📈 Property tax spikes, mapped | Morning Newsletter

Welcome to a new week, Philly. The weather looks clear with highs in the low 80s.

Today we’re starting at home. Thousands of Philly homeowners face property tax hikes of 50% or more — and those who could be most impacted live in some of the city’s higher-poverty areas.

And, we’ll dig into which local entities have contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Plus, Amazon drones could soon take off from South Jersey, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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They ‘feel taken advantage of’

When the City of Philadelphia reassessed property values this year, most homeowners saw a modest increase. The median uptick was 3%.

But others were hit much harder. Nearly 6,000 homeowners in Philadelphia saw their property assessments climb by more than 50%, an Inquirer analysis found.

That spike translates to much higher property taxes in some areas with high poverty, such as Strawberry Mansion and Hartranft.

“[Residents] feel taken advantage of, and they feel like it’s coming out of nowhere,” said Jalon Alexander, a Strawberry Mansion native hoping to unseat his local city councilmember.

The Inquirer’s Anna Orso and Yaelle Tang mapped the uneven increases.

How local vendors supply ICE

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s budget has grown dramatically during President Donald Trump’s second term, with some of the windfall flowing to our region.

Since January 2025, ICE has awarded more than $17 million in contracts to vendors in the Philadelphia area, according to local data compiled by The Appeal.

More than half of that spend is for a contract with a firearms manufacturer in Montgomery County.

Another ICE vendor? The Philadelphia Parking Authority.

Inquirer reporters Fallon Roth and Jesse Bunch covered the full list.

What you should know today

• Amazon plans to start delivering packages via autonomous drones out of its West Deptford facility this fall.
• SEPTA’s bus operators are bracing for rider confusion following route changes rolled out during the weekend.
• Falling membership and excessive salaries for certain staff spurred the sudden takeover of District Council 21, one of Philly’s most influential labor councils.
• Local plasma donation businesses are booming, as more people turn to them to make ends meet.
• Jake’s & Cooper’s Wine Bar in Manayunk will close 39 years to the day after it first opened.
• Last weekend’s 17th Naked Bike Ride in Philadelphia happened to coincide with another semi-nude event — the inaugural “Go Topless Day.”

Quote of the day

Ashley Boudreaux has nearly completed two degrees — all while working full-time.

Reporter Ariana Perez-Castells profiled people in our region who are using job-provided tuition benefits to level up their careers.

🧠 Trivia time

Which one of these is a nickname Philadelphians have given LeBron James?

A) LeIbrahim Muhammad

B) LeBoul James

C) LeJawn

D) All of the above.

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re…

🦀 Daydreaming about: Going crabbing in Sea Isle City.

🪴 Rediscovering: a quaint, hidden alleyway in Jenkintown.

🎵 Listening to: Philly Music Fest’s newly-announced headliner.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: The secret to this Phillies hitter’s success could be the portable batting setup he uses on the road.

LAZIER URSA

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Charlene M. Wiltshire who correctly guessed Sunday’s anagram: Jon Turteltaub. On Friday, the director of the National Treasure films announced to a live audience in Philly that there will be a third installment in the franchise. Turteltaub said the U.S. charged political climate was a contributing factor to the two-decade-long pause between movies.

Photo of the day

📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story

This week’s “only in Philly” story comes from reader Marian Ronan, who describes a surprising way she connected with another Philadelphian in New York City:

A while back, a priest visiting my Jesuit parish church in Manhattan said in his sermon that he was from Philly, but that he now says “water” instead of “wooder.”

On the way out, I told him that I was from Philly and that I only say “wooder” when I have had too much to drink. To which he replied, “Me, too.”

Have an ‘only in Philly’ story to share? We’re looking for personal anecdotes about what makes you feel connected to the city. Think: an experience that could only happen in Philly; something that made you fall in love with the city; or something that makes you proud to call it home. Email us a few sentences for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

👋 Thank you for starting your week with The Inquirer! See you tomorrow.

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