Indoor dining in Philly can return Sept. 8 — for now | Morning Newsletter
And, everything you need to know about voting in Pennsylvania.
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The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Philadelphia announced indoor dining can return on Sept. 8, but officials said the date could be delayed again if coronavirus cases don’t continue to decline. So far, Philly is still seeing a decrease in confirmed COVID-19 cases. But these cases are not just another version of the flu. Science shows that unlike the flu, COVID-19 can harm many organs, including the heart and the brain, as well as the lungs.
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, check out the BlackStar Film Festival, a drive-through food truck festival, or our events calendar for even more ideas.
— Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The coronavirus is not just another version of the flu. It’s much more complex and deadly. Initially, experts thought COVID-19 was primarily a respiratory illness. But now, it’s clear this virus can hurt not only the lungs, but the circulatory system, liver, pancreas, kidneys, heart and even the brain.
My colleague Marie McCullough explains how COVID-19 can affect all these organs in your body, accompanied by illustrations from Cynthia Greer.
Philadelphia announced Thursday that indoor dining will be allowed to resume on Sept. 8, but it’s not set in stone. Outdoor dining has been allowed since June, but the city has continually pushed back the date for indoor dining. The virus is much more likely to be transmitted in indoor environments.
Health Commissioner Thomas Farley warned that allowing indoor dining is dependent on positive cases continuing to decrease over the next two weeks. So, it’s possible the date could change again.
There’s a lot of information out there about voting in the presidential election, and not all of it is reliable. But we’re here to help. We have a breakdown of everything you need to know about voting in Pennsylvania this year, by mail and in person.
But if you have a question that we haven’t answered yet, ask us. Our reporters will look into it and update the page, so be sure to bookmark it for later.
What you need to know today
Former Phillies pitcher Curt Schilling is among the Trump supporters involved in a border wall fundraising effort that led to the indictment of former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.
The Democratic National Convention is over, but Pennsylvania Democrats who spoke got another boost when President Donald Trump’s campaign attacked them. And here’s what Trump said during his visit to Pennsylvania on Thursday.
Unpaid utility bills are soaring in Pennsylvania, and energy companies are pressing the state to relax a ban on shutting off nonpaying customers.
The homeless encampments in Philadelphia that were established to bring attention to housing issues in the city will remain in place at least through Tuesday, a federal judge ruled. City officials had plans to clear them out this week that were halted by an injunction.
A Philly school official was employed full-time with a six-figure salary — but she was double dipping, working a second full-time job with a large salary in Ohio’s education system.
Camden’s oldest charter school changed its reopening plans after the teachers’ union raised health concerns. The school will now begin the year virtually.
The James Beard Awards — the Oscars of the food scene — has delayed its awards for restaurants and chefs until 2022.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Love this serene shot of Independence Hall and the national historical park. Thanks for sharing, @shot_by_jim!
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
🧴 A Philly company charged $75 for hand sanitizer in illegal price gouging, Pennsylvania’s attorney general said.
🍽️ Outdoor dining comes with responsibilities. These Philadelphia restaurants are worth it.
🎬 A new documentary on trials and triumphs of Black womanhood premieres this weekend at the BlackStar Film Festival. My colleague Brandon T. Harden talked with director Shantrelle P. Lewis.
🚯 When the pandemic reduced cleanups at Philly parks, volunteers organized to pick up trash on their own.
📺 Guy Fieri visited three Philly restaurants for his show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
📅 Check out the best events in Philly every week at inquirer.com/calendar. The page is updated every Thursday.
Opinions
“Overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic is a multifaceted challenge that will take high-quality inpatient hospital care, intense research, and preventive medicine. Assuaging the pain and suffering caused by gun violence demands a similar effort.” — writes Corbin Pomeranz, a physician at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, about how homicides aren’t the only tragic cost of Philly’s gun violence epidemic.
Inquirer columnist Trudy Rubin writes on the lessons the Belarus election crisis presents for Trump’s fragile America.
The United States needs to democratize COVID-19 testing, writes Stephen S. Tang, president and CEO of OraSure Technologies Inc. in Bethlehem, Pa.
What we’re reading
A new edition of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky features illustrations from renowned Philly artist Charles Santore, who died at 84 last year. Philly Voice has more.
The U.S. Postal Service has released a new “Thank You” stamp. It was designed by Texas artist Dana Tanamachi, and the Houston Chronicle interviewed her.
Your Daily Dose of | Pennsylvania state parks
Trevor Nordquist, a graduate student at Slippery Rock University, north of Pittsburgh, visited every state park in Pennsylvania — all 121 of them, in 303 days. He embarked on this journey when he realized that he didn’t really know his home state at all. My colleague Jason Nark asked him all about his adventure.