🍔 Beefed-up burger costs | Morning Newsletter
And Bus Revolution is a go.
The Morning Newsletter
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At long last, it’s Memorial Day Weekend, and a mostly sunny one. After some brief showers this morning, we’ll see temps in the mid-80s through Sunday.
Before you fire up the grill for that holiday cookout, read today’s lead story on the rising cost of ground beef — and how restaurant owners and consumers are coping amid inflation, a cattle shortage, and the high cost of doing business.
And SEPTA’s bus service overhaul is finally approved after years of debate. Start your weekend off right with these stories and many more, below.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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You’re not imagining things: That burger did cost less a year ago.
🐄 The cost of ground beef has risen faster than other food since the pandemic. It’s up 7% since last April alone.
🍔 Philly-area restaurant owners are debating between raising prices or adjusting their menus, such as by introducing smaller versions of their burgers.
🐟 One thrifty family has even shifted the focus of their home-cooked meals from beef to the fish they catch themselves to save money. “A cheeseburger at this point is a luxury,” the Downingtown mom said.
Consumer reporter Erin McCarthy grinds out the details.
P.S. If all this burger talk put you in the mood for meat, dollars be darned, check out The Inquirer’s guide to the 20 best burgers in Philly to eat right now.
Your commute may change in summer 2025, when the Bus Revolution is finally implemented.
Catch up quick: The efficiency-minded bus route overhaul has been in the works for three years, including a public engagement period. SEPTA paused the project in February after some City Councilmembers voiced concerns that their constituents hadn’t had enough time to weigh in.
The latest: SEPTA’s board on Thursday approved the plan, which aims to simplify some routes and increase reliability while maintaining equity for riders across the city.
What’s new: Transportation and biz reporters Tom Fitzgerald and Ariana Perez-Castells have the details on which routes will be combined, extended, or otherwise realigned.
What you should know today
President Joe Biden will be back campaigning in Philadelphia on Wednesday. The visit will be his fifth to the area and seventh to Pennsylvania this year.
U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans said on Thursday that he is undergoing inpatient treatment following a minor stroke.
Lawmakers may subpoena Mayor Cherelle L. Parker to testify about how the city is developing a facility in North Philadelphia to house people in addiction. City Council also passed legislation to hold hearings on the city’s hybrid work capabilities.
Nine people are running to replace U.S. Rep. Andy Kim in the New Jersey primary. Two went from running mates to opponents.
The 61-year-old gunman who shot five of his coworkers — killing two brothers and wounding three other people — at a Chester industrial laundry and linen company Wednesday morning has been charged with two counts of first-degree homicide and several other counts.
The pro-Palestinian protest encampment at Drexel University was cleared early Thursday morning. The small encampment erected at Clark Park in West Philadelphia was also gone Thursday.
Per a new report, Pennsylvania prisons’ food has often failed to meet inmates’ basic nutritional needs.
Landlords are now required to participate in the city’s pandemic-launched Eviction Diversion Program. The program could soon become permanent.
After financial stumbles, Philadelphia Ballet finally broke ground on its new, $37.5 million North Broad Street headquarters — for real this time.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, reporter Michelle Myers answers a question sent in by Montco baseball lovers Sara Corsey, a Phillies fan, and Alen Beljin, a Yankees fan: Why are the seats at Citizens Bank Park sapphire blue? Why not red, the team’s primary color?
It turns out the answer is a single in terms of complexity. Here’s the full explanation.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🧠 Trivia time
Philly collects 2,000 tons of downed trees a year. What is the city now selling them as?
A) Lumber
B) Handmade tables
C) Mulch
D) Paper
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we're...
🐦 Cheering: The Penn researchers who developed an avian flu vaccine.
🚙 Driving: On every open lane of I-95, now that post-collapse rebuilding is complete.
🥕 Sharing: Where to find free meals and food this summer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
The name of Mechanicsburg-born comedian Shane Gillis’ Netflix show, which premiered yesterday and is set in the Philly ‘burbs.
Hint: 🚗
RITES
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Steve Dziedziak, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Mahoning. The drive-in theater serves up cult classics in Carbon County.
Photo of the day
⚾ I was at Tuesday night’s game and, whew, sure is a fun time to be a Phils fan.
Have an excellent Memorial Day Weekend! Paola will be in your inbox on Sunday, then you’ll hear from me again starting Wednesday. See you then.
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