‘Construction destruction’ endangers residents | Morning Newsletter

The plumes of smoke from Canadian wildfires are here to stay for awhile. Expect more eerie widespread haze. If you have to go outside, wear a mask.

This week marked the 10-year anniversary of one of Philadelphia’s deadliest mass casualty events, when a building being demolished on Market Street collapsed onto a Salvation Army thrift store next door. The tragedy that killed seven people and injured 12 led to an outcry for reforms.

Our lead story explores how residents are still in danger from what community activists and organizers call “construction destruction.” 🔑

If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Ten years after the Market Street catastrophe, construction-related collapses and fatalities continued.

Philadelphia has put in place measures to protect residents, regulate demolition and excavation, and notify neighbors of what work could impact them. But those steps aren’t adequate to deal with the complex root causes of the crisis.

This issue particularly affects Philadelphia’s aging rowhouses and poor neighborhoods where properties have suffered decades of deterioration.

Reminders: In May, two people were injured in the collapse of a North Philly building whose renovations seemed to exceed what permits allowed. In January, a century-old West Philly house that was being expanded and converted into apartments crashed to the ground and damaged its neighbor. And back in September, a Fishtown building housing a pizza shop crumpled into a construction site next door.

All of the contractors on those projects are still able to work today.

Continue reading for a deep dive into all the factors that led us here. 🔑

Wednesday was Philadelphia’s worst air quality day in a decade.

Today’s air quality should be better. Regardless, it’s not great and you should know how to protect yourself. We asked experts and city officials to answer questions about what this means for your health.

How bad is the air quality from a health perspective?

The air particles affecting people are known as PM 2.5 particles, which are 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Typically, your nose, throat, and lungs filter out particles in the air but these are so small that it can get deeper into your lungs. At that point, your lungs could produce mucus to dispel particles, and your blood vessels could become constricted as your lungs become inflamed. The most common symptom is coughing and feeling discomfort.

What can you do to protect your health in these situations?

Avoid going outside. Close your windows. HEPA air purifiers can help improve air quality inside. Philadelphia’s health department recommends postponing outdoor events and gatherings.

Keep reading for more answers to common questions.

Yesterday was a hectic day so here’s a story to lighten up the mood a bit.

For over a week, there’s been a furniture set covered in breast plushes set up in a vacant lot on Washington Avenue in South Philly. What’s equally as surprising is that no one has taken or destroyed it.

It’s the work of performance and sculpture artist Rose Luardo.

The furniture came from her family’s house and she had the breast plushies — which she made in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes — from a show she did prior to the pandemic.

In her own words: “I’m just a zany human being. I would say that my work on this planet is configuring funny things like this Boob Garden,” she said. “It has that feel of stumbling onto something incredibly zany you didn’t know could exist, and you can’t take your eyes off it.”

Keep reading to learn the inspiration behind the artwork.

Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan is selling a portion of the 210-acre Chester County farm he bought for $24 million back in March for preservation.

How many acres is the portion?

A) 100

B) 85

C) 90

D) 15

Think you know? Check your answer.

👀 Watching: What’s next after CNN head Chris Licht steps down.

🎤Anticipating: The inaugural North to Shore Festival starts tonight in Atlantic City but I have my eyes on Saturday when Jazmine Sullivan will perform.

Hint: A Sixers legend and Hall of Famer

ARCHERS BLEAKLY

We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Cheers to Toby Allen, who correctly guessed Wednesday’s answer: Penn’s Landing. Email us if you know the answer.

And that’s it from me. I’m staying mostly inside today and I hope you can do the same. Stay safe out there and I’ll see you tomorrow. 👋🏽