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The fate of Philly’s soda tax; Soccer star’s impact on Union’s Latino fans | Morning Newsletter

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Dayanna Cardenas of Phila. (left) and Javier Suarez of Philly dance a Columbian salsa during a gathering prior to the FC Dallas vs. Phila. Union MLS soccer match at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pa. on April 6, 2019.
Dayanna Cardenas of Phila. (left) and Javier Suarez of Philly dance a Columbian salsa during a gathering prior to the FC Dallas vs. Phila. Union MLS soccer match at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pa. on April 6, 2019.Read moreELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer

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Soccer star Marco Fabián came to the Philadelphia Union to help the team reach new heights on the field. But the organization also hopes he revitalizes a segment of the fan base. But his presence alone might not be enough for the team to win back the hearts of Latino soccer fans. Clearly not everyone is a fan of Philly’s soda tax. While it’s viewed as Mayor Jim Kenney’s signature achievement, voters could determine its fate in the City Council elections. And while most of us aren’t fans of robocallers, we decided to call back one of Philly’s most notorious.

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— Ray Boyd (@RayBoydDigital, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

One of the newest members of the Philadelphia Union hopes to revitalize a segment of the team’s fanbase. Marco Fabián is a Mexican-born player who last played professionally in Europe. Now, some Latino Union fans are flocking to the team’s games to see him play — a result Union executives were hoping for.

However, others are still skeptical. Some people believe the team’s outreach efforts toward the Latino community have been inconsistent over the years, leaving many to wonder if Fabián’s presence is enough.

Some say the Union have not shown enough cariño, or care and affection, to the Latinos in the area. Meanwhile, the team has touted a number of initiatives aimed at creating a connection.

City Council passed Philadelphia’s soda tax in 2016. But whether it continues much longer may depend on the makeup of Council after the May 21 primary election.

The tax, which funds pre-K and other educational initiatives, is widely viewed as Mayor Kenney’s signature first-term achievement, but is used by opponents to attack him. However, the real battle over the tax is being waged in the council races.

Council has the power to vote to repeal or change the 1.5 cents-per-ounce tax. Of the 36 Democratic council candidates who responded to an Inquirer survey, half said they support the tax and half said they don’t. Republican candidates were unified in their opposition.

For months Will has been badgering Philadelphians with prerecorded messages, offering to buy properties in the city and New Jersey. It’s all an effort to find cheap property in hot neighborhoods by preying on vulnerable homeowners.

Not to mention, the calls are illegal under federal law. And they seem to be ramping up.

So, my colleagues Christian Hetrick and Julia Terruso decided to give Will a call back. He never picked up, but Hetrick and Terruso were led to evasive “investors” and a large robocall operation that touched major cities across the country.

What you need to know today

  1. A lion statue gifted to a Chinatown school was toppled over and smashed. Now, Philly officials are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.

  2. About 50,000 Pennsylvania students get private school scholarships funded by businesses that receive tax credits for their donations. A bill in Harrisburg would expand the program, but critics want lawmakers to focus on public education funding.

  3. If you purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace like millions of other Americans, analysts say a new rule could cause your premiums to go up in 2020.

  4. Ahead of the 2020 race for the White House, Joe Biden held his first campaign rally Monday. The event made it clear that Pennsylvania will be central to his presidential campaign and took aim at a key part of President Trump’s coalition.

  5. The Sixers defeated the Raptors 94-89 last night behind a stellar performance from Jimmy Don’t call me James Butler. The squad also received a much needed lift from Ben Simmons and some unsung heroes on the bench. The series is tied 1-1 and heads to Philly for Games 3 and 4.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

That beautiful shot almost makes you forget it’s only Tuesday. Thanks for sharing, @jwalter211.

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

  1. When a Montgomery County couple’s daughter was born, there was no doubt about what they’d name her after: the couple’s favorite Philly restaurant. Meet Audrey Claire Craparo.

  2. Philly was famously a city of corner stores before development made those businesses an endangered species. But one corner drug store is standing strong in North Philly, warding off the passage of time with “accessibility and reliability.”

  3. Phillies fans were delighted to see two wins at Citizens Bank Park over the weekend. But the victories didn’t sound the same. That’s because for the first time in a long time, public address announcer Dan Baker wasn’t there.

  4. A reader used our Curious Philly platform to ask why 15th Street Station on Philly’s Market Frankford Line isn’t just called City Hall like the Broad Street Line. The name difference between the two has confused its share of riders, but it turns out there’s a method to the madness.

  5. How are you feeling? I ask because according to a new survey, Pennsylvania is the nation’s 17th most stressed state. And for some reason, we’re the most stressed on a day when others typically relax.

Opinions

“A fair and open trial is a way to ensure that there is a public record of misconduct — and give a chance for the accused to clear his or her name. That is one of many arguments for reforming the statute of limitations. ... It might be time to end secret settlements for elected officials — especially when we are the ones paying for them.” — The Inquirer Editorial Board on the need for fair and open trials to discourage secrecy.

  1. Democrats are working to deceive Pennsylvanians when it comes to Trump tax cuts, writes American Continental Group president David Urban. He says the cuts are helping the state’s middle class.

  2. If District Attorney Larry Krasner wants to cement his legacy in Philly, he should take a page from President Ronald Reagan’s playbook and cut his budget, argues opinion writer Abraham Gutman.

What we’re reading

  1. The Guardian offers the heartbroken story of a woman who lost her life to the opioid crisis gripping the country. Her death sparked legal action against the opioid industry. The legal action singled out the woman and her family as the faces of “real people” devastated by this epidemic.

  2. PlanPhilly looks at new research that suggests that Philly’s poorest residents are seeing their housing costs rise faster than the wealthy, while the richest among us seem to be seeing an uptick in income.

  3. I always suggest a good cheesesteak to newcomers, but next time I meet someone visiting our city, I’ll pass along Eater’s map of the 25 most iconic Philly dishes. We’ve got a lot more than cheesesteaks.

  4. When Democrats step in the booth in 2020, they could be casting a vote for Joe Biden for president. However, if they’re a weed advocate, they may not be happy about it, Rolling Stone reports.

A Daily Dose of | 🎶 Inspiration

Ahead of this weekend’s Broad Street Run, we spoke with people across Philly’s fitness and music scenes to put together the ultimate playlist of songs to push you to your personal running best.