A longer wait for indoor dining and gyms | Morning Newsletter
Plus, why last month was a return to the original intention of Pride.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Somehow, it’s July, and tomorrow is the midpoint of 2020. In certain ways, it feels like this year has flown by, and in other ways, it’s crawling at a snail’s pace. Part of that has been driven by the coronavirus pandemic, which is now forcing Philadelphia to pause its reopening plans. Indoor dining and gyms were supposed to open Friday; now, they won’t. That’s just one of the coronavirus-related restrictions that have been put in place across the region in recent days, from an expansion of two-week quarantine mandates in New Jersey to Delaware’s closing bars in its beach towns.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
It was a different Pride month this year in Philly, in that many of the celebrations that typically dot June’s calendar were canceled due to COVID-19. My colleagues Raishad Hardnett and Lauren Schneiderman spoke with Black queer and trans organizers in Philly about that. Many said that the last month, filled with protests against police brutality and calls for justice for Black lives, was a return to the original intention of Pride, which was started by trans women of color.
A recent rise in the city’s confirmed coronavirus cases has led Philadelphia to pause some of its reopening plans. For example, indoor dining won’t be allowed, and fitness centers can’t open on Friday as previously planned. Indoor shopping malls, casinos, museums, and libraries will still open Friday.
The city’s health commissioner said there were 142 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in the past 24 hours. The number of confirmed cases in Philadelphia is higher in the last week than it was the previous week, the commissioner said.
Joe Girardi’s history in baseball is quite a story. Many of the characters in that journey, which took Girardi from Peoria, Ill., to New York and now to Philadelphia, helped my colleague Bob Brookover share that story in their own words, and that includes Girardi himself.
Through comments from former teammates, managers, and more, and old photos and videos, you can learn how Girardi’s winding journey through baseball prepared him to manage the Phillies.
What you need to know today
The Philadelphia Police Department spent nearly $18 million in overtime during the protests. That’s more than triple the department’s average monthly overtime costs over the last five years, according to data.
By this time next year, Philadelphia is projected to have just $51 million in savings. The city expects to have spent $387 million of its long-term reserves to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
A Philadelphia contractor admitted in court yesterday that he took union money for work done on John J. Dougherty’s house and others.
Some SEPTA fare changes kick in today. We have the details.
Plymouth Meeting-based Inovio announced “positive” results from its early-stage testing of its coronavirus vaccine. But the company didn’t release complete data.
Which Democrat will get to face Rep. Jeff Van Drew, an ex-Dem, in New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District? Next week, a storied dynasty, a political machine, and a progressive square off.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Buildings or summer sky? Where does one start and where does one end? Thanks for sharing, @phillyphattours.
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
🌈Gritty got the Queer Eye treatment. You can watch the episode here.
🏟️High school sports in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are still up in the air as fall seasons inch closer.
🛫American Airlines will start booking full flights this month. Here’s a peek at what the new safety protocols will look like.
🏒The NHL says 26 players have tested positive for COVID-19. The Flyers and the rest of the league have approved a return-to-play format featuring 24 teams.
🎬The Netflix documentary series Basketball or Nothing, made by the WorkShop Content Studios in Radnor, profiles a high school basketball team in the Navajo Nation town of Chinle, Ariz. That community has been particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic.
🏀Tobias Harris admitted that the Sixers had chemistry issues. That’s just one of the questions facing the team as it preps to resume the NBA season.
Opinions
“My father spent his life speaking up against injustice and working to improve the lives of poor people who had been denied opportunities and justice. If he were still with us, he would enthusiastically support today’s protests for reform and be excited by the participation of marchers drawn from all ethnicities, Black, brown, and white.” — writes Julie Sullivan, a clinical assistant professor at Arizona State and the daughter of the late Rev. Leon H. Sullivan, a civil rights leader. She writes about her father’s “total commitment to total solutions” and what that means today.
Do you feel safe eating outdoors at a Philly restaurant? An emergency physician and a Lower Merion High School student debate.
Columnist Helen Ubiñas writes about a group of musicians who have come together during the coronavirus pandemic to stay sharp for their jobs while forming personal bonds with each other.
What we’re reading
A Delaware law “immunizes” police officers from “criminal responsibility” when they shoot people. Since 2005, police in the state have shot 56 people, WHYY reports.
Incarcerated journalists at San Quentin State Prison in California and elsewhere have begun to occupy an important in the national prison reform conversation, Politico reports.
Ten years ago, the NBA changed. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh joined forces with the Miami Heat. ESPN looks back at the maneuvers that made that possible.
Your Daily Dose of | Lemonade
Meet Micah Harrigan (a.k.a. @micahsmixx on Instagram). The 10-year-old has been selling a half-dozen flavors of lemonade and iced tea from a table at 23rd and Sigel Streets in South Philadelphia. He started developing this plan last winter and began selling in March. He has a debit card for purchasing supplies and his own LLC for taxes, as well as a growing social-media following that’s translating into a sales boost.