#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY
Classy student housing in Powelton Village
(photo by @therowhousecity)
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Known as the Frederick A. Poth Houses, a row of these Gothic beauties were designed by Otto Wolf in the 1800s for the founder of the Poth and Engels Brewery, which helped give Brewerytown its name. Want to see your photo here? Tag #billypenngram on Instagram
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Pa.'s role in Republicans' doomed effort to disrupt Biden’s win
A contingent of Republican lawmakers are planning a last-ditch maneuver when Congress convenes Wednesday to disrupt certification of the Electoral College vote — and Pennsylvania’s election laws are again in the middle of the fracas. Here's a look at which Trump allies are leading the charge to contest Pa.'s vote, how they'll do it, and why it's a political move unlikely to have any effect on President-elect Biden's pending inauguration.
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Gov site listing to burn ‘Trump 2024 flag’ actually isn't unusual
Meanwhile in Harrisburg, an anti-Trump demonstration organized by an activist who burns campaign flags has drawn ire from conservatives. On a state government calendar for public events, the listing is described as a “press conference against trump [sic] and burning a trump 2024 flag in a fire safe container.” Officials told Billy Penn there’s nothing unusual about it, however — since all approved events at the Capitol Complex show up online.
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The unexpectedly short history of the iconic Gloria Casarez mural
After weeks of claiming they did nothing unexpected, leading to outrage that spread nationwide, developers who whitewashed a mural of the late Gloria Casarez in the Gayborhood apologized to the community on Monday. “We are truly sorry for the pain we’ve caused Gloria’s family and the local LGBTQ community,” a developer spokesperson told Billy Penn. Who was Casarez? How long was the mural there? Will a new one get painted? Here’s how we got to this point, and how things stand going forward.
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"The content matters."
— new BP member Margaret E. 📰
Things that won't change: We don't have a paywall and there's no subscription fee. Our nonprofit newsroom runs on reader support. If you value our local coverage, please join as a member today. Any amount helps, and just $5/month means more than you'd think.
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Philly Quizzo Question of the Day 🎲
Dock Street Brewing now has locations in West Philly and South Philly, but in the 1980s, its brewpub was located in which Center City neighborhood?
(Answer below; take the most recent online quiz here)
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Tracking COVID-19
At a glance (vs. a week ago)
Pennsylvania: cases ⇔, positivity ⇔
Philadelphia: cases ↓, positivity ↑
Summary: This could be the start of a post-holiday spike. Positivity is creeping up in the city, and hospitalizations have also risen, both in Philly and statewide.
- Vaccine update: Philly has given a first dose to an average of 1,589 people/day over the past week, with a total of 27,088 partial vaccinations. Outside the city, Pa. has given a first dose to an average of 2,333 people/day over the past week, with a total of 135,044 partial vaccinations.
- Pennsylvania's rolling average is 7,328 new cases/day, 2% higher than a week ago. • There have been 665k total positives out of 3.97M people tested. • Last week, statewide positivity rate averaged 15.0%, a tenth of a point down from the week prior. [pa.gov]
- Philadelphia's rolling average is 433 new cases/day (34% lower than a week ago) out of an average of 4,500 daily tests. • The city has recorded 95.5k positives out of 1.12M tests given. • Positivity rate in Philly is averaging 9.4%, six-tenths of a point up from a week ago. [phila.gov]
- In the city, 685 people are hospitalized with COVID, with 107 on ventilators. • Since March, 2,488 Philadelphians are known to have died of the disease. • The city reported 120 deaths over the past seven days. [phila.gov]
- Statewide, 5,630 people are hospitalized with COVID, including 1,182 in the ICU. • Since March, 16,361 Pennsylvanians are known to have died of the disease. • The state reported 1,285 deaths over the past seven days, 15% higher than a week ago. [pa.gov]
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RECAP: What else happened?
- Republicans in the Pa. Legislature have proposed more than a dozen election law updates, including getting rid of no excuse mail voting — which the GOP-led legislature approved in 2019. [WHYY]
- Black-owned small businesses in Philly can score a free "storefront kit" from Google, including a 5G Pixel phone, a Nest thermostat, multiple Nest cameras and a 12-month subscription. [Urban League]
- Six Philly museums jointly announced their reopening schedules: Wednesday: Franklin Institute; Friday: Academy of Natural Sciences, The Barnes. and the Art Museum; Thurs Jan. 21: PAFA; March: Eastern State Penitentiary. [WHYY]
- Philly officials relented and allowed Rivers Casino to reopen today after initially putting it on the list to wait for Jan. 15. No food or drinks are allowed, however. [Biz Journal$]
- As we reported last summer, the historic Marian Anderson Museum in South Philadelphia is struggling to survive. Councilmember Johnson just kicked in $5,000, and the GoFundMe is still open. [Billy Penn/South Philly Review/GoFundMe]
- The most popular booze in Philly last year was Hennessey, versus Tito's or Captain Morgan's in most other Pa. counties, per PLCB data. [Capital-Star]
- Old time transit alert: Cool pic of a SEPTA trolley from the '70s. [@SEPTA_SOCIAL]
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Philly Quizzo answer: Logan Square, at 18th and Cherry.
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MAYOR WATCH: Jan. 5, 2021
Mayor Kenney faces his public today, virtually at least, participating in the city's weekly coronavirus briefing with Managing Director Alexander and Health Commissioner Farley (1 p.m.). You can watch live on Twitter or Facebook, or catch the recording later on YouTube. |
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ON THE CALENDAR
🎴 Billy Penn event: How well do you know this city? Join us live on Zoom at our monthly news and history quiz — winning team gets a prize. Philly Quizzo is free to play, but RSVP is required. (6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27)
💃 Partner event: Drag cabaret Martha Graham Cracker is back with another virtual show. Tickets are pay what you wish. (8 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21)
🧊 The Franklin Institute hosts world-renowned sculptor Peter Slavin of Ice Sculpture Philly for a live carving session. Find out how it's done and ask the creator questions after. (2 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6)
🍻 Yards founder Tom Kehoe joins "Joe Sixpack" for a virtual beer tasting to benefit the Pen & Pencil Club. You don't have to be a member to join, and your $35 ticket includes three beers, picked up or delivered. (6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19)
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