The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Happy Tuesday, Philly. It won’t be as sunny and warm as yesterday, but it will still feel like spring with a high around 67.
The number of reported dog bites in Philly has decreased after a surge during the pandemic. Despite the drop, victims say they can still face expenses, and confusion.
And Philadelphia’s Office of Public Safety launched the Peacekeepers Institute this month to train outreach workers and unify the city’s patchwork of grassroots antiviolence groups.
Plus, the University of Pennsylvania does not have to release names of people affiliated with Jewish organizations, and more news of the day.
— Tommy Rowan (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Thousands of dog attacks have been reported in Philadelphia in the last few years — a number that surged after a boom in pet ownership during the pandemic, but attacks have been declining more recently.
Despite the drop, victims say they can still face trauma, expenses, and confusion in the aftermath of an attack.
For ACCT Philly executive director Sarah Barnett, the declining numbers might not mean that fewer attacks are happening, but rather that fewer people are reporting them.
More than once, ACCT has visited a home following a dog bite to discover the pup wasn’t a first-time offender, yet no bites had been reported, Barnett said.
Some people perceive reporting as causing trouble, she said, but “you have to report something in order to make something happen.”
The reporting process, however, can be complex and confusing, Barnett acknowledged. It can involve navigating bureaucracy and, in some cases, uncomfortable encounters with neighbors.
Reporter Michelle Myers has the full story.
Philadelphia is working to keep the peace.
The city’s Peacekeepers Institute is a new eight-week training program launched by city’s Office of Public Safety. The goal is to unify and train those who work in Philly’s patchwork of community violence intervention organizations.
Community violence intervention programs work to reduce gun violence by deploying “credible messengers” to engage with those most at risk — offering conflict mediation, social support, and public services in an effort to avert crime without involving law enforcement.
Last week, around 25 members from groups like the Pennsylvania Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network (PAAN) and Kensington’s Cure Violence shared stories and best practices in a field that, until recently, had flourished nationwide.
Notable quote: “You can’t ever say that what we’re doing, because it’s not on paper, isn’t making a difference,” said an outreach worker from Penn.
Read reporter Jesse Bunch’s full report.
What you should know today
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s fiancée, Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich, was on stage when shots were fired at the White House correspondents’ dinner.
The University of Pennsylvania does not have to release names of people affiliated with Jewish organizations on its campus to a federal agency while it is appealing a judge’s order.
A family’s drive home turned violent when armed robbers posing as police officers attempted to steal $49,000.
New court filings in the lawsuit between Alec Bohm and his parents give additional insight into what the Phillies third baseman has alleged is a multimillion dollar mismanagement of his financial affairs.
Nursing students at the Community College of Philadelphia are working with an AI-powered mannequin to help simulate real-life medical situations.
A federal judge sanctioned a Cherry Hill attorney for submitting a court filing with AI hallucinations. The attorney was previously sanctioned for errors in AI-written briefs.
A Philadelphia real estate group is under agreement to buy the building that housed McGlinchey’s Bar, a slice of nightlife history that closed last summer.
Quote of the day
Days after Republican Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity declined to pay for more than $1 million in security upgrades for Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Montgomery County residence, a bipartisan group of former Pennsylvania governors is saying the Shapiro family’s safety should not be a partisan issue.
🧠 Trivia time
The Pennsylvania primary is May 19. When is the deadline to register to vote?
A) Right now
B) Today
C) This afternoon
D) May 4
Think you know? Check your answer in our 2026 voter’s guide.
What we’re …
🏖️ Catching up on: Jersey Shore towns have been rebuilding in preparation for this summer. Here’s what your favorite towns were up to while you were away.
🗺️ Astonished by: A 176-year-old wooden artifact traveled the world, from Vancouver Island to New York to Germany, only to land in Philadelphia. And soon, it will embark on the 3,200-mile journey home.
🎭 Considering: Let ‘Em Eat Cake, a 1930s opera about an American president who won’t accept election results, was poorly received when it premiered and it disappeared for most of the decades since. Now, it’s being revived in Philadelphia.
🍋 Learning: The recently drafted Makai Lemon is an introvert. But Eagles fans shouldn’t mistake his soft-spoken nature for nonchalance, according to his former coach. Lemon has the “war gene.”
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: This best-selling crime novel is set in Philadelphia during the opioid crisis.
VILBERG RING THOR
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Mary Boehm, who solved Monday’s anagram: Bryn Mawr College. The Main Line school could soon be the only women’s college in the region. Its president wants to fill the coming years with new ideas.
Photo of the day
Seven Philadelphia School District leaders were announced as winners of the 2026 Lindback Award for Distinguished Principal Leadership. Each of them receives a $20,000 check to support a project at their schools.
Among them were Patterson Elementary’s LeAndrea Baltimore-Hagan, who has been hailed for her joyful, intentional work and the all-out love she has for her students and staff. She also fosters a school culture with rich partnerships and welcomes the community, reporter Kristen Graham writes.
👋 Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. Back at it tomorrow.
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