Plus, Mayor Parker cracks down.
Beyoncé fans await her arrival at the 2015 Made in America Festival in Philadelphia (Getty Images)
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The End of Made in America?
It came across our radar last week that Made in America organizers still hadn’t obtained permits for the huge Jay-Z-curated music festival that usually takes place over Labor Day weekend on the Ben Franklin Parkway. But that wasn’t all that unusual, since they still had time to do so.
Alas, they won’t be obtaining any permits for Made in America this year. Because there won’t be any Made in America this year, just as there was no Made in America last year. It’s not exactly clear why Made in America didn’t happen last year. Some blamed the cancelation of co-headliner Lizzo after her dancers accused her of some not so nice things, but I called B.S. on that theory, for reasons I explained here.
A scene from a previous Made in America festival in Philadelphia (photo courtesy of Visit Philly)
As for this year, the reasons for the Made in America cancellation are also unclear. But one thing is for sure: If you were hoping for a surprise Beyoncé appearance so you could Texas Hold ‘Em down the Parkway in your finest rhinestone cowgirl boots, it ain’t gonna happen.
Lots of people on social media seem to be rejoicing at the possible end of Made in America. But it was a fun festival that brought lots of major celebrities to town — and, more importantly, lots of young people into the city to spend their money. Be careful what you wish for.
Mayor Parker Cracks Down
“We’re not going to tolerate chaos or disorder in our city … period!” Those were the words out of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s mouth on Wednesday afternoon during a bill-signing ceremony in the Mayor’s Reception Room at City Hall. There, flanked by various members of City Council and other city officials, Parker signed three bills that she hopes will make Philadelphia a safer and more law-abiding place.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker (City of Philadelphia photo)
Unsurprisingly, one of those bills specifically targets Kensington and requires specific types of businesses on certain blocks of the embattled neighborhood to shut their doors by 11 p.m.
A second bill goes after those so-called “skill-based” gambling machines that litter corner stores all over Philadelphia. Officials have long said that those games attract ne’er-do-wells and lead to crime. Exempt from this new law are restaurants or bars with 30 seats or more as well as businesses that hold casino licenses. The rest? Illegal and subject to substantial fines.
Lastly, Parker signed a bill that seeks to eliminate “tag-flipping” devices from the market. These are devices that when installed in a car allow the driver to flip the license plate to a different one just by pushing a button. A great way to get around the whole red-light-camera thing or to avoid identification when committing a real crime. The new bill would result in a $2,000 fine for anybody caught with this equipment in their car, and Parker promises that law enforcement will find and prosecute the auto shops that install them.
Parker has signed other bills since taking office in January. But these are the first she’s made a public spectacle of.
By the Numbers
$1.26 billion: The new Powerball jackpot after nobody hit last night. Maybe I should buy a ticket and bring back Made in America if I win.
0: Days with rain in the forecast from Friday through Tuesday. Yes, we could still get a bit of the wet stuff today. All I know is that Tuesday is supposed to be 71 degrees. Might be time to use up one of your sick days.
4: Days left until the partial solar eclipse is visible in Philadelphia. And based on the aforementioned weather report, Monday should be a decent enough day to see it. Click here for our complete guide to solar-eclipse-viewing parties and other solar-eclipse mania.
And From the Chilly-Bats Sports Desk …
The Phils got their game going last night around 8 p.m — that would be the game originally scheduled for 1:05, moved back to 4:05 because of the wretched weather, and then in rain delay for another four hours. Bryce Harper didn’t hit a homer in his first at-bat, but he did get an infield hit. Zack Wheeler was a stud in his start, striking out four in the first two innings, and the wild winds made every pop fly an adventure.
The Reds plated two unearned runs in the third after a walk, a Bryson Stott error and a double by Christian Encarnacion-Strand. That was a shame, because Wheels had nine strikeouts through the fifth. Unfortunately, the Reds’ Frankie Montas was looking good, too. Man, the crowd was sparse. Back-to-back two-out doubles by Jake Fraley and Elly De La Cruz in the sixth gave the Reds one more, but we got one back with this:
Kyle Schwarber only hits balls 500 miles-per-hour pic.twitter.com/a6ViUSQxpV
— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) April 4, 2024
J.T. Realmuto singled, and back-to-back walks to Stott and Nick Castellanos loaded the bases and put an end to Montas, as the Reds brought Justin Wilson on; he got Brandon Marsh for the final out. Yunior Marte came in for Wheeler, and the rain started up again.
Gregory Soto took the mound in the eighth and notched two K’s, but Jeimer Candelario doubled before one last strikeout. Uh, when did the balaclava become an official part of the baseball uniform?
the world ender.#ringthebell pic.twitter.com/SbxGpZ5U32
— dhwani (@dhwanisaraiya_) April 4, 2024
Nick Nelson came on to pitch the ninth and gave up a one-out triple to Spencer Steer, then a Nick Martini single for another run before a strikeout and a nailer to second by J.T. shut the Reds down. But the Phils couldn’t put anything more up, and that was it: 4-1. Cold. Need cheering up? Here’s a cute Stephanie Farr column about the square pies that Square Pie delivered to the Atlanta Braves before the Phils game on Sunday. Oh, there was also this!
John Kruk just decided on air that when him and Tom McCarthy have a child together(hello?????) they’re going to name it after tonight’s 1st base umpire, Malachi Moore
I fuckin love them#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/cCEXE318qp
— Jimmy King (@Jimmyking35) April 4, 2024
Did the Sixers Play?
Nope. But did you enjoy Joel Embiid’s triumphant return to the court on Tuesday? Good, savor it — because he’s questionable for tonight’s vital away game against the Heat, along with Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris. Gee, I hope it wasn’t the shoes Joel wore for the Thunder game, because he just signed a contract to rep them.
All Philly Today Sports Desk coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.
Victor Fiorillo
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