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. There’s a slight chance of showers on this Sunday.
Our main read is an overview of the events leading to SEPTA’s long-dreaded service reductions as they officially go into effect today.
Later on, get a dose of wholesomeness from family teaching duos at an elementary school in West Philly.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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The transit system’s massive cuts are here.
For the people who ride SEPTA, this new normal could mean a million individual daily disasters. For the Philly region, the disruption could spell an economic downturn.
From students to late-shift workers and drivers on clogged roadways, the impact of the reductions will be felt immediately. And things would get worse for the city in January if the state’s divided legislature fails to finalize its budget or agree on a transit-funding plan.
Transportation reporter Tom Fitzgerald explores the bleak reality of this drastic decline in service, along with insights on the intense partisan fight surrounding it.
Further reading:
🚌 Here’s everything you need to know about the cuts. You can also use our tool to see how the service cuts will impact routes near you.
⚠️ The cutbacks to public transportation will result in worse air quality in Philadelphia and surrounding counties, according to new projections.
🍎 The start of Philly’s school year is shaping up to be a doozy with SEPTA cuts and a looming PFT contract deadline.
For second-grade teacher Allison Kline, the teacher two doors down from her at Andrew Hamilton Elementary isn’t just a colleague. It’s also her mom, Beth.
When Allison visited her mom’s preschool classroom back in 1995, she knew she wanted to become a teacher, too.
Together, they have been teaching in the Philadelphia School District for 11 years. Students refer to them as “Mama Kline” and “Baby Kline.” And while their teaching styles are similar, they aren’t exactly the same person.
In Beth’s own words: “She’s the tough one, and I’m the soft one,” she said.
The Klines aren’t the only mother-daughter team at Hamilton.
Philly schools reporter Kristen Graham has the story.
What you should know today
An 18-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy were arrested in connection with an altercation on a SEPTA bus late Friday afternoon that involved an exchange of gunfire in Kensington, police said. No injuries were reported.
A Philadelphia-area cancer philanthropy has created a solution to help families coming to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for treatment. The initiative also honors Barbara Friedes, a CHOP medical resident who was fatally struck by a car while biking.
What started as a “delusional online fixation” ended with a 29-year-old Bucks County man behind bars Tuesday after he stalked a teenage influencer for months and confronted her father at their Florida home, police said.
Former partners at a shuttered Philadelphia law firm have reached a settlement agreement over allegedly mismanaged pension funds. The agreement is pending court approval.
Pennsylvania’s last Rite Aid pharmacy closed its doors Friday. Most prescriptions have been transferred to CVS.
A federal judge ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Alina Habba, has been unlawfully serving as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey.
Longtime residential developer Carl Dranoff unveiled plans for his fifth residential high-rise on Avenue of the Arts last week, an 84-unit rental apartment building at 914 S. Broad St.
Former Judge Patrick Dugan drew key support from the Philadelphia building trades unions in the Democratic primary for district attorney. Then he announced he would run as a Republican.
In “Lessons from Ukraine’s ‘First World Drone War,’“ Inquirer columnist Trudy Rubin reports from the ground as war rages, galvanized by AI-driven weapons.
Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler’s season is over. He was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome and will undergo surgery. The expected recovery time is six to eight months.
❓Pop quiz
Ten Penn Center, at 1801 Market St., is being sold for a deeply discounted rate of $30 million. The 27-story building last changed hands in 2006.
How much did it cost back then?
A) $144 million
B) $99 million
C) $200 million
D) $75 million
Think you know? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: This basketball legend won two city titles at Overbook High School and an NBA title with the Sixers in 1967
MACHINABLE TWIRL
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Fran Lunsford who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: Wonderland Pier. A plan to build a hotel at the former site of the beloved amusement park in Ocean City will not proceed.
There was a celebration of all things mycological in Northwest Philadelphia on Saturday. Jesse Bunch reports from the funky fungi affair.
🎶 Today’s song sounds like: “I want to know if love is wild / Girl, I want to know if love is real.”
As Born to Run approaches its 50th anniversary, pop critic Dan DeLuca details the story of the breakthrough album’s birth and rapturous reception, and where it ranks in The Boss’ discography.
👋🏽 That’s it for now. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Inquirer.