Good morning, Philly! 👋 Thanks for starting your week with The Inquirer. Let’s get into it.

Thirty SEPTA bus routes are set to change at the end of August. The public transit agency launched its bus network redesign efforts after ridership declined, and this will be the first phase of changes.

And on a more serious note, an off-duty Philadelphia police officer was shot and killed on Sunday outside an after-hours lounge in Southwest Philadelphia, police said. Another person was also left in critical condition.

Plus, the president’s confidence in Stacy Garrity has become a critical question in the final stretch of the Pennsylvania governor’s race, and more news of the day.

— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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SEPTA’s big changes

The first phase of SEPTA’s bus network overhaul begins Aug. 23, when 30 routes will be affected in some way. Some routes with low ridership or that duplicate nearby service will be eliminated. Others will be extended or run more frequently, and two new routes will be added.

🚍 What routes will change? New and expanded routes include Route 72, a new crosstown bus running along Cheltenham Avenue, and the new Route 76 bus from Columbus Commons to Rising Sun and Olney. Route 45 will be extended to provide service to the Navy Yard, and Route 79 will be extended from South Philadelphia into University City.

🚍 What routes will be eliminated? Routes 35, 47M, 62, 78, 80, 89, and 106 will be cut, officials say.

🚍 What areas are most impacted? South Philadelphia, Kensington/Juniata, the Cheltenham Avenue Corridor, the Lancaster Avenue Corridor, and Roxborough.

The Inquirer’s Thomas Fitzgerald and Erica Palan have the details.

‘We continue to pray for his family’

An off-duty Philadelphia police officer died after being shot early Sunday morning in Southwest Philadelphia, police said.

The shooting occurred near a property neighbors and police have called an after-hours lounge. A social media account linked the address to a nightclub called “Nipsey’s Hookah Lounge.”

Responding officers found the off-duty officer and another gunshot-wound victim at the scene, police said. Both victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where the police officer was pronounced dead around 8 a.m., police said. The other victim was in critical condition when he arrived at the hospital, said police spokesperson Sgt. Eric Gripp.

The 29-year-old officer had been with the Police Department for two years, police said, and was assigned to the 12th District, in Southwest Philadelphia.

What you should know today

• The United States and Canada are moving closer to a deal to avert the imposition of punitive 50% tariffs on such Canadian products as hockey sticks, wine, and cement, according to officials.
• Pennsylvania’s GOP nominee for governor, Stacy Garrity, is looking for help from President Donald Trump and national Republicans.
• No matter what they’re seeking treatment for, teenagers who come to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia emergency department are handed a 10-minute health survey with questions about anxiety, depression, and self harm. About one in three have reported symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts that may otherwise have gone unnoticed.
• A Gladwyne-based senior services organization is planning to build an independent living community on an estate in Radnor Township, a move the group says is necessary as demand for senior living services rises in the region.
• A man who police say burglarized nearly 30 stores in Philadelphia was arrested last week in Florida. Ravon Service, was arrested at a resort hotel in Kissimmee, Florida, about 20 miles southwest of Orlando, according to the U.S. Marshals Service in Philadelphia.

Quote of the day

When Samantha Paige Rosen quit her job and moved in with her parents at age 29, she thought it “wasn’t what adults were supposed to do.” But she’s glad she did it anyway. Her anthology, Living, Together: Reimagining Community in the Age of Disconnection, offers a window into the experience of living outside of a traditional nuclear family arrangement.

🧠 Trivia time

What is the name of the sports apparel company that was once based in the Philly suburbs and had been known for its trash talk-inspired T-shirts?

A) AND1

B) Mitchell & Ness

C) Philly Phaithful

D) Phillygoat

Think you know? Check your answer.

What (and whom) we’re…

🛍️ Shopping for: Art and antiques at Gargoyles gallery and vintage shop, which just returned to South Street with all its treasures.

🚢 Impressed by: Philadelphia’s official tall ship, the Gazela, which at 125 years old isn’t done riding the waves.

🚴 Admiring: City bike messengers. They race through shifting dispatches, tight deadlines, and city traffic while pushing to reclaim streets and make cycling safer.

👀 Watching: LeBron James’ new YouTube channel. Surprisingly, it’s not a basketball thing.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: ⚽ Home to Philly’s Union

AKA BUR SPUR

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

Cheers to Rosemary Hering who correctly guessed Sunday’s answer: Ridley Park. Seamus Coffey, 8, caught a piranha in the borough’s lake. Now, he’s a budding fishing influencer.

Photo of the day

📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story

Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

This “only in Philly” story comes from reader David Theriault, who describes a delightful Uber ride in the city:

It happened one night about a month ago, we had friends in town and had a reservation for dinner so we called an Uber.

We all jump in the Prius and I can hear Fleetwood Mac playing softly on the stereo. So I ask the driver, as we all pile on top of one another, “Do you like Fleetwood Mac?”

At that point, the driver cranks the stereo up to level 11 and he reaches between the seats on the ceiling and gets an LED dome light flashing. He starts singing “Go Your Own Way” at the top of his lungs and then reaches for a full sized gold microphone and continues to drive and sing into the mic for the rest of the trip.

Of course he got a good tip and we all had a great conversation over dinner.

P.S. He was a pretty good singer!

👋 Have a good day, every one!

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! 👋 We’re one day closer to the weekend.

Your Peco bills could increase, thanks to new hyperscale AI data centers. The Inquirer has a full breakdown to help explain.

And at least two women were likely killed inside the Olney home at the center of a sprawling missing persons investigation, police believe. But neither of the women had been previously linked to the case, according to investigators.

Plus, half the 26 people charged in an NCAA gambling scandal have now pleaded guilty or admitted wrongdoing, and more news of the day.

— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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How data centers could impact your bills

If you give a computer a task, it’s going to need electricity to perform it. The more difficult the problem, the more resources it requires. This is at the heart of the fight against the data centers behind AI — often an incredibly complex and power-hungry process.

