Category: Inquirer Morning Newsletter

Good morning, Philly. We’re in for sunny skies and highs in the upper 70s.

Today, we have two important stories about our evolving relationship with technology. The first covers a movement to restrict automated license plate readers in New Jersey.

The second chronicles new limits on screen use in classrooms around our region.

Plus, a former Philadelphia cop turned contractor faces multiple fraud charges, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

‘They’re watching you!’

On the outer rim of a Home Depot parking lot in West Berlin, N.J., around two dozen people stood in the searing August sun.

They were there to protest the black, solar-powered license plate reader perched on a pole above them.

“They’re watching you! And you!” shouted one man, pointing as cars rolled past.

Groups like this one, called DeFlock South Jersey, hoped to ultimately limit the use of these readers due to privacy concerns.

But in New Jersey, they face an uphill battle, reports The Inquirer’s Ximena Conde. Simply put, the readers are already all over the place.

The vast majority of New Jersey’s law enforcement agencies, more than 520 entities, use automated license plate readers. Major retailers, like Home Depot, also deploy the cameras, saying they help with loss prevention and employee safety.

Read Conde’s full story on nascent efforts to restrict this tech in the Garden State.

Screen retreat

After years of giving every student a computer, public school districts across the Philadelphia region are starting this school year differently: They’re pulling back on screens, particularly for early grades.

Some examples:

• The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District in Chester County has stopped assigning iPads to kindergartners.
• In the Colonial School District in Montgomery County, elementary school students have time limits on using their Chromebooks.
• The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District in Delaware County has restricted YouTube access for kids up to the fifth grade.

The rollback comes in response to parent concerns about an overreliance on computers as teaching tools, and concerns that kids can browse sites like YouTube without adequate parental controls.

The Inquirer’s suburban education reporter Maddie Hanna has more on this trend.

What you should know today

• A former Philadelphia police officer faces fraud charges in three local counties for allegedly starting contracting jobs and leaving them unfinished — and in one case, leaving a house uninhabitable.
• The Jefferson County coroner has confirmed another suspected measles-involved fatality in the commonwealth, this time of a 40-year-old unvaccinated woman.
• A Main Line art dealer faces a lawsuit for allegedly participating in a scheme to forge Andy Warhol paintings and prints and sell them through a gallery in Miami.
• Police have arrested a suspect in a 2022 cold case, in which a 30-year-old father of two was fatally gunned down outside of a West Philadelphia night club.
• Family members are planning to sue a Reading-area nonprofit that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, after a man died following a choking incident there last month. The facility has been operating after its license was revoked.
• Langhorne Borough residents aren’t pleased with PennDot’s newest proposal to build a partial cloverleaf interchange on Route 1, saying the measure would still push highway traffic onto local streets.
• Philadelphia-set Abbott Elementary is up for seven Emmy Awards tonight. Go, Quinta, go!

Quote of the day

Germantown is slowly adding new businesses, but residents like Patrick Jones would like to see even more.

For The Inquirer, Zoe Rosenberg reports on efforts to spur new development in the largely residential Northwest Philly neighborhood.

🧠 Trivia time

This Chester County borough is called the “Mushroom Capital of the World” and recently held its 41st annual Mushroom Festival.

A) Phoenixville

B) Downingtown

C) Honey Brook

D) Kennett Square

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re…

🌶️ Eating. Chiles en nogada, a traditional Mexican dish of stuffed poblano peppers in white walnut sauce, are briefly in season. Inquirer food writer Kiki Aranita has where to get them right now.

🏡 Reading. They bought their home in West Oak Lane with the help of Quaker reparations. Inquirer real estate report Michaelle Bond has this account.

🇵🇷 Celebrating. The 42nd Feria del Barrio, an annual festival of Puerto Rican culture in Fairhill, filled the air with the sounds of bomba on Sunday.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Originally founded as a school for white, male orphans, this North Philly institution became the site of pitched legal battles over integration during the civil rights era.

GLACIER LODGER

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

Cheers to Joe Zalewski who correctly guessed Sunday’s answer: Connor Barwin. On Barwin’s “perfect day” in the city, the former Eagles linebacker orders an open-faced burrito (like a burrito bowl) from the same NoLibs cafe he’s visited for about 12 years.

Photo of the day

📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story

It’s time for our weekly ‘only in Philly’ feature, where we elevate stories from our readers. Email us a colorful anecdote about life in Philly for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

Today’s story comes from reader Sam Waltz, who describes hitchhiking to North Philly’s Connie Mack Stadium with his friend Eric back in 1969. A police cruiser stopped to pick them up. I’ll let Sam finish the story, which has been edited for length:

… Eric and I walked to the back of the Philly Police paddy wagon, opened the door, stepped inside, closed the door, and took a seat.

We could watch out the windows as the cops drove up Broad Street, finally pulling over to the curb at the intersection of Broad and Lehigh [a few blocks from the stadium].

Through the window, I heard the cop — not getting out of his seat — rap on the window and yell out, “Hop out, boys, we’re here.”

I pushed open the back door. As I did, I spied a young boy about 9 years old standing right there, watching me curiously.

As I stepped down, suddenly he yelled out, “RUN, MISTER, RUN!”

Of course, he thought I was escaping!

👋 Happy Monday! May the children of Philadelphia be on your side today as well.

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 Sunday. A flash-flood watch is in effect for the region through noon Sunday, but most of the afternoon should be dry.

Philadelphia Ballet will formally debut its new building to the public soon along the Avenue of the Arts. See why architecture critic Inga Saffron says it repeats “the architectural mistakes of an earlier generation of cultural venues.”

Further on, learn about the only all-water cavern in the country and its last ditch effort to prevent it from being developed.

— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

A daunting facade

Philadelphia’s new eye-catching, four-story home for ballet is making a daring leap onto North Broad Street. It will officially open on Sept. 17.

But despite the cultural significance of its arrival on the corridor, architecture critic Inga Saffron argues that the ballet’s building has missed an opportunity to show, as well as tell, what’s going on inside.

Once the dazzle of its solid, pleated metal facade fades away, Saffron notes, the intent to mimic a theater curtain results in a blank, daunting wall. She makes the case that these shortcomings in design, including its lack of street-level windows and a door along Broad, risk isolating the public.

Will Philly embrace its new space for ballet? Read along in Saffron’s review of the building.

The cave’s last chance

Penn’s Cave and Wildlife Park first opened in 1885. Located about 190 miles northwest of Philadelphia, it’s the site of a vast underground cave full of frigid water and mineral deposits, as well as a park with animals like bison and elk.

The Central Pennsylvania park, which has been run by the same family since 1908, is hoping to become the 126th state park by transferring stewardship of its acres to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Acquisition may require legislation, according to a DCNR spokesperson. Russ Schleiden, CEO of the attraction, called the decision “difficult,” but said it was the only way to avoid development of the property.

In Schleiden’s own words: “But we feel that it’s a very important part of not only Centre County, but the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and that it should be preserved in perpetuity.”

Get the full story from rural reporter Jason Nark.

What you should know today

• A new motion filed Friday in the controversial case that has roiled Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office argued that a federal judge should not overturn a man’s murder conviction.
• A man was sentenced to prison Friday for killing two teens in 2022 and 2023 — including firing dozens of bullets outside Roxborough High School in a shooting that left one teen dead and four others seriously wounded.
• A group of Southwest Philly residents are asking the city to act on a catalog of 50 examples of blight in the neighborhood.
• The Trump administration has blocked more than 130 projects in national parks across the country worth at least $25 million without providing a reason, according to internal documents reviewed by the Washington Post.
• Pennsylvania’s highest court struck down automatic life sentences for second-degree murder months ago. On Thursday, four prisoners asked the justices to extend that ruling to everyone still serving one — and to change how the state handles unconstitutional punishments going forward.

This week in history

🎤 Here’s Tommy Rowan with a look back at a fudge shop magnate who was killed outside a Jersey Shore nightclub.

Philadelphia native Harry Anglemyer made a name for himself at the Jersey Shore in the middle of the 20th century with his Copper Kettle fudge shop, which grew into a lucrative chain.

But he also became known for speaking out against the outdated blue laws, and for being gay.

And then on Sept. 7, 1964, Anglemyer was found dead.

Read on for the full story.

❓Pop quiz

After an 18-year push from advocates, Collingswood neighbors could soon seek licenses that would let them keep what in their backyards?

A) goats

B) chickens

C) propane grills

D) firepits

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🧠 Unlocking: The link between words in this week’s Pillars game.

🦅 Predicting: Can the Eagles get off to a flying start in their first game under a new offensive regime? Here’s how our writers see it playing out.

🍔 Hungry for: Flame-broiled retro burgers and fries.

🦴 Fascinated by: Delightfully spooky sculptures at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, among our favorite arts picks this week.

🤩 Scoping out: A “granny special” South Philly home’s old-school features in the latest edition of “How I Bought This House.”

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: This former linebacker now works for the Eagles as head of football development and strategy.

CROWBAR NINON

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

Cheers to Michaelene Fanelli who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: Meek Mill. The North Philly native and rap star’s Dream Chasers Summit has returned to Temple University after 13 years.

Photo of the day

See more photos from the Philadelphia International Airport’s Sept. 11 commemoration in The Inquirer’s photo gallery.

🎶 Today’s track sounds like this: “But there’s truth and consolation in what I’m trying to say / Is that nobody ever had a rainbow, baby, until he had the rain.”

One more musical thing: British pop star Charli XCX opened her Music, Fashion, Film tour in South Philly on Friday night with an “electrifying, existential dance party.” Don’t miss pop critic Dan DeLuca’s dispatch from the show. (For what it’s worth, I have major FOMO.)

👋🏽 Thanks for reading, and take care.

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. Watch out for heavy downpours and the threat of flash flooding starting Saturday evening.

The train is crowded. A new passenger approaches your aisle. Who will have to squeeze into the dreaded middle seat? Inquirer staffers share their thoughts on the polite approach.

Plus, we have an update on the sprawling investigation into missing women in Olney, why the logo for Meta’s new AI agent may look familiar, and our report card for this week in Philly news.

— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

What you should know today

• The woman who police believe was killed by pornographer Raymond Horsch on camera has been identified as Nicole Amanda Fusaro. She was last seen in Kensington in 2018.
• State officials announced four “breakthrough cases” of Pennsylvanians who were vaccinated against measles and have contracted the highly contagious illness.
• Bald Birds Brewing Co. violated state wage law at its Montgomery County and Lycoming County locations, with some workers going unpaid for five weeks, according to state regulators.
• After Meta debuted its new AI agent “Muse” this week, Inquirer columnist Stephanie Farr connected the dots on why its logo rang a few bells: It resembles Mural Arts Philadelphia’s logo.
• Cherry Hill’s new Asianfresh Food Market officially opens to shoppers on Saturday. Take a peek inside.
• The Wings, Philadelphia’s National Lacrosse League team, is discontinuing operations.
• Beauty brand Dove is picking up the tab at South Street’s Marsha’s on Saturday, as part of a partnership with select women-owned bars across the country.
• City crews officially began installing the Rocky statue at the top of the Art Museum steps on Friday. Construction is slated to be completed over the next two weeks and will cost roughly $150,000.
• From a disappointing $88 baked potato to our first look at a new sports arena, catch up on the good, bad, and weird from recent stories out of Philly.

