Where are Philly’s ‘vaccine deserts’? | Morning Newsletter
And, Johnny Doc indicted again.
The Morning Newsletter
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Good morning from The Inquirer newsroom.
First: Where are Philly’s “vaccine deserts”? We talked to people living in one of many.
Then: Johnny Doc was arrested and charged in a new federal criminal matter — this time involving allegations that he made threats to a contractor.
And: Tens of thousands of Pennsylvania teachers and school staff become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting next week, Gov. Tom Wolf announced yesterday.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Vaccine deserts have risen in the Philly region.
Some neighborhoods are just a quick walk away from a facility with COVID-19 vaccine doses, and some are not. And it’s much harder for residents to get to a vaccine site in concerning parts of the city without a health center, pharmacy, or mass vaccination site nearby.
Take for example South Philly, an area with a richly dense patchwork of immigrant and senior populations, where endless blocks stretch out before you hit one of the health centers along the edges. We’re talking about places where centers are a one-mile trek away. But for the city’s most vulnerable, even that can put health at an unfair distance.
“This community, it’s probably because they’re mostly immigrants and refugees and African Americans and poor working-class white that it’s being completely ignored,” Thoai Nguyen, chief executive of the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition, told reporter Jason Laughlin. “I really do think that the city has completely failed its most vulnerable and marginalized communities.”
The city’s view differs, offering ways they’re working toward improving equitable access for vaccines.
Read on for the whole story on one of the city’s vaccine deserts where a vaccine is far from guaranteed.
John J. Dougherty was arrested and charged in a new federal criminal matter — this time involving alleged threats he made to a contractor who employed his nephew.
The actual 19-count indictment charges him with conspiracy and extortion. The head of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has been here before, but Dougherty’s attorney says this indictment came as a surprise to the labor leader.
Court filings in the Dougherty case show allegations that he threatened a project manager in a summer 2020 dispute and that members of the union got violent with the project manager. So far, neither Dougherty nor the manager identified in court documents only by the initials R.P. have commented. Reporter Jeremy Roebuck is staying on top of the developing story.
Read on for everything we know about Johnny Doc’s indictment so far.
Where can you get a vaccine in the Philly area if you’re eligible? Use our lookup tool and find out.
Here are the updated coronavirus case numbers, as COVID-19 spreads in the region.
What you need to know today
Teachers are eligible to get vaccines now. A directive from President Joe Biden saw to that.
Philly’s biggest employers with major purchasing power spend billions of dollars outside the city. We’ll take you inside the push to bring that money home.
We took a look at how undocumented immigrants are trying to break language barriers and internet divides to get vaccines.
Vaccine hesitancy is actually decreasing, according to polls, but not for Republicans.
Not everyone has an equal opportunity to take advantage of the booming housing market. Gaps in Black and white home ownership threaten to leave some behind.
Bankrupt Philadelphia Energy Solutions blamed a leak and explosion that shut down the plant in 2019 on a “mislabeled” pipe.
Activists are saying that Philly needs “sanctuary schools,” where immigrant students and their families can seek safety.
Microplastics were found in many Pennsylvania waterways like the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, according to a new study.
A Bucks County man who maintains his innocence after being imprisoned for 30 years says that DNA can clear him of murder, and the DA refuses to run the test.
Phil Murphy delivered on his promises to New Jersey. Now progressives are in his corner for reelection.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
It’s going to be a beautiful spring. Thanks for sharing, @tehkelsey.
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
🧂 Here’s a rundown on the restaurant weeks coming back to Philly.
🛍️ Philly and suburban towns are suing Pa. over a law that tries to stop them from banning plastic bags.
Opinions
“But again, what’s the message to the Saudis, and to the world, about Biden’s much-touted human rights emphasis, if the big guy gets off scot-free?” — columnist Trudy Rubin writes that full justice for the heinous murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi may never be achieved if the White House just restricts the crown prince without cutting him off.
Mike Tyson is right, Hulu’s exploitative story is the latest example of racism in Hollywood, author Solomon Jones writes
Philly’s only lesbian bar closing costs us one of the few precious safe, friendly spaces for queer women, attorney Jeni Wright writes.
What we’re reading
Keep your chin up and look at Scientific American’s story featuring absolutely flooring astronomy photos from a Portuguese astral photographer, which is a real job.
The nonprofit Sunday Love Project serves meals to those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. Here’s how it changed the benevolent founder’s idea of what it really means to put “love into the world.”