🚉 Kids solo on SEPTA | Morning Newsletter

Welcome to the weekend, Philly. That pesky early nor’easter is here, bringing with it rain, gusting winds, and cooler temps.

In today’s advice column, we help a reader weigh whether to honor their fifth grader’s plea to take the train to school by himself.

Plus, we cover New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell’s resignation, a last-ditch offer to keep the Academy of Natural Sciences open, and we’ve got our report card for this week in Philly news.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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What you should know today

• New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell resigned on Friday, after investigators found “credible evidence” of sexual harassment and other wrongdoing.
• The Academy of Natural Sciences museum could remain open for at least another year thanks to a last-minute cash infusion from the William Penn Foundation. But it’s unclear if all the museum’s stakeholders support that offer.
• Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration will rescind a series of proposed vaccine regulations that reignited public outrage toward restrictive pandemic-era policies in Pennsylvania.
• Three local Starbucks locations are closing this week amid a larger company shuttering of roughly 250 stores.
• The University of Pennsylvania is planning one of the largest construction projects in Philadelphia, a $520 million laboratory and classroom building called Penn Discovery Commons.
• Barring a deep run through October, several long-standing Phillies players — including first baseman Alec Bohm — face an uncertain future with the team.
• Philadelphia’s original street food may have been an oft-changing soup called pepper pot. Modern Black chefs want to put it back on local menus.
• From a collapsing Ferris wheel to a golden years cheesesteak crawl, catch up on the good, bad, and weird out of Philly with our weekly news report card.

Old enough, or not so fast?

This week, a reader asked: My fifth grader wants to take Regional Rail back from his downtown magnet school by himself. He’s done a few weeks with an adult so he knows the route, and I can track him on my phone. But he doesn’t have any buddies to walk back with. Is this crazy, or will it help foster independence?

I’m sure many parents in and near the city can relate to this dilemma. To hash out the pros and cons for our dear reader, Inquirer Life & Culture reporter Amy Rosenberg huddled with features columnist Elizabeth Wellington.

Both described having a good measure of independence when they were around the same age, walking to and from school alone. But, they noted, expectations and norms have changed since their latchkey kid days.

Plus, not every fifth grader is the same. Some may show lots of maturity, while others need a few more years to be ready for solo travel.

Read their full conversation here. Need advice, or want to share your thoughts? We want to hear it. Email us here.

One viewpoint

Is SEPTA finally “getting there”?

In this week’s Shackamaxon column, Inquirer opinion writer Daniel Pearson argues that the transit authority has earned some plaudits.

Crime and fare evasion are down, thanks to dozens of additional transit police officers and a new initiative to install taller fare gates. Ridership is up, especially on bus routes that are part of the New Bus Network. Stations are cleaner. All of this has helped push customer satisfaction to record highs.

All of this makes Pearson optimistic about SEPTA’s future and its ability to deliver on plans to keep improving, despite its perennial need to nag Harrisburg for more funding. Read on for Pearson’s full take, along with his musings as to whether bipartisanship is dead in the commonwealth.

❓Pop quiz

Delta Airlines announced it is ending daily flights from Philly to what city, mere months after starting them?

A) Miami

B) Seattle

C) Austin

D) Nashville

Think you know? Check your answer.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: A new micro museum in Fishtown.

EUPHONIUM HEADLAMP LEFTISH

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

Cheers to Diane Zaborowski, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Five Below. Crocs is suing this Philadelphia-based retailer, alleging it knowingly knocked off the footwear company’s ubiquitous foam clogs.

We were there

Inquirer reporter Michelle Baruchman and photographer Aidan T. Gallo were there when Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, potential rivals for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, met at a Bella Vista diner to rally Democratic volunteers for the midterm.

Somewhere on the internet in Philly

🏀 LeBron James opened up about his decision to join the 76ers on his podcast Mind the Game. Tyrese Maxey made a call.

🗞️ Shoutout to the “weirdly jazzed” reader who just subscribed to get The Inquirer in print on Sundays. Your support is greatly appreciated!

🪿 I knew about the SEPTA socks, but I did not know about the Wawa hair clip — until now.

👋 Thanks for spending some of your Saturday with me. Paola Pérez will be back tomorrow.

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