Nicole Ried stepped on the sand on the Seventh Street beach in Ocean City and quickly turned around. About a hundred people were on the beach. No one wore masks. Ried didn’t think there was enough room for herself, her friend, and two sons, so she left to look somewhere else. Related stories “There’s too many people right there,” the Pennsauken resident said. “I don’t want to sit on top of somebody.” The coronavirus pandemic didn’t stop tourists from crowding beaches at the Jersey Shore on Friday during the first day of the July Fourth weekend. Hardly anyone wore masks on the sand, but...…Nicole Ried stepped on the sand on the Seventh Street beach in Ocean City and quickly turned around. About a hundred people were on the beach. No one wore masks. Ried didn’t think there was enough room for herself, her friend, and two sons, so she left to look somewhere else. Related stories “There’s too many people right there,” the Pennsauken resident said. “I don’t want to sit on top of somebody.” The coronavirus pandemic didn’t stop tourists from crowding beaches at the Jersey Shore on Friday during the first day of the July Fourth weekend. Hardly anyone wore masks on the sand, but...WW…

Significant developments Significant developments Latest About 20 protesters gathered outside of 30th Street Station in West Philadelphia around noon on Saturday. The group calling themselves Red Fists Rising painted their hands as a symbol of honoring civil rights activists who have died in the last few decades.The groups organizer, Ash’Raka Juel, directed the group on a planned march to link up with other demonstrations against police brutality in Center City.”This world must be respected by everybody,” he said. “We’re not here for defense, we’re here for offense. We’re not waiting for...…Significant developments Significant developments Latest About 20 protesters gathered outside of 30th Street Station in West Philadelphia around noon on Saturday. The group calling themselves Red Fists Rising painted their hands as a symbol of honoring civil rights activists who have died in the last few decades.The groups organizer, Ash’Raka Juel, directed the group on a planned march to link up with other demonstrations against police brutality in Center City.”This world must be respected by everybody,” he said. “We’re not here for defense, we’re here for offense. We’re not waiting for...WW…

Opinion There is something especially grotesque about the timing of President Donald Trump’s a $740 billion defense bill if military bases named for Confederate military leaders are renamed. He made this pledge during the July 4th holiday week. Related stories This is a moment when Americans are roiling over issues of racial intolerance that date back to America’s founding, including whether and what historic statues deserve to be toppled because of racist taint, even if they represent some Founding Fathers. The president’s signature divisiveness comes at a moment when much of the country...…Opinion There is something especially grotesque about the timing of President Donald Trump’s a $740 billion defense bill if military bases named for Confederate military leaders are renamed. He made this pledge during the July 4th holiday week. Related stories This is a moment when Americans are roiling over issues of racial intolerance that date back to America’s founding, including whether and what historic statues deserve to be toppled because of racist taint, even if they represent some Founding Fathers. The president’s signature divisiveness comes at a moment when much of the country...WW…

AS IT HAPPENED Significant updates Significant updates Cape May County and municipal leaders on Wednesday issued an “urgent request for universal mask-wearing” for people in public places with some “very limited exceptions.” The county board of chosen freeholders, the county chamber board of directors, and the mayors of all 16 county municipalities joined in the statement to ask all residents and visitors to wear masks. County Freeholder Will Morey said: “We’re in a position right now to contain the mild outbreak of COVID that our county is experiencing. Engaging this clear and present...…AS IT HAPPENED Significant updates Significant updates Cape May County and municipal leaders on Wednesday issued an “urgent request for universal mask-wearing” for people in public places with some “very limited exceptions.” The county board of chosen freeholders, the county chamber board of directors, and the mayors of all 16 county municipalities joined in the statement to ask all residents and visitors to wear masks. County Freeholder Will Morey said: “We’re in a position right now to contain the mild outbreak of COVID that our county is experiencing. Engaging this clear and present...WW…

Supporters of the controversial statue of Frank L. Rizzo on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the city and Mayor Jim Kenney, demanding to be allowed to take possession of the 2,000-pound bronze sculpture that was over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The complaint, filed by lawyer George Bochetto in Common Pleas Court on behalf of the Frank L. Rizzo Monument Committee, has been moved at the city’s request to federal court, since it raises constitutional “due process” issues. It is now pending before Judge Darnell Jones, according to Bochetto. (Update July 2) The committee...…Supporters of the controversial statue of Frank L. Rizzo on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the city and Mayor Jim Kenney, demanding to be allowed to take possession of the 2,000-pound bronze sculpture that was over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The complaint, filed by lawyer George Bochetto in Common Pleas Court on behalf of the Frank L. Rizzo Monument Committee, has been moved at the city’s request to federal court, since it raises constitutional “due process” issues. It is now pending before Judge Darnell Jones, according to Bochetto. (Update July 2) The committee...WW…

