Who’s on your ballot? | Morning Newsletter
And, 1 in 4 Philadelphians knows someone who has died of COVID-19.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
If you’re planning to vote between now and Nov. 3, you probably know that Trump vs. Biden will be at the top of the ballot. But voters in Pennsylvania will also be picking who will hold certain statewide offices as well as who will represent them in D.C. and Harrisburg. Remembering who those candidates are can be tough. So my colleagues built a tool that allows you to save or “bookmark” names of the candidates who interest you and send them to yourself in an email so that you can have it handy when it comes time to cast your ballot. You can check it out here or read on to learn more.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The presidential election isn’t the only thing on your ballot this year. In Pennsylvania, you’ll have the opportunity to choose representatives in Congress, state reps, and statewide officers, too. Your ballot will, of course, look different depending on where you live. So, to help you keep track of it all, we built a tool that allows you to take a look at the candidates who will be on your ballot and helps you keep track of the candidates who interest you.
The damning report by law firm Cozen O’Connor on sexual abuse at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music shows how recently the school failed to address claims made by violinist Lara St. John. The report reveals that even as recently as 2019, Curtis failed to “respond to St. John in a meaningful way to her accounts" of what happened to her in 1986 as a 14-year-old student, my colleague Peter Dobrin reports.
What you need to know today
A quarter of Philadelphia residents know someone who has died of COVID-19, according to a new Pew survey.
Officials from both Philadelphia and Pennsylvania at-large said yesterday that they’re gearing up to protect the 2020 election. They blame President Trump for trying to “shake public confidence” about voting, my colleagues Sean Collins Walsh, Mensah M. Dean, and Chris Brennan report.
Medicare enrollment opens on Oct. 15. My colleague Sarah Gantz is answering your questions about signing up for or changing plans.
Philadelphia is planning to sue Pennsylvania because the city isn’t currently able to enact its own gun laws.
These Northeast Philly neighborhoods aren’t too excited about getting a potential UPS warehouse.
Pennsylvania’s voter services website went down over the weekend. The issues can be traced back to computer equipment that failed at a data center in Virginia.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
OK, I know this is the second sunrise shot in a row ... but can you really blame me? Thanks for sharing this, @behtany.
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
🐦 Over the course of one night and early morning last week, an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 birds flew into buildings in a 3½-block radius of Center City. The scale of the slaughter has shaken local bird-watchers.
⚽ It looks as if the Union will be the first sports team in the Philly area to have fans back during a game.
💩 Food waste + cow manure = a hidden energy source for a Pennsylvania college.
📝 Meet Philly’s new Youth Poet Laureate.
🍎 You don’t have to go to an apple orchard to get fresh apple cider doughnuts. You can bake them right at home with my colleague Jamila Robinson’s recipe.
👀 “Never have we felt so entitled to poke our nose in grown folks' business for the sake of our well-being,” my colleague Elizabeth Wellington writes. “But when is it appropriate to butt in?”
Opinions
“Every election carries critical implications for mental health policy, access to mental health care, and social supports for those who struggle with a mental health condition. Mental health is something that affects everyone, particularly during the current climate of financial uncertainty, pandemic-related anxiety, widespread grief and loss, and social isolation.” — writes Kate Fox, a mental health advocate and doctoral student at Drexel, about why it’s important to research mental health issues when voting for candidates this election.
Columnist Jenice Armstrong writes about why the disappearance and murder of a Philadelphia high school track star 27 years ago won’t be forgotten.
The Inquirer Editorial Board writes about two U.S. House members from Pennsylvania who voted against condemning QAnon, a group the FBI calls a domestic terror threat.
What we’re reading
An episode of WHYY’s The Why this week examined how a SEPTA police officer made nearly as much as Philly’s mayor due to its overtime policy.
Want to get cozy in a cabin this fall? Or, just like looking at pictures of suped-up spots in the woods? Philadelphia magazine scoured Airbnb to find some good options.
A Bloomberg investigation reveals how a Citigroup executive helped turn QAnon “into an incoherent cult with mainstream political implications.” The FBI has labeled it as a domestic terrorism threat.
Your Daily Dose of | Bikes
Bobby Toney has been repairing old bikes and giving them to kids. It’s an emotional endeavor for the Audobon, N.J., man. He makes the bikes in the memory of his daughter, Jemica, who died when she was 3 years old from bacterial meningitis.