City to close Philly homeless encampments today | Morning Newsletter
Plus, the impact flu season could have on the coronavirus.
The Morning Newsletter
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Yesterday, Philadelphia posted second notices at two homeless encampments saying they’d be cleared out this morning. The first closure notice was posted last month but action was postponed to extend negotiations.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
City posts notices that Philly homeless encampments on the Parkway and Ridge Avenue must close today
City officials had been negotiating with encampment organizers to find a way to house those who were living there. But they appeared to be too far apart, leading Mayor Jim Kenney to say that continuing the talks would be “fruitless.” Officials ordered that the sites would be shuttered when signs were posted Monday morning.
In recent years, about 1.5 million students in Pennsylvania were transported by school buses daily, according to the state Department of Transportation. But it’s still unclear how many students will need buses this fall. The unknowns presented by the coronavirus pandemic have created questions about the future of school bus drivers, a group already facing worker shortages, my colleague Patricia Madej reports.
Keeping kids as safe as possible on buses this year will involve some of the safety practices that have become routine in other areas of everyday life, from enhanced cleaning and enforced social distancing to face masks.
An annual party to remember an 18-year-old who was fatally shot in 2013 turned violent Saturday night in North Philadelphia. Multiple people opened fire on a crowd of about 200, leaving five people shot. It was part of a weekend of violence across the city in which more than 30 people were shot. On Monday, a police spokesperson said there had been no arrests so far in the quintuple shooting.
What you need to know today
The flu is about to make the coronavirus situation even worse. My colleague Stacey Burling writes about what you need to know about getting a flu shot.
In Pennsylvania and elsewhere, it’s taking weeks to get coronavirus test results. State officials say there might be a promising solution. But there’s a catch.
Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta on giving a keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention: “I don’t know if I’ll ever get over the fact that a poor, black, gay kid from North Philly is about to be on this stage.”
Though society has begun to reopen, caregivers say they’re still staying in out of fear that they could infect their loved ones.
Par Funding, a Philadelphia firm that’s facing charges of investment fraud, had been ordered by a court to have its doors locked and access to documents forbidden. But officials allege that employees remotely downloaded more than 100,000 company records in recent days and altered some.
A 4-year-old Tacony boy is fighting for his life as police search for the hit-and-run driver who struck him Sunday after the boy got ice cream.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Yeah ... I might need to find one of those today. Thanks for sharing, @twogirlseattheworld.
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That’s interesting
🏀The Sixers dropped Game 1 of their playoff series against Boston because of the same weakness they’ve always had, columnist David Murphy writes.
🏒Although the Flyers lead Montreal by 2-1 in their playoff series, they’ve been living on the edge in part because of the disappointing power play.
🐀If you’re repeatedly seeing cockroaches or mice in your home, who’s responsible for dealing with the problem — you or your landlord?
🏨An affordable housing development is scheduled to break ground next year at the former site of a notorious hotel in North Philadelphia.
🍻A bar with a side of groceries is coming to Point Breeze next month.
🎻The Philadelphia Orchestra’s plan to get back on stage this fall will be smaller and virtual.
Opinions
“Those of us growing up as first- or second-generation Americans straddle two worlds. That’s just our reality. When someone refuses to make an effort in learning our names, we can experience it as a rejection of this dual identity.” — writes Neha Mukherjee, an Indian American writer from the Philadelphia area, about the importance of correctly pronouncing names, including that of Kamala Harris.
Keith Martin, the owner and operator of Elysian Fields Sheep Farm and Pure Bred Lamb, writes about depending on Congress to support the flailing farming industry.
Tien Sydnor-Campbell, a volunteer patient advocate and member of the Global Healthy Living Foundation’s 50-State Network, writes about a Pennsylvania bill that could help protect people with chronic health conditions.
What we’re reading
The Philadelphia Business Journal published a column examining how missteps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Free Library illustrate the importance of listening to employees’ concerns about workplace culture.
The New York Times Opinion section created a searchable map of U.S. counties that looks at whether it’s safe for schools to reopen based on coronavirus case data.
In the last week, Northern California experienced “fire tornadoes,” the Los Angeles Times reports. And, in the Midwest, a derecho with winds reaching over 100 mph ravaged parts of Iowa, according to the Des Moines Register.
Your Daily Dose of | Community
Philly nonprofit ECO (Education Culture Opportunities) has been a presence to the communities in Southwest and West Philly. Yesterday, the ECO Foundation celebrated the grand opening of the ECO Center, its first home of its own.
“We would go wherever people needed us — wherever we can serve, we move,” said Kyle “the Conductor” Morris, 30, ECO’s executive director. “This will be a really great opportunity to have a hub – one place where we can really meet the needs of the community, tap in, and figure out what they want.”