The abrupt start and stop of buses coming from Texas | Morning Newsletter
And some Philly parents can’t communicate with their kids’ schools.
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The Morning Newsletter
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It’s looking like we could have some showers with thunderstorms hitting in the afternoon, so the Phillies home opener has been postponed to Friday.
During roughly seven weeks between November and January, nearly a thousand immigrants arrived and local advocates sprung into action.
The last of 19 buses carrying migrants transported from Texas arrived Jan. 7.
And then...nothing.
Our lead story explores what’s next.
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)
During roughly seven weeks, 848 immigrants arrived in Philadelphia. Almost all left, connecting with family in nearby states.
What first seemed like a pause has turned out to be a full stop. There hasn’t been any more buses transporting migrants from Texas since early January.
So what’s happening? Federal policies are reaching cities like Philly.
President Joe Biden has continued some Trump-era policies, including Title 42. The WWII-era health law lets the government expel people in the name of stopping communicable diseases. Trump used it to override asylum.
But now, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said the COVID-19 pandemic no longer justifies the use of Title 42 and Biden plans to lift the restriction in May.
Pay attention: The lift may provoke a new rush of arrivals toward states like Texas, followed by sending more buses to Philadelphia.
Continue reading to learn what new rule Biden wants to replace Title 42.
Some Philadelphia parents can’t communicate with their children’s schools because the district doesn’t have anyone who speaks their language.
The Philadelphia School District uses both in-person interpreters and a telephonic interpretation service to translate for families in more than 200 languages.
But there’s still gaps and a growing number speak less-common languages that are not covered.
Advocates say they are happy to support families with individual translation when necessary, but don’t consider it a sustainable approach.
Keep reading to learn the extent of the barriers that exist for families who can’t effectively communicate with their kids’ schools.
What you should know today
The Philadelphia mayor’s race is still wide open. Here’s what recent fundraising tells us about the race in five charts. 🔑
SEPTA said it expects to spend the last of its federal COVID relief money by next year. It’ll likely be the last budget without service cuts and fare increases.
Real estate agents who speak multiple languages are in higher demand as Philly’s immigrant population rises.
Ex-Philly treasurer Christian Dunbar was sentenced to six months in prison for lying about his marital status and failing to file his taxes.
Gender-affirming health care is now protected in New Jersey through a governor’s order.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art has had a copy of a Johannes Vermeer painting for almost a century. New research argues that it’s actually a rare original.
In case you missed it, we have a story from earlier in the week centering on Philly’s death doulas.
Personally, I think their work is beautiful.
Drawing their name from birth doulas, death doulas are nonmedical guides for the end of life.
That includes helping people plan for their final moments and advocating for them in hospitals. Sometimes, it means sitting with them as they draw their last breaths.
Think of them as part spiritual teachers and part practical helpers who also support grieving families.
Death doulas are part of a growing “death-positive” movement that encourages people to talk openly and frankly about the inevitable reality we all face.
Keep reading to learn more about what this type of work entails.
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
Easter is just days away and consumers are expected to shell out more money than ever.
Roughly how much did people nationwide spend on Easter candy last year?
A) $5 billion
B) $3 billion
C) $400 million
D) $1.5 billion
Confident in your answer? Check it here. 🔑
What we’re...
💭 Wondering: If progressive Brandon Johnson becoming mayor in Chicago is good news for Philadelphia mayoral candidate Helen Gym. The two are similar but the Philly mayoral field looks very different. 🔑
👀Watching: Philly City Council is considering whether to tighten or ease Airbnb regulations.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: Philly jazz radio legend
PEK RIBBONS
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here, and would love for you to send us your own original anagram to unscramble. Congratulations to Sara Garonzik, who correctly guessed Wednesday’s answer: Kalaya. Email us if you know the answer.
Photo of the day
That should be enough to get your Thursday started. Thanks for choosing to do it with The Inquirer. ☀️