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Newsletter for Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020
Billy Penn
#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY
What if Center City alleys weren't dedicated to dumpsters?
(photo by @kslouf)
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Philly sets up secure ballot drop boxes, judge tosses Trump suit

In addition to six satellite election offices and two permanent locations (and U.S. mail), Philly voters can now return mail ballots to outdoor drop boxes around the city. The first are set up outside City Hall and the voter reg center at Delaware and Spring Garden — find details on our map. They appeared just as a judge rejected a Trump lawsuit aimed at stopping them, WHYY reports. It was the second Pa. court loss for the president in two days; on Friday a judge tossed his campaign's "Bad things happen in Philadelphia" suit, saying poll watchers do not have the right to enter satellite election offices.

Eastern State might replace Terror Behind the Walls for good

Eastern State Penitentiary’s first-ever night tours have proven so popular that the Fairmount institution is considering keeping them in lieu of Terror Behind the Walls, which was canceled this year due to the pandemic. In the past, more than 100k visitors bought tickets yearly for the Halloween attraction, which was a big fundraiser for the prison-turned-museum. But it’s less about money than mission, leaders told Billy Penn — and unlike the haunted house, the tours highlight criminal justice reform.

Pumpkin patch guide: 12 places to pick your own, take hayrides

With acres of land and fresh outdoor air, pumpkin picking is still a go despite the pandemic. There’s lots of options over the next month in the townships surrounding the city, and many farm fall festivals also feature markets, apple orchards, mazes and hayrides. Each farm offers something a little different. Here’s a rundown of 12 options an easy drive from Philadelphia.

🗳️Procrastinator's Guide to the 2020 General Election in Philly🗳️
A cheat sheet for everything you need to know to cast your vote 

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— renewing BP member Diane M. 
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Philly's COVID curves, updated daily
Left: Case count, hospitalizations, fatalities; Right: % positive, total tests
(View interactive versions here)
Data: Phila Dept. of Public Health; Graphs: Kindhearted city resident

Tracking COVID-19 

At a glance (vs. a week ago)
Pennsylvania: cases ↑, positivity rate ⇔
Philadelphia: cases ↑, positivity rate ⇔
  • Pennsylvania's rolling average is 1,234 new cases/day, 20% higher than a week ago. There have been 171k total positives out of 2.19M tests taken. Average statewide positivity rate is 3.7%, up a tenth of a point from a week ago. [health.pa.gov]
     
  • Philadelphia is averaging 142 new cases/day (up 18% from a week ago) out of 3,200 daily tests. The average positivity rate is 3.8%, same as a week ago. Philly's positives over the past 30 days: 17% African American; 22% white; 13% Hispanic; 2% Asian; 44% unknown. [phila.gov]
     
  • Philly has recorded 38.8k cases out of 439k tests taken. All-time race/ethnicity case distribution: 41% African American (3 points higher than pop. share); 18% white (14 pts lower); 14% Hispanic (1 pt lower); 3% Asian (4 pts lower); 20% unknown. [phila.gov]
     
  • In the city, 1,830 people are known to have died of COVID-19, with an average of two deaths reported per day. Statewide, there have been 8,344 lives lost. The average of 21 deaths daily is nearly double what it was a week ago. [phila.gov]
     
  • Coronavirus closures did not really cause a public school exodus in the Philly area, per an analysis by an education reporter — except in kindergarten. [WHYY]
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MAYOR WATCH: Oct. 11, 2020

No public events for Mayor Kenney this weekend, including on this holiday Monday.

ON THE CALENDAR

🏆 Billy Penn event: Our Philly Quizzo live trivia night is back! Form a team or play solo, and use your local knowledge to battle for the prize. DJ Bounce Gawd spins between rounds. Free RSVP required. (6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21)

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