Author: Laura Benshoff

Happy Friday, Philly. There’s a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon, with highs in the mid-80s.

Today, we’re starting with major news in a case that’s put District Attorney Larry Krasner’s leadership under a microscope. On Thursday, a judge suggested that his office may have broken the law as it sought to overturn an old murder conviction.

And we explain why new Canadian tariffs could hit Pennsylvania businesses especially hard.

Plus, local Freedom Fuel stations face thousands in fines, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

‘Potential wrongdoing abounds’

A federal judge suggested Thursday that actions taken by District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office could amount to crimes.

Those comments came during an explosive hearing over the office’s handling of a 2009 murder conviction.

In 2022, attorneys in the DA’s office filed court documents saying they supported overturning the old murder charges.

The attorney who submitted that recommendation on behalf of the DA’s office later testified that she did so only at the request of her supervisor, and that she had been encouraged to lie about aspects of the case.

A different prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Katherine Ernst, testified Thursday that after she petitioned the court to withdraw the earlier recommendation, she was pressured and threatened by Krasner.

“If what they say is true,” U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond said during Ernst’s testimony, “potential wrongdoing abounds.”

Reporter Chris Palmer has the full report.

Tariffs incoming

Pennsylvania’s largest export market is Canada.

That means new tariffs by our northern neighbor will hit some companies in the commonwealth particularly hard.

Exports like raw aluminum, lumber, and passenger vehicles will all face tariff rates of 25% to 50% as the trade war between the two countries escalates.

A few other key figures in this story:

💵 $13.4 billion. The value of Pennsylvania goods exported to Canada last year.

🛍️ 16%. The proportion of that total trade volume that will be subject to higher Canadian tariffs, according to an Inquirer analysis.

📆 Sept. 8. The day the new tariffs take effect.

The Inquirer’s Andrew Seidman and Lizzie Mulvey tallied the full impact.

What you should know today

• Freedom Fuel stations in our region have racked up thousands of dollars in fines for environmental violations.
• Pennsylvania’s youngest voters disapprove of President Donald Trump at a higher rate than any other age group, fueled by their pessimism over the economy, a new Inquirer/New York Times/Siena poll has found.
• Seven families have sued the Lower Merion School District over its new technology policy, which no longer allows parents to opt their children out of using district-issued devices in the classroom.
• The Philadelphia School District is making a full-court press to get its vaccination rates up, with plans to offer vaccine clinics at some schools, amid a statewide measles outbreak.
• Police recovered a gun — and interviewed the man accused of firing it — in their investigation into the shooting of an off-duty police officer in Southwest Philadelphia on Aug. 16.
• Developers of a data center in East Whiteland Township in Chester County have been hit with a second stop-work order in as many months, this time for failing to document that they have “sufficient water” for the project.
• New international flights to Portugal, Austria, and Iceland will be taking off from PHL next year.

Plus: Why do the lanes on the Manayunk Bridge switch in the middle?

Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday, our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks and then we report the answers.

This week, we answer a question from Penn Valley resident J.J. Cutuli about a “curious little” traffic pattern on the Manayunk Bridge.

Halfway across the bridge, which connects Philadelphia to Lower Merion, the bicyclist side becomes the pedestrian side, and vice versa.

On Reddit, one poster called this design decision “Looney Tunes.”

Suburban reporter Denali Sagner talked to local officials about the reasoning behind the switcheroo.

Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.

🧠 Trivia time

Earlier this month, National Treasure director Jon Turteltaub stopped by a Philly screening and celebration of the film. While there, Turteltaub revealed that a scene inside this venue was cut from the film’s final version:

A) Pen & Pencil Club

B) Reading Terminal Market

C) Barnes Foundation

D) Strip club

Test your local news know-how and check your answer in our weekly quiz.

What we’re …

🗡️ Dressing up for. Get your lances and chain mail ready — it’s time, once again, for the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire.

🛟 Boarding. For the first time in more than 15 years, cruise ships are departing from our area, heading for destinations in the Caribbean, New England, and Canada.

🥖 Debating. Do sesame seeds belong on a cheesesteak roll? Some of the city’s biggest purveyors are split, The Inquirer’s Mike Klein writes.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: This week, the HBO crime drama Task was reportedly spotted filming for its second season in this Philadelphia neighborhood.