Rush hour train seat rules

A reader asked: On Regional Rail, I often sit in the aisle of a three-seater, knowing the car will fill up at rush hour. When it does, I stand up so another passenger can take the middle seat, then return to my aisle seat. My friend says that’s awkward on a busy car, and I should just slide over. Who’s right?

Personally, I think both achieve the same objective — namely, offering a seat at all — but the first option takes up more time, and feels like the less socially acceptable move.

To analyze the moral situation, my colleagues Beatrice Forman and Abigail Covington lit up the group chat with some unfiltered thoughts. “Everybody knows the middle seat is terrible,” Covington said.

Forman suggested that taking ownership of the end of the row comes off as a defensive posture. “I think it’s weird because it treats the middle seat kind of like a punishment? And most Regional Rail rides aren’t long enough to the point that it matters,” Forman said.

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

One viewpoint

Inquirer columnist Daniel Pearson was 12 years old when the 9/11 terror attacks happened. In reflection on the anniversary of the terror attacks, he argues that America lost its way afterward, and traces much of what went wrong to the nation’s initial efforts to avenge the fallen.

“When the planes hit the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001, most of us did not realize it was the first step in the dismantling of the world we knew,” Pearson writes.

Read on for Pearson’s perspective on how the country can change its trajectory.

❓Pop quiz

Rep. David Maloney, a Republican who represents parts of Berks County, wants to rename Lake Erie to what?

A) Lake Maloney

B) Lake Trump

C) Lake Berks

D) Lake Pennsylvania

Think you know? Check your answer.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: North Philly native and multiplatinum artist

LEMME ILK

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

Cheers to Terry Hafler, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Penn Medicine. Earlier this week, the hospital system announced a $50 million gift to accelerate work on therapies for cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases with the hope of bringing treatments to market faster.

We were there

The Academy of Natural Sciences Museum is closing its doors, but its “beating heart” will remain, to the tune of 19 million specimens amassed over more than two centuries. Think bird carcasses, fish, mollusks, minerals, and bones of various kinds.

Culture writer Peter Dobrin takes us backstage beyond the museum walls to show one of the world’s largest repositories of natural specimens, and what will happen to the trove.

Somewhere on the internet in Philly

💡 A team of Inquirer journalists sat down to answer reader questions about the case of Raymond Horsch and his son, Eugene.

🕰️ Redditors are reminiscing on a decades-old photo of the food court in The Gallery. One commenter said, “I can smell this picture.”

😍 Hello Kitty x Eagles? Yes, please.

👋🏽 Thanks for reading! It was nice to catch up with you. Let’s do this again 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.

Good morning, Philly. Today, we’re expecting highs in the upper 80s with a chance of showers.

Up first, a race in a historically blue congressional district now has two candidates trying to shake up the status quo.

Then, we hear from post-9/11 veterans about how their service shapes their lives to this day.

Plus, N.J. Gov. Mikie Sherrill faces tough questions about her lieutenant governor, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

‘Anti-MAGA’ and ‘anti-DSA’

In solidly Democratic Philadelphia, the primary election can be the real race, with Democratic nominees coasting to victory in November. That’s especially true in Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District, one of the bluest seats in the country.

Dennis Mahoney hopes to change that.

The 34-year-old independent candidate is the only opponent challenging State Rep. Chris Rabb, a democratic socialist from Northwest Philly who beat out a crowded field in May to become the Democratic nominee.

Mahoney, who said he was unable to find a home in either party, is backed by a Philly-based super PAC, Forward Party Victory Fund, which supports independent candidates described as both “anti-MAGA” and “anti-DSA.”

While odds of an upstart win in Philly are long, there are signs U.S. voters are looking for alternatives outside the two-party system. A Gallup poll earlier this year found that 45% of U.S. adults identified as independents — a record high.

Inquirer political reporter Fallon Roth has the full story.

Post-9/11 veterans, in their words

When Inquirer editors asked reporter Brett Sholtis to do a story about 9/11-affected veterans for the 25th anniversary of the attacks, it piqued his interest.

“A lot of the world has kind of moved on,” Sholtis said, though he knew many veterans don’t ultimately survive their mental wounds. Tens of thousands have died by suicide in the years following their service. He was also acquainted with people who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and knew that their experiences were diverse — and certainly not all tinged by tragedy.

“The important thing is to let people tell their own story,” Sholtis said.

So he did. For the four people he profiled in this story, 9/11 is a turning point. But the events of that day reverberated through their lives in entirely unique ways.

For one woman, it was the start of a fruitful military career and the conduit to meeting her husband. For another man, a blast from an improvised explosive device led to yearslong mental health struggles that he now processes via poetry.

Read on for their stories and more.

What you should know today

• N.J. Democrats are frustrated with Gov. Mikie Sherrill for not speaking up about allegations that Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell acted inappropriately toward women.
• Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky appeared in court on Tuesday, as a part of a bid by his attorneys to receive a new trial.
• The City of Wildwood faces a lawsuit after a child participating in a drunken driving simulation lost control of a golf cart and struck bystanders.
• Holtec, a Camden company known for managing waste from nuclear power plants, will have an initial public offering to raise money for new products, like mini nuclear reactors.
• Camden has been using drones to aid in its crackdown on illegal dumping.
• Stone Harbor’s Wetlands Institute has been forced to relocate and will raze — and then raise — its building to deal with sea-level rise.
• Ahead of training camp, the Flyers announced their new roster.

Quote of the day

On the cusp of his 50th season calling Eagles games, Merrill Reese, 84, has no plans to retire.

Read Inquirer sports reporter Matt Breen’s story on how he preps for the broadcast booth.

