Category: Newsletters

Welcome to September, Philly. Expect an August-like high of around 90, with an outside shot at showers.

Today, we have an in-depth profile of the man holding one of Philly’s most important unelected roles, and the trials he overcame to get there.

And, we ask New Jersey’s godfather of sports betting, former Governor Chris Christie, about his take on that industry today.

Plus, 6abc chief meteorologist Cecily Tynan’s last broadcast, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Improbable rise

Over a decade ago, Carlton William became the face of a tragedy that could have ended his career.

As the commissioner of Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections, he bore scrutiny for L&I’s role in the deadly 2013 Market Street building collapse. Then-mayoral candidate Jim Kenney called for Williams to be fired.

Today, Williams remembers that tragedy as “one of the saddest moments” of his time in government. “You have to lead through some tough challenges when you’re a leader,” he said in an interview with The Inquirer. “You don’t get to pick and choose when you lead.”

Williams not only kept his job, he’s now Philadelphia’s managing director, the most powerful city administrator after Mayor Cherelle Parker. His durability, some say, is a testament to the relationships he’s built since then, including with Mayor Parker.

Inquirer reporter Anna Orso charts his rise – and talks to Williams about his promise to be “accessible” in his new role.

Christie’s early bet

In 2012, then-New Jersey governor Chris Christie signed a bill legalizing sports betting in the Garden State. In doing so, he defied federal law and set off a veritable jackpot of lawsuits.

At the time, Christie was trying to “differentiate Atlantic City, and give the casinos something new and different to offer,” he said in a recent interview with The Inquirer.

Eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with Christie’s logic, overturning the federal law barring sports gambling. It’s since evolved into a 24/7, online prediction betting industry where bets can be placed not only on sporting events but on random occurrences.

“I don’t think I could ever have anticipated that it would be in everybody’s pocket. That’s a little bit disturbing to me,” said Christie, who now works as a strategic adviser to the American Gaming Association.

Read the full interview with Inquirer investigative reporter David Gambacorta.

What you should know today

• Pennsylvania Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman came out in support of President Donald Trump’s pro-data center position, “Let Data Reign,” in a post on X.
• William Dunbar, a key adviser in Mayor Cherelle Parker’s 2023 campaign, has pleaded guilty to tax evasion.
• Two measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania last week were omitted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s measles outbreak update, continuing an increasingly political clash over the nature of the deaths.
• Live hospital schedules and cell phone numbers for thousands of medical workers in Philly and beyond were made erroneously available by an online workforce scheduling tool.
• A $300 million-plus, 525-foot-long ship built at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard will be sailing for the U.S. Navy, likely supporting U.S. forces in the Middle East.
• A man has been extradited from Honduras to Philadelphia to face charges in a murder case that rocked Hunting Park in 2000.
• The 52 Philly public schools that still lack air-conditioning will dismiss classes early today due to the expected heat.

Quote of the day

After more than three decades on the air, 6abc chief meteorologist Cecily Tynan offered her final weather report on Action News Monday night, The Inquirer’s Rob Tornoe reports.

🧠 Trivia time

When the Eagles announced their active roster on Sunday, how many quarterbacks made the cut?

A) 2

B) 3

C) 4

D) 5

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re…

🥒 Tasting. Philly’s no stranger to breweries and distilleries offering tours and tastings, but soon it will have its very first “brinery” for pickles, food writer Mike Klein reports.

🎧 Listening to. Pearl Jam is releasing a new vinyl LP of a 2016 Philly concert where the band gave an impromptu performance of their entire debut album Ten, per music critic Dan DeLuca.

🏠 Squeezing into. While the trend in other cities may be for more commodious abodes, Philly’s new apartments are shrinking, real estate reporter Michaelle Bond reports.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: ________ ____ Brewing recently opened in Gloucester County, New Jersey.

CLEF DAWN JERK

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

Cheers to Kierston Koory who correctly guessed Monday’s answer: Dominic Sessa. Before portraying Bourdain in the A24 biopic “Tony,” South Jerseyite Sessa used his paychecks from Cathy’s 14th Street Bakery in Ocean City to buy booze. It was the perfect research.

Photo of the day

Thanks for reading 👋

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Good morning and happy Monday. Shower chances are back in the forecast, with highs in the mid-80s.

We begin with how a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision could give Democratic Party-backed candidates in Philly an edge.

And, we follow the story of one Venezuelan immigrant detained in Pennsylvania after a routine check-in with immigration authorities.

Plus, new speed cameras are coming online in West and North Philly, and more news of the day.

— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Party spending, supercharged

This summer, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal limit on campaign spending by political parties, allowing them to spend freely on their chosen candidates while coordinating with their campaigns.

Philadelphia elections experts told The Inquirer they’re still figuring out how this decision could affect local races.

One possibility? In Philly, a majority of voters are registered Democrats, which means some hotly contested races are primaries pitting establishment Democrats against members of an insurgent, progressive wing of the party. With this new decision, the party-backed candidates could gain an edge.

Reporter Sean Collins Walsh has more on this scenario and other potential outcomes.

Asylum limbo

During a crackdown against Venezuela’s opposition party in 2019, Jhon Perez Romero said he received an order he could not follow.

Perez Romero worked for Venezuela’s national intelligence agency, and his decision to defy his superiors led him to be branded a traitor.

Fearing he could be killed or thrown in jail for life, he fled his home country, eventually applying for asylum in the United States. He settled in York, Pa., and married a U.S. citizen.

Today, he sits in an immigration detention center in Central Pennsylvania, after being arrested during a routine check-in with ICE.

Inquirer reporter Jeff Gammage has this story on his case and the uptick in arrests of immigrants with pending asylum claims.

What you should know today

• Speed cameras along Route 13 in West and North Philly will begin monitoring drivers today, sending warning letters to those found speeding.
• Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr. intends to move forward with a limited renovation of Cecil B. Moore Library in North Philly, despite community support and funding for a more comprehensive plan.
• The new leader of the University of Pennsylvania’s faculty senate, neurologist Roy Hamilton, previously saw his official title changed to de-emphasize inclusion, diversity, and equity work.
• Penn Medicine reported $337 million in operating profit in its most recent fiscal year, up from $247 million the year before.
• The Sixers have hired a longtime friend and confidant of LeBron James to help ease his transition onto the team.
• Fans packed roadsides across Philly yesterday for the first Philadelphia Cycling Classic in a decade, basking in the return of an event dubbed “the people’s race.”

Quote of the day

Mike Grigalonis recently took the helm at the Chester County Economic Development Council. He sat down with the Inquirer’s Brooke Schultz to discuss the county’s economic landscape, from farmland, to QVC, to proposed data center projects.

🧠 Trivia time

Which rapper recently co-headlined a Pilates event with more than 800 attendees in Center City?

A) Meek Mill

B) Waka Flocka Flame

C) Cardi B

D) Lil Yachty

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re…

🏋️‍♀️ Discovering. Forget beach bodies. Inquirer food writer Kiki Aranita found Philadelphia sushi chefs hit the gym — together — so they stay fit enough to hoist 280-pound tunas at work.

🚽 Covering. Reporter Jason Nark traveled to Dushore, Pa., to witness an unusual event commemorating the town’s founding: outhouse racing.

🚲 Considering. “The prospect of living without a car can seem a little like trying to swim without arms and legs,” writes Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron. Still, with the price of gas spiking, she shares tips for driving less.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: He plays Anthony Bourdain in the new biopic Tony.

CANOE DISMISS

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

Cheers to Meg Berlin who correctly guessed Sunday’s anagram: Nikil Saval. The state senator recently told The Inquirer about his “perfect day” in the city, which involves buying fresh tortillas, strolling down Fabric Row, and playing a game at the Philadelphia Museum of Art inspired by the Surrealists.

Photo of the day

📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story

This week’s “only in Philly” story comes from reader Michael Leibrandt, who describes the feeling of shared anticipation the approaching NFL season brings. It has been edited for length.

That Unmistakable, August Eagles Feeling.

… Each August, when the North America light begins to change, slowly drifting us from summer into fall — like most Philadelphians — that feeling finds me again. It builds during the anticipation of the August heat, escalates through Training Camp and the NFL Pre-season, and reaches a peak right before opening day and stays at that passionate level through the chill of February.

Being obsessed with the Eagles in Philadelphia isn’t a cause for therapy — but rather — a tradition handed down for nearly a century directly like a scene from Silver Lining’s Playbook. The great generation saw Steve Van Buren run in the snow to the team’s first NFL Championship in 1948, our Dads saw Chuck Bednarik stop Green Bay’s Jim Taylor in 1960, and we got to see Super Bowl wins in 2018 and 2025 (and almost another in 2023) … it all began in the heat of August.

When that feeling found us, once again.

Have an ‘only in Philly’ story to share? We’re looking for personal anecdotes about what makes you feel connected to the city. Email us a few sentences for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

👋 Enjoy the last day of August!

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.

Rise and shiny, Philly. It’s Sunday, and conditions should be near perfect for the Philadelphia Cycling Classic.

