The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Hi, Philly.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has nearly doubled the number of communications staffers in his office over the past two-and-a-half years. Depending on who you ask, it’s either a sign of smart constituent outreach or a waste of taxpayer dollars.
And dozens of bus routes may soon be cut if SEPTA doesn’t get more state funding. Read on to see a day on the 31, where riders worry for their future commutes.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Gov. Shapiro has built a social media machine. It’s taken a small army of comms pros to do so.
By the numbers: In Shapiro’s third year as governor, his office employs 21 communications, press, web, and social media staffers. That’s up from seven in predecessor Tom Wolf’s third year. The office’s budget as a whole has increased by 68% over Shapiro’s first term so far.
Increased visibility: Social media is an increasingly popular outlet for politicians to share information about their views and policies, and to connect with younger constituents. (See: Shapiro’s many Uncrustables-themed videos.)
‘Showtime’ vs. ‘substance’? But critics argue Pennsylvania’s chief executive shouldn’t be spending state taxpayer dollars to make himself look good, especially amid rumors of a future presidential run.
Reporter Vincent DiFonzo has the story.
In other gov hiring news: Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has tapped former NBC10 anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah to lead Philadelphia’s civil rights agency.
Route 31 riders include morning commuters, errand runners, and medical travelers. They might be heading to college classes, or appointments, or shopping centers.
And soon, they might need to make other plans.
🚍 SEPTA is still waiting to hear whether it will get a budgetary lifeline from the Pennsylvania legislature. If it does not, dozens of bus lines face elimination — including the 31, which runs in a loop between Overbrook Park and City Hall.
🚍 The route’s loss would be disruptive for the residents of Mantua, Mill Creek, and other West Philly neighborhoods who rely on it.
🚍 Without the 31, some would be forced to walk longer distances to alternative routes, or pay for an Uber, or drive — or skip the trip altogether. But as recently as last week, some weren’t aware the cut is even a possibility.
What you should know today
A 2-year-old boy was hospitalized in stable condition after another child mishandled a gun and unintentionally shot him Monday in North Philadelphia, police said.
The man who fatally shot Philly SWAT Cpl. James O’Connor IV in 2020 while attempting to avoid apprehension for another murder is expected to be sentenced to decades in prison.
A 69-year-old man who was driving drunk when he struck and killed a cyclist near Rittenhouse Square last year was sentenced to six to 20 years in prison.
A judge on Tuesday overturned the 1995 conviction of a Drexel University guard accused of killing a student for her sneakers.
New Jersey can’t ban U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention-center contracts, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday — a win for the private prison company that sued. Also in Jersey, Attorney General Pam Bondi rejected federal judges’ pick to lead the state’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.
ICE detainments have doubled in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware since a quota was reportedly implemented. Most didn’t involve criminal records. Plus, an Allentown grandfather’s reported deportation went viral, but discrepancies have emerged.
Sen. John Fetterman introduced a bill that would make it illegal for brick-and-mortar businesses to refuse cash payments.
🧠 Trivia time
There’s yet another new Angelo’s Pizzeria location on the way. Where does the pizza-cheesesteak-sandwich biz not have a shop planned?
A) Fishtown
B) Haddon Township
C) Conshohocken
D) Wilmington
Think you know? Check your answer.
P.S. In other pizza news, you can now order two-foot pies from a new spot on the Ben Franklin Parkway.
What we’re...
🦅 Believing: The take that this year’s Eagles will be even better than our Super Bowl-winning team.
🌊 Paying: An extra 3% tax for renting an Airbnb in Ocean City.
🍅 Eating: Slices of the best tomato pie in Philly.
🗞️ Reading: About the rise and fall of the watchdog newspaper for Atlantic City’s gambling scene.
🏫 Considering: How cuts to the Office for Civil Rights will impact schools across the nation.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: South Jersey township
MUTUAL LONER
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Gerry Stokes, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: My Loup. Chefs Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp opened the French eatery together in 2023, and are now planning another restaurant nearby.
Photo of the day
⚾ One more angelic thing: Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm donated a scoreboard to the Newtown Square Angels, a baseball team for adults with functional needs. They gave him much more.
With that, enjoy your Wednesday. See you back here tomorrow.
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