Removing Russia from the Parkway | Morning Newsletter
And Philly masks set to come off, again
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
If the forecast holds true, today will be the nicest day this week as temperatures rise into the 70s under sunny skies.
Philly is lifting its mask mandate, just three days after it was reinstated.
Today, we look at the petition pushing for the removal of the Russian flag from the Benjamin Franklin Parkway – a flag that’s been stolen twice since March.
And, weed was the highlight of the Garden State yesterday as 13 dispensaries – six in South Jersey opened for recreational sales. We have the reaction from day one of legal weed.
— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Three days. That’s how long Philly’s revived mask mandate lasted, as the city’s Board of Health voted Thursday night to rescind the policy — hours after Mayor Jim Kenney firmly defended it in an interview with the Washington Post.
City spokesperson Kevin Lessard said more details would be released today but offered the following about the sudden reversal:
“Due to decreasing hospitalizations and a leveling of case counts, the City will move to strongly [recommend] masks in indoor public spaces as opposed to a mask mandate,” he said in an email Thursday night.
Our reporter Robert Moran has more on what this means, after a week of shifting mask policies at the local and federal level.
There are many people (about 250 to be exact) who believe a petition to remove the Russian flag from the Benjamin Franklin Parkway would solve two problems:
First, it wouldn’t serve as a hometown signal of the carnage transpiring in Ukraine as Russia invades.
Second, people can stop stealing it.
In the last six weeks, the flag has been swiped twice and the flag of Belarus, the nation that has been an ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has also been vandalized.
The petition, was created by Kate Rybak, a Russian immigrant who works in Bucks County and condemns the Russian Federation and President Vladimir Putin for war crimes and atrocities. “Under this flag, the Russian army invaded Ukraine and violated countless laws of humanity,” it states. “We don’t want the Russian flag displayed on a central street of Philadelphia, which is home to liberty and independence.”
Rybak added, “The flag that hangs there [on the Parkway] is soaked in blood.”
Our reporter Jeff Gammage has more on the plans to present the petition to Philadelphia City Council and how soon anything could be done to remove what some see as a daily reminder of Russia’s war crimes.
What you should know today
Prosecutors charged former Philadelphia police officer Darren Kardos with aggravated assault in the 2020 beating of Rickia Young.
South Philly residents want input on redevelopment plans for the so-called Bellweather District on the site of the old refinery.
This visual look at the city’s gun violence epidemic from the lives that experience it.
The Phillies are reversing a few of their bag restrictions after backlash from fans.
You have to read about the Philly community that aided in solving this decade-long cold murder case.
Philly speakeasy Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company has plans to reopen in a new location within Rittenhouse Square.
And despite the world questioning Philly’s decision to return to masks, Mayor Jim Kenney stands by the decision, citing declining hospitalization rates.
Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
What did the first day of marijuana sales look like in New Jersey following the opening of 12 dispensaries – six in South Jersey? I’ll leave it to our reporters Harold Brubaker, Amy S. Rosenberg, and Rodrigo Torrejón to explain. Here’s a snippet from their story.👇🏾
A dozen stores opened on New Jersey’s first day of legal weed, and customers waited in lines of 100 to 150 people deep, young and old, for their first legal purchases of high-priced recreational marijuana.
The path to Thursday’s opening day started 17 months ago when New Jersey voters opted to make weed legal. When laws passed in February of 2020 calling for the expungement of cannabis convictions and establishing a legal cannabis market, some hoped New Jersey would become a model for bringing people into the industry who were hurt by prohibition and who hailed from neighborhoods undermined by its enforcement.
The first companies out of the gate Thursday were large, multi-state cannabis companies that have already spent tens of millions of dollars building infrastructure to supply what they hope will be a $2 billion annual market in New Jersey. It’s expected to be many months before independent, so-called social-equity businesses get off the ground.
In addition to their report, our video, photo, and reporting desks also:
Convey the anticipation of the first day of recreational sales
Photograph how dispensaries looked throughout South Jersey, and
Share information on where to find the closest dispensary to you.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
It’s said that Jay Wright was the “best college basketball coach in America.” Today’s question: How many wins will Wright leave with as the winningest coach in the history of the program? Take a guess and find the answer here.
a. 520
b. 848
c. 629
d. 727
What we’re…
🦅 Watching: Devon Allen in the Penn Relays before he becomes an Eagles wide receiver.
📅 Planning: To attend one or more of these 40 events over the weekend and into next week.
🤔 Wondering: Is there concern over the power lost by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when it comes to matters of public health?
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
She’s pretty funny. 🤣
NATE YIF
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 Ryan Pine of Bella Vista who correctly guessed UNIVERSITY CITY as Thursday’s answer.
Photo of the day
That’s my week. Here’s hoping you start your lazy Sunday with my colleague Ashley Hoffman. I’ll have the latest for your virtual watercooler conversations on Monday. ✌️