Remote work could be a pandemic keeper | Morning Newsletter
And a possible baby boom.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Hello, fervent readers of The Inquirer Morning Newsletter.
First: The area’s young talent flees to “Zoom boomtowns,” offering more attractive working-from-home options.
Then: COVID-19 infections in the area are low, but new cases are slowly rising, giving officials concern.
And: Is America entering a pandemic-induced increase in babies?
— Olayemi Falodun (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Today’s workers are continuing to trade office spaces for at-home places, according to analysts.
Remote work’s flexibility and convenience present an attractive option for workers who have gotten a taste of work-from-home life due to the forced lockdown. This has caused companies to rethink where and how jobs can be done.
In addition, the affordable living spaces available in more remote areas of the country appeal to transplants looking to work from home without breaking the bank.
Data show Philly is losing out to “Zoom boomtowns,” as young, talented workers head to places such as Butte, Mont., and Tulsa, Okla., in search of more bang for their buck.
Matthew Zencey examines the future of working from home and what Philly must do to adapt.
As new COVID-19 cases slowly increase, officials warn that the community’s ability to overcome a delta-driven surge in the coming months depends on its vaccination rates.
Officials stress that getting a complete two-dose vaccine remains the best way to combat the delta strain and the other mutations of the coronavirus. But tracking the spread of the delta variant in the region proves challenging.
As new variants lurk around the corner, officials maintain that fully vaccinated people’s risk of contracting the variant is low.
Reporters Jason Laughlin and Justine McDaniel take you inside the key metrics related to new COVID-19 infections.
Reopening resources
Track the latest data on COVID-19 cases in the region.
Here’s what experts feel safe doing — and what they don’t.
How to navigate fear about getting the coronavirus, even if you’re vaccinated.
Even thriving is different at this stage in the pandemic. Here’s how people are doing it.
What you need to know today
Baby boom or bust? Here’s how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the nation’s fertility, pregnancy, and births.
Bill McSwain’s contested letter to Donald Trump centers on a claim of the disappearance of 47 voting-machine USB drives, containing upwards of 120,000 votes. But county officials say vote storage was not what those drives were used for.
Check out this detailed breakdown of McSwain’s letter to Trump.
You can still claim state unemployment benefits, but you must fulfill these work search requirements.
What’s next after the unanimous approval of the controversial plan to merge six struggling Pennsylvania state universities?
The Mount Laurel man who sparked community protests following his viral racist rant caught on video must stay in jail until his trial, according to the judge.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
A sample of peace amid a summer is in full bloom. Thanks for sharing.
Tag your Instagram posts with #OurPhilly, and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature here and give you a shout-out.
That's interesting
👟 The Broad Street Run, the nation’s largest 10-mile race, will be back up and running in the streets this year after 2020′s virtual hiatus.
🏒 Here’s the rundown on the NHL’s upcoming expansion draft, and how the Flyers might lose a notable player in it.
🎭 Power Street Theater’s virtual musical highlights the modern immigrant story during the escalated tensions of 2016 America.
🏀 Renowned hooper Candace Parker graces the historic cover of NBA 2K, becoming the first female cover athlete in the video game franchise’s history.
Opinions
“Efforts to prevent gun violence must be coupled with checks to ensure that Philadelphia is not reversing the tide on mass incarceration, making the criminal justice bigger and less just,” argues The Inquirer Editorial Board that operates independently from the newsroom, in its case for why Mayor Jim Kenney should declare gun violence a citywide emergency.
Jabari K. Jones of the West Philadelphia Corridor Collaborative argues that having safer communities with successful BIPOC-owned businesses requires accountability and reform.
Author William Kashatus makes the case to honor a Black civil rights leader who helped shape Philadelphia after the Civil War.
What we're reading
A simple change in applications for unemployment might have opened the floodgates for fraud in Pennsylvania, WHYY reports.
A North Philly-based antiviolence and criminal justice activist is in need of his community’s help after being displaced by a house fire, Billy Penn reports.
In case you are in need of a guide to quitting your job, Vice provides a blueprint.
Authorities warn residents of Minnesota about the big problems caused by releasing pet goldfish in lakes and ponds, NPR reports.
Your daily dose of | Run this city
Every step along the at least 10-mile journey for Eddie Gieda is filled with purpose. For over 500 days, the 43-year-old DJ and musician hits the ground running without skipping a beat. His daily trek is in honor of his late wife, Amanda Medina, who passed away in a motorcycle accident just a couple of months before celebrating their two-year anniversary. Now, Gieda continues embracing the faith and lifestyle that inspired his wife, while facing the road ahead.