🚙 Can you beat the PPA? | Morning Newsletter
And Chinatown Stitch funding rescinded.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Hi, Philly. Yes, more random, heavy rains are possible this week. But one day might even be dry.
Do you know how to park in the city and avoid fines from the Philadelphia Parking Authority? Prove it with our parking simulator.
And over $150 million in federal funds were taken from the highway-capping Chinatown Stitch project by the Republican mega bill passed earlier this month. The project’s future is now unclear.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Anyone who’s tried to park in Philadelphia knows the logistics can be challenging, and the rules, at times, seemingly inscrutable.
🚙 But the rules still exist — and if you get caught shirking them, intentionally or not, you’ll have to pay.
🚙 A whole bunch of people learned that lesson in 2024, when the PPA issued 1.8 million tickets worth $88 million.
🚙 That’s 1.8 million cars parked in front of hydrants, curb cuts, loading zones, and traffic signals.
Think you know Philly’s parking rules? Take our quiz to prove it.
Philadelphia had been preparing to begin construction in the next two or three years on the Chinatown Stitch, a highway-capping project that would reconnect the neighborhood from 10th to 13th Streets.
The project aims to make amends for the civic damage brought by the Vine Street Expressway, which bisects the neighborhood.
Yet President Donald Trump’s tax bill appears to have rescinded more than $150 million committed to the stitch by the Biden administration last year, putting the project in limbo.
Reporter Jake Blumgart has the details.
In other federal policy news: Millions of National Institutes of Health grant dollars are returning to local public universities after a federal judge ruled that sweeping cuts to medical research were discriminatory. Dozens of employees are expected to lose their jobs at the U.S. Department of Education in Pennsylvania and New Jersey after a Supreme Court ruling. And Trump and Sen. Dave McCormick visited Pittsburgh Tuesday to announce investments in state artificial intelligence and energy projects.
What you should know today
A federal judge awarded $8.7 million to a New Jersey woman who accused a Philadelphia man of stealing her nude images and posting them online.
Memphis Street Academy in Port Richmond must surrender its charter and close, a federal judge ruled, finding that the school didn’t meet certain academic conditions.
Pennsylvania’s 1.4 million unaffiliated voters can’t vote in primaries. A new lawsuit argues it’s unconstitutional.
AFSCME DC 47, Philly’s white-collar city workers union, has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Parker administration, possibly averting a second strike this month.
Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday that Pennsylvania lawmakers were getting closer to reaching a budget deal. Plus: The state still needs critical funding from Harrisburg to support America’s 250th celebration and other 2026 events.
Gov. Matt Meyer signed legislation to block Delaware law enforcement agencies from partnering with federal authorities to enforce immigration violations.
The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission voted Tuesday to approve the state’s first cannabis consumption lounges.
Adults and children living near Pennsylvania military bases and a South Jersey chemical plant have PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” in their blood, a new national study found.
After 30 years in journalism, Inquirer columnist Helen Ubiñas is stepping away. In her farewell column, she thanks Philadelphia for letting her tell its stories.
Quote of the day
Young is one of the originators of the Sound of Philadelphia. Now, the 85-year-old is getting a street named after him: Earl Young Way, on Firth Street between 15th and Sydenham Streets.
P.S. On the subject of accolades, several Philly-tied projects and people scored Emmy nominations, including Abbott Elementary and Dope Thief.
🧠 Trivia time
An alum of which area college pledged $71.5 million to create a conservative counterpart to the campus’ Biden Hall?
A) University of Pennsylvania
B) West Chester University
C) University of Delaware
D) Villanova University
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🍨 Saying goodbye to: Birdhouse Gelato, closing after its owner was laid off by DOGE.
⚽ Applying for: The first ticket draw of the 2026 World Cup on Sept. 10.
🚌 Traveling to: The Jersey Shore by train, bus, or rideshare.
🏆 Expecting: A very Philly ESPY sports awards show, airing tonight.
🚯 Considering: How the city can expand composting within its waste management practices.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Science museum
UNKNIT INFILTRATES
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Gwendolyn Balogh, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Carbon Copy. A third location of the West Philly-founded brewery-winery is set to open in Bella Vista.
Photo of the day
Now you’re ready to march into the day to share the latest news. Good luck out there, and see you back here tomorrow.
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