🌱 Fire From Hundreds Of Gas Cans + SEPTA Pays Out In Racism Lawsuit

Hello all. It's me, Dan Casarella, your host of the Philadelphia Daily. Let's get this day started off right, with a quick review of the most important things going on in town.

First, today's weather:

Hot with plenty of sunshine. High: 92 Low: 75.

👀 Attention local businesses & marketers: Attract more customers in Philadelphia by sponsoring this daily newsletter, which gets read by the same people you're trying to reach. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top three stories today in Philadelphia:

1. A fire broke out in a vacant home that contained over 150 cans of gasoline in West Philly. Less than 12 hours after the cans were found in the home on the 100 block of 59th Street near Arch Street, the home was completely destroyed. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. A firefighter who was injured while fighting the flames is in stable condition at the hospital. (WPVI-TV)
2. A racism lawsuit against SEPTA has ended in a $478K payout to three transit officers. Jon Randolph, Nathan D'Ettorre, and Anthony Lederer claimed their supervisor, Bryan McCauley, fostered a hostile work environment on the basis of race and religion. Their initial complaint claimed McCauley hung a printed Instagram post with racial slurs toward Black people on his desk and said it was the squad's mission statement. It also claimed he said he would shoot the three plaintiffs and claim they were killed by a hypothetical gunman. (Philadelphia Patch)
3. FEMA is giving Philadelphia $25 million to help protect against increased flooding. The money will be used to build new sewer systems in Philly, Northern Liberties, and Kensington. The goal is to prevent roads from being overwhelmed by storms. (CBS Philly)

Today in Philadelphia:

• Summer Meals Program (Breakfast) At Yeadon Public Library (10:00 AM)
• Hybrid Bingo Wednesdays At Yeadon Public Library (11:00 AM)
• Story + Craft At Black Soul Vintage (3:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• After the open houses of the weekend, there are still properties available in the Philly area. You can find four residential properties in Philadelphia, as well as a commercial building across the river in Camden. (Philadelphia Patch)
• The Rittenhouse Fine Arts Show is returning for its 95th year in September. Running from Sept. 16-18, the show will feature 145 artists from North America. (South Philly Review)
• Due to its popularity, the Chinese Lantern Festival will continue in Franklin Square for an extra week. You can enjoy the lights as well as the food and drink the festival features until Aug. 14. Tickets are available here. (NBC 10 Philadelphia)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• HOWE we do it moving — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• The Little Mermaid Par-Tea (August 20)
• Add your event

Gigs & services:

• Book Your Dive Now!! (Details)
• Add your gig or service

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Wednesday! See you all tomorrow for another update.

— Dan Casarella

About me: Dan Casarella is a writer, podcast producer, and small business development specialist who formerly worked in late-night television. He’s produced many talk segments, including with President Joe Biden, Kobe Bryant, and Chadwick Boseman. Dan studied Media Studies and Production at Temple University. He also enjoys running, painting, and the highs and lows of Philadelphia’s sports teams.