, but science is finding that you may not catch up to lifelong exercisers.
📺6abc’s Karen Rogers, who recently celebrated her 25th anniversary at the station, has been named the official meteorologist for the morning editions of Action News.
Opinions
“Like SEPTA, it is essential that the transportation office recognize that in a city like Philadelphia, there is no such thing as making everyone happy, but targeted outreach and community input beforehand are imperative when pitching proposals to the public at large,” writes The Inquirer Editorial Board.
Andrew Kolodny, medical director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, and legal affairs journalist Chris Mondics ask: Where is the scrutiny over FDA’s role in the overdose epidemic?
While you’re here: Do you have an opinion of your own? Read up on how to submit your point of view to the opinion editors.
What we're reading
Philly Mag remembers Connie Mack, the Philadelphia Athletics manager who led the team for 50 seasons, writing that his longevity in the dugout is a feat we’re not likely to see in pro sports again.
The New York Times writes about a pioneering gene therapy treatment that has successfully rid one woman of sickle-cell disease. The treatment is extraordinarily promising. ... And incredibly costly.
The Washington Post writes about Dashauna Priest, who, as a child, wrote to a World War II veteran whom she did not know. She also didn’t know that the vet carried the letter everywhere. And 12 years later, they finally met.
Photo of the Day
Keepin’ it casual.