N.J. might buy houses in high-risk flood zones; How narcotics officers became the center of an 8-hour standoff | Morning Newsletter

How did narcotics officers find themselves in extreme danger Wednesday afternoon in what became eight hours of chaos in North Philly? At least 20 Inquirer reporters worked to piece together what happened, minute-by-minute.

Also, South Jersey residents whose homes have been ravaged by floods might have a way to get out. And the 2020 campaign staffers with Philly roots that are criss-crossing the U.S. miss their cheesesteaks, Eagles and, of course, Gritty.

-- Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, [email protected])

Tired of flood damage, South Jersey residents want the state to buy their homes

Financially and emotionally exhausted by repeated flooding, South Jersey residents have been searching for options. And they might have found one.

It’s called the Blue Acres Buyout Program. The initiative by New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection offers to buy clusters of storm-damaged homes from residents in high-risk flooding zones. The state will buy them at “pre-storm values.”

What happens to the home once its purchased? It gets demolished.

A minute-by-minute account of how Philadelphia police officers made it out alive after 8 hours of chaos

Narcotics officers ran headfirst into a possible disaster. They just didn’t know it until it was almost too late. The Inquirer pieced together what happened the day six Philadelphia police officers were shot during a standoff that lasted hours, based on interviews with a number of local law enforcement sources and Philadelphia officials, court records, audio feeds, videos, and more.

More on the shooting:

The Inquirer obtained exclusive video footage with a clear view of Philadelphia police and the alleged gunman trading fire.Maurice Hill, the man who was the alleged shooter during the standoff, was on the phone with Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner during the standoff. They spoke about potential prison terms, with Krasner agreeing to a deal that he told The Inquirer was “phoney baloney.”Attempted murder charges were filed against Maurice Hill on Saturday.Following the shooting that occurred in their neighborhood, a North Philly congregation gathered Sunday in prayerful thanks.Meet the Philadelphians behind the 2020 presidential campaigns

Inquirer reporter Julia Terruso collected the names of people from the Philadelphia region who are playing major behind-the-scenes roles on 2020 presidential campaigns.

She spoke with staffers working to elect Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, and more.

What do they miss most about Philly while on the road? Their answers include Gritty, the Linc, La Colombe, and cheesesteaks.

What you need to know today

Gov. Tom Wolf signed an executive order at the end of last week with the intent to reduce gun violence in Pennsylvania. The executive order will do three main things: it requires state agencies to collect more data about gun violence, instructs state police to boost their monitoring of hate groups and white supremacists, and helps local police departments respond to mass shooting threats.Hahnemann University Hospital’s emergency department officially closed Friday.The 22-year-old accused of fatally stabbing a real estate developer near Rittenhouse Square last summer will testify that he was the subject of a racial epithet during a scuffle, according to his lawyers.Cheyney University ended the fiscal year with a balanced budget, and a surplus. It’s the first time in eight years that the nation’s oldest historically black college has done so. It could help the school retain its accreditation.A young child who was left in a car at a PATCO station was found dead. Authorities are seeking the public’s help in their investigation into what happened.Health costs are getting higher for Americans with employer-based health insurance, according to a new report.A Philadelphia pilot and one other person were killed Sunday morning when their small plane crashed shortly after taking off from New Castle County Airport in Delaware.Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

That’s the attitude we need on this Monday morning. Thanks for the picture, @tayylor.jpg!

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!

That’s Interesting

A Russian entrepreneur got her M.B.A. from Wharton and lived on the Main Line. So how did she end up on trial in Kuwait?Meek Mill hosted a block party to reveal a refurbished basketball court in his old North Philly neighborhood.Funeral homes in New Jersey will now be able to serve refreshments to mourners as Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law that overturned a decades-old ban on the practice.The Eagles have kept Carson Wentz on the sidelines, at least through the first two weeks of the preseason. But both of his top backups have gotten hurt, and now the Birds had to persuade a 40-year-old QB to come out of retirement. So why is Josh McCown coming back?Villanova is debuting a $225 million residential complex this month. And it’s not the only new thing on local college campuses this year.Penn State is going to install the state’s largest solar array on 500 acres of farmland.Opinions

“It’s never been fair that generations of mostly black and brown people have been viewed as dispensable, buried under the dismissive label of 'everyday’ gun violence -- one I’m guilty of using in my own columns. It signals that the loss of some lives in this country is viewed as routine, expected. Normal.” -- Columnist Helen Ubiñas writes about another shooting that occurred in Philadelphia last week, one that happened about ten miles from the standoff in North Philadelphia on the same day.

In his Brain Trust column, The Inquirer’s Abraham Gutman explores the lessons from the Great Migration.The Inquirer Editorial Board writes about how Pennsylvania leaders need to figure out how to jumpstart innovation in the state’s economy.What we’re reading

Lyft is offering discounted rides to grocery stores for residents in North Philadelphia living near Philadelphia Housing Authority sites, Technical.ly Philly reports.The Washington Post reports from Maine, where an “elder boom” and worker shortage may give a glimpse of the country’s future.Vox explores how “aggressively cute toys for adults” became a nearly $700 million business.

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