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  • 🎃 Seasonal decor wars | Morning Newsletter

    🎃 Seasonal decor wars | Morning Newsletter

    Saturday is here, with sunny skies and a high near 83.

    As the seasonal creep visibly accelerates, some are unsure how to cope. Inquirer staffers discuss a reader’s issue with a neighbor’s “early” Halloween display in the heat of summer.

    Plus, we have news on a possibly significant discovery in the sprawling investigation into Raymond Horsch’s home in Olney, a persistent tire-dumping problem, and our report card for this week in Philly stories.

    — Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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    What you should know today

    The seasonal creep Grinch

    This week’s question is: My neighbor has started decorating for Halloween. There are six skeletons in the yard, jack-o-lanterns hanging around the whole front of the house, fake tombstones that have punny names (I.P. Freely), and I know a lot more is coming. Halloween is more than two months away and it’s still 90 degrees outside. Is it too early for this or am I being a Grumpy Gus?

    Inquirer columnists Stephanie Farr and Elizabeth Wellington joined forces for this one, touching on everything from First Amendment rights to the philosophical motivation behind putting up decorations in the first place.

    Farr, who is already looking forward to Christmas, said she has a neighbor with a 12-foot skeleton up year-round, and wondered if living right next door would make her feel compelled to say something. Wellington, who can relate to feeling annoyed by the autumn-rushers, suggests a simple solution: acceptance. “I think we McGrinches have to grin and bear it,” she said, suggesting self-care tactics to deal with it.

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

    One viewpoint

    In this week’s Shackamaxon, Inquirer columnist Daniel Pearson unpacks a judge’s move to impose supervision on the beleaguered Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office and its processing of deeds after property auctions.

    “While it is good to see someone holding the sheriff accountable for once, a temporary babysitter is only a partial solution,” Pearson writes. “The office should be abolished.”

    Read on for his perspective on the department’s years of dysfunction, along with other takes on data center confusion and the city’s most recent property valuations.

    ❓Pop quiz

    Restaurateur Bruce Cooper will close his landmark restaurant Jake’s this fall after nearly 40 years in Manayunk.

    What was the name “Jake’s” a reference to?

    A) Cooper’s dog

    B) Cooper’s then-wife Helena’s nickname

    C) Cooper’s late great-great-grandfather

    D) All of the above

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    🧩 Unscramble the anagram

    Hint: Downingtown-based brewery

    CROWING BREVITY

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

    Cheers to Rosemary Farley, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Center City. Crews for the HBO crime drama Task were spotted filming in the neighborhood on Tuesday, and have been shooting around the region all summer.

    We were there

    How hard can it be to climb the Manayunk Wall?

    With the highly anticipated revival of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic this weekend, we asked a former pro (Carlos Rogers) and a complete novice (sports reporter Ariel Simpson) to make an attempt at the most iconic ascent in American cycling.

    See how they fared along the steep incline.

    Somewhere on the internet in Philly

    🧹 AlleyGators, a citywide cleaning program, seems to be going well. Have you filed a request and seen any difference in your neighborhood? Let us know.

    🧀 We love superlatives. Someone is on the hunt for the best cheesesteak egg rolls in Philly. Another is claiming the finest bathroom, which appears to be at 12 Steps Down. My favorite comment: “this is a dark souls toilet but i mean that as a compliment.”

    🚴 Like many others, John Carpenter and Julia Heberle of Roxborough are thrilled that the Cycling Classic is returning this year. They’ve been fans of the race since they moved to the area in 1988, and plan to do all they can to make this year feel like a party.

    👋🏽 Have a good one. I’ll catch up with you 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.

  • 🏁 Cycling Classic weekend is here | Outdoorsy Newsletter

    🏁 Cycling Classic weekend is here | Outdoorsy Newsletter

    August is nearly finished. Are you looking forward to the fall? I’d love to know what you like to do outside this season.

    In today’s edition:

    ☀️ Your weekend weather outlook: Splendid conditions. Light wind and little chance of rain.

    — Paola Pérez (outdoorsy@inquirer.com)

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

    On your marks

    It’s an all-day party. It’s considered one of the best summertime days in Philadelphia. And it’s finally back after a decade.

    The prestigious Cycling Class returns this weekend, attracting spectators and cycling enthusiasts from all over the city.

    ⏱️ The Classic kicks off Sunday and runs from 8:30 a.m. to around 4:45 p.m. The (free!) Fan Fest, located at the Iroquois Sculpture area by the Art Museum, will be open the entire weekend, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

    🚃 Consider public transportation to get to your spectating spot, as no parking is available and road closures and restrictions will be in effect. Don’t know where to go to watch the action unfold? We have you covered with our picks of the best spots, and information on nearby SEPTA stations.

    🚴 You could also bike to your spot. Organizers recommend riding to the course via the Schuylkill River Trail. Free bike valet parking is available at the Fan Fest and Lemon Hill.

    Use our guide to get ready for race day by taking a lap of the 14-mile course from start to finish, and to find all other important details about the race.