CRY ICE TENT

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

Cheers to Stacey Meadows, who correctly guessed Thursday’s anagram: Imagination Library. Dolly Parton founded this literacy program, which has mailed thousands of free books to children in the Philadelphia area, back in 1995.

Photo of the day

Let’s end the week on a sweet note.

Paola Pérez is your guide to the weekend. 👋 See ya Monday!

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Good morning! Pack your umbrella. Showers are likely, with highs again in the upper 80s.

Today we begin with the sweet story of a musical prodigy, and what it takes to get into a top music conservatory while still in elementary school.

And, how people in our region are using AI to find their next home.

Plus, U.S. AG Todd Blanche and DA Larry Krasner trade barbs, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

Precocious talent

This school year, Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music received 154 applications to the piano department.

One of the world’s top music schools, it accepted only four.

Just one is so young her feet can’t reach the pedals.

Olivia Li, 7, is believed to be the youngest Curtis student since 1950. Prestigious music conservatories have their share of prodigies, but students under 10 are exceedingly rare.

Li’s experience, perhaps unsurprisingly, will be much different from those of her mostly college-age contemporaries. Instead of coursework covering music theory and history, Li will be attending third grade.

The Inquirer’s Peter Dobrin has the story of Li’s path to Curtis and what she hopes to learn there.

House hunting with AI

From her home in Mexico, JoAnne Kim opened up ChatGPT and started looking for an apartment in Pennsylvania.

She told the chatbot her priorities: someplace quiet, walkable, dog-friendly, with good transit access and things to do.

With the help of AI, she landed on Montgomery Plaza in Ardmore. She and her husband moved this month.

AI assistants are changing how renters find listings, replacing long lists of options to filter with a chatbot conversation.

Real estate agents, property managers, and rental sites are having to adapt, updating their websites to make them more prominent in AI search results.

Reporter Michaelle Bond has this story on how AI is changing real estate.

What you should know today

• Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has drawn a rebuke from U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche after Krasner gave a speech earlier this week saying the White House’s proposed ballroom project should be blown up and the pieces sold as paperweights.
• A Philadelphia judge took the unusual step of imposing six months of outside supervision on property auctions by the Sheriff’s Office, following years of processing delays.
• Zymire Hughes, the 22-year-old accused of menacing more than a dozen people near City Hall while wearing a Chucky-style mask, was arrested in Las Vegas. Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner is asking more of Hughes’ alleged harassment victims to come forward so that charges may be brought.
• Pennsylvania and New Jersey will each receive more than $500 million from Meta, as a part of a recent settlement regarding how the tech company’s social media platforms target kids.
• Plans to develop a lot used for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s pop-up beer garden in Manayunk has drawn fierce backlash from neighbors.
• The Landmark Ritz Five movie theater in Old City was ordered shut down by city inspectors for fire code violations.

Quote of the day

With some prominent Democrats distancing themselves from a term they had previously embraced, Inquirer opinion columnist Jenice Armstrong digs into the history of “woke” and explains what it means to her.

🧠 Trivia time

Amtrak will soon expand daily service between New York and what other city, with a stop in Philadelphia?

A) Washington, D.C.

B) Wilmington

C) Baltimore

D) Pittsburgh

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🍽️ Reviewing: With live jazz and a Ferris wheel holding high-end liquor rotating above the bar, Mr. Edison, the new restaurant in the Bellevue Hotel on Broad Street, is high on spectacle. But as restaurant critic Craig LaBan writes, the steakhouse’s food falls short.

🚴 Cycling on: The Schuylkill River Trail now runs all the way to Reading, after a new 0.9-mile section in Montgomery County opened earlier this month.

🎟️ Jamming to: Inquirer pop critic Dan DeLuca breaks down this weekend’s jam-packed concert calendar, from beachfront dance music in Atlantic City to sweaty basement punk shows in Philly.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Dolly Parton’s literacy program.

MARGINALITY NAIROBI

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

Congrats to Fred Kaplan, who correctly guessed Wednesday’s anagram: the Whitney Biennial. Several Philadelphia artists were selected this year for the prestigious exhibit. Their work is on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York through Oct. 12.

Photo of the day

Tomorrow is Friday! See you then 😀

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Good morning, Philly. It’s looking like a sunny one, with temperatures creeping into the upper 80s this afternoon.

