Heat emergency in Philly; First Bank of U.S. reopens; Weekly gun violence brief

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

Mixed signals on Penn’s Landing
(Photo by @jrwvk)

Rebuilding the Gayborhood’s LGBTQ+ community center

The William Way LGBT Center at 1315 Spruce is “unsavable,” so the community is working to rebuild something new.

“The building is at this point closed simply because it’s inhabitable. The roof is totally destroyed. If you go into the basement, it’s like going to a swamp,” said Marc Segal, president of the Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund and publisher of Philadelphia Gay News.

So far, nearly 50 community, business and political leaders have signed on to be members of the dmhFUND Advisory Board to help the project reach the finish line. Continue reading…

The William Way Community Center (Billy Penn File Photo)

The nation’s First Bank just got a $43 million makeover

Before dollar bills and long before cryptocurrency, America was a fragile experiment drowning in debt — “mostly stemming from the American Revolutionary War,” said park ranger Suzanne Moore.

Thus, the First Bank of the United States was born in Philadelphia on 3rd Street between Chestnut and Walnut.

After undergoing a multi-year restoration, the First Bank building has opened as a new museum all about the country’s financial history. Continue reading…

The First Bank of the United States was built in 1797 to be the central hub of Alexander Hamilton’s national banking system. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• Philadelphia heat wave: City declares heat emergency ahead of triple-digit temps. Here’s what to know. [WHYY]

• Pa., N.J. and Del. join a multistate lawsuit against Trump administration over Medicaid work requirements. [WHYY]

• SEPTA Manayunk-Norristown train derailment causes service suspensions. [NBC10]

• The PPA will start issuing speeding tickets using traffic cameras along a stretch of Route 13 in Northeast Philadelphia after a 60-day warning day ended Friday. [PhillyVoice]

• How an ambitious, three-year-long freshwater mussels project transformed the smelly Manayunk Canal into an emerging fishing destination. [Philadelphia Citizen]

• The Ben Franklin Bridge turns 100 years old today: “This is where I find most of my peace.” [CBS3]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker starts the day at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand reopening of the First Bank of the United States to public visitors after a $43 million renovation. (9:30 p.m.)

She then speaks at Wawa’s HoagieFest Day outside the National Constitution Center. (12 p.m.)

Parker then joins city leaders on the Art Museum steps to discuss public safety and 4th of July holiday events logistics and city preparations amid the heatwave and expected crowds. (2 p.m.)

Weekly brief on gun violence prevention (with PCGVR)

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

With a looming deadline, the Pa. Senate passed a bill that will drive mass review of felony murder sentences. [Capital-Star]
The violence decline isn’t evenly distributed: Chalkbeat Philadelphia dives into the numbers. [NYT/Chalkbeat]
Community holds a vigil for victims of the Wilmington Hospital shooting. [6ABC]
PCGVR founder and former director Jim MacMillan has completed his advising role – and moved abroad. [AGVR News/JimMacMillan.com]

By the numbers in Philadelphia

27: Shooting victims recorded from June 21 to June 27, with 11 fatalities, according to city data. During the previous week, 18 shooting victims were recorded, including 4 fatalities. [Source: nickhand.dev]
83: Year-to-date homicides, down 30% vs. last year’s pace; down 69% vs. five years ago. [Philly Police]

⚽ World Cup Daily Recap ⚽

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

The Latest:

Croatia tops Ghana in Philly’s final World Cup group stage match
Meet the Philly couple who had their wedding photos crashed by Croatian World Cup fans

On the Ground:

FIFA fan fest organizers reveal steps to cut down lines for free DIY World Cup charm bracelets that have become a viral hit.
‘ICE Out’ protest art in Philly ramps up amid World Cup spotlight
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

IT IS FOURTH OF JULY WEEK!

Magic and mystery show (Thursday/Friday)
+ a Black Philadelphia art presentation (Wednesday)
+ board game speed dating for ages 40-50 (Thursday)
+ a film festival for the “terminally weird” (Sunday)
and more!

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