Yesterday, we relaunched one of our newsletters from last winter: The Inquirer Sports Daily. Each weekday morning, one of our sports editors will send you an email with the best of my colleagues' sports coverage. If you’re not already signed up, you can do so here.
Two coronavirus-related stories lead today’s newsletter. One is focused on the “gray area” about enforcing mask-wearing at Independence National Historical Park. The other focuses on a federal judge’s ruling that calls some of Gov. Tom Wolf’s coronavirus measures unconstitutional.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
When visitors visit the now-reopened Liberty Bell and Independence National Historical Park, they’re met with some mixed messages, my colleague Samantha Melamed reports. While signs say that “face coverings are required per city/state" orders, the official policy of the Department of the Interior, which oversees national parks, is that masks are not required.
Staff can suggest wearing masks, but cannot enforce that. A spokesperson said Independence Park carefully considered social-distancing protocols but masks are still “a gray area.”
U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV ruled yesterday that key components of Gov. Tom Wolf’s coronavirus mitigation strategy are “unconstitutional.”
The Wolf administration will file an appeal and seek a stay to temporarily block the decision, according to the governor’s spokesperson.
What you need to know today
President Donald Trump is coming to Philadelphia tonight to participate in an ABC News town hall event. Here’s how to watch.
Caregivers are arguing that going months without visitors has made their loved ones more depressed and weaker. They want “essential” caregivers — those who were actively involved in visiting family members in long-term care pre-pandemic — to be able to see loved ones if they follow safety rules.
U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced federal charges yesterday against two Philadelphia men in prosecutions he says District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office bungled.
Philly’s wrongful convictions have often involved official misconduct. A new report indicates that it’s a nationwide problem, too.
A new study has found that the coronavirus pandemic is replacing more jobless workers with robots.
A Bucks County man will spend decades in prison after hiding his roommate’s murder for nearly 16 years.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
I love the movement and color in this shot from @staceyelle. Thanks for sharing.
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
🤝Columnist Elizabeth Wellington writes about how to hang out with your friends who are parents, even if their kids are back out in the world.
🦅These five areas were the biggest factors in the Eagles' loss to Washington on Sunday.
🌟The Patti Labelle #Versuz Gladys Knight livestream from the Fillmore Philadelphia had over 500,000 Instagram viewers Sunday night. Here’s my colleague Brandon T. Harden’s review.
🦀Restaurant critic Craig LaBan wrote about road tripping to Maryland for steamed crabs and fried chicken.
😷Students at Community College of Philadelphia are working to help stop the spread of the coronavirus through contact tracing.
Opinions
“Treating our veterans with dignity and respect must be paramount. It’s my hope that when Americans encounter a disabled veteran, that they first and foremost experience compassion and reverence.” — writes Xavior Robinson, who served for six years in the Army, about President Trump’s reported comments about disabled veterans.
Malcolm Miller, a junior at J.R. Masterman High School who’s involved with Philadelphia climate and environmental justice groups, writes that the school board should vote against a Hilco tax break — again.
Columnist Will Bunch writes about how he is now numb to the “crazy stuff” President Trump says.
What we’re reading
Neighbors are trying to give overheated Hunting Park a cooler future, WHYY reports.
I missed this story back in May, but it popped up on my Twitter feed again yesterday. A journalist who reports for NPR wrote letters to strangers as coronavirus quarantines began in March and then was flooded with responses.
Smoke from the wildfires on the West Coast has approached the Philadelphia region, according to a map in this story from CNN.
Your Daily Dose of | The UpSide
Lisa Mollet has gotten some pretty generous trips in her 15-plus years as a restaurant server. But one surpassed them all when a pair of Mollet’s customers at the Empire Diner in Brooklawn left her the keys to a 2006 Nissan Altima they no longer needed.
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