Mayor Kenney to call for community college investment in budget proposal; suburbs like Philly’s boosted Biden on Super Tuesday | Morning Newsletter
And the latest on coronavirus and testing of potential cases in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Mayor Jim Kenney will deliver his budget address for fiscal year 2021 today. The $5.2 billion proposal will include a new investment to make Community College of Philadelphia free for thousands of city residents. Out in the Philly suburbs, Democratic voters are working to decide which candidate has the best chance against President Donald Trump. Maybe they’ll find their answer in how similar areas across the country voted on Super Tuesday. We also wrap up the latest updates from Pennsylvania and New Jersey officials on testing for coronavirus in our region.
— Ray Boyd (@RayBoydDigital, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Today, during his budget presentation, Mayor Kenney will propose a new investment in students who attend Community College of Philadelphia: $63 million in scholarships over five years that will make it tuition-free for thousands of people.
City residents from low- and moderate-income families and who graduated from a Philly high school will be eligible. City officials estimate the move will help about 6,500 students in the next five years and 2,300 in 2020-21 alone — nearly half of the college’s full-time enrollment in fall 2019.
Some members of City Council have proposed more money for the college in past years. But whether they will fully support Kenney’s plan is uncertain.
My colleague Jonathan Tamari traveled to Virginia on Super Tuesday and spoke with Bill Huss — a self-described Christian conservative who is not a fan of President Trump. This week, he voted for Joe Biden as he searches for a Democrat (not Bernie Sanders, he says) who can defeat Trump.
Huss lives in a rapidly growing, wealthy suburb outside Washington. It’s not unlike what you might see near Philadelphia, and it’s home to voters who played a major role in Biden’s resurgence in the primary fight.
In Pennsylvania, Democrats rely on these suburbs to offset Republicans’ strength in rural areas. Biden’s wins in areas like these are beginning to draw into question which candidate can attract the broadest array of support nationwide. A little further out on Thursday, Trump will attend a Fox News town hall event in Biden’s hometown — a part of Pennsylvania where Democrats are on defense.
Gunfire erupted on a West Philadelphia sidewalk yesterday, injuring two men. That came just a day after another man was shot three blocks away, and two days after a pair of men were shot inside a nearby corner grocery.
Yesterday’s violence hit close to home for teachers and toddlers at a nearby day-care center who heard the gunfire and saw a young man lying in pain on the sidewalk. “He was screaming, ‘Help me, help me! Don’t let me die!’ He was hysterical,” the center’s owner said.
Authorities are investigating to see if the three shootings are linked. An outreach worker with the Philadelphia Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network says a peace rally is being organized for the neighborhood.
What you need to know today
New Jersey officials announced the state’s “first presumptive case” of coronavirus on Wednesday night. It involves a man in his 30s who has been hospitalized since Tuesday. The state is seeking CDC confirmation of the test.
A Philadelphia person who was tested for the coronavirus does not have it, according to laboratory results announced Wednesday afternoon. But another person is being tested, the Philadelphia Public Health Department said.
Three men arrested on drug charges overdosed in a city jail last month, and two have died. An investigation is looking into where the drugs came from, whether the men were connected, and whether all internal procedures were properly followed.
Pennsylvania state officials warn that there are unknown risks tied to using CBD products because, despite their rise in popularity, they are still largely unregulated.
Suyapa Reyes, a Honduran migrant, avoided deportation by taking sanctuary with her children in a Philadelphia church for more than a year and a half. Soon, she will be able to leave and live legally in the United States.
The Temple football community continues to mourn the death and remember the life of Zaire Williams, a former player shot and killed Monday in Philadelphia.
Authorities in New Jersey have charged two juveniles they say injured a third while doing a TikTok challenge.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
You have to love the way the Philadelphia Flower Show can transport you to another place and time. Thanks for this one, @kimberly_a_p.
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
❓ Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek shared an uplifting message with fans on the one-year anniversary of his pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
🌎 If you’re itching for a reboot of the Philly-based ’90s sitcom Boy Meets World, you can get the next best thing at Keystone Comic Con this summer.
💰 Forget Beverly Hills. Did you know Joan Rivers once tried to build her own version of it in Bucks County? Now the house built for a comedy legend could be yours.
💪🏾 The more you exercise, the healthier you’ll be, right? An Eagles cardiologist explains why that statement isn’t always true.
👩🍳 The stage version of the TV cooking show MasterChef Junior is coming to Philly, and it got us to thinking: What were Philly’s top chefs cooking up when they were little kids?
Opinions
“Black people can be a lot of things. We can be rude. We can be wrong. We can be loud. We can be bigots. We can even discriminate. But we cannot be racist.” — Columnist Elizabeth Wellington examines recent accusations of racism against a black entrepreneur.
Columnist Jenice Armstrong takes a look at one of Philly’s leading antiviolence activists and his plan to promote marriage as a means to curb gun violence.
SEPTA’s decision to move the Market-Frankford Line to an all-stop schedule during travel peaks is a serious mistake that must be corrected, writes Vukan R. Vuchic, professor of transportation engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.
What we’re reading
Comedian Louis C.K. is returning to Philly for the first time since admitting to allegations of sexual harassment. Billy Penn has a story on why experts say events like this can be hard to witness for survivors — even from a distance.
Rolling Stone offers this deep dive into what it calls a “global plastic crisis” and breaks down the powerful interests that are propping it up despite environmental risks.
To help stop the spread of coronavirus, the CDC recommends washing your hands for 20 seconds, or the time it takes to sing “The Birthday Song” twice. The Los Angeles Times put together this list of pop-music alternatives.
Your Daily Dose of | Buckets
Conner Delaney was all set to go to Villanova to play Division I lacrosse. But he’s a hooper at heart. His decision to change course to play Division III basketball at Johns Hopkins made for this unforgettable championship moment.