As gun arrests soar, convictions drop | Morning Newsletter
And, worrisome variants in Pa. and N.J.
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 from The Inquirer newsroom.
First: We analyzed the data to bring you a clear picture of the state of gun arrests and convictions in the city.
Then: Worrisome coronavirus variants are becoming increasingly common in Pa. and N.J. and could threaten the success of the vaccine effort.
And: Philly arts groups’ plans offer a glimmer of hope. “Wait for it.”
P.S. Expect cool weather for the Phillies’ home opener Thursday.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Surging gun violence in Philly has reached unprecedented heights this year, and our analysis offers a window into two troubling trends that have quietly kept building. Thousands more people are being arrested for carrying illegal guns, but we found that their chances of being convicted in court have plummeted by a quarter. Simply put, in recent years, people accused of carrying illegal guns have had better than a coin flip’s chance of beating their case in court.
That’s what’s driving a debate between the Philadelphia Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office about how to stem the flow of illegal guns on city streets — and slow possible violence by those who wield them. Danielle Outlaw says the justice system has become a “revolving door” for repeat gun offenders, while the district attorney says the city should focus on structural problems.
Read on for the full report by reporters Dylan Purcell, Mike Newall, Mensah M. Dean, and Chris Palmer.
Worrisome coronavirus variants are becoming more common in Pa. and N.J.
A particularly concerning sign: More than a third of the samples taken over the last month from 80 COVID-19 patients in the Philadelphia area had mutations known to make the virus more transmissible or resistant to current vaccines, or both, according to a University of Pennsylvania analysis.
The more transmissible variants, on top of easing precautions like mask-wearing and social distancing, could potentially be driving recent cases to tick upward in Pa., N.J., and elsewhere.
“The more infections, the more spread, the more opportunity for the virus to mutate. It is critical for everyone to keep up precautions, and to get vaccinated when your turn comes up,” Penn microbiologist Frederic Bushman told us.
Read on for reporter Marie McCullough’s report on the mutations that could elude that vaccine.
A second FEMA site is set to open in North Philadelphia next week, officials announced yesterday.
A fear of needles or injections may keep some from COVID-19 vaccine. This treatment can help.
Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine in the Philly area? Use our lookup tool.
This is a step-by-step process on how the COVID-19 vaccines work.
Is indoor dining safe once you’ve had the COVID-19 vaccine? Experts are split on the risk involved.
How to know what’s safe when it comes to summer travel this year.
What you need to know today
Advocates are demanding that Philadelphia change the vaccine rollout to include people with disabilities, and it comes down to making a few key parts of the program more inclusive.
The death of a Philadelphia inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell this weekend and later died is under investigation.
As addiction, lack of affordable housing, and inequity have led people to shelter at the shuttered El stop, the situation sheds light on the city’s deepest social problems. (Sorry about that broken link on Monday.)
“Fecal samples”: The next frontier in fighting West Philly gentrification?
Tower Health and its six area hospitals are for sale and in financial duress.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Looks like a sun-dappled place we’d be very happy to be. Thanks for sharing this one, @justjo1002.
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
💰 Common questions about how the stimulus checks affect you, answered.
💤 We all need rest. Here are four simple stretches you can do to help you get a good night’s sleep.
🥮 Reporter Grace Dickinson rounded up where to get all kinds of festive pound cake in and around Philly.
Opinions
“We are at a moment that could define the fortunes of countless families and children who moved into the suburbs of Philadelphia for the same prospect of advancement as so many others who preceded them decades before,” — columnist Maria Panaritis writes about the racial achievement gap in Philadelphia’s schools.
Melissa Alam, creative director of ALAM Digital, writes to ask if you stand up for women and people of color when you see experiences racial microaggressions or sexual harassment.
Too many children need loving homes and loving parents. Philly’s Christian agency’s move to allow LGBTQ adoption should set an example for the whole country to follow, New Ways Ministry cofounder Jeannine Gramick writes.
What we’re reading
Experts discuss what people can do to keep children safe before they’re eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, on WHYY.
This is how a floating solar park in Rotterdam rotates to track the sun’s movement across the sky, Architectural Digest reports.
A dog continued stealing a stuffed toy unicorn from the store, so animal control finally just bought the thing for him, CNN reports.
Could the performance industry’s complex era be over before the end of the year? Roughly a year after a shutting down, the Kimmel is among major arts groups that have announced the return of in-person audiences in the fall. That’s if everything goes according to plan, of course. But it’s safe to say that the show will go on.