Police drones rise without oversight | Morning Newsletter

Happy Monday, Philly. We’re in for a cloudy day, and then warmer temps later in the week.

Philadelphia police have expanded their use of drones, without the transparency and oversight that’s seen in other major cities.

Intricate details of the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion have been restored a year after it was firebombed. Millions of dollars in security upgrades can be seen, too.

Plus, the North vs. South fight over casinos in New Jersey is back, and more news of the day.

— Alyssa Passeggio (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Dozens of times a day, drones fly across Philadelphia skies at the direction of the police department. Boston and Illinois have strict accountability policies governing their use, but two years into the program, City Council hasn’t enacted similar restrictions here.

The drones are a tactical tool and are not intended to patrol neighborhoods, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said. However, the technology could be used during protests or major events this summer to gauge crowd sizes or identify potential risks.

“The technology has improved, and the use cases have expanded,” said Andrew Guthrie Ferguson, a professor of law at George Washington University Law School. “And yet the laws and the regulations haven’t really kept up.”

Reporters David Gambacorta, Dylan Purcell, and Ellie Rushing have the full story.

State employees and contractors worked tirelessly to restore the governor’s mansion to how it looked before the 2025 firebomb attack.

In many ways, they were successful. Crystal chandeliers were restored and crown molding was replicated before this year’s Passover Seder.

But then there’s the towering brick wall that surrounds the property. Motion detectors and updated cameras pepper the picture-perfect landscaping.

Overall $33 million was spent to address critical weaknesses to both the Harrisburg residence and Gov. Josh Shapiro’s family home in Abington Township.

Reporter Gillian McGoldrick and photographer Tom Gralish take us inside.

In order to get a home near their aging parents, a Manayunk couple moved back in with mom and got a financial assist. They saw 25 homes before securing one in West Chester.

Move over mozzarella: A distinctly Philadelphian cheese is spreading beyond cheesesteaks and exploding as a pizza topping across the nation.

A) Cheez Whiz

B) Cooper Sharp

C) Provolone

D) Yellow American

Think you know? Check your answer.

🥙 Craving dill pickle labneh dip and duck shawarma from the widely popular Philly Hummus Girl.

📕 Inspired by the passion and lessons shared by Today host Sheinelle Jones.

👁️ Admiring some of the latest buildings that received historic protections.

Hint: This burgeoning corridor now hosts luxury apartments where Lord & Taylor once stood.

ACUITY EVEN

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Brenda Belton, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Saks Fifth Avenue. Its massive Philly-area storefront is set to close for good on Wednesday. Some Main Line shoppers see the loss as “a sign of the times.”

There is a two-man team behind the most iconic restaurant signs in the city. The work requires a precise hand and usually takes a couple of days, but the impact grows over time.

Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Deb Olsen, who describes the Ben Franklin Bridge as a reassuring backdrop to so many family memories:

I have always admired the Ben Franklin Bridge. It’s our prettiest bridge that crosses the Delaware River with its two elegant towers and sturdy piers below. My favorite view was driving down Race Street towards Columbus Boulevard and seeing the bridge rise to my left.

My family has a lot of connections to this bridge. My maternal great grandfather, Teodoro, lived in South Philly and worked at the RCA building in Camden, making radios and Victrolas. He walked over the bridge twice a day for work instead of spending a nickel on the trolley.

My paternal great grandfather, Olsen, helped build the bridge. He drove the tugboats that brought supplies to the workers during the construction. A number of men died in the process of making the piers.

My sister had a house in Camden that was almost underneath the Ben Franklin Bridge for a number of years. We could hear the PATCO Line passing by during family get-togethers.

For many years, my friends and I attended New Year’s Eve celebrations at Penn’s Landing to watch the fireworks. Once I took my kid down to the river to watch a lunar eclipse.

In 2001, when the 75th Anniversary of the building of the bridge celebration was announced, my father insisted we go. That day in July was hot as blazes. The sun beat down on the black tarmac as hundreds of people walked over the bridge that was closed to traffic. We could see the river sparkling below and the two cities laid out before us. My dad walked all the way over the bridge and back with his grandkid, so proud talking about our family history. And then we went for water ice.

Thanks for starting your week with The Inquirer. Tommy Rowan will have you covered tomorrow morning.

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