The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It’s 11/11, Philly. Make a wish.
As the longest government shutdown in the country’s history approaches its end, Philadelphia’s federal workers could be one step closer to getting paid and returning to work — but questions remain about when, exactly, they might be able to do so. Meanwhile, unemployment claims for federal workers have been rising in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
And home flippers used to be able to make money pretty easily in Philadelphia. Then, the flipping environment changed.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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While senators made a deal on an appropriations bill Sunday, the federal government remains closed for now.
It’s unclear how quickly furloughed federal employees will be required to return to work and how they will receive notice of the return if and when the government reopens. In the meantime, local government and other groups have been providing support in the form of food pantries, rental assistance, and loans to those workers who have gone without pay for weeks.
Reporters Ariana Perez-Castells and Fallon Roth have more on how the latest proposed deal to end the shutdown will impact workers and the resources still available to them.
Further reading: Unemployment claims for federal workers have skyrocketed since the shutdown’s start. See how much they typically earn. Plus, more flight delays and cancellations hit Philadelphia International Airport over the weekend — and they’re likely to get worse until the shutdown ends.
More on the vote: Philadelphia’s Democrats in Congress are furious with their eight Senate Democratic caucus colleagues who backed the Republican-led plan to reopen the government. Among those colleagues is Pa. Sen. John Fetterman, who called the 40-day federal shutdown a “failure.”
And the state of SNAP: Distribution of $295 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits is on pause in Pennsylvania after the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower-court ruling. After Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration released $100 million in benefits to recipients on Friday, local business owners who depend on those customers — such as those at Reading Terminal Market and the Italian Market — welcomed their return this weekend.
Home flippers — those who buy properties in need of serious renovations, fix them up, then sell them for a profit — have long been a fixture in Philadelphia’s real estate market.
🏚️ Flips accounted for about 8% of the region’s home sales in the second quarter of the year. The median purchase price for investors this spring was $200,000, while the median sale price for flips was $325,000.
🏚️ But success has gotten more difficult to come by over the years: Home prices increased, renovation costs shot up, finding the right properties became harder, and the market softened.
Real estate reporter Michaelle Bond explains the changing business of flipping.
What you should know today
As SEPTA rushes to complete federally mandated inspections of its Silverliner IV fleet, Regional Rail cancellations proliferated Monday. Cancellations will continue Tuesday on the Airport, Fox Chase, and Chestnut Hill West lines. Plus: SEPTA must inspect 225 trains by Friday. As of midday Monday, the transit agency had 30 cars remaining.
President Donald Trump has pardoned dozens of political allies who helped him try to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost, including a Northeast Philadelphia native.
In an emotional excerpt from his new book, Fetterman said he should have dropped out of his 2022 senatorial race while severely battling depression after his stroke.
Berks County nonprofit Tower Health is laying off 350 employees, or 3% of its workforce, leaders said Friday. The move will include service cuts at Pottstown Hospital.
Sasha Suda, the recently ousted director of the Philadelphia Art Museum, sued her former employer Monday, alleging there was no “valid basis” for her dismissal. Read the full lawsuit here.
Main Street mainstay Winnie’s Manayunk, which was picketed by employees earlier this year after paychecks bounced, has closed again.
After three unsuccessful auditions, a Curtis Institute of Music grad has won the Philadelphia Orchestra’s principal trumpeter spot. He’s 26.
Delaware State University would love to play another HBCU Classic at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles like the idea, too.
Quote of the day
Home visits are helping new moms get healthcare, support, and diapers in the weeks after they give birth at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital. The program is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania and is aimed at improving maternal and child health in a city that has dealt with high rates of maternal mortality that disproportionately impact Black women.
🧠 Trivia time
Which state recently opened an Office of New Americans to help immigrants navigate the citizenship process and access language, workforce, and civic engagement programs?
A) Pennsylvania
B) Delaware
C) New York
D) Maryland
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re …
👟 Noting: Road closures and other logistics of the 2025 Philadelphia Marathon from Nov. 21 to 23.
🌾 Eager to visit: Calder Gardens, where “engaged attention is essential for seeing.”
🌡️ Saying goodbye to: The Farmers’ Almanac, not to be confused with the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
💰 Ogling: Joel Embiid’s former Society Hill penthouse, which just sold for $3.6 million.
🔵 Considering: The future of the Democratic Party as coalition.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: The region’s largest LGBTQ+ health agency
INTERMEZZO CAN
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Ann Butchart, who solved Monday’s anagram: Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority.
During a City Council hearing last week, the city’s community development arm accused the Polish American Cultural Center’s leader of using “bullying tactics” to win back control of the Society Hill building where it was headquartered for almost 40 years.
Photo of the day
🍺 One last embattled thing: Two different efforts are dueling it out to recreate the historic Tun Tavern in Old City, where the U.S. Marines Corps was founded in 1775. On Monday, they both held events marking the 250th anniversary.
Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. Have a good one.
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