Black voters in Philly reflect on a historic Election Week | Morning Newsletter
And, Philly City Council issues an apology for the MOVE bombing.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning, Philly.
First: Rising coronavirus case counts across the region have filled suburban hospitals.
Then: Black voters in Philly discuss the historic nature of Election Week.
And: Philadelphia City Council formally apologized for a tragedy that happened 35 years ago.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Philadelphia’s Black residents make up almost 44 percent of the city’s population. And, according to exit polls, 87% of Black voters favored Biden nationally.
My colleague Brandon T. Harden spoke with more than a dozen Black voters in Philly about the election — discussing everything from how the week felt and the significance of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to their outlook for the next four years and what they’re hoping the Biden administration will address.
Councilmembers voted yesterday to apologize for the MOVE bombing 35 years later. The bombing killed 11 people, including five children, and burned more than 60 homes in West Philadelphia.
A resolution passed unanimously that represents the city’s first formal apology and it establishes the day of the bombing — May 13 — as “an annual day of observation, reflection and recommitment.”
What you need to know today
“Everything is going in the wrong direction,” said N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy about the coronavirus numbers that have been rising across the region. In Pennsylvania all five of the hospitals in Delco were at capacity earlier this week and had to divert patients.
When it comes to poverty, and especially hunger, advocates are optimistic about changes that a Biden administration might present. And, Philadelphia City Council voted to create a nonprofit to help 100,000 get out of poverty.
Two senior Philly government officials who are brothers have been charged with embezzlement. One of them oversaw the Philadelphia Marathon, Broad Street Run, and Mummers Parade
A Philadelphia judge who refused to wear a mask during in-person hearings has contracted the coronavirus.
Hit-and-run drivers have killed four people in Philly the last week.
A Pennsylvania appellate court sided with Trump yesterday, giving the president’s campaign a minor victory. The number of votes that could be thrown out is likely to be “vanishingly small compared to the larger pools of votes Republicans are seeking to have tossed in other ongoing court fights across the state,” my colleague Jeremy Roebuck reports.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
This shot makes the Philadelphia Museum of Art seem a bit spookier than usual. Thanks for sharing, @gerardrunsphilly.
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
💰 The Fraud Street Run was inspired by the Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference and has raised more than $19,000 in donations to Philabundance.
🍄 A key New Jersey Senate committee unanimously approved a bill to decriminalize marijuana — and an unknown senator added an amendment to decrease the penalties for possessing hallucinogenic “magic mushrooms.”
♻️ This is how you should recycle your campaign lawn signs.
🏀 COVID-19 has already upended the college football schedule. And it’s going to be worse for basketball, columnist Mike Jensen writes.
🙌 A new Nicetown mural unveiled in October features a portrait of the Rev. Shayne E. Moore, who grew up just blocks away. Moore was chosen as part of a nationwide mural project that aims to “inspire young people.”
🎉 There’s a virtual Philly dance party happening tomorrow that’s “Part Soul Train, Part TikTok.”
Stay safe, do stuff
Here is one highlight from our weekly events calendar:
🎨 Philadelphia Chalk Festival (Fall event / in-person / kid-friendly / outdoors) Take a stroll through Kensington and Fishtown on Saturday and find beautiful street art outside of venues, restaurants, and attractions for the one-day Philadelphia Chalk Festival. The festival map shows attendees where to find the impressive artworks on their socially distant and self-guided tour. (Free, Nov. 14, phillychalkfest.com, map, add to calendar)
🔎 Find more of this week’s safe kid-friendly, outdoor, and arts events.
Opinions
“Even under the rosiest timelines, these major improvements will be too late for this current wave of cases. It’s time for hard decisions and difficult sacrifices — and our leaders must set the tone.” — writes The Inquirer Editorial Board about avoiding coronavirus fatigue.
Hospitals in Delco are filling with COVID-19 patients. Columnist Maria Panaritis writes about what this latest coronavirus wave might mean for suburban schools.
Columnist Will Bunch writes his column about Georgia, where, he writes, women of color saved democracy.
What we’re reading
President-elect Joe Biden could give Delaware’s tourism industry a boost, WHYY reports.
ESPN has a really interesting story about the Virginia football team, where some of the players are taking steps to create lasting change in Charlotteville that protects it from the hatred that came there in 2017.
Should killing nature be considered criminal? The BBC explores that question.
Your Daily Dose of | Rivalry
When Germantown Academy takes on Penn Charter in football tomorrow, it’ll be the 134th edition of the rivalry. It’s the longest, continuously played prep school series in the country, having begun in 1887. This year’s game, though, was nearly canceled because of the pandemic.