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Inflation nation hits Philly | Business Weekly Newsletter

Skyrocketing inflation is impacting some of the Philly region’s favorite foods, and other news.

Freshly baked pretzels at Philly Pretzel Factory headquarters in Bensalem.
Freshly baked pretzels at Philly Pretzel Factory headquarters in Bensalem.Read moreMAGGIE LOESCH / Staff Photographer

Philly cheesesteaks, Wawa hoagies, and soft pretzels are getting more expensive. Blame inflation, which recently hit a 30-year high, my colleague Joseph N. DiStefano writes.

Plus, a Radnor official says cattle are part of a tax dodge at the former Ardrossan estate. And a whistleblower claims Aetna took Medicaid money and failed to provide care to poor children.

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— Christian Hetrick (@_Hetrick, business@inquirer.com)

A Philly cheesesteak from the award-winning John’s Roast Pork just got more expensive. It will cost you $12 as of last week, up from $9.75.

The South Philly sandwich shop is hardly alone. Facing cost increases for fuel and food, and shortages of workers, distributors and local stores are jacking up prices. Inflation hit 6.2% for the 12-month period ending on Halloween, driven by new and used cars, furniture, rent, and healthcare. Those prices rose slightly less — 5.4% — in Mid-Atlantic states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The price hikes have hit some of Philly’s favorite foods and businesses. At a Philly Pretzel Factory in Delaware County, pretzels that were five for $3.75 in June are now $5.25. A Shorti hoagie at Wawa that listed for $4.39 over the summer now starts at $4.99.

Costs “have risen, in some cases rather dramatically,” a Wawa spokesperson said.

What else you need to know ...

Other stories ...

Nurse whistleblower: Aetna’s network appeared robust on paper, but it included doctors who had died or moved out of state, a whistleblower found. The insurer denies the allegations.

A Giant warehouse: To speed up home delivery of groceries, the Giant Co. opened a large e-commerce warehouse in the Eastwick neighborhood that aims to fill online orders from Center Center to Cherry Hill.

Holy cow: A Radnor official wants the township to cancel its lease with a cattle rancher on publicly owned land, saying the deal helps wealthy landowners take unfair advantage of tax breaks for agriculture.

More cow news: A $1 million grant will be used to switch Lancaster County dairy farmers to grass-based operations. Advocates say pasture-based dairy farming is good for the cows and for the environment.

Fossil fuel: An environmental group is pressuring the Biden administration to block the National Park Service’s plan to install natural gas boilers on park property, including Independence Hall.

Irresponsible parents: After 22 incidents this year, Valley Forge Casino is installing infrared cameras in its parking areas to detect unattended children left in vehicles while their parents gamble.

International flights return: American Airlines is offering routes from Philadelphia to Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Madrid, and Rome. Demand for flights to Europe Is expected to bounce back.

Magic mushrooms: Pennsylvania could become a leader in studying magic mushrooms as a treatment for mental illness under a bill that was introduced last month.