Today, we’re sharing some new data about measles vaccination rates in local kindergarten classrooms; it shows pockets of waning protection amid a deadly outbreak.

We’ll also preview what’s at stake in today’s hearing about the sheriff sale process in Philadelphia.

Plus, the DOJ targets another Philly “ICE Out” ordinance, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

Falling vaccinations

Two years ago, every child in the kindergarten class at Eleanor Emlen Elementary in Mount Airy was vaccinated against infection from the measles.

By the next year, that number had plummeted. Just 80% of the new kindergarten class had that protection.

A new Inquirer analysis of state data found that school vaccination rates for measles are declining across our region, as a deadly outbreak centered in Lancaster County inches closer. State officials say overall vaccination rates remain high. However, pockets of unvaccinated kids can create classroom risks.

This decline comes amid an increase in parents opting out of vaccinations for religious or philosophical reasons.

“What we’re seeing is reflective of what I believe are local and national trends,” said Kendra McDow, a pediatrician who serves as the Philadelphia School District’s medical director. “Families are confused, and they want to do right by their children.”

The Inquirer’s Aubrey Whelan, Sarah Gantz, and Lizzie Mulvey have the full report.

Sheriff sale showdown

Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal heads to Common Pleas Court today.

The hearing follows years of complaints about costly delays in the sheriff sale process, where the office auctions properties to recoup unpaid debts, such as mortgages or tax liens.

What buyers say: Buyers complain that their properties languish while they wait for deeds from the Sheriff’s Office. Without that document, foreclosed homes cannot be renovated, rented, or resold.

What the Sheriff’s Office says: Bilal’s office initially claimed the deed process was working as intended. Following a court order to fix the backlog this past May, processing accelerated.

What’s at stake: Judge Paula Patrick will weigh whether Bilal’s office will continue running sheriff sales for the city, or if that function will be given to an outside administrator.

In a last-ditch motion filed late last week, Bilal’s city-retained attorney argued that the sheriff should not have to testify today because the hearing involves “matters outside her unique personal knowledge.” Patrick rejected that request.

Reporters William Bender and Ryan W. Briggs have this story on the last-minute effort to prevent the sheriff taking the stand, and will be following today’s hearing.

What you should know today

• The U.S. Department of Justice is challenging a Philadelphia ordinance that forbids local law enforcement agencies from keeping a person in custody in order to hand them over to ICE.
• Pennsylvania’s attorney general sued the parent company of Snapchat, alleging that it does not properly warn users about the addictiveness of the app.
• State officials confirmed two deaths associated with measles in Lancaster County, marking the first fatalities in the worst measles outbreak in Pennsylvania in more than three decades.
• Lincoln University, a historically Black college in Chester County, has sued Lower Oxford Township over an ordinance regulating large events in the municipality, saying it’s racially discriminatory and unconstitutional.
• Sixers fans are lining up at the official team store to get their hands on newly minted LeBron James and Jaylen Brown jerseys.
• RIP Dolly Parton. Her last local concert was at the Mann Center in 2016. She not only sang — she busted out a saxophone.

Quote of the day

Philadelphia public schools may soon pay parents to help address issues like homework completion and family cooperation with key school initiatives.

Reporter Kristen Graham sat down with Watlington to talk about that pilot program and his other priorities for the new school year.

🧠 Trivia time

The new West Chester bookstore Leaves & Lore sold out of nearly all of its stock on opening weekend. What genre does the story specialize in?

A) Science fiction

B) Gardening

C) Fantasy

D) Used books of all kinds

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🤧 Dreading. Recent rainfall could supercharge this year’s ragweed pollen season, which typically begins in early August, writes Inquirer weather reporter Tony Wood.

🍎 Scoping out. The recent dip in temperatures has us feeling ready for fall. If you’re ready to embrace the season, we have your guide on where to pick your own Honeycrisps, Jonagolds, and Cortland apples, among others.

🏆 Celebrating. We don’t need outsiders to affirm that Philly has a top-notch dining scene. But the recent Bon Appétit Best New Restaurant list shout-out for Honeysuckle and Sao still feels nice.

📊 Making note of. Regular Pennsylvanians can’t vote in papal enclaves, but they have exceedingly high regard for Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV, according to a new Inquirer/NYT/Siena poll.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: This contemporary art exhibition takes place every other year in NYC.

