$1.1 billion in unfinished work | Morning Newsletter
And Philly’s luxe condo market
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Expect a sunny Tuesday. ☀️
The Phillies are back in the playoffs for the second straight season. Today’s the first of the team’s wild-card series against the Miami Marlins. It may be fall, but the weather forecast during the game days will feel like June with temperatures that will reach the 80s, light winds, and mild evenings for both today and Wednesday.
Our lead story focuses on the Pennsylvania House. Lawmakers are back in session after summer recess and they have unfinished work worth more than $1 billion to address.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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When the Pennsylvania House left for a three-month summer break, lawmakers left a few outstanding issues.
The to-do list:
Approximately $1.1 billion in the state budget still needs approval.
More than $650 million in funding also needs approval before it can go to four state-related universities to allow those schools to offer lower in-state tuition.
Lawmakers still need to choose a new date for the 2024 Pennsylvania primary.
They came back last week but didn’t tackle any of it yet. As of Monday, they weren’t expected to vote on those issues this week, either.
Read more to learn what’s the hold-up for each issue.
What you should know today
The top Republican in the Pennsylvania Senate called the sexual harassment allegations against a top aide to Gov. Josh Shapiro “appalling.”
Philadelphia journalist Josh Kruger was shot and killed inside his Point Breeze home.
According to new city data, overdose deaths are rising dramatically among Black Philadelphians.
Now that former Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams’ federal supervised release is over, he is saying the federal government and the Catholic Church targeted him.
The Penn Museum will stop displaying most human remains.
Patrick J. Pespas, a star of the HBO docuseries Telemarketers, has been reported missing in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
James Harden was a no-show at Sixers media day on Monday.
Arthaus, one of Philadelphia’s ultra-luxury condominiums, is home to only a couple dozen people despite having 107 units.
Deed records show that about 85% of the condos are empty, four years after the developer began marketing them. Prices range from $1.6 million to $15 million for the bilevel penthouse.
This may seem like a bad sign for the city’s broader condo market, but the larger picture is more complex. The luxury market in Philly is relatively small, especially compared to cities like New York or Miami. Also, recent spikes in interest rates and pandemic era crises caused a retreat of some suburban buyers from Philly’s already small market.
There might be less high-end buyers, but those few are willing to spend millions. By certain measures, like sale prices, Philly’s luxury condo market is healthier than it has ever been.
Continue reading to find out who is buying these high-end condos.
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
Which singer is coming to Philly for a Christmas show?
A) John Legend
B) Mariah Carey
C) Michael Bublé
D) Boys II Men
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🎉 Congratulating: Penn mRNA scientists Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman won The Nobel Prize in medicine.
⚾Viewing: Photos of the Phillies and Marlins working out ahead of today’s wild-card playoff matchup tonight.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: A beloved public garden 🌺
BROOMS TERRARIUM
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Stephen Lick, who correctly guessed Monday’s answer: Concourse Dance Bar.
Photo of the day
Thank you for starting your day with The Inquirer. I’ll catch you in your inbox tomorrow. 📧