Contaminated rivers in Pa.; Sixers touts schedule with Philly art; Asbestos at Kensington HS

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

The world in a Weaver’s Knot at Penn’s Landing
(Photo by @wmdkenner)

More than half of Pennsylvania waterways contain fecal bacteria during parts of the year, report says

Along the Philadelphia section of the Delaware River, E. coli frequently exceeded unhealthy levels. Environmentalists with PennEnvironment point to combined sewer overflows as the cause of the contamination.

Swimmable waterways have long been the goal of the Clean Water Act, passed in 1972. But more than 50 years after its passage, older industrial cities such as Philadelphia struggle to reach that level of cleanliness because of outdated sewer systems. Continue reading…

East Brandywine Creek in Chester County, Pa. (Kenny Cooper/WHYY)

Sixers release season schedule with a nod to Philly’s art

The Philadelphia 76ers released its full regular season schedule for the upcoming season and connected with LJ Rader’s ArtButMakeItSports to give the reveal a feel fit for Philly’s best art museums.

Rader, who pairs photos of pro sports moments with famous works of art, used his talent to highlight some of the Sixers key games this season, including the team’s NBA Cup games. Continue reading…

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid (left) and Alexander Calder’s “Le Halebarder” (Courtesy of the 76ers)

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• Trump visa policy leads to fewer international students at U.S. colleges, including in Pennsylvania, where an analysis shows the decline cost the state economy $164.2 million — based on the students’ “direct contributions.” [Capital-Star]

• Opposition to data center construction is rising sharply, a Penn survey says. [WHYY]

• Homebuying in the Philly area is more expensive than last year. Here’s why. [WHYY’s PlanPhilly]

• Unequal algebra access in Philly is ‘discriminatory,’ says a key city official as the school district plans changes. [Chalkbeat]

• Asbestos causes Kensington High School to relocate for the start of the school year. [NBC10]

• Philly’s own Low Cut Connie performed on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ this week from their album combining protest songs with tracks about finding joy. [PhillyVoice]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker has no public events scheduled for Friday.

Highlights from Billy Penn’s City Guide

What is “Quizzo?” And where can you play in Philly?
The history behind the infamous Philly trivia world — better known as ‘Quizzo’ – and where you can play around the city.

An all-in-one pass lets you dive into Germantown history
Germantown’s OnePass gives you access to nine historical sites for one price. The organization hopes this will encourage visitors to remain curious