HEN INABILITY WEN

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

Cheers to Lynne Newman, who correctly guessed Monday’s anagram: Philadelphia Cycling Classic. Want to know where to watch the event this coming weekend as racers climb the Wall in Manayunk or sprint to the finish line? We have a guide for you.

Photo of the day

Happy hump day!

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Good morning, and happy Tuesday.

Today, we’ve got fresh polling on key political figures in Pennsylvania, showing Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro with a wide lead in his reelection race and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman with strong support — among GOP voters.

And we explore how a wave of new bagel shops in the region is testing local demand.

Plus, Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal is due in court, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

The governor’s race, by the numbers

With Election Day a little over two months away, incumbent Democrat Josh Shapiro holds a 16-point lead over Republican Stacy Garrity, the state treasurer, according to a new poll by The Inquirer, the New York Times, and Siena University.

It’s not surprising that Shapiro, who has a national profile and has far out-fundraised Garrity, is ahead. But new polling sheds light on how he has maintained that edge.

📊 He appeals to some Republicans. Overall, 35% of registered Republicans approve of the job he’s doing as governor, and 27% of those who voted for President Donald Trump in 2024 do, too.

🤔 Garrity lacks name recognition. A quarter of likely Republican voters still do not know enough about Garrity to form an opinion of her, according to the poll.

🔮 But a 2028 edge is not a given. Any discussion of Shapiro’s prospects are likely to touch on speculation about a potential 2028 presidential run. Democrats overwhelmingly say they would support him in a primary, but the poll didn’t match him against other candidates.

Inquirer reporters Gillian McGoldrick and Michelle Baruchman have the full story behind the numbers.

Bagel shops rising

Since the beginning of 2025, nearly a dozen bagel shops have opened or leased space in Philadelphia and its suburbs.

There are the homegrown shops, like Kismet or Bart’s Bagels, that have sprouted new locations.

Then there are the chains. PopUp Bagels. from Connecticut, and Call Your Mother, from Washington, D.C., each have multiple locales planned in our region.

This boom begs a question: How many bagels can Philadelphians eat?

“More is not always better,” said Jacob Cohen, who started Kismet six years ago with his wife, Alexandra.

Inquirer food writer Michael Klein set out to find the answer.

What you should know today

• Democratic Sen. John Fetterman isn’t on the ballot this year, but new polling shows that while he has gained among Republicans, his favorability has plummeted among Democratic voters.
• And one more piece of polling news: President Donald Trump, who won Pennsylvania in 2024, has seen his approval rating in the state drop to 39%, according to the Inquirer/NYT/Siena Unversity poll we’ve been citing.
• Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal will appear in court Wednesday to answer for delays plaguing the sheriff-sale process.
• Abington Township will vote later this week on whether to replace Flock, a surveillance tech supplier that has drawn fire for data privacy concerns, with a different company.
• The Phillies did not obtain a required state permit before installing an artificial turf field at South Philly’s FDR Park earlier this summer.
• New Jersey removed 5,100 registered voters from state rolls, part of the ongoing fallout from a vehicle registration gaffe that registered noncitizens to vote.
• The Market Street Bridge near 30th Street Station will be closed for vehicle traffic for at least the next year, but pedestrians can still cross.
• Dom DiSandro, the Eagles’ normally shy chief of security, sat down with Pete Davidson for perhaps his only extended on-camera interview ever.

P.S. This story’s link was broken in yesterday’s newsletter, so I’m sharing it again: Local plasma donation businesses are booming, as more people turn to them to make ends meet.

Quote of the day

Jenn has staked out her side in the great “is a hot dog a sandwich” debate. Not everyone agrees, even within The Inquirer newsroom.

(Plus, we compiled the best of the best in our new dining guide, featuring some truly indulgent dogs.)

🧠 Trivia time

How tall is the newly proposed PMC apartment building at 24th and Walnut Streets?

A) 358 feet

B) 372 feet

C) 409 feet

D) 387 feet

Think you know? Check your answer here.

What we’re…

🤸‍♀️Taking note of. Adults in niche sporting communities like acrobatics and arm-wrestling are holding skill shares to try to attract new adherents, and to make learning a new hobby more accessible.

📺 Watching. Inquirer reporter Aubrey Whelan and her dad take us to Citizens Bank Park and break down the analog pleasures of watching a baseball game while keeping score by hand.

