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Philly’s vaccine disparity in one ratio | Morning Newsletter

And, we could see 70 degrees this week.

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

21 to 1 — That’s the ratio of how many COVID-19 vaccine doses Rite Aid has given to white people in comparison to Black people, according to new city data. Rite Aid is the city’s second-biggest vaccine distributor. Only one-third of Philly residents are non-Hispanic whites, but are receiving the majority of vaccines from Rite Aid. And communities of color have disproportionately suffered the pandemic’s devastating impacts.

See the numbers from my colleagues Jonathan Lai and Laura McCrystal.

And after a colder weekend, Philly could see 70 degrees this week. But the spring-like weather may not stick around for now, so take advantage of it while you can.

And this week, I chatted with reporter Oona Goodin-Smith about her work covering breaking news with The Inquirer’s Now team.

— Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

The week ahead

  1. Philly Proud Boys president Zach Rehl marched on the Capitol and eventually breached the security perimeter, as seen in images from Jan. 6. He hasn’t been charged.

  2. The Philly suburbs, specifically Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties, have been getting an undersupply of vaccine doses for weeks, leaving millions of suburbanites underserved. Columnist Maria Panaritis has been tracking state Health Department data on the vaccine rollout and is wondering why the distribution plan isn’t better by now.

  3. Rite Aid — Philly’s second-biggest vaccine distributor — gave 21 doses to white people for every one dose a Black person received, new city data show. This is direct evidence of a racial disparity in vaccine distribution that Philadelphia officials have said they’re committed to improving.

  4. The Senate passed a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, including a third round of stimulus checks. The bill still needs to pass the House before any money can go out, but this is a step closer to President Biden signing it into law.

  5. Who gets the $1,400 stimulus checks this time around, and when? Here’s what to know about the checks, as the bill stands now.

  6. And tonight, fans will be allowed back in the Wells Fargo Center for the first time in about a year. New state restrictions allow for about 3,100 fans to attend Sunday’s Flyers game.

This week’s most popular stories

Behind the story with Oona Goodin-Smith

Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with reporter Oona Goodin-Smith, who covers breaking news and general assignment stories with our Now team.

Can you describe your role on the Now team?

As the team name suggests, I report on the news in Philadelphia that’s going on now: Some days that’s covering breaking news, some days it’s looking into the city’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, sometimes it’s covering a protest or event, and sometimes it’s taking a trip to Four Seasons Total Landscaping.

What’s an average day for you — if that exists with breaking news?

There’s not much of an average, but I prepare and focus on the things I can control: having a bag ready with PPE, notepads, water, and a phone charger, checking my Slack, email, and social media early and often for potential assignments or developing stories, and staying current on news happening across the country. Most days lately have consisted of some mix of making phone calls and sending emails, checking in with sources, doing interviews, writing, and lots of coffee. I like collaborating, so sometimes I’ll team up with other reporters from across the newsroom to work on a story.

What stories have you worked on recently that you’re proud of?

I’m proud of the work our team produced while digging into the vaccine rollout fiasco involving Philly Fighting COVID. This isn’t as recent, but I’m also proud to have had a hand in covering this summer’s unrest and antiracism protests in Philly, and particularly in bringing to light residents’ stories about what happened on 52nd Street last May, when police shot rubber bullets and tear gas into a residential neighborhood. And, on a much lighter note, interviewing the owners of Four Seasons Total Landscaping about Rudy Giuliani’s press conference there was a lot of fun.

Why did you decide to become a journalist and why breaking news reporting?

Since I was a kid, I’ve always been interested in writing, reading and in learning about other people’s stories and experiences. In college, when I was working at a local pool and still figuring out what I wanted to do when I grew up, I wound up taking a prerequisite journalism class (h/t to Professor Garry Gilbert at Oakland University) where everything seemed to click into place. From there, I joined the student newspaper, did some internships, and the rest was history. Working at The Flint Journal in Flint, Mich. after college only solidified my love for local reporting. I like the relevance of breaking news: many times, it’s delivering information and seeking answers that matter to a community most in a particular moment.

What do you do in your down time to relax? Got any good book or show recommendations?

I’m one of the new pandemic pup parents my colleague Erin McCarthy wrote about, so a lot of my time not working lately is spent walking/cuddling/training/taking an obsessive amount of photos of my 1.5-year-old rescue lab mix, Oscar. I also listen to a lot of music, mostly recommendations from my much cooler younger brother.

Email Oona Goodin-Smith at ogoodin-smith@inquirer.com and follow her on Twitter at @oonagoodinsmith.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

Hope you’re enjoying your weekend more than this bulldog. Thanks for sharing these adorable pics, @kinggeorgeofaddison!

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!

Practical steps to cut down on your energy use

Heating is by far the biggest energy eater for Philly-area homes. That typically accounts for nearly 60% of utility expenses, so it makes sense to focus on cutting that first. You can turn your thermostat down, but it also makes sense to better insulate your home. If there are spots that leak heat, you’ll need to use more energy to keep your house constantly warm. Learn more about this and other money-saving tips here.

What we’re…

  1. Eating: Northeast Philly takeout. Food critic Craig LaBan has a list of 11 restaurants for takeout dishes from around the world.

  2. Anticipating: Van Gogh in Philly. A new exhibit is headed our way later this year, but it’s not exactly the same as the one in Chicago. Check out the difference and how to buy tickets here.

  3. Listening to: calming violin. Curtis Institute of Music student Maya Anjali Buchanan performed for two minutes on video, and you can watch it for a moment of peace.

Question of the week

What’s something you achieved after a long time, or “late” in life, that you’re proud of? It took Joe Biden three tries and 32 years to become president, so we asked our Instagram followers what took them a while to achieve. Here are a few of their answers:

🎓 “I graduated High School in 1968, left college in 1970 after I married. I graduated college in 2003.”

💰 “Financial independence 🙏🏽”

👟 “I started running at age 53.”

💗 “My beautiful smart intelligent daughter.”

🍎 “Getting a teaching job with a public school district.”

And see what took five Philadelphians awhile to achieve, from winning a World Series to learning to ride a bike, in this collection.

Your Daily Dose of | Public service from Montco

Blood donations went down during the pandemic, so this Montco teen and his mom stepped up to help. In 2020, they were responsible for 44 drives, collecting nearly 4,000 units — one of the largest single efforts in the Philly region.