    News worth knowing

    🌳 Your outdoorsy experience

    Last week, Barbara B. showed us a massive mushroom sprouting from a cherry tree trunk. She followed up with more details:

    “I am not a forager but just appreciate odd and mysterious appearances in nature. Though from what I read about it, this fungus is probably in the process of destroying the tree from the inside.”

    Yikes. I recently noticed a similar fungus, brick reddish brown in color, growing at the base of a tree in my neighborhood. I wondered if the same thing might be happening there …

    📥 How about you, dear reader? What are you doing or seeing out there? I want to hear from you. Send me an email with any recent or past stories in nature (and pictures, if you have them). You may see it featured right here.

    An enduring mystery

    🎤 My colleague Jason Nark reports on rural communities far from city life. I’m passing him the mic for his latest dispatch out of Cumberland County, New Jersey.

    Taxidermy and weathered photos line the walls at Higbee’s Bait and Tackle in Fortescue, artifacts from bygone days when the sleepy Delaware Bay town was truly the “weakfish capital of the world.”

    The taxidermy is a dusty, 12-pound “tide runner,” the nickname fishermen bestow on the biggest, trophy weakfish, a member of the drum family with a tan, often iridescent body and a reputation for fighting hard on a fishing line. The black-and-white photo shows a single fisherman standing beside his catch, about 30 weakfish of various sizes.

    Tide runners are unicorns today, a rarity on New Jersey coasts and across the bay, in Delaware. Catch limits enacted by state fisheries would prevent a single fisherman from catching dozens of fish today, though most would be happy with one legal keeper they could fry up in lemon and butter.

    Fishermen have plenty of theories about where all the weakfish have gone. They blame dolphins and dogfish for gobbling up the young; nuclear power plants; the rise of other popular game fish, like striped bass; and offshore seafood trawlers. — Jason Nark

    Keep reading on the peculiar decline of weakfish.

    Paola’s picks

    🌞 A song: “Summer Madness” by Kool and the Gang.

    💛 A sighting: A “superhero” Goldfinch that frequents Tom Pluck’s neighborhood.

    🎒 A cool human: Finn Fremstad, 18, biked roughly 2,000 miles from Colorado to Delco for his first day of school at Swarthmore.

    🦁 A moment of silence: May Makini the African lion rest in peace.

    🌃 An activity: Bring a picnic blanket and kick back at Philly’s Magic Gardens (Saturday, $30), and at Clark Park for the Ethiopian Day celebration (Sunday, free).

    A calming view

    Breathe in…and breathe out. I took this during a short hike on Monday.Paola PĂŠrez

    Here’s the Wissahickon River, as seen from the Orange Trail portion of this loop that starts from Bells Mill Road East. (Turns out cast and crew of HBO’s Task were filming season two in the park that day, which explains why Bells Mill Road West was closed.)

    😊 Nature calls.

    Editor’s note: This has been updated to reflect

    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.

  • ⛽ Freedom Fuel fines | Inquirer South Jersey

    Good morning, South Jersey. Parts of Gloucester County got more than 5 inches of rain in Thursday’s storms. More thunderstorms are possible today before the skies clear for the weekend. (Assuming the skies get the clearing-out memo.)

    Before Freedom Fuel stations were being touted by the White House, six South Jersey locations were fined over environmental transgressions.

    Sen. Cory Booker talked healthcare and food during stops in Camden and Mount Laurel on Thursday.

    Plus, apple picking is back in South Jersey, and more news of the day.

    — Ellen Dunkel (southjersey@inquirer.com)

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    N.J. Freedom Fuel stations racked up big fines

    Freedom Fuel stations quietly popped up in South Jersey earlier this summer — and then were less quietly touted by the White House for prices that were lower than other gas stations.

    In early July, gas at some Freedom Fuel stations was $3.47 a gallon. The 47 was a nod to President Donald Trump.

    But it turns out before the White House shouted them out, the owners of six South Jersey Freedom Fuel locations had been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for a variety of environmental violations.

    Along with the six Freedom Fuel stations, those fined include 11 others, all owned by asset manager Blue Owl Capital and operated by a Cherry Hill developer and his brother.

    Reporters Ximena Conde and Rob Tornoe have the details.

    Healthcare should start with better food, Booker says

    The United States needs a “food revolution,” Sen. Cory Booker said during a swing through South Jersey Thursday.

    “What’s stupid is that we’re sitting here talking about the cost of healthcare and how to pay for it, but not why we need so much healthcare in the first place,” the New Jersey Democrat said during a speech for a Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey luncheon at the Westin Mount Laurel.

    The country should better support small farmers, Booker said, while he decried that the majority of agricultural subsidies go toward crops that are turned into ultra-processed foods, rather than fruits and vegetables.

    He also visited Cathedral Kitchen in Camden, where he packed sandwiches alongside the nonprofit community kitchen’s volunteers.

    The Inquirer’s Aliya Schneider has more on Booker’s visits.

    What to know today

    🧠 Trivia time

    Which Phillies player holds batting practices in hotel rooms?

    A) Luis Arraez

    B) Bryce Harper

    C) Trea Turner

    D) Kyle Schwarber

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What we’re …

    🌊 Planning: A weekend trip to Ocean City.

