🏕️ Glamping in Pa. state parks | Morning Newsletter
And abortion in the state Supreme Court race.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning, Philly.
Pennsylvania state parks are offering a glamorous new perk to attract would-be outdoors enthusiasts: glamping sites with spacious tents, king-size beds, and more.
And Gov. Josh Shapiro and other Democrats have made abortion a focus of the state’s Supreme Court race. Read on to learn why the issue has become so prominent in an off-year election.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
P.S. Today is a sports equinox of sorts for Philadelphia. The Eagles play the Giants. It’s the Flyers’ season opener. Plus … the Phillies. See the latest analysis at Inquirer.com.
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Want to sleep outside but feel like you’re still inside? Pennsylvania state parks have a new offering for the camping-curious: glamping, aka glamorous camping.
🏕️ The state debuted about 60 glamping sites this week across eight parks, the closest to Philadelphia located at French Creek in Chester and Berks Counties. Amenities in the safari-style tents include king-size beds, mini-fridges, coffee makers, and soon, heating and air-conditioning.
🏕️ Costs run from $130 to more than $200 a night, depending on the time of year and day of the week. Reservations are now open for spring 2026.
🏕️ The feature comes as state officials say there has been demand for more modern conveniences at campgrounds. They also hope to attract people who might not normally camp, but who enjoy the outdoors.
Environment reporter Frank Kummer has more details.
More on the outdoors: Delaware County folks, check out our guide to 10 hiking trails and nature walks in and around Media. Plus, October is the perfect time to hang out at a farm. We found 20 near Philly for pumpkin picking, hayrides, corn mazes, and more.
In November, voters will be asked whether three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices — all Democrats — should be retained for another 10-year term. Advocacy groups have poured millions into their pro-retention campaign, with a special focus on one issue: abortion.
The election comes three years after Roe v. Wade was overturned, shifting the battle over reproductive healthcare to state courts. While the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is not currently considering any cases that would challenge abortion rights, it could in the future.
Meanwhile, Republicans have shied away from abortion messaging in recent years.
Politics reporter Katie Bernard explains why.
In other state politics news: Now 100 days late on a budget, the Democratic-led Pennsylvania House and the Republican-controlled Senate moved forward Wednesday with a flurry of activity that still resulted in partisan finger-pointing and no funding plan.
What you should know today
Police are searching for a 23-year-old East Mount Airy woman who they say went missing from her workplace without her car Saturday.
A man who served 40 years in a Pennsylvania prison for murder and was set free when his conviction was overturned now faces deportation because of a decades-old drug case.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal from a Bristol Township man who was twice convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in a homophobic hate crime.
The Trump administration is escalating its legal fight against Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, saying it has “evidence” doctors lied to get insurance companies to cover gender dysphoria treatments.
Philly lawyer George Bochetto has filed a proposed class-action suit saying SEPTA customers are owed refunds of recent fare increases.
Philadelphia regional airports are contending with staffing shortages as the federal government shutdown drags into a second week. Union officials warn the situation could worsen quickly.
A lockdown in the Lower Merion School District Friday sparked outrage on social media after parents said a lack of communication left their children fearing for their lives.
PennDot will soon begin a monthslong safety improvement project that will close Vine Street at Ninth in both directions beginning Oct. 20.
A New York developer is planning 620 apartments on Columbus Boulevard along with an extension of the Delaware River Trail. Plus, the Post Brothers’ push to add more apartments to Northern Liberties suggests a thaw in the construction freeze. And a new study from the nonprofit Institute for Family Studies argues that developers should build more apartments for families.
Quote of the day
The Philadelphia Film Society unveiled the $1.6 million renovation of its centerpiece theater at 1412 Chestnut St. on Wednesday. The changes come ahead of the 2025 festival, which this month will feature a slew of big-name films, indie picks, shorts, and the season finale of HBO’s Task alongside a panel of its actors and creators.
🧠Trivia time
Resident assistants and peer mentors at which Philly school just voted to unionize, joining a wave of student-worker organizing on local campuses?
A) Temple University
B) Bryn Mawr College
C) La Salle University
D) St. Joseph’s University
Think you know? Check your answer.
What (and whom) we’re …
🥊 Anticipating: The movie about the making of Rocky, now filming in New Jersey and Philly.
🏀 Reading: Allen Iverson’s new memoir, Misunderstood.
🚚 Almost impressed by: The thieves who stole 24,000 bottles of Guy Fieri’s Montco-bound tequila.
🪿 Rallying behind: Wawa over Sheetz, always.
📉 Considering: Why Philadelphia isn’t celebrating over shedding its title of poorest big city.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Former Real Housewives star selling a Bucks County farmhouse
IDAHOAN LADDY
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Chrissie Dziembowski, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: Queen Village. The South Philly neighborhood is joining the Open Streets movement, closing part of Fourth Street to motor vehicles on two upcoming Saturdays.
Photo of the day
🌾 One last visual thing: When looking at a sculpture in the Calder Gardens, there is “no wrong answer,” according to Alexander S.C. Rower, the sculptor’s grandson and president of the Calder Foundation — just don’t call it a museum. Want to understand the new cultural destination’s unmissable plants, intriguing sculptures, and site-specific architecture? We explain the magic of Calder Gardens.
May your Thursday have a bit of magic in it, too. See ya tomorrow.
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