The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Welcome to a new week, Philly.
New Jersey will vote for a new governor tomorrow. But the stakes go far beyond the Garden State.
And after a year of executive shifts — and high-profile productions shooting in the region — the Greater Philadelphia Film Office’s new leads are charting new successes for the organization.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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The results of the Nov. 4 gubernatorial election in New Jersey could signal which party has an edge on the national stage ahead of the 2026 midterms.
If Jack Ciattarelli wins: Republicans could claim victory for the momentum of the MAGA movement and a shifting political tide in the state.
If Mikie Sherrill wins: Democrats could celebrate a rejection of President Donald Trump’s policies and status as a blue stronghold.
Recent history: Jersey has voted for Democrats in national elections over the last few decades even while electing governors of both parties. But in 2024, its voters picked former Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump by a smaller margin than expected.
Politics reporters Julia Terruso and Aliya Schneider explain the stakes.
In other election news: Stakes are also high in Pennsylvania’s retention election over whether Supreme Court Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht should remain on the bench. See five things we’re watching in the race.
P.S. Major grocery stores will be open during regular business hours on Tuesday, and trash pickup and mail delivery are expected to stay on schedule.
The new heads of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office are eager to tell its story.
🎞️ Erin Wagner and Nicole Shiner took over the organization as co-executive directors after longtime leader Sharon Pinkenson stepped down last year. They are now the ones charged with attracting productions to Philly and helping showrunners navigate the logistics of filming in the city.
🎞️ That includes HBO’s Task, which they say employed 777 Pennsylvanians and accounted for a $230 million economic impact on the region.
🎞️ In their own words: “We talk up our local crew, our tax credits, our locations, and just remind people that we’re a short drive from New York. We’re close to D.C.,” Wagner told The Inquirer. “We have an international airport, and we have some of the hardest-working crews in the film business. Don’t discount us.”
Arts reporter Earl Hopkins spoke to the duo about their efforts to support emerging filmmakers.
What you should know today
A 14-year-old boy was shot twice on Saturday while in the Cecil B. Moore station of SEPTA’s Broad Street Line, police said.
Kamala Harris joined Pennsylvania State Sen. Vincent Hughes on the radio Sunday morning to talk about the government shutdown, what Democratic voters want, and more.
Philadelphia is directing $7 million to food pantries, federal workers, and vulnerable families as the federal government shutdown passes the one-month mark. Local businesses are also offering discounts and free meals while food assistance benefits are cut off. Plus: Members of the city’s Black clergy and two state senators gathered at the historic Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church on Sunday to call on Congress to reopen the government.
Philly’s Jamaican community is rushing to help after Hurricane Melissa hit the island by collecting goods and donating money.
An elementary school displayed a concentration camp phrase on a float at Hanover’s Halloween parade last week. “I immediately felt sick,” one observer said.
A Thomas Jefferson University scientist was awarded a $12 million National Institutes of Health grant to develop better asthma drugs.
Hundreds of fans flocked to Rittenhouse Square Sunday to remember longtime WMMR host Pierre Robert.
Your Surfside variety pack may have been crafted by local robots. Step inside Sojo’s Bucks County factory.
Quote of the day
A simple concept — wear your favorite flannel shirt to a semi-outdoor festival — is the basis of this annual event that on Sunday drew hundreds of locals and out-of-towners to East Germantown. (Indeed, it probably helped that the Eagles had a bye week.)
🧠 Trivia time
Part of an apparent topiary trend, a giant, green what now lives outside the Barnes Foundation?
A) Philadelphia Art Museum griffin
B) Swoop, the Eagles mascot
C) Lion
D) Shrek
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🎗️ Remembering: That time a Port Richmond man sold T-shirts and raised more than $100,000 for a Philly war memorial.
👟 Noting: Race times, routes, road closures, and more ahead of the 2025 Rocky Run this week.
🍾 Checking out: This new Craig LaBan-approved Georgian BYOB in Fishtown.
🌲 Seeking: A fall getaway with cozy cabins, art, eats, and small-town flavor in Honesdale.
🦃 Planning: Where to dine in on Thanksgiving Day in Philadelphia and the suburbs — plus, where to order Thanksgiving takeout.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Hunger alleviation nonprofit
BLANCHE UNPAID
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Jay Sitkin, who solved Sunday’s anagram: American Water. When the Camden public utility company offered to buy longtime rival Essential, both stocks fell. Here’s why.
Photo of the day
See more scenes from the Association of Mexican Business Owners of Philadelphia’s second annual Day of the Dead festival, held Sunday at the Italian Market.
📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story
Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.
This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Michael Thomas Leibrandt, who pens a love letter to an arm of the city’s transit system as SEPTA weathers ongoing budget and infrastructure challenges:
Philadelphia’s railways are in my blood. My family was employed at the Reading and Pennsylvania railroads for generations. When I was a boy, my dad took me on one of the last trains leaving the Reading Terminal train shed in late October 1984.
The region’s railway lines aren’t just historic. They were groundbreaking. Our city helped to build the U.S. railway system, and in the 1830s, a rush of lines emerged in Philadelphia, criss-crossing the city. They included the Philadelphia, Germantown, and Norristown Railroad and the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad.
Over the years I worked in the city, my young love of railways found me once again. The ease of waiting for Regional Rail rather than driving into Philadelphia was a no-brainer. I could read the paper, catch up on emails, or write during the relaxation of a 40-minute train ride.
I didn’t quite grasp the significance of that last ride out of the Reading train shed in 1984. But during that ride, my love for trains was cemented as a permanent part of me and part of the history of my family. We have to hope that it will remain a part of Philadelphia history.
Wishing you a smooth ride into the new week. See you tomorrow.
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