How Bryce Harper filled the Phillies’ roster | Morning Newsletter
And digging into Pennsylvania’s school board races
The Morning Newsletter
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Expect clear skies with a high of 57.
When Trea Turner accepted the Phillies’ $300 million offer, owner John Middleton wanted to be the first one to tell Bryce Harper.
Turner played with Harper for four years with the Nationals and is the latest of Harper’s friends to join the Phillies.
Our lead story explores Harper’s success getting his friends — who also tend to be some of the best players in the league — to give Philly a shot. 🔑
If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
We all need a friend like Bryce Harper.
Four years after Bryce Harper signed his contract with the Phillies in 2019, the team is full of his friends.
Harper wasn’t shy about lobbying the front office to try to acquire players around the league whom he admires.
From re-signing J.T. Realmuto before the 2021 season and the dual free-agent additions of Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos last year, to 2019 first-round draft pick Bryson Stott and now Trea Turner — the 2023 Phillies are undeniably “Bryce’s Bunch.”
Even hitting coach Kevin Long worked with Harper in Washington.
Continue reading to learn how Harper got his friends to follow him to Philly. 🔑
What you should know today
After a tumultuous tenure of less than two years,Temple University president Jason Wingard resigned.
Mayor Jim Kenney said the chemical spill in a Delaware River tributary will not impact Philadelphia’s drinking water.
More than a 100 students walked out of Science Leadership Academy at Beeber to protest budget cuts and underenrollment at magnets.
State Rep. Amen Brown survived another ballot challenge in his run for Philly mayor, but a judge cited “serious concerns” about his financial disclosures.
Cars with missing or covered license plates are foiling speed cameras on Roosevelt Boulevard.
The chemical plant in Bristol that spilled chemicals into Philly’s water supply had other mishaps over the last decade.
The Philadelphia Parking Authority has its first Democratic chair in two decades.
Two years ago, Paul Martino poured $500,000 into Pennsylvania school board races in what the Bucks County venture capitalist and GOP donor billed as a bipartisan effort to ensure pandemic school closures wouldn’t happen again.
This year, there are no claims to political neutrality. The Back to School PA political action committee he started brands itself as a conservative super PAC seeking to “stop the liberal left.”
Side note: He also founded the new Bankroll sports bar near Rittenhouse Square and has two children in the Central Bucks School District.
A few things to know:
Jeff Yass, the billionaire Main Line investor and school-choice proponent, donates to Martino’s PAC.
Martino has supported recent school board policies including a ban on staff advocacy — which prohibits Pride flags and other displays in classrooms — and a controversial policy targeting “sexualized content” in library books. The board adopted the library policy over the outcry of the ACLU and others who warned of censorship, particularly affecting LGBTQ-themed books.
His wife, Aarati Martino, is running as a Republican for a seat on the school board. She’s a GOP donor and gave money last year to U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz.
Continue reading to learn about Martino’s involvement in school board races. 🔑
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
When Philadelphia rivers were at their worst, a wealthy industrialist wanted to pipe water in from where?
A) Delaware Water Gap
B) Susquehanna River
C) Pine Barrens
D) None of the above
Find out if you know the answer.
What we’re...
🗳️ Reading: The second in a series of profiles about the top candidates for mayor. The latest installment features Jeff Brown.
👀 Watching: A federal judge ruled that Mike Pence must testify before a grand jury about Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to sources familiar with the ruling.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: Arch Street’s former name
BLURRYME
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Cheers to Craig LaBarge, who correctly guessed Tuesday’s answer: Sassafras. Email us if you know the answer.
Photo of the day
That’s been your morning news briefing. I’m starting my day with tea and honey.☕ Thank you for starting yours with The Inquirer.