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What tax question should we ask mayor and Council candidates?

Billy Penn is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on economic mobility. Read more at brokeinphilly.org or follow at @BrokeInPhilly.

Taxes are even more inescapable in Philadelphia than most places. The city regularly makes top 10 lists as one of the highest-taxed municipalities in the nation.

That sounds overwhelmingly negative, but most of the programs run by local government depend on those levies for funding, from schools to parks to housing to safety. So eliminating taxes wholesale isn’t necessarily good policy.

What is good tax policy for Philly residents and businesses? Good question — and one we’d like to pose to candidates in the upcoming May primary.

Along with other newsrooms in the Broke in Philly collaborative, we’re preparing a survey for the mayoral contenders and the dozens of candidates for City Council. Last month we asked readers to submit potential queries, and we got more than 100 responses. Now we’re trying to streamline the list.

The grand majority of questions submitted fall into the categories Jobs, Taxes, Housing and Education. We want to know which tax question you most want to see answered.

Aaron Kreider / via reddit

Do you want to put candidates on the spot with regard to property taxes and the topic of inaccurate assessments? Find out what they’d do about the wage tax, which many call unfriendly to business but accounts for a huge chunk of Philly’s budget? Learn more about their plans to address tax bracket disparity? Hear their sentiments on the soda tax?

We’ll add the winning query to our Broke in Philly survey — the results of which will be published for all to see.

Place your vote below.

Source: https://billypenn.com/2019/04/01/what-tax-question-should-we-ask-mayor-and-council-candidates/

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People Who Donate Organs To Strangers Have A Special Brain Feature, Researchers Say

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — There’s new research out on altruistic kidney donors, people who donate an organ to a stranger. It turns out, their brains are different.

You might wonder why people would be motivated to give an organ to a stranger. It involves surgery, some risk and pain. They’re obviously extremely generous and researchers say it appears they have a special brain feature.

Linda Hughes, who lives in South Jersey, saw a Facebook post that inspired her to become a kidney donor to a stranger. But it turned into an even bigger donation.

Hughes wasn’t a match for the person on Facebook, so she decided to start a chain that resulted in seven transplants.

“It’s not something that’s changed my life but I know what I did changed other people’s lives. That’s pretty powerful,” Hughes said.

Hughes ended up being a match for a woman in Kentucky, who she finally met last year.

‘It’s So Painful’: Couple Forced To Give Up Newborns After IVF Mix-Up

Hughes is one of just a few hundred people every year who become altruistic kidney donors.

“It is an extraordinary form of altruism in a lot of ways,” Georgetown University psychology professor Abigail Marsh said.

Marsh is studying the brains of altruistic donors to understand why some people are so generous. Imaging shows a distinction.

“They seem to have just a little extra matter — a little extra material in this region of the brain that we know is really important to producing an empathic response,” Marsh said. “There is a structure in the brain called the amygdala, and people that are psychopathic have smaller than average. And in altruistic kidney donors, it’s larger than average by about eight percent.”

‘This Could Be A Step Toward The Cure’: Temple University Researchers Say They’ve Effectively Eliminated HIV In Animals

That makes them more inclined to take significant risks and costs to help others.

“When people say ‘Why would you do it?’ I feel like if I have this power, this ability to help someone, I would be upset with myself if I didn’t do it,” Hughes said.

Hughes says the surgery discomfort was a small price to pay. Doctors say most healthy people can safely live with just one kidney. All donor are carefully screened physically and emotionally.

Nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. are currently waiting for a kidney transplant.

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/07/08/people-who-donate-organs-to-strangers-have-a-special-brain-feature-researchers-say/

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Learn more about sale/proposed development of former Provident Insurance building this Tuesday

December 10, 2018

West Philadelphia residents are invited  to discuss the proposed development of the former Provident Mutual Life Insurance campus at 46th and Market this Tuesday, Dec. 10, at West Philadelphia High School (49th and Chestnut). The meeting has been organized by Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, who has expressed her concern over the way the City, which owns the 15-acre property at 4601 Market, is handling the campus’s sale and proposed development.

Iron Stone was named as a future developer of the building a few months ago after a selection process that took approximately a year. The Philadelphia-based real estate company is planning to transform the building and the surrounding land into a public health campus. 

As the City Council is preparing to vote on the sale of the property, Blackwell called for more transparency, including more public meetings to inform the community about the proposed development and prospective tenants and service providers. She’s also concerned about jobs for the community. She said she would vote against the sale if these concerns are not addressed, according to a recent article by The Philadelphia Tribune.

The meeting will take place at West Philadelphia High School (4901 Chestnut St.), beginning at 6 p.m.

Source: http://www.westphillylocal.com/2018/12/10/learn-more-about-sale-proposed-development-of-former-provident-insurance-building-this-tuesday/

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Klentak: Phillies To Pursue “Significant Changes” This Winter

By Jeff Todd | September 27, 2018 at 10:38am CDT

With the Phillies continuing their late-season free-fall, GM Matt Klentak held an interesting Q&A with reporters including Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. Despite improvements, Klentak says, “significant changes are necessary.”

