Shore beaches are reopening, but they’re not necessarily safe | Morning Newsletter
Plus, do you love or hate jigsaw puzzles?
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Today’s newsletter has stories about the beach, the U.S. Supreme Court, jigsaw puzzles, and, of course, pictures of baby geese. My colleagues also reported on how businesses are prepping to reopen, those so-called “murder hornets,” and a new Eagles player who used to be a plumber’s apprentice in Australia.
Is there something that you want to see more of in this newsletter? Let me know, I’m all ears. Just email morningnewsletter@inquirer.com.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Some Jersey Shore beaches are beginning to reopen; at the same time, though, Gov. Phil Murphy announced he’s extending New Jersey’s public health emergency by 30 days. And in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf said that Pennsylvanians can go to the beach at their own risk despite the stay-at-home order.
There are a lot of reasons to avoid the beach right now and stay close to home. From a medical perspective, the rumors you might have heard about how sun and heat impact the coronavirus offer sketchy science. Plus, you’re not supposed to be traveling much right now, you shouldn’t be hanging out with friends at the beach or otherwise, and there are other beach-related questions that experts still don’t have the answers to.
There’s a desire among some of Philly’s small business leaders to reopen their establishments as quickly and safely as possible. They just don’t know when they’ll actually be able to do that.
There’s frustration over Mayor Jim Kenney’s reluctance to give a timeline for when businesses can reopen, even though the decision actually rests with Gov. Tom Wolf. Some are even planning to rally outside City Hall on Friday as a protest.
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court, for the third time in six years, took up the question of whether employers with religious or moral objections to contraception can be compelled to provide no-cost access to birth control for their workers under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. And also for the third time, the case being heard arose in Pennsylvania.
The proceedings that played out showed how much has changed since the justices delivered their first ruling on the issue back in 2014, with a different administration in the White House and the court’s conservative majority now more firmly entrenched.
The proceedings also played out differently because of the coronavirus. Oral arguments were done by phone and were streamed over the internet. So, you can hear exactly what Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and others had to say.
What you need to know today
Gov. Wolf said Pennsylvania workers should refuse to return to work if they don’t feel safe. But some say that they’re scared that doing that would put their jobs at risk.
Dead people are getting stimulus checks. And survivors might not have to give them back.
Doctors are finding neurologic symptoms associated with COVID-19, including agitation, delirium, and more.
Hassan Bennett represented himself in a murder retrial — and won. A year later, he’s helping others with criminal cases.
Debt collection lawsuits are growing in the U.S., and the coronavirus crisis will likely make it worse.
The giant “murder hornets” you might be hearing about aren’t in the Philadelphia region, might not be coming soon, if at all, and fears of the hornets could be overblown, experts say.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Looking forward to the day when I’ll be back playing pickup hoops. Until then, though, I’ll be following the dos and don’ts of social distancing. Thanks for sharing, @jasoncoopman.
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
🍹Selling cocktails-to-go is still illegal in Pennsylvania. But if you’re looking for wine, here are 10 of the best options at the grocery store.
🤔The jigsaw puzzle debate: do they make you want to “do literally anything else” or are they a productive use of quarantine time?
🌳A Main Line nature preserve is thriving. Are there lessons that can be learned from it?
😷Is it safe to open your windows right now? And should you be wearing a mask in common spaces in your apartment building?
🏗️The cement archway on Penn’s Landing is being torn down. It was meant for a sky tram to Camden that never happened.
🚽One of the Eagles’ newest players used to be a plumber’s apprentice in Australia.
💃🕺Did you already have or are you having a quarantine prom? Let us know.
Opinions
“My relationship with COVID manifests itself in tears every night, after phone calls with friends who’ve lost another family member in New Orleans, Detroit, or Chicago. I watch the death toll of black people skyrocket each day. I wonder if I’m next.” — writes Maya Richard-Craven, a contributing writer for the New York Daily News, about having survivor’s guilt as a black woman during the coronavirus pandemic.
There’s help — finally — for small businesses in Pennsylvania, and it doesn’t involve a ton of red tape, columnist Jenice Armstrong writes.
With the right tweaks for social distancing, Philly pools should reopen this summer, writes Dena Ferrera Driscoll, a South Philly mother of two, nonprofit communications and development worker, and public space advocate.
What we’re reading
Philly high school students have banded together to create a citywide newspaper, Billy Penn reports. It’s called the Bullhorn and it’s available online now.
Reopening restaurants is going to be tricky, but survival could be even more tricky for immigrant-owned mom-and-pop restaurants, Eater reports.
We could be getting another polar vortex soon, the Washington Post reports.
Your Daily Dose of | Baby geese
Near the Cooper River in Pennsauken and Collingswood, my colleague Tom Gralish spotted newly hatched Canda geese. Don’t confuse the goslings with ducklings, though.