    🍴 Sharing: A gluten-free guide of where to eat while you’re at the Shore.

    🍿 Rewatching: Hulu’s Deli Boys amid its recent cancellation.

    🏖️ Down the Shore

    This “Ask Down the Shore” feature appears as part of our weekly summertime series from Shore reporter Amy S. Rosenberg. Subscribe to her free Down the Shore newsletter here.

    Should Ocean City remain dry? We asked our Shore Line texters.

    Not many advocated bringing bars or liquor stores to Ocean City, but there was some sentiment for BYOB.

    The best case for remaining dry: For years I wanted BYOs but lately the old charm of this town seems to be drifting away. I have little doubt that the OC would lose its unique identity. It should remain a dry town.

    The best case for BYOB: I think it would be nice if Ocean City was at least a BYOB. So many wonderful restaurants, but we just don’t go for that exact reason.

    What do you think? Do you prefer it to stay as is or do you wish you could at least bring a bottle of wine to a restaurant? Let us know what you think by replying to Down the Shore.

    📸 Photo of the week

    Chef Liz Grothe of Scampi returns to the dock in Sea Isle City after an afternoon of crabbing at the Jersey Shore on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    🦀 One last crabby thing: Philly chef Liz Grothe goes crabbing in Sea Isle City every year with family. “I’m in it for the love of the game, not the catch,” she says. Go behind the scenes of this summer’s trip, from skiff to kitchen to table.

    Hope the weekend brings beautiful weather. But any sort of weekend is nice. Enjoy yours!

    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.

  • Krasner’s office in hot water | Morning Newsletter

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

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

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

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

    — Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

    ‘Potential wrongdoing abounds’

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Reporter Chris Palmer has the full report.

    Tariffs incoming

    Pennsylvania’s largest export market is Canada.

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

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

    A few other key figures in this story:

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

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

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

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

    What you should know today

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    🧠 Trivia time

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

    A) Pen & Pencil Club

    B) Reading Terminal Market

    C) Barnes Foundation

    D) Strip club

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

    What we’re …

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

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

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

    🧩 Unscramble the anagram

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

    CRY ICE TENT

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

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

    Photo of the day

    Chimney cakes on display at Four Green Cats Cafe in Mount Laurel on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Let’s end the week on a sweet note.

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

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

  • 🌽 Simply a-maize-ing! | Sports Daily Newsletter

    🌽 Simply a-maize-ing! | Sports Daily Newsletter

    If you’re even the tiniest bit superstitious, then you’ll love the story we handpicked to lead off this final Friday in August.

    Because what if I told you that there’s a fan out there who believes his decision to bring an ear of corn to Phillies games helped spark the Phillies’ nine-game win streak and is the perceived reason for Kyle Schwarber’s walk-off winner against the Cardinals last Sunday?

    That’s only part of the story of Phillies fan Luke Butler, whose affinity for corn meeting baseball at Citizens Bank Park started 22 years earlier with a yellow T-shirt and an ode to former Flyers turned WIP voice turned Flyers president Keith Jones.

    Confused? So were we, but the more you read this latest from Inquirer writer Alex Coffey, the more you realize there might be something to the maize this story unfolds into.

    See what we did there?

    Rain is once again in the forecast with highs reaching the 80s today. And if you’re wondering what the weather will be for Sunday’s return of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic, we have that too.

    — Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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

    ❓Have a favorite sports superstition? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

    The best of Harper?

    Bryce Harper is closing out the best month in his Phillies career — and maybe kickstarting a push for his third NL MVP award.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Objectively, without a trace of recency bias, Bryce Harper is having his best month in seven years with the Phillies, Inquirer writer Scott Lauber writes. Entering play Friday, with four games left in August, he has gotten on base in 55 of 108 plate appearances, a mind-bending .509 clip, and reached in 29 consecutive games, the longest streak of his career.

    Harper’s surge — which has coincided with his move back to right field — has showcased what the star does when he’s at his best. And that means focusing on hitting better pitches.

    Next: The Phillies open a series in Anaheim against the Angels tonight (9:38 p.m., NBCSP). Andrew Painter (3-6, 6.04 ERA) will start opposite lefty Reid Detmers (4-8, 3.62).

    What we’re …

    🤔 Wondering: Will Harper’s impressive August parlay into September?

    🔥 Thinking: These Taylor Swift-inspired basketball shoes by Nike, worn by Caitlin Clark, are actually pretty fire.

    🚴🏻 Sharing: The best spots to watch this weekend’s return of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic.

    👏🏽 Applauding: The Toronto Raptors’ intention to retire the jersey of former Sixers guard and Villanova great Kyle Lowry on Jan 10.

    🏈 Surmising: That Temple head coach K.C. Keeler still has no clue who will definitively line up under center in the Owls’ season opener.

    Back … in black

    Former Eagles linebacker Za’Darius Smith retired from the game last season due to personal reasons. Now, he’s returned to the league, but as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    When Za’Darius Smith played his last game with the Eagles on Oct. 9, 2025, it capped an 11-year run in the NFL. But his decision to leave had nothing to do with the wear and tear the sport can take on a body.

