The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
And just like that, it’s October. The skies even turned orange to welcome the first full month of fall.
Temple University is staking out a Center City outpost at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Is there more to come from their partnership?
And a Philly girl was “sextorted” by a man she met on Roblox. The gaming platform is facing other lawsuits.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
P.S. Standoffs over funding are piling up in Harrisburg and Washington. See the latest on the federal government’s moves at Inquirer.com.
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It’s been a year of upheaval for PAFA, including the launch of a certificate program after eliminating its college degrees. Now, the institution plans to bring new art students to Broad and Cherry streets by partnering with Temple.
🖌️ The 10-year deal will bring new academic offerings, studio space, and access to PAFA’s vast collection of American art to students at the North Philadelphia university’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture.
🖌️ The financially struggling PAFA, in turn, gets much-needed revenue by leasing out its space.
🖌️ Could the partnership be the first step on the way to a merger? Temple president John A. Fry and Donald R. Caldwell, chair of PAFA’s trustees, aren’t ruling it out.
Arts reporter Peter Dobrin has more details.
In other culture news: This Delancey Street townhouse filled with 100,000 books is a bibliophile’s dream — and an epic estate sale.
Roblox faces a lawsuit from a Philadelphia mother after her 12-year-old daughter was preyed on by a man she met on the popular video game platform.
It’s one of a growing number of lawsuits accusing Roblox of inadequate safety features that put children in harm’s way, such as by not requiring age or identity verification in its sign-up process.
Roblox and other gaming platforms, including Fortnite and Minecraft, also face lawsuits accusing them of design features that spark addiction. At least six are pending in federal court in Philadelphia.
Reporter Abraham Gutman explains the cases, and Roblox’s response.
More legal news: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court said police too often label neighborhoods a “high crime area” and urged judges to use caution when evaluating such testimony. State appellate judges ruled that Philly has the authority to limit the enforcement of eight traffic violations, a policy city officials call “driving equality.” And the parents of former Kingsway Regional High School students who were suspended for fighting have filed a civil rights lawsuit against the South Jersey district.
What you should know today
An 18-year-old was set to start his first job this week. He was shot and killed overnight Tuesday in Strawberry Mansion.
A man has been charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence in the hit-and-run killing of a 77-year-old woman in West Philadelphia last week, police said Tuesday.
A Bucks County woman who killed her abusive husband was sentenced Tuesday to 10 to 30 years in state prison.
The Pennsylvania budget is now three months late. The latest pitched solutions to move forward include public negotiations and paused lawmaker salaries.
Ala Stanford, a pediatric surgeon who helped lead Philly’s COVID-19 response, is running for Congress with the backing of retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker signed an order directing city agencies to draft labor agreements before selecting contractors for taxpayer-funded projects.
Building Industry Association president Mohamed “Mo” Rushdy has resigned amid furor over a pro-Palestine speech he gave before City Council.
Philadelphia scientists will receive more than $6 million in research funding from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new autism data center, with a focus on the disorder’s causes.
Quote of the day
The Phillies will scrimmage at Citizens Bank Park tonight as they await Saturday’s opener of the National League division series. They expect to sell out after putting tickets on sale for $10, with proceeds going toward Phillies Charities.
Plus: Want to get to another sports event this week? The Union are offering free tickets to fans attending their first soccer game.
🧠 Trivia time
Which Philly cultural institution will be open only three days per week beginning today due to federal funding cuts and declining attendance?
A) Academy of Natural Sciences
B) Liberty Bell
C) The Franklin Institute
D) Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center
Think you know? Check your answer.
What (and whom) we’re...
🍇 Meeting: Lenny Procacci, the last of the great South Philly wine grape sellers.
🏡 Eyeing: George Washington’s former HQ, for sale in Montgomery County.
🕷️ Agreeing with: Columnist Mike Sielski’s take on Jhoan Duran’s entrance.
🥶 Blasting: The AC as we read this German visitor’s roast of American cooling culture.
🤝 Considering: Shackamaxon, a new column about government and politics.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Hip-hop entrepreneur
COLD HOMILY
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Stacey Meadows, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: dancerobot. The follow-up to Royal Sushi & Izakaya will bring yoshoku dishes and Japanese convenience-store bites. Reservations were full even before it opened.
P.S. The Rittenhouse spot is one of more than 40 new restaurants on the way to the Philly area this fall. The list also includes South Philadelphia corner bar Bomb Bomb, reopened under Palizzi’s Joey Baldino. Meanwhile, Kensington’s Cantina La Martina, from James Beard-nominated chef Dionicio Jiménez, is closing.
Photo of the day
🌈 One last welcoming thing: Media’s art community just painted a Pride crosswalk. They say it’s more important than ever.
Back at it tomorrow. See you there.
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