Waiting out the war back home | Morning Newsletter
And who’s impacted by construction destruction
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The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Welcome to a new month. Expect a mostly cloudy day with a high of 50.
Jury selection is set to begin today for former Local 98 leader John Dougherty. It’s his second federal trial in two years. This time, it’s for embezzling from his union. If you want to go deeper than the headlines, sign up for Inside Johnny Doc’s Trial. It’s a weekly briefing from The Inquirer’s Jeremy Roebuck and Oona Goodin-Smith.
But first, let’s get to our main story of the day. Nine Israeli children have been relocated to the Philadelphia region and enrolled at an area Jewish school to wait out the Israel-Hamas war. The school anticipates up to 10 more arrivals in the coming weeks.
Our lead story follows how the school is accommodating their newest students.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Marc Ufberg and his 8-year-old son, Matan, were hiking in the Golan Heights on Oct. 7 when they found out Hamas had attacked southern Israel.
As they drove home to Herzilya, a coastal city north of Tel Aviv, they saw military reservists putting on uniforms in gas station parking lots.
Within days, Ufberg made the decision to send his son back to his birthplace in the United States to stay with family in the Philly region.
Matan is one of nine Israeli children who have relocated and now enrolled at Raymond and Ruth Perelman Jewish Day School, a private K-5 school with campuses in Wynnewood and Elkins Park. Tuition is temporarily waved since it’s unclear how long the students will be here.
Note: The Israel-Hamas war has already displaced more than 250,000 Israelis and 1.4 million Palestinians. President Joe Biden’s administration admits few Palestinian refugees to the United States each year, and there is no indication that will change. But the United States is relaxing travel restrictions to admit more Israelis seeking refuge.
Read on to learn how Matan is adjusting to the transition.
Reckless construction next door compromises or destroys 50 Philly rowhouses each year.
Because the city’s rowhouses are built to stand together, one decaying vacant house or one careless demolition is a threat to neighbors. It’s especially common in gentrifying neighborhoods in Philly where construction has swept through an aging rowhouse city.
An Inquirer investigation using city records and the most recent U.S. Census found that the damage is concentrated in formerly redlined communities.
Residents in majority-Black neighborhoods are five times more likely than those in white areas to live in a rowhouse adjoining an unsafe building.
They are four times more likely to live in an unsafe building, such as one with a collapsing roof or fractured walls.
They are five times more likely to live next to a construction site that the city identified as having unsafe practices.
Continue reading to learn what it’ll take to get stronger protections and other solutions.
What you should know today
Main Line billionaire Jeffrey Yass is financing negative political ads to try to sink two progressives running against a pair of Republicans for Philadelphia City Council.
The Philadelphia Bail Fund has paused operations and is no longer posting bail for those who can’t afford it. The nonprofit said it has posted more than $4 million in bail for more than 1,000 people since its launch.
Lawmakers and tenant advocates want to seal eviction records, which can be barriers to future housing.
Jersey Shore trips on the Atlantic City Expressway may speed up with all-electronic tolls by the summer of 2025.
Traffic delays on University Avenue, near I-76 ramps and CHOP, is here to stay through next spring as construction wraps up.
According to Craig LaBan, Rosemary’s arrival brings big city restaurant vibes to Delco’s Ridley Park.
Target canceled its plan for a new University City location at the former International House.
🧠 Trivia time
Lonely Planet, an industry-leading travel guidebook publisher, placed Philly as the best U.S. city to visit in 2024.
Where did it place globally?
A) Second
B) Third
C) Fourth
D) Fifth
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re …
👀Watching: The Biden Administration wants to make it easier to convert offices to apartments in our post-pandemic world.
🗳️Sharing: How to return your ballot in Pennsylvania if you’re voting by mail for the general election next week.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Traffic anchor
ELK LOBBY
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Terri Lewis, who correctly guessed Tuesday’s answer: Patty Jackson.
Photo of the day
Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. I’m beginning mine by telling myself not to eat Halloween candy for breakfast. Have a great Wednesday and I’ll be back tomorrow. 👋🏽