🧠 Trivia time

This Washington, D.C.-based bagel chain, known for its loaded sandwiches and pink and teal storefronts, just opened a location in Philly and has two more planned. What’s it called?

A) Call Your Mother

B) Schmaltz and Schmear

C) Bart’s Bagels

D) Bullfrog Bagels

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🎧 Listening to. Philadelphia band the War on Drugs has released its first new music in five years, “a synth-heavy slow-building rock song” called “Who’s That.”

📺 Watching. Saturday Night Live returns with a new season, and local favorites like Jalen Brunson and Shane Gillis are among those hosting.

🏈 Playing. We removed the ball from these photos of Eagles games. Can you guess where it was?

🌸 Admiring. This prize-winning front garden on Fairmount’s Centennial Boulevard features flowering plants like roses and purple liriope.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Sean Mannion’s position with the Eagles

FRONDOSE VOCIFERATION

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

Many of you chimed in, but today’s cheers go to Rosalie Hawn for correctly guessing Wednesday’s anagram answer: the Spectrum. A new arena for the 76ers and Flyers is scheduled to open in 2030 on the site where the Spectrum stood until 2010.

Photo of the day

A lucky talisman and a memorial, all rolled into one.

Here’s to Thursday! 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.

Good morning, Philly. Today should be mostly sunny, with temperatures grazing the upper 80s.

We’re starting with how a criminal investigation into healthcare fraud has upended a $55 million donation to Temple University, during an already-tough financial spell for the school.

And we have a roundup of restaurants opening in our area for the rest of the year.

Plus, a former staffer announces she’s challenging Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

A ‘painful’ separation

The $55 million donation from alumnus Christopher M. Barnett — the largest in Temple University’s history — was supposed to flow to its College of Public Health.

But after allegations emerged last week that the healthcare executive’s company overbilled insurers to fund his lavish lifestyle, Temple’s administration and Barnett made the decision to part ways.

“We have to think about our values,” Temple president John Fry told The Inquirer. “Given the nature of the allegations, we felt that the best thing to do was to separate ourselves from this … as painful as that is.”

That meant stripping Barnett’s name from the College of Public Health and terminating the donation, which Temple had not yet received.

Barnett has not been charged and denies the allegations.

The Inquirer’s Susan Snyder and Abraham Gutman detail the fallout.

New restaurants galore

Around five dozen restaurants are slated to open around our region this fall, according to food writer Michael Klein. Amid this boon are some trending menu items like caviar, Korean barbecue, and cocktails.

But it’s hard to generalize with offerings as varied and eclectic as those coming soon. Before I share Klein’s full list of openings, here are three descriptions that caught my eye:

🐍 Philly Curio (2240 Frankford Ave.): This restaurant-bar from the founder of the Tattoo Arts Convention will display his private collection of curiosities, such as tribal masks, skeletal displays, and taxidermy; its Cajun-Creole menu will feature unconventional proteins like rattlesnake.

🎨 Opus (201 Birch St., Kennett Square): This two-story space includes a 125-seat New American restaurant, a cocktail lounge, terraces, and work by local artists. Profits will support community projects and nonprofits.

🐟 Rumblefish (1700 N. Third St.): This fast-casual Caribbean fish-fry restaurant will focus on serving invasive species, breaded in corn flour and seasoned with Trinidadian spice blends, to take out or eat on the covered patio.

Read on for Klein’s full list.

What you should know today

• Shania Bennett, the 26-year-old former director of youth engagement in Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration, has announced she will challenge Parker for the Democratic nomination for mayor next year.
• ICE arrested at least 49 people during a raid at a construction site in central Pennsylvania last week, immigration advocates said.
• U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick and Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, both Pennsylvania Republicans, will be speaking at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, an event dubbed “Trump-a-palooza.”
• A retired Philadelphia elementary school principal failed to deposit cash received for book fairs, graduation fees, and holiday bazaars in the school’s bank account. The Philadelphia School District’s inspector general said the missing funds total more than $31,000.
• The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office argued in a new court filing that District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office should be barred from overseeing a post-conviction case that has landed his office in hot water.
• Hundreds protested the closure of the Academy of Natural Sciences on Tuesday, including a fifth grader who said the museum inspired her dreams of being a paleontologist.
• The Eagles’ Brandon Graham announced he was retiring for the second time in as many years on Tuesday.

Quote of the day

In one of the swingiest congressional districts in Pennsylvania, Bob Harvie, the Democratic challenger to incumbent Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, is campaigning on affordability while barely mentioning abortion.

That reflects a broader messaging shift by Democrats, The Inquirer’s Fallon Roth reports.

🧠 Trivia time

A private construction crew knocked down a legally mandated sign warning drivers of a speed camera on the 6500 block of North Broad Street. How many speeding tickets did the Philadelphia Parking Authority have to throw out as a result of that missing sign?

A) 80,000

B) 23,195

C) 5,920

D) 247,649

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🍁 Planning for. This summer’s hot and steamy weather may have a silver lining, reports The Inquirer’s Tony Wood. Those conditions could make for a spectacular leaf-peeping season.

🎭 Watching. With more than 330 shows, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival can be overwhelming. We asked some of the theater artists performing this year for their tips on picking the best shows to see.

🍵 Sipping. Food writer Kiki Aranita waited in line for 90 minutes to try a King Jasmine Guava tea at heytea, one of a slew of Chinese-owned drink chains opening in Philly.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: The new arena for the 76ers and Flyers will rise where this building once stood.

CRUMPETS

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

Cheers to Beth Briglia, who correctly guessed Sunday’s answer: Icona Resorts. The founder, Eustace Mita, says his hotels and mansions are built on faith. He’s behind the Wonderland Pier hotel proposal in Ocean City and planning Avalon’s largest house

Photo of the day

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we revisit photographer Tom Gralish’s lovely photo essay on artifacts from that day that live on in our region.

