🚙 The abandoned car challenge | Morning Newsletter
And Pew reports (some) progress.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning, Philly. You may need an umbrella at the start of the day, but the temperature is trending in the right direction.
The number of reports of abandoned cars to 311 has risen significantly over the past decade in Philadelphia. Getting that number down is a challenge.
The Pew Charitable Trusts released its 2026 State of the City report, and it showed mixed results for where Philly stands, and where it might be headed.
Plus, City Council members debate “Uber tax,“ and more news of the day.
— Tommy Rowan (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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In Philly, abandoned cars present a persistent problem — and one that is difficult to fully eradicate.
The number of abandoned car reports to 311 has risen significantly over the last decade, with seasonal peaks in the warmer months and valleys in the colder ones.
So, ‘tis the season.
And while the number of reports remains high, the city may have finally begun to reverse the trend.
But the whole process — from the report of an abandoned car to its actual removal — can still take months.
Reporters Nate File and Joe Yerardi deftly deftly lay out the entire issue here.
Philadelphia has made progress. Well, some progress.
And the progress was made with some of the city’s most troublesome issues, such as gun violence and poverty.
But the city’s major successes have come as it has stagnated in areas that recently have buoyed the city, like income and population growth, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts’ 2026 State of the City report, which was released Tuesday.
What you should know today
City Council members’ frustration with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s proposed “Uber Tax” boiled over at a fiery Council budget hearing on Tuesday that was ostensibly about the mayor’s proposed tax policies, but quickly became a far-ranging and heated debate over education.
A coalition of lawyers and activists rallied outside the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center to demand greater protection from ICE for immigrants going to court.
Five people were injured after a man “intentionally” crashed a vehicle into the front lobby of a police building in Rhawnhurst.
Peco’s CEO stepped down less than a year into the role, and less than a week after the company withdrew its half-billion-dollar rate hike request, following serious pushback.
A Havertown native’s play about clergy abuse will be performed steps away from the Harrisburg Capitol as the Senate votes on statute of limitation reform.
Two men armed with rifles robbed an armored truck in Northeast Philadelphia, police said. They fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.
While Iron Hill Brewery mounts a post-bankruptcy comeback under new ownership, longtime brewpub fans aren’t able to get back their unused gift cards or “King of the Hill” loyalty points. But the new leaders say they want to make it right.
The Packer Avenue exit ramp on I-95 South is closed for construction for the next month. Expect increased delays near the sports complex during the Flyers’ and Sixers’ playoff runs and a slew of Phillies games.
Quote of the day
Over the past 25 years, John Ternus climbed the ranks at Apple from designing products to leading hardware engineering to, as of Monday, becoming the company’s next CEO. But before he became a technological trailblazer, he was an engineering student at the University of Pennsylvania mastering the fundamentals of the trade.
Correction: Librarian Kelly Richards was quoted in this section yesterday. He is president and director of the Free Library of Philadelphia
🧠 Trivia time
The NFL draft kicks off this Thursday, and recently columnist Marcus Hayes implored the Eagles to pick a quarterback in the second round. Which signal caller did Hayes suggest they pick?
A) Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia
B) Penn State’s Drew Allar
C) Alabama’s Ty Simpson
D) Miami’s Carson Beck
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🎩 Remembering. Weeks after an assassin gunned down President Abraham Lincoln in a Washington, D.C., theater, a train pulled his body across a war-pocked United States — and stopped at Independence Hall to let Philadelphians say goodbye.
🏆 Honoring. Longtime Haverford High School history teacher Leon Smith, who brought African American studies to the school and is known as a mentor to students, was named the National Teacher of the Year.
🍂 Following. Gas-powered leaf blowers will soon be banned in Narberth, bringing the borough in line with Lower Merion, which passed a ban on the equipment last fall.
⚾ Planning. Major League Baseball announced its full schedule for All-Star week, which this year is taking place in Philadelphia.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: This New Jersey “Jeopardy!” champ keeps beating Philly challengers.
NAJI MIDGE
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Debbie Sharkey, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Cobbs Creek. The historic West Philadelphia golf course reached another milestone in its restoration plans.
Photo of the day
Gritty high-fived hockey fans at a Flyers rally in Center City on Tuesday as the team traveled back home to Xfinity Mobile Arena, where tonight the “Fly Guys” will face the Penguins in Game 3 of their first round playoff series.
👋 Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. Sam Stewart has you covered tomorrow.
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