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How Philly could get out of its traffic jam; first charges in feds’ Local 98 probe | Morning Newsletter

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Pedestrians walk in front of a SEPTA bus at Chestnut and Broad during rush hour on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. Gridlock from both heavy pedestrian traffic in the shopping district and congestion has made it difficult for Septa's most basic service. HEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer
Pedestrians walk in front of a SEPTA bus at Chestnut and Broad during rush hour on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. Gridlock from both heavy pedestrian traffic in the shopping district and congestion has made it difficult for Septa's most basic service. HEATHER KHALIFA / Staff PhotographerRead moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

This morning we’re talking about everyone’s favorite thing in the world: traffic! But in a good way. My colleagues recently spent time on the road examining Philly’s traffic problems and looked to cities all over the world for their solutions. Their analysis may just keep your frustration at manageable levels during your morning commute. About that commute: you’re going to need your winter gear. This week the forecast for the Philly region calls for rain, snow, and a deep freeze, pretty much in that order, and it starts today.

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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

If you’ve traveled through Center City Philadelphia recently, you know how truly unpleasant the experience can be. Endless obstacles thwart the smooth flow of traffic, from jaywalkers to construction to illegally parked delivery trucks.

What can be done? Inquirer reporters, photographers, and videographers took to the streets — Chestnut and 15th, specifically — in December to see the problem from all angles.

They experienced the chronic jam on bikes, buses, cars, their own two feet, and even a UPS truck. What they saw, and the solutions they found around the world, might just give you hope.

Monday marked the first day back to work for many furloughed federal workers since the government ended its longest shutdown ever on Friday night.

At the top of the to-do list? For many offices, it’s getting paid. Workers are waiting to hear when they’ll get back pay for all that unexpected time off. Until then, they’re still in “shutdown mode.”

And they might stay that way — the government is only funded through Feb. 15, and President Trump looks prepared to shut it down again.

The first criminal charges in the long-running FBI investigation into Philly’s Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers were revealed Monday.

A New Jersey electrical contractor admitted to unlawfully providing nearly $57,000 in home and office improvements at no charge to an unnamed Electricians Local 98 officer. The contractor has extensive ties to labor leader John J. “Johnny Doc” Dougherty.

It seems this is just the first result of the probe, which has examined how the union has exerted its power in labor relations and politics in Philadelphia and across the state.

What you need to know today

  1. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s Conviction Integrity Unit is tasked with investigating problematic convictions and reversing unjust or excessive sentences. The only problem? Judges keep standing in its way. 

  2. Pennsylvania Sen. Daylin Leach is suing the woman who has accused him of sexual assault as well as two activists Leach contends have spread the allegations.

  3. Philly City Council President Darrell L. Clarke is about to make a move in the fight over St. Laurentius Church in Fishtown. He plans to introduce legislation in the form of a remapping bill this week. 

  4. Did mysterious money show up in your Venmo account by accident? Keeping the mistaken funds could send you to jail under a bill advancing in New Jersey. 

  5. The Flyers are on a bit of a roll thanks to their impressive rookie goalie Carter Hart. He made 31 saves last night to help the team extend their winning streak to a season-high four games.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

Art is ~everywhere~, right @jstritz?

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

  1. The Vans Warped Tour isn’t over after all. The festival is returning for three stops this summer for its 25th anniversary — and one stop is at the Shore. 

  2. Careful, Eagles fans, this story might make you sick: it seems the Patriots are playing the underdog card as they head into their ... *checks notes* ... ninth Super Bowl appearance in 18 years. Yuck. 

  3. What’s Gritty been up to lately? Punching dodgeball refs, photobombing on the red carpet, and winning skating competitions, apparently. Busy guy.

  4. This weekend Philadelphia Orchestra assistant conductor Kensho Watanabe makes his official subscription debut. If you see two extremely excited, smiling faces in the audience, that’s probably his very supportive parents.

  5. Ditch the painful heels, they could cause more pain down the road. Doctors know how to choose shoes now to avoid foot pain (and even surgery) later. 

Opinions

“The minimum wage is, and will always be, zero. That’s the wage workers earn when their jobs disappear because some politician decided that employers must pay workers more than their labor is worth.” — Duquesne University professor Antony Davies and University of Arizona professor James R. Harrigan on the effects of a $15 minimum wage.

  1. Leading newspapers in Israel and Great Britain recently wrote about the decline of America and used Philadelphia as their lead examples and frankly, it’s not fair, write Dan Hilferty, CEO of Independence Blue Cross and Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, and Rob Wonderling, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. 

  2. The handling of two recent news stories — a BuzzFeed report on Michael Cohen and a viral video of students from Covington Catholic — show the media has reached a new low, writes former House speaker Newt Gingrich. 

What we’re reading

  1. The effects of the government shutdown are not over. The story of one Philly woman’s quest to crowdsource care packages for those in need, via WHYY, might inspire you to lend a hand this morning.

  2. It may be cold, but one outdoor activity in our area gets particularly exciting during the winter: birding! Grid Philly has a birds' eye view of the species flocking to our region.

  3. If you’re a CBS Sunday Morning viewer, let Philadelphia Magazine demystify the origin of all those cheery-looking suns they use. Hint: many come from a local school. 

  4. Last week, the Inquirer published a startling report on the state of recycling in Philadelphia. We’re far from the only city dealing with the volatile recycling market. NextCity has taken a look at what solutions are and aren’t working across the country.

  5. The 2020 elections are far away but campaigns are already rolling out. Fast Company has analyzed the designs and branding of those first out of the gate, and it makes for quite an interesting read.

A Daily Dose of | Emo

The Philly region has produced all kinds of musical acts, but the Pennsylvania suburbs has developed a penchant for launching indie emo-rock bands.