Philly companies donated thousands to fund police | Morning Newsletter
And why nameless creeks are a problem.
The Morning Newsletter
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Some of Philly’s biggest employers donate thousands to help fund the police, and protesters want it to end. And as schools are planning to reopen in the city, teachers are raising their own concerns over safety during a pandemic.
Also, summer is really here. It could feel as hot as 110 degrees, but maybe you can keep cool by learning more about our unnamed creeks and streams. (Staying inside and hydrating should help, too.)
— Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
A little-known nonprofit raises private money to support the Philadelphia Police Department, and it has come under scrutiny during the national debate over policing and its funding. Some of Philly’s biggest universities and companies, including Comcast and Wawa, have donated to the Philadelphia Police Foundation.
The nonprofit raises thousands a year to pay for police equipment, training, and other initiatives. This support comes on top of the department’s budget of more than $700 million.
The Philadelphia School District released its guidelines for reopening this week, and around the region teachers are pushing back. Educators are voicing fears about their leaders’ ability to keep them safe if they have to teach in person. In a national poll, one in five teachers said they might not return to work in the fall.
Sharahn Santana teaches in Philly. She says she’d love to return to her classroom, but is terrified about a lack of resources and support as classrooms are retrofitted for a pandemic. “I don’t want the measure of my dedication and commitment to be how willing I am to risk my and my students’ lives,” she said.
As many as 95% of all the thousands of flowing fresh-water bodies in the country are nameless. Many of them are pretty small, but they still count. Even these smaller streams flow into bigger rivers such as the Schuylkill and Delaware, and those rivers flow into the ocean.
If a tributary is nameless, water-quality experts say, it’s more likely to be a repository for litter or other pollutants. And that infects the entire water ecosystem. But there’s some good news: No stream is too small to name, and you can even name one yourself.
What you need to know today
It’s going to be deadly hot today, with a heat index that feels like 105 to 110 degrees. Today will likely be the hottest, but the heat wave will hang around for most of the week, too.
The return of sports will require a new and different measure of toughness from athletes. My colleague Mike Sielski explores what we’re asking of athletes when games come back.
A woman was shot in Kensington. Then her neighbors chased and beat the gunman.
Black members of St. Charles Borromeo Church in South Philly say they’ve been reduced to “second-class parishioners,” and Black Urban Outfitters employees say the company fosters a toxic workplace.
How many have really been infected with coronavirus? My colleague Tom Avril pricked his finger to help find out.
Employers are balancing a tricky equation as they decide when to bring workers back to the office, or even whether to keep their office space at all.
Civil rights activist and U.S. House member John Lewis died Friday night. Philadelphia leaders and residents remembered him over the weekend. He’s also known for being a moving public speaker, and you can read excerpts here from speeches he gave in Philly.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Hope these flowers bring some happiness to your Monday just as they did to me. Thanks for sharing, @tominphilly!
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
😷 Metalheads in masks: How Philly’s headbangers started a movement that’s gone global.
🐔 With commuting rabbis and kosher chickens, a rural Pennsylvania poultry processor is facing unique challenges in keeping COVID-19 at bay.
🌱 How to manage plant pests and diseases in your coronavirus victory garden.
⚽ Union’s minor-league team played the first sports event in the Philly area since the pandemic started.
⛲ Hey, Philly families. Three great spots for outings are reopening this week.
Opinions
“After effectively criminalizing homelessness and disconnecting families from critical social interventions, housing officials shouldn’t be surprised when residents take it upon themselves to find a place to live. Squatting in vacant public housing isn’t an organizing failure –– it’s a sign that PHA [the Philadelphia Housing Authority], and local lawmakers, have failed to protect some of Philadelphia’s most vulnerable.” — writes Morgan Basking, a D.C.-based reporter covering housing and homelessness, on how the Philadelphia Housing Authority is failing unhoused city residents.
Schools can’t reopen safely without better coronavirus testing for kids, two Philly pediatricians write.
Paralyzed gunshot survivors started a support group. A year later, they are still going strong, writes Inquirer metro columnist Helen Ubiñas.
What we’re reading
A nationwide study found that Philly residents wear face masks more often than in other cities, Billy Penn reports.
An artist is bringing Philly sports stats to life with word art. PBS39 in Pennsylvania has more.
Portland has seen 50 days of ongoing racial justice protests, and then federal law enforcement officers showed up. The events in Portland have made national headlines. Oregon Public Broadcasting breaks down how they got here.
Your Daily Dose of | Camden’s Rocky
Jersey Joe Walcott is basically Camden’s Rocky — but he was a real person. Walcott was not only a famed boxer, but a sheriff, too. He’s a city legend, and a statue honoring him is on its way to being completed. County officials plan to install it in Wiggins Waterfront Park next year.