🗳️ An independent opponent for Rabb | Morning Newsletter
And 9/11 veterans reflect.
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. Today, we’re expecting highs in the upper 80s with a chance of showers.
Up first, a race in a historically blue congressional district now has two candidates trying to shake up the status quo.
Then, we hear from post-9/11 veterans about how their service shapes their lives to this day.
Plus, N.J. Gov. Mikie Sherrill faces tough questions about her lieutenant governor, and more news of the day.
— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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In solidly Democratic Philadelphia, the primary election can be the real race, with Democratic nominees coasting to victory in November. That’s especially true in Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District, one of the bluest seats in the country.
Dennis Mahoney hopes to change that.
The 34-year-old independent candidate is the only opponent challenging State Rep. Chris Rabb, a democratic socialist from Northwest Philly who beat out a crowded field in May to become the Democratic nominee.
Mahoney, who said he was unable to find a home in either party, is backed by a Philly-based super PAC, Forward Party Victory Fund, which supports independent candidates described as both “anti-MAGA” and “anti-DSA.”
While odds of an upstart win in Philly are long, there are signs U.S. voters are looking for alternatives outside the two-party system. A Gallup poll earlier this year found that 45% of U.S. adults identified as independents — a record high.
Inquirer political reporter Fallon Roth has the full story.
When Inquirer editors asked reporter Brett Sholtis to do a story about 9/11-affected veterans for the 25th anniversary of the attacks, it piqued his interest.
“A lot of the world has kind of moved on,” Sholtis said, though he knew many veterans don’t ultimately survive their mental wounds. Tens of thousands have died by suicide in the years following their service. He was also acquainted with people who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and knew that their experiences were diverse — and certainly not all tinged by tragedy.
“The important thing is to let people tell their own story,” Sholtis said.
So he did. For the four people he profiled in this story, 9/11 is a turning point. But the events of that day reverberated through their lives in entirely unique ways.
For one woman, it was the start of a fruitful military career and the conduit to meeting her husband. For another man, a blast from an improvised explosive device led to yearslong mental health struggles that he now processes via poetry.
Read on for their stories and more.
What you should know today
N.J. Democrats are frustrated with Gov. Mikie Sherrill for not speaking up about allegations that Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell acted inappropriately toward women.
Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky appeared in court on Tuesday, as a part of a bid by his attorneys to receive a new trial.
The City of Wildwood faces a lawsuit after a child participating in a drunken driving simulation lost control of a golf cart and struck bystanders.
Holtec, a Camden company known for managing waste from nuclear power plants, will have an initial public offering to raise money for new products, like mini nuclear reactors.
Camden has been using drones to aid in its crackdown on illegal dumping.
Stone Harbor’s Wetlands Institute has been forced to relocate and will raze — and then raise — its building to deal with sea-level rise.
Ahead of training camp, the Flyers announced their new roster.
On the cusp of his 50th season calling Eagles games, Merrill Reese, 84, has no plans to retire.
Read Inquirer sports reporter Matt Breen’s story on how he preps for the broadcast booth.
🧠 Trivia time
This Washington, D.C.-based bagel chain, known for its loaded sandwiches and pink and teal storefronts, just opened a location in Philly and has two more planned. What’s it called?
A) Call Your Mother
B) Schmaltz and Schmear
C) Bart’s Bagels
D) Bullfrog Bagels
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re …
🎧 Listening to. Philadelphia band the War on Drugs has released its first new music in five years, “a synth-heavy slow-building rock song” called “Who’s That.”
📺 Watching. Saturday Night Live returns with a new season, and local favorites like Jalen Brunson and Shane Gillis are among those hosting.
🏈 Playing. We removed the ball from these photos of Eagles games. Can you guess where it was?
🌸 Admiring. This prize-winning front garden on Fairmount’s Centennial Boulevard features flowering plants like roses and purple liriope.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Sean Mannion’s position with the Eagles
FRONDOSE VOCIFERATION
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Many of you chimed in, but today’s cheers go to Rosalie Hawn for correctly guessing Wednesday’s anagram answer: the Spectrum. A new arena for the 76ers and Flyers is scheduled to open in 2030 on the site where the Spectrum stood until 2010.
A lucky talisman and a memorial, all rolled into one.
Here’s to Thursday! See you tomorrow.
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