Philly’s new influence in the Pa. House | Morning Newsletter
And save up for that bachelorette party
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Today should be a little cloudy in the morning before becoming mostly sunny. Expect a high of 61.
When Democrats took control of the Pennsylvania House, it also amped up Philly’s influence.
Representatives from the Philly area now have more power to shape what life is like for Pennsylvanians. They’re also positioned to bring more resources home to their districts.
Our lead story explores their priorities. 🔑
If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The numbers in Harrisburg look good for Philadelphia for the first time in more than a decade.
The playing field:
Almost 60% of the 101 House Democrats hail from from the southeast part of the state.
A quarter of all House Democrats come from Philadelphia.
The top three House leaders come from the southeast, two of whom are from Philadelphia.
Southeastern representatives will serve as chairs on at least half of the state’s standing committees with the immense power of deciding which legislation gets considered.
And don’t forget, Gov. Josh Shapiro is a Montgomery County native.
Keep reading to learn Democrats’ goals for the state and the city. 🔑
What you should know today
We have a complete timeline of SEPTA’s expensive — but now dead — KOP project. 🔑
An investigation is underway over asbestos issues as the Philadelphia School District’s superintendent warned more discoveries are likely.
Bryn Mawr College will remove the name of its second president from its library because of the former leader’s antisemitic and racist past.
Temple University’s faculty union decided to hold no-confidence votes against three university leaders.
The carpenters union endorsed City Councilmember Cherelle Parker for mayor.
Meet Janice Tosto, the host of “Grief Journeys.” It’s a show about life, loss, and love on G-Town Radio, a community radio station in Germantown.
Bachelor and bachelorette parties are not cheap.
And their prices are on the rise.
The median cost to attend a bachelor, bachelorette, or similar pre-wedding party in 2022 was $1,500 per person, up 7% from 2021. And bachelor party attendees spend 70% more on average compared to bachelorette party attendees.
The more elaborate long weekends and come out to more than $3,000 a piece. After all, we are talking about chartered yachts in Aruba, catered picnics on the beach in Miami, and snowmobile tours in Aspen.
The typical guest is asked to shell out for flights, their share of a vacation rental, upscale dinners, lavish excursions, themed outfits, and decor.
Keep reading to learn how social media is fueling the trend.
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
Which Stranger Things star is behind a delivery-only line of fried chicken?
A) Noah Schnapp
B) Finn Wolfhand
C) Millie Bobby Brown
D) Gaten Matarazzo
Find out if you know the answer.
What we’re...
🎻Watching: The Philadelphia Orchestra and Massamba Diop rehearse Black Panther’s original score.
🍽️ Anticipating: 29 new restaurants and bars opening around Philly this spring.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: Shore town
PARKAS RUBY
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Cheers to Donna Azzarano, who correctly guessed Tuesday’s answer: Miller’s Twist. Email us if you know the answer.
Photo of the day
And that’s your morning news. Thank you for waking up with The Inquirer.