That conclusion surely sets the stage for a fascinating, high-stakes winter in Philly. The organization has long been expected to be a major factor in the upcoming market. Having made some notable acquisitions last winter and competed for much of the 2018 season, the stakes are raised for a productive offseason.

Of course, winning the hot stove season isn’t a goal unto itself, so Klentak and company are surely taking a hard look at just how to approach the opportunities to come. As he puts it, “we all need to fight the narrative that it’s a simple fix.”

That could be read as a plea for media and fans not to fixate on some of the biggest names available this winter. It’s also perhaps an acknowledgment that the roster comes with some challenges — some that have arisen largely by happenstance, others relating to decisions made recently by the organization. At the same time, it’s loaded with interesting talent that makes near-term competitiveness seem quite achievable.

For now, of course, Klentak isn’t getting into all of the details or expounding upon the team’s specific hopes in the roster-building department. He did note that the organization will be looking to find the change it hopes for not only through the free-agent market, but also in exploring trades and projecting internal improvements.

In that regard, it’s at least as interesting to contemplate some of Klentak’s comments regarding the season that’s now drawing to a close. As he rightly suggests, the club’s ultimate middle-of-the-road outcomes haven’t strayed far from pre-season expectations. While there was surely a missed opportunity here, given the position the club was in as of mid-August, the organization took its shot at the trade deadline and there’s still clear evidence of progress.

There are also lessons to be drawn from what Klentak calls “a good year for us to experiment.” Viewed from that angle, perhaps some refinement in approach — roster construction included — is slated for assessment and implementation. For instance, the team’s defensive alignment has produced some worrying outcomes. Making the necessary tweaks will, as noted above, not necessarily simply be a matter of acquiring high-end new players.

If that all portends a less-than-straightforward upcoming offseason, well, that seems to have been contemplated in advance. “I think in order to take this organization where it needs to go we had to have a year like this, where we pushed the envelope,” Klentak says.

Having done so, the focus now shifts: from gathering talent, and trying out new ways of deploying it, to achieving the desired bottom-line results. It’s unclear as yet how the Phils will set about re-working their roster to accomplish that, but the possibilities are abundant.

What is clear is that Klentak will continue to head up the baseball operations department for his fourth season, while Gabe Kapler will remain at the helm of the dugout. It’ll certainly be fascinating to see what direction the club takes this winter and how it translates onto the field in 2019.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/09/klentak-phillies-to-pursue-significant-changes-this-winter.html

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Colts' Frank Reich makes worst decision of NFL season

In the NFL, the bottom line of the coaching ledger is simple: Win games. Go to the postseason. Make every opportunity count for something.

Regardless of how you want to chop it up today, Frank Reich failed in that effort.

The Indianapolis Colts coach did it with guts and bravado, just like his previous employer – the Philadelphia Eagles – taught him to do. But that’s not going to help Reich’s Colts, who essentially gave away a tie when Reich inconceivably called for a fourth-and-4 shotgun pass from his own 43-yard line with 27 seconds left in overtime against the Houston Texans. The rest is history: The Colts failed to convert. Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson connected on a 19-yard pass and Houston made a 37-yard field goal to win the game in overtime.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, the Texans actually missed the game-winning field goal attempt initially, only to have that mistake nullified by a timeout called by Reich.

It was the worst play call of this young season. And maybe the worst the NFL has seen since Reich’s Colts predecessor – Chuck Pagano – called arguably the single-worst trick play in league history in 2015. You don’t have to remind Indianapolis fans about that one, either. That fake punt by Pagano has been nothing less than a comically sour low point in team history, aging like a carton of milk sitting on the counter for the past three years.

Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn (7) boots the game-winning field goal against the Colts. (AP)

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Not that Reich or the Colts are concerned, mind you. If they could do it again, they’d do it again. So there’s that, I guess.

 “I’ll just address it now: I’m not playing to tie,” Reich said in his postgame news conference. “I’ll do that 10 times out of 10. That’s just the way it’s got to roll.”

To which Andrew Luck added: “Love it. Everybody in that locker room liked that – no, loved that. We can get behind that. … I think that’s who we’re going to be as a team. Aggressive. That’s what we want our players [to think], that’s a mindset we have with our players. It’s the only way to win in this league.”

If I have learned anything in the NFL, it’s that if the franchise quarterback endorses something – even if it’s something dumb – a sizable portion of the fan base will get behind it. So I’m absolutely certain some of the same Colts fans who initially went bonkers over the decision will decide that they actually like it. If Luck likes it, we should all like it. Right?

That’s fine. It’s great that Reich has the backing of his guys because there’s nothing more imperative for a new head coach than getting the locker room behind him. But let’s be clear here: In the mathematical analysis of this season, Luck’s support and Reich’s chest-puffing don’t change the numbers. And the cold, cruel percentage points all say that a tie is worth half a win in the standings. Which, if getting to the postseason and winning a Super Bowl is the ultimate goal, makes Reich’s decision a poor one.

