Philly schools are reopening. Here’s the plan. | Morning Newsletter
And, a fascinating start to a U.S. Senate race.
The Morning Newsletter
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Good morning from The Inquirer newsroom.
Potent March winds are hitting the Philly region with possible outages. Here’s what we know about the weather for the next several days.
First: After a battle, the Philadelphia School District will reopen in waves starting this week with teachers.
Then: The early Senate race sees John Fetterman up against Malcolm Kenyatta. Both are progressive. How will they be different?
And: Philly says it will align with Pa.’s new crowd size rules for events, likely opening the door for sports fans.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Philly schools will open their doors this month to students, many of whom haven’t set foot in a classroom in almost a year.
Per the new deal, some teachers will begin reporting to buildings Wednesday, with students at 53 schools starting in-person classes next Monday.
This reintroduction to in-person instruction is going to happen in waves. To start, Pre-K through second-grade students are first up through March 22. By the end of this rollout, the expectation is that all grades will be eligible to go back.
The PFT’s environmental scientist says every room that will be used will be ready for in-person learning, according to the union. The school system has long been plagued by environmental issues, and the proposal to use window fans to ventilate some classrooms drew wide criticism. So, expect no window fans. Rooms without sufficient ventilation with have air purifiers.
Here’s everything we know so far about Philly schools reopening.
Pennsylvania’s 2022 Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat is already off to a pretty progressive start now that Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta are both in. Fetterman got into the ring early, and Kenyatta followed soon after.
The stakes: The race to replace Sen. Pat Toomey will help decide which party has Senate control after the midterms.
What’s next: This just shows the ascendant left powering Democratic politics, even with a fairly moderate White House resident in the mix. Let’s remember that Biden won Pennsylvania narrowly and Democrats didn’t fare quite so well for the battleground prize on many other fronts. That leaves Kenyatta and Fetterman to distinguish themselves.
It could come down to stylistic differences more than anything else. Read on for the full story.
Where can you get a vaccine in the Philly area if you’re eligible? Use our lookup tool and find out.
Here are the updated coronavirus case numbers, as COVID-19 spreads in the region.
This is why you still can’t socialize without a mask on, even if you’ve been vaccinated.
What you need to know today
Philly is easing restrictions as COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations decline. In order to stay safe, mask-wearing, social distancing, and hand washing will be key.
Philly’s first federal COVID-19 mass vaccination site already is having to fend off people who aren’t eligible after the site was flooded with ineligible vaccine seekers.
All of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium’s vaccine clinics will now be walk-up.
You may end up having to pay back part of your ACA insurance subsidy this tax season.
Chester County officials don’t want government workers talking about their jobs to anyone after an Inquirer report revealed major problems with the county’s COVID-19 antibody testing program, investigative reporter William Bender writes.
DA Larry Krasner says four people will be charged in a string of West Philly shootings.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
It’s worth having a look around Philly through the lens of Judith. Thanks for sharing, @judith_krasinski.
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
🖼️ You think you know Van Gogh, but you haven’t been immersed in one of his paintings, virtual reality style. This summer is your chance to get into Vinny’s headspace if you don’t mind waiting for tickets.
❄️ Winter weather forecasts were off for Philly. That’s because this force of nature stole the show.
⚕️ All of Tower Health could be available to be acquired in a new push to save the troubled health system.
Opinions
“The news is that others need the news to remind them that Asians in America deserve to be treated as complete humans. The news is that anti-Asian prejudice runs so deep I have to spend time fighting racist—yes, racist—mac and cheese that equates an Asian condiment with COVID-19.” — Anne Ishii, the executive director of the Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia, on how her fight against anti-Asian discrimination had her confronting racist mac and cheese.
Miss serendipitous moments? The pandemic has robbed us of spontaneity. Here’s what you can do now to get it back, columnist Elizabeth Wellington writes.
President Biden didn’t show strength bombing Syria, or on MBS, columnist Will Bunch writes. He just made America look weak.
What we’re reading
Go behind the scenes of Britain’s unrelenting battle with COVID-19 with the New York Times.
A 15-year-old Chester County whiz of a kid published a how-to guide on chess.