As the busy Shore summer winds down, we racked our brains, asked experts, and solicited ideas from readers for ideas to improve the experience for all.

Also in today’s newsletter, a father fights to prevent the replacement of a play area that memorializes the life of his child.

And a new lawsuit alleges that unpaid fuel made it possible for some Freedom Fuel stations to sell gas at such low prices.

Scroll along for these stories and more.

— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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What the Shore needs

Should Ocean City stay dry? Do we need more trains? Why aren’t Atlantic City concerts fully funded?

Shore reporter Amy Rosenberg wrestled with these and many more questions and possibilities on how the Jersey Shore could transform for the betterment of everyone. Here’s a preview of the suggestions she compiled:

🐶 More dog beaches and dog hours. “Are dogs so bad?” Rosenberg writes. “What if every town, or every island, had a beach dedicated to dogs and their owners?”

🚴 Expand bike lanes and redesign roads to calm traffic, to protect cyclists and pedestrians alike (see also: leave the cars off the island).

🎟️ Eliminate beach tags (or at least make them reciprocal).

See Rosenberg’s full list.

What you should know today

• Federal prosecutors have convened a grand jury to look into at least one former Philadelphia fire official who allegedly facilitated a brazen overtime abuse scheme.
• Police are investigating after two masked men, one with an AR-15-style rifle, robbed a man in Center City early Friday.
• A jury convicted a Philadelphia man of murder and related charges in the 2021 killing of his pregnant girlfriend.
• In a federal lawsuit, a petroleum distributor alleges that a company that bought its gas and sold it to some Freedom Fuel Network stations never paid for $4 million worth of gasoline sold at several locations.
• The Camden school district has dropped its longtime mandatory school uniform policy at its five high schools.
• Cheltenham school district parents, students, and school board members marched across town Saturday morning to show their support for students in the wake of alleged hazing incidents.
• Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have clashed over what the state has disclosed about two deaths associated with a growing measles outbreak, and the consequences of Kennedy’s longtime anti-vaccination activism.

Losing a glimmer of light

The creation of a sandpit play area in a Chester County playground was one way in which Ryan Leithead coped with the tragic, unexpected loss of his son, Cayden. He died at just 7 days old in 2022.

In Leithead’s own words: “I spent the first year after he died kind of focusing on this — right, wrong, or indifferent, that’s how I grieved. So it’s a memorial built by his father.”

That memorial is now at risk of being swept up in proposed renovations, which officials say could involve moving the sandpit and replacing the memorial. In a recording shared with The Inquirer, a township supervisor could also be heard saying that designers felt that a sign dedicating the pit to Cayden was “depressing.”

Leithead is not against the renovations, but said that the idea that Cayden’s Corner would be impacted in any way feels like he is losing his son again.

Brooke Schultz reports.

This week in history

🎤 Here’s Tommy Rowan with a look back at the “weird” game between the Phillies and Cubs that set a record that still stands.

Newspapers weren’t kind when describing the windy-day matchup.

In Philly, The Inquirer called it a “weird” game. In Chicago, the Tribune described the Aug. 25, 1922, game between the visiting Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs as a “comedy of runs, hits and errors.”

The two teams accounted for 49 runs, the most ever recorded in a Major League Baseball game.

More than 100 years later, record-keepers call it baseball history.

Read on for the full story.

❓Pop quiz

More than 150,000 people have signed a petition to rename an airport after Dolly Parton in what state?

A) California

B) Kentucky

C) Pennsylvania

D) Tennessee

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🐟 Hungry for: Lots of delicious fish at Bastia.

🧠 Finding: The “bridge” between words in this week’s Pillars game.

🏡 Learning: How a homeowner transformed a “total dump” in South Philly, in our latest installment of “How I Bought This House.”

🤩 Looking up at: The newly restored coffered ceiling at 30th Street Station.

🚰 Recalling: How O’Brien’s Water Hole in Manayunk provided much-needed hydration to racers on “The Wall” for 20-plus years.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Representative of Pennsylvania’s first senatorial district

AVAIL LINKS

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

Cheers to Matthew Carlyle, who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: Victory Brewing. The brewery company’s large taproom on the Parkway closed last week after the health department flagged a series of “imminent hazards.”

GIF of the day

🏁 Whether you’re spectating or pushing pedals, happy Philadelphia Cycling Classic Day. I hope you have a thrilling time.

🎶 Today’s song goes like this: “I don’t need a lot just a little / But can you see a world where we meet in the middle?”

👋🏽 Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Inquirer. 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.