🗳️ Pa.’s biggest races | Morning Newsletter
And “embarrassing” ships at the Navy Yard.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Happy Election Day, Philly. The sun should be (mostly) shining on the democratic process today, with a highs near the low 70s.
We’re starting with everything you need to know about today’s midterms. Scroll on for Pennsylvania’s most important races, and find our interactive voter guide here.
Then, we’ll cover how economic development plans at the Navy Yard face some hulking obstacles: more than two dozen inactive war ships taking up valuable space.
Plus, a North Carolina man is accused of trying to ring the Liberty Bell, and more news of the day.
— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Congratulations, we’ve made it to the midterms. Whether you’re a politics buff or just tuning in, here’s your crib sheet for where Pennsylvania’s most important races stand.
Governor’s race: Polls show incumbent Democrat Josh Shapiro with a decisive lead over Republican challenger Stacy Garrity. Barring a shocking upset, expect this race to be called for Shapiro on the early side this evening.
U.S. House races: There are four U.S. House districts in the eastern portion of Pennsylvania that both parties want to win. Each is currently held by a Republican, but two are now considered toss-ups because polling is so close. That includes Bucks County’s 1st District, where U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is in his toughest reelection fight yet. In the other two, the 7th and 8th Districts, polls show Democratic challengers with a slight edge.
In Harrisburg: Democrats control the state House, but this time, they also have their eye on flipping the state Senate for the first time in 30 years. Races in Bucks, Montgomery, and Lehigh Counties are among those in play.
Read on for political reporter Michelle Baruchman’s full primer.
Plus: Plan your ballot before voting with our interactive voter guide.
And, live in Jersey? Here are races to watch in the Garden State.
What makes a Navy ship “embarrassing”? Inquirer business reporter Joseph N. DiStefano has an idea.
Take the four Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships rusting at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Each has a price tag of hundreds of millions of dollars, but was decommissioned after five to eight years of Navy service because of poor performance.
These combat ships are just part of a large, defunct flotilla now parked in the Schuylkill
What you should know today
A judge has ruled against GOP U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, after he sued to attempt to have a Democratic Bucks County commissioner disqualified from serving on the county’s board of elections.
Pennsylvania’s record-breaking measles outbreak appears to be slowing down.
A 64-year-old woman jogging in West Philly was struck and killed by a SEPTA trolley Monday morning.
A North Carolina man now faces two federal charges for jumping a barrier and attempting to ring the Liberty Bell earlier this year.
Redeemer Health has filed for bankruptcy protection and plans to sell or close the last independently operated hospital in our region, Holy Redeemer Hospital in Abington.
Philadelphia is moving its universal free breakfast in public schools later in the school day, so kids no longer have to arrive early to be fed.
Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron argues that periodic attempts to spruce up Broad and Market Streets have failed because they don’t meaningfully make those thoroughfares more appealing to pedestrians.
She views a new plan for beautifying South Broad as similarly misguided.
🧠 Trivia time
The Flyers have unveiled a new “Hometown Remix” jersey, featuring which Philly landmark?
A) Ben Franklin Bridge
B) Independence Hall
C) Rocky Statue
D) Liberty Bell
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re …
🗳️ Considering. The Inquirer Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom, has released its slate of midterm candidate endorsements.
🥖 Building. Readers voted on what makes the perfect Italian hoagie. Inquirer interactive designer Garland Fordice reveals the winning order.
🛢️ Bracing for. The price of heating oil has risen dramatically this year. That puts the 685,000 Pennsylvania households that rely on the fuel in a tough spot, writes Inquirer outdoor reporter Jason Nark.
🍵 Following. A new Rittenhouse matcha spot offers some novel South Korean specialties like mugwort and einspänner lattes, reports food writer Kiki Aranita.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: A security guard at this Philly municipal building recently had his first art show in the same place.
LIL YACHT
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Lisa Eizen, who correctly solved Monday’s anagram: Allen Iverson. The basketball great and former Sixer was at the Linc this past weekend for the One Philly HBCU Classic.
Photo of the day
One last look at Halloween fun before we saunter toward November holidays.
👋 See you bright and early tomorrow with some election results.
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