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🎃 Hi, Tuesday! Welcome to October.

• Today's weather: Foggy to start the day, then cloudy. High near 69.

🤔 Have you considered becoming an Axios Philadelphia member? Join today to support our work.

Today's newsletter is 921 words, a 3.5-minute read.

Philadelphia is seeing its poverty rate dip to its lowest level in a decade, but it remains the poorest big city in the U.S.

Why it matters: Poverty is a lifelong condition for some Philadelphians, leading to negative health, employment, and educational outcomes.

The big picture: Addressing poverty could play a big role in the November election as negative perceptions about inflation fuel a sour mood about the economy.

By the numbers: Poverty levels in Philly continued to trend downward by hitting 20.3% in 2023, per newly released Census Bureau data.

• That's down more than a percentage point from the previous year and from a rate of 26% in 2014, per Census data.

Context: Philly's poverty rate outpaces other big U.S. cities.

• Houston, Texas, has the second highest poverty rate among the largest cities at 19.5%, followed by New York City (18.2%) and San Antonio (17.5%).

Zoom in: Philly's Hispanic or Latino residents have the highest poverty rate in the city at 26%, despite seeing a year-over-year decrease.

• That's followed by Black Philadelphians, with a rate of 24.5%. The poverty rate for white residents was 12.5%.

Zoom out: The four-state Philly metro increased slightly in 2023 to 11.5%, per Census data.

• Statewide, poverty reached 12% last year, up from 11.8% in 2022.

Meanwhile, people in Philadelphia proper are earning more money.

• The city's median household income topped $60,302, a first since the late 1970s, per the Inquirer.
• Yes, but: That's still below the average national median household income of more than $80,610, per 2023 data.

Election Day is a little over a month away, and early voting is getting underway in Pennsylvania.

Why it matters: Pennsylvania votes are among the most highly prized in the upcoming presidential election and could determine whether Democrats or Republicans take the White House.

📍With mail-in ballots now available in Philadelphia and Montgomery counties, the following is a list of key dates to keep on your calendar as the election approaches.

🗓️ Key dates

Oct. 21: The last day to register to vote.

• Check if you're registered to vote and that your information is up to date on the Department of State website.

Oct. 29: Final day for your county election office to receive your application for a mail-in ballot.

Nov. 4: The final day for military and overseas ballots to be sent and postmarked.

Nov. 5: Election Day. Mail-in ballots and civilian absentee ballots must be received by county election offices by 8pm.

Nov. 12: The final day for county election officials to receive completed military and overseas absentee ballots.

👀 What to know: State senators in odd districts are up for election.

• All state representatives are on the ballot.

Save this voter guide

Hundreds of Axios readers say the Sixers' arena deal that includes $50 million worth of investments isn't right for Philadelphia, per our informal poll.

🧮 By the numbers: 74% of more than 375 votes cast in our poll say the deal for a new $1.5 billion Center City arena falls short.

• Meanwhile, 26% voted in favor of the agreement hashed out with Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration.

Context: Parker unveiled the deal last month, which would funnel millions of dollars into city programs for years.

• If legislators ultimately approved the deal, the Sixers would remain in Philly for the next 30 years.

🗣️ What they're saying: Here are our favorite comments from voters who took our poll.

• Answers were lightly edited for clarity.

👍 Pro-arena: "This is an excellent deal for a really cool, innovative project that is set to replace a dead, dormant, waste of space."

👎 Anti-arena: "The potential congestion, chaos and damage to Chinatown are enough to make me give it a thumbs down."

More responses

Responsible Care companies have a track record of increasing safety in our facilities and in the supply chain.

Key numbers: Responsible Care companies have a worker safety rating 4x better than the U.S. manufacturing sector and 3x better than the business of chemistry overall.

Learn more.

🏀 Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo died of brain cancer at the age of 58 on Monday. The 7-foot-2 former center played two seasons for the Sixers, including the 2000-1 team that went to the Finals. (ESPN)

• Pete Rose, who helped the Phillies win a World Series in 1980, also died yesterday. He's baseball's all-time hits leader but was banished from baseball for gambling on the sport. (ESPN)

🍿 The first vice presidential debate between Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) is tonight at 9pm on CBS and carried by other networks and platforms. (Axios)

🗣️ Quote du jour:

Former President Jimmy Carter celebrates his 100th birthday today.

• We're reflecting on Carter's legacy here as he becomes the only former president to reach the centenarian club.

✈️ Flashback: During a presidential visit to Philly in 1980, Carter hosted a town hall meeting at Temple University and gave a speech on foreign policy to the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, according to archives.

• He also stopped by Philly that same year while campaigning for re-election.

📚 More recently in 2015, he visited the Free Library, where he posed for photos with then-Mayor Michael Nutter and signed copies of his memoir, "A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety."

What's ahead: Celebrations are planned in his hometown of Plains, Ga., but his son says Carter only cares about living long enough to cast his absentee ballot.

Responsible Care companies believe in the power of community.

The proof: Nearly 30 facilities participate in over 20 Community Advisory Panels in the tri-state area, working hand-in-hand with local partners to help build safe and sustainable communities.

Learn more.

🥝 Mike's favorite new fruit is hardy kiwis.

🌴 Isaac is OOO.

Today's newsletter was edited by Alexa Mencia.

🎃 It's October!

⛈️ Today's weather: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 71.

🎧 Sounds like: "we fell in love in october" by girl in red.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Richmond members Ryan Mauldin and Kathryn Fields!