Thank you for spending time with The Inquirer this morning. 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.

Good morning, Philly! Happy Sunday. 👋 Good news: Today and Labor Day are shaping up to be beautiful, with sunny skies and temps near 80.

Back in 2024, a man from Amish country bet on the U.S. Open, then sent the U.S. Tennis Association a bomb threat. His goal was to disrupt a match and stop himself from losing money. The Inquirer took a look back at the incident, digging deeper into the story of what happened that day.

Pennsylvania’s governor’s race is around the corner, and voters say they most want the candidates — Democratic incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro and Republican Stacy Garrity — to address cost-of-living concerns, according to a recent poll.

— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

Loss of control

It was Sept. 2, 2024, the U.S. Open was in full swing, clouds dimming the early afternoon sun. Inside Louis Armstrong Stadium, a surprise was brewing.

Brian Maguire, the USTA’s director of security, answered a call from one of his staff members. Someone had sent a direct message to the USTA’s Twitter/X account: “I’m inside Louis Armstrong with a bomb that will go off at 1 pm est.”

Maguire requested that the FBI open a guardian — that is, begin gathering evidence for a federal case — against the person who had made the threat. Within 20 minutes, the officers and agents were radioing back from their search to tell Maguire, We’re clear. Louis Armstrong Stadium was never evacuated.

Cut to May 2026. Aidan Getchius trudged into a courtroom with his lawyer and his mother. He has admitted he used a gambling app to place a $100 wager on a match, but when it became clear that he would lose out, he panicked. From 160 miles away, he had thumb-typed and sent the bomb threat.

‘Pennsylvanians need a relief’

For most voters in Pennsylvania, the economy and cost-of-living concerns are the most important issues in the governor’s race between incumbent Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his Republican challenger, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, according to a recent poll from The Philadelphia Inquirer, the New York Times, and Siena University.

As Election Day draws nearer, both campaigns are focusing their messaging on these kitchen table issues.

While mounting his reelection campaign, Shapiro is highlighting his accomplishments during his first term that his campaign says has given Pennsylvanians more money back through tax cuts and wage increases for childcare workers.

Meanwhile, Garrity has recently shared her own plan, called “Turnaround PA,” to make living more affordable with an outline of how she’d lower prescription drug costs, reduce property taxes, and aim to cut energy bills to get there.

What you should know today

• Last week William F. Dunbar Sr., a lobbyist and former informal adviser to Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, pleaded guilty to federal tax fraud charges. The Inquirer broke down everything you need to know.
• Weeks after thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants saw the end of their protected status in the U.S., exposing them to ICE arrest and deportation, more than 170,000 people from El Salvador now face the same fate.
• An executive order signed by New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill blocking federal immigration agents from using nonpublic state property does not violate the constitution, a federal judge ruled.
• Michael Fanning, the Philadelphia Family Court judge who faced domestic violence charges earlier this year on allegations he assaulted his wife and adult daughter, resigned from the bench, a source said.
• Only one applicant has been prequalified to bid on Haddon Heights’ first retail liquor license — a Philadelphia-based developer with plans for a restaurant and luxury apartments on the corner of Station Avenue and the White Horse Pike.

This week in history

🎤 Here’s Tommy Rowan with a look back at the Beatles sneaking into a Philly concert hall in a fish truck.

The Beatles needed to get to Philadelphia and into Convention Hall to put on a show, but Beatlemania had fully taken hold of youth in the United States.

Of all people, not-yet-commish Frank Rizzo had a plan.

He just needed a diversion, and an inconspicuous mode of transportation.

Read on for the full story.

❓Pop quiz

The Philadelphia metro area’s top out-of-town market for rental searches was from which area?

A) Maryland

B) New Jersey

C) New York

D) Rhode Island

Think you know? Check your answer.

What (and whom) we’re …

💑 Admiring: A couple who used to date are now best friends, and they’re raising a baby together.

🧠 Playing: This week’s Pillars, The Inquirer’s new word game, built specifically for Philly.

🦅 Proud of: Dolan’s Bar in Ridley Park, for organizing a surprise party for Uar Bernard. They showed support from Eagles fans to the seventh-round draft pick, who is now a member of the Eagles’ practice squad.

🍽️ Craving: A South Philly restaurant’s Vietnamese fried chicken and phở, which are some of the best things Craig LaBan ate this week.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Luxury hospitality brand with boutique beachfront hotels along the Jersey Shore

ASCOT IRONERS

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

Cheers to Rick Eisenberg, who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: Rite Aid. A former location of this now-defunct chain on Walnut Street could become an apartment tower.

Photo of the day

🦇 One more fun thing: A couple was spotted in Center City over the weekend taking wedding photos with an iconic ride: the Batmobile.

🎶 Today’s song goes a little like this: “When you decide that your life is a prize / Renew, revive.”

👋 That’s all from me, folks. Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

And speaking of the holiday, a friendly reminder that our next Morning Newsletter is coming to you on Wednesday. Talk to you soon!

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 Labor Day Weekend. Cloudy skies should clear up this afternoon, with highs near 83.

For this week’s advice column, we have an only-in-Philadelphia dilemma. When hosting guests from out of town, is it OK to skip a trip to the Liberty Bell?

