🏛️ A historical eyesore on East Market | Morning Newsletter
And Social Security frustrations.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It’s Friday, Philly, and a cool relief after this week’s record-breaking heat.
Philadelphia’s defunct history museum is now a blighted eyesore on East Market. Our top story explores why the historic property has been largely neglected since its 2018 closure.
And local seniors are having a hard time getting Social Security offices on the phone since cuts were enacted by the Department of Government Efficiency.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
P.S. Friday means trivia. Our latest news quiz includes questions on the Hot Pants Patrol, a cemetery sale, and more.
If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.
In the seven years since the historic Atwater Kent building closed, the city-owned property near Seventh and Market Streets has attracted trash, needles, and graffiti. A sagging chainlink fence surrounds the neoclassical building. A bronze plaque that previously denoted its purpose was stolen.
It’s a dispiriting scene for the Philadelphia History Museum’s former home of eight decades.
Notable quote: “It’s being neglected,” a concerned historic preservationist told The Inquirer. “And that shouldn’t be the case a block from Independence Mall and ahead of the semiquincentennial celebration.”
Since the Trump administration’s DOGE introduced rapid changes at the Social Security Administration, those who rely on the benefits have had increasing difficulty phoning local offices, or trying to visit in person.
Social Security recipients, who include retirees and disabled people, find themselves on hold for hours as they wait to speak to a staffer to ask a question or schedule an appointment. Often, they can’t get through at all.
The changes that come in the name of efficiency follow deep personnel cuts at the federal agency.
Reporter Alfred Lubrano has the story.
In other federal policy news: A proposed overhaul of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could hit Pennsylvania particularly hard, with the so-called “big, beautiful bill” tax and spending package championed by President Donald Trump aiming to shift some program costs from the federal government to the state.
What you should know today
A former Philadelphia homicide detective will serve up to 13 years in prison for sexually assaulting the relatives of two murder victims.
A Millbourne borough councilman was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to steal a mayoral election.
A Brookhaven man who worked for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has been charged with soliciting bribes from immigrants and promising to help them with their cases.
A former Delaware County woman who has been linked to an extremist group, and is a person of interest in her parents’ unsolved murders, now faces felony charges in Maryland.
Controversial University of Pennsylvania law professor Amy Wax will be suspended for one year starting in August after a federal judge denied her request for a pause.
The number of individuals held in New Jersey and Pennsylvania immigration detention centers pending deportation hearings has hit highs not seen since 2011, new data show.
After a five-year secret probe, Philly is the first school district in the country to be criminally charged with environmental violations over its asbestos management.
SEPTA adopted a budget Thursday that will slash nearly half its transit service amid a $213 million annual deficit. Officials say new state money could forestall some planned cuts.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, reporter Michelle Myers has an explainer on Philadelphia’s official city flag, which shares its colors with Drexel University: blue and gold.
But it’s not entirely clear why these hues — technically, “azure blue” and “golden yellow” — were picked. Do they symbolize the virtues of faith and prosperity? Could it be an homage to the Swedish flag? Here’s the full explanation. Then, try your hand at designing your own Philly flag.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🧠 Trivia time
Facing a mounting deficit and a decreasing endowment, which private college in the Philadelphia area has cut its varsity athletic programs and several positions?
A) Bryn Athyn College
B) Haverford College
C) Bryn Mawr College
D) Swarthmore College
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🎸 Reviewing: Bruce Springsteen’s newly released Lost Albums— all seven of them.
🍦 Reviving: The longrunning Philadelphia debate of “jimmies” vs. “sprinkles.”
🦅 Congratulating: The Delco newlyweds who spent their early honeymoon partying with Jason Kelce in Sea Isle.
🔔 Remembering: When Independence National Historical Park came to be on this week in Philly history.
🖥️ Considering: The importance of accurate data reporting to Philadelphia housing policy.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: East _ Avenue
PUNY ASKS
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Margot Potter, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Avalon. The Union League’s $23 million purchase of the Whitebrier is part of a trend: More of the town is being ceded to private spaces. Has it become too expensive for the people who live there?
Photo of the day
May we all enjoy a moment of calm like Birdie this weekend. Have a good one.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
