Has the soda tax revenue rebuilt anything yet? How friendships impact a boy with childhood Alzheimer’s. | Morning Newsletter
Plus, we recap last night’s Democratic debate.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
We’ll start today with a heartwarming story about an 11-year-old boy with a terminal illness. Columnist Maria Panaritis and photographer Tom Gralish spent time with him and his friends at school and they tell the story of what true friendship really looks like.
In other news, we recap last night’s Democratic debate, update you on where the soda tax money is (or isn’t) going, and relay advice from Bryce Harper on how to legally steal signs (looking at you, Houston).
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
They call themselves “Connor’s Crew," a group of BFFs who can’t get enough of Connor Dobbyn, who, at just 11 years old, may be gone before any of them graduate from high school. The West Vincent Elementary School student has Sanfilippo syndrome, a rare, terminal disease known as “childhood Alzheimer’s." It’s been stripping him of IQ points, language, life expectancy, and the outward traits of an ordinary child.
My colleagues, columnist Maria Panaritis and photojournalist Tom Gralish, spent time at Connor’s Chester County school after Panaritis first wrote about him last month. They spoke to his friends, the children who know that Connor’s brain is under attack, but also that they still love being around him.
“I know he’s probably going to die before everyone else will," one of his friends said. "That’s why I want to enjoy being with him — before he dies.”
Mayor Jim Kenney’s signature achievement — taxing soda and sweetened beverages — brought hope for dozens of dilapidated facilities around the city. There was a promise of a $500 million investment in parks, recreation centers, and libraries called “Rebuild.” And it was to be funded largely by the new tax.
But nearly four years after City Council passed the beverage tax, little construction work has begun.
As Kenney starts his second term, about two dozen projects — many of them are small-scale items such as replacing roofing and sidewalks — are complete. Dozens more are underway. But, the biggest promises are in the planning stages or have yet to launch. And, the project’s budget and scope have shrunk.
Unlike the bail reform that has swept through New Jersey and New York, bail reform in Pennsylvania has inched forward at a more cautious pace. In the Keystone State, change has been pushed by litigation rather than legislation.
As a result of a lawsuit filed last year by the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia’s court leadership agreed to changes that could lead to more people being released before their trials. And now, it’s up to the state Supreme Court to decide whether those changes go far enough.
What you need to know today
Former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg came under fire in his first run on the Democrats’ debate stage last night as did Sen. Bernie Sanders, in his ninth.
Philadelphia leaders are pledging to renew efforts to enforce a law that protects immigrants from fraud. The pledge came in response to an Inquirer investigation that detailed how two immigration services providers posed as lawyers to take advantage of immigrants in the region.
A new study looked at why 100 million people sit out election after election without voting. The reasons have a lot to do with how people feel about politics in general.
The Harrisburg Catholic diocese has become the first to declare bankruptcy in Pennsylvania under the weight of clergy sex-abuse claims.
Advocates who want to shut down the Berks County migrant detention center are now suing Pennsylvania, not the federal authorities who confine families there.
Nearly 20 Pennsylvania lawmakers are not seeking reelection in 2020. Why?
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
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That’s interesting
⚾How to steal signs legally, according to Bryce Harper.
📦Amazon is seeking millions in taxpayer money from Delaware for a giant warehouse that’s replacing the former GM plant near Wilmington
🎧Still not in the podcast game? We’ve got some suggestions for you on Philly podcasts ranging from sports to true crime to food.
🌮A viral tweet helped launch a South Philly taqueria in December. Months later, it’s still keeping up.
🎉A new trend in baby showers: a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme.
🗓️Here’s what to do in Philadelphia this week, including Mardi Gras with Mummers, East Passyunk Avenue Restaurant Week, and Post Malone at the Wells Fargo Center. And, if you want to get these recommendations in your inbox each week, you can sign up here.
Opinions
“Just because a policy reflects our values of empathy and civil rights doesn’t constrict its power as an effective public safety tool. And just because a policy seems ‘tough,’ that doesn’t mean it makes us any safer.” — writes Frank Corrado, a lawyer in Cape May County, about New Jersey’s immigrant trust directive after the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit challenging it.
After hundreds of lawsuits and thousands of claims alleging child sex abuse, the Boy Scouts filed for bankruptcy, which may block justice for victims, writes Marci A. Hamilton, a professor at Penn and CEO of the nonprofit CHILD USA.
With Philly awarding $8 billion verdicts against companies, the city can become less antibusiness by looking at the courts, write Tiger Joyce, the president of the American Tort Reform Association, and Curt Schroder, a former member of the Pa. House of Representatives and current executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform.
What we’re reading
Philadelphia Magazine writes about a microcinema in West Philly that’s set to open. And it’s giving cinephiles hope.
Typically, Little Free Libraries allow you to take a book and leave a book. But a new one in Philly is filled with something a bit different, Billy Penn reports.
Yes, the “ultimate Instagram plant” exists. It’s called the pink princess philodendron, with a price tag in the triple digits. And Wired has the story behind its complicated following.
Your Daily Dose of | The UpSide
Barbara Hinckley lost $18,000 in savings to a con man. When it was all over, she said she had less than $9 in her account. But all was not lost. A spaghetti dinner saved the day. Friends, neighbors, and strangers came together to share a meal and raise money to help Hinckley. With donations ranging from $5 to more than $1,000, they raised enough to bring her account back to its original balance.