    “Got a phone call from my mom’s doctor telling me that she doesn’t have much longer to be on this Earth,” Smith said. “So, I let the team know. Obviously, they weren’t trying to let me leave but that was the only thing I had left, to retire. So, I retired. Dealt with that. After losing my mom, I lost my grandma. Then after my grandma, I just lost my dad. So, y’all obviously know what I’ve been through.”

    Now, Smith has found his way back into the league, but it won’t be with the Eagles. He signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons last week and, as Inquirer writer Ariel Simpson explains, is hoping his return to the gridiron offers a well-timed fresh start.

    Pressure cooker

    Ryan Richter (left) gives Quinn Sullivan instructions on the bench during the Union’s last match against Austin FC, which ended in a 1-1 draw last Saturday. Philadelphia Union

    Union interim manager Ryan Richter feels like enough time has passed to understand the locker room he inherited after the club dismissed Bradley Carnell just before the World Cup break.

    He also knows that there’s enough time to turn around an embarrassing start to the 2026 season with 13 games remaining before the MLS playoffs begin.

    The unknowns are still omnipresent. Can the Union sustain a run that’s seen them unbeaten in their last six MLS matches? If they do, could he have his interim tag removed?

    Ask him, as Inquirer writer Jonathan Tannenwald did, and Richter will tell you the only thing he’s dwelling on is an upcoming showdown with Red Bull New York, the team that kickstarted that six-game streak on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).

    On this date

    Hitting home runs at a record clip isn’t anything new for Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber who hit four coupled with nine RBIs on this date in 2025. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Aug. 28, 2025: It was on this day just one year ago, Kyle Schwarber crushed four home runs and finished with a team-record nine RBIs in the Phillies’ 19-4 rout of the Braves at Citizens Bank Park.

    Our best sports 📸 of the week

    Kyle Schwarber celebrates a walkoff home run against the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The week started as one to savor after the Phillies orchestrated a ninth-inning rally for the ages. But was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Philly sports. Fortunately, our photo editors captured a good bit of it and compiled our best shots from the last seven days to share with you, our readers.

    🧩 Unscramble the anagram

    HER LETTSAPP

    This venue will be the center of the college basketball universe in the city again as teams are lining up to pay homage to 100 years of hoops inside the famed arena. Think you know? Take a guess and then click here to see if you’re correct.

    What you’re saying about events in Philly

    We asked: What former Philly events would you like to see return?

    It would be neat to see Philadelphia host a college football bowl game again. The city had the Liberty Bowl for a while before it moved to Memphis. I guess weather concerns might prevent it from happening, but if the Eagles ever built a domed stadium, they could certainly do it. — Everett S.

    I was always a big fan of the Army-Navy Game here. That was a great tradition. I know it’s got to go to other parts of the country, but does it? It just felt like its home was always in Philadelphia and especially at the Linc. — Mike S.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Alex Coffey, Ariel Simpson, Scott Lauber, Jonathan Tannenwald, Lochlahn March, Mike Livingston, Chris Hine, Conor Smith, Anthony R. Wood, Jasen Lo, and The Inquirer’s photography staff.

    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.

    Have a great weekend, Philly. We’ll catch you on Monday. Until then, enjoy the games. — Kerith

  • 🚲 The Philadelphia Cycling Classic is back | Things to do

    🚲 The Philadelphia Cycling Classic is back | Things to do

    Is it just me, or has the month of August (and the summer) flown by?

    It feels like the season is already nearing its end, despite there being several weeks before its official end.

    Still, some of the region’s best summertime offerings are indeed closing up shop after this week. Let’s enjoy what little time we have left.

    Read below to find the best events and last-minute attractions happening this week:

    — Earl Hopkins (@earlhopkins_, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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

    The Philadelphia Cycling Classic returns

    How to best spectate the return of the prestigious Philadelphia Cycling Classic—the beloved “Bike Race”— on August 30th, 2026.Brian Biggs

    After a decade-long hiatus, the Philadelphia Cycling Classic is back for the first time since 2016.

    Some of the world’s swiftest cyclists, many of whom have competed in races like the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, will compete on the 14-mile course.

    The event will run from 8:30 a.m. to around 4:45 p.m., giving spectators plenty of time to explore the course. And best of all, as ex-cyclist John Eustice pointed out to reporter Jason Lo, watching will “cost you nothing except your picnic food.”

    The Fan Fest will coincide with the bike race. It will go from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

    Race organizers recommend taking public transportation to the event, because there is no designated parking and there will be numerous road closures.

    For additional race information and travel recommendations, read Jason Lo’s story here.

    The best things to do this week

    The grilled Vietnamese chicken noodle bowl at Saigon Grace cafe on South Street.Craig LaBan / Staff

    🌏 Celebrate Asian cultures: Kampoeng Indonesia will take over Cherry Street Pier on Saturday with performances, family-friendly activities, and food representing cultures from across Asia.

    🍽️ A restaurant week debut: The first Graduate Hospital Restaurant Week will roll out special three-course prix fixe menus for $30 and $45. Participants include Chateau Rouge, a selection in last year’s 76 Dining GuideSaigon Grace Cafe, The Sidecar Bar & Grille, and other South Philly restaurants.