It’s no secret that the 76ers have had chemistry issues. How else can you explain them being the Eastern Conference’s sixth-seeded team despite all the preseason hype? The latest acknowledgement of those issues came from Tobias Harris last week on ESPN’s First Take. Related stories Glenn Robinson III senses things are improving. He’s noticed a change since the Sixers acquired him and Alec Burks in a trade from the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 6. The team has bonded in team Zoom calls during the NBA stoppage for the COVID-19 pandemic. Robinson credits Harris for making sure players...…It’s no secret that the 76ers have had chemistry issues. How else can you explain them being the Eastern Conference’s sixth-seeded team despite all the preseason hype? The latest acknowledgement of those issues came from Tobias Harris last week on ESPN’s First Take. Related stories Glenn Robinson III senses things are improving. He’s noticed a change since the Sixers acquired him and Alec Burks in a trade from the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 6. The team has bonded in team Zoom calls during the NBA stoppage for the COVID-19 pandemic. Robinson credits Harris for making sure players...WW…

A 300-person Zoom call intended to bring Philadelphia residents together devolved into frustrated arguing Tuesday night after a Fishtown police captain, who has been under fire for a month over his response to a roving mob of white men armed with baseball bats and metal pipes, responded to a resident who asked him, “Do Black lives matter?” “Of course they do,” Capt. William Fisher of the 26th District responded. “Black lives matter. White lives matter. Hispanic lives matter. Asian lives matter. Native American lives matter.” Related stories “Do you not understand the issue with that?” the...…A 300-person Zoom call intended to bring Philadelphia residents together devolved into frustrated arguing Tuesday night after a Fishtown police captain, who has been under fire for a month over his response to a roving mob of white men armed with baseball bats and metal pipes, responded to a resident who asked him, “Do Black lives matter?” “Of course they do,” Capt. William Fisher of the 26th District responded. “Black lives matter. White lives matter. Hispanic lives matter. Asian lives matter. Native American lives matter.” Related stories “Do you not understand the issue with that?” the...WW…

You can’t make a trip to the supermarket these days without donning modern day armor — masks, gloves, hand sanitizer. But in late May, the Whole Foods store on South Street added another line of defense in the battle against the coronavirus: It replaced a row of employee-powered cash registers with nine self-checkout stations. Masks and gloves are a cheap safeguard against the contagion and will probably be discarded once the pandemic subsides. But the self-checkout machines are an investment that is likely to stick around, at least until the next generation of technology takes their place....…You can’t make a trip to the supermarket these days without donning modern day armor — masks, gloves, hand sanitizer. But in late May, the Whole Foods store on South Street added another line of defense in the battle against the coronavirus: It replaced a row of employee-powered cash registers with nine self-checkout stations. Masks and gloves are a cheap safeguard against the contagion and will probably be discarded once the pandemic subsides. But the self-checkout machines are an investment that is likely to stick around, at least until the next generation of technology takes their place....WW…

Editor's Note News about the coronavirus is changing quickly. The latest information can be found at New increases in the number of coronavirus cases and risky behavior among people at bars, restaurants, and beaches has caused officials in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware to warn residents on Monday to follow safety measures amid the ongoing pandemic. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said indoor dining would not be allowed to begin this week as planned and said the state was “losing ground” in terms of numbers of new cases and hospitalizations, citing data from the last two weeks....…Editor's Note News about the coronavirus is changing quickly. The latest information can be found at New increases in the number of coronavirus cases and risky behavior among people at bars, restaurants, and beaches has caused officials in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware to warn residents on Monday to follow safety measures amid the ongoing pandemic. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said indoor dining would not be allowed to begin this week as planned and said the state was “losing ground” in terms of numbers of new cases and hospitalizations, citing data from the last two weeks....WW…

