Abortion is back on the ballot in Pa. | Morning Newsletter

It’s Friday. We’ve made it to the end of another week. And it looks as if the weather will be getting nicer as the day goes on, with clouds expected to clear in the afternoon, giving way to temperatures in the upper 80s.

First up, we’ll examine how the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade might impact Pennsylvania’s midterm elections this fall.

Then, we’ll take a look at why Philadelphia doesn’t have a women’s professional sports franchise, what needs to change to make that happen, and the outlook for the city as leagues like the WNBA eye expansion.

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— Matt Mullin (@matt_mullin, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

It should come as no surprise that the biggest issues heading into a crucial midterm election season in Pennsylvania — one that includes both Senate and gubernatorial races — are likely going to be inflation, high gas prices, and President Joe Biden’s falling approval rating.

But with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, abortion could also play a big role, especially in certain parts of the state. In moderate, suburban areas, the abortion issue could help some of the most vulnerable Democrats by reminding swing voters why they’ve shied away from the GOP in recent years.

“The most notable thing about it is the wide range of age from young to old as well as gender, males and females, that are talking to me about it and are outraged about it,” Rep. Susan Wild, a Democrat, said in an interview. “People are seeing this as the deprivation of a right that has long been established in our country.”

My colleague Jonathan Tamari has more here on how political experts and candidates see this issue affecting November’s elections.

For as sports-crazed as Philadelphia is, there’s one glaring hole in the local landscape at the moment: There’s no women’s professional franchise in the city, despite three leagues with strong ties to the city — the WNBA (basketball), the NWSL (soccer), and the PWHPA (hockey) — and plenty of local interest.

“There’s a lot of young girls and there’s a lot of women’s basketball fans in Philly who would love to see that team and who would love to support that team,” said North Philly native and WNBA All-Star Kahleah Copper. “So I’m definitely an advocate for it. I would love to see a team in Philly. It would be amazing for the city.”

“The Wells Fargo Center would make a perfect home for a WNBA team here in Philly,” said Comcast Spectacor’s president of business operations, Valerie Camillo, “and we’re more than ready to work with the Sixers to make that happen. ... If the desire is, ‘We need a venue,’ the Wells Fargo Center stands ready to have that conversation, and we think it can be a match.”

So why isn’t there a team in Philly yet? And when might one arrive? My colleague Jonathan Tannenwald spoke to key stakeholders on both sides.

A Philadelphia city official abruptly resigned from his post this week. Who was it? Take a guess and click here to find the answer.

a. Jim Kenney

b. Kenyatta Johnson

c. Thomas Nestel

d. Boris Johnson

📖 Reading: A mom recounts fleeing with her toddler from gunfire on the Parkway on July Fourth.

🫐 Planning: There are a lot of good things to do in Philly this weekend.

❤️ Loving: This story about the “Grandma Lifeguard” helping seniors remember it’s never too late.

Researchers and volunteers are hoping to restore this former king of Pennsylvania’s forests.

EUCHARIST REENACTMENT

Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shoutout to a reader at random who answers correctly. Today’s shoutout goes to Adam Ziegler of West Chester, who correctly guessed Baldwin’s Book Barn as Thursday’s answer.

That’s it for me today. My colleague Ashley Hoffman will be back for tomorrow’s newsletter.