Plus, we have the latest on Johnny Doc’s release from federal prison, details about a second measles-involved fatality in Pennsylvania, and our report card for this week in Philly news.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

What you should know today

• After a week with no additional details about the two measles-involved deaths in Pennsylvania, the Lancaster County coroner shared that measles had killed a 6-week-old Amish infant.
• Sen. John Fetterman is once again under the microscope following a report that he ducked meetings with constituents, among other allegations from former staffers.
• Former Philadelphia labor leader John Dougherty walked out of a federal penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pa., on Friday, one day after news broke that he would receive a presidential commutation for his corruption conviction.
• Labor Day kicks off campaign season in earnest, so we have your guide to the must-watch political races this fall.
• Phillies infielder Alec Bohm and his parents have settled a financial mismanagement lawsuit in which he accused the elder Bohms of enriching themselves off his baseball earnings.
• Oona Sperr, the daughter of the Please Touch Museum founder and a prominent Philadelphia architect, is suing her oil tycoon ex-boyfriend for $400 million.
• An all-cat band is playing in Philly this weekend, to sold out crowds.
• From Cecily Tynan’s last 6abc weather forecast to renewed hope for the Phillies, catch up on the rest of this week’s good, bad, and weird stories out of Philly.

🔔 Over the Liberty Bell

For this week’s advice column, a reader asked: My parents keep insisting we take visitors to the Liberty Bell. I’ve been five times this year. I can’t do it anymore but they want me to tag along because they think if I don’t I’ll just play my Switch at home. How can I convince them to go… anywhere else?

To help solve this quandary, The Inquirer tapped Life & Culture reporters Mike Newall and Zoe Greenberg.

To start, Newall and Greenberg suggested getting a more personalized feel for what out-of-town visitors might enjoy. Are they gourmands? Then take them to a meal at one of Philadelphia’s award-winning restaurants. History buffs? There’s Washington’s tent at the Revolution Museum, or Lewis and Clark’s journals at the American Philosophical Society.

For more on how they advised our dear reader to get their parents to think beyond the Bell, read Newall and Greenberg’s full conversation here.

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

One viewpoint

Potholes and sinkholes are a basic fact of life in Philadelphia, but fixing them shouldn’t take moving heaven and Earth, argues Inquirer opinion writer Daniel Pearson in his Shackamaxon column.

This week, Pearson chronicles the 13-year-long saga one block has endured to get their street fixed. He argues that the city shouldn’t institute a proposed delivery tax to pay for filling potholes until it cleans up the communication and coordination issues like those at play on the 1600 block of South Lawrence Street.

Read on for Pearson’s perspective, as well as his takes on banning Flock cameras and closing of the Academy of Natural Sciences.

❓Pop quiz

The U.S. Constitution, which was signed at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, turns how old this month?

A) 250

B) 247

C) 227

D) 239

Think you know? Check your answer.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: A proposed 118-unit apartment building at 23rd and Walnut Streets would be replace a building that used to house a location of what now-bankrupt chain.

ARID TIE

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

Cheers to Nancy Bush, who correctly guessed Friday’s anagram: Gloria Steinem. In 1982, Steinem traveled to Philadelphia to receive an award. During her trip, she met with the Inquirer’s Kathy Hacker, who wrote this profile.

We were there

Inquirer video producer Lauren Schneiderman witnessed throngs of visitors packing the Academy of Natural Sciences on Friday.

Attendees told her they wanted their kids to experience the nearly 200-year-old museum before it shuts down at the end of the month.

Somewhere on the internet in Philly

🥸 Retired 6abc anchor Jim Gardner shaved his signature mustache, and people had feelings about it. Crossing Broad even compiled an homage to his famous whiskers over the years.

🚍 A SEPTA bus got stuck in freshly poured concrete outside of Termini Bros. Of course, there’s video.

👋 Thanks for hanging with me this Saturday. Paola Pérez is off so Sam Stewart will be your captain 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, Philly.

Today, we start with the political fight over measles in Pennsylvania and how it mirrors fault lines established during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And, we look ahead to football season with a deeply-reported profile of the reserved Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, as he reckons with how his aloofness could be holding back the team.

Plus, John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty’s presidential commutation, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

Outbreak politics

An airborne virus. Case numbers ticking up. A debate over the efficacy of vaccines.

This year’s major measles outbreak represents a far different public health crisis than COVID-19. But the political tussle over how government should respond rhymes with the fights over the pandemic, and is now feeding into a new line of attack in the governor’s race this year.

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s decision to personally announce the two measles-involved deaths in Lancaster last week is giving “lots of people flashbacks to” COVID, particularly conservatives who believed there was government overreach, said one GOP consultant.

Shapiro’s Republican gubernatorial challenger, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, has sought to strengthen that association — and used it to attack Shapiro over new Department of Health regulations proposed earlier this year.

The Inquirer’s Sam Janesch and Michelle Baruchman have the full story.

Hurts under the microscope

Eagles starting quarterback Jalen Hurts is not known for partying or sloppy behavior off the field. But he does have a different liability that he appears to be actively working to change ahead of his seventh season with the Eagles: his introversion.

With reporters and teammates, Hurts has been trying to let his guard down, sources told The Inquirer, sitting down for longer interviews and organizing team outings. By all accounts, he’s also embraced changes to offensive strategy to try to shake off last season’s disappointing performance.

But change is hard.

When asked about the pressures he’s under as he starts a critical year given his contract realities with the Eagles, Hurts gave one of his signature, cryptic answers: “No narratives are new. Just recycled.”

Inquirer Eagles beat reporter Jeff McLane’s has this deep dive on Hurts and changes to the Eagles offense that could set the tone for the season.