The latest in a series of protest encampments set up in Philadelphia in recent weeks — on an unfenced vacant lot overlooking the headquarters of the Philadelphia Housing Authority — became the site of a series of skirmishes Tuesday as PHA brought in bulldozers, a cement mixer, and a work crew to fence the lot, and protesters resisted. The dozen tents on a lot at Ridge Avenue and Jefferson Street in North Philadelphia were pitched by homeless people and volunteers, some of whom had previously been part of the camp on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. “They decided to come up here to live safely...…The latest in a series of protest encampments set up in Philadelphia in recent weeks — on an unfenced vacant lot overlooking the headquarters of the Philadelphia Housing Authority — became the site of a series of skirmishes Tuesday as PHA brought in bulldozers, a cement mixer, and a work crew to fence the lot, and protesters resisted. The dozen tents on a lot at Ridge Avenue and Jefferson Street in North Philadelphia were pitched by homeless people and volunteers, some of whom had previously been part of the camp on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. “They decided to come up here to live safely...WW…

Immigration judges said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday against the U.S. Department of Justice that they are being muzzled by the Trump administration, marking the latest confrontation between the judges and the federal government. The judges under previous administrations were allowed to speak in their personal capacities on issues relating to immigration if they they made it clear that they were not speaking on behalf of the Justice Department or the court system, said Judge A. Ashley Tabaddor, president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, which represents about 460 federal...…Immigration judges said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday against the U.S. Department of Justice that they are being muzzled by the Trump administration, marking the latest confrontation between the judges and the federal government. The judges under previous administrations were allowed to speak in their personal capacities on issues relating to immigration if they they made it clear that they were not speaking on behalf of the Justice Department or the court system, said Judge A. Ashley Tabaddor, president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, which represents about 460 federal...WW…

Philadelphia is pausing some of its reopening plans as new cases of the coronavirus increase and will not allow indoor dining or gyms and fitness centers to open Friday as previously planned. The city will, however, allow indoor shopping malls, casinos, museums, and libraries to open Friday, with strict mask-wearing requirements and other health precautions in place, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced Tuesday. No eating or drinking will be permitted indoors at those establishments. Coronavirus Coverage “We want to get our economy going as much as we can, but we don’t want the virus...…Philadelphia is pausing some of its reopening plans as new cases of the coronavirus increase and will not allow indoor dining or gyms and fitness centers to open Friday as previously planned. The city will, however, allow indoor shopping malls, casinos, museums, and libraries to open Friday, with strict mask-wearing requirements and other health precautions in place, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced Tuesday. No eating or drinking will be permitted indoors at those establishments. Coronavirus Coverage “We want to get our economy going as much as we can, but we don’t want the virus...WW…

The Philadelphia Police Department spent nearly $18 million in overtime as people flooded the city’s streets in the last month to protest police brutality and racism, and to advocate slashing the department’s budget. Overtime expenditures from May 30 through June 21 were more than triple the average monthly cost of $5.8 million set over the last five years, according to data from the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA). At the same time, Philadelphia is grappling with the economic ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused a More than 450 city...…The Philadelphia Police Department spent nearly $18 million in overtime as people flooded the city’s streets in the last month to protest police brutality and racism, and to advocate slashing the department’s budget. Overtime expenditures from May 30 through June 21 were more than triple the average monthly cost of $5.8 million set over the last five years, according to data from the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA). At the same time, Philadelphia is grappling with the economic ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused a More than 450 city...WW…

More than 50 Philadelphians experiencing homelessness — supported by volunteers and donations — have formed an encampment on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to call on the city to provide low-income housing and improve treatment of the homeless. “This is about to literally be a community of Black Lives Matter,” said Jonnell Flowers, one of the residents of the encampment. “This is for the people who got thrown to the wayside. We all matter. We came together to let the city and world know that we matter.” The protest started Wednesday morning, when Flowers’ husband, Leonard, and four others...…More than 50 Philadelphians experiencing homelessness — supported by volunteers and donations — have formed an encampment on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to call on the city to provide low-income housing and improve treatment of the homeless. “This is about to literally be a community of Black Lives Matter,” said Jonnell Flowers, one of the residents of the encampment. “This is for the people who got thrown to the wayside. We all matter. We came together to let the city and world know that we matter.” The protest started Wednesday morning, when Flowers’ husband, Leonard, and four others...WW…