    🚘 Wheels up in smoke: Don’t miss out on motorsport glory during Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow-N-Fire this weekend. Bigfoot, Mega Wrex, Bone Shaker, and other massive trucks will strut and stunt at Xfinity Mobile Arena starting Saturday.

    📅 My calendar picks this week: Twilight in the Gardens, Illumination 250 Festival, Ethiopian Day at Clark Park. Here’s our full list for the week.

    Don’t miss these end-of-summer happenings

    The pop-up outdoor destination at Reading Terminal Market July 20, 2026. The new plaza transformed 15,000 square feet of the 1100 block of Filbert Street into an outdoor space featuring expanded seating, shopping, entertainment and beverage options. It comes at the completion of a $1 million lighting improvement project on Filbert Street, opening June 9 and ending Aug. 2.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    There are signs that fall is beginning to knock on summer’s door.

    Philadelphia schools are back in session, the heat is easing, and seasonal attractions are starting to close up shop.

    This week is the last chance to enjoy Passyunk Passeggiata, the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival, and Reading Terminal Market’s Pop-up Plaza — among others.

    Don’t wait until next year. Stop by these attractions and citywide offerings before the week’s end.

    Summer fun this week and beyond

    People in the crowd reacting to participants falling in the Red Bull Championship Pole Run at the Spruce Street Harbor Park at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia on Saturday, July 12, 2025.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    🚩 A greased-up climb: Visit Spruce Street Harbor Park on Saturday for a full-on sprint up a greased telephone pole at the Red Bull Championship Run. Whoever captures the flag takes the crown.

    🍃 Nature in full color: This weekend, discover art and handmade treasures at the Philadelphia Zoo’s After Hours & Wildest Art Festival. There will be live music, light bites, and the work by more than 30 local artists.

    🍴 A new Fishtown eatery: Cannonball Cafe is a new, members-only social club located in Fishtown. The alluring cocktail lounge features a restaurant, private bar, and car collection inside a spacious storage garage.

    🎨 Take an exclusive guided art tour: Tour Brandywine Workshop and Archives’ latest exhibitions, printmaking studios, archives, and collections during a guided art tour on Saturday.

    Staffer picks

    Here’s pop music critic Dan DeLuca’s list of the best concerts this weekend.

    Bruno Mars brings his Romantic Tour to Lincoln Financial Field in South Philly on Tuesday and Wednesday.John V. Esparza

    🎤 Friday: Remember 2025’s “Wu Tang Forever” tour that was supposedly the supergroup’s last? Well, RZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, and their musical brothers are back for a show at Atlantic City’s Hard Rock Live.

    🎸 Friday and Saturday: Eleven-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton brings his rugged country hits to the region for back-to-back nights at Camden’s Freedom Mortgage Pavilion.

    🎙️ Sunday: Cleveland-born indie band Cloud Nothings, fronted by locally-based guitarist Dylan Baldi, will hit the Ruba Club stage on Sunday alongside Philly band Knifeplay.

    🪩 Tuesday and Wednesday: Bruno Mars, Mr. 24K Magic himself, is joined by British singer Raye and DJ Pee. Wee, who is Mars’ disguised Silk Sonic bandmate Anderson .Paak, for a two-night stay at Lincoln Financial Field.

    Check out Dan’s full concert list here.

    ❓Pop quiz

    Which athlete won the first Philadelphia Cycling Classic in 1985?

    A) Eric Heiden

    B) Megan Guarnier

    C) Greg Lemond

    D) Roberto Gaggioli

    Here’s the answer to last week’s question: The 2004 blockbuster ‘Natural Treasure’ was filmed inside Independence Hall. But the film also filmed inside a replica of the landmark building — where? Answer: Los Angeles

    Ask Earl anything

    Many of you have questions about each week’s listings, and others about Philly’s arts, culture, and entertainment scene.

    I have you covered. Have a question? Email me for a chance to have it answered in an upcoming newsletter.

    Pedal over to these late-summer offerings before they wrap up and enjoy the other regional attractions available this weekend.

    – Earl Hopkins

    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.

    Courtesy of Giphy.comCourtesy of Giphy.com
  • 🌊 Winding down, finding solace | Down the Shore

    🌊 Winding down, finding solace | Down the Shore

    It’s not all spike ball and boogie boards at the ocean’s edge. That singular spot can be a place of reflection, beauty, memories both welcome and painful, a grasping for meaning, a bracing crash of the waves of time.

    One recent evening, I went to sit out after work, a perk of living here, but it started with an uncomfortable land breeze: hot, flies, stifling air, and existential doubt. Should I just go back inside and watch Jeopardy? But then, a lovely wind shift, spectacular in its suddenness. Things became lighter, cooler, calming. Everything seemed, well, solvable. There was that lesson again: perspective, insight, change, sometimes just a wind shift away. I stayed for that lovely pink dusk.

