Another unvaccinated summer for kids | Morning Newsletter
And, the path forward for Pa. Republicans.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Hello, readers of The Inquirer Morning Newsletter.
First: Uncertainty and anxiety remain for many as reopening continues, including the parents of children under 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccination.
Then: The 2020 elections showed one tried and true way Republicans can still win in Pennsylvania. But with Trump still looming over the party, will they follow it next year?
And: The Sixers lost in a nailbiter to the Hawks, as the season returns to Philadelphia later this week.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_AshleyHoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
As we head into a postvaccination summer, many adults and teens have left the vaccination station while kids are left waiting for a train that has yet to come. Vaccines are likely to be authorized for kids as early as the fall, per the latest reports out of Pfizer and Moderna.
But for now, parents may find themselves going back to a limbo version of normal. The landscape of risk has always varied by age. Now we’re in a transitional period where a small risk remains for unvaccinated kids, experts say. That’s particularly if they’re interacting with unvaccinated people without proper precautions.
Reporter Erin McCarthy has the story on what experts recommend for children between ages of 2 to 12 when it comes to immersing families in the reopened region.
While Donald Trump lost the critical state of Pennsylvania, other Republicans scored major victories to capture statewide row offices and make gains in the state legislature. Victories by Auditor General Tim DeFoor and Treasurer Stacy Garrity showed that Republicans can still compete in Pennsylvania’s critical suburban regions.
Those campaigns could serve as a GOP road map for even bigger victories in next year’s nationally watched races for governor and U.S. Senate. But to the dismay of some GOP strategists — and the hope of Democrats — much of Republican politics continues to revolve around Trump, his many false election claims, and his vendettas against enemies real and perceived. And Trump’s appeal hasn’t fully transferred to other Republicans as critical suburban areas grow in population.
Reporter Jonathan Tamari reports on the potential path to victory for Pennsylvania Republicans in 2022.
Reopening resources
🆕 Children may be afraid to remove their masks. These steps can help reassure kids about unmasking.
Track the latest data on cases in the region.
Your social guide to reopening in Philly.
Here’s what experts feel safe doing — and what they don’t.
No, you shouldn’t ask for someone’s vaccination status. Here’s what to do instead.
What you need to know today
The Sixers blew a commanding 18-point, second-quarter lead to fall to the Atlanta Hawks, 100-101. The Eastern Conference semifinal series is now 2-2.
While enforcement of off-road vehicles on Philly streets is necessary, city officials need to use “imagination” when providing alternatives to ATV and dirt bike enthusiasts, District Attorney Larry Krasner said.
As Philly tops two dozen exonerations, it may face tens of millions in civil liability.
Delaware officials released an incarcerated man who was suspected of killing his mother in Philly. Now, he’s connected to more killings.
Bryce Harper is praised for his heroism here in Philly, bowing before each game to the fans in right field and pumping his fist as the crowd roars. In ballparks around the country, Harper plays the villain. That’s just how he likes it, he says.
Former Philadelphia Flyer Ian Laperriere is now leading the franchise’s top farm team, and he’s bringing something much more than name recognition to the role of head coach.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Take a look at Philly’s pride on full display.
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
🎶 Justin Bieber and Lil Baby will headline Made In America, back on in Philly for Labor Day weekend.
🎷 And the summer season has also arrived for the Dell Music Center in Fairmount Park. To the full summer concert lineup!
🥘 You can mix and match your own meals at the new Nigerian-owned restaurant Suya Suya bringing West African flavors to the fast-casual bowl crowd.
🎉 This is what to do with kids in the area this week.
🇨🇦 The Canada goose conundrum here is real. The birds can’t get enough of the Philly area. Once hunted to near-extinction, they rebounded, and hundreds of thousands are now strutting around the Delaware Valley.
Correction: The Monday edition of The Inquirer Morning Newsletter misidentified the transit agency in a story about improv training. It was DRPA.
Opinions
“I ask my fellow Hindu Americans to raise their voices in support of LGBTQ rights alongside people of all religious backgrounds who want to ensure a more just and equitable society,” Murali Balaji, University of Pennsylvania lecturer, writes that the scripture can be a guide.
The Philadelphia School District should unlearn and relearn around three areas where they have leaned on contracts, argues CEO of Leading by Learning, Deanna Burney.
Learning to embrace all of the emotions has been a rewarding experience for writer Emily Savidge.
Jill Biden isn’t the real Jilly from Philly, writes South Philadelphian Jeffrey Barg (who is also the Angry Grammarian).
What we’re reading
Ahead of Juneteenth this weekend, NJ.com lets you in on the celebrations in the Garden State.
Millions of Americans are planning to push back their retirement due to COVID-19, CNBC reports.
Here are five ways people over the age of 65 can protect themselves from misinformation online, according to NPR.
Your daily dose of | Honors
“This is also a story about persistence and resilience and a 65-year-old woman’s long-ago whispered promise to herself that one day, somehow, some way, she would go back to school and earn a high school diploma,” columnist Jenice Armstrong writes that one persistent valedictorian’s proud cap-and-gown moment isn’t just for her but for her whole community.
“Everyone deserves a high school diploma,” Twyanna Williams told Armstrong. “The older I got, the more I wanted it.”