Mayor Kenney approved tear gas use | Morning Newsletter
And, Black Lives Matter has brought a reckoning on race to Philly restaurants.
The Morning Newsletter
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During a City Council budget hearing yesterday, Council members indicated they wanted to see changes made to the Philly Police Department. And, Pennsylvania has lifted some coronavirus-related restrictions on certain outdoor sports and activities.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
When protests of racism and police brutality escalated in West Philadelphia on May 31, Mayor Jim Kenney and a handful of other city officials made the broad authorization to allow police to use tear gas to control crowds of people demonstrating.
That information was revealed yesterday during a city budget hearing in which Council members questioned the police response to protests while advocating for changes to the department.
While some Philly restaurateurs and chefs have put out statements, pledged donations, or decorated their restaurants’ facades with messages of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, others in the white-male-dominated industry are “are flailing in those attempts, resulting in criticism from staff and customers,” my colleague Samantha Melamed writes. Take what happened at the popular Queen Village spot Hungry Pigeon, for example.
Melamed reports that a larger reckoning with internal issues of racism might lead to a profound shift in restaurants, comparing what’s happening in kitchen culture to the #MeToo movement.
“The restaurant industry is built on white supremacy," chef Kurt Evans said.
My colleague and Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan wrote this week that he has “not devoted enough coverage over the years to the black community’s food scene — something I plan to change.” For those of you looking to support Philly’s black-owned restaurants, he wrote about some of his favorites.
Athletes, rejoice. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is allowing professional, college, high school, and youth sports to resume. He also lifted coronavirus-related restrictions on outdoor venues. When it comes to sports, there are still certain restrictions, though.
Outdoor dining is also returning, again with restrictions. For example, whenever guests aren’t seated, they need to wear masks. And, people are only allowed inside a restaurant to access an outdoor area or to use restrooms.
What you need to know today
The phrase “defund the police” means different things depending on who you ask. But most say “defunding” is about reallocating some money away from police and using it to fund social services. My colleague Grace Dickinson explains what “defunding the police” means and could look like in Philly.
Coronavirus cases are trending downward in the region, but not in Chester County.
For some business owners, “black owned” signs provided protection from the people who were “targeting property as a way to fight social forces," said a Rutgers history professor.
Political campaign and grassroots volunteers are learning how to get their message out during a pandemic.
Protests in small, sometimes rural towns in Pennsylvania since George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer are signs of big changes.
Fishtown’s “End Racism Now” street painting is causing controversy a week after police and armed vigilantes clashed with peaceful protesters in the neighborhood.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
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That’s interesting
🍿The governor doesn’t allow it. But this New Jersey movie theater is open anyway.
🎙️The Mann Center’s entire 2020 pop concert schedule has been canceled, including the Roots Picnic.
⛳Pro golf returns to our TVs this weekend, and CBS Sports’ chairman said the prep for the broadcast has been more complicated than Super Bowls and Final Fours.
🛒Grocery stores might seem like they’d be able to financially weather a pandemic. But the reality is much, much different.
🤓Not all Pennsylvania state universities will reopen at the same time.
⚽The Philadelphia Union and Major League Soccer will kick-off a tournament July 8, with 54 games in 26 days.
Opinions
“As Philadelphia and the nation enter a third week of protests against police brutality, debates about how to reform policing are gaining momentum. But those debates will lead nowhere unless we dispel with the delusion that because police are funded with tax dollars, they will be accountable to the public. That’s a delusion because of a dangerous force: police unions that are actively fighting against change or accountability. That includes Philadelphia’s Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5.” — writes the Inquirer Editorial Board about why elected officials in Philadelphia should not be afraid of the city’s police union.
Solomon Jones writes about being The Inquirer’s only black male news columnist and why that speaks to a bigger issue.
Housing has helped many people who are homeless survive COVID-19. Moving forward, resources to house homeless people shouldn’t only be used when there’s a public health threat, write Dr. Mara Gordon, an assistant professor of family medicine at Rowan University’s medical school, and Kathleen Noonan, CEO of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers.
What we’re reading
The Philadelphia Tribune writes about a gathering of families in West Philadelphia to teach about police brutality. “The kids get a chance to learn about what’s going on and a chance to speak out,” a neighborhood outreach worker said.
In the past, economic downturns have, according to some measures, reduced gender inequality. But that hasn’t been the case with COVID-19, the Economist reports.
Wired looks at the history of vaccines.
Your Daily Dose of | Rooftop music
West Philly musicians performed a socially distanced concert to support Black Lives Matter this week. Here are some pictures of the event, and a video, too.