💼 It’s tough out there for Philly grads | Morning Newsletter
And Nicetown explosion aftermath.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It’s a new week, Philly, and set to be a hot one: Temperatures could reach 90 or higher Tuesday through Friday.
Recent college graduates are facing one of the toughest job markets in recent years, and the Philadelphia market is no exception. In today’s top story, local grads explain how they’re navigating it.
And a June explosion in Nicetown blew out the front windows of a renter’s rowhouse. Then, her landlord ghosted her. She’s now seeking aid, and a new place to live.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Finding a first job after college that will kickstart a career has long been a grind. The unemployment rate for recent grads age 22 to 27 tends to be slightly higher than the overall U.S. unemployment rate (though lower than that of young workers overall).
💼 But the class of 2025 faces new challenges, such as federal cuts that eliminated roles they might have sought, and employers’ reliance on artificial intelligence to screen applicants.
💼 Fresh alumni of Philly schools told The Inquirer they’re applying to dozens of jobs while working part-time or freelancing, or taking unpaid internships in a field with ever-fewer paid opportunities. One tailored her resume to be more AI-friendly; another prefers to craft personal cover letters instead of using ChatGPT, like his friends do.
💼 In their own words: “It’s just upsetting and frustrating that this is kind of the economy and reality,” one 2025 grad said.
The front windows of Tawanda Davis’ Nicetown rental home shattered in the early hours of June 29, after an explosion leveled three houses across the street and left one of her neighbors dead.
Since that traumatic event, David has repeatedly asked her landlord to repair her windows, now boarded up with plywood. When she sought help from Councilmember Kendra Brooks’ office, he went radio silent.
Davis, who lives with her five grandchildren, has sought and received some resources from the city. But without more support from her landlord, she will likely need to uproot her family in search of safer housing.
What you should know today
A Havertown woman was arrested in Maine after, officials say, her 3-year-old daughter was found dead in her car Saturday night.
A registered sex offender who was a Downingtown high school teacher conceived a child via surrogacy, spurring calls to close a legal loophole.
After long-buried allegations came to light, dozens of former Paul Green School of Rock Music students have been reconnecting to share stories of abuse and sexual misconduct.
Days before SEPTA advances its plan for 20% service cuts, Gov. Josh Shapiro urged Senate Republicans to pass a state budget that includes $1.5 billion over five years for mass transit. Meanwhile, Delaware commuters worry how they’ll get to Philly if SEPTA’s Wilmington line is cut.
Jack Ciattarelli, the GOP nominee for New Jersey governor, is bringing his campaign to Israel this week as national outcry over starvation in Gaza escalates.
After years of decay, a vacant graffiti-covered apartment tower across from Monk’s Cafe has been sold to a New York developer.
🧠 Trivia time
Which popular streaming series appeared to be filming near Rittenhouse Square last week?
A) Dexter: Resurrection
B) The Summer I Turned Pretty
C) Abbott Elementary
D) Reacher
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🗺️ Mapping: The most phenomenal cocktails in Philadelphia.
🐻 Following: Common-sense guidelines for keeping bears away from Pennsylvania campsites.
🏨 Staying: In Philly for a staycation at one of these cozy, chic hotels.
🐼 Anticipating: New York-based Asian festival Panda Fest, returning this October.
✍️ Considering: This German journalist’s take on Trump’s push to eliminate shameful history.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: High-end Philly wedding company
CHEAP SEC
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Helen Snyder, who solved Sunday’s anagram: The Paper. The spinoff of The Office is leaving Scranton in search of new workplace hijinks.
Photo of the day
📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story
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 Susan Katz Hoffman, who describes a trend of grocery respect:
Pre-COVID, I would do my shopping at Trader Joe’s on Arch Street, then Reading Terminal Market (or the other way around), and then hop onto the 48 bus to come home with my bundles. But it was the height of the pandemic, and like so many, I was avoiding the buses. So I dug out my 50-year-old rolling cart, WD-40’d the wheels, and made my way to Reading Terminal Market. With the cart half-full of valuable meats, cheese, and veggies, I then stopped at Trader Joe’s.
They were not allowing rolling carts into the store, so I parked my loaded cart in the entryway, lined up with about four others — all filled with Reading Terminal Market purchases. I did my shopping, came out, and retrieved my untouched cart. And repeated this about twice a week throughout the worst of the pandemic.
Is there any other major city where nobody will steal your loaded shopping cart at Trader Joe’s?
Have a great Monday. I’ll be back with more news tomorrow morning.
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