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A shelter just for LGBTQ people is opening in North Philly

When the Ark of Safety opens in North Philadelphia later this month, it’ll be the city’s first shelter designed specifically for LGBTQ people.

• Founder Tatyana Woodward partnered with a church and two community health orgs to create the 12-bed shelter offering wraparound services to queer and trans people experiencing homelessness.

Woodward dedicated herself to the project, Michaela Winberg reports, because she knows personally how much it would have helped her, decades ago.

Made in America sweeps through Philly this weekend

Jay Z’s annual Labor Day weekend music festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary, with 50k fans expected on the Ben Franklin Parkway.

• Keeping people safe is a priority for organizers, especially after the scare at Welcome America. Jordan Levy looked at what goes into the city’s safety planning, and how attendees can stay aware.

The two-day concert features lots of local talent. Beatrice Forman has a guide to all the Philly artists performing at Made in America this year.

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• Biden shouted out Philadelphia as the birthplace of American democracy during last night’s speech from Independence Hall, which focused on what he deems a major threat to that system. [Billy Penn]
• Philly is spending around 80% of its $208 million anti-violence budget on long-term solutions, per an analysis from the City Controller’s Office, instead of immediate interventions. [WHYY]
• Conserve that water! Philadelphia is officially under drought watch, along with 35 other Pa. counties. [WHYY/NBC10]
• The workers union at the Philadelphia Museum of Art voted to authorize a strike, if needed, while negotiating a contract with management. [KYW]
• As SEPTA officials plan their next-gen payment system — aka Key 2.0, which will include pay-by-smartphone — they’re looking for rider feedback in this survey. [Billy Penn/SEPTA]
• Yeah, so what? A survey by tutoring company Preply named Philadelphia the nation’s rudest city. It appears mostly based off complaints about public use of speaker phone. [Preply/Fox29]
• Kanye West went on an Instagram rant calling out a former collaborator as being from a “gang” in Philly. We looked into it — he was probably referring to Penn grads. [Billy Penn]

MAYOR WATCH

This the seventh year of Mayor Kenney’s PHLpreK program, which provides free pre-K at more than 180 centers across the city. To celebrate, he joins educators and officials at Wonderspring Powelton Village Center in West Philly (10 a.m.)

ON THE CALENDAR