Oddly, that may not be the popular opinion in Indianapolis. Probably because this is a fan base that wants a new attitude more than almost anything right now. The years-long malaise of Pagano and former general manager Ryan Grigson tend to do that. And nobody in the NFL likes ties anyway. In the NFL’s hyper-competitive equation, there is almost nothing gratifying about a draw. Better to go down swinging and lose than lie down and get a few percentage points for participation.

I get all of that sentiment. But it’s also September. The team is 1-3 and building, and it’s easy to look at a decision and say “Good for them. The Colts grew some chest hair.” It’s far different to feel that way in December, when this team might be fighting for a bottom-rung playoff bid. The kind of thing where having walked away with half a win in September could be the difference between making it or breaking it. And don’t kid yourself, there is nothing that helps a team more on a growth curve than a taste of the postseason. Weighed against some goofball decision on fourth-and-4 in September, a postseason opportunity gives a team far more swagger.

Story Continues

Maybe I’d feel differently if Luck was 26 instead of 29. Or if he had played more than 22 games in the prior three seasons. But he hasn’t. And that should be instructive for the franchise, if not team owner Jim Irsay. This is another year of Luck’s prime burning away. The goal at this stage should always be maximizing every single opportunity. Sometimes playing it safe has to be a part of that – kind of like substituting Jacoby Brissett for a Hail Mary pass in Week 3. Did Luck want to yield to Brissett? Of course not. But it was the right decision to protect the bigger picture.

What happened Sunday was no different. Whether a tie is palatable or not, it’s a better percentage play than a loss. In the long term effort, it’s better for Luck, better for the locker room and better for a franchise that stands more to gain from a playoff berth than an “aggressive” loss.

A tie was half a win. And half a win is better than nothing in the standings. If that’s not clear now, it could be in December – when September bravado amounts to nothing. 

More from Yahoo Sports: • Pete Thamel: One awful play ended Penn State’s party vs. Ohio State • Meet the coach who cut Brett Kavanaugh • Europe thrashes USA in Ryder Cup • Baltimore’s $161M player finishes with worst batting average ever

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-frank-reich-makes-worst-decision-nfl-season-212039108.html?src=rss

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Rehoboth Beach Salty Paws Ice Cream Shop Becoming Popular Stop For Dog Owners

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (CBS) — There’s always a moment when you want to take a break from the waves and hit the boardwalk for a cool treat. There is a unique shop in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, that offers flavors your fur-babies can’t find anywhere else.

“I would say peanut butter ice cream with dehydrated chicken topping or dehydrated liver topping has been pretty popular,” owner Suzanne Tretowicz said.

You could get yogurt, coconut and cranberry but why not try chicken, lamb, and liver toppings on your bowl of ice cream? That’s what you keep in stock when your clientele targets dogs.

Salty Paws is the ice cream shop and bakery of your dog’s dreams.

“Dehydrated tripe, singe protein, no chemical additives, just doggie doggie,” Tretowicz said.

Dolle’s Candy Is The Flavor Of Summer In Rehoboth Beach

Grab your dog a treat in a bowl or cone that’s lactose-free, made with goat’s milk or yogurt.

An idea that Tretowicz says was a no brainer in Rehoboth Beach.

“For years, we’ve watched the dogs eating ice cream on the boardwalk and not the healthy alternative,” Tretowicz said.

“When we saw it, I thought that’s a great idea,” a customer said. “Because we always want to take her for ice cream but we feel like our ice cream isn’t great for her to eat. So, it’s awesome.”

After all, Koda is turning 7 years old and a birthday needs celebrating.

(Credit: CBS3)

“We had to bring her in to get a little ice cream treat,” a customer said. “It was a great way to start her birthday morning.”

In one year alone, Salty Paws has become wildly popular.

It doesn’t hurt being boosted by some Instagram famous dogs who have tens of thousands of followers.

“It’s a destination location,” Tretowicz said. “They like to bring their whole family. They like to put it on Instagram and Facebook. We’ve had dogs from New York City, dogs from Miami Beach, we even had one come with a professional photographer.”

And the ice cream shop is so popular here, you can even buy this mix and make it at home.

For example, Koda had vanilla topped with sweet potato fries.

Soon, you won’t have to travel to Delaware to get it. In the fall, Salty Paws is opening a location in Kennett Square.

The business is also approved to franchise nationwide and new ice cream flavors are always in the works.

“We have a liver ice cream, a bacon ice cream due to popular demand,” Tretowicz said.

Don’t forget the doggie donuts and happy meals either.

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/08/02/rehoboth-beach-salty-paws-ice-cream-shop-becoming-popular-stop-for-dog-owners/

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Excessive Heat Warning, Heat Health Emergency declared in Philadelphia through Sunday July 21

The first heat health emergency of 2019 has been issued in Philadelphia due to extremely high temperatures (maximum heat indexes over 110 are forecasted for the region this week). The Health Emergency began Wednesday, July 17, at noon and is scheduled to end Sunday, July 21, at 11 p.m.

A declaration of a Heat Health Emergency activates the City’s emergency heat programs, including the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s Heatline, extended hours at select Free Library locations that have been designated as Cooling Centers, home visits by special field teams, enhanced daytime outreach for the homeless, and a reminder from the City to the public to look in on older friends, relatives, and neighbors. 