You might think that tech giants that build and use data centers would cover 100% of the costs. However, the knock-on repercussions of this heavy power drain could affect the amount you owe on your Peco bill.

“Hyperscale data centers” that power AI tools consume exponentially more resources than conventional ones. To put it in perspective, in a single hour, a hyperscale 1,000,000-kW data center running at peak capacity can consume more electricity than every household in Philadelphia combined.

These hyperscale facilities and their projected demand for power could impact three categories on your bill: generation, transmission, and distribution.

We’ll walk through each one and explain the rest.

‘Graphic and dark’ discoveries

Philadelphia police believe Maribel Fresses, who was last seen in February 2018, and Gabriella Amarando, who has been missing since September 2012, were killed inside the Olney home at the center of a missing persons investigation.

The Wednesday announcement was the latest and most striking development in a case that has drawn national attention since police launched an investigation in June into the disappearances of two other women last seen at the home of Eugene Albert Horsch and his late father, Raymond “R.C.” Horsch.

Authorities say the two-month search of the home involved more than 95 search warrants and surfaced an “astonishing” array of evidence: five urns of cremated remains, more than 20 containers full of unknown chemicals and oily substances, and 50 hard drives and other electronic devices holding more than 600,000 images, 70,000 videos, and 10,000 pages of writings and drawings.

Inside one of those hard drives, authorities said, detectives found images and videos that appeared to show Fresses and Amarando alive inside the house — followed by “graphic and dark” depictions of what appeared to be their bodies. But because no bodies have been found, police say they cannot officially declare the women dead.

What you should know today

• Two people charged with participating in an international scheme to rig basketball games for professional gamblers pleaded guilty in Philadelphia’s federal court Wednesday — the latest development in a scandal that shook the sports world when prosecutors unveiled a sprawling set of indictments earlier this year.
• Pennsylvania Attorney General David Sunday filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, on Tuesday, alleging the social media giant failed to shield children from age-inappropriate material and from over-usage of the app.
• A former cardiac thoracic surgeon at one of Main Line Health’s flagship programs says in a federal lawsuit that he was fired after reporting a series of bad patient outcomes. He accused the nonprofit hospital system of failing to thoroughly investigate a pattern of complications among the patients of another senior surgeon.
• As it faced parents and community members during an emotional meeting Tuesday, the Cheltenham school board laid out several steps to address concerns about the 2025 locker-room assault scandal that led to criminal charges against four coaches and six players.
• Philadelphia police are searching for a man they say walked up to a couple sitting on a porch and opened fire late Sunday night, killing the woman and injuring the man before fleeing.
• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to hold the role at 28 years old, will leave at month’s end, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday. Trump did not outline plans for who might replace her in the high-profile role.

Quote of the day

Battleship New Jersey will soon undergo another facelift through a $24.25 million redevelopment project tackling work on and off the ship. The project includes an expanded visitor center, double the parking, and a new event space.

🧠 Trivia time

The country’s first and last pennies were made in Pennsylvania. What city were they made in?

A) Reading

B) Allentown

C) Philadelphia

D) Pittsburgh

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🧑‍💻 Wondering: What do Gen Z workers want out of their jobs? A recent survey says they’re skeptical about what’s learned in college and want to build up more hard skills.

🚴 Excited about: The forthcoming Philadelphia Cycling Classic! Check out some of the best spots around the city to watch the race’s return.

🛍️ Shopping for: Antiques down the Shore. There are 11 shops we think are worth your while.

🍝 Considering: Could Waltz, a new Italian restaurant in South Philly, be your next date-night destination? The Inquirer’s Craig LaBan believes so.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Eagles preseason announcer on NBC10 since 2019

SORE STRUCK

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

Cheers to Becky Bowlby, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: Keanu Reeves. His band, Dogstar, has reunited after a 20-year break, and they’re playing three Philly-area shows this week.

Photo of the day

⚾ One last thing: Bryson Stott is expected to wear a custom pair of cleats for the Phillies’ Field of Dreams game. The design features late Phillies legends Harry Kalas, Tug McGraw, Roy Halladay, Darren Daulton, Robin Roberts, and Richie Ashburn. But forecasters warn that rain could impact the game.

Have a good one, folks! 👋

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! Happy Monday. Be prepared for a hot one today with highs expected to be in the 90s.

In 2024, Pennsylvania became the first state in the nation to enter into an agreement with OpenAI. State officials stress that the AI tools improve efficiency without cutting jobs.

Villanova spent more than $100 million on upgrades to the former Cabrini University campus, where half of its sophomores will live this fall and more than 2,000 students will take classes.

Plus, a father is searching for answers after lawyers say a police pursuit of an ATV ended in his son’s death, and more news of the day.

— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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A first-of-its-kind pilot

When Pennsylvania announced plans in 2024 for a first-of-its-kind generative artificial intelligence pilot program with the tech giant OpenAI, the head of the state workers’ union approached state officials about entering into an agreement to provide its members with job protections.

The state agreed to talk, which led to a deal. Gov. Josh Shapiro published a public letter outlining commitments to employees amid the rising popularity of AI use, and the union reached a separate agreement with the state, establishing protections for its members.

Today, Pennsylvania state employees use AI for a range of functions but focus on relatively basic tasks: deciphering handwritten clemency applications, scanning documents, and triaging customer service requests.

Some experts say generative AI can serve as an important resource to deliver public services to constituents. But to do this best, they say, governments should first find friction points and inefficiencies in their operations and then determine if the technology can help.

🎓 A new era for ‘Nova

The former Cabrini University campus has undergone a more than $100 million, Villanova-fueled rebirth, and students will begin attending classes and living there this month.

The Radnor Township campus once in dire need of maintenance sports a fresh look, including new light poles, landscaping, painting, furniture, boilers, roof repairs, an operating fountain, pickleball courts, and restored architectural flourishes, in addition to upgraded educational technology for classrooms.

It is all part of Villanova’s effort to make the 112-acre campus that it acquired from the shuttered Cabrini look and feel decidedly Villanovan. The campus has been closed for the last two years for the planning and upgrades.

Notable quote: “It’s always been a beautiful campus, but it looks very Villanova now. […] You can feel the change. Everything is just done to perfection.”

What you should know today

• The father of a Philadelphia man who was killed in an ATV crash in the spring said police officers pursued his son moments before he drove the wrong way on a one-way street, ran a red light, and collided with a sedan. The father has since hired a team of attorneys to investigate the incident. The father has alleged that the chase may have been unconstitutional.
• A double shooting left one man dead and another wounded early Sunday in the Ludlow section of North Philadelphia, according to Philadelphia police.
• The Philadelphia School District is changing a policy that effectively barred some qualified students with disabilities from gaining admission into certain magnet schools. But it did so only after a local family notified the district that it intended to sue over the old policy under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Haverford College has agreed to form an antisemitism committee and enact policies supporting Jewish, Israeli, and Zionist students as part of a settlement of a suit filed during a wave of protests against the Israel-Gaza war.
• Oxford officials are inching closer to disbanding the borough’s century-old police department and joining a regional law enforcement agency, as increasing costs of maintaining the local force have outpaced revenue. But the plan has prompted worries from some residents.

Quote of the day

Linden Curhart lives with his wife, and his husband, and his partner, in a six-person polycule in Philadelphia. The polycule — the textbook term for a group involved in polyamory together — shares costs, and meets weekly to discuss chores and meals. They’ve lived collectively for two years.

🧠 Trivia time

Phillies fans have redefined what’s considered acceptable ballpark food. The Inquirer recently spoke to fans about the most outlandish things they’ve brought to the ballpark.

Which of these foods have not been brought to the ballpark, according to our readers?

A) Fresh mussels

B) Oysters tucked inside hoagie rolls

C) Hard-boiled eggs

D) These have all been brought to the ballpark

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re…

🥖 Learning: Angelo’s wasn’t the first cheesesteak shop to innovate and use seeded rolls. It was actually Donkey’s Place in Camden.

🎸 Rocking out to: A Philly band that’s providing the soundtrack for a recreational kickball league. The band jams out from an apartment window, and the kickball players listening below “feel famous.”

🎨 Loving: Artwork gifted to Tyrese Maxey that depicts him as Spider-Man. Maxey is known as a Marvel superfan.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Eagles’ five-time All-Pro tackle

JONAH NOLENS

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

Cheers to Harry Whalen, who solved Sunday’s anagram: The Bourse. A lender wants to force the sale of the building on Independence Mall after work ground to a halt on a hotel development.

Photo of the day

⚾ One more thing: Chase Utley’s path to the Phillies Wall of Fame, an honor he received on Aug. 7, was forged with hours in the video room. He spent hours before and after games in that room to find any advantage.

📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story

Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Michael Leibrandt, who describes a night to remember at the Palestra:

Six years after Kobe Bryant electrified The Palestra with a 39-point performance against Chester High School, young sensation LeBron James arrived in Philadelphia with St. Vincent-St. Mary’s of Ohio to face-off with Strawberry Mansion.

At first for those of us who saw it, that evening’s match had little possibility of topping the rich history of the Palestra. Just a few months from now is the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Palestra and Penn’s first game there, a 26-15 victory over Yale that now seems to be a better summary of an Eagles game in South Philadelphia rather than a basketball matchup. But on this night, against the backdrop of the banners and trophies in America’s longest operational college basketball arena, history was made once again.

The marvel of the Palestra isn’t just as the oldest, continuous college basketball arena in the country. To this day it’s pillar-less interior offers spectators nearly no bad seats in all of the house — allowing you [to] feel like you are both right on the floor and right up to the action. On this night, thousands were in attendance, including Allen Iverson.

James lived up to every moment of the hype. Like the Sixers of 2026-2027, St. Vincent-St. Mary’s of Ohio had an incredible lineup. With James were Division I players and Romeo Travis and Dru Joyce III. They were a marvel to watch and proved to be too much for Maureece Rice and Strawberry Mansion.

Seeing what would be the finest player in the NBA for the next two decades and perhaps the finest in history during the holiday season in the historic setting of the Palestra was as fun-filled an evening in the fog of December 2002. Now, 25 years later, James is back in Philly for more fun evenings.

And very possibly, a championship to go along with them.

Have a good day, folks! 👋

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! Let’s start the week off right (even if it starts off wet).

Latino voters shifted toward President Donald Trump nationally in 2024, but several Philly Latino voters say they’re all in on Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro as the gubernatorial election approaches.

A 46-foot-long “Join or Die” sculpture is expected to be unveiled this fall, but still $600,00 needs to be raised. The National Park Service has started a public donation page to close the funding gap.

Plus, a former state lawmaker who’s now leading a Delaware County transit agency was charged with a DUI and child endangerment, and more news of the day.

— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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‘People are sacrificing necessities’

Jorge Luis Burgos of North Philadelphia, a registered Democrat, was one of many Latino voters who shifted to the right and voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Now, he’s planning to shift back and vote for Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro as he runs for reelection in the key swing state.

Burgos said he voted for Trump in 2024 because he was worried about inflation and felt betrayed by the last-minute switch that swapped then-President Joe Biden for Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. But he said Trump has failed to fulfill his promises, and he has found himself turning back to the Democratic Party.

In the last decade, support of Republican candidates, specifically Trump, has grown in the majority Latino precincts of Philadelphia — with Trump’s share of the vote increasing from 6.1% in 2016 to 21.8% in 2024.

But now many Latino voters have not seen the outcomes they were hoping for, with a May poll from Pew finding that Trump’s support has fallen more sharply with Latino voters than other voters.

🐍 Slithering to completion

A 46-foot-long sculpture of Benjamin Franklin’s “Join or Die” snake is set to be unveiled this fall on the Liberty Bell Center block of the Independence Mall, near the corner of Fifth and Chestnut Streets. The sculpture will feature eight pieces that represent segments of the snake’s body.

The Independence Mall sculpture will be installed on the ground, allowing visitors to interact directly with the sculpture.

The sculpture was originally one of several other improvements to the park proposed in 2025 and was to be completed before this year’s semiquincentennial. In July of 2025, the Inquirer reported that the project was short the $1.6 million needed to complete the project by this summer.

Severe budget cuts to the National Park Service and other federal funding gaps forced the trust to turn to public fundraising for their improvement efforts.

What you should know today

• Former State Rep. Nick Miccarelli, who left Harrisburg in 2018 during the #MeToo reckoning and then landed a higher-paying job running a publicly funded transit agency, is facing felony charges of child endangerment following a DUI arrest on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
• President Donald Trump says he will order U.S. forces to hold off on new strikes against Iran, contending that Mideast allies have reached the parameters of a deal to end the five-month old war.
• Federal authorities are warning that critical infrastructure systems in the United States could be at risk after at least seven states reported cyberattacks that interrupted their water or wastewater operations last week.
• Vincent Pastore, a veteran actor who played mobsters and tough guys, and was best known for portraying Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on The Sopranos, has died. He was 80.
• Learn how a “perfect storm” spread fire, heat, and smoke across the Northern Hemisphere. Major wildfires and their massive, suffocating plumes of smoke blanketed vast swaths of North America and Europe, in some cases combining with intense heat waves.

Quote of the day

Will Yip — a Northeast Philly record producer who won a Grammy earlier this year — is also a huge Phillies fan. In fact, he believes that fandom is what brings people together. And it’s that fandom with the Phils that helped him win a Grammy.

🧠 Trivia time

South Philadelphia’s new pedestrian and bicycle route, the Washington Avenue Connector, will connect what park to the Delaware River?

A) Columbus Square Park

B) Dickinson Square Park

C) Jefferson Square Park

D) Chew Park

Think you know? Check your answer.

What (and whom) we’re …

📚 Reading: A collection of “scandalous” 19th-century manuals that has made its way onto the Library Company of Philadelphia’s shelves.

🤔 Wondering: Do recent Philadelphia restaurant closings signal trouble for the industry? The Inquirer’s Michael Klein breaks it down.

🏡 Impressed by: A couple who sold their two Wildwood vacation condos, then found their dream split-level in Brigantine.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Philadelphia-based painter and photographer in the late 1800s

ASHANTI SMOKE

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

Cheers to Tim L., who solved Sunday’s anagram: Wissahickon Valley Park. The HBO series Task will film for its second season in the Northwest Philly park Monday through Friday.

Photo of the day

🎶 One more thing: New Barber’s Hall, a cornerstone of Philadelphia’s Black heritage, celebrated its historic run before saying goodbye. Owner Jake Adams and his wife, Sarah, were honored Saturday with a street sign near the iconic jazz venue and restaurant, which sold this year.

📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story

Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Rick Schrenker, who describes how he keeps circling back to Philly:

I don’t get to Philly that often, but I lived there for about seven weeks during the summer of 1971. And I’ve visited Philly quite a few times since.

My grandfather lived in Old Forge and was a Scranton coal miner back in the first half of the 20th century. He somehow moved to Rome, N.Y., where my parents met. He then moved to Baltimore, and they followed. When I was a teen, he moved to Philly.

He lived above the bar where he worked, just up the street from the Greyhound bus terminal. He got to know the managers of an envelope printing company in a building on the corner of (I think) 12th & Spring Garden, just around the corner from the bar. And he got me a summer job there.

My routine was to catch a late bus on Sunday night from Baltimore to Philly, work through Friday, then take the bus home and hang out with my friends on the weekends.

Fast forward maybe 10 to 15 years. My Grampa had been at my graduation from Johns Hopkins but was otherwise not around much. I got married, bought a home, had a daughter. Then he got ill. Visits to Philly picked up again. We got nice pictures of the old coal miner holding his great-granddaughter. Later, we transferred him here for the rest of his days.

Then, my daughter finished college and moved to Pottstown. And once again, opportunities to visit Philly picked up. Mostly the zoo with our grandkids. There’s lots of interesting towns between Pottstown and Philly. But a year ago, she and her family moved to New England.

So, a few weeks ago, I got a subscription to The Inquirer’s morning newsletter. I also read the Baltimore Banner, along with the Globe, of course.

But Philly has a special sauce of some sort, or at least it has for me. Maybe I’ll get back again.

P.S. We love your Only in Philly submissions, and we need more! Email us with your stories and get a chance to be featured in an upcoming newsletter.

👋 Have a good one, folks!

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! You may want to break out the umbrellas again, since more storms are expected later today. ☔

Carisia Magobet fought for years to bring the man she loves home from the state prison in Chester after a landmark Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling made the idea seem possible. But lawmakers’ inaction has left her in limbo, and him still behind bars.

FanDuel, DraftKings, the NFL, and Genius Sports have asked a Philly judge to dismiss a lawsuit against them, which centers on two suburban men who allege that they developed addictions to in-game microbets.

Plus, an off-duty Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed his uncle is claiming self-defense, and more news of the day.

— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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‘Do your job and legislate’

Back in 1998, Matthew Garcia, who was 18 at the time, set out to rob a Hunting Park bar with four others. He was the getaway driver, and did not have a gun. The robbery quickly went awry, and a retired Philly police officer was shot and killed. Garcia says he had fled by the time the fatal shot was fired.

The five involved were convicted of second-degree murder — a killing committed during a felony, no matter who pulled the trigger — and sentenced to the only punishment Pennsylvania law allowed: life without the possibility of parole.

But in March, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down mandatory life sentences for second-degree murder. It gave lawmakers until July 24 to write new sentencing guidelines for future cases and determine how, or whether, the ruling would apply to the roughly 1,100 Pennsylvanians already serving that sentence. The deadline arrived, but a resolution did not.

Now, the love of Garcia’s life, Carisia Magobet, is left in limbo. Everything Magobet and Garcia have spent the last two years assembling in anticipation of Garcia’s freedom — which both yearn for but neither can control — is now on hold.

Seeking a lawsuit dismissal

FanDuel and DraftKings have each asked a Philadelphia judge to dismiss a lawsuit that accuses the companies of profiting from practices that two bettors say caused them to develop gambling addictions.

The sportsbook operators, as well as the National Football League and the data company Genius Sports, were sued in March by the nonprofit Public Health Advocacy Institute on behalf of Terry Thompson and Christopher Sage.

Thompson and Sage are Philadelphia-area men who allege that they compulsively placed in-game microbets through FanDuel’s and DraftKings’ apps and were enticed to continue gambling by rewards that VIP managers offered, even after they displayed signs of addiction.

But attorneys for FanDuel and DraftKings argue that the lawsuit — which claims that the companies violated Pennsylvania’s consumer protection law, and were negligent in protecting Thompson and Sage from harm — is inherently flawed.

What you should know today

• An off-duty Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed his uncle in Northampton County during the weekend contended he did so in self-defense, according to court documents. Kenroy Cummings, a two-year veteran of the force, shot the man six times in the head before fleeing police, documents say.
• Gov. Josh Shapiro and other Democrats blasted President Donald Trump’s “conspiracy theories.” That message has not changed after New Jersey’s noncitizen voting revelation.
• The French company under fire after Gov. Mikie Sherrill blamed it for allowing noncitizens to register to vote holds three multimillion-dollar contracts with the state of New Jersey.
• Delaware County is launching a vaccine campaign as Pennsylvania’s measles cases reach its highest level in more than 30 years. The state has reported 142 measles cases so far this year.
• Brian J. Malloy, chief executive officer of Philadelphia-based Carpenter Technology Corp., died “suddenly and unexpectedly” Friday, July 24, three weeks after he was promoted to run the company. He was 59.

Quote of the day

“Sue Me” singer and songwriter Audrey Hobert was recently asked during an onstage Q&A: “If you could haunt any place, just some place, for the rest of your life, what would you choose?”

Hobert couldn’t recall the name of the bar in the moment, but a blog post on her website detailing the backstory of “Silver Jubilee” explains that the song was inspired by a weekend she spent at Drinker’s Pub in Center City.

🧠 Trivia time

The Franklin Institute’s forthcoming exhibit will honor which iconic film franchise?

A) Star Wars

B) Marvel

C) Dune

D) Star Trek

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🍽️ Wanting to try: A forthcoming Italian-inspired tavern coming to Center City, from Royal Tavern chef Nic Macri.

🏡 Gushing over: A three-story Victorian house in Wyncote. The home has its original hardwood floors and two fireplaces, plus a garage.

📆 Planning: The best things to do in Philadelphia this weekend. From festivals to shows, there’s plenty to look forward to.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: One of Nicolas Cage’s most iconic films

SENATORIAL UNRATE

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

Cheers to William West, who solved Monday’s anagram: LeBron James. Within days of James’ landmark deal with the 76ers, T-shirt hawkers outside stadiums and along the Jersey Shore were stocked up on unauthorized Sixers gear.

Photo of the day

🏀 One last thing… New reports say LeBron James will likely live in New York City while playing for the Sixers, and he wouldn’t be the first player to do it.

Have a good day, everyone! 👋 I’ll be back next week.

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Happy Monday, Philadelphia! Hope we all had a good weekend.

The death of a 20-year-old former All-Public League guard has gutted his community. North Philly’s Jadin Aviles was a star athlete with a bright smile and maturity beyond his years.

Developers are marketing new Navy Yard apartment complexes as “Philadelphia’s newest neighborhood,” and some who live there say they love it. But about 70% of the units remain empty.

Plus, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is running record deficits, making the next few years financially rocky, and more news of the day.

— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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‘He just had a caring spirit’

The first thing people noticed about Jadin Aviles was his smile. It was bright and big, and became part of his identity. To many, Aviles, with his beaming smile, was brightness incarnate.

Aviles brought the same energy to basketball. He played in two youth leagues as well as on his high school team. Aviles wasn’t competing in front of a packed Palestra, but he did become a “street legend” in North Philadelphia, according to those who knew him.

Now, his community is trying to keep his spirit alive. On May 12, Aviles was riding his moped in a bike lane on Aramingo Avenue. A pickup truck, turning left, ran him over. Aviles suffered extensive brain damage, and died that night. He had just turned 20.

Perhaps the best way to honor him is to emulate him, some believe. To tell young people about a giant on the court and a leader off it, who was so remarkable, and so loved, that he drew hundreds to his funeral.

🏢 A neighborhood in the Navy Yard

Since moving into the new apartments at South Philly’s converted military base in January, Priya Brown said her daily routine has gotten much more relaxing — with far fewer brake lights. An assistant buyer at Anthropologie, Brown walks 10 minutes to her office at Urban Outfitters’ Navy Yard headquarters.

AVE, the national apartment brand run by Korman Communities, is calling its neighboring Navy Yard complexes, Constitution and Normandy, “Philadelphia’s newest neighborhood.”

More than a third of the 347 units in Constitution are leased, according to Sam Korman, AVE’s director of operations. Next door at Normandy, which opened this spring, more than 20% of the 267 units are leased, according to Korman.

Navy Yard stakeholders eventually want the property to have 4,000 apartments, along with more retail space and a second hotel, according to its 2022 redevelopment plan.

What you should know today

• Police found a New Jersey teen with a deadly gunshot wound in the driver’s seat of a car that had been in a crash. Now a 15-year-old is facing charges for shooting the driver, said the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.
• U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick and other Pennsylvania Republicans aren’t pushing back against President Donald Trump’s new election fraud claims as they lobby for the SAVE America Act.
• The U.S. military has paused its airstrikes on Iran after nearly two weeks of intensifying bombing, while diplomatic efforts have pushed forward to try to avert a return to all-out war.
• Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is “fomenting hate” by calling the prime minister a war criminal who should be arrested over the war in Gaza if he visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly.
• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to eliminate a foundational safety principle that has for 50 years minimized the radiation people in the U.S. are exposed to and that has been adopted around the world.

Quote of the day

When art world veteran Daniel H. Weiss took over the Philadelphia Museum of Art in December, he quickly recruited a new team, including a chief financial officer and chief fundraiser. That team has begun to assess the museum’s financial condition and what can be done about it.

The picture that is emerging is not a pretty one.

🧠 Trivia time

The “Olympics of Math” is in Philadelphia’s Convention Center for the first time ever. What’s the event called?

A) American Mathematics Competition

B) International Mathematical Olympiad

C) International Congress of Mathematicians

D) William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition

Think you know? Check your answer.

What (and whom) we’re…

👀 Wanting: The collaboration tote from Wawa and Lands’ End that harnesses three separate trends into one sandwich-sized bag. The Inquirer’s Kiki Aranita is obsessed (and so am I.)

🤩 Inspired by: A Philly tech founder who was a monk, worked for Meta, and is now building tech for local government. Lilly Chen wants people to stop thinking local government software “sucks.”

👠 Analyzing: Our favorite looks from the WNBA All-Star Weekend. Some highlights include Breanna Stewart’s family fits to A’ja Wilson’s gown.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: 🏀 The King

JOBS MARLEEN

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

Cheers to Nick Muzzillo, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Cecily Tynan. The beloved meteorologist is retiring after more than three decades at 6abc, a trailblazing career spanning major weather events like Hurricane Sandy, the Blizzard of 1996, and flooding in Philly following Hurricane Ida.

Photo of the day

📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story

Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Jeffrey Rosenberg, who describes arriving in Philly:

I arrived in Philly in late August of 1978, after receiving early admission to Temple University’s dental school.

I had never been to Philadelphia and there was no GPS back then, so I entered this town on South Broad Street. You can imagine my surprise while I was driving up Broad to get to North Philadelphia. What were cars doing parked in the middle of a busy street?

Proceeding with caution, my next surprise was literally running into City Hall. That was the only way to get to TUDS (the nickname for Temple University’s dental school.)

I drove through Temple’s main campus, a much rougher looking neighborhood back then, and arrived at 3223 North Broad Street, my new home and professional training for the next four years.

My first night in my new town, my girlfriend from Boston told me her sister went to Philadelphia College of Art and that there was a really cool restaurant with cold cucumber soup, so we went looking for it. We had no name and no map.

I lived by Olney High School, so I just pointed my car south toward City Hall.

I arrived at Fourth and South Streets an hour later to a hip looking area called South Street. We walked into a hip looking restaurant named Lickity Split, and guess what they had? Cold cucumber soup.

I never really left South Street after that. I set up my dental office at 4th and Bainbridge before I even graduated.

I practiced there for the next 40 years.

👋 Have a good one, folks!

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Good morning, Philly! 👋 Expect a warm one today with highs in the mid-80s, but don’t forget the umbrella. ☂️ Be prepared for some rain and possible thunderstorms.

Freedom Fuel gas stations are eyeing expansion, according to the company’s website. But the Philadelphia-area network of gas stations no longer appears to be selling fuel at the deep discount originally linked to the president.

Did you know the Delaware River is home to over 100 islands? Some are large with historic significance, and others are more like sandbars. We’ll help you fly over the river and check them all out.

Plus, Delco officials are investigating a racist voicemail threatening the county sheriff, and more news of the day.

— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Freedom Fuel eyes expansion as prices rise

Even the Freedom Fuel Network, promoted by President Donald Trump, isn’t immune to rising gas prices. Yet, the Philadelphia-area network of gas stations is expanding anyway, according to the company’s website.

The enterprise, made up of 25 stations spread across the region, garnered national attention when it began selling regular gas for $3.47 a gallon — a nod to Trump, and 40 to 50 cents cheaper than other stations.

Despite the White House’s involvement in promoting Freedom Fuel, a spokesperson said the company received no government subsidies nor obtained fuel at a lower cost. The below-market prices would exist “for as long as the company chooses.” If that’s the case, the business itself was already absorbing dramatic losses before the United States resumed attacks on Iran, leading to a jump in gas prices over the past week.

Still, the people behind Freedom Fuel are looking at expansion. The website did not give a timeline for when those additional stations could come online.

🏝️ Cruising up the Delaware

The Delaware River flows 330 miles from Delaware to New York, harboring roughly 123 islands as it carves a ragged border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Some islands are mere shoals or sandbars, while others span hundreds of acres. Some are no longer true islands after reattaching to mainland via nature or human engineering.

🏝️ Pea Patch Island, for example, is owned by Delaware and is 225 acres large. It is home to Fort Delaware, which served as a camp for up to 10,000 Confederate POWs at a time during the Civil War. The island stopped being manned after World War II, and today, it’s a state park.

🏝️ Little Tinicum Island, on the other hand, is only 80 acres in size and is owned by Pennsylvania. There’s a primitive campground accessible by boat and a wildlife viewing area. The island is home to a variety of birds.

The Inquirer can help you tour the other islands of the Delaware River.

