Sixers stay alive vs. Celtics, supporters worry over Painted Bride, Philly is lonely | Morning Newsletter
Welcome to Tuesday. Well, I’m glad to not be discussing a Sixers loss this morning after the team rallied last night to avoid playoff elimination. If there’s anything Philly athletes have taught us in the past few months, it’s that they don’t go down without a fight. It ain’t over ’til it’s over, right? Supporters of the Painted Bride Art Center have taken up a similar refrain as they try to save the iconic building from an as-yet-unknown-but-possibly-unfortunate fate as the organization looks to sell. Silence on plans for the Old City gem is rattling the arts scene. All this and more ahead, folks. Let’s dig in.
— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
Sixers survive to see another playoff game
Well, it’s not over yet: The Sixers beat the Celtics 103-92 at the Wells Fargo Center last night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Celtics lead the series 3-1, so the odds are stacked against The Process, but the team lives to see another playoff game tomorrow night.
Dario Saric led the way with 25 points, but T.J. McConnell (starting in place of Robert Covington) provided a much-needed spark with a career-high 19 points.
Joel Embiid snagged his sixth straight postseason double-double and got in a bit of a skirmish with Celtics star Terry Rozier in the second quarter. His response was classic Embiid: “Too bad he’s so short that he couldn’t get to my face.”
Artists, residents frustrated by silence over Painted Bride sales plans
Old City’s iconic Painted Bride Art Center has been a jewel of the city’s art scene for over 30 years, and that’s not just because its building is encrusted with Isaiah Zagar’s shimmering mirrored mosaic murals.
But the organization is looking to leave its home behind, announcing late last year that they’re selling the building. Ever since, local artists, devotees, and residents have sought to keep the organization from moving.
After months of near-silence on their plans, Painted Bride supporters are fearing for the fate of the famed space.
Survey says Philadelphians are a lonely bunch
Feeling lonely? Ironically, you’re not alone — 41 percent of people in the Philadelphia area feel isolated, according to a new Cigna survey.
A majority, 51 percent, doubt anyone truly knows them well. It’s not just our region; the survey says close to half of all Americans are lonely, too. Loneliness can impact cognitive function, heart health, sleep patterns and more. Could social media really be to blame?
What you need to know today
As if sitting in the airport isn’t miserable enough, travelers dealt with a fun extra challenge to their wait last night at PHL: there was no water pressure, thanks to a main break. That meant no fountains to drink from, unflushable toilets, and, perhaps scariest of all, closed bars and restaurants.
In January, Philly Sheriff Jewell Williams was cited by Licenses & Inspections for operating an illegal triplex, which he recently denied. His current and former tenants tell a different story, one with leaky roofs, raccoons, and cat poop.
The Bucks County coroner’s office has revealed that the young couple killed in their Churchville home last week died of multiple stab wounds before they were shot with a rifle.
His ads have called primary opponent Scott Wagner a deadbeat dad and a slumlord and he’s dubbed Gov. Tom Wolf “Thomas the Tax Engine.” All the while, GOP candidate for Pennsylvania governor Paul Mango is pushing the race to the right.
At last night’s James Beard Awards (the Oscars of the culinary world), Philly’s own Camille Cogswell, pastry chef at Zahav, was the city’s lone winner of the night.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will resign today, he announced hours after The New Yorker published accounts by four women accusing him of physical violence. Schneiderman has been a vocal supporter of the #MeToo movement and filed a lawsuit late last year against Harvey Weinstein following investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
As doors go, that’s a pretty good one, @dkrevolin.
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
Pizza delivery sounds like a simple enough gig, but add in deer, deep snow, and unmarked roads, and you’ve got a strange and sometimes risky business. My colleague Jason Nark hopped in the truck of an 18-year-old delivery driver to see what it’s like in rural Pennsylvania.
Phillies pitcher Zach Eflin had a great night on the mound at Citizens Bank Park and his teammates hit four homers to beat the San Francisco Giants 11-0.
What do you get when you combine dozens of scavenged instruments, household objects, and lots of red of string? A new, room-sized “Two Man Orchestra,” apparently, which you can hear on Drexel’s campus.
Tomorrow a spoken-word festival called Stellar Masses makes its debut at venues across the city. Former Philly poet laureate Yolanda Wisher is organizing it all and calls the performances “pop-up churches of the soul.”
It’s every student’s dream: local principals are headed back to school. Philanthropist Joseph Neubauer has created a training program just for school leaders and educators give it straight A’s.
There’s a new quarterback in town. Carson Wentz is still recovering from his torn ACL and may miss the entire preseason, so the Eagles have brought in Absecon’s own Joe Callahan.
Opinions
“The average person charged with a crime in Philadelphia spends 25 days in jail before they are able to post bail. Even a few days in jail can have life-altering consequences.“ — Candace McKinley, a volunteer with the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund, on why they raise money to get black mothers out of jail.
Shanin Specter, a founding partner at Kline & Specter, has split the last 18 months between Philadelphia and San Francisco. Interestingly enough, he writes that Philly is succeeding despite its failures while San Francisco is failing despite its successes.
Reporter Joseph N. DiStefano has some words of advice for parents and sponsors of the newly renamed Scouts of America: adding girls to the Boy Scouts is a good move for all.
What we’re reading
Branden Pizarro, a senior at Swenson Arts and Technology High School in North Philly, isn’t your typical high school student. As PhillyVoice reports, he’s also a professional boxer helping support his family with seemingly infinite energy.
Why not start the day with an uplifting Al Día story on neighbors helping neighbors? Philabundance and the Lillian Marrero Library have teamed up to bring fresh produce to a North Philly community, including hurricane refugees from Puerto Rico.
Perhaps the take to read on Kanye West’s recent re-emergence and controversial interviews, Ta-Nahisi Coates wrote an essay for the Atlantic comparing West to Michael Jackson in his quest for “white freedom.” It’s as personal as it is incisive about celebrity culture.
Vaping hasn’t just replaced traditional cigarettes for many smokers. As the New Yorker deftly describes, vaping — and specifically Juuling — has become a disturbing status symbol and subculture for teens in the digital age.
Buzzfeed’s intriguing look into nightlife in Baghdad is a quick, eye-opening read. Since the U.S. invaded 15 years ago, the Iraqi capital has transformed and families are enjoying nights out again.
