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 Saturday. Weāre promised a nice day out with mostly clear skies.
Today, Iām highlighting how Phillies fans got crafty to demand the team re-sign its designated hitter.
Plus, get the latest on the hunt for the Villanova swatting suspect, how Gov. Josh Shapiro quietly shaped Pennās response to allegations of antisemitism on campus, and why South Koreaās president and Trump aides will come to Phillyās Shipyard next week.
Letās get into todayās top stories and more.
ā Paola PĆ©rez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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What you should know today
Police continue to search for the suspect who they say made a bogus report of someone with an automatic weapon at Villanova University. Expect the investigation to be āpainstakingly slow,ā one expert says, as campus officials try to restore normalcy and support students, faculty and staff.
A judge on Friday overturned the murder conviction of a North Philadelphia man after prosecutors unearthed tapes of jail calls that suggest that a key witness was paid to lie and frame him 17 years ago.
An Israeli flag on the west-facing wall of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History was vandalized with red paint this week, officials said.
Two more men have been charged in connection with the Grays Ferry mass shooting last month that killed three people and injured 10 others.
New South Korea President Lee Jae Myung and two of President Donald Trumpās cabinet secretaries will visit Hanwha Philly Shipyard next week, as Hanwha aims to get more shipbuilding work in Philadelphia and increase employment.
Gov. Josh Shapiroās administration had significant influence on the University of Pennsylvaniaās handling of allegations of antisemitism on campus before the governor spoke publicly about the issue, according to a Chronicle of Higher Education report that cites previously unseen internal communications between the university and Shapiroās administration.
A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges that he made racist, violent threats against Black City of Philadelphia employees and a Black motorist.
The Philly Naked Bike Ride returns to the cityās streets Saturday, as cyclists hit the road for the 12-mile-long, bare-as-you-dare event. Here is the route.
Home cooks nationwide say their beloved breadcrumb brand is tasting different. Now, following a report by The Inquirer, 4C Foods Corp. says itās investigating.
The Philly food scene has felt some shakeups this week, figuratively and literally. Thereās new management at a longtime Italian restaurant in East Falls, and itās last call at a Kensington cocktail bar and an embattled brunch spot in Center City. Meanwhile, a small underground explosion rocked a Rittenhouse Square spot on Friday night.
A 495-space parking garage is planned for 41st and Market Streets, with space for vehicles associated with the new, neighboring police forensics labs.
Itās impossible to ignore the humble Kyle Schwarberās aura. The chants of āM-V-P! ā¦ M-V-P! ā¦ M-V-P!ā from the crowd at home and away games alike are persistent ā and powerful. Iāve lost count of how many times Iāve replayed this recent clip: just as fans clamored during his at-bat, the designated hitter responded with a grand slam.
Every time Schwarber shines, comment sections flood with simple requests: āPay the man.ā āRe-sign him now.ā āDonāt let him go.ā Iāve even seen Cubs fans lamenting their loss of the slugger, yet still cheering him on from afar. So itās not surprising that Phillies fans Rebecca Hummel and McKenzie Buehner came together to craft this fantastic poster. They had $25, passion, creativity, and a mission. They took our tale of American independence and British beef, married it with the urgent calls to keep Kyle, and gathered signatures from hundreds of fans and ballpark employees.
Schwarber has given them plenty of reasons to be so eager. He is a big part of why the atmosphere at many games feels like weāre in the playoffs. Well on his way to a historic season, the man continues to send fansā hearts into orbit, all the way deep into right field with every āSchwarbomb.ā Fans are hungry for decisions and results that keep the team on the right track. If the team ever needed a sign to keep the guy who is making his mark, this is literally it. (Please, donāt make him work at Ritaās, lol.)
The poster was dropped in the dugout, along with hopes and dreams that the fansā pitch would be heard. Seventeen days would pass before Schwarber finally saw it. It gave him goosebumps. Relatable, considering the thrills and chills every time he makes a show-stopping play. His skill and salt-of-the-earth personality inspires gestures like this. It motivates fans to remind him ā and the team ā that Philly is thriving off this exciting energy, in the hope theyāll make the city proud into Red October. Itās a tough call as to whether Schwarber will actually earn MVP in the end. Personally, Iāve seen enough. The name on my jersey speaks for itself.
In mid-July, more than a dozen ICE agents swarmed the Super Gigante food market near Norristown. Fourteen people were taken into custody.
In a column for The Inquirer, Elyse Wechterman described what it was like to witness a community in terror as masked officers descended on the grocery store, and argued that raids like this are not about justice.
āThose who support ICEās actions ignore the fact that many of the people now being detained have existing asylum cases or green-card applications,ā Wechterman writes. āOthers have seen their legal statuses stripped away.ā
š§ Trivia time
Which Pennsylvania-based potato chip was the star of a New York alleged political bribery scandal?
A) Middleswarth
B) Wise Foods
C) Utz
D) Herrās
Think you know? Check your answer.
š§© Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Defunct amusement park
PLANNED WORRIED
Email us if you know the answer. Weāll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Rosemary Hering who correctly guessed Fridayās answer: Kamala Harris. The former vice president will stop at the Met in September to discuss her new book, 107 Days, which details her 2024 presidential campaign.
Once the location was revealed, white-clad diners descended on this yearās Diner en Blanc at Girard College on Thursday evening with their own meals, tables and decorations. The secret, pop-up picnic requires guests to dress in all-white attire (not off-white, beige, or ivory). See more in Yong Kimās gallery of the 13th annual party.
Somewhere on the internet in Philly
Comedic reels like this are drawing more attention to the surreal JD Vance mural in Fishtown.
Gritty is in his cheesesteak review era. Heās not telling us whether they taste good, though. In Gritty fashion, heās measuring them (š³), admitting to parking illegally, and even docking points over staff who werenāt fazed to see the furry legend in the flesh.
And this funny video of Eagles fans passing by Cowboys fans like a tour exhibit is, as one commenter puts it, āa cinematic masterpiece.ā
šš½ See you again bright and early tomorrow.
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