How two Philly neighborhoods became so different in just 10 years; dating apps as a vehicle for grassroots political campaigning | Morning Newsletter
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The Morning Newsletter
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Did everybody enjoy the snow squall yesterday (and the buzzing alerts on your phones)? At least it looked pretty from where I was sitting. The forecast indicates it’s going to stay cold today, but without any precipitation.
In this newsletter, we look at two Philadelphia neighborhoods that seemed similar a decade ago but aren’t anything alike in 2020. And what would you do if someone named “Daddy Bernie” popped up on a dating app?
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The North Philadelphia neighborhood of Tioga-Nicetown and South Philly’s Point Breeze weren’t so different just 10 years ago. By demographic, socioeconomic, and other measures, they lined up. Now, Point Breeze is buzzing with construction, with some homes fetching around $700,000. Meanwhile, Tioga-Nicetown has seen its median household income drop by $8,000 over the last decade, according to recently released census data.
The divergence between the neighborhoods is in some ways an example of the gentrification seen in Philadelphia. One expert on gentrification says that places either are being gentrified or are being continually disinvested, with little in between.
Swipe right. Right. Right. Left. Right. Left. Left. Bernie Sanders.
Wait, what?
It might be a new era of grassroots political campaigning. And a man living in Collingswood has taken his politics to the dating app Tinder. While he insists he’s not trying to find dates with his gallery of Sanders images or “Daddy Bernie” name, Alex Scheinberg, 26, wants to promote his favorite candidate. In fact, dating apps are increasingly becoming a venue for political endorsement and engagement.
What you need to know today
Two Democrats from New Jersey have become key voices for their party amid President Donald Trump’s confrontation with Iran. One is a nearly three-decade member of Congress. The other is in his first term but has experience working on Middle East-related issues in the Obama administration.
Teachers, parents, and elected officials joined together yesterday morning to ask Pennsylvania for money to help deal with dangerous asbestos in Philadelphia schools.
City health officials send children into stores asking to buy tobacco products as a test to see if businesses comply with Philly’s rules. Nearly 150 shops will be barred from renewing their tobacco sales permits this year because they repeatedly violated regulations against selling tobacco to kids.
U.S. cancer death rates just dropped the most ever in one year. One Philadelphia doctor thinks that’s likely to continue because of improvements in prevention, identification, and treatment.
Just two years ago, Philadelphia was paying $5 a ton to dispose of its recycling. Now, the city is paying $106 a ton, a record amount.
The daughter of a deceased GOP strategist released recently a trove of documents that include some clues about what Republicans were thinking when they redrew Pennsylvania’s congressional maps in a way that was later ruled unconstitutional.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
I’ve got to say, that’s a squallity picture, @someguyinphilly!
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
🌨️It looked like Center City was in a snow globe for a few minutes yesterday during the snow squall. Our photographers captured the city while it was in whiteout-like conditions.
💪Hot yoga. Jiu-jitsu. Kettle bells. Cross fit. Those are just some of the ways Philly chefs stay fit when they’re surrounded by food all day long.
💻Graduates of Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges can get their bachelor’s degrees online at a discounted rate from a New England school, and the price point is cheaper than nearly every other in-state public option.
🚘In the market for a car? Carson Wentz’s Eagles-themed ride can now be yours. Bidding started at a cool $149,984.
🍺Local brewers are getting into the spiked seltzer game as huge companies such as Budweiser and Corona enter the market.
👑Pennsylvania’s self-styled “Hemporer” is perhaps America’s most enthusiastic evangelist for hemp. My colleague Sam Wood caught up with him as he was strutting around the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
Opinions
“So the president must decide. If he wants allies’ help, he will have to heed their concerns about a new nuclear deal. And if he wants to negotiate with Tehran (with chances slim to slimmer), he would need to send skilled diplomats to conduct backdoor diplomacy rather than set policy by tweet.” — Inquirer columnist Trudy Rubin writes about the latest developments between the U.S. and Iran.
New Jersey needs more women in policing, writes Louis Cappelli Jr., freeholder director of Camden County.
In a battle over how to fix N.J.'s broken development tax-break system, the Inquirer Editorial Board sides with Gov. Phil Murphy over Senate President Steve Sweeney.
What we’re reading
Have you seen Butter and Salmon street art around Philly? It’s shrouded in mystery, reports Billy Penn.
NPR has a story about some cities that have hired goats to graze on hillsides nearly year-round to help prevent wildfires.
Your Daily Dose of | ‘CVS Cat’
The CVS in East Passyunk has an especially furry store greeter. Wander into the pharmacy at 10th and Reed Streets. and chances are an orange-and-white cat will be hanging out near the entrance, sometimes curled up on stacks of newspapers. And one woman who lives and works in the neighborhood is on a mission to find a home for “CVS cat.”