Practicing despite scrutiny | Morning Newsletter
And why developers aren’t building in the suburbs
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
We’re back to typical summer weather, with clear skies and a high of 87.
Our lead story explains how a Main Line doctor is able to keep practicing despite a long string of sanctions and lawsuits.
We also have a recap of Vice President Kamala Harris’ most recent visit, and the latest information about the 2023 Made in America festival cancellation.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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State medical boards, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Justice have scrutinized James McGuckin and his national empire of vascular clinics for doing experimental or unnecessary procedures on patients, putting their lives and limbs at risk.
The scope: More than a dozen state medical boards have sanctioned the radiologist. He’s lost privileges in multiple hospitals and settled allegations of fraud, admitting that his company performed procedures without any documented need. Pennsylvania tried to shut his clinics down, and federal attorneys announced a case against him.
Despite this, McGuckin is still practicing and adding to the nearly $50 million he earned in the past decade in federal insurance reimbursements.
The doctor’s ability to continue practicing highlights troubling gaps in the public safety net.
This investigation reveals how regulators charged with identifying and stopping problem physicians are frequently unable — and sometimes unwilling — to do the latter.
This story was published in partnership with ProPublica.
What you should know today
The 2023 Made in America Festival is canceled. Festival organizers cited “severe circumstances outside of production control” as the reason why the show couldn’t take place. All tickets will be refunded and the festival will return next year.
Hundreds of family and friends gathered at The Met to remember O’Shae Sibley, the Philadelphia native and former Philadanco dancer killed in New York City.
As the fall semester approaches, Temple is planning to roll out additional security measures. That includes more cameras, bike patrols, allied security officers, and an improved safety app.
Billionaire Arthur Dantchik, the cofounder of Susquehanna International Group in Bala Cynwyd, cut ties with a conservative Israeli think tank linked to Israel’s judicial overhaul.
Philadelphia will replace all of the city’s 130,000 streetlights over the next two years with LED lights.
Vice President Kamala Harris visited Philadelphia Tuesday to announce an increase in minimum wages for some construction workers and tour the construction site of a new ramp connecting I-95 to the Betsy Ross Bridge. We also have an exclusive interview with Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su to explain how construction worker pay and training is now a top priority in allocating the $1 million federal infrastructure package.
The Federal Transit Administration could step in to directly supervise SEPTA’s safety practices following a string of bus and trolley crashes.
The demand for housing in the Philly suburbs keeps soaring, but the inventory and new housing construction are at historic lows.
Why? According to suburban builders, a shortage of land, campaigns to preserve green space, and anti-development sentiments are causing the housing crunch.
The result: More families are staying in Philadelphia longer. A lot of the city’s new homes are rental apartments, which is why rents in Philly’s most desirable neighborhoods are rising at a slower rate than in the suburbs. But it’s easier to buy in the city, too.
Thirty years ago, most new houses were in the suburbs.
Continue reading to learn the timeline of events during the past few decades that explains the paradigm shift.
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
Lady B is the first Philly artist to put a rap on vinyl and the first woman to record a rap record as a solo artist.
What year was “To the Beat, Y’all” released?
A) 1976
B) 1979
C) 1982
D) None of the above
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
👀 Watching: Zoom can use your data to train its AI, even though the company says it won’t.
📰 Reading: A South Jersey counselor collects dozens of career Barbies to encourage and remind job seekers that they can pursue any job. Consider this your feel-good story of the day.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: The major company based in Camden
COLLAPSE BUMP
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Natalie English, who correctly guessed Tuesday’s answer: Temple.
Photo of the day
And that’s it for this morning. I’m starting my day with re-watching my comfort show, How I Met Your Mother (not including the last season). Thank you for starting yours with The Inquirer.