    This week, I spoke with Shanda McManus, former resident of Ventnor, family physician and professor, and author of the riveting new memoir Brother Epistles, a collection of letters to her little brother, Monir Hall, who was shot to death in Philadelphia in 1992 at the age of 20. Now living in Monmouth County, not far from Sea Bright, McManus, 56, has written vividly of her girlhood in North Philadelphia, across from the old Connie Mack Stadium — it’s “a really Philly book,” as she says. She also writes of the adulthood she moved through without her brother, most of it at the Jersey Shore. How, and why, their trajectories diverged underscore McManus’ intimate storytelling.

    “I do feel like young Black boys aren’t given the same opportunity to be children,” she said. “Even when I lived in Ventnor, two nephews came to visit, and the police chased them home, they assumed they would have stolen those bikes. What does that do to you if you’re always suspect?”

    Shanda’s decades of proximity to the ocean, to the natural beauty and spaces that were mostly missing from her Philly childhood, she says, has helped her grieve.

    “The access to the ocean and the beach, natural places in general — if you grow up in the inner city, North Philly, there’s not a lot of places,” she said. “Growing up, my grandmom and granddad, they used to drive down the Shore, but we would never go on the beach. We would go in the stores and get saltwater taffy. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I actually sat on the beach. To have the community here, with my children. It was restorative.”

    As she writes in Brother Epistles, “Grief for me is not a series of five steps, but a spiral and a repeating loop. I walk alone outside of time. The past is the present is the future — it is infinite and eternal, like you and me.”

    Like the ocean.

    Keep scrolling for a slam book Q&A with Shanda, and a Shore memory. Plus, your thoughts on Ocean City remaining a dry town. Shanda’s forthcoming Philly appearances are here.

    📮 What is it about the ocean that transcends the usual pandemonium for you? Has it helped you make sense of things in your life? To grieve? Find joy? Let us know, and we’ll feature some of your thoughts in an forthcoming newsletter.

    👋 That’s it for me this season. Jason Nark, as usual, will wrap up Down the Shore next week. Thanks for playing along! Let us know what you liked and didn’t like! What would you want to see more of in this newsletter or in our Shore coverage? Send your thoughts to us here.

    🥶 Nights are starting to cool off down here, bring on September (local’s summer).

    — Amy S. Rosenberg (Follow me at @amysrosenberg, on Instagram at @amysrosenberg. 📧 Email me here.)

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

    Shore talk

    🌊 As seas rise, scientists race to save coastal marshes.

    🛥️ Townsend’s Inlet is becoming difficult for boats to navigate, says CBS3’s Joe Holden.

    💰 Strathmere approved beach tags.

    🎶 Asbury Park got $75 million to restore Convention Hall.

    🐢 The Wetlands Institute is temporarily retreating from its causeway headquarters to elevate marshland trails.

    🏄🏾‍♂️ Surfboards but no Wifi for this Ocean City family cottage.

    What to eat/What to do

    🦀 Go crabbing like this Philly chef.

    🌝 Look for Thursday’s near blood moon and near total eclipse.

    🏖️ Australian electronic dance music trio Rüfüs Du Sol will perform Saturday on the beach in Atlantic City.

    ⏰ Be patient. Restaurants have lost employees who’ve gone back to school, and have had to reduce hours or hire new people.

    🦪 The inaugural Cape May Oyster Festival is this weekend, with local oysters including those from the elusive Sweet Amalia’s.

    🎣 The 72nd annual Surf Fishing Classic begins this weekend on LBI, a Shore sign of fall.

    Shore snapshot

    Cathy Green, owner of Cathy’s 14th Street Bakery in Ocean City, finishes preparing cream-filled donuts on Aug., 13, 2026. Former Cathy’s dishwasher and junior baker, Dominic Sessa, plays Anthony Bourdain in the new A24 biopic “Tony.”Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer

    🧠 Trivia time

    Rich Coniglio was first with last week’s answer: Atlantic City has the country’s oldest operational beach patrol, established in 1855.

    This week: Ocean City’s been dry since 1909, and drinking on the beach was officially banned in 1951. But it took a city council vote to totally eliminate BYOB.

    What year did Ocean City do away with wine-with-dinner?

    A. 1984

    B. 1964

    C. 1979

    D. 1929

    If you think you know the answer, email us back!

    Ask Down the Shore: Should Ocean City remain dry?

    We asked our Shore Line texters. Not many advocated bringing bars or liquor stores to Ocean City, but there was some sentiment for BYOB.

    The best case for remaining dry: For years I wanted BYO’s but lately the old charm of this town seems to be drifting away. I have little doubt that the OC would lose its unique identity. It should remain a dry town.

    The best case for BYOB: I think it would be nice if Ocean City was at least a BYOB. So many wonderful restaurants, but we just don’t go for that exact reason.

    Let us know what you think by replying to this email.

    📖 Shore slam book

    Author Shanda McManus shared her faves. (She’s still got a soft spot for Ventnor after all these years in Monmouth County.)

    Favorite beach: Ventnor. We live 10 minutes from Sea Bright, but we’ll drive down to go to the beach in Ventnor. The sand is softer. I love the community.

    Favorite summer breakfast? Blueberries. Fresh.

