? Want this daily digest emailed to you? Sign up for the free Billy Penn newsletter and it’ll land in your inbox every morning.
How a West Philly designer helped organize the Etsy strike
This spring, 30,000 independent Etsy merchants staged a first-ever strike at the ecommerce giant, which saw profits double to $10B during the pandemic.
- Out of that grew the Indie Sellers Guild, which launched on Labor Day with the help of core organizer Mattie Boyd, the West Philly designer behind the brand Toxic Femme.
The ISG’s goal, Boyd told Jordan Levy, is to force more transparency and fairer practices by online retail platforms around the globe.
How Philly can help with Hurricane Fiona relief efforts
As it tore through the Caribbean, Hurricane Fiona brought flooding and mudslides, and cut off power and running water to millions in Puerto Rico.
- Five years after Hurricane Maria shut down the island’s power grid, local organizations in Philly — which has the mainland’s second largest Puerto Rican population — are again stepping up.
Asha Prihar put together a list of local groups coordinating efforts and donations. Hear of another we should add? Let us know.
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
- Senate candidate Mehmet Oz focused on drugs and crime during a visit to Philly this week. He hosted a panel discussion in Germantown and walked through areas of open drug use in Kensington, at one point picking up a needle and asking, “Where are the police?” [KYW/Inquirer$]
- Kingsessing residents got to see final design plans for the neighborhood’s new library and rec center — a Rebuild project that had previously been delayed. [West Philly Local/Billy Penn]
- Lawyers for Penn professor Amy Wax, who faces disciplinary proceedings for a pattern of racist comments, argue they should be postponed because she’s undergoing cancer treatment. [WHYY/Daily Pennsylvanian]
- Mt. Airy’s much-loved Trolley Car Diner, which closed in 2019 after two decades, was supposed to be moved to a storage facility for restoration and repair, but the move had to be delayed again. [ABC6/CBS3]
- A whole new meaning for “streetery?” The chef at East Passyunk restaurant Mish Mish has been parking his pickup truck out front and setting up a table for two in its flatbed. [@mishmishphilly]
Weekly brief on gun violence prevention (with PCGVR)
We publish this report each week in partnership with the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting.
- Listen to an expert panel discuss the epidemic of gun violence in Philadelphia, root causes, what works to prevent shootings — and why. [WHYY’s Radio Times]
- On a sadly typical weekend in August, 20 people in Philadelphia were shot. Inquirer journalists went to every crime scene and tried to understand why. [Inquirer$]
- It’s not just Philly: From Oakland to Chicago to Newark, shootings are disrupting childhood education. Solutions being tried include patrols by community members and group counseling for young men. [Chalkbeat]
- Are you at an org that can host a fellow focused on addressing gun violence from a policy, practice, research, advocacy, organizing, or communications lens? The Stoneleigh Foundation is funding full-time positions. [Stoneleigh]
- Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is using his voice to help fight gun violence in Philly. He visited the Penn Medicine Trauma Center to learn more about the public health crisis. [@JalenHurts/CBS3]
By the numbers in Philadelphia
- 36: Shooting victims recorded last week so far, vs. 62 the week prior. [City Controller via @PCGVR]
- 1,725: Shooting victims this year, up 2% from last year [PCGVR]
- 389: Year-to-date homicides, 1% ahead of last year’s pace and up 76% vs. five years ago [Philly Police]
MAYOR WATCH
No public appearances for Philly’s 99th mayor today.
ON THE CALENDAR
?️ BP Quizzo lands at The Sidecar Bar & Grille! Join us at the Grad Hospital tavern for our monthly pub trivia about all things local, with happy hour specials and prizes. Free with RSVP. (6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27)
? Northern Liberties’ Night Market takes over 2nd Street with PAYG treats from 30+ food trucks, including chewy donuts from Mochinut and potato-y pierogis from Mom-Mom’s. (5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22).
? Fairmount Park’s Horticultural Center transforms into an outdoor yoga studio with “Yoga in the Leaves.” Tickets are $45 for a one-hours adult class + brekkie, but children’s yoga is free. (10 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 25)
