Why some Philly Democrats are anxious | Morning Newsletter
And Penn State gets ready for football at home.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
First: Polls may show that Joe Biden is leading nationwide and in key swing states such as Pennsylvania, but in a not-so-distant 2016, polls that said Trump could not and would not win proved premature. That shock to the world is still lingering in the back of the minds of some area Democrats as Election Day nears.
Then: You might want to meet NJWeedman. He’s the cannabis rights activist who sells marijuana illegally with bravado across from City Hall in Trenton. And he’s daring authorities to arrest him so he can make his case in court.
Plus: Penn State is getting ready for its first home game (with restrictions) during the pandemic. Reporter Susan Snyder has the story about concerns on campus.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Despite polls looking good for Joe Biden’s supporters, some Democrats still aren’t letting themselves believe them. Reporter Anna Orso spoke with Democrats in the area to explore the inescapable anxiety they feel right now. “Many Democrats are convinced their idea of a personal hell is going to happen again, polls be damned. Because, in some ways, it does feel a bit like we’ve been here before,” she writes.
At “Weedman’s Joint," you’ll find “NJWeedman,” a.k.a. Ed Forchion, selling marijuana openly and illegally. What his sign says: “Selling weed like I’m white.”
The activist is inviting authorities to arrest him so he can have his day in court to “put the cannabis industry’s systemic racism on trial.” In our interview, he tells reporter Sam Wood he wants underground dealers to have the chance to profit from a state-administered cannabis industry should N.J. voters approve legalized recreational cannabis in next week’s election. That’s because he’s certain he won’t.
With active on-campus cases down and local hospitalizations up, Penn State is getting ready for its first home football game on Halloween, when Penn State plays rival Ohio State.
Do’s: family members of the players in the stands only. Don’ts: Tailgating is out and alumni are strongly discouraged from visiting. Reporter Susan Snyder talked to people on campus to get a sense of how they feel about the decision.
What you need to know today
More than 200 people got together to watch Saturday’s Penn State football game at an off-campus apartment building in State College, State College police said. And, apparently, this was no masked ball.
Breakdancing, DJs and free pizza made the wait to vote in Philly’s long lines on the first “Vote Early Day” anything but boring.
Two people were killed and at least seven injured in a Camden apartment building fire yesterday morning. A man has been charged in connection with the blaze.
Ernest Garrett, the first new leader that Philly’s blue-collar municipal union elected since 1996, beat Herman “Pete” Matthews 2,129 to 1,043.
There was an anti-gun violence rally outside of Gratz High School Friday, where a graduate was shot and killed in late September.
As expected, on Sunday, Senate Republicans voted overwhelmingly yesterday to advance Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett today.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
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That’s interesting
🗳️Let’s check in on the prized electoral possession of Northhampton County, where the president needs a repeat after voters there flipped to him after supporting Barack Obama twice.
🚌 This Philly woman who rejects the idea that owning a home is the American dream is repurposing a school bus into her home on wheels.
🕯️Here’s what is happening in the area as part of a larger cultural shift toward alternative spirituality. Think Tarot cards, witch hexes and plenty of candles.
🎻Meet the new Philadelphia Orchestra composer whose piece streaming at a virtual concert this week is about two cultures coexisting peacefully.
👻Not trick-or-treating? We’ve gathered family-friendly Halloween happenings around town that still have space, from a museum Zoom party to a window decoration tour. And we’ve sprinkled in a few things to do that have nothing to do with All Hallows' Eve, too.
🦅The Eagles' Doug Pederson will need to cure red-zone issues from now on, sports reporter EJ Smith writes.
Opinions
“Campaigns and party leaders, don’t take us for granted. The disability vote could be the deciding factor for elections up and down the ballot.” — writes Elizabeth Fetter, a disability advocate for more than 50 years about the significant power of a minority group anyone could find themselves members of.
Columnist Jenice Armstrong writes about catching up with a number of her Black sources who voted for Trump in 2016 to see whether any had changed their minds.
Columnist Maria Panaritis writes that Joe Biden is gunning for Pennsylvania regions that Trump carried, leaving none of the votes on the table that Hillary Clinton did in 2016.
What we’re reading
Spotted the bubblegum pink vending machine stocked with colorful balls of yarn in North Philly yet? BillyPenn tells us it’s brainchild of a 24-year-old Philly native whose stylish crochet creations are worn by the likes of Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B.
Philly Mag focused on power players in our very own playground to rank Philly’s 76 most influential people.
The New York Times has an intuitive stress-management trick one writer learned when he was 3 years old.
Your Daily Dose of | Service
Mike Merlino, “Pops” to his colleagues at AlantiCare health-care system, recently celebrated his retirement this month after 44 years of service, but he was supposed to leave in June. His job was ensuring the Egg Harbor, N.J. hospital’s health-care workers had everything they needed to do their jobs, and when hospitals around the country faced PPE shortages, he scrapped his retirement plans to see the hospital through.