Philly’s plan to welcome America’s immigrants | Morning Newsletter
And we’re getting ready for the Roots Picnic
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Welcome to the start of what’s forecasted as a beautiful weekend, with sunny skies and temperatures in the low-to-mid 80s.
Just in time for Immigrant Heritage Month, Philly announced plans this week to become certified as a “welcome city.” We’ll take a look at what that means and the efforts already underway.
We’re welcoming the return of the Roots Picnic this week, with a rundown of the acts, what to expect, and who’s worth watching aside from the headline performers.
And, public bathrooms in the city would be a godsend. But is Philly ready? The Inquirer’s Editorial Board, which operates independently of the newsroom, has a few thoughts.
— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Philly is called the “City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection.”
It’s a city comprised largely of Black and brown residents and has been a welcoming place for generations of immigrant families. Even recently, Philly has extended arms to hundreds of refugees from war-torn countries like Afghanistan and Ukraine.
Now, there’s a plan to make all of this official.
The city is seeking to be designated as a “certified welcoming” community, a status achieved by only 15 locales in the United States, including Baltimore, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and San Jose.
Cities seeking “certified status” must meet standards for inclusion in government, education, economic development, and safety, as set by the nonprofit Welcoming America.
It’s a multi-month certification process that includes a two-day, in-person audit by staff from Welcoming America officials. If approved, Philly could become certified by the end of the year.
Our reporter Jeff Gammage takes a look at Philly’s intent to make its inclusion of immigrants, official.
What you should know today
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia paid just $78.5 million to clergy sex abuse victims – an amount far less than anticipated.
Doug Mastriano, who just won the GOP primary for governor of Pennsylvania, will be interviewed by the Jan. 6 committee.
Millville, N.J., native Mike Trout is coming to Citizens Bank Park as part of a three-game Interleague series beginning tonight between the Angels and Phillies.
Mental and behavioral services at Crozer Health will remain open at least through the summer, reversing a decision to shutter both resources.
Philly recorded its first case of monkeypox, which is possibly the first in the state. But here’s why you shouldn’t worry.
Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
The fact that the iconic Mary J. Bilge will be in town this weekend as a headliner of the annual Roots Picnic is nothing short of incredible.
But a whole lot of other Philly-based artists and events are also set to take the stage over the two-day affair.
A few of our favorites:
🧺 Bilal feat. Robert Glasper. Bilal, the supremely gifted Philadelphia soul singer teams up with the Grammy-winning Glasper for what’s sure to be a great mix of soul and hip-hop, Saturday, 4:15 p.m., Toyota Soundstage.
🧺 Jazmine Sullivan. Expect the Strawberry Mansion-raised powerhouse singer to own the crowd thanks to tracks from her album Heaux Tales, full-of-real-life stories that read like a Black feminist manifesto. Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Toyota Soundstage.
🧺 DJ Jazzy Jeff with Rakim. The old-school music fan in me loves this pairing. West Philly’s Jazzy Jeff is incomparable on the wheels and the idea of him sharing the stage with hip-hop legend Rakim gives me goosebumps, Sunday, 3:20 p.m., Toyota Soundstage.
🧺 ‘Jemele Hill is Unbothered’ feat. Dawn Staley. Hill, the former ESPN anchor (and Philadelphia Inquirer intern) known for speaking her mind, will interview North Philly basketball legend and two-time NCAA championship-winning coach Dawn Staley. Sunday, 2:30 p.m., Skyline Podcast Stage.
Our reporter Dan DeLuca provides this look at other acts to keep an eye out for from Philly and beyond. When it comes to the full lineup and when to catch them on stage, our Jillian Wilson took care of all of that.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
Did you know that June ranks No. 2 in the average number of days with thunderstorms in Philly? On average it’s about 5.3 large storms within the month. Today’s question: Think you know which month ranks No. 1? Take a guess and find the answer here.
a. April
b. March
c. July
d. August
What we’re…
💪 Learning: How an exercise ball could be the key to easing back pain and engaging the core in one fell swoop.
📚 Reading: Bill Cosby is back in court for a civil trial filed by a woman who alleges the comedian molested her at the Playboy Mansion in 1975.
😍 Loving: That the Fishtown roundabout along Frankford Avenue has its own Twitter account – with a pretty sizable following.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
The origins of where sportswear and culture intersect.
SLIM HENS & LECT
Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shoutout to a reader at random who answers correctly. Today’s shoutout goes to Paul Moseng of Philadelphia. who correctly guessed EGYPT as Thursday’s answer, which he noted was the spot where he first met his now ex-wife.
Photo of the day
That’s my week. I know my colleague Ashley Hoffman is cooking up something good for Sunday and I’ll be back Monday to get your week started. Have a good one. ✌️