The ‘Night Mayor’ cometh | Morning Newsletter
And what concerts you should be checking out this weekend.
The Morning Newsletter
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Last night’s rain did little to break the heat, as temperatures will be in the upper 80s today with a chance of showers later in the day.
First, we’ll look at how Philly’s new “Night Mayor” can help diversify the city’s nightlife.
Then, we’ll take a look at some of the best concerts in the area over the next week.
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— Matt Mullin (@matt_mullin, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
“It’s hard to have fun and relax when you’re one of just a few Black people in a mostly white space,” writes Philly resident and Penn law student Ty Parks. But it doesn’t have to be like that, Parks argues, as he recently saw how different things could be during a trip to Washington, D.C., that saw the nightlife there as “buzzing, exciting, and undoubtedly Black.”
Here’s more from his op-ed on how Philly’s new director of nighttime economy, Raheem Manning, can diversify the city’s nightlife:
In a majority-Black city, there should be numerous bars and clubs in Center City that young Black people can call their own. We should be able to hop from one Black bar to the next, instead of feeling like outsiders in this city’s nightlife, or that we have to drive to the outskirts of town to find a place that caters to us. Just as non-Black people enjoy fun and safe weekends in Center City, young Black people must be afforded the same opportunity in spaces that prioritize us.
Recently, Philadelphia created a director of nighttime economy, a position some cities have dubbed a “night mayor,” and hired Raheem Manning to the position. Manning must make developing Black nightlife one of his priorities.
To read Parks’ full op-ed, click here.
What you should know today
Grocery Outlet opened a location in North Philadelphia as part of new PHA development — and the owner is from the neighborhood.
Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz is accusing his Democratic counterpart John Fetterman of being soft on crime, but not all of his claims are accurate.
A member of the popular singing group Brotherly Love was fatally shot outside his South Philly home.
Glossier is opening a retail location in Philly, and now we know where.
Gov. Tom Wolf is suing the Pennsylvania legislature over a proposed package of constitutional amendments, including on abortion.
Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos has been struggling, so we talked to his personal hitting coach about why he “just hasn’t been right.”
Republican nominee for governor Doug Mastriano once called abortion his “No. 1 issue.” Now he says the next governor won’t control abortion policy.
Local Coronavirus numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
As is the case most weeks in Philly, there’s no shortage of concerts in the area. Music critic Dan DeLuca took a look at 11 artists worth checking out, and we’ll highlight three of them here.
Tim Heidecker, whom you may know from his Adult Swim show Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, or from making obscure jazz references on the Netflix meme generator I Think You Should Leave, will be performing at the Fillmore Philadelphia on Friday night. And while you’ll get laughs — the Allentown native will start with a stand-up set — you’ll also see the other side of his persona as he’ll follow that up with a musical set. You can listen to Heidecker’s latest album, High School, here.
The Black Keys will be at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden on Saturday night, and while that’s enough of a draw right there, they’ll also be joined by Band of Horses and local band Ceramic Animal. The Bucks County group has a new album, Sweet Unknown, that is produced by Black Keys guitarist and vocalist Dan Auerbach. Their most popular song, according to Spotify, is this track off their 2016 album, Cart.
Dale! That’s right, Pitbull, a.k.a. Mr. Worldwide, is taking the stage at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden on Tuesday and is bringing along Iggy Azalea and Sean Paul for what he’s calling the Can’t Stop Us Now tour. Good luck getting this song out of your head.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
This area of South Jersey, better known for its produce, is getting a new reputation for its growing number of warehouses.
BLUNT CYAN DECORUM
Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shout-out to a reader at random who answers correctly. Congrats to Pam Reese, who correctly guessed Wells Fargo Center as Wednesday’s anagram.
What we’re...
💪 Enjoying: This New Jersey virus expert flexing her COVID knowledge on Jeopardy!
📺 Watching: Highlights from the Eagles’ first day of training camp.
💸 Learning: What the Fed’s increased interest rates mean for us.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
What is causing the unseasonably cold ocean water temperatures, which could continue through the weekend, at the Jersey Shore?
A) Rip currents
B) Upwelling
C) Dredging
D) Aquaman
Find out if you know the answer.
Photo of the day
That’s it for me today. Ashley Hoffman will be back on Sunday with the next newsletter. Have a great weekend!