Philly News Briefs: 6/30/16

1.) Bernie Sanders is encouraging Democrats to donate so that his pledged delegates can afford the trip for Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention. He sent out a batch of e-mails encouraging supporters to help delegates, many of whom are not wealthy, pay for the trip to the convention which, with airfare, hotel costs, and other expenses, can add up to almost $4,000 per delegate. “Here’s the thing: Our delegates are not wealthy campaign contributors,” wrote campaign manager Jeff Weaver in the email. “They’re not party insiders or establishment elites. They’re working folks, and it’s not easy for many of them to fly to Philly and stay in hotels for a week. … It’s easy for the political establishment to navigate this and know whom to call to find the right way in. That, or they’re wealthy enough to pay for themselves.”

A group of Amish tourists were assisted by SEPTA recently.

2.) SEPTA was there to help out a group of Amish visitors to Philly who were in town to visit the zoo. The group of 62 residents came from Peach Bottom, in Lancaster County. They milked their cows in the morning, said reports, and were back home 12 hours later to milk them again. The Amish “took an Amtrak train to 30th Street Station where they were met by a SEPTA representative who helped them board a Phlash bus, which took them to the Philadelphia Zoo,” said ABC-6 Action News.

3.) Philadelphia is considered a progressive city in many ways, but it recently became even more so for Muslim public school students who will no longer have to miss classes on significant holy days. Almost 200,000 students will be affected by the addition of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to the school calendar. Only New York City has also taken the steps to recognize these holidays. The Muslim community in Philadelphia is responding joyfully to the news, especially in light of widespread Islamophobia in the wake of the mass shooting in Orlando and the proliferation of Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy.