Happy Tuesdee. It’s shaping up to be a lovely spring morning.

We’re starting with a look at the Cherry Hill school board and its debate over the possibility of ending its African American history requirement.

And, our food team has cultivated a list of the most iconic Philadelphia dishes of all time.

Plus, the sheriff’s office will undergo a shakeup, and more news of the day.

— Tommy Rowan (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Cherry Hill schools dropping African American history mandate?

In the 2021-22 school year, Cherry Hill was the first New Jersey district to mandate a Black history class to graduate.

It made national headlines.

Five years later, the board has debated whether the course should be dropped as a requirement in light of budget problems in the largest South Jersey school system.

And while officials have assured the community that the course will remain part of the curriculum, the debate highlights the difficult choices that districts are facing during a tough budget year.

Melanie Burney has the full report from South Jersey.

If you want to keep it super local, sign up here for our weekly Cherry Hill newsletter, which is a free and easy-to-read guide to everything from local headlines to weekend plans.

And next week we’re launching a daily South-Jersey-centric newsletter that is part of our expanded reporting across the region. Sign up here.

76 iconic Philly dishes

We’re counting down the 76 most iconic Philadelphia dishes all week.

Today, we’re highlighting entries 76 through 55.

And throughout the week we’ll be counting down to No. 1.

We asked ourselves: What are the foods that have most shaped the culinary scene in Philadelphia?

That’s what the food team has set out to answer.

So check out our picks, starting at No. 76.

What you should know today

• Sheriff Rochelle Bilal announced a major restructuring of her office to reduce a problem she previously claimed she’d fixed. Some details aren’t public.
• Fifteen people were arrested on Sunday during Pride events in the Gayborhood, officials said. The police response drew criticism from residents over how crowd control was handled.
• District Attorney Larry Krasner publicly criticized Mayor Cherelle Parker on Monday over what he said was an inadequate budget. Krasner’s televised appeal came as rumors swirl that he may run for mayor next year.
• The Bucks County district attorney has sued the makers of Roblox, which he said had allowed sexual predators to exploit children.
• A body believed to be that of a swimmer who went missing in the Delaware River was found by police after it washed ashore on Monday in Palmyra Township, Burlington County.
• Former President Joe Biden made a surprise appearance at the annual Stonewall Awards in Philadelphia on Sunday, delivering a 20-minute speech to a packed crowd in Center City.
• FIFA Fan Fest opens Thursday and will feature music, food, shopping, and a showing of World Cup games. There will also be transportation headaches.

Quote of the day

After 50 years of service, this Old City Italian restaurant remains a retro experience. It’s still a unique and worthy place to dine, restaurant critic Craig LaBan writes.

🧠 Trivia time

What famous boy band member was recently in Delaware and ate at a Craig LaBan-approved restaurant?

A) Justin Timberlake

B) Harry Styles

C) AJ McLean

D) Nick Jonas

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re…

🎶 Harmonizing. Some Main Line dads started getting together in the ’90s to do some old-fashioned harmonizing. Their fanbase is now international.

🎭 Recognizing. Amina Robinson made history as the first Black woman to win a Barrymore for directing a musical. And now she’s going to lead Theatre Horizon.

🫟 Translating. The colorful markings on Philly-area streets and sidewalks might look like gibberish, but they are the language of utility companies.

🏀 Cautiously optimistic about: In his first news conference since taking the Sixers’ top job, Mike Gansey didn’t sound like he planned on undertaking a major roster overhaul.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: What store recently ditched an unpopular section.

LIVE OF WEB

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

Cheers to Matthew Zipin, who solved Monday’s anagram: Haverford College. Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges have long had a partnership that allows students on both campuses to take classes at the other.

Photo of the day

Urban Outfitters says it plans to hire 1,000 workers in the Philly region. Most will be added at a new distribution site in the suburbs.

👋 Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. Paola Pérez has you covered 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.

Hi everyone! Happy Monday. The warm weather persists with highs nearing 80 degrees today.

Some Democrats who watched Chris Rabb notch one of the left’s biggest wins in Pennsylvania see an opportunity to boost a progressive in the 2028 Senate primary. Others say that’s a tall task in the swing state.

A Philly grandmother says $600 of her EBT benefits were stolen in a skimming scheme. A solution for the state might be on the horizon.

Plus, a local a cappella group went viral for their wholesome renditions of popular songs, and more news of the day.

— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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What Chris Rabb’s win means for 2028

The euphoria at Chris Rabb’s election night party last month hadn’t even started to wane before the democratic socialist and his supporters — dancing and hugging after capturing a rarely open Philadelphia seat in Congress — spoke of setting their sights even higher.

