Philly falls further behind peers on poverty, income; the latest on Hurricane Florence | Morning Newsletter
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We might be getting a break from the rain, but Hurricane Florence is still on a warpath towards the southeastern coast. In the meantime, evacuees are seeking refuge in our region. More bad news: new census data has shown that Philly is falling further behind its peers when it comes to poverty and income. Plus, just to kick you while your down, the Electric Factory is no more. At least it's almost the weekend?
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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
New census data released this week paints a depressing figure for Philadelphia. Poverty has declined and income has increased nationwide — but not here. The poverty rate has remained static while incomes actually fell in 2017.
Meanwhile, Philly's five-year-old Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity, charged with reducing poverty, has spent $65 million with few measurable accomplishments.
What's the problem? It spends most of its budget on staffing yet has no real power within city government to implement its efforts.
Hurricane Florence may have downgraded to a Category 2 storm, but make no mistake, it’s still huge, dangerous and life-threatening for those in the southeast. Much of the danger lies in potential flooding rains and storm surges.
Florence is projected to make landfall along the Carolina coast where some residents have evacuated to Pennsylvania. The latest forecast, however, does show Florence's impact for the Philadelphia area and New Jersey has diminished.
Meanwhile, some are looking to the status of their local Waffle House to determine how scary the storm will be.
What do you want to know about Hurricane Florence in Philadelphia and South Jersey? Let us know via our Curious Philly forum.
The Electric Factory at Seventh and Willow has been hosting some of the hottest acts to pass through Philly for over twenty years. Before that, the concert company by the same name dominated local venues for decades. Before that, it was the name of a counterculture club hosting everyone from Jimi Hendrix and the Who to Elton John.
And now a name that's led the local music scene for 50 years will be no more. The legendary space has been sold, but the naming rights didn't come with the deal.
What you need to know today
A court battle is raging between the Kensington site of a huge junkyard fire (which launched an odd viral video in July) and the city, which wants $2.7 million for fire code violations before it can reopen.
It will be at least another week until we see Carson Wentz on the field. Coach Doug Pederson says quarterback Nick Foles will lead the Eagles this Sunday.
The U.S. Department of Education has re-opened a probe into 2011 allegations that Rutgers University discriminated against Jewish students. The school pledged full cooperation Wednesday.
The FDA is going after the makers of e-cigarettes in a coordinated effort to curb what it sees as an epidemic in the use of vaping by children.
Don't worry, Lucy the Elephant fanatics. The Margate landmark isn't going anywhere, despite rampant rumors to the contrary.
Beware: the dreaded spotted lanternfly, an invasive pest from Asia that has been wreaking havoc throughout Pennsylvania, has made its way to Philly.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
When life gives you fog, create spooky photos like @scruffywunder.
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
The death of the open floor plan may be on the horizon, at least in the 'burbs. The popular home look is on the outs as millennials seek privacy.
The new public sculpture in Dilworth Park has been years in the making, but the mist-and-light creation is now up and running, and is inspired by SEPTA, of all things.
A group of Philly restaurateurs — including the brains behind Fork, Hungry Pigeon, and Talula's Garden — is putting politics on the menu by joining forces to support local Democrats with a fundraiser.
Reporter Samantha Melamed took her bar column over to Xfinity Live! during an Eagles home game and lived to tell the tale. Not all heroes wear capes.
Philly's own Faruq Tauheed Jenkins may be known for his sweet job announcing BattleBots on the Discovery Channel, but his real dream gig is announcing for the Eagles.
Opinions
Ahead of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's potential confirmation, WDEL talk-show host Rick Jensen writes that Democrats opposing the pick may be just pandering for midterm votes.
Following his ouster from CBS, former chief Les Moonves' 2016 Bucknell commencement speech is a look into the mind of a narcissist, writes columnist Maria Panaritis.
What we’re reading
Billy Penn has done you a public service by creating a guide to pronouncing the names of everyone on the Philadelphia City Council, audio samples included.
The University of Pennsylvania is trying out new football helmets in an effort to keep players safe, and the Daily Pennsylvanian has the scoop on how they work.
No one knows whether the giant garbage catcher that just left the San Francisco Bay in search of floating plastic will solve the ocean's cleanup problems, but the NPR story on the project is optimistic.
Beatles fans would be remiss to skip GQ's new, very long, and very quirky profile on Paul McCartney. It's a treat.
Your Daily Dose of | Possibility
When students of the new restaurant trades program at the State Correctional Institution at Muncy graduate next week, they’ll be ready for fresh opportunities on the outside.