Chief Inspector Anthony Boyle, one of the highest-ranking officials in the Philadelphia Police Department, was suspended Monday for 30 days with intent to dismiss after an Internal Affairs investigation found neglect of duty, failure to supervise, and conduct unbecoming an officer. The action comes almost two years after Boyle allegedly attacked Capt. Laverne Vann while she was handcuffing someone during a narcotics arrest, twisting her hands behind her back and attempting to push her to the ground. That incident followed Vann’s and two other Black female officers’ filing a federal lawsuit...…Chief Inspector Anthony Boyle, one of the highest-ranking officials in the Philadelphia Police Department, was suspended Monday for 30 days with intent to dismiss after an Internal Affairs investigation found neglect of duty, failure to supervise, and conduct unbecoming an officer. The action comes almost two years after Boyle allegedly attacked Capt. Laverne Vann while she was handcuffing someone during a narcotics arrest, twisting her hands behind her back and attempting to push her to the ground. That incident followed Vann’s and two other Black female officers’ filing a federal lawsuit...WW…

Matt Stairs sat on the bench in the visiting dugout at Dodger Stadium for seven innings, a red jacket covering his Phillies uniform top. He knew that night – yes, that night in October of 2008 – that his chance would come in the eighth or ninth inning with the game on the line against the opponent’s best relief pitcher. So he watched and waited. A decade earlier, he hit 38 home runs. Five years earlier, his OPS was 42% better than the league average. But Stairs was 40 years old and the Phillies’ World Series run was his 16th season in the big leagues. He was no longer an everyday player....…Matt Stairs sat on the bench in the visiting dugout at Dodger Stadium for seven innings, a red jacket covering his Phillies uniform top. He knew that night – yes, that night in October of 2008 – that his chance would come in the eighth or ninth inning with the game on the line against the opponent’s best relief pitcher. So he watched and waited. A decade earlier, he hit 38 home runs. Five years earlier, his OPS was 42% better than the league average. But Stairs was 40 years old and the Phillies’ World Series run was his 16th season in the big leagues. He was no longer an everyday player....WW…

A man was stabbed at a homeless encampment Sunday evening on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, leading police to an area organizers want sanctioned by the city as a “no police zone.” The victim, described as a 26-year-old Black man, was stabbed multiple times during a fight and police were called about 5:15 p.m. It was not immediately clear if the victim was a member of the encampment. The victim was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. His condition was unknown and no arrests had been made. No further details were available. More than 100 people are living at the encampment, which...…A man was stabbed at a homeless encampment Sunday evening on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, leading police to an area organizers want sanctioned by the city as a “no police zone.” The victim, described as a 26-year-old Black man, was stabbed multiple times during a fight and police were called about 5:15 p.m. It was not immediately clear if the victim was a member of the encampment. The victim was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. His condition was unknown and no arrests had been made. No further details were available. More than 100 people are living at the encampment, which...WW…

In the wake of Mayor Jim Kenney’s apology for the teargassing of a peaceful protest on I-676 earlier this month, residents and officials from the West Philadelphia neighborhood where police also deployed tear gas are demanding answers. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier represents the 52nd Street corridor where unrest over the death of George Floyd ended with police firing tear gas canisters into the street over several hours on May 31, even after violent acts had long stopped. She said the community deserves the same attention as the I-676 situation in the heart of Center City, which drew a...…In the wake of Mayor Jim Kenney’s apology for the teargassing of a peaceful protest on I-676 earlier this month, residents and officials from the West Philadelphia neighborhood where police also deployed tear gas are demanding answers. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier represents the 52nd Street corridor where unrest over the death of George Floyd ended with police firing tear gas canisters into the street over several hours on May 31, even after violent acts had long stopped. She said the community deserves the same attention as the I-676 situation in the heart of Center City, which drew a...WW…

When the first coronavirus cases in Chicago appeared in January, they bore the same genetic signatures as a germ that emerged in China weeks before. But as Egon Ozer, an infectious-disease specialist at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, examined the genetic structure of virus samples from local patients, he noticed something different. Coronavirus Coverage A change in the virus was appearing again and again. This mutation, associated with outbreaks in Europe and New York, eventually took over the city. By May, it was found in 95 percent of all the genomes Ozer...…When the first coronavirus cases in Chicago appeared in January, they bore the same genetic signatures as a germ that emerged in China weeks before. But as Egon Ozer, an infectious-disease specialist at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, examined the genetic structure of virus samples from local patients, he noticed something different. Coronavirus Coverage A change in the virus was appearing again and again. This mutation, associated with outbreaks in Europe and New York, eventually took over the city. By May, it was found in 95 percent of all the genomes Ozer...WW…