What you should know today

• President Donald Trump agreed to commute the prison sentence of John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty, the former Philadelphia labor leader convicted of bribery and embezzlement, Dougherty’s lawyer said on Thursday.
• One year after SEPTA was cutting service to help close a budget deficit, Moody’s Ratings has upgraded its financial outlook from negative to stable, due to “better-than-expected financial performance” this year.
• Elon Musk’s super PAC has contributed roughly $12,000 apiece to support three GOP incumbent congressmen in tough reelection fights.
• Burlington Stores, which takes its name from its longtime location in Burlington Township, N.J., is moving its corporate headquarters to Philadelphia.
• Campbell’s Co., the soup, snack, and sauce slinger headquartered in Camden, cut 13% of its workforce and plans to raise prices amid declining sales.
• Mighty Writers, a Philly educational nonprofit that provides tutoring, after-school care, and other support for low-income families, is temporarily suspending its offerings due to funding difficulties.
• A Guinean man who has lived legally in the United States for nearly 20 years and resides in West Oak Lane may be deported to a different country — Ghana.

Plus: Why Regional Rail trains don’t have restrooms

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’re resurfacing an explainer from 2024 on a burning question facing many Philly-area commuters: Why don’t SEPTA’s Regional Rail trains have restrooms?

Pittsburgh Regional Transit has them. So does New Jersey Transit.

SEPTA’s communications department said the trips its trains take are not long enough to require facilities onboard, but the full story is a bit more complicated.

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

A man has been charged with attempted burglary of which famous Philadelphia athlete’s Chester County home?

A) Jason Kelce

B) Bryce Harper

C) Joel Embiid

D) Saquon Barkley

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

What we’re…

🇺🇸 Collecting. Who needs a bobblehead of the Phanatic riding a bald eagle? Inquirer columnist Stephanie Farr wrote up all the most over-the-top commemorative tchotchkes rolled out this summer for America’s 250th.

🚣 Wishing for. After a summer packed with novel sporting events in the city, Inquirer sports editor Kerith Gabriel has this wish list of five more he’d love to see return to Philly.

🎧 Reading…err, listening to. If you find book clubs too sedentary and hiking clubs too social, this New Jersey bookstore has melded the two to make a unique third thing. The Inquirer’s Sam Stewart takes us to a meeting of its audiobook walking club.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: This author, activist and feminist icon passed away on Wednesday at the age of 92.

EGOIST MANLIER

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

Cheers to Alisa Giardinelli, who correctly guessed Thursday’s anagram: Bruno Mars. Fans braved stormy weather to see the entertainer play two back-to-back nights in his “The Romantic Tour” at the Linc. “It was a pleasure to spend a few hours with such a world-class entertainer, even on a thunderstorm-soaked South Philly summer night,” wrote Inquirer pop music critic Dan DeLuca.

Photo of the day

I feel you, bud! But the long weekend is almost here.

See you all on Saturday morning 👋

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. There’s a heat advisory today, as temperatures are expected to head toward the triple digits.

Today, we start with exclusive documents obtained by The Inquirer in the case of Raymond “R.C.” Horsch: a 1985 psychological evaluation which raised red flags decades before he was linked to the disappearances of at least five women.

And, we’ll explain the recent controversy around measles-involved deaths in Pennsylvania.

Plus, a tentative plan to preserve aspects of the Academy of Natural Sciences, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

“Consumed by anger”

In 1985, a four-hour exam concluded that Raymond Horsch was “grandiose, mistrustful, suspicious, and excessively controlling,” according to a psychological profile obtained by The Inquirer.

He was also “consumed by anger.”

The full report, which has not been previously reported, is a window into the mind and early childhood of the criminal pornographer at the center of an expanding investigation into a series of missing women.

At the time, Horsch faced sentencing on federal drug charges he’d tried to dodge by assuming a new identity in New Zealand. It would take decades before his home would become the center of a growing missing-persons investigation.

But the report indicated that Horsch could be capable of great violence. Reading it, “I would say you have a potential serial killer on your hands,” a retired FBI special agent told The Inquirer.

The Inquirer’s Max Marin, Ryan W. Briggs, and Ellie Rushing have the full story.

Measles deaths cause confusion

Last week, Pennsylvania officials reported two deaths associated with measles, amid a growing outbreak that has already sickened more than 500 people in the state so far this year.

The vagueness of that disclosure touched off a number of strong reactions:

• Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. clashed over the announcement. Kennedy accused Pennsylvania of “fabricating” the deaths and Shapiro said Kennedy is spreading misinformation.
• Public health experts criticized the Shapiro administration, saying that by not releasing more information about those who died it created a void for conspiracy theorists to fill.

State officials later explained that they define a measles-associated death as one where evidence of measles is present, whether or not it’s listed as the immediate cause of death.

Inquirer health reporter Aubrey Whelan breaks down what else we know about the cases.

What you should know today

• A day after its closure announcement shook the city, the Academy of Natural Sciences and Drexel University came to a tentative agreement about how the transition to a new space, and other changes, would be managed, multiple sources said.
• A spokesperson for Gov. Josh Shapiro said he is open to signing legislation banning Flock cameras, the controversial license-plate reading technology.
• After progressive candidate wins in other cities, Philly real estate developers are pouring money into a PAC aimed at protecting business-friendly Democratic incumbents.
• Upper Darby elected officials will consider a sweeping ordinance to restrict how federal immigration officers operate within the township.
• An illegal speakeasy and hookah lounge, where an off-duty police officer got into an argument before he was fatally shot outside, must close, a judge has ruled.
• A Peco project to install new utility poles in West Philly has been paused after residents expressed outrage over plans to trim back the tree canopy.

Quote of the day

Nneka Nwosu, a Philadelphia native currently serving as the vice president of marketing and local programming at WLS in Chicago, will take over running 6abc’s Action News newsroom, reports The Inquirer’s Rob Tornoe.

🧠 Trivia time

Move over, $140 cheesesteak from Barclay Prime. There’s a new luxury food gimmick in town. Mr. Edison, the two-story steakhouse on Broad Street, is slinging a crab-stuffed, caviar-covered “blackout” baked potato. How much does it set diners back?

