🏥 Philly’s answer to a nursing shortage | Morning Newsletter
And, updates on deadly shootings.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning. Showers born from what remains of Isaias are expected to douse the region. Be sure to visit Inquirer.com for updates.
Our Sunday read highlights Philadelphia-area nursing schools and hospitals deploying several strategies to address a workforce shortage.
We’re also following developments in the shooting of two Philadelphia police officers.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Two years ago, Pennsylvania was on track to have the worst nursing shortage in the country by 2026.
Fueling the concern: The field’s aging workforce, retirement trends, issues with retention and turnover, and burnout.
New programs step in to help: Gwynedd Mercy University offers loan repayment programs to facilitate students’ financial costs, as well as accelerated degree tracks to transition them into jobs faster. Drexel, Temple, and Jefferson also offer quicker pathways.
Notable quote: “Our intention has always [been] trying to address the barriers and help to improve the workforce pipeline,” said Jane Tang, dean of nursing at Gwynedd Mercy.
Health reporter Kayla Yup explores the popularity and impact of these and other programs.
A Philadelphia police officer was killed and another was critically wounded in a shooting early Saturday morning in West Philadelphia.
Shane Seiber, 40, died at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. “He fought valiantly, but he lost his life today,” Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said of the 10-year veteran.
The second officer remained in the hospital at the time of publication.
Authorities said a man ambushed the officers with a shotgun outside of his home. The suspect was identified as Eric Lewis, an employee with the Philadelphia Water Department. He was taken into custody.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Lewis shot at nine other officers. Krasner called the shooting a “brutal, senseless, horrific killing.”
Inquirer reporters cover the latest, including what we know about Seiber.
Another deadly encounter: On Friday morning, officers shot and killed a man armed with a gun on the Ben Franklin Parkway. Bethel said the incident is being investigated as potential suicide by cop.
What you should know today
The White House is demanding “full transparency” and “immediate remediation” after Anthropic disclosed that one of its AI models submitted false information to Philadelphia police and to the State Department’s visa application system.
A woman was sentenced to decades in prison for the fatal shooting of SEPTA bus driver Bernard N. Gribbin in 2023.
A Philadelphia-based group of self-described “pedophile hunters” are accused of luring their online targets to parking lots, then attacking and blackmailing them for money.
More Philly-area classrooms are seeing lower measles vaccination rates. The Inquirer analyzed the most recent data to pinpoint places where children are most vulnerable.
An investigation by NJ.com found that Washington Township used opioid settlement funds, meant for drug education programming, on SUVs and Flock surveillance cameras.
Sen. John Fetterman has had just six public appearances in Philly, mostly in 2023, and former staffers say he’s shown a private animosity toward the city. As he weighs his future in the Senate, how he spends his time has come under more scrutiny.
🎤 Here’s Tommy Rowan with a look back at the debut of Nickelodeon’s “Double Dare,” which was filmed at WHYY in Independence Mall.
It was a game show for kids.
Nickelodeon’s Double Dare was goopy, gloppy, yucky, ridiculous, and gross.
These were common descriptors for the then-revolutionary show featuring neon-green slime baths.
It was a sticky concept, and, to a generation of millennials, can’t-miss-TV.
❓Pop quiz
Milk Jawn founder Amy Wilson is constantly cooking up new ice cream flavors.
In what year did she start the acclaimed South Philly company in her home kitchen?
A) 2015
B) 2005
C) 2012
D) 1999
Think you know? Check your answer, and be sure to watch our video inside Milk Jawn’s lab where they test new flavors for fall.
What we’re ...
🦠 Answering: Your frequently asked questions about Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak.
🏡 Learning: How two educators used funds from a redlining settlement to buy a home in East Mount Airy.
🦅 Listing: Philly bars opening early with brunch specials for the Birds’ 9:30 a.m. kickoff in London. (Fans can expect a familiar voice on the TVs).
🍝 Dishing on: Where to enjoy fresh pasta in Philadelphia — for under $20.
🩻 Intrigued by: Echoes of Philadelphia artist Thomas Eakins’ passion for the human anatomy in Skeleton Dress, among other art we loved this week.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: She’s best known for transforming the Bok Building (and is now looking to revitalize UArts).
ENCYCLOPEDIA NISSAN
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Shivani Johri, who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: Barack Obama. The former U.S. president endorsed Gov. Josh Shapiro for reelection, commending the incumbent Democratic Pennsylvania governor for standing up to President Donald Trump and GOP leaders during his first term.
Photo of the day
🎶 Today’s song goes like this: “You are the light in the painting / That my eye is drawn to first.” It feels like the perfect day to curl up and listen to Angel, the new record by Narberth-raised singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine.
One more musical thing: Rock and roll legend Chuck Berry would have turned 100 this month. A daylong symposium celebrated his ability to bring everyone together through his music, despite living in a time marked by deep division.
👋🏽 I know today’s news may have been a lot to take in. I want to thank you, as always, for starting your day with us. Take care, and may the Birds prevail across the pond.
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