$22 million Mayor’s Fund rebrands after Nutter-era scandal
Almost a decade after a series of financial scandals sullied its name, the Mayor’s Fund for Philadelphia has rebranded as the Philadelphia City Fund.
- An independent nonprofit that funnels philanthropy to city programs, the fund is responsible for programs like PHL ConnectED, which provided internet to students during the pandemic.
The chair under former Mayor Nutter pleaded guilty to misusing nearly $250k from the fund, sparking a series of changes, Ben Seal reports for Billy Penn.
→ What does the fund’s future hold?
Eagles’ Autumn Lockwood to make history on Sunday
Already historic for being the first with two Black starting quarterbacks, Super Bowl LVII will have a little more for the history books.
- Eagles assistant coach Autum Lockwood, who joined the team last summer, is poised to be the first Black woman to coach on the NFL’s biggest stage. She’ll be the Super Bowl’s fourth woman coach overall.
Her path to football started with her father, Rashad Grove reports, and includes a master’s in sports management, plus experience in collegiate soccer.
→ 5 things to know about Lockwood
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
- 48 Pa. elected officials, including several City Councilmembers and all the state Senators from Philly, signed onto a call to expand the U.S. Supreme Court with four new justices. [Billy Penn]
- Temple grad students striking for better wages are having their aid revoked and must pay tuition in full by March 9, the university announced yesterday, making good on a threat union leaders call “unprecedented” and “cruel.” Stay tuned for an explainer. [@mings_ga/Insider]
- A huge slab of concrete fell off a century-old building near 13th and Chancellor in Center City and critically injured a pedestrian. The owners had failed two L&I inspections over the past months, but contract work continued. [WHYY/PhillyVoice]
- Philadelphia Orchestra conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, a charismatic 47-year-old who just won two Grammys, extended his contract in Philly through 2030. [@philorch/NBC10]
- Ask Gritty anything you want via a new AI chatbot, created by the folks behind the Flyers mascot’s social media. [Character AI/Technically]
- Joining several suburban districts, Philly public schools will start two hours late on Monday so everyone has extra time to recover from watching Super Bowl LVII. [6ABC/WHYY/@PHLschools]
MAYOR WATCH
Philadelphia is receiving official designation as a “Welcoming City” from national immigrants advocacy org Welcoming America, and Kenney celebrates the announcement at a press conference (3 p.m.). West Philly nonprofit Level Up, which aims to empower young Philadelphians from high-risk neighborhoods, gets a mayoral visit to tour its new facility (6 p.m.).
Yesterday at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Kenney outlined a vision for what he might do after leaving office. Invoking his own experience of being forced to go see an Alvin Ailey show as a highschooler at St. Joe’s Prep, and how transformative that was, he said he’d love to run a nonprofit that helps kids from all over Philadelphia get to experience performing arts.
ON THE CALENDAR
💐 Shop for love from local women makers at Rex at the Royal’s Galentine’s Day market on South Street West, with vendors offering jewelry, candles, ceramics, tea, and more. (10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11)
👟 Calling all sneakerheads: Sneaker Con lands at the Pa. Convention Center with more than 300 vendors, live auctions, games, and appraisals. Tickets are $28. (12 to 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11)
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