Officials across Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the region were quick to express gratitude to President Biden for his service after he announced he would end his reelection campaign. Among those was Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro, whose name has been floated as a possible VP nominee. Continue reading …
A string of SEPTA vehicle crashes over the last few years prompted a rare, 7-month federal investigation. The report released last week included a list of 17 actions that need to be undertaken by PennDOT in the coming months to improve safety. Billy Penn’s Meir Rinde talked to SEPTA and union officials to better understand how the report is being addressed. Continue reading …
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
• Gov. Shapiro signed a law designed to protect Pennsylvanians from frivolous lawsuits aimed at silencing them. [Spotlight PA]
• A gunfight at a large gathering in West Philly early Sunday left killed three people and wounded six others. [WHYY]
• Hundreds attended a vigil Sunday morning for CHOP resident Barbara Friedes on the 1800 block of Spruce Street, where she was struck and killed by a motorist Wednesday. There were two other pedestrian deaths, including a 22-month-old, and others injured in the 12 hours before the vigil. [Billy Penn]
• With the 2024 Summer Games almost here, Team USA’s Joel Embiid said injuries have kept him out of the GOAT conversation, that Lebron James is slowing down, and that Subway makes the best cheesesteak. Joel the Troel lives. [NYT$]
• The Wistar Institute will build a new biomedical research facility in West Philly to work on a cure for HIV. [WHYY]
• A 20-foot-tall inflatable IUD came to City Hall last week to promote reproductive justice. [PhillyVoice]
MAYOR WATCH
Mayor Parker will join Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel and other city officials at 11 a.m. to provide an update on the weekend shooting that left 3 dead and 6 wounded in West Philadelphia.
ON THE CALENDAR
🪴 Tuesday, July 23: Kokedama Workshop at South Street
Kokedama, which translates into “moss ball,” is a centuries-old Japanese form of bonsai where plants are grown in a ball of soil wrapped in moss. All materials provided at PHS Pop-Up Garden. $40 ticket. (6 to 7:30 p.m.)
🍷 Wednesday, July 24: Wine & Tarot Night
Get a 10-minute personalized tarot reading, create your birth chart, drink a glass of wine, and enjoy a buffet filled with Bloomsday Cafe’s signature snacks. $78.75 tickets. (6, 7 and 8 p.m. times)
🐦 Wednesday, July 24: Mussels, Birds & Networking
Join Green Philly at The Discovery Center to connect with your local watershed and sign up for a bird tour of the Strawberry Mansion Reservoir and/or dive into a mussel measuring class! $16.75 per person. (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.)
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