The Heatline (215-765-9040) will be open Wednesday, July 17, from noon through midnight; Thursday, July 18, from 8:30 a.m. through midnight; Friday, July 19, from 8:30 a.m. through midnight; Saturday, July 20, from 8:30 a.m. through midnight, and Sunday, July 21, from 8:30 a.m. until 11 p.m., when the emergency declaration ends. The public is encouraged to call if they have questions about precautions they can take against the heat and detecting signs of heat stress. City Health Department nurses will be on-site to speak with callers about medical problems related to the heat.

Groups at risk in the extreme heat include people with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women, small children, those who work in a high heat environment, and persons engaged in strenuous physical activity.

The City is extending hours at air-conditioned libraries throughout the city. Here is information on West Philadelphia branches with extended hours for Wednesday, July 17:

• Blanche A. Nixon Cobbs Creek Library: 12pm-8pm • Lucien E. Blackwell Regional Library: 12pm-8pm • Haddington Library: 10am-7pm

For more information on what happens when the City declares a Heat Health Emergency, go here.

Here are some other important reminders:

Source: http://www.westphillylocal.com/2019/07/17/excessive-heat-warning-heat-health-emergency-declared-in-philadelphia-through-sunday-july-21/

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10 key trends in the last decade of Philly tech

It speaks highly of the tech ecosystem that, when analyzing 10 years in Philly’s innovation industry, none of the bullet points are related to, exclusively, any one person.

In honor of Technical.ly’s 10th anniversary, as we peruse the landmark moments of this community, an overarching trend that keeps coming up is collaboration. The playbook goes like this: There’s an idea. There’s a connection to others. There’s a joint effort to get to a place. And many times, the final result is success and glory.

While, surely, personal ambition can be a driver, the deeper we dive into the archives the more it becomes clear that any significant Philly triumphs is driven by a sense of community, of going further together instead of going faster by ourselves.

Also notable: The highlights from the last 10 years we feature on this list, as pointed out by the responses to this reporter’s tweet, fail to follow the profile of splashy IPOs or huge transformative projects like Amazon’s HQ2 project promised. Instead, Philly’s moments of glory have inched forward consistently, one step at a time.

So, in celebration of 10 years, let’s take a look at the key moments and trends that have gotten us to this point:

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If someone asks for a 2009 vs. 2019 comparison in Philly’s tech landscape, there’s a literal sign you can point them toward.

It was a sketch first, an idea largely driven by Old City coworking staple Indy Hall and its founder Alex Hillman. And then it was an actual sign that told the story of a group of local companies toiling away at technology from a few blocks of N. 3rd Street (get it?).

The sign went up in 2014. (Photo by Jason Sherman)

Today, the N3rd Street crowd have two legit new neighbors: esports tournament organizer N3rd Street Gamers and cloud services company Linode.

Code for Philly, the local Code for America brigade that has banded together civic technologists since 2012, has ties to a seminal Code for America program that connected seven civic tech fellows with the City of Philadelphia under the Nutter administration. The prominence of its brigade and close interaction with local politicians and agencies have elevated our city’s profile in the national ranks as a civic tech hub.

In 2012, the City also took a significant step forward in the modernization of its structure by appointing its first-ever Chief Data Officer in Mark Headd, ushering in a landmark era for tech in government. The most recent update from the City on that front is the Smart City roadmap announced by the Office of Innovation and Technology, which is poised to shape the long-term concept of Philly as a smart city.

While entertaining the idea of freelancing for Technical.ly, back in early 2016, a quick Google search told me this team was legit. After all, they had managed to play a round of Pong on the freakin’ Cira Center in 2013 for its yearly event series, Philly Tech Week. The memorable moment pops up often in the community’s collective memory.

What began in 2010 as a convening of local stakeholders is now, easily, the main yearly check-in point for the growth of the ecosystem. And, last year, Technical.ly’s new Introduced conference brought together national thought leaders and convened hundreds for a day of lessons. More than a few ideas lingered afterwards.

In 2017, Amazon announced a call for cities to pitch themselves as host of a massive, 50,000-job headquarters that would be equal to its Seattle beachhead. Philly, quickly, raised its hand.

“It was the first time in close to 20 years that I heard everyone on one message,” TechGirlz founder and tech community champion Tracey Welson-Rossman, told Technical.ly before the news dropped. “If we don’t get Amazon, we should be prepared to go for the next one. Because when opportunities come, we should be prepared for them.”

Update: We didn’t get it. But there are many upsides to that.

Remember any high profile acquisitions and mergers? Here’s 17 big ones going back to the early oughts, ranked by sticker price. You know them and have heard of them before. The big 2014 GSI Commerce sale to eBay, Boomi’s 2010 acquisition to Dell or the super timely $500 million sale of Half.com.

There was also RJMetrics’ double whammy of sorts, which yielded the funds to spin out Stitch, and later produced one more acquisition. With cofounder Bob Moore now onto his third startup, the sale is a success story we can point to, filed under the “Philly makes sense to grow your business” folder.

