James Beard award winners; Remembering Danny Simmons; Weekly gun violence brief

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

Franklin underground, along The Concourse
(Photo by @daustgreen)

Philly’s latest James Beard Award winners

The ninth time’s the charm for Jesse Ito, chef of Royal Sushi & Izakaya. After multiple nominations, Ito was named Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic.

Fishtown’s Kalaya received the outstanding restaurant award for its “consistent excellence.” The award is the highest honor a restaurant can win at the Beard’s. Continue reading…

Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon and Jesse Ito (@kuhnnok via Instagram)

‘A beacon of love and creativity’: Artist Danny Simmons has died

The artist, poet and community leader founded Def Poetry Jam before leaving NYC to launch Rush Arts Philly.

“It is with a profound sense of loss that we honor and celebrate the life of Danny Simmons Jr., a beacon of love and creativity,” younger brother Russell Simmons wrote on social media. Continue reading…

Danny Simmons, creator of Def Poetry Jam, has organized a reunion of Def poets at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• Pa. lawmakers renew push to regulate, tax skill games after high court ruling declaring the devices illegal. [Capital-Star]

• Can Philly mass-produce its way out of a housing crisis? [NextCity]

• Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital union nurses prepared to strike if they can’t reach a contract agreement. [WHYY]

• A 3D rendering of Abraham Lincoln’s hand and a Phillies lineup card from Opening Day were included in the 900-pound container that will serve as America’s Time Capsule ahead of July 4 burial at Independence Hall. [PhillyVoice]

• Mural Arts’ new ‘Weaving a Bountiful Harvest’ mural at Weavers Way Germantown, designed by Eurhi Jones, honors the Wissahickon’s natural richness, the co-op’s building weaving roots, and pays tribute to Sonia Sanchez. [Germantown Info Hub]

• The gold standard of 20th and Olney: La Salle University’s best basketball players. [Billy Penn]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker praised the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that skill games are slot machines and must adhere to the state’s gambling law.

“They should not be easily accessible in neighborhoods that already face high rates of poverty, crime and violence,” said Parker. “You only find them concentrated in our most vulnerable communities. You won’t find these kind of stores – stop and go’s, smoke shops – and these slot machines – in wealthy neighborhoods. They aren’t there. It’s predatory, and it’s not right.”

Weekly brief on gun violence prevention (with PCGVR)

We publish this report each week in partnership with the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting.

C.W. Henry students held a rally against redlining, holding signs raising awareness about issues such as gun violence and housing and food insecurity. [Chestnut Hill Local]
The Trump administration launched an investigation into Philadelphia gun permit denials. [WHYY]
Services for crime victims face funding cuts after drop in white-collar prosecutions under Trump. [Spotlight PA]
PCGVR has a new research homepage breaking down how local TV news coverage of community firearm violence is systematically harmful, inequitable, and disconnected from the public health realities. [PCGVR]

By the numbers in Philadelphia

18: Shooting victims recorded from June 7 to June 13, with 6 fatalities, according to city data. During the previous week, 15 shooting victims were recorded, including 4 fatalities. [Source: nickhand.dev]
68: Year-to-date homicides, down 32% vs. last year’s pace; down 73% vs. five years ago. [Philly Police]

⚽ World Cup Daily Recap ⚽

Start Here:
World Cup events guide
Billy Penn’s FIFA World Cup Guide

On the Ground:

Nearly 50,000 volunteers help make the World Cup happen. Here’s how Philly’s crew will help out.
Fairmount neighbors say Philadelphia’s FIFA Fan Festival road closures threatens public safety.
World Cup fans can take a hike — literally. Soccer enthusiasts in Philly can access Lemon Hill fan fest and other sites via trails.
A heat wave may be the most obvious health threat. But infectious diseases can spread in a crowd, and experts are set to scrutinize wastewater, hospital visits, even social media for any signs that an outbreak might be brewing.

ON THE CALENDAR

June 15 to 21 is chock full of events across Philly!

Kick off the United We Heal festival (Thursday-onwards),
+ a bunch of Juneteenth film screenings, block parties, millennial-focused celebrations and more (Friday),
+ theater meets live role-playing storytelling in Germantown (Saturday)
and more!

See the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar at BillyPenn.com!