Introducing our Voters Guide for the 2018 midterms, Sixers fall in season debut | Morning Newsletter
We’ve got 20 days until the 2018 midterm elections. And with voter registration deadlines having now passed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, the focus shifts nearly entirely to how you’ll vote. In our Voters Guide, you can find information on the candidates that will appear on your ballot and the issues that could help determine for whom you’ll vote. With election day looming, the state legislature in Harrisburg will have its last scheduled voting day Wednesday, with a bill stemming from the Catholic Church clergy sex abuse grand jury report still being discussed. And, in sports, the Sixers got off to a rough start, falling to the Celtics in their season opener.
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— Josh Rosenblat (@JMRosenblat, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
Voters Guide 2018: Everything you need to know for the midterm elections
It feels like just yesterday we were prepping for the primaries, and now the midterm elections are just weeks away. (Save the date: Nov. 6) Luckily, there’s still plenty of time to study up and our new-and-improved voters guide can help.
Prep for the voting booth: Find out what races will be on your ballot — all you need is your address. Or check out every federal and statewide race in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Find answers to frequently asked questions: Know your polling place and your rights before you go.
Understand how the issues impact key races:
Health care and insurance are top of mind for Democrats and Republicans alike
What to know about taxes, the economy, and jobs for the midterms
How gun control and safety issues could affect who Pa. and N.J. send to Congress
Still want more? Sign up for a weekly politics newsletter from our Clout columnists or get text alerts about key election issues from my colleague Jonathan Lai.
Catholic benefactor to Pa. senators: Stand with victims or their abusers?
The decision on creating a proposed temporary adjustment to Pennsylvania’s civil statute of limitations for sexual assault could come down to the wire today in the state Senate.
Republicans spent much of Tuesday mulling over the bill in closed-door meetings, setting up what could be a dramatic final scheduled voting day in the legislature’s two-year session. On Tuesday, Wyndmoor insurance magnate James J. Maguire Sr., a top Catholic political donor, sent messages to GOP senators in support of the bill.
The extension on the statute of limitations for sexual assault was a key recommendation of the grand jury that investigated abuse in Pennsylvania.
What you need to know today
The Sixers opened their 2018-19 season Tuesday night with a 105-87 loss to the Celtics in Boston. But it didn’t come without a big-time performance from second-year guard Ben Simmons, who finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, and four steals.
First Lady Melania Trump will visit Thomas Jefferson University Hospital today, where she will meet with families whose children were exposed to opioids in the womb. She’s promoting her “Be Best” campaign, which focuses on helping children through a number of issues, including the opioid crisis.
Public companies in the city added more women to their boards last year – but ever so slowly. The number of board seats held overall by women rose slightly to 17 percent in 2017, up from 16 percent in 2016, a new report from the Forum of Executive Women shows.
PATCO service was knocked out Tuesday afternoon at every station in Philadelphia aside from the one at Eighth and Market Streets. A crew was investigating an issue when they inadvertently cut a line providing power to the PATCO stations, a spokesperson said. Service resumed shortly after 4 p.m.
A former food stand in Reading Terminal Market may owe local farmers money. Some cheesemakers and farmers say the Fair Food Farmstand closed down without paying their debts, with some saying they’re owed up to $5,000.
A man repeatedly recorded and asked questions of congressional candidate Scott Wallace throughout the campaign. The man said he was a journalist. In reality, though, he wasn’t. Ariel Benjamin Mannes is a political operative who pulled a paycheck from the campaign of Wallace’s opponent, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
A post shared by Theresa Cannon (@theresa__cannon) on Oct 16, 2018 at 5:58pm PDT
Um, @theresa_cannon, I think we’re going to need one of those lensballs.
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
The fight to save Beaver Valley in Delaware County just made neighboring First State National Historic Park even bigger. A grassroots fundraising effort, along with help from other donations, kept developers from turning it into housing.
In Marlton, N.J., a proposed diner aims to “bridge the gap from one generation to the next” by naming the new restaurant after a now-closed town staple.
Vince Papale of Eagles fame has a football-playing son making his own name. Vinny is a wideout playing college ball for the Delaware Blue Hens.
The Free Library announced its selection for its One Book, One Philadelphia campaign for the 2018-19 school year: Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.
From sports leagues to concert venues to board game meetups, there are plenty of ways to meet and hang out with people without drinking around Philly.
Philadelphia has a new boardwalk and trail on the Schuylkill River. A $4.2 million project that juts over an island offers an elevated view of the nearby Fairmount Water Works, the Art Museum, and Boathouse Row.
Opinions
“Beneath the laughter, however, is the potential for danger, because when such people are entering our homes, denying us access, even shooting us in our own apartments, black lives are at stake. And if we truly want these incidents to stop, the perpetrators must be prosecuted for the crimes they commit when they make false police reports, harass law-abiding citizens, or make terroristic threats.“ — Solomon Jones writes on false accusations made against black people.
When Gov. Tom Wolf took office in 2014, his election held promise for climate change activists. Now, as his reelection seems nearly inevitable, columnist Will Bunch writes, Wolf’s record on environmental issues has failed to live up to the hype.
Despite promises of charitable donations, North Camden residents Luis Gaitan and Jonathan Latko write that the costs of a controversial billboard in Camden far outweigh the benefits.
What we’re reading
Philadelphia Weekly is running a Twitter thread featuring the stories of the city’s street musicians, as told through illustrations by Steve Teare.
As the Sixers get their 2018-19 season going, Billy Penn writes about a new Markelle Fultz-inspired beer.
Philadelphia Magazine stands up for the city’s wine-drinkers, arguing that per-bottle prices at restaurants have gotten out of hand.
Netflix has figured out how to capitalize on buzzy opening weekends for their streaming shows, writes Alison Herman of The Ringer.
Your Daily Dose of | Falconry
How does a falconer build a relationship with their bird? In Courtney Douds’ case, hours of watching Netflix together and buying frozen rats in bulk.
