The DEI backlash comes to City Hall | Morning Newsletter
💸 And uneven festival costs.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning, Philly. Did you see? The northern lights electrified the region’s skies earlier this week.
The City of Philadelphia is halting the use of some diversity targets in city contracts as a national DEI backlash grows.
And city street festivals are shutting down due to rising police overtime — but some groups don’t have to pay.
Plus, Pennsylvania’s House and Senate have passed a nearly $50.1 billion state budget after a four-month stalemate. Read on for the details.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration is no longer striving to award a portion of its government contracts to businesses that are owned by people of color, women, or people who are disabled.
Soon, the city will instead provide incentives to businesses that are considered “small and local,” said solicitor Renee Garcia, the city’s top lawyer.
The move ends a practice that had been in place for four decades. It also comes as diversity programs are under attack nationwide, as in the case of the Supreme Court striking down affirmative action in college admissions.
The Parker administration has faced legal challenges, too, including from allies of President Donald Trump who argued its diverse contracting policies were discriminatory.
City Hall reporter Anna Orso explains the legal scrutiny that prompted the changes.
In other local government news: After a tense day of debate, City Council has postponed a key vote on the budget for Parker’s flagship housing initiative.
Several beloved community fests — including the Northern Liberties Night Market and the Manayunk Arts Festival — have considered shrinking or canceling their events in the past few months, citing the rising costs of Philadelphia police patrols.
💸 Yet elected officials, police-connected groups, and event organizers who cut special deals are exempt from tens of thousands of dollars in city fees linked to street festivals, an Inquirer investigation found.
💸 Some of these deals came about via handshake agreements made decades ago. For the festivals that do get billed, costs can vary wildly from one police district to another.
💸 Notable quote: “I don’t mind paying, if everybody else is paying,” the head of the Manayunk Development Corporation, which organizes the neighborhood’s arts fest, told The Inquirer. “But I shouldn’t have to pay if other people are given it for free.”
Reporters Ryan Briggs and Max Marin dig into Philly’s uneven festival cost system.
What you should know today
The brother of a Chinese immigrant who was found dead this summer at a detention facility in Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit to demand answers about the death.
The trial began Wednesday for three men accused of killing Philadelphia Police Officer Richard Mendez and injuring another officer during a 2023 shooting in an airport parking lot.
A Delaware County man has sued Sharon Hill police, saying officers hit him with a car and dragged him several feet while taking him into custody last year.
SEPTA is renting 10 commuter rail cars from Maryland to sub in for its Silverliner IV cars undergoing repairs and safety inspections, and help ease the shortages now wrecking Regional Rail schedules. Plus: The transit agency must inspect 225 Silverliner IVs by Nov. 14. As of midday Wednesday, 13 remained.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients rallied at Reading Terminal Market on Wednesday to call for food benefits to be restored, as some clergy members fast in solidarity.
Cherry Hill Schools’ superintendent is seeking to reassure parents that the district has no plans to ban or censor library books, after an internal memo about “sensitive” books.
A major source for library books nationwide is suddenly shutting down, leaving some local branches in a bind.
The former CEO of Famous Dave’s BBQ intends to revive 10 shuttered Iron Hill Brewery locations, including in Center City and West Chester.
After a four-month stalemate, Pennsylvania’s House and Senate and Gov. Josh Shapiro have approved a nearly $50.1 billion state spending plan for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
The big picture: The overall budget deal, which was made public Wednesday, addresses significant priorities for both Democrats and Republicans.
Impact on education: Pennsylvania’s public schools are set to receive $665 million in new money under the deal, which also includes reforms for cyber charter schools.
Impact on the environment: The budget kills the state’s entry into a regional greenhouse gas program designed to reduce carbon emissions. It also includes a bill that aims to bring more transparency to the region’s electrical grid operator as the state becomes home to more data centers.
See more on what we know about the new budget.
🧠 Trivia time
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach visited the Philadelphia Mint on Wednesday to announce the end of copper coin production after a 232-year run. How long does the typical penny last?
A) One year
B) Five years
C) 15 years
D) 30 years
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re …
🌲 Excited to hear: R&B singer Ashanti perform at the city’s Tree Lighting Celebration on Dec. 4.
🎁 Visiting: The best Philly-area holiday markets and Christmas villages.
🛏️ Following: What’s going on with the Sonder closures in Center City and beyond.
🩺 Noting: The 17 area hospitals that earned top grades in this safety report card.
🐅 Considering: How an urban zoo can serve as vital civic infrastructure.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Jersey Shore town, North _
OLD WIDOW
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Josh Grubbs, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: City Edition. The 76ers’ special-edition jerseys debuted this week with a more classic look than in years past.
Photo of the day
✌️ One last immersive thing: Netflix House Philadelphia, the first immersive Netflix experience in the world, opened Wednesday at King of Prussia Mall. Inquirer columnist Stephanie Farr and reporter Earl Hopkins visited and then discussed their favorite elements — plus, whether the cost is worth it.
Wishing you a frightfully good day. Back at it tomorrow.
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