Warm weather means fake snow; Pennsylvania Democrats are struggling to beat one of their own | Morning Newsletter
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The Morning Newsletter
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Did everybody enjoy a taste of spring this weekend? Although it won’t be quite as warm the rest of the week, we’ll still be looking at warmer-than-usual weather. And that’s been the case for much of this winter, posing a problem for snow-dependent industries such as ski resorts. But they’ve found ways to cope by doing Mother Nature’s job for her.
And elsewhere in the newsletter, we’ve got a dose of politics, with reporting on why Democrats want to take down one of their own state senators. We also have a heartwarming story on a woman who went on a search for her sibling who she thought died at birth — and found him.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
This weekend was extreme. With temperatures in the upper 60s, folks across the region were out and about, taking advantage of the spring-like climate. It was so warm that the official forecasted “low” yesterday was 59, which is the normal low for a typical June 1.
But even so, some ski resorts in the region were able to stay open this weekend — all thanks to fake snow. Ski operators have become proficient at making their own snow, and it’s the lifeblood of Pennsylvania’s ski industry.
And, thankfully for skiers, the man-made snow machines are outperforming Mother Nature this winter.
Pennsylvania Democratic leaders have been trying to get rid of Daylin Leach. Yet, the state senator hasn’t resigned. Party members from the governor to obscure local officials have called on him to leave his post. In the state capital, his fellow Dems haven’t let him participate in their caucus meetings. And, at home (he represents parts of Montgomery and Delaware Counties), he’s been shunned from some party events.
This all started amid allegations that he inappropriately touched female staffers and made highly sexualized jokes, and it snowballed after a more serious allegation and his combative response.
This year, Leach will face voters for the first time since these allegations surfaced. At least seven Democrats are running against Leach, and some are worried that with such a big field, the vote will be split in a way that keeps Leach in his seat.
What you need to know today
The latest annual Health of the City report reveals that for nearly every health measure — obesity, diabetes, cancer incidence and mortality, and more — rates are worse for minorities. “These differences were largely driven by persisting disparities in key health outcomes and behaviors for racial/ethnic minorities and those experiencing poverty," the report concluded.
Because a case about persistent school segregation in New Jersey could reshape education throughout the state, a judge last week ordered the plaintiffs to notify every school district in the state about its existence.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a sweeping package of measures that would establish federal regulations for the toxic, persistent chemicals known as PFAS and compel the cleanup of contaminated areas. An estimated 1,400 communities — including some in Bucks and Montgomery Counties — have some PFAS contamination in their drinking water, lawmakers said.
When the interim director of the Middle East Center at Penn landed in the U.S. last week after a flight from Cairo, the Iranian-born American was pulled aside by an officer and was asked about the conflict between Iran and the United States. He is one of many in the region who are dealing with jangled nerves and fears for family overseas.
Authorities released details about the standoff that led to police killing a man after he shot at them from a Frankford rowhouse last week. He was on probation for a firearms conviction in Rhode Island and was wanted for potential parole violations related to a domestic violence incident.
A former Philadelphia Museum of Art executive raised concerns and complaints when he entered into relationships with female subordinate museum staffers while dangling possibilities for professional advancement, according to a report from the New York Times.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
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That’s interesting
💕A woman thought her sibling had died at birth. But, then they connected in Philly. “I was so happy. You have no idea,” she said.
✍️Are students missing out by not learning cursive? Many schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey no longer teach it.
🎬A former Philly cop claims the Free Meek documentary portrayed her as “dirty and dishonest” and is suing Meek Mill, Jay-Z, and Amazon because of it.
🏒The Flyers got to see meet with their teammate Oskar Lindblom last week as he goes through treatments for a rare type of bone cancer. Coach Alain Vigneault called it “the best part of my day.”
🏀Sixers star Joel Embiid had surgery on Friday to repair a ligament in the finger he dislocated earlier this month. My colleague talked to sports medicine specialists about what his future could look like.
Opinions
“But part of it is simply how the system was designed decades ago — a system that separated men and women, and didn’t take enough account of communities and relationships that people build on the street. And it’s hard to bring about systemic change when the system is struggling to make up for the lack of affordable housing in Philadelphia.” — columnist Mike Newall writes about a Philadelphia couple whose relationship helped them face addiction, poverty, and homelessness.
Mothers of murdered children are using bullets to make jewelry. Columnist Helen Ubiñas writes about their mission to “spark a change of heart and mind.”
David Aizenberg is a former program director for internal medicine residency at Drexel University. He writes for The Inquirer about walking by the now-closed Hahnemann University Hospital and being unable to “shake the overwhelming feeling of abandonment.”
What we’re reading
Some Society Hill residents want a physical barrier to protect bike lanes, which is causing Philadelphia officials to revisit the issue, KYW reports.
In New York, the mafia tried to take over the bagel industry. But the bagel union fought back — and won, reports Grub Street.
Across the Midwest, farm equipment from the ’70s and ’80s is in high demand. The Minneapolis Star Tribune explains why.
Your Daily Dose of | The UpSide
Local brand Dance Happy Design is getting national traction. And what makes that such great news, The Inquirer’s Ronnie Polaneczky writes, is that "one of its founders has a disability that, in the not too distant past, might’ve kept her from working at all.”