🍺 What’s on tap for empty Iron Hills | Morning Newsletter
And Penn rejects Trump compact.
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 Friday, Philly. An early heads-up for this winter: The region is forecast to get more snow than in recent years, though that’s not saying much.
Shuttered Iron Hill breweries sit empty across Greater Philadelphia. What will become of them?
And the University of Pennsylvania said it will not sign the compact proposed by President Donald Trump’s administration that would have given the school preferential consideration for federal funding in exchange for agreeing to operational demands.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
P.S. Friday means trivia. Our latest news quiz includes questions on an Eagles retirement, Pennhurst plans, and more.
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The sudden bankruptcy of Iron Hill Brewery, once credited with sparking restaurant booms in several area downtowns, has left giant retail holes across the Philadelphia region.
🍺 The chain closed more than a dozen locations in suburban hubs such as West Chester’s Gay Street, as well as the Wilmington riverfront and Center City’s Market East. Some are massive, as in the case of Exton’s 18,000-square-foot taproom and production facility.
🍺 Their size makes them hard to fill. Industry conditions do, too: Other large restaurants could move in, but the spaces likely won’t be resurrected as breweries as consumer appetites move away from craft beer.
🍺 “It’s just daunting,” a Media restaurant worker said. “To be able to afford the space, you’d have to put a lot of butts in seats.”
Consumer reporter Erin McCarthy explores what could become of the locations.
In other business news: A changing death industry puts local cemeteries at risk, as maintenance costs rise and more Americans opt for cremation instead of burials.
Penn president J. Larry Jameson said Thursday that the school had “respectfully” declined to sign the compact offered by the Trump administration asking for influence over its operations in exchange for preferential consideration in federal funding.
The compact would have given the White House wide-ranging influence over Penn’s hiring, admissions, tuition pricing, and some curriculum.
Jameson’s announcement came after two weeks of pushback from Penn faculty members, elected officials, and others on and off campus who urged the school to reject the deal.
More federal news: Philly’s federal appeals court is now controlled by Republican nominees as Trump’s latest judicial picks take the bench in the Center City courthouse. And Philadelphians who buy Obamacare health insurance will see their plan costs rise an average of 102% in 2026, mostly due to ending incentives.
What you should know today
A Bucks County man was convicted of first-degree murder on Thursday for killing his girlfriend outside her West Conshohocken home.
An East Oak Lane man has been charged with killing his uncle, a Philadelphia firefighter, on Wednesday, according to police.
The man accused of kidnapping Kada Scott outside her workplace on Oct. 4 has a history of domestic violence cases that were withdrawn by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
Gov. Josh Shapiro remains popular among a majority of Pennsylvanians as he gears up for his 2026 reelection campaign next year, several recent polls found.
U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the New Jersey Democrat running for governor, stood by her attacks against competitor Jack Ciattarelli in a wide-ranging interview with The Inquirer’s editorial board. Plus: There’s a big gender gap in the tight race.
City Council is considering legislation to ban so-called reservation scalpers, as well as changes to already controversial bike lane legislation. Council on Thursday also honored Watch Party PHL and the Philadelphia Sisters for growing awareness of women’s sports.
State Sen. Sharif Street has an early yet narrow fundraising lead in the race to succeed the retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans in Congress. This week, Street also got the endorsement of Philadelphia’s building trades unions.
SEPTA plans to postpone buying new buses and making accessibility upgrades in order to access $394 million in emergency state aid to help run the system.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, we have an explainer from reporter Nick Vadala on Logan Circle’s beloved art deco fountain. Its center jet has been out of commission since 2023 following vandalism of a pump. Then, a smaller pump carrying the water-spouting load failed in September, and the fountain’s basin was drained.
But a fix is in the works to get it up and running by mid-May. Here’s the full story.
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
Philly-area director M. Night Shyamalan collaborated on a horror-romance novel and screenplay with which author?
A) Colleen Hoover
B) Stephen King
C) Nicholas Sparks
D) Emily Henry
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re …
⛓️‍💥 Remembering: That time a notorious gangster eluded capture at his mom’s house in Southwest Philly.
🗳️ Registering to do: Vote, by this general election’s Oct. 20 deadline.
⚾ Watching: Kyle Schwarber act in Abbott Elementary’s “Ballgame” episode.
🍿 Grabbing tickets for: These “very Philly” films showing at the Philadelphia Film Festival.
🌧️ Considering: Efforts to make Philadelphia less vulnerable to flooding.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Bucks County borough
SOY LETDOWN
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to P. McCracken, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Pherris Wheel. The Philadelphia Zoo’s 10-story attraction opens Nov. 20.
Photo of the day
🤡 One last nightmarish thing: The Neon Clown Dream Lounge’s owner says the Kensington bar is not exclusively for clown enthusiasts — but if you go, you may well see some in the flesh, in addition to the 120 works of clown art.
Enjoy your weekend. Thanks for kicking it off with The Inquirer.
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