Also, its staff made some serious moves.

A chart showing where everyone went after RJMetrics, like Comcast, Stitch, Adobe and others. (Graph by Ben Garvey)

University of Pennsylvania? Launched its massive tech transfer hub Pennovation in 2016. Comcast? Started an accelerator and built a soaring skyscraper devoted to tech. SAP? Built an innovation lab at its suburban HQ. Vanguard? Same, but in Center City. The Sixers? Yup. Johnson & Johnson? Check.

You get our point.

Yup: StartUp PHL marked a significant turning point in how the City of Philadelphia approached economic development. Alongside the semi-public Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, the City began funding startups through the joint initiative as early as 2013. The initiative’s second fund is now being run by Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

The diversity of resources available to someone with a startup idea is so wide these days that there’s virtually an event you can go to every day. From the city’s many, many coworking spaces to the innovation hubs you read about in our previous point. There’s also a slew of accelerators in many different verticals. Take the University City Science Center alone. It offers: a Digital Health Accelerator, its Phase 1 Ventures, weekly programming at Venture Café, an entrepreneurs clubhouse at Quorum, the Innovation Center at 3401 Market St. and the First Hand Philly program aimed at youth.

Philly’s biotech ecosystem scored a major, ground-breaking win with the success of Dr. Carl June’s experimental CAR T-cell treatment against advanced blood cancer. Anyone writing about the cancer moonshot now needs to stop by Philly and hear what’s happening at Penn.

See? We told you.

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What were your favorite tech trends of the last 10 years? Tell us here: philly@technical.ly.

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Source: https://technical.ly/philly/2019/02/08/10-key-trends-in-the-last-decade-of-philly-tech/

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Gritty featured in the New Yorker

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) --

He might not have been named person of the year, but a very high toned publication is giving the Flyers mascot some mad props.

Gritty is front and center in the New Yorker.

He's featured in the article titled, "The Year in Good Men."

The journalist remarks that 2018 was a tough one for the reputation of the American male, but Gritty is "pure male id, without any of the menace."

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(Copyright ©2018 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.)

Source: https://6abc.com/sports/gritty-featured-in-the-new-yorker/4948376/

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Police Arrest 18-Year-Old Man In Series Of Upper Darby Purse Snatchings

UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) – Police have arrested an 18-year-old man wanted in a series of purse snatchings and a stabbing in Upper Darby. Kamar Hawkes was arrested overnight after he was found injured at a Philadelphia hospital.

Hawkes allegedly attacked and robbed a 21-year-old woman on Tuesday night. Police say the victim was walking home when Hawkes attacked her near Wingate and Shirley Roads, around 10:30 p.m.

The victim was carrying a knife for self-protection, but police say Hawkes disarmed her and stabbed her on the right arm. Hawkes fled the area with the woman’s purse, umbrella and other belongings, according to police.

“She pulled the knife out – he was able to disarm her and stabbed her once in the right arm,” Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.

(Credit: CBS3)

The victim was taken to the hospital where she received six stitches and is expected to be OK.

Hawkes was later found at Mercy Hospital in Philadelphia. He claimed he had been bitten by a dog but police say he suffered a stab wound when he disarmed the victim.

Chitwood commended the victim for attempting to defend herself.

“I said, tongue in cheek, I said, ‘It’s a shame you didn’t have a gun,’” Chitwood said, “and I thought if he had a gun, he probably would have shot you.”

Police say Hawkes eventually admitted to robbing the woman. He also admitted to two other purse snatchings in Upper Darby.

One of the robberies took place along the 200 block of Bayard Road on May 11. In that case, Hawkes attacked a 94-year-old woman who lived nearby and stole her purse, police say.

The other robbery happened on May 17, where police say Hawkes stole $700 from a 27-year-old woman’s purse on the 200 block of Huntley Road. H

Hawkes offered to pay his victims back in “double straight cash.”

When a reporter asked him why he hit a 94-year-old woman, Hawkes denied it, saying “I never hit her … they scheming.”

“This bum’s in jail and the streets of Upper Darby are a little safer,” Chitwood said.

Neighbors were stressed to hear about the violent crime just steps from their home.

“This used to be a really nice neighborhood,” Regina Mawusi said. “I’ve lived here for 20 years. I get nervous when I come home and can’t park near my house. It’s bad.”

Hawkes has been charged with three counts of robbery.

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/05/29/kamar-hawkes-arrested-upper-darby-purse-snatchings/

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FDA: Altaire Recalls Eye Drops, Ointments From Walgreens, Cites Sterility

Altair Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is voluntarily recalling multiple eye drops and eye ointments exclusively made for and sold at Walgreens following concerns the products may not be sterile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced.

“Altaire is initiating the recall due to management concerns regarding the sufficiency of Quality Assurance controls over critical systems in the manufacturing facility,” the FDA says.

Using a non-sterile product that is meant to be sterile may result “in serious and potentially life-threatening infections or death,” according to the FDA.

As of Thursday, Altaire has received no reports of adverse events. The FDA also says that Altaire has not received any adverse results out of sterility testing for the products.

