Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

🗳️ Our 2022 endorsement guide | Morning Newsletter

And the Philadelphia Museum of Art strike is over.

Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro (left) and U.S. Senate Democratic candidate John Fetterman
Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro (left) and U.S. Senate Democratic candidate John FettermanRead moreAlejandro A. Alvarez / Elizabeth Robertson/Staff Photographer

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Welcome back and happy Monday.

Expect some rain showers and a high of 67.

Election Day is less than a month away for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the rest of the country. In Pennsylvania, the stakes are particularly high since voters will be choosing the next governor and a new U.S. senator. If you’re still undecided, you’re not alone. Today, our main focus is taking a look at The Inquirer Editorial Board’s picks so far.

If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

The Inquirer’s Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom, vetted candidates in key races to help you decide.

So far, it has endorsed Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro for governor and John Fetterman for the U.S. Senate.

How the process works: Each election cycle the board makes endorsements to give readers a better understanding of where candidates stand on issues and why its members think voters should support (or not support) a particular candidate

  1. The board does its own reporting and hosts meetings with candidates.

Read more to find out the rationale behind the board’s choices.

  1. A quick tip: Come back to the guide as the month progresses for choices regarding specific congressional districts and ballot questions.

Striking members of the first union in the history of the Philadelphia Museum of Art overwhelmingly approved their first contract Sunday evening and plan to return to their jobs this morning.

This concludes their historic 19-day walkout. The PMA Union had been negotiating a deal with museum management for two years.

The deal includes:

  1. A 14% pay hike over three years, retroactive to July.

  2. A minimum hourly wage increase from $15 to $16.75.

  3. “Longevity” pay increases which grant workers an additional $500 for every five years of employment.

  4. Four weeks of paid parental leave.

Keep reading to learn about the long (and sometimes contentious) road to get here.

What you should know today

  1. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Philadelphia Oct. 28 ahead of Election Day.

  2. Tim Alexander believes he can beat Rep. Jeff Van Drew in November in the fight for South Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District.

  3. One of the Roxborough shooters bought the ammunition despite his felony record — and state law allowed it.

  4. Philadelphia-area polio survivors continue to suffer from a disease thought to be long gone.

  5. Local coronavirus numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.

In her latest piece, columnist Inga Saffron details how the South Philly FDR plan would keep the park usable under the threat of climate change while also creating suburban-quality sports fields and playgrounds.

“Save the Meadows” groups want to scrap the renovation plan.

Necessary context: Last month, bulldozers arrived in the park to begin the first step of the plan which included construction work in the “Meadows.” It’s an affectionate nickname for a crescent of land that functioned as a golf course before it was shut down in 2019. Right after, the manicured lawns grew with chest-high stands of milkweed and goldenrod. The new wilderness was quickly embraced by nature lovers.

But without intervention, FDR park will cease to exist as a usable park.

Read more as Saffron addresses critics of the plan with nuance.

What we’re ...

⚾ Reminiscing about: The Phils’ 8-3 win and playoff-series clincher over the Braves with this photo gallery.

❤️ Swooning over: This pandemic lockdown love story

🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩

Hint: An Abbott Elementary character

GORDIE GREEDY

Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com . We’ll give a shout-out to a reader at random who answers correctly. Today’s shout-out goes to Richard Brasch, who correctly guessed Slick Willie Sutton as Sunday’s answer.

Photo of the Day

And that’s your Monday. I’m brewing my first cup of coffee for the morning. Thanks for starting yours with The Inquirer.