Leadership shake-up at Penn | Morning Newsletter
And a witness to Fishtown’s history of change
The Morning Newsletter
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Expect an “atmospheric river” of rain today. Flood watches are in effect for the entire Philly region starting Sunday afternoon into Monday.
University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill is stepping down following days of intense pressure and bipartisan backlash over her testimony on antisemitism on Tuesday. With less than 18 months on the job, Magill’s tenure was the shortest in Penn’s more than 260-year history.
Our lead story today covers what’s next as the university awaits a congressional investigation.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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After a semester marked by near-weekly protests, deep-pocketed donor complaints and widespread accusations of mismanagement since a controversial literary festival on campus this fall, Magill’s congressional committee testimony was the tip of the iceberg.
Magill, 57, announced her voluntary resignation on Saturday. And minutes later, board chair Scott L. Bok announced he was stepping down, too. By evening’s end, the university announced Julie Platt, vice chair of Penn’s board of trustees, has been named interim chair.
“It has been my privilege to serve as President of this remarkable institution,” Magill said in a statement shared by Bok. “It has been an honor to work with our faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community members to advance Penn’s vital missions.”
The Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce has also launched an investigation into Penn’s policies, as well as Harvard’s and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s, whose presidents also testified last week.
This all comes as the more than 28,000-student Ivy League university faces perhaps its greatest leadership crisis in decades, which has drawn national attention.
Keep reading for more on the fallout of Magill’s departure and the university’s plan to appoint an interim president.
What you should know today
Calls for Magill to resign escalated after her comments at the congressional hearing, but it’s not the first time controversy has brewed on campus this semester.
Despite fierce opposition, Philadelphia’s historical commission has approved the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf’s request to tear down a 19th-century mansion, in part to expand parking on campus.
A small group of Jewish protesters staged a peaceful sit-in Friday at the Philadelphia district office of U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, demanding that he call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Students at Swarthmore and Haverford Colleges also occupied buildings Friday, urging administrators to offer academic leniency and drop disciplinary warnings against pro-Palestinian student organizers.
A Mount Laurel man who stalked and harassed his Black neighbors in a viral rant was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison after tearfully pleading for a lighter term.
If you haven’t gotten a real Christmas tree yet, go soon. Farmers say there is a “tight supply” this year and that some farms may close earlier than usual to protect future Christmases.
Eagles chief of security Dom DiSandro won’t be permitted on the sideline for Sunday night’s game against the Cowboys in Dallas. It’s not a suspension, but the matter is still under review by the NFL office.
Caribou Cafe, the long-running French destination in Washington Square West, is changing management. It remains open and will not change its name or theme, but minor renovations are expected in 2024.
The lot on the corner of Frankford Avenue and Berks Street in Fishtown was once an eyesore. Today, it’s a green space and outdoor venue for vendors and special events.
For over 150 years, that lot occupied a front-row seat to witness the shapeshifting of what is now a trendy Philly neighborhood. It has borne silent witness to history.
Sandy Salzman, now retired director of the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), says people don’t remember what it was like three decades ago: “There was a lot of vacant land. All of it filled with trash.”
There were abandoned rowhouses, empty factories, and more trash-strewn vacant lots.
NKCDC was founded in 1985 to address the pressing housing needs of the community. The organization rehabilitated homes, provided utility support and worked at preventing foreclosure.
Continue reading about the lot in the path of Fishtown’s economic revival that transformed and bloomed into a cherished corner.
❓Pop quiz
Which famous Italian singer called off a show at the Wells Fargo Center last week?
A) Riccardo Cocciante
B) Laura Pausini
C) Andrea Bocelli
D) Alessandra Amoroso
Think you got it? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Suspended across the Delaware
ADLIB TWINGE WARMTH
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 Friday’s answer: Patti LaBelle.
Photo of the day
🎶 Today’s Sunday track goes like this: “I felt my pain drift away with November rain / Cleared my soul and my mind / And you’re the reason why.” 🎶 Never mind the fact that it’s actually December. Snoh Aalegra is timeless.
👋🏽 Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. Stay dry and be safe out there.