According to the FDA, the products are manufactured and labeled exclusively for Walgreens. Altaire notified Walgreens by e-mail on Wednesday announcing the recalls of the products/lots effected and has also requested the retailer notify it customers.

The over-the-counter drug products and lots sold at Walgreens impacted by the recall are:

 Lubricant Eye Drops Moisturizing Walgreens -- Item #: 801483; NDC #: 0363-0185-13; Package Size: 15 mL; Lot Number: 19095; Expiration Date: 04/21; Manufacturer Initial Ship Date: 05/14/19

Lubricant Eye Drops Moisturizing Twin Pack Walgreens -- Item #: 801477; NDC #: 0363-0185-49; Package Size: 2 x 15 mL; Lot Number: 19095; Expiration Date: 04/21; Manufacturer Initial Ship Date: 05/14/19

Sodium Chloride Ophthalmic Ointment, 5% Hypertonicity Eye Ointment Walgreens -- Item #: 801482; NDC #: 0363-7500-50; Package Size: 3.5 gram; Lot Number: TCI; Expiration Date: 03/21; Manufacturer Initial Ship Date: 05/08/2019

Sodium Chloride Ophthalmic Solution, 5% Hypertonicity Eye Drops Walgreens -- Item #: 801402; NDC #: 0363-0193-13; Package Size: 15 mL; Lot Number: 19105; Expiration Date: 04/22; Manufacturer Initial Ship Date: 05/24/2019

Sodium Chloride Ophthalmic Solution, 5% Hypertonicity Eye Drops Walgreens -- Item #: 801402; NDC #: 0363-0193-13; Package Size: 15 mL; Lot Number: 19050; Expiration Date: 02/22; Manufacturer Initial Ship Date: 05/23/2019

Lubricant Eye Ointment PF Soothing Walgreens -- Item #: 801486; NDC #: 0363-0191-50; Package Size: 3.5 gram; Lot Number: TBD; Expiration Date: 04/22; Manufacturer Initial Ship Date: 05/24/2019

 Customers with questions regarding this recall can contact Altaire Pharmaceuticals Inc. at 1-800-258-2471 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. They can also email otcdruggist@aol.com.

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

The FDA says that customers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems or adverse effects that may be related to using this drug product.

Source: https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/health/Altaire-Recalls-Eye-Drops-Ointments-Sold-Walgreens-DueNon-Sterility-Concerns-FDA-512260462.html

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Philly City Council votes to ban cashless stores

Philadelphia City Council approved a bill Thursday that would ban most city stores from going cashless.

Businesses like Sweetgreen, a salad chain that only takes plastic, could face fines up to $2,000 if Mayor Jim Kenney signs it into law. The proposed ban doesn’t apply to online shopping or membership-based stores like Costco.

"It seems like in a regular commercial establishment, people should be able to buy the product if they have the means to buy the product," said Bill Greenlee, the bill’s sponsor. "It just seems unfair to have that separation. It's almost like an us and them."

Greenlee and his supporters say cashless retail is discriminatory in a city where the poverty rate is roughly 26 percent and, according to a 2017 survey, six percent of the area population lacks a bank account.

Research shows that people with less discretionary income tend to rely on cash more than people with more access to credit, and that white people tend to have more access to credit than other populations.

"That just seemed unfair to me,” said Greenlee. “It seemed, if not intentional, but at least unintentionally, discriminatory because the people who are 'unbanked' and don't have a credit card are low-income, heavily minority, and immigrants."

Philadelphia joins a number of U.S. cities and states pushing against the cashless trend. New Jersey lawmakers recently passed a bill banning cashless retail. The bill now awaits Gov. Phil Murphy’s signature.

Washington, D.C. and New York City also have proposed bills prohibiting cashless stores. Massachusetts is the only state to ban the practice.

But people who oppose the move in Philadelphia worry that it will keep the city behind as the world moves towards digital business models.

“If the city decides to press pause on this business model, the city must also accelerate our efforts to develop policies and programs” that’ll prepare disadvantaged residents for the cashless economy that’s bound to become the norm, said Sylvie Gallier Howard, first deputy at the city’s Commerce Department.

City Councilman Alan Domb, one of four members to vote against the bill, said it will have downsides.

"Chains like Sweetgreen and Bluestone lane may not open any more stores here and could potentially decide to leave losing jobs,” he said.  “Other chains are experimenting with this concept and may choose to pursue it and not come to Philadelphia. For businesses that value innovation and technology, Philadelphia may not look as attractive."

One 2018 Pew Research Center survey found that 29 percent of respondents shun cash during purchases in a typical week. That’s up from 24 percent in 2015. Another Pew survey found that lower-income adults are more likely to use cash.

“As a city, we constantly seek to strike the balance of growing our economy while ensuring our growth is inclusive,” said Howard. “This issue is at the heart of that challenge. At some point, probably in the near future, a ban on cashless businesses could impact our competitiveness as a city, which would negatively impact those that are already the most disadvantaged.”

Councilman David Oh also opposed the bill.

