Scamming NFL players and regular people | Morning Newsletter

Good morning! Looks like we’re in for another hot day, with maybe some thunderstorms in the late afternoon. Translation: It’s August in Philly.

This morning, we have the story of a man who allegedly bilked NFL players and others out of money in a scam involving fake Shopify stores.

We also have details about Gov. Josh Shapiro’s early days in office when he welcomed businesses into Pennsylvania — including data centers, which are decidedly unpopular now.

Plus, some members of Congress want FanDuel to eliminate its VIP program in light of the Bryce Harper controversy. The Portal is going to move away from City Hall — and could leave Philly altogether. — Ellen Dunkel

(morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Hours before they found him dead in his Gloucester County home, one of Mohamed Coulibaly’s alleged victims said the 23-year-old entrepreneur had been desperately seeking a $75,000 loan.

A recent Barron’s investigation alleged Coulibaly defrauded three former NFL players out of $1 million in an e-commerce scheme involving fake Shopify stores.

Now others who invested in the venture or lent Coulibaly money, were blowing up his phone. They wanted to know if Eagles Jalen Carter and several former members of the team, including Nakobe Dean and Terrell Edmunds, were even real clients, a claim Coulibaly made on promotional materials.

Above all, these people wanted their money back.

Reporter Ximena Conde digs into the case.

Gov. Josh Shapiro made a declaration in the early days of his administration: Pennsylvania is open for business.

The move would ultimately include promises to slash bureaucratic red tape, cut permit wait times, and offer a new direct line to Shapiro’s office for major corporations hoping to set up shop in Pennsylvania.

It was with this same spirit last summer that Shapiro announced the largest single private sector investment in Pennsylvania history: Amazon committed $20 billion in Pennsylvania that included two data center campuses in Luzerne and Bucks Counties.

But in a year’s time, the politics — and public opinion on both sides of the aisle — have dramatically shifted on data center development.

Reporters Michelle Baruchman and Gillian McGoldrick have the details.

“Baby boomers like me vividly remember the towering, then-state-of-the-art right field scoreboard at Connie Mack Stadium,” Dave Caldwell writes, “topped by a gigantic advertisement for Ballantine Beer. Well, that scoreboard was erected in 1956, five years before beer was sold there.”

Which South Jersey town recently celebrated its 100th anniversary of incorporation?

A) Haddonfield

B) Lawnside

C) Merchantville

D) Glassboro

Think you know? Check your answer.

🍕Eating: Pizza topped with oxtail and collard greens, jerk chicken, and shrimp and grits.

🌱 Planting: Native vegetation. Here’s how Jersey Shore gardeners do it.

🧰 Borrowing: Tools from the Northwest Tool Library. After all, not everyone has a leaf blower.

Hint: People are stocking up on this dish since the Northeast Philly restaurant that specializes in it announced that it’s closing.

PAPERS PUN SO

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

Cheers to Gary Bolton, who solved Sunday’s anagram: LANE JOHNSON. The six-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro said 2026 will “probably” be his final season.

Chase Utley’s path to the Phillies Wall of Fame was forged with hours in the video room.

Enjoy your Tuesday!

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