Region’s public transit needs improvement, Zoning Code gets more support

Good morning, Feeders! It’s graduation day for Temple students and Chris Matthews is receiving an honorary degree. We’ll bring you more from his speech.

Reforms from the Zoning Code Commission are making their way to City Council, now with the support of Councilman-at-Large Bill Green. Tom MacDonald is reaching out to ZCC Executive Director Eva Gladstein about what the reforms mean for Philadelphia zoning, and to 10th District Councilman Brian O’Neill, who’s been hesitant to support the changes.

A new study from the Brookings Institution suggests the Philadelphia area could use some transit improvement. Lizz Fiedler will look at the report that says our region ranks 49th in a list of 100 metro areas in using transit to get people to work.

The Delaware River Basin Commission has denied a request by Texas company XTO to withdraw more frack water from the river. Susan Philips is out to see if marks a trend with the DRBC.

The storms in the South have pushed Japan’s natural disaster recovery from the headlines, but the Prince Music Theater is still being proactive. Peter Crimmins will take a look at an initiative there to raise awareness for Japan.

It always comes back to childhood. Carolyn Beeler is looking further at a lecture for psychologists about the possible benefits of using fairy tales to create relateable examples for patients during sessions.

On our Northwest pages, check out a story about tours at Laurel Hill Cemetery that include some lessons about how its residents are preserved. Coming up on our Chestnut Hill/Mt. Airy page is a story about the effort to bring back the 23 trolley.

We’ve got plenty more today on NewsWorks, including shrimp with the mayor.