What Pa. lawmakers did instead of facing the coronavirus | Morning Newsletter
And, John Chaney in their words.
The Morning Newsletter
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Good morning from The Inquirer newsroom. Punxsutawney Phil knows all this year. Philly recorded four straight days of snow for only the fourth time ever, and forecasters expect that our wintry weather is here to stay into March.
First: Only 27 of the laws that Pennsylvania enacted last year addressed the coronavirus, and this is why.
Then: In their own words, friends, players and even former sports rivals remember legendary Temple basketball coach John Chaney ahead of his funeral next week.
And: The RNA vaccines have been shown to give people near-complete protections, and there are reasons for the delay. It all comes down to the source.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Of the 140 laws enacted last year, the nation’s largest full-time legislature passed 27 that addressed the coronavirus, according to Spotlight PA’s review of the General Assembly’s record.
The GOP-controlled chambers spent more time checking Gov. Tom Wolf’s expanded powers on coronavirus safety-related restrictions, as it turns out, and there were consequences. (In one instance, they passed over relief measures with bipartisan backing and the state’s renters lost out on $108 million in aid, which ultimately went to the Department of Corrections budget instead.)
While they did approve aid to ease pandemic-related financial hardships, Wolf’s shutdowns got a great deal of attention, Spotlight PA found. There were several factors at play in a once-in-a-century year, of course.
Read on for the big takeaways from Spotlight PA’s review.
John Chaney will forever be remembered as an American original, and his success as a coach isn’t the only legacy he’ll be leaving behind. The Naismith Hall of Famer, who passed away Friday at age 89, was an integral part of the community off the court, raising his voice for the greater good.
Read on for remembrances of his stylistic coaching, his Chaney-isms (“We have to know how to dance all the dances — fast and slow,”) and even chance run-ins from people who won’t soon forget their Chaney interaction.
Helpful COVID-19 Resources
Here are the updated coronavirus case numbers as COVID-19 continues to spread across the region.
Use our lookup tool to see where you can get a COVID-19 vaccine in the Philly area.
How to avoid COVID-19 vaccine scams.
How does the virus affect your entire body?
What you need to know today
The apparently highly effective RNA vaccines have never been manufactured before, and it’s a process. This is how that works.
“We could easily vaccinate this whole neighborhood if we had the vaccine.” Dozens of local pharmacies are ready to inoculate people, but they’re still left waiting on the green light from the city.
It may feel as if sharing your COVID-19 vaccination card is the opportunity of a lifetime. Don’t. Anyone could simply take your information.
Advocates are urging faster releases of prisoners. The slowdown has kept a mother of four from her husband, who she says should have been moving along with his sentencing process by now.
Gov. Tom Wolf is asking to tax Pennsylvania’s top earners more in one of his boldest budget proposals yet.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
A frozen moment. Thanks for sharing, @tehkelsey.
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
🛌 “COVID-somnia” or the deepest sleep they’ve ever had. This is how the pandemic is affecting sleep.
☕ Coffee shops are popping up in South Jersey and this is Mike Klein’s piping-hot take.
🥪 Now here’s a deli that’s mastering the basics.
🎻 The Philadelphia Orchestra Lunar New Year livestreamed concert is collecting high praise.
Opinions
“The bureaucratic bungling supposedly was an accident. If so, what a fatalistic blow. One can only wonder why, in Pennsylvania, civil justice remains eternally elusive for a class of citizens already subjected as children to some of the worst violence and trauma imaginable.” — columnist Maria Panaritis writes about the error that’s delaying justice for sex-abuse victims.
The late John Chaney went above the job of the coach to uplift young Philadelphians, journalist Rashad Grove writes.
“If you’re really paying attention, one-person protests completely alter the tired idea that ‘Philadelphia residents don’t care,” columnist Helen Ubiñas writes.
What we’re reading
Get into an interesting perspective on being a beauty pageant loser in this essay from The Walrus.
What do you think of the Union’s new secondary jersey, lightning bolts and all?