“I really don’t see how it helps the poor quite frankly,” Oh said. “They have cash, that’s good, but as we transition we should help people transition to a cashless economy.“

  Source: http://planphilly.com/articles/2019/02/13/fate-of-cashless-philly-stores-hangs-on-city-council-vote

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Eagles hope 1988 and 2008 repeat themselves on Sunday

The Eagles enter Week 17 with a very simply formula for getting back to the postseason. They need to beat the Redskins in Washington and hope the Chicago Bears beat Kirk Cousins and the Vikings in Minnesota.

Both games start at 4:25 pm on Sunday, so as the Eagles prepare to kick off against Washington, and as Minnesota takes the field against Chicago, neither team will know their playoff fate. It will be a dramatic and stress-filled afternoon for Birds fans, no doubt, especially those who have never been through something like this before.

However, there is some synergy to the Eagles’ situation. Here, in 2018, the Eagles need to win a Week 17 game and get some help in order to play bonus football. The team was in the same position 10 years ago, in 2008, and 30 years ago, in 1988, needing a win on the final week of the season and some help to get in.

And in both those cases, fortune smiled on Philadelphia.

1988 - Al Toon Saves The Day

Entering the final game of the season in Dallas against the 3-12 Cowboys, the 9-6 Eagles needed a victory and for the underdog New York Jets, who were 7-7-1 to beat their in-stadium rivals, the 10-5 New York Giants, in order to win the NFC East and reach the postseason.

Both games were 1:00 pm starts, and the Birds easily handled their business against the Cowboys 23-7.

As the game ended, the Jets-Giants match-up in New York was still finishing up, so the team returned to the locker room to see if the Jets could pull off the upset.

Is there anything better than Brent Musberger in his prime breathlessly giving an important sports update? No, there is not.

For Eagles fans of a certain generation, the name “Al Toon” became etched in Eagles legend.

So with their win and the Giants’ loss, the New York and Philly finished with a 10-6 record, but the Eagles won the tiebreaker and became NFC East champs. The following week, they would travel to Chicago to take on the Bears in the legendary Fog Bowl.

2008 - Destruction Of Dallas

In ‘08, the odds were even longer, but at least by kickoff, the Birds knew whether the game would mean anything or not.

Entering their 4:25 match-up with the Cowboys in Philly, the Eagles already had found out that the 7-8 Houston Texans had upset the 8-7 Chicago Bears and that the 4-11 Oakland Raiders, who were 13-point underdogs, had beaten the 8-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So all the Eagles needed to do, at 8-6-1 was beat the 8-7 Cowboys on their home turf. The hard part had been accomplished, the miracles had already come to pass.

We all know what happened next.

As the No. 6 seed, the odds were stacked against Philadelphia doing anything of significance in the postseason. But unlike 1988, the ‘08 miracle spawned a deep postseason run that saw the Eagles beat the Vikings in Minnesota in the wild card round and the No. 1 seed, 13-3 Giants in the Meadowlands.

The dream died in the desert, however, as the Eagles fell to the Cardinals in Arizona in the NFC Championship Game.

Thankfully, they won the Super Bowl last year, so missing the postseason this year won’t be a killer, and these last few weeks have ended the season on an upswing and has at least made the team viable heading into the final week of the season.

We don’t know what the future holds for Sunday, but if the past is prologue, than that will mean good things for the Eagles.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2018/12/28/18159149/eagles-hope-1988-2008-repeat-themselves-sunday-redskins-bears-vikings-game-nfl-playoffs-history

[oysterdead2-blog]

Heatwave sweeping through Philly this week

This week will be one of the hottest on recent record, with heat index values reaching up to 110 degrees, according to the National Weather System (NWS).

The group released a preliminary report Tuesday, telling Philadelphians to be ready for high temperatures starting Wednesday and lasting and climbing through the weekend. The actual temperatures are expected to be in the high 90s or even the low 100s, but heat index values (which measure how hot an area feels based on temperature and humidity) are expected to reach 105 to 110 degrees.

And there’s little relief at night: Lows are expected to be in the 70s or 80s, according to NWS.

Philadelphians should also prepare for flooding and storms on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, according to NWS.

The city had not released a statement on the heatwave as of Tuesday morning, but they have made all city pools open and free for residents to escape the heat.

Meanwhile, Philly’s Office of Emergency Management says they’re working with the city health department to monitor the coming heat wave and consider any additional steps that might need to be taken. They’ll also be prepared to handle power outages that can come with excessive heat and suggest people look at their hot weather blog post, which has information regarding a help number, cooling centers, and more.

Source: https://philly.curbed.com/2019/7/16/20696429/heatwave-sweeping-through-philly-temperatures

[oysterdead2-blog]

Sixers postpone Blue-White scrimmage

Sixers fans will have to wait a little longer to see Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons' retooled shots, Joel Embiid's "bully ball" in the post, and all the storylines they were hoping to watch at Tuesday's Blue-White scrimmage. 

The Sixers have postponed Tuesday's scrimmage at the Palestra due to "weather-related issues that have impacted the arena." 

There were issues due to humidity and moisture on the floor.