What you should know today

• Delaware County detectives are investigating a racist, threatening voicemail left for county Sheriff Siddiq Kamara, officials said Monday. The caller, whom police are working to identify, used a racial slur to refer to Kamara, who is Black, and called for “death to Islam.”
• A Bucks County sheriff’s deputy used his personal cell phone to take naked pictures of two people he encountered as part of his job, including a mentally ill man at whose home he was serving a search warrant, prosecutors said.
• An incendiary device was deployed Monday morning outside a New York City federal building and officials have taken a person into custody, the FBI said.
• Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among the 27 states seeing recalls of shredded lettuce products sourced to Taylor Farms, the produce company at the center of a food safety investigation into an outbreak of “explosive” diarrhea caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis.
• Delaware reported Monday the state’s first case of measles in more than 10 years. The case was identified in an unvaccinated man in central Delaware, health officials said in a news release.
• Drivers should expect backups and delays near Amtrak’s 30th Street Station as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation carries out roadwork nearby in the coming month.

Quote of the day

More than 400 people have already applied for just 20 spots in the city’s first-ever parallel parking competition, the 2026 Philadelphia Parallel Parking Association Championship. Judges will score each contestant on a 10-point scale based on speed, competency, proximity to the curb, and flair.

🧠 Trivia time

Which alumni will present a new Villanova University-created award in their name that recognizes outstanding leadership in sustainability?

A) Jill Biden

B) Jalen Brunson

C) Pope Leo XIV

D) Maria Bello

Think you know? Check your answer.

What (and whom) we’re …

🦅 Learning about: Some new additions to the Eagles! Get to know cornerback Riq Woolen and wide receiver Erik Ezukanma.

🍧 Celebrating: Two Philly water ice shops claimed the top spots at Ocean Casino Resort’s first ever water ice festival.

⚾ Excited to see: The 1939 throwback uniforms the Phillies are expected to wear during the Field of Dreams Game in August.

🎓 Admiring: Pennsylvania’s 10 state universities will consider offering some three-year bachelor’s degrees. It’s a way to make college more affordable and allow students to get into the workforce more quickly.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Contemporary circus group 🎪

CIRO QUILL SUEDE

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

Cheers to Annette Lofft, who solved Monday’s anagram: Longwood Gardens. A couple celebrated their gender reveal with a dazzling light show at the gardens over the weekend.

Photo of the day

⚽ Oh, and one last thing: Columnist Kerith Gabriel considers how our country can push U.S. soccer further. He believes it starts with children and their parents.

Have a good day, everyone! 👋 I’ll be back in your inboxes next week.

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Good morning, Philly! Happy Monday.

Kenneth Houseknecht, who murdered his 12-year-old Deptford neighbor 38 years ago, recently spoke out extensively for the first time since the 1988 killing.

Philadelphia’s Burns Services invented the TommyCart as a better way to sort, save, and sell recyclable materials from construction sites. Now, they’re in construction sites around the United States.

Plus, two French creators fell in love with Philadelphia, and more news of the day.

— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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‘I am truly sorry’

Nearly four decades after a 14-year-old boy killed his 12-year-old neighbor by stabbing her 95 times in one of South Jersey’s most infamous crimes, the killer spoke extensively for the first time about that day, according to a newly released recording.

“I am truly sorry,” Kenneth Houseknecht, now 53, said of the events in April 1988, when he attacked Kim Marie Anderson as she was getting ready for school in her family’s home in Deptford.

Houseknecht’s comments came during an unusual hearing in Gloucester County Superior Court. After serving 38 years, Houseknecht was seeking a reprieve from a life sentence. Describing it as “the most gruesome homicide of my time,” Superior Court Judge Kevin T. Smith ultimately affirmed the original sentence.

An audio recording of the proceeding, obtained through an open public records request, offers a compelling window into Houseknecht’s imprisonment since he was a student in junior high school, his family’s pledge of support for his potential release, and the continued anguish and anger of Anderson’s parents, Stephen and Esther.

The invention of the TommyCart

The TommyCart, a durable, bar-coded, welded-steel recycling wagon made in Philadelphia, is popping up at U.S. construction sites from the Wanamaker Building’s apartment conversion in Center City to the Tennessee Titans’ new stadium in Nashville.

The carts, specialized for recycling, were developed by Richard S. Burns & Co. at its 13-acre Hunting Park complex, where demolition debris is sorted for resale to steel mills, building-materials makers, plastics plants, and other reusers.

The family-led team invented and patented a heavy-duty cart, more nimble than the heavy dumpsters used to collect industrial waste. With the carts, they could more easily weigh, measure, and handle materials at crowded building sites. The process was efficient enough to resume hand-sorting and recover far more material to resell.

Using the TommyCarts, the company can sell about 80% of the recyclables it collects for reuse.

What you should know today

• Experts say the ongoing wildfires will threaten air quality in the region, while the longer dry seasons, droughts, and high winds associated with climate change mean that such fires — and the smoke they send downwind — may become more common.
• New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani says his administration is still weighing whether to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he arrives in the city in September for the U.N. General Assembly.
• Federal agents around the country were told in recent days that the FBI would no longer investigate confrontations with immigration agents — cases that sometimes yield evidence that could be used to prosecute Department of Homeland Security agents implicated in violent encounters, according to people briefed on the decision.
• The Trump administration has filed a first-ever petition to a secretive and dormant court created 30 years ago to consider government requests to deport so-called “alien terrorists” from the United States.
• As part of its full-court press on immigration, the Trump administration has increasingly sought to punish Democratic-led states that have tried to curtail their cooperation with federal immigration agencies.

Quote of the day

French social media creators Alex Durand and Tom Carles visited Philadelphia for the World Cup and left captivated by the city’s sports fans, honesty, Wawa, and unmistakable spirit. Philadelphia’s unpolished authenticity is what made the pair fall in love with the city, they said.

🧠 Trivia time

Abington Township is paying the U.S. Department of Agriculture to evict what bird from a local park?

(The birds are attacking locals and dropping bacteria-laden feces, authorities say.)

A) Geese 🪿

B) Ducks 🦆

C) Turkey 🦃

D) Owls 🦉

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re…

📚 Reading: A thriller, a memoir, and a love story. These books are perfect for a beach day read.

