It’s another warm day in Philly, perfect for strolling over to see a statue unveiled. If you like what you’re reading, it’s free to sign up here to get it in your inbox every weekday. I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and feedback, so please send me an email, tweet me @JS_Parks, or reach our social team on Facebook.
— Jessica Parks
A ‘local hero story’ being unveiled at City Hall
At 11 a.m. today on the southwest side of City Hall, Octavius V. Catto will finally get his day in the sun. A statue honoring the African American scholar, writer, baseball player, and fearless civil rights activist will be unveiled more than 140 years after his death.
Catto, at the ripe old age of 32, was marching on South Street urging fellow African Americans to vote in that day’s municipal election when he was shot to death in 1871 by “marauding whites.”
Despite his vast achievements and contributions to the city, Catto has never been among the city’s well-known figures. But as V. Chapman Smith of the Catto Memorial Fund writes, “Philadelphians love local hero stories,” and this is one worth slowing down for – to savor, to learn, and to marvel at the magnitude of a monument many years in the making.
One off-the-radar Philly site Amazon should consider
As Amazon continues to elicit the drool and dreams of major cities’ vying to house its jobs-laden second headquarters, the leading Philly candidates have been the Navy Yard and Schuylkill Yards. But there’s another set of parcels that could prove even more attractive.
The properties sprawl across 260 acres. They offer unparalleled access to I-95, a 10-minute drive to Center City, a straight shot to the airport and the port, and three jetties on a recently dredged waterway. Any idea where that might be?
Then again, is Philly’s transit system even equipped to handle an influx like Amazon’s HQ2 would bring?
Little light shines on city’s murder victims
A small group of activists and loved ones gathered on the Art Museum steps last night to mark the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. There was a roll call of names – 222 new victims in 2017 alone. There were framed photographs, mothers in various stages of grief, police officers and hospital outreach workers.
What wasn’t there? The large crowds or public attention this issue deserves, writes columnist Helen Ubiñas.
What you need to know today
- Russian hackers attempted to scan Pennsylvania’s voting systems for infiltration points before the presidential election. Pa. is one of 21 states apparently targeted by the hackers.
- The man suspected of shooting his ex-girlfriend’s mother in Montgomery County over the weekend was found dead Monday night in Chester County.
- The widow of a Pennsylvania state trooper who was fatally ambushed at his barracks in 2014 is suing the gunman’s parents, alleging that “psychological manipulation” led him to antigovernment sentiments.
- Maine Sen. Susan Collins has come out, again, in opposition to the Senate’s latest healthcare bill, effectively killing another eleventh-hour effort to repeal Obamacare.
- A South Jersey comedian says he’s found the key to making a profitable newspaper: Make it free, funny, and a bit risqué. Let us know how that goes, Ken.
- Piece by piece, Pennsylvania is releasing its regulations for medical marijuana. The latest rule outlines what you would need to qualify as a patient.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
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That’s Interesting
- For the first time since 2002, Center City is going to have a multiplex movie theater. It won’t be open until late 2019, so we all have plenty of time to save up for the outrageously priced popcorn and candy.
- Yards Brewing Co. is moving to bigger, better digs. So what’s going to happen to its current location in Northern Liberties? More craft brew, plus barbecue.
- It’s only the preseason, but the way Claude Giroux played last night can give Flyers fans a reason to hope.
- Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough were in Philadelphia doling out career advice to workers at Blue Cross.
- Scientists in Arkansas were using squirrel monkeys to study the addictive effects of nicotine. The FDA put a stop to that after an outcry by well-known primatologist Jane Goodall.
Opinions
“Mark it on your calendar: Oct. 1 is the day that Philly’s incredible wine culture starts to die.” — wine importer Jason Malumed says new Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board regulations will cripple restaurants.
- The breach of 143 million Americans’ financial data by Equifax “is an outrageous display of corporate malfeasance,” writes Pa. Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who has pushed for a 47-state investigation and a change in federal laws.
- Support pro athletes’ right to protest? Support President Trump’s right to counter-protest? How about supporting our national anthem and the military by not politicizing them?, Tyler Cowen writes.
What we’re reading
- Bad news for New Jersey commuters: NJ Transit is facing a staffing crisis that could lead to big delays and more canceled trains, an investigation by The Record found.
- As part of a series on the lingering impact of the Vietnam War, Newsworks offers a 2005 interview in which Tony Auth, the late Inquirer editorial cartoonist, reflected on how the war got him started in political cartooning.
- Go ahead and try to get through this award-winning Tommy Tomlinson essay about the death of his yellow lab without getting all teary-eyed. [Charlotte Magazine]
- Curbed Philly takes a look back – and ahead – at I-95 and the waterfront.
STAFF GRAPHIC
Your Daily Dose of | Science
Our science writer Tom Avril breaks down the physics behind the Eagles’ amazing 61-yard field goal. Between the distance, the angle, the force, the wind, and other factors, Jake Elliott had to thread the ball through an opening just over 18 inches wide.
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