The cost of conspiracy theories | Morning Newsletter
And, Philly moves up vaccine eligibility for all adults.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning from The Inquirer newsroom.
First: Conspiracy theories feed on America’s darkest impulses. Today, we’re bringing you a special project on how this alternate reality evolved.
Then: Philly is pushing up vaccine eligibility for all adults to align with President Joe Biden’s vision for a vaccinated adult population.
And: What’s to blame for rising coronavirus cases in Pa. and N.J.? Variants? Relaxed precautions? It’s a bit of both.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
In the failed, deadly Capitol insurrection, we saw the risk of allowing conspiracy theories to run unchecked.
Conspiracy theories are almost as old as America itself, but over the last decade, new communities have propagated misinformation that has wreaked havoc in society, particularly throughout the pandemic and the election. In Pennsylvania, for example, eight Republican members of Congress voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
Some of the ways these theories delude believers can seemingly happen overnight, crushing families and lifelong friendships, and setting the stage for threats to our safety. Dealing with the damage of these deeply rooted beliefs is complex, David Gambacorta reports.
Had an experience with extremists or conspiracy theories? Tell us about it here.
Philly will open vaccine eligibility to all adults on April 19, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said Tuesday. This timeline matches Pennsylvania’s vaccination plans, as well as President Joe Biden’s push for all states to open eligibility by then, reporters Jason Laughlin and Laura McCrystal note.
Farley said he remains concerned that younger people who are used to navigating online portals to make appointments will get in front of residents who are older and more vulnerable to the coronavirus. And so he had a message to deliver to young people: “Maybe you should wait a little bit and give those other people a chance to get vaccinated first.”
Pa. and N.J. coronavirus cases keep going up, and the percentage of transmissible U.K. variants is also on the rise.
Am I eligible to get vaccinated? Know the requirements for Philly, Pa., and New Jersey.
Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine in the Philly area? Use our lookup tool.
Here’s how to prepare for a vaccine appointment.
Is drinking alcohol after getting your COVID-19 vaccine a bad idea?
Can I go on vacation yet? This is how to know what’s safe.
What you need to know today
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona visited Philly and Upper Darby promising help from the Biden administration while urging school leaders to bring students back to classrooms.
The once-a-decade process to draw new political maps is happening now, and the deciding vote in Pa.’s high-stakes political redistricting could be yours.
The May 18 primary is just around the corner, and a new state Supreme Court justice will be elected. This is your guide to how Pa. judicial elections work.
Philly Councilmember Mark Squilla and Italian American groups are suing Mayor Kenney for renaming Columbus Day.
A house exploded in Northeast Philly sending one man to the hospital.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Feels like spring.
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That’s interesting
🥼 Worried about going back to the doctor for a checkup? The anxiety is real. Here’s how to stay calm.
🦇 Reporter Alfred Lubrano’s 141-year-old house is no longer being invaded by bats. Maybe.
🎹 The Philly music producer Will Yip’s #StopAsianHate fundraising raffle has already brought in over $100,000.
⚽ A year after winning their first trophy, are the Union ready to do it again?
🍺 Philadelphia’s first Black-owned brewery moves closer to getting its own home.
🥟 Dim Sum Garden has mastered make-at-home soup dumplings, Craig LaBan-test driven and approved.
💪 These are three simple exercises you can work into your routine to lose the “Quarantine 15.”
💰 A sculpture of a beaver minding its own business has been stolen in Delaware County, and there’s a reward if you find it.
Opinions
“There are plenty more details of Biden’s huge plan that can be debated. But the bottom line is that the U.S.’s crumbling infrastructure — ranked 13th in the world — undermines America’s future economic prospects. And it convinces China and Russia that U.S. power is on the wane.” — columnist Trudy Rubin writes that this is a critical moment when Biden’s infrastructure strategy blanketing the country with full funding will be key to competing with China.
Asian Americans should not have to quietly assimilate, writes cardiac surgery resident Jason J. Han.
Automated speed enforcement is proven to reduce crashes, and it can keep Pa. safer, writes Andrew Stober, former chief of staff in Mayor Michael Nutter’s Office of Transportation and Utilities.
What we’re reading
This is what it was like to hang out with the late Phillies luminary Dick Allen, in Billy Penn.
People are having mixed emotions about seeing all their friends get vaccinated, and the New York Times has the FOMO factor covered.
We recommend looking at photos of the latest Iceland eruption. Go for the aerial views, and stay for the progressively chaotic oozing flow in Mashable.
When the pandemic shut down a basketball tournament to raise money for books for kids, Harriett’s Bookshop came through. The North Philadelphia bookstore, named after the abolitionist and emancipator Harriet Tubman, teamed up with children’s book authors to pitch in with stacks on stacks of books for those who needed them.