Philly neighbors try to save the train | Morning Newsletter
And discriminatory job ad sparks outrage
The Morning Newsletter
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We made it to Friday. It’s still quite foggy, and it turns out all the vanishing snow is to blame. Expect more patchy fog and cloudiness throughout most of the day, with a high near 53.
SEPTA faces drastic service cuts after losing out on a $295 million boost in state aid for public transportation. Philly neighborhood groups are urging Gov. Josh Shapiro to protect the regional transit system before it’s too late. Our lead story follows their campaign to save the train.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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In Northwest Philly, neighborhood groups are banding together to put pressure on Gov. Josh Shapiro to protect the Chestnut Hill West Regional Rail line — and the regional transit system.
Their main concern: The train line will be one of the first things axed as SEPTA drastically slashes service on bus, subway, trolley and Regional Rail service by up to 20% to deal with major financial challenges.
The rail lines they are worried about connect Chestnut Hill, Mount Airy and Germantown to Center City, but are lightly used compared to others. And ridership is a key factor when considering transit service levels.
What they’re saying: “Gov. Shapiro is not making it a priority,” said Anne Dicker, an organizer of the effort called Save the Train and president of West Mt. Airy Neighbors. “There’s money. He can move a mountain to get I-95 fixed, but not to fund transit?”
What SEPTA is saying: The transit agency doesn’t want the burden of cuts to fall disproportionately on any one area served by the system, according to spokesperson Andrew Busch. “There haven’t been any decisions around specific routes or lines,” he said. “We’re evaluating all modes.”
Keep reading for more on what the group is doing in hopes that Shapiro finds a way to fund SEPTA.
City officials and LGBTQIA groups are sounding the alarm on an explicitly discriminatory job listing that appeared on Craigslist in the name of Moriarty’s Restaurant.
The Jan. 24 ad specified that the pub was looking for a “Male Bartender (Center City).” Under qualifications, skills and requirements, it said: “Must be biologically male.”
The listing has since been taken down. The pub, located just blocks from the heart of Philadelphia’s Gayborhood, has long been a staple of the midtown bar scene.
Notable quote: “This is extremely problematic and absolutely transphobic,” said Celena Morrison, executive director of the city’s office of LGBT Affairs. “There are laws that say it’s illegal for employers to make decisions based on a person’s race, religion, gender or sexual identity. This is the kind of thing that fuels a culture of people facing unfair treatment.”
Management did not return several calls for comment at the time of publishing.
Philly protections: The city follows a Fair Practices Ordinance, which offers protections against unlawful employment practices and holds violators accountable with fines, trainings, and compensatory damages. Councilmember Rue Landau said Moriarty’s job posting was in “clear violation” of this ordinance.
Keep reading to hear more from local experts and officials on the controversial listing.
What you should know today
Philadelphia police detained the man they believe helped 17-year-old Shane Pryor flee after escaping from the custody of juvenile jail staff at a local hospital Wednesday afternoon. Pryor was still at large as of Thursday night.
Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to propose sweeping reform of Pennsylvania’s state-funded higher education.
Philadelphia’s school board reversed its position on a city charter Thursday night, granting Southwest Leadership Academy a reprieve after it had initially moved to close the school.
A fire broke out above the beloved South Philly Italian grocery shop Lucio J. Mancuso & Son early Thursday morning, but the store was unscathed and no one was injured. The fire marshal is investigating the cause.
Philadelphia City Council is poised to increase oversight of the city’s Office of Homeless Services as the agency faces questions about its fiscal responsibility and an investigation by the inspector general.
The father-son duo behind the iconic South Philadelphia cheesesteak spot Tony Luke’s were sentenced to nearly two years in prison on tax fraud charges.
The Sixers say they gathered more than 30,000 signatures on petitions supporting their plan to build a $1.55 billion arena in Center City.
The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts & Sciences has received a nearly $84 million gift for science initiatives — the largest in the school’s history.
Five Philadelphia-area nursing programs are no longer on a state watch list now that more of their graduates are passing the nursing licensure exam.
Philly’s glittery custom cake shop Dreamworld Bakes will open a brick-and-mortar bakery in Kensington this spring.
Vic Fangio is expected to be the next Eagles’ defensive coordinator. Here’s what we know about the veteran coach.
🧠 Trivia time
This spring, in a once-in-a-lifetime event, two broods of cicadas will emerge at the same time in the U.S. (We might not hear the noise in Philly, though.)
In what year did this historic ecological event last take place?
A) 1776
B) 1803
C) 1901
D) 2021
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we're...
👀 Hearing: Some Brits are salty over a Bryn Mawr professor’s tea-making techniques.
😋 Eating: Our way through Center City District Restaurant Week, now through Feb. 3.
🦅 Picking: Which Eagles players should stay or go next season.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: One of the region’s most flood-prone waterways
BECKY DINNERWARE
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Rick Eynon who correctly guessed Thursday’s answer: Rhys Hoskins.
Photo of the day
Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. Have a great weekend, and I’ll be back in your inbox on Sunday with the latest news.
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