A look at new police tactics expected in Philly | Morning Newsletter
And the one key factor that handed Biden Pennsylvania.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
,Good morning. I hope everyone had a comfortable Thanksgiving even in our extraordinarily trying circumstances.
It’s good to be back with you on our normal schedule.
First: The Philadelphia Police Department may bring back more comprehensive de-escalation training that would teach officers to mitigate situations with circumstances similar to the one in which Walter Wallace Jr. was shot and killed by police.
Then: Biden’s 2020 election win landed at everyone’s doorstep early this month, but now that we know the final tally of Pennsylvania votes, we can analyze the full picture. Philadelphia’s suburbs handed Biden the votes he needed, and one factor was key to making that happen. Our story breaks it down by the numbers.
And: Yesterday, several dozen gathered to run all 11 “legal” miles of the Philly Fraud Street Run charity race, inspired by the infamous Four Seasons Total Landscaping news conference that set the Internet aflame with hot takes. Some even participated out of town in the event, which did not disappoint.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The protests and unrest that followed the police shooting and killing of Walter Wallace Jr. may result in the Philadelphia Police Department reintroducing more extensive de-escalation training — comparable to what was already in place more than decade ago, but was discontinued quietly. The city is considering training programs that would put the focus on crisis intervention and de-escalation in order to reduce the use of force.
De-escalation programming has won over skeptics who feared a less aggressive approach would place officers in harm’s way. For example, ICAT (Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics) teaches officers to make some space by taking cover in their squad cars or wherever they can to keep their distance and buy some time. And open-ended questions with subjects replace yelled commands.
Here’s what people are saying about the evolution.
The suburbs have been getting bluer for decades, and President-elect Biden didn’t win just one kind of suburb.
Each and every last vote counted in this race, and turnout was up, but that’s not why Biden defeated President Donald Trump. There was one key factor in securing Biden’s victory for Democrats. Let’s look at a map showing how, in many ways, the areas of the city that trended most dramatically against Trump looked a lot like the suburbs that turned out so forcefully against him, too.
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What you need to know today
Yesterday, the Fraud Street Run took place, starting at Four Seasons Total Landscaping — but also was held the world over. Organizers did note that there would be no winners, but quite a few people declared themselves victors, nevertheless. Stephanie Farr was on the scene to cover it all.
There could be a surge within this coronavirus surge after holiday gatherings and greetings. And as some of our health-care worker sources have urged, Philadelphia-area hospitals may have to cut back on elective surgeries under state order.
Parents organized a protest against the closure of Montgomery County schools with an estimated 80 cars. The group says the road rally is about having the choice to pick: virtual or in-person learning.
We talked to NE Phila Connected, a volunteer security patrol group of 200 immigrant business owners and their children, which formed after looting during times of unrest in May and October.
This is exactly what “winter warming” looks like in Philly, according to new research.
Nasdaq has shut down its Philly trading room again as the pandemic resurges, marking the second time this year. Here’s when it hopes to reopen.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
We’ve got your (walking) balloon parade right here. Thanks for sharing @chuckseye.
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
📚 Peak TV may have reached its peak, but we’ve listed the 10 big books to crack open this holiday season because there will be no dull moments tolerated this winter.
⚖️ This Temple grad, who helped galvanize the Black vote in her community, is continuing her work with the CROWN act, a law that makes it illegal to discriminate against people in the workplace or schools because of their hair. Her mission: It’s about protecting choice.
🍗 Heaters go only so far in the cold even with patrons braving the weather to dine outdoors. These are just some of the ways restaurants are getting versatile to try to survive the season.
🍕 The passionate charity pizza project “Good Pizza” is getting plenty of viral attention. How it works: You donate money, and the organizer sends it to his favorite causes. Then you get one of his pies lowered down to you from his window. Already, he’s raised thousands. We talked to the 27-year-old behind the operation.
🎂 Venerable priest “Father John,” who championed inclusion at St. Charles Borromeo, was feted for his 100th birthday by well-wishers from South Philly to Virginia.
🦅 We’re talking about the biggest obstacles standing in the way of Carson Wentz this season.
Opinions
“We are masked and ready to care for all of your medical issues. Our ability to continue to do that depends on our communities. This virus will be difficult to fight this winter, but I know we can do it together.” — Patricia Henwood, Thomas Jefferson University associate professor of emergency medicine, writes that her fear with this next significant surge is that our most dire shortage will be health-care workers themselves.
There’s a surprising bond that overwhelmingly white and Republican rural counties share with diverse, Democratic big cities: devastatingly high poverty rates and exceedingly low average incomes. Here’s where we could go from here, writes Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America.
Mary Beth O’Connor, a retired federal judge, writes that Safehouse’s harm reduction mission values life and the drug user’s ability to make positive decisions. And it contributes to bettering community life overall.
What we’re reading
Billy Penn gets the story of Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, the pony ride place open since 2004 that will be transformed into an affordable-housing development for seniors. The conflict over the use of the grassland got a shout-out in Concrete Cowboys.
The Philadelphia Tribune talked to business owners who are confident the holiday season is already giving them some action.
Maybe you’ve seen all the Christmas movies, but CNN lists some movies that are unexpectedly excellent seasonal watch.
Your Daily Dose of | Jolly
There’s at least one loss 2020 did not have the final word on. The “jolly trolley.”
Some SEPTA cars are getting repaired, and the jolly trolley is one of them that won’t ride this year. But artists and neighbors weren’t having that, so they came together to deck out a replica of their own, complete with brightly colorful Christmas lights and glittery golden bands.
The idea is to cap off a potentially dreary end of the year by lightening things up and it’s got some new riders you haven’t seen before. What do you think of the new passengers that are painted on?