We sat down with Gov. Josh Shapiro | Morning Newsletter
And Philly’s treacherous sidewalks
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Welcome to the start of your week. It should be mostly sunny today with a high of 45.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro hasn’t had any bills come across his desk, but he’s had a busy first month in office. He’s called on the state legislature to abolish the death penalty, signed pro-business executive orders, and found time to go to the Super Bowl in Arizona.
He now must work with lawmakers in the state House with a thin Democratic majority and the Republican-controlled Senate.
Our lead story showcases the takeaways from our exclusive interview.
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)
Gov. Josh Shapiro sat down to talk about his first month, his upcoming budget address, and what he thinks he’ll be able to get done in his first term.
His first crisis: Just two weeks after taking office, his first catastrophe as governor is the East Palestine train derailment. Just hours before he spoke with us, he traveled to Ohio where he appeared with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and other officials to announce plans to hold railway company Norfolk Southern accountable and make the company clean up the site.
His first budget: He declined to give many details but said increasing access to mental health professionals in schools will be part of his budget. He’ll deliver it March 7.
Continue reading to find out what Shapiro has to say about fixing the state’s school funding system.
What you should know today
We explain how former Philadelphia homicide detective Philip Nordo got away with sexually assaulting witnesses, misdirecting thousands of dollars in city funds, and locking up innocent men for years.
At least one Giant supermarket in Philadelphia is selling bottled water from a source near the Ohio train derailment.
Masterman parents wrote that the middle and high school “is being systematically dismantled” by Philly’s new admissions process in a scathing new report.
Philly consumers are still shopping, but they’re not splurging like they used to.
There’s a new Philly theater company that creates productions for children with disabilities.
Weyes Blood, Bucks County native, is coming to Philadelphia to play two shows at Union Transfer.
There’s 17 new restaurants in the Philly suburbs and 10 more are on the way. 🔑
Philadelphia likes to tout that it’s one of America’s most walkable cities but sidewalk blockages can make getting around dangerous, Inquirer columnist Inga Saffron writes.
This isn’t a new problem.
Reminder: In 2008, then-Councilmember Jim Kenney highlighted the issue and pledged to crack down on developers who hog the sidewalk and successfully passed regulation for sidewalk closures. Developers have since been required to pay a fee to use the public right-of-way.
Since 2017, Philadelphia has pulled in almost $21 million from sidewalk closure fees.
But that money has done little to keep pedestrians safe or prevent developers from monopolizing sidewalks.
Keep reading to learn why Saffron believes the city’s administration is failing pedestrians.
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
SZA’s “SOS” tour for her second album will come to the Wells Fargo Center this Thursday.
When did she release her debut album, Ctrl?
A) 2017
B) 2015
C) 2020
D) 2018
Find out if you know the answer.
What we’re...
👋 Learning: About the world of competitive slap fighting as a Pennsylvania man trains for a championship.
🥪 Watching: Famous 4th Street Deli, believed to be the oldest Jewish-owned delicatessen in Philadelphia, is listed for sale.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
The hint: Hoagie mascot
HIROTS
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Email us if you know the answer. Cheers to Robert Dickinson, who guessed Sunday’s answer: The Spectrum.
Photo of the day
That should be enough to get your Monday started. See you tomorrow ☀️.