Editor's Note News about the coronavirus is changing quickly. The latest information can be found at City Council unanimously approved Thursday morning that will make it against workers who speak up about unsafe coronavirus conditions. The vote came during Council’s last session before summer recess and as employees in Philadelphia get called back to work during the city’s less-restrictive “yellow” reopening phase. Related stories If signed by Mayor Jim Kenney, who has already expressed his support, Philadelphia will become the first big city in the country to give workers stronger legal...…Editor's Note News about the coronavirus is changing quickly. The latest information can be found at City Council unanimously approved Thursday morning that will make it against workers who speak up about unsafe coronavirus conditions. The vote came during Council’s last session before summer recess and as employees in Philadelphia get called back to work during the city’s less-restrictive “yellow” reopening phase. Related stories If signed by Mayor Jim Kenney, who has already expressed his support, Philadelphia will become the first big city in the country to give workers stronger legal...WW…

WASHINGTON — A majority of Joe Biden’s campaign staff are women, and people of color make up more than one-third of the Democratic presidential nominee’s team, according to data released by the campaign on Saturday. Biden’s campaign had been pressed for information on the diversity of its staff by journalists and allies on the left, especially as conversations about racial justice have overtaken much of the national conversation in the past month. Neither the White House nor President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign have released any data on the race or gender distribution of their...…WASHINGTON — A majority of Joe Biden’s campaign staff are women, and people of color make up more than one-third of the Democratic presidential nominee’s team, according to data released by the campaign on Saturday. Biden’s campaign had been pressed for information on the diversity of its staff by journalists and allies on the left, especially as conversations about racial justice have overtaken much of the national conversation in the past month. Neither the White House nor President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign have released any data on the race or gender distribution of their...WW…

Editor's Note News about the coronavirus is changing quickly. The latest information can be found at In stout metal cylinders chilled to negative 112 degrees, DeeAnn Reeder and Ken Field store the intestines and other tissues from hundreds of bats. Little brown bats from the caves of Upstate New York and Wisconsin. Amber-eyed fruit bats from Uganda with white “epaulettes” on their shoulders. From each, carefully labeled bits of spleen, lymph nodes, and lungs. If that gives you the shivers, the two Bucknell University scientists would counsel you to feel a touch of gratitude instead. These...…Editor's Note News about the coronavirus is changing quickly. The latest information can be found at In stout metal cylinders chilled to negative 112 degrees, DeeAnn Reeder and Ken Field store the intestines and other tissues from hundreds of bats. Little brown bats from the caves of Upstate New York and Wisconsin. Amber-eyed fruit bats from Uganda with white “epaulettes” on their shoulders. From each, carefully labeled bits of spleen, lymph nodes, and lungs. If that gives you the shivers, the two Bucknell University scientists would counsel you to feel a touch of gratitude instead. These...WW…

It’s Nov. 3, 2020. It’s been a long Election Day in Pennsylvania, with new voting machines causing confusion at some polling places, and the closure of others for public health reasons leading to long lines at locations still open. Meanwhile, a huge surge of mail ballots driven partly by fears of voting in person means it’s going to take days to count them all and determine who won. But President Donald Trump is already declaring victory. Related stories Early, unofficial results make it look like he has won in a landslide. But the election night results are incomplete, with most mail...…It’s Nov. 3, 2020. It’s been a long Election Day in Pennsylvania, with new voting machines causing confusion at some polling places, and the closure of others for public health reasons leading to long lines at locations still open. Meanwhile, a huge surge of mail ballots driven partly by fears of voting in person means it’s going to take days to count them all and determine who won. But President Donald Trump is already declaring victory. Related stories Early, unofficial results make it look like he has won in a landslide. But the election night results are incomplete, with most mail...WW…

A man who has previously faced charges of assault and ethnic intimidation was arrested Thursday for allegedly assaulting a WHYY producer and his girlfriend in Fishtown on June 1, when in response to protests and civil unrest. George Graf, 36, is charged with two counts each of simple assault and reckless endangerment. He also was charged with felony criminal conspiracy to engage in aggravated assault, and a misdemeanor conspiracy-to-assault charge, an indication that other arrests may follow. The charges come as residents about why police dismissed their repeated complaints and pleas for...…A man who has previously faced charges of assault and ethnic intimidation was arrested Thursday for allegedly assaulting a WHYY producer and his girlfriend in Fishtown on June 1, when in response to protests and civil unrest. George Graf, 36, is charged with two counts each of simple assault and reckless endangerment. He also was charged with felony criminal conspiracy to engage in aggravated assault, and a misdemeanor conspiracy-to-assault charge, an indication that other arrests may follow. The charges come as residents about why police dismissed their repeated complaints and pleas for...WW…