How to beat Trump’s GOP in red-leaning districts, according to those who’ve done it; Philly sports teams quiet on keeping fans safe in stands | Morning Newsletter
Plus, there could be a criminal investigation into why Delco stinks.
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The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It’s wet out there today, Philly. We’ve got rain in the forecast. Still no snow, though. In other news, Danielle Outlaw today will officially become the city’s first black woman to lead the police department. Also, the 2020 election is officially in full swing. And a few Pennsylvania Democrats who won over Republican-leaning districts in 2018 offer some advice on how to beat Trump’s GOP. Plus, we report on a development into why Delco might stink, what the Flyers are doing to attract younger fans, and our annual spring arts guide.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Last week might have been the busiest political week in quite some time with the seemingly neverending Iowa caucus that started on Monday, President Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday, the impeachment trial conviction vote on Wednesday, and a Democratic presidential debate Friday night. Sheesh. Oh, and it doesn’t stop. Tomorrow is the New Hampshire primary.
🗳️It feels like this could keep up for the rest of 2020 (or at least until November), and to help you digest it all, we’re launching a new email newsletter focused on how Pennsylvania, the nation’s ultimate political battleground, will shape the outcome of this year’s elections. Sign up here, and don’t forget to pass it along!🗳️
My colleagues are working hard to cover the election from every angle. For example, here are some of the stories we’ve published in just the last few days:
Thousands of Pennsylvanians gave money to more than one 2020 candidate. Here’s what that overlap looks like.
We looked at some challenges of election math, including when it comes to polling voters who won’t answer the phone.
What’s it like to be a Democrat in the reddest county in Pennsylvania?
Meet the Philly guy behind Mayor Pete’s campaign.
Eagles season-ticket holder Joe Nocero never saw kickoff. The 41-year-old and his friends hustled to get to their seats for the start of this November’s Eagles-Pats game at the Linc, but when he sat down, his body started moving oddly, and he became unresponsive. One of his friends recalled how frustrated he was with how long it took for EMTs to arrive. Nocera suffered some kind of fatal cardiac event that afternoon.
While teams of professionals tend to injured players down on the field, the response to medical emergencies in the stands is less certain. My colleague asked Philly’s sports teams about these situations and they refused to talk. And, the company that provides EMS staffing for the Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, and a host of other clients, did not respond to several requests for comment.
What you need to know today
Remember when we wrote about how Delco literally stinks? Well, it turns out that prosecutors are prepared to launch a criminal investigation if need be.
Disturbing allegations of child sex abuse at Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations across the country have emerged over the past couple of decades. The organization’s leaders have largely avoided serious law enforcement scrutiny, but that could change with a Pennsylvania grand jury investigation, according to a man who testified.
The Philly girl who Trump pointed out as an example of “failing government schools” in his State of the Union address last week actually attends one of the city’s most desired charter schools.
The Philadelphia elementary school that was closed last week after a significant asbestos problem was detected will be shut down indefinitely, Philadelphia School District officials said.
The agency that exposes Pennsylvania’s puppy mills expects to run out of money soon, in part because of the license fees for the commonwealth’s dogs are still at pre-2000 levels.
President Trump’s endorsement means that Republicans are now learning to love Rep. Jeff Van Drew.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Me? I’ll be writing tomorrow’s newsletter, of course. Thanks for asking (and for the pic), @vatinovalentin.
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 our annual spring arts guide, featuring all the events you should be excited about.
🧀Could we be getting more “fake prosciutto and fake Parmesan” if U.S. tariffs on Italian imports keep escalating? A Philly food importer says so.
🏳️🌈More high school students than ever are coming out, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve found greater acceptance.
🍹The Flyers’ loyal fan base is getting older. Gritty, rage rooms, and cocktail bars are ways the franchise thinks it can get millennials in the door.
🎷Preservationists say that Philadelphia jazz legend John Coltrane’s house is “at risk.”
🏀He was once known as the “Prince of North Philly.” Now, he’s returned home after serving a sentence for attempted murder and is looking to pick up where he left off.
Opinions
“'Coal keeps the lights on.' ... This is Schuylkill County, in the center of the world’s most extensive deposits of anthracite coal.” — writes Paul Starobin, the author of A Most Wicked Conspiracy: The Last Great Swindle of the Gilded Age in a piece adapted from the winter issue of the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal. Starobin writes about the defiant and resilient nature of Pa.'s mining communities.
President Trump’s State of the Union speech thrust Pennsylvania schools into the national spotlight. The Inquirer Editorial Board writes about school choice.
Inquirer columnist Jenice Armstrong writes that racial tensions in Abington, Pa. can serve as a reminder of two things: 1) we need to calm down, and 2) we need to listen more.
What we’re reading
A new Philly work program on Kensington Avenue is paying people to help clean up the streets around the neighborhood, WHYY reports.
Driven by tragedies, two of the world’s best mountaineers ventured to do something no other humans had done: summit Mount Everest, then ski down the peak’s western edge. Sports Illustrated details the story.
Here’s your horoscope, based on your milk preference, courtesy of the New Yorker. 😂😂
Your Daily Dose of | The UpSide
Here’s a heart-warming story for you, just in time for Valentine’s Day. At 32, Drew Herrington had a stroke, changing his and his then-girlfriend’s lives. But their dreams came true anyway.