The Morning Newsletter
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Good morning, Philly. We’re in for a hot and smoky day.
We start with beef between Philly City Council members and the mayor’s office over rising property assessments. And Council members say: Homeowners "deserve answers now."
And smoke is drifting into Philly from Canadian wildfires, and from a large junkyard fire in Delco. It’s enveloping the region.
Plus, Philly DA Larry Krasner was subpoenaed over immigration records, and more news of the day.
— Tommy Rowan (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Members of Philadelphia City Council say they are concerned that the city’s recently released property reassessments will mean tax hikes for thousands of residents — and they are demanding to know more about the methodology used to determine property values.
Councilmember Mike Driscoll, a Democrat who represents the Lower Northeast, authored a letter sent Monday to Chief Assessment Officer James Aros Jr. and other top officials in Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration, expressing concerns on behalf of a half dozen Council members.
He wrote that his office has received “numerous” calls from constituents whose homes will see sharp increases in valuation, the measure that is used to calculate property tax bills.
Citywide, there was a 3% median change in valuations from the 2025 tax year, the last time there was a mass reassessment, according to an Inquirer analysis of assessments of single-family homes.
But some neighborhoods saw much steeper increases.
Get the full scoop from reporter Anna Orso.
It’s about to get both hot and smoky in the Philly region.
High temperatures and high humidity, which started on Wednesday and will continue into Friday, will be met by smoke drifting south from a batch of Canadian wildfires.
The smoke will bring hazy skies and fine particle pollutants that can irritate lungs and increase health threats to those with asthma and respiratory illnesses.
Additionally, smoke from a large scrapyard fire in Delaware County has prompted the Health Department to urge residents to take precautions to avoid exposure.
Read the full report from Frank Kummer here.
Also: Amtrak and SEPTA were slowing trains down by 5 to 10 mph on Wednesday, and Amtrak was canceling some Acela and Northeast Regional train trips, because of the heat.
And in related news: New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Mayor Parker are assessing whether they’ll need to ask the federal government for help following recent storms in Philly and Camden as President Donald Trump rejects more disaster aid from blue areas.
What you should know today
A U.S. House committee has asked District Attorney Larry Krasner to turn over documents related to his office’s handling of immigration matters. They want the documents by the end of July.
The Trump administration has installed its own version of history with new displays at the President’s House site. Meanwhile, President’s House advocates are vowing to keep fighting.
President Trump used a visit to Central Pennsylvania as a chance to promote defense investments in the state and say Gov. Josh Shapiro is “overrated.”
A former Bucks County man who voted twice for Trump in the 2020 election was sentenced to six months of house arrest and three years of probation.
The city government will assume control of the Philadelphia Sexual Assault Response Center, the only program in the city that offers free sexual assault exams, after years of uncertainty over how the center would be managed and financed.
Three major Philadelphia-area health systems — Jefferson, Nemours, and Temple — are exploring an alliance to support financially struggling St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in North Philadelphia, its leaders announced.
Almost half of Pennsylvania voters say they are worse off financially compared to one year ago, while nearly 3 in 4 say they don’t want an artificial intelligence data center in their backyard, according to new poll.
Quote of the day
Sports columnist Marcus Hayes thinks Phillies star pitcher Zack Wheeler and star slugger Bryce Harper are acting weird. He wonders: Is it the pressure for the Phillies to win, or is it just us?
🧠 Trivia time
This Washington, D.C.-based bagel sandwich shop has signed for a third Philly location before its first two have spread a single schmear.
A) Text Your Sister
B) Help Your Father
C) Call Your Mother
D) Walk The Dog
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re ...
🕙 Waiting on. The House passed a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent across the nation. Critics have concerns. And, yes, we have tried this before.
🙏 Mourning. Mark Donovan Hagins, an actor, teacher, and producer who knew everyone in Philadelphia’s theater community, from the upstarts to the grizzled veterans, died at his home on June 24. He was 56.
⚾ Anticipating. Baseball celebrated itself with a sparkling All-Star Week in Philadelphia. Next up: Avoiding self-destruction with a looming labor fight.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Eleven locals took part in a tribute to this 1993 classic film at Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.
HOTEL STAND
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Ann A. Walker, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: Federal Donuts. The restaurant group Cook N Solo will close three Center City Federal Donuts & Chicken locations and shrink its Goldie falafel chain from four shops to one.
Photo of the day
And we end today with this lovely shot of a father and daughter fishing on the Cooper River on Wednesday in Collingswood.
👋 Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. Paola Pérez has you covered tomorrow.
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