The ultimate guide to July 4 in Philly | Morning Newsletter
And, helping tenants before the eviction deadline.
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, dedicated readers of The Inquirer Morning Newsletter.
First: We have your guide to the local places to be when things pop off this Fourth of July weekend.
Then: Cpl. Paul Wilkins finally returns to Pennsylvania more than 70 years after his death during the Korean War.
And: Local tenants are feeling the pressure of finding housing as the city’s eviction moratorium is scheduled to end today.
— Olayemi Falodun (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The skies are about to be just as lit as the people and parties this summer, and we have a list of places to go to break away from the mundane and get your Independence Day weekend cracking.
This year’s celebration of the Fourth of July also marks a return to more outdoor, in-person celebrations, including the city’s most notable event, Wawa Welcome America, an annual fireworks spectacle held at the Art Museum.
So, whether you’re looking for the big crowds and bangs or bright lights with a small gang, there are plenty of ways to be festive this holiday weekend. Service editor Jillian Wilson has your ultimate guide to this year’s July Fourth festivities.
In 1950, the Army said 19-year-old Cpl. Paul Wilkins of Bellwood, Blair County, went “missing in action” after arriving in Korea. He could not be identified when his remains were discovered and he was eventually buried in a Hawaiian cemetery.
But after 70-plus years, Wilkins’ remains were exhumed and identified, flown back to Bellwood last Wednesday, and buried there over the weekend.
Reporter Jason Nark met with Wilkins’ family to bring you his story.
Reopening resources
Track the latest data on cases in the region.
Here’s what experts feel safe doing — and what they don’t.
How to stay cool without air-conditioning in Philly.
What you need to know today
Tenants in the city are looking for options when it comes to housing as officials race to provide funding to applicants prior to the deadline of Philadelphia’s eviction moratorium, set for today. Now, the city is in a race against the clock to get money into the hands of more tenants and landlords, a Community Legal Services attorney said.
There’s been a steep decline locally in COVID-19 cases due to vaccination, but complicated and unpredictable variant strains of the coronavirus remain, experts say.
A report in a German newsmagazine is fueling talk that Penn president Amy Gutmann will be the next ambassador to Germany.
As an SEC crackdown loomed and business fell, Par Funding’s founders bought two watches — for $154,000.
Confusion over the language placed in the breakdown of a federal program meant to help pay for addiction treatment for people who don’t have insurance has complicated life for qualified residents who are not able to tap into the state’s resources for addiction treatment and medical marijuana, according to an investigation.
People incarcerated in New Jersey’s prison system will now be assigned to facilities based on their gender identity.
Over the last 50-plus years, summer in Philly has had a three-degree increase in temperatures.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Best to do your sightseeing by water when it’s hot like this. 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
⚾ Find out how Haverford College is flooding Major League Baseball with graduates despite having only one player ever make it to the big show.
🚬 New Jersey legalized and decriminalized marijuana earlier this year, but there are things you need to know about using weed before you head down the Shore.
🌴 Unlimited paid time off might help entice prospective employees in a competitive labor market.
Opinions
“Instead, the demagoguery of white supremacy — whether it’s couched as ‘Americanism’ or anti-Communism or something else — seems embedded in our national DNA,” writes columnist Will Bunch, in response to what Gov. Ron DeSantis is doing to influence “what teachers in Florida’s classrooms can say about racism.”
“We are at risk of becoming numb to the regular reports of mass shootings around the country,” write CHOP doctor and scholar on violence prevention Ruth Abaya and cofounder of the Pennsylvania Safety Alliance Jennifer R. Clarke, who implore people to go beyond the statistics when it comes to the city’s gun violence.
“Private developers cannot solve public problems,” write Susanna Martin and Valerie Ross, two Cedar Park residents, who stand in opposition to the West Philly development project approved earlier this month.
What we're reading
Michael Rubin, part owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, is working to prove he’s much more than a billionaire jet-setter, as he works to reform America’s criminal justice system, GQ reports.
Lakes are experiencing a substantial decline in oxygen, and it’s endangering the lives of the creatures that inhabit them, Wired reports.
What does your gut say? Salon might have the reason behind your stomach pains.
Your daily dose of | Recording
Looking to get involved in the music industry, George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science students created, developed, and launched their own record label during the pandemic. Student-run Carver Records features a robust roster of talent evaluators, producers, and execs — who all go to the high school.