Pennsylvania files lawsuit against USPS over mail delays | Morning Newsletter
Plus, an update from the Philadelphia homeless encampments.
The Morning Newsletter
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The Philadelphia homeless encampments will remain at least until tomorrow after a lawsuit was filed by residents that seeks to block Philadelphia from closing down the sites. And another lawsuit, to be filed by Pennsylvania and other states, hopes to reverse U.S. Postal Service changes that have led to mail delays. Lastly, the Flyers have taken a commanding 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series against Montreal.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Philadelphia’s plans to clear out two encampments in the city where dozens of homeless people have lived for months have been postponed at least until tomorrow. Residents of the encampments have filed a lawsuit that seeks to block Philadelphia from closing down the sites on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and on Ridge Avenue outside the headquarters of the Philadelphia Housing Authority.
Here are photos of what yesterday was like at the encampments. And, you can watch this video that illustrates why tensions are so high.
Pennsylvania and more than 20 states are planning to file lawsuits against the U.S. Postal Service and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. They’re hoping to reverse policy changes that have led to widespread mail delays. Democrats say the delays are meant to damage voting by mail in November’s election.
The policy changes in question slashed office hours, eliminated overtime, and ordered carriers to leave mail behind. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro alleges they were made illegally because DeJoy didn’t seek approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission before making the changes.
DeJoy said Tuesday that the Postal Service will suspend the operational changes until after the November election.
What you need to know today
Philly’s trash pickup delays are now also delaying street repairs. The Streets Department has reassigned about half of its highway crew members to help out with collecting trash and recycling, a spokesperson said.
The campaign for Pennsylvania attorney general is getting chippy — at least on TV. You can watch the ads here.
Multiple people — possibly six — were wounded in a shooting yesterday afternoon in Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion section, police said.
As the pandemic has worn on, the CDC reports that nearly 75% of young adults have reported anxiety or depression.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
🙄 Still sporting a Jimmy Butler jersey? Regardless, thanks for sharing this cool park shot, @strangerphilly.
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
🏒Carter Hart blanked Montreal again, giving the Flyers a 3-1 series lead.
🎰The slow dismantling of the old Trump Plaza has begun in Atlantic City.
🏀Not dumping the ball into Joel Embiid is a recipe for losing for the Sixers, my colleague Marc Narducci writes.
🌟Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo is working a summer job at a Long Beach Island restaurant.
🦅The Eagles just started padded practices but they’ve already had some potentially “disastrous” injuries.
🍽️Opening a restaurant during the pandemic means a focus on safety, cash, and the ability to innovate.
Opinions
“Still, today’s voting rights defenders should know the next generation will thank them for their sacrifices. As Sojourner Truth once said, ‘We have all been thrown down so low that nobody thought we’d ever get up again; but we have been long enough trodden now; we will come up again.’” — writes Kim Kelly, a journalist and organizer based in South Philadelphia, about 10 lessons from the fight to pass the 19th Amendment.
Columnist Will Bunch writes that the future was a “no-show” at the virtual DNC.
Will wearing a mask featuring an NBA team help people stop asking sixth-year M.D./Ph.D. student at Penn, Tong Wang, where he’s “really” from?
What we’re reading
Billy Penn has a story about William Penn’s enslavement of people and the lasting records of them at his Pennsbury Manor.
You can get up to $250 back for spoiled food stemming from power outages in New Jersey related to Tropical Storm Isaias, NJ.com reports.
The “Lost Colony” of Roanoke Island might not have been actually lost. Turns out researchers say they know what happened to it, the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports.
Your Daily Dose of | Takeout
Restaurant critic Craig LaBan’s appetite for takeout hasn’t wavered, although outdoor dining is now in full swing. He’s been exploring South Philly’s Mexican gems, new BBQ spots, Cypriot kebabs, and chirashi bowls.