    Perfect beach day: Going to the beach with two books and finishing one and a half and sitting on my chair all day.

    Perfect night: Walking on the boardwalk, stopping for ice cream, walking back with that nice wind.

    Favorite Shore sandwich: I don’t usually buy lunch meats, but when I’m down at the beach, it’s Lebanon bologna, peppered turkey, Martin’s potato rolls.

    Water ice order: Classic lemon water ice.

    When the end of summer approaches I feel: Devastatingly sad. I can feel the winter coming.

    Surfing or fishing? Reading.

    Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise.

    Shore pet peeve: People riding their bikes on the boardwalk during the hours they’re not supposed to.

    The Shore could be improved if: It enlarged access. I would love if the beaches were free and open to all. Up here [Sea Bright], I live in the land of the beach clubs. It’ll cost you $5,000 for a locker.

    Your Shore memory

    In Brother Epistles, McManus writes: I lived a short walk from the ocean for five years. You know where? Ventnor, the town right next to Atlantic City. I could see the casinos from the beach. AC was the place to go and party. Dad never took us to the beach because he didn’t like sand, and that was even before he had his prosthetic foot. Grandmom took us to Atlantic City and Wildwood, but that was to ride the rides on the boardwalk and get saltwater taffy. It never occurred to me that we might sit on the beach like the white people we saw. Grandmom laughed at them for “trying to get Black.” I never thought of Atlantic City being a place of natural beauty either, where ocean waves crashed and foamed. But it is. From my house in the next town over, I could hear the steady, endless roll of waves crashing at night. The sound made me think of infinity or eternity or our souls. I would pack up however many kids I had at the time, and we’d spend days in the sand and water.

    Send us your Shore memory! In 200 words, tell us how the Shore taps into something deep for you, and we will publish them in this space.

    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.

  • ACLU-NJ defends Bellmawr protesters | Inquirer South Jersey

    Good morning, South Jersey. I’m sorry to report that the region is under yet another flood watch.

    The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey has urged Bellmawr police to investigate its officers after they allegedly targeted protesters engaging in “free-speech activities.”

    And a destination for Czech delicacies is moving from Mount Laurel to Haddonfield.

    Plus, the state will get more than $500 million from a Meta settlement over child protections, and more news of the day.

    — Julie Zeglen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

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

    Protesters allege unlawful targeting

    ACLU-NJ is defending protesters who received traffic and criminal citations from the Bellmawr Police Department during summertime protests against President Donald Trump and his administration.

    The infractions include honking and jaywalking, according to the roadside rallies’ organizing group, Cooper River Indivisible.

    ACLU-NJ sent a letter to the Camden County borough’s police department asking it to investigate officers’ conduct regarding the protesters’ “free-speech activities.”

    “No one’s freedom of speech should be chilled because they’re afraid of getting a citation,” ACLU-NJ’s criminal law reform advocacy director told The Inquirer.

    Reporter Sarah Nicell has more details.

    ‘It’s culture that no one gets here unless you fly home’

    Bohemian doughnuts, traditional kolaches, apple strudel, babka — Four Green Cats Cafe is known for these Czech treats and more, with customers traveling from both nearby in South Jersey and across the country to sample its authentic European flavors.

    The Mount Laurel cafĂŠ will soon be taking over a larger space in Haddonfield to meet demand.

    The new location will allow Four Green Cats to offer more menu items and host more live events for those of the Czech diaspora and beyond, owners Mila and Nadia Vasa say.

    The Inquirer’s Lacey Latch visited the cozy Rancocas Woods spot to learn more about the coming move.

    What to know today

    • New Jersey will get more than $500 million from a landmark Meta settlement over child protections, part of a larger payout of up to $17.1 billion. A multistate coalition sued the tech giant for failing to keep kids from becoming addicted.
    • A Franklin Township man has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly strangling his 40-year-old daughter in June, prosecutors said.
    • A dean of research at Rutgers University has been charged with invasion of privacy for allegedly taking “upskirt” photos while working at the Jersey institution.
    • A Philadelphia man was arrested for allegedly trying to meet and have sex with underage girls in a Mount Laurel hotel.
    • Camden County officials are warning residents to follow federal guidance on rabies prevention and safety after a rabid raccoon was discovered in Barrington.
    • Marlton-based Virtua Health and other health systems in the region have filed lawsuits against healthcare provider network MultiPlan and several major insurers, Philadelphia Business Journal reports.
    • RIP, Dolly Parton, who is remembered as both a singer and philanthropist whose Imagination Library worked to get books into children’s hands. Mount Laurel-based nonprofit Foundations Inc. ran the first Imagination Library program in Philadelphia and awarded Parton as its “Champion of Children” in 2020.

    🗓️ The best things to do this week

    🌿 Life that Glows: Take a guided walk and use UV flashlights to see fluorescence on various plants, invertebrates, and mushrooms that glow in various colors at night. ⏰ Friday, Aug. 28, 7:30-9:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Long Bridge Park, Hainesport.

    🎤 Music on the Porch Day: Enjoy live music on porches, storefronts, lawns, and other gathering spaces. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 29, noon-4 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Downtown Mount Holly.

