Philly News Briefs: 10/16/17

1.) Moody’s Analytics has named Philadelphia in the top five candidates for Amazon’s big second headquarters project, which is drawing bids from cities all over the United States. Austin, Texas ranked first on the list, but Philly nabbed a respectable third-place spot. When ordering the cities, Moody’s said that it used criteria like ” business environment, human capital, cost, quality of life and transportation” to create a ranking. It was noted, however, that when geography was taken into account, Philadelphia was bumped up to first place due to its advantageous position on the northeast coast, its proximity to Washington, D.C., and its many Amazon fulfillment centers already in place. Pittsburgh, which also submitted a bid, comes in just behind Philly in both the overall and geographic rankings.

Moody’s Analytics has placed Philly high in the rankings of cities that would be a good fit for Amazon’s HQ2 project.

2.) Former presidential candidate and U.S. Senator John McCain is being honored tonight with the Liberty Medal at a ceremony set to take place at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center. Presenting McCain with the award will be former Vice President Joe Biden, a fellow Senator. McCain, who has served six terms representing his home state of Arizona, is being lauded for his “lifetime of sacrifice and service” to the country. Last year’s recipient of the Liberty Medal was the Dalai Lama (who was scheduled to come receive the award in person but couldn’t make it); former honorees include  Malala Yousafzai, Hillary Clinton, Muhammad Ali, Steven Spielberg, Mikhail Gorbachev, Tony Blair, and Bono.

3.) The kids today always get excited over the prospect of new kicks, and Philly sneakerheads will undoubtedly jump with joy over the release of a shoe inspired by Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Yes, P’s and Q’s, a local clothing store with a location on South Street, released a creamy-white sneaker in honor of their fifth anniversary in business. The shoes are selling for $140 a pair, and only 50 pairs have been made, so you’d better act fast. Fun fact: Philadelphia Cream Cheese is actually produced in upstate New York, but was named after the City of Brotherly Love because, at the time the product was created, Philly was one of the best dairy-producing spots in the country.