Philly baggage handler takes gaming world by storm; The uncertain future of St. Laurentius Church | Morning Newsletter
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The Morning Newsletter
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David Carter might be pretty unrecognizable at his day job as a baggage handler at Philadelphia International Airport. But when he returns home to play video games, his one million followers join. There’s no doubt about his ability to benefit from the rise of E-sports. Meanwhile, there is some uncertainty about the future of St. Laurentius Church in Fishtown. A developer was set to redevelop the shuttered building, but continued damage to the facade is drawing that plan into question.
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—Ray Boyd (@RayBoydDigital, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
Meet David Carter. The Drexel Hill husband and father tosses luggage at Philly’s airport by day. But it’s in his basement where his other life has really taken off.
To his nearly 1 million online followers, Carter is known as iPodKingCarter. Over the years, he’s become one of the most visible gaming figures around.
For all of you parents out there who tell your children that video games are a waste of time, you might want to see how much Carter makes off of them.
The latest stones to fall from St. Laurentius Church in Fishtown have drawn the future of the building into question. Developer Leo Voloshin now wonders if restoration is feasible after chunks of the facade tumbled from the historic building Monday.
For years, Voloshin has fought to redevelop the church into apartments — facing numerous delays and setbacks. Monday’s incident just adds one more complication.
After years of dealing with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, City Council, and concerned neighbors, Voloshin hopes to have a decision about St. Laurentius’ future by mid-June.
Hundreds of people have already been shot in Philly this year and many have survived thanks to the work of trauma surgeons. But cheating death is just the beginning of a difficult journey to find the resources needed to adapt to a new life.
The struggles faced by shooting victims are typically overlooked. But an Inquirer investigation caught the attention of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans. Now, the two are joining forces to address the issue on a national level and make it easier for victims to find the resources available to them.
About 1,400 people were shot last year in Philadelphia, where gun violence survivors face an average of $46,632 in medical costs, according to the Department of Public Health.
What you need to know today
Business is booming at Phillips Mushroom Farm in Kennett Square — so much so that the owners want to expand. The only problem: With a renewed federal emphasis on immigration enforcement, farmers are experiencing a labor shortage.
Uber and Lyft’s labor force is made up of drivers all across the world. Those drivers have planned a day of action for today ahead of Uber’s IPO on Thursday. They’re protesting pay cuts and what they describe as unfair working conditions.
Meanwhile, Philly is suing Uber, alleging that the ride-sharing company owes the city two years of unpaid taxes. The lawsuit asks a judge to order Uber to provide the financial data within 30 days.
Most of the attention is being paid to the 28 Democrats vying for City Council at-large in Philadelphia. But there’s a group of Republicans lining up for those spots as well, even though the GOP isn’t endorsing any of them.
Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized Joe Biden for holding a high-dollar fund-raiser in Philly on the first day of his presidential campaign. Warren has sworn off such events, but some Philly supporters remember her holding similar ones as recently as last year.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
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That’s Interesting
Glenn Miller was notified that he saw 316 movies last year at Philly’s Regal UA Riverview Plaza. In fact, he saw more movies than any Regal Crown Club member in the country and he was rewarded for doing so.
Movie fans are also marking their calendars for Keystone Comic Con, coming back to Philly in August. The first major guest has been announced and his most famous character has become an iconic symbol of our city.
Pennsylvania’s kindest native son, “Mister” Fred Rogers, always loved the number 143 because there’s one letter in “I,” four in “love,” and three in “you." As an homage to Rogers, Gov. Tom Wolf will declare May 23, the 143rd day of the year, as a day for Pennsylvanians to do something kind for a neighbor.
If you happen to turn on KYW Newsradio on your commute in and around Philly today, you might notice something different. It sounds like it was time for a change for the station’s longtime jingle.
Opinions
“Biden hopes to establish himself as the front-runner, one capable of returning Pennsylvania, along with Michigan and Wisconsin, to the Democratic fold. A relentless primary schedule looms, with the Keystone State standing as Biden’s ultimate prize. ... Will voters buy Biden’s ‘Middle-Class Joe’ presentation?” — Charles F. McElwee, assistant editor of City Journal, on presidential hopeful Joe Biden’s focus on Pennsylvania.
Facebook has taken steps to ban people that share misinformation or harmful content. But who decides what’s harmful, wonders columnist Stu Bykofsky. He’s skeptical about that duty falling to Facebook.
Columnist Will Bunch calls himself a “mediocre white man,” and thus a perfect candidate to hop into the Democrats’ field of presidential hopefuls. And he’s drawing inspiration from the “white-ist, dude-ist candidate of them all.”
What we’re reading
Eater Philly takes a look at Reading Terminal Market’s newest vendor, KSS Fresh, which only sells one thing — mushrooms. You might want to swing by if you’re a fan of the earthy treat.
A million of Earth’s species are now at risk of extinction. In their time on this planet, humans have created damage that may last longer than the species itself, Vox reports.
Meanwhile, Technical.ly Philly dives into humans’ impact on artificial intelligence. It turns out AI machines are a lot like people, especially when it comes to implicit bias.
A Daily Dose of | The UpSide
Debra Roberts created Supper, a community engagement gathering at Philly churches, eight years ago to help food-insecure families. There’s no strings attached. Visitors just pick up a plate, walk through the buffet line, and eat.