A) $88

B) $200

C) $54

D) $125

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🍽️ Catching up on. If summer put you in a dining-out rut, food writer Mike Klein rounded up a dozen new restaurants to try.

🎧 Listening to. Travis Kelce gave some of his only public remarks about his wedding to Taylor Swift on the new episode of his podcast, New Heights, per the Inquirer’s Mia Messina. He also talked football.

📆 Tracking. Monday is a holiday, which means a mishmash of businesses will closed. Check out our handy guide before running errands.

🏈 Reading. “From his early playing days Division 3… to becoming Iowa State’s winningest head coach, Matt Campbell has built a career that has prepared him for his highest-profile opportunity yet,” writes Devin Jackson in this profile of Penn State’s new head football coach.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Concertgoers braved thunderstorms to see this artist perform hits like “24K Magic” at the Linc on Tuesday.

NUMB ROARS

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

Cheers to Jimmy Butterfield, who correctly guessed Wednesday’s answer: Collingswood. Residents of this borough are weighing whether to allow alcohol sales within its borders.

Photo of the day

This summer’s ongoing storm roulette hit Gloucester County, N.J., on Tuesday night. Here’s hoping the power is back in time to run the A/C today.

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.

Good morning, Philly. Expect hot, muggy conditions with thunderstorms threatening today.

Speaking of the weather, our region has experienced an unusually flood-prone season, a new Inquirer analysis has found. We start today by understanding what’s driving the deluges.

And, we learn about a plan to preserve a stripped-down version of the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Plus, new allegations emerge in the case of a Mayor Parker confidant who pleaded guilty to tax fraud, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

Water, water everywhere

This summer, I’ve been startled by the number of times my phone has blared a flash flood warning, vibrating with urgency and imploring me not to risk going out.

It’s not just me. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has set a record for flood warnings this year. With four months left in 2026, the Philadelphia region has experienced nearly three times as many floods as it normally gets in an entire year, according to a new Inquirer analysis. Read on for more about this soupy trend.

🌧️ Causes: In general, rising global temperatures add more water vapor to the air. Locally, it’s possible that June’s above-normal sea-surface temperatures off the coast may have juiced rainfall.

📍 Hot spots: Floods are unpredictable, but Upper Makefield, in Bucks County; Germantown, in Philadelphia; portions of Camden, and towns near the Brandywine Creek all see frequent flooding.

⚠️ About those warnings: They’re forecasts, so they don’t always pan out. But local emergency responders say it’s better to be warned than surprised.

Read The Inquirer’s full analysis of the unusually flood-prone summer here.

A new life for dinos and dioramas?

As news broke yesterday that the Academy of Natural Sciences would shut its doors at the end of the month, tributes to the historic institution poured in.

Many Philadelphians recalled how the nearly 200-year-old natural history museum shaped them, vividly describing exhibits they’d seen decades ago.

But some civic leaders piped up to say all is not lost. David L. Cohen, the former U.S. ambassador to Canada and Comcast executive, said he’s been tapped by Gov. Josh Shapiro to find a fix.

“I don’t want to lose the Academy on my watch, and neither does the mayor,” Shapiro told Cohen, Cohen said. “Can you figure out if there’s a solution here?”

Drexel University, which absorbed the Academy in 2011, and the Academy are exploring the establishment of another, perhaps smaller, museum elsewhere with a third partner, Cohen said.

Inquirer higher education reporter Susan Snyder has the full story.

What you should know today

• Court documents revealed that a key adviser to Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s 2023 campaign not only committed tax evasion, he also tried unsuccessfully to bilk the campaign, prosecutors said.
• The Upper Pottsgrove police officer who shot and killed a college student after the student knocked on the wrong door has been charged with manslaughter.
• Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner will not be called to testify about a controversial case that has seen attorneys in his office accuse him of putting his own interests before the law.
• Police have identified the victim killed in a knife-wielding spree in Times Square as Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.
• SEPTA is getting $13.3 million from the federal government to finance a replacements for its Regional Rail Silverliner IV cars, which were built in the 1970s and have a tendency to catch fire.
• The School District of Philadelphia is pushing back the deadline to apply to its 37 magnet schools, citing state delays in reporting standardized test results.

Quote of the day

Heavy Metal Sausage Co.’s tiny trattoria in South Philly has earned national accolades, but a recent order by the city’s Health Department to stop serving meals could spell its end, The Inquirer’s Bea Forman reports.

🧠 Trivia time

Which food company announced a $1.2 billion investment for a new manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania on Tuesday?

A) Hershey

B) Nestlé

C) Yum! Brands

D) Chobani

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🍷 Sipping. Snacky European-style bars are having a moment in Philly. Food critic Craig LaBan reviews two exemplars: Bar ILU in Kensington and Grace & Proper in Bella Vista.

🍂 Planning for. Empty calendar got you down? Reporter Dugan Arnett has your guide to festivals, group bike rides, and other fall-flavored fun to fill your schedule in the coming months.

🦕 Hunting. If the closure of the Academy of Natural Sciences leaves you yearning to walk with the giants, Arnett also has this list of prehistoric parks and exhibits to get your fix.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Urban legend has it that Knight Park, in this New Jersey borough, must be sold off if alcohol sales are ever permitted there.

SCOLDING WOOL

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

Cheers to Richard Brasch who correctly guessed Monday’s anagram: Freckled Jawn. A South Jersey couple decided to buy their local brewery, Eight & Sand Beer Co., in Woodbury rather than see it shut down for good. The newly renamed Freckled Jawn Brewing is expected to open in October.

Photo of the day

Continuing with today’s water theme, hope your Wednesday is as peaceful as this placid photo of Neshaminy Creek 👋

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.