Where can Philly teens go? | Morning Newsletter
What it’s like to be the first from your high school to go to Harvard
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It might be spring but today will feel like we skipped to summer. It should be sunny with a high of 87.
About two weeks ago, I bought movie tickets online to take my 14-year-old cousin to see Creed III.
Before completing my purchase, a banner popped up explaining that all minors had to be accompanied by an adult before arriving. In this instance, it didn’t matter since I was taking him but it did make me pause.
Going to a movie theater solo or with a group of friends was a major part of my teenage years. It was one of the few independent things I could do without supervision. I worry about the lack of opportunities for teenagers to just simply be and hang out.
Our lead story explores that issue and digs into why finding safe public spaces is so hard for kids in Philadelphia right now.
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— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
There’s a lot of dispute about what happened last week when thousands of teenagers gathered at the Fashion District.
Some officers said kids threw rocks at them while other reports had no mention of it.
But after that hectic evening, one thing was clear: There are not a lot of accessible and safe spots for teens to hang out in the city.
And even if there’s not an outright ban on teens, there are policies that aren’t welcoming. Center City businesses have been known to discourage using backpacks or shopping in groups. Some require ID for admission.
So where can they go?
Parks and rec centers are an option, but the city doesn’t significantly invest in public spaces.
There are city libraries, but those have limited hours. They’re still reeling from budget cuts in 2020.
Keep reading to hear about possible solutions.
Philly, the poorest big city in America, has the highest rate of infant mortality among America’s 10 largest cities.
The city wants to address the issue through a $6 million pilot program called the Philly Joy Bank that gives cash to pregnant people, no strings attached.
By next year, the hope is to give 250 pregnant women $1,000 a month for 18 months, covering part of their pregnancy and the first year of their child’s life.
Details:
The income limit is $100,000, although the average annual household income in the program’s target neighborhood ranges from $20,000 to $30,000.
The city wants to use this program to address racial disparities in birth outcomes. Black babies die four times more frequently than white babies, a grim reality rooted in social inequities and racism.
The Inquirer asked four mothers how $1,000 a month would’ve made a difference in their birthing stories.
The mothers said they would have used the extra money for house bills, baby clothes, therapy, and in one case, leaving an abusive relationship.
Continue reading to meet the four moms.
What you should know today
Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal said none of the money meant to hire deputies went toward raises, but her office record’s appear to contradict that.
Jeff Brown is having a rough week, with an insensitive comment about trash going viral right after an ethics probe. Here’s how it could shape the Philadelphia mayor’s race.
A wildfire in South Jersey’s Pinelands grew to 3,859 acres, but crews made good progress fighting it.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced that the city will independently evaluate the Sixers arena proposal, stating that “we must understand the impact it may have on the surrounding communities before any plans move forward.”
Another author spoke out against potential book bans in Central Bucks. This time, the author of Girl in Translation — which is facing a challenge — traveled from the Netherlands to address the school board.
The first Africatown Restaurant Week is putting the spotlight on a dozen restaurants in Southwest Philadelphia. The food choices span nations including Liberia, Nigeria, and Senegal as well as the Caribbean.
If you still have questions after watching Tuesday night’s debate, we have you covered with our no-nonsense guide to Philly’s 2023 Democratic primary.
Alyssa Perren had lots of college options, but she was holding out to hear back from Harvard.
The West Philly kid had high hopes to become the first student from Paul Robeson High School to get into the Ivy League school.
When she got the news, “I started screaming, then the screams turned into tears,” said Perren, 17.
She’s grit personified. Perren made it into Harvard in part because of her stellar grades, but that’s not the full story.
Keep reading to learn what made the brilliant teenager stand out.
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
CBS3 is no longer Eyewitness News.
What is its new branding?
A) CBS News Philadelphia
B) CBS News Now
C) Action News
D) None of the above
Find out if you know the answer.
What we’re...
🗳️ Reviewing: The televised Philadelphia mayoral debate. Check out how the Democratic candidates used their platforms.
💰Sharing: How to prioritize streaming services to save money. Personally, I keep it to just Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max (which apparently will soon just be called Max).
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: This Sixer could be the league’s next MVP
EMBOLI JEDI
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Cheers to Veronica Fraatz, who correctly guessed Wednesday’s answer: Bob Casey. Email us if you know the answer.
Photo of the day
And that’s it for your Thursday. I’ll be catching up on Love is Blind before the season finale drops tomorrow. Catch you tomorrow ☀️