With the 2026 Pennsylvania Democratic primary in the rearview mirror, that conversation has broadly and quickly turned to the next biggest prize in the state: The U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat John Fetterman.

The senator has not said whether he will run for a second six-year term in 2028. But in an unusual situation for an high-profile elected official, a robust intraparty competition to replace him is expected to start either way in the next year as Fetterman increasingly sides with Republicans and as polls show that his support among Democratic voters has nose-dived.

In a district packed with Democratic voters, Rabb’s ability to turn out progressive voters should draw the attention of anyone looking to win the state’s Democratic Senate primary in 2028, a strategist said. But campaigning on a far-left — or a far-right — platform doesn’t often equate to success on a statewide level in a swing state like Pennsylvania, some experts say.

The Inquirer’s Sam Janesch has the full breakdown.

EBT skimming is a problem in Pa.

Keenya Banks lives in Philadelphia with her husband and the two grandchildren they care for. She has never been to Fishkill in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Yet, that’s where someone spent more than $650 in food assistance benefits for her family at a Sam’s Club in April in an alleged case of EBT skimming, just one of the more than 5,100 cases reported in Pennsylvania between the start of the year and May.

It’s likely Banks used her EBT card in a point-of-sale machine rigged with a device designed to copy her card information and PIN. Someone then applied her EBT information to a different physical card and drained her monthly benefits the next day.

Last May, Pennsylvania launched ConnectEBT, an app that allows people to lock their cards until they are at the checkout line, ready to use them. Some state officials are also eyeing chip EBT cards as a possible way to curb skimming.

What you should know today

• President Donald Trump dismissed the idea that launching the war with Iran this year betrayed his refrain of “No new wars” that he made repeatedly as he campaigned again for the White House.
• A federal lawsuit seeks to halt the UFC fight card on the White House South Lawn with a mixed martial arts show timed for President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and as part of the celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
• Philly Pride 2026 took over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the first time after four years in the Gayborhood, and drew a large crowd.
• A 22-year-old Penn State student died after being shot steps away from his home in South Philadelphia on Saturday, police said.
• A court ruling in a Chester County case may mean higher stormwater bills in scores of Pennsylvania towns.
• Ariel Lajara, a top Philly school official, is leaving the district to be a superintendent in South Jersey.

Quote of the day

The Tonics is a viral, Philly-based a cappella group made up of middle-aged guys in khaki slacks and sensible loafers.

🧠 Trivia time

Who did the Sixers just promote to executive vice president of basketball operations?

A) Mike Gansey

B) Jameer Nelson

C) Elton Brand

D) Prosper Karangwa

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re…

🤔 Considering: Did A.J. Brown betray Philadelphia and his Eagles teammates? Columnist Marcus Hayes thinks so.

❤️ Loving: Philly! We asked residents what made them fall in love with the city, and their answers are heartwarming.

🥤 Dying to try: Smoothies down the Shore made by James Develin, who faced the Eagles in Super Bowl LII.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: A leading liberal arts undergraduate college outside Philadelphia.

ADHERE GOLF VELCRO

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

Cheers to Noreen Gloninger, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Spirit Halloween. A case of the summer scaries hit the Wildwood boardwalk on Friday, courtesy of the folks at Spirit Halloween. Things got weirder than usual.

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 Ann Hess, who describes the kindness of Philadelphians:

Never underestimate the kindness of Philly strangers…

On a recent Saturday, I was babysitting my 9-year-old grandson, Gabe. We were about to walk to the Fumo Family Library, when I mentioned that I saw the little boy across the street picking up trash in front of his house.

Gabe announced, “I want to pick up trash!” He went down to the basement and came back with a reacher.

Walking back to his house, Gabe was collecting trash and depositing it in a bag using his reacher. A woman was parked along the street, rolled down her window, and asked him, “Are you picking up trash?”

We answered “yes” and she said it was a great idea and thanked him for doing it, “because there’s a lot of trash in the city and we need all the help we can get!“

She said she wanted to give him something for his hard work and asked him to come over to the car window. Gabe walked over and said ”Thank you” to the woman. She said, ”I wanted to thank you for doing this — go buy yourself a water ice!”

It turned out this appreciative stranger had handed him $5!

What an amazing, generous, and kind gesture this stranger offered to another stranger. This is how you Philly.

Gabe collected and filled two small bags of trash from Broad Street to South Warnock on the walk home.

👋 Bye all! Have a great week.

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.