🚲 Bigger, faster, less regulated | Morning Newsletter

Monday brings a fresh start, Philly. It’s set to be another gorgeous evening for some postseason baseball.

E-bikes have exploded in popularity in recent years. Now, they’re evolving into e-motorcycles. Law enforcement is lagging behind.

And in a district with few full-time librarians, the students of Kensington Health Sciences Academy founded their own school library. The community has their back, too.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

P.S. The Inquirer Food Fest at the Fillmore will assemble the Philly scene’s biggest stars for a day of food, live beats, and hands-on fun. Get your ticket to the Nov. 15 event now.

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Electric cycles are getting bigger and faster. That makes them more dangerous to their riders and others on the roads, trails, and boardwalks where they’re increasingly appearing.

The newer cycles around the Philadelphia region are high-powered e-motos — essentially, motorcycles with bicycle pedals — that can be purchased online and go up to three times faster than legal e-bikes. But as their popularity explodes, so does the number of related injuries, especially head injuries.

Regulation has not kept up. And when legislation does change, it’s often prompted by tragedy, as in the July case of a South Jersey teen killed while riding an electric cycle.

Reporters Jason Nark, William Bender, and Dylan Purcell explain.

Back in January, The Inquirer covered the efforts of Kensington Health Sciences Academy students building their own school library from the ground up. Nine months later, that library is thriving.

📚 The DreamEscape Library grew from a single book cart to a multipurpose room with couches, computers, and full bookshelves. The teens who run it have also built buzz through social media and earned grants to support their work.

📚 Community supporters have stepped up, too, including members of a Northeast Philadelphia church who donated $5,000 toward the library.

📚 Notable quote: “It feels amazing,” one KHSA junior said. “Now, we have a whole space to ourselves.”

Education reporter Kristen A. Graham has the story on the space’s grand opening.

In other bookish news: A 9-year-old Venezuelan American was among the authors who presented their books this weekend at Philly’s annual Latin American Book Fair.

A left-leaning group had conversations with 2,800 Pennsylvania college students. The responses were grim — when asked if they think elected officials act in young people’s best interest, only 2% said yes — but could provide a playbook for how to reach Gen Z.

The Center City couple who founded the Old Nelson deli chain are suing which other locally founded company over its dealings in South Korea?

A) Di Bruno Bros.

B) La Colombe

C) Dietz & Watson

D) Bassetts Ice Cream

Think you know? Check your answer.

📺 Mapping: The Philly-area locations in the fifth episode of Task, including the Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass.

🍩 Visiting: The second location of one of South Philly’s best doughnut bakeries.

👕 Buying: Pieces from this Philly-founded, SoulCycle-popular athleisure brand.

🐔 Dreaming of: That fried chicken sandwich from Poison Heart.

🔓 Considering: How to unlock economic mobility for Latino families in Philadelphia.

Hint: Montgomery County borough

MARBLE

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Mary Illari, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Hahnemann University Hospital. A development group is planning almost 300 apartments for the former campus at Broad and Race Streets.

After the Phillies’ National League division series Game 1 loss on Saturday, Red October is feeling less magical, columnist David Murphy writes. (Eagles fans may be feeling the same after that Broncos game.) Game 2 is tonight.

Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Keith Vine, who honors his father’s love of the Birds:

My dad was a hardcore Eagles fan. He moved from the West Coast in 1950, but soon adopted the Eagles as his go-to team. He also liked the Phillies, and he took me and my mom to see a Flyers playoff game during their first year (got lower-level tickets the day of the game!), but the Eagles were his first love.

He and my brother listened to the Birds win the championship in 1960 on the radio, because there was no local TV. But he always wanted to “see” them win a championship. He got his wish in 2018. He said to me: “I can die happy now.” And a little over a month later, he did.

I know he was watching them last season as well. Next month would have been his 100th birthday. Me and my brothers always got together with him to watch the games every Sunday, and we still get together now and honor his memory.

Thanks for starting your week with The Inquirer. See you back here tomorrow.

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