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What we know about the Sixers’ $1.3B plan for a new arena

The Sixers are gunning for a new arena in the middle of Center City, with a new development corp chaired by local billionaire David Adelman.

• The $1.3 billion project, dubbed “76 Place” and set to open by 2031, would take over a block of the Fashion District, demolishing the former Gallery replacing it with a stadium that could also host concerts.

It would be a game-changer for Philly — in a positive or negative way, depending on opinion. The plan will be discussed and debated for years, so start with Asha Prihar’s rundown of who’s behind it and all the details we know.

Philadelphia kids feel safer with Kensington’s summer programs

Kensington’s McPherson Square has transformed into a free youth day camp this summer, with help from the library and the city’s Playstreets program.

• All programming is free and includes cooking classes, sewing, gardening, lunches, and a fenced-off playground. Parents and kids both say it makes the neighborhood feel safer.

“They should put a fence around the whole park and give us the keys,” one fourth grader told Billy Penn contributor Daisie Cardona.

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• May primary results still haven’t been certified in 3 Pennsylvania counties, with Berks, Fayette, and Lancaster on hold amid a court battle over mail ballots lacking a handwritten date. [WHYY]
• The Philadelphia Police are firing Anthony McFadden, a 32-year veteran of the force who was, allegedly, heard using racial slurs against Black people on police radio last month. [Inquirer$]
• A man who set fire to a state police SUV in Center City during the 2020 protests against police violence was sentenced to 364 days in federal prison. [PhillyVoice]
• Workers at the 12th and Walnut Starbucks are on a 24-hour strike, saying they’ve been retaliated against for unionizing. [6ABC]
• The new COVID variant inspired Kensington resident Darlene Burton to restart her “mask tree,” offering easy, free face-coverings to neighbors. [@Darlene15292071/BP 2020]
• How a little-known novel set on the Main Line inspired the career of James A. Michener, one of the 20th century’s most prolific authors. [Billy Penn]
• The rainbow crosswalk at 13th and Locust in the Gayborhood has a fresh coat of paint. [@visitphilly]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Kenney is in Germany, but debate continues over his comments earlier this week about never having met with any families of homicide victims in his 7 years in office. His administration later tried to walk back the statement, but Inquirer columnist Helen Ubiñas called it a “glaring disconnect.”

ON THE CALENDAR