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Is a Philly Starbucks trying to keep out the homeless?; Philly domestic workers could see new protections | Morning Newsletter

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Plastic bags, a shopping cart and suitcase are parked outside the Starbucks at Broad and Pine Streets, March 4, 2019. Reporter notes the coffee shop recently took out most of the tables, possibly as a more subtle way of saying "no loitering."
Plastic bags, a shopping cart and suitcase are parked outside the Starbucks at Broad and Pine Streets, March 4, 2019. Reporter notes the coffee shop recently took out most of the tables, possibly as a more subtle way of saying "no loitering."Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
    by Aubrey Nagle
    Published 

    The Morning Newsletter

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

If you’re a little bleary-eyed this morning, you might want to grab your cup of coffee before reading further — we’re talking about Starbucks again this morning. This time residents are questioning the motive behind the reorganization of a popular Center City location. In other news, it’s possible a Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights is in Philly’s future. If passed, it could establish important new protections for workers like nannies and house cleaners.

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

Is Starbucks redesign a 'keep out’ sign for Philly’s homeless people?

First the arrests of two black men in a Center City Starbucks prompted a national outcry. More recently, residents questioned plans for a Starbucks in Dilworth Park.

Now, once again, Starbucks has some Philadelphians crying foul.

The location at Broad and Pine Streets in Center City recently reorganized its furniture. The coffee chain says the store had been feeling crowded. But those who frequent the cafe wonder whether it was done to keep out the homeless.

Philly could establish new protections for domestic workers

There are 16,000 or so domestic workers — like in-home caretakers, house cleaners, and nannies — in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Most of them are women of color and many are documented immigrants. Their work makes them particularly vulnerable to abuse yet they have few protections under existing labor laws.

If Philly follows the lead of eight states and the city of Seattle by passing a Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, it could address overtime pay, sick leave, and more concerns.

Opioid deaths leveling off in Pa., but methamphetamine, cocaine use rising

According to state officials, prescription drug and heroin deaths are leveling off in some areas of Pennsylvania while methamphetamine and cocaine use are on the rise, reflecting a national trend.

Meanwhile, the fight against the opioid epidemic continues. Increasingly, pain patients sent home with opioids are also given the drug naloxone to prevent overdoses. At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration questions whether opioids actually help chronic pain.

In our region, the Camden County Jail recently announced it would expand a program to offer medication-assisted opioid addiction treatment to inmates.

What you need to know today

  1. Lawmakers behind a proposal that would allow family members to temporarily have guns taken away from a suicidal loved one say it could gain enough traction to pass in Pennsylvania, and save lives.

  2. Two 18-year-old passengers were killed during Sunday’s snowstorm when a car ran off the road in Millford Township, Bucks County. It wasn’t immediately clear if the weather played a role in the crash.

  3. A Philadelphia jury found that a Manayunk bar should pay $525,000 in damages to the family of Shane Montgomery, the West Chester student who drowned after a night out drinking in 2014. They also found Montgomery was culpable in his own death.

  4. Ex-Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Main Line native, has announced he’s running for president as a moderate Democrat.

  5. Al Shrier, Temple University’s sports information director for decades, died Monday at age 88. Columnist Mike Jensen calls him one of the school’s “all-time greats.”

  6. A tornado swept through Alabama Sunday leaving 23 dead, becoming the deadliest U.S. tornado in nearly six years.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

With views like that, how could we mind, @morrisarboretum? 😍

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. It does not bring me joy to tell you that the latest batch of local eateries closed for health violations includes many mentions of bugs and mice, but, alas, such is my duty.

  2. Temple University alumnus Tamron Hall will join daytime TV with her own talk show this fall. It’s set to premiere Sept. 9.

  3. Craft Hall (no relation to Tamron), an ambitious project in Northern Liberties with food, beer, and playgrounds for the young and old, also now has a premiere date.

  4. Commuting by bike can be scary for a newbie, but it doesn’t have to be. A women’s biking group is helping more riders gain confidence on wheels.

  5. In Philadelphia fewer African-American and Hispanic mothers breastfeed, so the Breastfeeding Latinas project is empowering women of color to become lactation experts.

  6. Supporters argue that defunding abortion providers in the U.S. reduces abortions, but new research confirms that it actually increases them worldwide.

Opinions

“Ten years after the ‘Kids for Cash’ scandal, Pennsylvania is once again the subject of national headlines about its scandalous juvenile justice system. A robust and transparent state-level investigation of ‘Kids for Cash’ allowed Pennsylvania to emerge from that scandal with a reform package that positioned it to once again serve as a leader in juvenile justice reform. Then as now, the state must lead the way.” — Marsha Levick, the chief legal officer at the Juvenile Law Center, on how Pennsylvania lawmakers should react to the Glen Mills Schools scandal.

  1. The idea that tech firms and young workers are flocking to “superstar” cities may sound nice, but it’s just not true, write Joel Kotkin and Wendell Cox of the Center for Opportunity Urbanism.

  2. It’s time to ensure the respect, safety, and professionalism of domestic workers with a bill of rights in Philadelphia, writes Annie Johnson, a nanny and member leader of the Pennsylvania Domestic Workers Alliance.

What we’re reading

  1. Half of the U.S. homes that burn coal for heat are in Pennsylvania and the industry wants to expand, despite its contributions to climate change, reports NPR.

  2. Did you know there’s a tiny town in South Jersey where only men who golf can own homes? Well, for better or worse, now you do, thanks to NJ.com.

  3. You can never have too many travel tips. Take some from the pros — Philly’s business travelers — via Philadelphia Magazine.

  4. If you think the Philly skyline has changed, you should see the Washington Post’s illustration-filled look at the rising skylines of the West.

  5. You probably don’t need to read about the rise and fall of the “man cave," but Vox’s cheeky analysis makes a look back at the trend worth it.

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