    🍷 Wine Down Summer: Sample award-winning wines, listen to live music, and peruse food and artisan vendors at this annual fest. BYO chairs, blankets, and pop-up tents. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30 12-5 p.m. 💵 $20-25 plus fees, $5 for spectators 📍Veterans Island at Cooper River Park, Pennsauken.

    See more event listings here.

    🧠 Trivia time

    What rating did Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy give Lillo’s Tomato Pies when he visited the Hainesport location for his “One Bite Pizza Reviews”?

    A) 6

    B) 7.5

    C) 8.4

    D) 10

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What we’re …

    🎶 Remembering: When Willie Nelson performed at the Outlaw Music Festival in Camden last year.

    🍃 Visiting: Swede Run Fields in Moorestown.

    🍂 Ready for: Cooler weather and pumpkin spice truffles.

    Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. Ellen Dunkel has you covered tomorrow.

    Clarification: Yesterday’s newsletter featured a story on the opening of Del Buono’s Pastry Shop. Its cream doughnuts are reminiscent of the ones McMillan’s Bakery once sold.

    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.

  • ChatGPT said to move to Ardmore | Real Estate Newsletter

    ChatGPT said to move to Ardmore | Real Estate Newsletter

    All my apartment searches have gone roughly the same way.

    I pull up rental listing websites and play around with the filters, starting with where I want to be, how much I’m willing to pay, and how many bedrooms I want.

    I scroll through tons of listings. Once I find apartments that are available when I want them and seem promising, I move over to their websites for deeper dives into the properties. Then I figure out which ones I want to tour.

    But as AI chatbots have gotten more popular, some renters are going to sites like ChatGPT as their first step.

    One woman told me the chatbot helped persuade her to move to Ardmore from Mexico.

    Keep scrolling for that story and more in this week’s edition:

    — Michaelle Bond

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

    Apartment searching with AI

    JoAnne Kim is a regular user of AI chatbots. So when the Jersey native decided to move from her home in Mexico to the Philadelphia area, her first step was to open ChatGPT.

    She told the chatbot what she and her husband were looking for, and it suggested they consider Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, and Chestnut Hill. Once they settled on Ardmore, Kim asked for a list of apartment buildings that fit their requirements.

    This month, the couple moved into their new home.

    National apartment search websites have developed their own AI chatbots. Philly is one of the cities where RentCafe is testing its AI assistant, Ren. And Apartments.com launched its tool this summer.

    A leasing agent at a local property management company changed its website to give its properties a boost in generative AI searches.

    Keep reading to learn how chatbots are changing apartment searching and what stays the same.

    📮What do you think about using AI tools to find a home? Let me know.

    A proposed apartment tower along the Schuylkill

    A new high-rise apartment building could be coming to the current site of a popular Phillies mural.

    Philadelphia’s largest apartment owner, PMC Property Group, wants to build a 31-story tower at 24th and Walnut Streets.

    The former industrial building that’s there now is best known for its mural celebrating the Phillies, created in 2015 by artist David McShane. Walnut Bridge Parking & Storage calls it home now.

    PMC’s new building would include 372 apartments and overlook the Schuylkill.

    The company’s development activity is unusual given the recent development slowdown in Philly.

    Keep reading to learn more about this latest project and why it’s not a done deal.

    The latest news to pay attention to

    Home tour: Ocean City beach cottage

    In 2015, Steve and Regina Pannepacker got a call they’d been waiting for since the ’80s.

    A real estate agent in Ocean City said there was a converted detached garage the couple could turn into their dream beach cottage.

    It had been so long since Steve asked to be kept in mind for properties that the agent said he found the couple’s contact info in his old-school Rolodex.

    When the Pannepackers bought the former garage, it already had a two-bedroom property on top. The couple turned the garage space into three rooms: guest room, storage area, and work space.

    The Pannepackers have filled the home with treasures — but no TVs. There’s no Wi-Fi either.

    The cottage is a Shore retreat for the family. Take a peek inside.

    📷 Photo quiz

    Which bridge is this?

    📮 If you think you know, email me.

    Shout-out to Lars W. for knowing that last week’s quiz featured a photo of a shell sculpture at the entrance of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

    Enjoy the rest of your 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.

  • 🎹 A musical prodigy in Philly | Morning Newsletter

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

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

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

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

    — Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

    Precocious talent

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

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

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

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

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

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

    House hunting with AI

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

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

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

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

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

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

    What you should know today

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

    Quote of the day

    QOTD 8-27-26Monica Herndon

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

    🧠 Trivia time

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

    A) Washington, D.C.

    B) Wilmington

    C) Baltimore

    D) Pittsburgh

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What we’re …

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

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

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

    🧩 Unscramble the anagram

    Hint: Dolly Parton’s literacy program.

    MARGINALITY NAIROBI

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

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

    Photo of the day

    Olivia Konar holds a banner with names of young people who advocates say died as a result of social media outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday in Oakland, Calif. Her sister Coco Konar died in 2022 when she was 17.Noah Berger

    Tomorrow is Friday! See you then 😀

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