August is football’s deadliest month; Trump rule would give many immigrants a tough choice | Morning Newsletter
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The Morning Newsletter
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August can be a deadly month for football players of all levels. A recent study catalogued almost 200 fatalities between 1998 and 2018 that occurred during football conditioning sessions. Also, the Trump administration announced a new rule Monday that would target legal immigrants that receive financial assistance. Beware: your evening commute might get impacted by severe storms that are expected to roll into the region. Plan accordingly.
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— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Over-conditioning kills more football players than traumatic injuries, according to a report presented at the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine’s annual meeting this summer.
Between 1998 and 2018, there were 187 fatalities that happened during conditioning sessions. The researchers also added that August was the deadliest month for football at all levels — from Pop Warner to the NFL.
The deaths, one researcher said, are largely preventable.
The Trump administration Monday finalized a new rule that could limit legal immigration into the U.S. The new regulation would penalize immigrants who depend on food stamps or other public assistance.
For more than a century, immigrants that wanted to live in the U.S. had to prove they wouldn’t become a “public charge” — anyone who receives one or more public benefits for more than a year total within a three-year period. This new rule would dramatically expand the condition of the test. In short, it would mean that an immigrant might have to choose between staying in the United States and accepting financial aid.
Clients have been calling Philly-based HIAS Pennsylvania, a group that helps immigrants navigating society. The tension has only increased, the group’s executive director said.
Have you ever been trapped in traffic leaving the sports complex? A lot of your frustration could be aimed at the lack of access to the Schuylkill Expressway in South Philly.
A fix looked to be in store when competitors for a city casino license promised to build a new westbound I-76 on-ramp on Seventh Street. Putting the ramp in was a special condition of the license.
But now, Stadium Casino LLC, the company that won the bid, is saying that the on-ramp idea is unfeasible. It has asked the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to release it from the obligation it made in 2014.
What you need to know today
Forecasters are tracking thunderstorms that are expected to swamp the Philadelphia area this afternoon. Already this year, more than 40 tornadoes have been confirmed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. That’s more than twice as many as the states’ averages.
Surprise out-of-network medical bills still happen even if you go to a hospital that’s in your insurance plan’s network. The catch comes when the doctor that treats you does not have a contract with your insurer. A new study out of Stanford says that these bills are becoming more common and more expensive.
A number of experts are training bar workers in Philadelphia on how to spot and stop sexual harassment where they work.
Ahead of the 2020 election, Pennsylvania counties are supposed to replace the state’s voting machines at an estimated cost of $150 million. So far, only $14.1 million in state funding has been made available.
Bill Cosby wants his sexual assault conviction overturned. His appeal in Harrisburg looks to test the limits of justice in the #MeToo era.
A Kensington man assaulted women who he promised a house and drugs. He’s now awaiting a sentencing for human trafficking.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
An urban oasis. Nice pic, @hsw_philly.
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That’s Interesting
Which of Citizens Bank Park’s signature food items are home runs? Which are better off left on the bench? Yes, I know this is cheesy, but so are many of the snacks.
Could a mammoth corporate office building have the same draw as Rittenhouse Square? The architects that designed the Comcast Technology Center are banking on art, food, and entertainment to lure you in.
Big-box retailers are struggling to get in-store business, while online stores — think Wayfair and Dormify — are moving into brick-and-mortar locations in the King of Prussia Mall.
As a perk that is sometimes aimed to increase retainment, companies are helping employees pay off their student loan debt.
A summer camp in Philly teaches girls how to do construction.
📅The Sixers dropped their 2019-20 season schedule yesterday. And the Phillies announced their slate for the 2020 season.📅
Opinions
“As a rape survivor, I felt such rage and sadness that Epstein’s alleged victims — there are at least several dozen, but possibly more than 100 — would never see him held accountable for his crimes.” — Philadelphia editor and writer Liz Spikol writes about Jeffrey Epstein’s death by apparent suicide as he awaited a trial on sex trafficking charges.
Instead of fighting about what happened in Camden, N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy and South Jersey power-broker George Norcross should be fighting for the city, writes The Inquirer Editorial Board.
Philadelphia is considering passing a new law that is similar to one the state of Maryland passed to address lead poisoning in housing units. But the law we already have here in Philadelphia has been a more impactful model, writes Marlynn Orlando, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Apartment Association East, and Victor Pinckney, Sr., the first vice president of the Homeowners Association of Philadelphia.
What we’re reading
Technical.ly Philly sent a reporter to try coworking at a local mall. How’d it go?
Kids are playing fewer sports. What’s the biggest culprit? Cost, ESPN reports.
The Atlantic reports the story of how a million black families have seen their farms ripped away.
A Daily Dose of | Giving Back
In high school, Alex Kline’s basketball recruiting site was a must-read. At 19, he was breaking news about national college basketball powers. Now 25, he’s an NBA scout and has started a sports business symposium in his late mother’s name.