Vaccine eligibility is expanded in Pa, but not Philly | Morning Newsletter
And, single women are buying houses more than single men.
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: The timeline for universal vaccine eligibility has been moved up to start today across Pa. but not Philly.
Then: We’re bringing you a look at the rate at which single women are buying up houses.
And: After more than a year of growing criticism, Penn Museum has apologized for the “unethical possession of human remains” in the Morton skull collection.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Starting today, everyone older than 16 in Pa. will be eligible to sign up for coronavirus vaccine appointments — except in Philly. That’s six days earlier than the state had previously planned.
What about Philly? This new timeline, however, does not affect Philly, as the city has its own distribution and dose allotment plans. (The city is still opening vaccine eligibility to everyone 16 years or older starting Monday.)
Thus far, Pennsylvania has administered more than six million coronavirus vaccinations, with more than 2.4 million residents fully vaccinated, and vaccine rates have accelerated as President Joe Biden called for every adult American to be eligible by May 1.
Demand has been particularly high in the Philly suburbs throughout the rollout, and appointments are tough to come by. The equity initiatives continue in an effort to ensure that the city’s most vulnerable have access.
Read on for reporters Erin McCarthy and Justine McDaniel’s article on the sudden vaccine eligibility in Pa.
Today, let us recognize the power of parlaying resourcefulness and hustle into very important purchases: homes.
Single women are becoming homeowners far more than single men.
In the last quarter of 2020 alone, single women bought 9% more homes than they did a year earlier, according to Redfin’s national report. That’s double the growth rate of home purchases among single men. And get this: Single women are more likely than single men to own a home in every last one of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., according to a LendingTree analysis of Census Bureau data.
Owning a home solo is more difficult, but it is possible, our sources say. These homeowners want the independence to nest the way they want to, plenty of space to spread out, and a sound investment.
Read on for reporter Michaelle Bond’s story on how this trend comes down to one thing: values.
Helpful COVID-19 Resources
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.
What can I do once I’m fully vaccinated? Here’s a full breakdown.
Can I go on vacation yet? This is how to know what’s safe.
What you need to know today
The Penn Museum vowed repatriation and reburial of the remains of more than a dozen Black Philadelphians from its widely criticized 1,000-skull collection, amassed by 19th-century doctor and white supremacist Samuel George Morton, and will seek agreements abroad to enable the return of dozens of skulls of enslaved individuals and others, if at all possible.
The Safe Routes program to start teaching kids early how to walk and bicycle around the city safely will be launched by the end of this month.
Philly public high school seniors are going to have an in-person graduation in June with restrictions in place. There shall be both pomp and circumstance.
A Delaware County man made threatening phone calls to U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D., Pa.) after she spoke out about the January attack at the U.S. Capitol, authorities said Monday.
Last night, the Philadelphia Police Department released the names of the five officers who fired shots during a fatal encounter in Logan last week.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
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That’s interesting
💡 A “quite encouraging” recent study found that infrared light exposure might help people with dementia.
🍩 Federal Donuts will join the new Victory Brewing Co. on Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin Parkway on the ground floor of the former Embassy Suites.
💰 Sal Paone, a Montco home developer, confirmed that it was his $5.6 million bid that won the auction for the 50-acre Arbor Hill estate complete with an indoor basketball court.
🎙️ To fill a gap in area schools, a collective of 10 teens started “The New Normal” podcast to address important mental-health issues specific to teens.
Opinions
“Nike, the wokest of woke corporations, paying millions to LeBron James and Colin Kaepernick to brand itself as the sneaker of protesters and rebels and champions of the counterculture ... but turning its back on the very retailers — often urban-centered, often owned and frequented by people of color — that helped it build its empire,” — columnist Mike Sielski writes of Nike’s recent business strategy.
Limiting speakers at official meetings has a chilling effect on the public, writes retired Philadelphia teacher Lisa Haver about changes to the Philly School Board’s public comment policy.
Columnist Inga Saffron writes that a new essay collection on Philly architecture makes our durable buildings the stars in the city’s ongoing drama.
What we’re reading
Philadelphia Theater Week returns with some live performances such as a drive-in show, a play viewed though a garage door, and even an outdoor walking murder-mystery comedy, the Philadelphia Tribune reports.
An entrepreneur took to Twitter to say that building an amusement park straight out of Jurassic Park could happen in 15 years if we want. (More on this from IndieWire.)
This is how reparations might actually work in an Illinois town, TeenVogue reports.
A young, “stone-cold crazy” Phillies fan at the game in Atlanta on Friday went viral for the sweetest reason. He got ahold of a Braves home run ball, and then found a young Braves fan to give it to. We should all aspire to such thoughtfulness. Luckily, the whole thing was captured on video.