🧡 Loving: The new Nike Air Force 1 shoes, which bear a striking resemblance to our favorite orange menace: Gritty.

🥘 Wanting to try: Chibanos, Washington Square West’s latest restaurant, brings Chinese flavors to Cuban classics.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: One of the world’s premier botanical display gardens

GONDOLAS WRONGED

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

Cheers to Kenneth Grubb, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Frog Commissary. Filled with unique recipes, the cookbook remains a must-read for Philadelphia home chefs more than 40 years after its debut.

Photo of the day

📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story

Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Shirley Hill, who describes how she fell in love with Philly:

I fell in love with Philly when I first went to the Plateau back in the ’70s. I was in high school and amazed at how friendly everyone was.

We were invited to eat with people we didn’t know, asked to sit down and play various games. And we sure did dance our booties off. No fighting, everyone just enjoying being alive.

I’m from Jersey, and my friends would always ask: “Are we going to the Plat next weekend?” The Spectrum and South Street was another eye-opening experience.

👋 Have a good day, folks! Thanks for starting your week with The Inquirer.

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Good morning, everyone! Be prepared for another scorcher, with highs expected to be around 99 degrees.

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt said the state will not hand over voter rolls to the federal government in response to a threatening Department of Justice letter. Schmidt stressed that the state was not in violation of any voting regulations.

And The U.S. Department of Education is cracking down on sexual abuse by teachers with investigations into public school districts. Among those under investigation are the Cheltenham and Gloucester Township School Districts.

Plus, the Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park will be open this weekend despite recent storm damage, and more news of the day.

— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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🗳️ ‘Only eligible voters have access to the ballot box’

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt stressed that the state was not in violation of any voting regulations in a response letter to a Department of Justice inquiry that threatened criminal charges over suspicions of noncitizen voting.

The letter pushed back against the Trump administration’s insistence that allowing federal assistance in inspecting of voter rolls was the best way to avoid criminal prosecution for “aiding and abetting the violation” of federal voting laws. Schmidt’s reply made it clear that Pennsylvania would not hand over voter rolls to the federal government and reiterated that voting regulations were followed meticulously.

The DOJ letter comes after President Donald Trump’s long history of spreading voter-fraud conspiracy theories and falsely claiming that he won the 2020 election.

Pennsylvania officials have warned since last year that turning over the voter rolls to the federal government without redactions could put sensitive information at risk.

Local school districts under federal investigation

The Cheltenham School District is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education as federal officials target sexual misconduct by teachers that they say schools nationally have been too lax in addressing.

Cheltenham is one of 20 public school districts under investigation by the DOE’s Office for Civil Rights based on responses the districts provided to a federal civil rights data collection survey in 2023-24. The responses “suggest that districts might not be addressing staff on student sexual misconduct appropriately,” the Education Department said in a statement Friday.

The Gloucester Township School District in Camden County is also under investigation, according to a list obtained by ProPublica.

The investigations were announced as part of a broader initiative by the Education Department “to protect students from adult sexual predators in schools,” with guidance sent to all school districts outlining federal legal requirements for responding to sexual harassment and abuse.

The Inquirer’s Maddie Hanna has the full story.

What you should know today

• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has temporarily instructed officers to refrain from making traffic-stop arrests in most cases, according to several people with knowledge of the directive, a policy shift spurred by a pair of fatal shootings involving officers who fired into vehicles over the last week.
• Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday visited Vare-Washington Elementary School in South Philadelphia to tout the $678 million in new education funding included in the state budget deal finalized over the weekend.
• A Malvern man was sentenced to more than three years in prison for having a collection of homemade bombs at his house — a discovery police made after he was arrested for bringing guns to a “No Kings” protest in West Chester last year.
• A United Kingdom man who was shot and killed while doing contracting work in Roxborough last week was a member of the so-called Traveling Conmen criminal organization and was not authorized to be in the country, officials with the Department of Homeland Security said.
• As details emerge on the personalized video that Bryce Harper says he unknowingly recorded on behalf of FanDuel for a sports-gambling addict, Major League Baseball is confident that the Phillies star didn’t violate any league policies. “I think the important thing is that Bryce’s activity was not a violation of the basic agreement,” commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday.
• Genetic testing company 23andMe and a group of attorneys general nationwide have reached a multimillion-dollar settlement following the major data breach that led to the company’s demise three years ago. More than 40 attorneys general, including Pennsylvania‘s Dave Sunday, announced the national $18 million settlement with the genetic testing company.

Quote of the day

Tom Burgoyne had long insisted that he’s not the Phanatic. He’s the Phanatic’s best friend. But now a new documentary has convinced Burgoyne, the man behind the mascot, to admit he’s so much more.

🧠 Trivia time

Tideline, Margate’s latest bayside restaurant, just added an eyebrow-raising cocktail to the “House Favorites” drink menu. The Liquid Asset consists of top-shelf tequila, a big ice cube, and a red chili pepper, and comes with a custom-built 39-foot speedboat.

How much does the new menu item cost?

A) $10 million

B) $1,100

C) $1.1 million

D) $1

Think you know? Check your answer.

What (and whom) we’re …

🏡 Gushing about: A 19th-century, four-bedroom home in Chestnut Hill. The 1,520-square-foot house is listed for $699,900.

⚾ Booing: Everyone who’s not a Phillie! And according to columnist Stephanie Farr, people have to get over it.

⛈️ Impressed by: The Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park. Though most vendors sustained significant damage due to storm microbursts, the market will carry on this weekend.

🤩 Star-struck over: The best looks from the MLB All-Star Game red carpet. Everyone came dressed to impress.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Food chain known for its doughnuts and fried chicken

ADORNED FLUTES

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

Cheers to Michelle Farzetta, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Louis Tomlinson. The former One Direction member was meant to perform at Philadelphia’s Mann Center for Performing Arts over the weekend, but couldn’t because of severe weather. Some fans were devastated.

Photo of the day

👋 Have a good day, folks! Stay cool.

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