đźš— Sidewalk parking crackdown | Morning Newsletter
And Sixers’ free agency moves.
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The Morning Newsletter
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Hi, Philly. It’s set to be a sunny Tuesday, with a high near 86 — not far off from some of the temps we saw last month, which was officially the fourth-hottest June on record.
The Philadelphia Parking Authority began cracking down on sidewalk parking and five other offenses. After the first 45 days of enhanced enforcement, the results are in: There’s plenty of bad behavior.
And the 76ers are starting the second half of 2024 with a new roster, including free agent superstar Paul George.
Read on for those stories and many more.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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In mid-May, the Philadelphia Parking Authority launched an initiative to more deliberately ticket vehicles blocking sidewalks and ADA-accessible curbs, with a focus on neighborhoods beyond Center City. The goal was to make pathways more navigable, especially for people with mobility challenges.
The early results are in, and folks, it’s not looking good:
đźš™ The number of tickets issued for six mobility-related parking violations jumped 154% in the first 45 days of enhanced enforcement.
đźš— That means PPA officers wrote 25,797 tickets citywide during the pilot period, up from 10,124 in the same time last year.
đźš• Violations are more prevalent in denser areas such as Fishtown, North Philadelphia, and South Philadelphia. (Hi, everyone who lives on a teeny one-way street in Point Breeze.)
Remember how fun it was to be a 76ers fan, like, two months ago? It’s already time to get pumped for next season.
This week is NBA free agency, when players whose contracts are up can sign new ones. That means it’s the Sixers’ opportunity to stack their 2024-2025 roster — and boost their odds of getting past the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since Allen Iverson led the team.
While players can’t officially sign until July 6, here are the biggest moves made so far:
Signing Paul George: This nine-time All Star was considered the Sixers’ top (or perhaps only) target during free agency. He’ll be 38 when his four-year, $212 million max contract runs out.
What the experts think: Is the George addition to the Sixers the right one? Inquirer columnists’ views differ. Either way, the memes were good.
Philly’s Big Three: The former Los Angeles Clippers forward completes a star trio including Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey — the latter of whom just agreed to a five-year, $204 million max contract extension.
Who else signed: Veteran center Andre Drummond will rejoin the Sixers after two years away. (”I’m in the mood for a Philly cheesesteak,” he posted on X.) Kelly Oubre Jr. and Eric Gordon also got deals. Nico Batum, Tobias Harris, and De’Anthony Melton are all reportedly gone.
New blood: All this excitement comes a week after the NBA draft, when the Sixers scored former Duke guard and TikTok star Jared McCain.
Free agency continues tomorrow. Here’s what’s next on the Sixers’ to-do list.
What you should know today
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that former President Donald Trump is entitled to some level of immunity from criminal prosecution for actions he took in his efforts to overturn the results of 2020 election. But the justices laid out criteria under which a more narrow trial against him still could proceed.
The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General has decided to not renew liquor licenses at two of Trump’s golf courses in the state, after weeks of reviewing whether revoking the permits should be a consequence of his 34 felony convictions.
Two voting rights groups are suing to force a southwestern Pennsylvania county to alert voters if their mail ballot is invalid.
Sen. Bob Casey reluctantly responded to questions Monday about president Joe Biden’s debate performance while at a campaign stop in Scranton — their shared hometown — and said he thinks Biden should remain the nominee.
Two former longtime City Council members have died. Donna Reed Miller, 77, fought for gun control legislation and authored a “ban the box” bill. Joan L. Specter, 90, was also the wife of the late U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter as well as an entrepreneur.
The death of Temple University nursing student Milan Jones reminds that the epidemic of intimate partner violence is a hidden problem for college students.
People who bought properties at sheriff sales are facing abnormally long wait times to get the deeds — seven months or more, in some cases. One investor described feeling like a “financial hostage.”
Cheyney University’s accreditation has been reaffirmed, meaning the historically Black state school is no longer on probation.
When its mall closed in 2018, Burlington Township was left with more than 200 acres of vacant land along busy Route 541. Now, being developed in its place are three warehouses, a half-dozen restaurants and retail shops, a hotel, and a 500-unit rental complex.
An 18th-century musket that’s linked to the Revolutionary War was stolen in 1968 from Valley Forge Park. It’s finally back in Philly.
🧠Trivia time
The Philadelphia Zoo celebrated its 150th birthday yesterday. Which animals were not featured at the zoo when it opened in 1874?
A) Two South Australian wombats
B) Several prairie dogs
C) One Tasmanian devil
D) Three giant pandas
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🌽 Buying: Fresh masa and tortillas from one of Philly’s best Mexican restaurants.
🍺 Visiting: The second beer garden now open on Independence Mall.
⚽ Anticipating: The summer’s 10 biggest sporting events coming to Philly.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
The small, private health sciences university based in Elkins Park that’s merging with Drexel University.
NURSES VISUALITY
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Cara Noel, who solved Monday’s anagram: Mighty Writers. The local nonprofit promotes literacy among children in Philadelphia, Kennett Square, New Jersey — and now, the United States-Mexico border.
Photo of the day
🌇 One last puffy thing: Did you see Sunday’s spectacular post-storm clouds? It turns out they’re called mammatus clouds. They’re rare in this region.
Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday. See you back here tomorrow.
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