💡 AI may raise your Peco bill | Morning Newsletter
And an update in the investigation surrounding an Olney home.
The Morning Newsletter
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Good morning, Philly! 👋 We’re one day closer to the weekend.
Your Peco bills could increase, thanks to new hyperscale AI data centers. The Inquirer has a full breakdown to help explain.
And at least two women were likely killed inside the Olney home at the center of a sprawling missing persons investigation, police believe. But neither of the women had been previously linked to the case, according to investigators.
Plus, half the 26 people charged in an NCAA gambling scandal have now pleaded guilty or admitted wrongdoing, and more news of the day.
— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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If you give a computer a task, it’s going to need electricity to perform it. The more difficult the problem, the more resources it requires. This is at the heart of the fight against the data centers behind AI — often an incredibly complex and power-hungry process.
You might think that tech giants that build and use data centers would cover 100% of the costs. However, the knock-on repercussions of this heavy power drain could affect the amount you owe on your Peco bill.
“Hyperscale data centers” that power AI tools consume exponentially more resources than conventional ones. To put it in perspective, in a single hour, a hyperscale 1,000,000-kW data center running at peak capacity can consume more electricity than every household in Philadelphia combined.
These hyperscale facilities and their projected demand for power could impact three categories on your bill: generation, transmission, and distribution.
We’ll walk through each one and explain the rest.
Philadelphia police believe Maribel Fresses, who was last seen in February 2018, and Gabriella Amarando, who has been missing since September 2012, were killed inside the Olney home at the center of a missing persons investigation.
The Wednesday announcement was the latest and most striking development in a case that has drawn national attention since police launched an investigation in June into the disappearances of two other women last seen at the home of Eugene Albert Horsch and his late father, Raymond “R.C.” Horsch.
Authorities say the two-month search of the home involved more than 95 search warrants and surfaced an “astonishing” array of evidence: five urns of cremated remains, more than 20 containers full of unknown chemicals and oily substances, and 50 hard drives and other electronic devices holding more than 600,000 images, 70,000 videos, and 10,000 pages of writings and drawings.
Inside one of those hard drives, authorities said, detectives found images and videos that appeared to show Fresses and Amarando alive inside the house — followed by “graphic and dark” depictions of what appeared to be their bodies. But because no bodies have been found, police say they cannot officially declare the women dead.
What you should know today
Two people charged with participating in an international scheme to rig basketball games for professional gamblers pleaded guilty in Philadelphia’s federal court Wednesday — the latest development in a scandal that shook the sports world when prosecutors unveiled a sprawling set of indictments earlier this year.
Pennsylvania Attorney General David Sunday filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, on Tuesday, alleging the social media giant failed to shield children from age-inappropriate material and from over-usage of the app.
A former cardiac thoracic surgeon at one of Main Line Health’s flagship programs says in a federal lawsuit that he was fired after reporting a series of bad patient outcomes. He accused the nonprofit hospital system of failing to thoroughly investigate a pattern of complications among the patients of another senior surgeon.
As it faced parents and community members during an emotional meeting Tuesday, the Cheltenham school board laid out several steps to address concerns about the 2025 locker-room assault scandal that led to criminal charges against four coaches and six players.
Philadelphia police are searching for a man they say walked up to a couple sitting on a porch and opened fire late Sunday night, killing the woman and injuring the man before fleeing.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to hold the role at 28 years old, will leave at month’s end, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday. Trump did not outline plans for who might replace her in the high-profile role.
Quote of the day
Battleship New Jersey will soon undergo another facelift through a $24.25 million redevelopment project tackling work on and off the ship. The project includes an expanded visitor center, double the parking, and a new event space.
🧠 Trivia time
The country’s first and last pennies were made in Pennsylvania. What city were they made in?
A) Reading
B) Allentown
C) Philadelphia
D) Pittsburgh
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re ...
🧑💻 Wondering: What do Gen Z workers want out of their jobs? A recent survey says they’re skeptical about what’s learned in college and want to build up more hard skills.
🚴 Excited about: The forthcoming Philadelphia Cycling Classic! Check out some of the best spots around the city to watch the race’s return.
🛍️ Shopping for: Antiques down the Shore. There are 11 shops we think are worth your while.
🍝 Considering: Could Waltz, a new Italian restaurant in South Philly, be your next date-night destination? The Inquirer’s Craig LaBan believes so.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Eagles preseason announcer on NBC10 since 2019
SORE STRUCK
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Becky Bowlby, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: Keanu Reeves. His band, Dogstar, has reunited after a 20-year break, and they’re playing three Philly-area shows this week.
Photo of the day
⚾ One last thing: Bryson Stott is expected to wear a custom pair of cleats for the Phillies’ Field of Dreams game. The design features late Phillies legends Harry Kalas, Tug McGraw, Roy Halladay, Darren Daulton, Robin Roberts, and Richie Ashburn. But forecasters warn that rain could impact the game.
Have a good one, folks! 👋
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