⚾️ Considering: Speaking of baseball, is it worth risking heartbreak to believe in the Phillies again? Sports columnist Marcus Hayes thinks so.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: This sporting event will return to Philadelphia next weekend after a 10-year hiatus.

APACHE PICCADILLY SCHILLINGS

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

Congratulations to Abbe Pescatore, who correctly guessed Monday’s anagram: Luis Arraez. Since 2021, the Phillies second baseman has traveled with a portable batting setup, which he uses to practice his swing. That may help explain why Arraez has more hits than any player since 2022.

Photo of the day

Your moment of rooftop zen. With the weather holding its beautiful, highs-in-the-low-to-mid-80s streak for one more day, I’m taking inspiration from these loungers.

👋 That’s all for today! See you Wednesday.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

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)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

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.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Happy Friday! Today we’re finally getting a reprieve from the heat, with highs just scraping the low 80s.

We start with a development in the Olney house saga. Specifically, a newly unearthed photograph of one of four missing women linked to the property.

Next, we unpack what a federal plan to “deregulate” Head Start could look like in Philly.

Plus, how Pennsylvania’s new data center regulations stack up against other states, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff

(morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

Missing in plain sight

Blair Tonzelli was reported missing in February 2023.

Friends last saw her the year before at a house in Olney. That property is now the site of a sweeping police investigation into the disappearances of four women.

The Inquirer has found that months after Tonzelli vanished, her picture remained on a pornographic website maintained by Raymond “R.C.” Horsch, a former occupant of the Olney house, who passed away last year.

Inquirer reporters recovered an archived version of his site, where Horsch posted hundreds of similar images of many still-unidentified women.

Reporters Ryan W. Briggs, Max Marin, and Ellie Rushing have the full story.

An uncertain future

One day early last week, Inquirer reporter Alfred Lubrano observed as 16 toddlers darted around a playground in Southwest Philadelphia, trailed by four teachers.

These were just a few of the estimated 7,500 low-income Philadelphia children who receive free education, health, or other services from Head Start.

Now, the 61-year-old federal program is poised for a major overhaul. The Trump administration plans to cut 1,400 of the program’s mandates.

Those changes would cause the number of students per teacher to rise “dramatically,” one Head Start provider told Lubrano.

Read his full story on the impact here.

What you should know today

• Following his executive order earlier this week, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Pennsylvania now has the “strictest guardrails in the nation” on data center development. We fact-checked that claim.
• In a related story, Pennsylvania’s DEP is currently weighing whether to issue permits for backup power generators for a planned Amazon data center in Bucks County.
• Police identified the man accused of chasing Center City pedestrians in a Chucky-style horror mask.
• The School District of Philadelphia faces a new lawsuit over its plan to relocate Kensington High students.
• Temple University will raise salaries for campus police.
• Scammers posing as WHYY’s Fresh Air host Terry Gross are conning media figures and celebrities.
• For the first time in its 14 years in Philly, organizers canceled last night’s Dîner en Blanc due to inclement weather.

Plus: What is the origin of Philly’s Shot Tower?

Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. This is our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks and then we report the answers.

This week, we’re resurfacing an explainer from 2023 about a towering brick structure in Queen Village. Several readers wondered what its original purpose was, and how it came to be nestled among a playground and rec center.

It turns out, this building was once among the tallest structures in Philadelphia, and its height was key to its initial function. Read on for the full story.

Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.

🧠 Trivia time

What’s SEPTA’s name for its new bus route changes and updates?

A) SEPTA 2.0

B) On the Move

C) New Bus Network

D) Bus Revolution

Think you know? Test your local news know-how and check your answer in our weekly quiz.

What we’re …

🎬 Watching: Tony, the Anthony Bourdain biopic, starring South Jersey’s Dominic Sessa.

🤤 Salivating over: Jacket potatoes, matcha lattes, and other “little treats” in Grad Hospital.

📸 Discovering: That the first-ever selfie was taken in Philadelphia.

🪞 Envisioning: A new home for the Portal. [Spoiler alert: A lot of you like the Art Museum steps.]

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: The new CEO of Welcome America Inc., the nonprofit behind Philly’s Wawa Welcome America festival.