With heavy rain in the Philadelphia area, the team said it decided to postpone the event due to "an abundance of caution for player safety."

The scrimmage will be rescheduled for a later date.

The team is set to open its preseason slate on Friday at Wells Fargo Center against Melbourne United.

It appears Zhaire Smith has more to worry about than his fractured foot these days.

Smith underwent a successful thoracoscopy Wednesday to address an issue from an allergic reaction to a food product, the Sixers said in a statement. The procedure was performed by Dr. Nathaniel Evans, director of thoracic surgery and associate professor at Thomas Jefferson University.

By definition, a thoracoscopy is "the insertion of an endoscope, a narrow —diameter tube with a viewing mirror or camera attachment, through a very small incision (cut) in the chest wall." This makes it possible for the doctor to examine the lungs and chest cavity.

Smith will already be sidelined reportedly until around Christmas after he suffered a Jones fracture in his left foot during a workout at a summer camp. The No. 16 pick in the 2018 draft was cleared last week to begin full weight-bearing activities.

More on the Sixers

Well, it all makes sense now.

Just a few hours following The Athletic's Sam Amick report that the Sixers were "completely out" on Jimmy Butler after preliminary discussions, another nugget sprinkled out into the internet.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, appearing Thursday on The Bill Simmons Podcast, via Bleacher Report, said:

One of the things that I've heard from a handful of sources is that—with the Sixers for example—the initial offer that they made, the counter-offer was like, 'We need Ben Simmons in a deal.'"

K, bye.

We've written plenty on why Butler isn't the right star for the Sixers. Just today, my teammate Paul Hudrick had this to write about Butler:

Butler is a very good, two-way basketball player that would make Elton Brand’s team better immediately. … But his fit just isn’t perfect. He’s never been an elite three-point shooter, most of his points are scored in isolation and this is the second time he couldn’t play nice with other stars. The Sixers need to surround Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons with shooters, Brett Brown’s offense relies on pace and space, and it doesn’t seem ideal to bring Butler into a situation where he’d be playing second or third fiddle.

You can read more of Hudrick's analysis here (please do, he's pretty tuned in on this kind of stuff).

More on the Sixers

Source: https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/76ers/sixers-postpone-blue-white-scrimmage

[oysterdead2-blog]

Philadelphia Phillies Chairman David Montgomery Passes Away At 72 After 5-Year Battle With Cancer

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Philadelphia Phillies announced chairman and former team president David Montgomery passed away Wednesday morning after a five-year battle against cancer. Montgomery was 72.

“David was one of Philadelphia’s most influential business and civic leaders in his generation,” said Phillies managing partner John Middleton. “For 25 years, he has been an invaluable business partner and, more importantly, an invaluable friend.  He was beloved by everyone at the Phillies. Leigh and I are saddened beyond words at David’s passing and extend our love and sympathy to Lyn, his children and grandchildren.”

Montgomery’s career with the Phillies began in 1971, working in the ticket office during the day and helping operate the scoreboard at night. He was later named the marketing director and then director of sales. He was promoted to executive vice president after the 1981 season.

Montgomery took a short leave of absence as president and CEO in August 2014 after he was diagnosed with cancer in May 2014. He returned January 2015 and remained active in this role until his passing, attending many of the team’s 2019 spring training games in Clearwater, as well as this year’s home opener at Citizens Bank Park.

He is survived by his wife, Lyn; three children, Harry, Sam and Susa; one granddaughter, Elizabeth and two grandsons, Cameron and Will.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/05/08/phillies-chairman-david-montgomery-passes-away-at-72-after-5-year-battle-with-cancer/

[oysterdead2-blog]

Sean Payton, who gave Saints players extra motivation, says players don’t need extra motivation

Saints head coach Sean Payton really did not like a question posed by 6ABC’s Jamie Apody, who was in New Orleans to cover one of his press conferences, this week.

APODY: Last game, you guys didn’t let off the gas pedal, and back in Philly —

PAYTON: No, no. That’s not true. Um, listen, if you pay attention to the film, and you watch the film, it was one of those games where you’re playing a real good offense, and late in the game we scored a touchdown, but we were up 30 something at that point, but we played well, so go ahead.

APODY: No, I said, back in Philly, like, throughout this week, they’ve kind of been using that as motivation. Do you realize that they’re going to do that and what do you think about that?

PAYTON: It’s a divisional playoff game. So my question would be ... we’re all playing hard in these divisional playoff games, right? You’re going to play harder? Alright. Next good question.

A few thoughts:

Payton’s not wrong. Payers shouldn’t need extra motivation to win a playoff game. Yet, he’s the coach who brought in the Lombardi Trophy, a Super Bowl ring, and a glass box filled with more than $200,000 cash to motivate Saints players this week. He was also head coach of the Saints when New Orleans had a bounty scandal. So.

Payton was so unnecessarily rude to Apody.

The Eagles should give Payton motivaton to be less smug by beating the Saints on Sunday.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/1/12/18180440/sean-payton-who-gave-saints-players-extra-motivation-players-dont-need-extra-motivation-eagles-game