Violence erupts at Philly July 4th celebration | Morning Newsletter
And the election that shapes the future of abortion in Pa.
The Morning Newsletter
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It’s another warm day out there, with an expected high temperature near 88. But grab your umbrella because there’s also a chance of showers and thunderstorms at times throughout the day.
First, two police officers were shot last night during Philadelphia’s Fourth of July celebration.
Plus, a look at the race for Pennsylvania’s next governor — and the stark contract between the candidates’ views on abortion.
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— Felicia Gans Sobey (@FeliciaGans, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Two police officers were shot late last night near the Philadelphia Museum of Art during Philadelphia’s July 4th concert and fireworks show. Both officers — one a Philadelphia highway patrol officer and the other a member of the Montgomery County bomb squad — were treated at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and later released.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw told the media shortly after midnight that the incident remained under investigation and that it wasn’t clear whether the shooting had been intentional.
The violence came hours after a shooting at a July Fourth parade near Chicago left at least six people dead and dozens injured.
The Inquirer will continue to cover this evolving story today. Read more here.
What you should know today
Among 5- to 11-year-olds in Philadelphia, a higher portion of white children are vaccinated against COVID-19 than Hispanic or Black children.
Threats and violence against Philadelphia Parking Authority officers have risen 300% since the start of the pandemic.
The Hard Rock casino reached an agreement with Atlantic City’s main casino workers’ union on Saturday, putting to rest the threat of a strike.
A new carbon rule championed by Gov. Tom Wolf has officially gone into effect, requiring coal and natural gas-fired power plants to pay for each ton of carbon dioxide they release.
For transgender people, voice therapy can be a key piece of gender-affirming care that helps them to feel like themselves and feel safer. My colleague Abraham Gutman spoke with a Northeast Philadelphia nonbinary resident about their experience with voice therapy.
With the trade deadline in less than a month, my colleague Scott Lauber looks at a few options for the Phillies to fill holes on the roster. 🔒
Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
Abortion access has taken center stage in the November election for Pennsylvania governor following the Supreme Court’s ruling last month to overturn Roe v. Wade. It’s “a territory uncharted for the last 50 years: an America where states now decide whether abortion is legal or not,” my colleague Anna Orso writes.
The candidates, Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano, have starkly different positions. While Shapiro said he plans to veto any attempts to limit abortion access in the state, Mastriano wants to ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. (As a reminder, Pennsylvania currently allows abortions up to 24 weeks.)
The Inquirer requested interviews with both candidates to discuss their positions on abortion. Shapiro spoke to The Inquirer. Mastriano’s campaign never responded; he has said that he would not speak with traditional media.
Orso tells us more about the deep divide between the candidates — and each one’s record on abortion.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
The Philadelphia area is set to get a shipment of formula equivalent to two million baby bottles. Today’s question: What country is the formula coming from? Take a guess, and find the answer here.
a. Ireland
b. Australia
c. Sweden
d. South Korea
What we’re …
💉 Deciding: Whether to get another COVID-19 booster shot now or wait until the fall.
📅 Planning: Fun things to do with your kids this week.
⚾ Admiring: The “lost art” of using scorecards to keep score at the ballpark.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
This Philly POPS conductor led the group’s holiday concert on Independence Mall this past weekend.
CALABASH DRIVELLED
Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shout-out to a reader at random who answers correctly. Today’s shout-out goes to Elaine O. Patrikas, who correctly guessed Balloon and Music festival as Sunday’s answer.
Photo of the day
Signing off for today. 👋 My colleague Katie Krzaczek will be here tomorrow.