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 Friday, Philly. Our streak of mild, sunny weather continues with highs approaching the lows 70s this afternoon.
Today, we’re starting with a type of crime that’s all too common in Philly, and the rare circumstances that brought a serial human trafficker to justice.
And, malls and big box stores around the region are using Flock cameras. Unlike local police departments, they don’t have to share much info about what they do with the data collected.
Plus, an effort to consider a city-supported grocery store in Philly, and more news of the day.
— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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In the end, just one woman testified.
But her story was enough to help bring down a human trafficking ring with more than a dozen victims that had been running out of 54-year-old Terrance Jones’ Northeast Philly home for years. Jones exploited women suffering from addiction, sometimes posing as a woman himself on the phone, to recruit them for his escort business. Then, he would control them by keeping most of the money they made and supplying them with drugs.
Last week, Jones was convicted of human trafficking and involuntary servitude, charges that could send him to prison for decades.
Such coercion is a common — but often hidden — form of crime in Philadelphia, advocates told The Inquirer. But it’s one that has been recently forced into the spotlight by the case of seven missing women linked to a home in Olney.
Notable quote: “As long as people who suffer from addiction are forced to live in the shadows, people will continue to exploit and profit off their addiction,” said Senior Deputy Attorney General Zachary Wynkoop.
What do the Gloucester Premium Outlets, King of Prussia Mall, and a Home Depot in West Berlin, Camden County, have in common? All have Flock-brand or similar automated license plate readers monitoring their properties.
Until recently, local law enforcement has drawn much of the scrutiny over the use and misuse of these cameras, which have been linked to stalking by police officers.
But awareness of the use by businesses is on the rise, and so is criticism of the practice.
Unlike government entities, businesses are not subject to the same open records laws and audits; they can also be prickly about revealing too much about their camera use.
That lack of transparency concerns privacy advocates. In some cases, businesses have been reported to share their information with local police or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Inquirer’s Ximena Conde has the full story.
What you should know today
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries are both spending time in Bucks County this week, a sign that Pennsylvania’s competitive congressional races are heating up ahead of the midterms.
Will Gross, a progressive activist and Democratic ward leader in South Philly, said Thursday that he plans to challenge longtime sitting Councilmember Mark Squilla.
City Council President Kenyatta Johnson wants to explore opening a city-supported grocery store in Philadelphia, following similar efforts by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
Thieves are stripping copper wire from lights in Philly parks, recreation centers, and other public properties, leaving youth sports teams and others who want to use them in the dark.
A Philadelphia judge has overturned the designation of 1,441 properties in the Washington Square area of Center City as a historic district for a second time.
Wayfair, the online home furniture retailer, plans to open a brick-and-mortar store in Cherry Hill.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday, our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks and then we report the answers.
This week, we’re resurfacing an article from reporter Milan Varia about an arch that used to span Broad Street in Center City.
He discovered that the monument was part of a wave of memorial-building in the latter half of the 19th century, all tied to one cause: peace.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🧠 Trivia time
LeBron James is commuting between Philadelphia and New York by helicopter. Who is reportedly providing the helicopter?
A) Nike
B) The Sixers
C) Fanatics
D) Polymarket
Test your local news expertise and check your answer in our weekly quiz.
What we’re ...
🎃 Busting out the flannel for. It’s pumpkin patch season. The Inquirer’s Dugan Arnett has this virtual hay ride through all the best fall farms to visit in our area.
🐟 Avoiding. If you were planning on catching a fish dinner in Wissahickon Creek anytime soon, don’t. Environmental reporter Frank Kummer reports that Pennsylvania officials have issued a “do not eat” advisory due to forever chemicals.
💡 Spotting on the horizon. Another tip from Kummer: A South Jersey lighthouse dating back to 1849 will soon reopen to the public in Cumberland County.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Nonprofit theater company located on Broad Street.
LITERATE WHAM
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Congrats to Sharon Greis, who correctly guessed Thursday’s answer: Lower Merion. School District Superintendent Frank Ranelli will resign at the end of April, after saying the position was “just not a good match for me.”
Time to zoom way out with this satellite view of fall’s annual pageantry.
Before I go, a humble request. If you’re interested in sharing a fall memory in Philly, please jot one down and send it to me in an email! I’m hoping to do a seasonal take on Monday’s “Only in Philly” column.
👋 Take good care. I’ll be back on Monday.
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