Shapiro’s long road to a budget deal | Morning Newsletter
📱 And fights over Frankford High’s phone policy.
The Morning Newsletter
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Good morning, Philly.
Gov. Josh Shapiro is calling the state budget that came out of the Pennsylvania legislature’s monthslong stalemate an across-the-board victory. What does it mean for his national brand?
And stolen cell phones sparked a fight and ongoing tension at Frankford High as students protest the school’s phone-locking policy.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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The federal government and Pennsylvania got new budgets on the same day last week. Both were late — the country’s by six weeks, the state’s by more than four months.
Shapiro, who oversaw negotiations among top Pennsylvania legislators, says the outnumbered Democrats in his state ended up with a better deal than what the outnumbered national Democrats got in the government shutdown. He also touts his willingness to “stay at the table and fight and bring people together in order to deliver.”
For a popular Democratic leader facing reelection in 2026 as whispers swirl over his potential 2028 presidential ambitions, the moment was bigger than a procedural win.
But critics are quick to note that it took the self-proclaimed dealmaker so long to get a deal. And securing long-term funding for public transit remains, in Shapiro’s words, “unfinished business.”
Politics reporters Gillian McGoldrick and Julia Terruso have the story.
Plus: Shapiro had a guest at Sunday’s Eagles-Lions game at Lincoln Financial Field: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a fellow swing-state leader who is seen as a likely rival for the Democratic nomination in 2028.
Frankford High, like many schools in Philadelphia and across the country, has recently moved to get cell phones out of students’ hands during the school day in a bid to reduce distractions.
But tensions are flaring at Frankford over its stowaway policy, which requires phones be kept in lockers outside the building.
Several phones were recently stolen from the lockers, sparking a fight that sent a student to the hospital, as well as protests over concerns that the school cannot keep students’ property safe.
Education reporter Kristen A. Graham has more details.
What you should know today
The families of two Mexican nationals killed in January’s Northeast Philadelphia jet crash have filed a wrongful-death suit against a medical airline, alleging that its negligence was responsible.
A woman who was found dead inside an abandoned car in Lower Makefield on Sunday had been killed hours earlier by her boyfriend in Trenton, police said Monday.
Pennsylvania’s Working Families Party is recruiting candidates to run against Sen. John Fetterman, should he seek reelection in 2028. Plus, the Democratic senator returned to work after recovering from a fall that required hospitalization, speaking Monday at a conference for Jewish leaders.
Citing extraordinary circumstances, the Chester County Board of Elections will count the vast majority of the thousands of provisional ballots cast amid Election Day chaos.
Following a cybersecurity breach at the University of Pennsylvania last month, a hacker claimed that they had compromised data for 1.2 million people — a figure the school now disputes.
Flight schedules should soon return to normal across major U.S. airports, including Philadelphia, after the Federal Aviation Administration lifted government shutdown-related restrictions.
In Philly and Delaware County, listings and sales of luxury homes are down from last year — but prices are up, according to a Redfin analysis.
The first professional orchestra of Arab and Jewish musicians in Israel is coming to the Kimmel Center this week.
Quote of the day
Call him Pennsylvania’s reptile king: Peeling has operated the roadside attraction in Union County, about a three-hour drive from Philadelphia, for over 50 years.
🧠 Trivia time
Which Philadelphia college is getting an alma mater song for the first time in its 201-year history?
A) Temple University
B) La Salle University
C) Thomas Jefferson University
D) Moore College of Art and Design
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re …
🎁 Buying: The most Philly gifts you can give.
🪧 Writing down: These clever ideas for Philadelphia Marathon signs.
🦶 Learning: What is a Lisfranc injury, and what does it mean for Lane Johnson?
🍴 Asking: Inquirer food writers about the city’s best restaurants before Nov. 21.
🏥 Considering: Whether health insurance should be treated like a perk.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Mütter Museum’s parent org, the _ _ _ of Philadelphia
FEELING PSYCHOSOCIAL
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Lynn Brubaker, who solved Monday’s anagram: Lancaster. The latest edition of our Field Trip series outlines a perfect weekend in the small city about 90 minutes from Philly, complete with lakeside glamping, a presidential home, and international eats.
Photo of the day
🌲 One last merry thing: The Wanamaker Grand Court will host a one-night-only holiday concert on Dec. 2 with an orchestra, chorus, singers, and organist.
Spread your own joy today, and I’ll see ya back here tomorrow.
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