CHANEL MASONIC

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

Cheers to Nancy Gatti who correctly guessed Thursday’s answer: The Scottish Rite. A chaotic debate has broken out in Collingswood over who should be paying for the historic theater.

Photo of the day

Have a wonderful weekend, Philly! And if you or your kids are heading back to school on Monday, I hope you get to savor the final dregs of summer.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Good morning, Philly.

Today, we’re digging into Gov. Josh Shapiro’s new executive order restricting data center development in Pennsylvania. We also cover why a wave of longtime Philadelphia-area restaurateurs are calling it quits.

Plus, someone in a Chucky-style mask is harassing pedestrians near City Hall, and more news of the day.

Finally, a housekeeping note: I’m officially taking the helm of this newsletter most weekdays. My inbox is open if you ever feel moved to chat about something I write!

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

Data center retreat

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a sweeping executive order imposing new regulations on data centers on Tuesday.

The restrictions stop short of a full-blown moratorium, but they could effectively halt developments by requiring local approval before state permits are issued.

The move represented a major pivot for Shapiro, who is up for reelection this year and long-rumored to be a Democratic presidential contender in 2028.

Just last year, he touted helping Pennsylvania land a major Amazon project to build data centers in Bucks and Luzerne Counties.

Since then, such developments have grown increasingly unpopular. In one recent poll by Quinnipiac University, 76% of registered Pennsylvania voters said they would oppose a data center in their communities.

Reporter Gillian McGoldrick has the full story.

A ‘gray wave’ for restaurants

The Pub in Pennsauken. Kelly’s Seafood in Northeast Philly. Cherry Street Tavern in Logan Square. Around the region, a spate of decades-old bars and restaurants are either for sale or closing their doors for good.

📊 The numbers: These high-profile changes don’t spell doom for the local food scene. The Inquirer counted 86 Philadelphia-area restaurant closings in 2025. A hundred are expected to open in 2026. Some churn is normal.

🧑‍🍳 The reality: Often, generational turnover is driving the decision to sell or close up shop. “The parents retire and the children don’t want to get into the business — because it’s a hard business,” said one longtime liquor-licensing attorney.

Food writer Mike Klein covers what’s next for these institutions.

What you should know today

• A former Penn State student accused of trafficking cocaine out of fraternity houses has turned himself in.
• Police are looking for leads on a man in a horror-movie mask who’s been harassing — and chasing — pedestrians near City Hall. Stay safe out there.
• A 129-unit affordable-apartment building is slated for development near Temple University.
• Lower Merion school officials voted to scale back the use of screens in classrooms, particularly for early grades.
• Kennett Square is cracking down on Airbnbs, passing a local ordinance to cap the total number at fewer than two dozen.
• Poe’s Sandwich Joint is out as the food vendor at Human Robot Brewing in Olde Kensington. Cantina La Martina is stepping in.

Quote of the day

Michella Crosby, a West Philly block captain, noticed that the kids on her street seemed hungry during summer break. So, she and her neighbors took matters into their own hands.

Reporter Ximena Conde profiled community leaders providing an estimated one million free summer meals in Philadelphia this year.

🧠 Trivia time

What’s the name of Comcast’s new AI home security system?

A) Comcast Guardian

B) Xfinity Shield

C) SpectacorAI

D) Xfinity Defend

Think you know? Check your answer.

What (or who) we’re …

🎨 Watching: This video following a new mural celebrating Black dance pioneers as it takes shape in Grays Ferry.

🍽️ Eating: Corned beef, smoked fish, and rye bread from Steve Stein’s Famous Deli, before it closes for good.

💊 Researching: Whether GLP-1’s help with alcohol use disorder.

✍️ Congratulating: Mark Tatulli, the South Jersey cartoonist who just won the highest award in his field.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: This South Philly taqueria is adding a second location.

OAT RACHET

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

Cheers to Carol Basile, who correctly guessed Tuesday’s answer: Phanatic Smoothie. This new Wawa menu item tastes like a “World Series win with a sprinkling of Mets’ tears,” according to one customer.

Photo of the day

Thank you for hanging with The Inquirer this morning. I’m off tomorrow but will be back in your inboxes on Friday. Cheers!

A clarification: Yesterday’s newsletter unclearly characterized the affiliations of those accused in an alleged Penn State drug ring. All but one were students at the time the suspected ring was active.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.