🎙️ Situational awareness: The first vice presidential debate between Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is tonight. Here's how to watch.

Today's newsletter is 882 words — a 3.5-minute read.

The share of metro Richmond residents living in poverty last year was the lowest it's been in over a decade, recent census data shows.

Why it matters: The poverty rate has been declining locally and statewide over the years as wages have increased, particularly for low-income workers.

By the numbers: The poverty rate in the Richmond metro area dropped to 9.9% in 2023, compared to 10.7% in 2022, according to new data released by the American Community Survey (ACS).

• The poverty rate was 11.9% a decade earlier.

Yes, but: Richmond city's poverty rate was 17.1% last year, significantly higher than that of the whole metro region, but down from 21.7% in 2022.

The big picture: The poverty rates in 22 of the 25 most populous metropolitan areas did not change significantly from 2022 to 2023, per the ACS.

• The Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis metros had among the lowest poverty rates at about 8%. Houston, Detroit and San Antonio were among the highest at about 14%.

Zoom out: Most states did not see a significant change in poverty rates last year, including Virginia which stands at 10.2% — but it was down from 11.7% in 2012.

• New Hampshire had the lowest poverty rate at 7.2%, while Louisiana had the highest at 18.9%.
• Nationally in 2023, the poverty rate was 11.1%.

How it works: The ACS uses an income threshold to determine whether a household is below poverty level.

• The threshold is adjusted for inflation and changes depending on household size and number of children.
• The Census Bureau considered someone below the poverty line in December 2023 if they made less than about $15,800 as an individual, or under about $31,000 as a family with two adults and two children.

Spread the word

At least two people are dead and more than 100 homes and businesses destroyed in Southwest Virginia after the remnants of Hurricane Helene slammed the southeast last week.

The big picture: While states south of Virginia took the brunt of the Helene's force, the portions of the Commonwealth along the North Carolina and Tennessee borders also saw widespread devastation.

Zoom in: One person in Tazewell County was killed by a large tree while cleaning debris and a woman in Craig County died after being struck by a barn, Cardinal News reported.

• Around 200,000 people were without power Saturday morning at the height of outages. Some won't see it restored until late tonight.
• Wind speeds reached 40 mph for six-to-eight-hour stretches, in some places gusting at 60 mph, downing thousands of trees.
• Across the region, first responders conducted more than than 70 rescues, including water rescues of 16 people, two dogs and a seven cats, per Gov. Youngkin's office.
• Virginia State Police also helped with helicopter rescues of around 50 people stranded on the roof of a hospital in Eastern Tennessee.

What they're saying: "There's a lot of work ahead, but together, I know Southwest Virginia will rebuild stronger than ever," Youngkin said in a statement.

How to help: The United Way of Southwest Virginia started a fund to assist affected counties.

Full story

🤯 A Chesterfield woman's husband gave his retirement savings to a dancer at a strip club instead of his wife, who found out after he died. (VPM)

• It's legal because Virginia law allows people to disinherit their spouses without their spouses knowing.

⚠️ The James River could rise to 14 feet today near the Huguenot Bridge because of Helene, potentially leading Riverside Drive and Huguenot Flatwater Park to flood. (Times-Dispatch)

🏗️ A developer filed plans to build a three-story mixed-use building on Robinson Street in the Fan, replacing the Starbucks parking lot — which was terrible to begin with. (BizSense)

Whether you're a resident or considering living in Richmond, now's your chance to get a comprehensive overview of downtown's economic development.

What to expect: Explore mixed-use ventures, hundreds of residential projects across local neighborhoods and more.

Start the tour.

A food truck-sized wagon filled with banned books is rolling into Richmond this weekend.

Why it matters: Organizers will be handing out free copies of banned titles, including "The Outsiders," "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Color Purple."

The big picture: Richmond is one of nine southern or Midwestern cities publisher Penguin Random House selected for its Banned Wagon Tour.

• The publisher picked communities being targeted by book banning or censorship, per a news release.
• We're pretty sure they meant Hanover County over Richmond, but the event is open to everyone in the broader community.
• The Virginia Library Association will be there, too, talking about librarians, books and what they're watching legislatively on book bans.

Details: The wagon will post up in front of Shockoe Slip's Fountain Bookstore on Saturday, noon-4pm.

• Free banned books are while supplies last and limited to one book per person.

Share this story

A Virginia Republican's campaign is posting footage of him with what looks to be his wife and three kids.

Why it matters: He doesn't have a wife or kids.

Driving the news: Derrick Anderson, the GOP candidate in a tight race to take over Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger's seat, went viral this weekend after The New York Times wrote about him posing with the family of a "longtime friend."

• A spokesperson for Anderson said the video simply showed him "with female supporters and their kids," per the NYT.
• California Rep. Ted Lieu, a Democrat, called it "trying to mislead voters."
• And now, under Anderson's posts, people are dubbing him "rent-a-family guy."

Keep reading for the campaign's statement to Axios

Venture Richmond has a free drone-based virtual tour of downtown Richmond on its website.

What's in it for you: The platform serves as a virtual gateway, allowing users to explore downtown through a comprehensive overview of each neighborhood, residential projects and commercial ventures.

🤯 Karri wants to meet the pole dancer who got most of that retirement money because she is obsessed with this story and wants to hear every detail.

💪🏼 Sabrina has always wanted to take a pole dancing class in Richmond because it seems like a great way to get ripped.

Thanks to Fadel Allassan for editing today's edition.