The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
The sun is out, the high will be near 79, and itâs finally Friday.
SEPTAâs comeback captain is a homegrown Philly guy. A year into his role as general manager, he might be the leader the city needs.
Phillyâs biggest hip-hop and R&B event is happening this weekend.
Plus, thereâs a new state-funded promise to alleviate traffic issues around the Philly stadium district, and more news of the day.
â Paola PĂ©rez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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As unusual as it may be for a former operator to run a transit agency, Scott Sauer seemed made for the moment. He was once a trolley operator in the â90s, then worked his way up the ladder, following his fatherâs footsteps into public transit.
Sauerâs latest title carries a big challenge: saving SEPTA, the nationâs sixth-largest of its kind.
In Sauerâs own words: âI came into the job with my hair on fire.â
The troubled system is relatively stable (for now), but the transit boss is self-admittedly still âalways a little bit on edge,â waiting for the next shoe to drop. He must now guide SEPTA in proving itself during the World Cup and the Semiquincentennial celebrations.
Sauerâs management approach involves being on the ground: mixing with employees, visiting transit depots, and speaking directly with commuters about their experiences. Navigating politics, though, has been rough.
Also in SEPTA news: The first complete redesign of the regionâs most extensive bus network was approved Thursday.
Thousands of concertgoers are expected at Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park as the Roots Picnic festival takes over Saturday and Sunday.
Ahead of the big event, here are some things to know:
đ§ Closures, parking, and security: Philly officials gave an update Thursday on public safety measures, road closures, and banned items.
đ€ The performers: Pop critic Dan DeLuca breaks down this yearâs star-studded lineup.
đ Beyond the music: We have your guide on what to eat, shop, and see.
What you should know today
Gov. Josh Shapiro promised to âfix traffic congestionâ around the South Philadelphia sports complex, with an almost $30 million infrastructure investment from the state.
Philadelphia struck a deal with a new healthcare provider for the cityâs jails, replacing a longtime contractor that went bankrupt earlier this month and left medical staff unpaid for weeks.
A woman was charged with murder and three others were arrested in connection with the death of a man whose body was found in a suitcase in Kensington last week. Prosecutors say the woman was the victimâs girlfriend.
Two Pennsylvania representatives were the first to get access to the largest ICE detention facility in the Northeast on Thursday. They heard âreal concernsâ from detainees but were unable to conduct the level of oversight they wanted.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim said getting pepper-sprayed outside of a Newark ICE detention facility reminded him of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Heâs not sure whatâs next.
The Trump administration has added three new judges to Philadelphiaâs immigration court.
A lawyer for students who accused the University of Pennsylvania of mishandling antisemitism complaints argued in appeals court that their case should be allowed to proceed. Penn lawyers, on the other hand, say the plaintiffs failed to prove âdeliberate indifferenceâ on the schoolâs part.
Liz Magill received $4.4 million from Penn the year after she resigned as the universityâs president, according to newly public tax filings.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. Weâll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the cityâs quirks.
This week, weâre resurfacing an explainer on how Philadelphiaâs Free Library got its name. A reader was confused by the library systemâs name, given that every town has a free public library.
The answer requires us to travel back to 1894, when the Free Library was first established. The city had no free public libraries up until then. Hereâs the full story.
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.
đ§ Trivia time
Phillyâs airport just lost Spirit Airlines, but another low-cost airline is moving in. Which one is it?
A) Avelo
B) Allegiant
C) Breeze
D) Frontier
Think you know? Test your local news know-how and check your answer in our weekly quiz.
What weâre âŠ
⥠Examining: The battle over King of Prussiaâs 4.6 million square feet of proposed data centers.
âïž Weighing: Should a Philly juror changing their mind during a verdict reading lead to a mistrial?
đ Reading: Former first lady Jill Bidenâs memoir, in which she reflects on former President Joe Bidenâs poor debate performance in 2024: âIs this a stroke?â
✠Recapping: How Union fans reacted online to Bradley Carnellâs firing.
đŒ Pulling from the archives: Sound of Philadelphia producer Billy Jacksonâs work is being brought back to life.
𧩠Unscramble the anagram
Hint: One of Pennsylvaniaâs most affluent counties
CONGRUENT MYOTOMY
Email us if you know the answer. Weâll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Christopher Jungers, who solved Thursdayâs anagram: Sansom Street, âPhillyâs Funniest Block.â Four comedy and improv venues will host a comedy block party featuring performances, theater games, scavenger hunts, and more to celebrate Americaâs 250th birthday.
P.S. Thanks to the eagle-eyed readers who let us know we missed the letter ânâ in that anagram. đ
Photo of the day
Thanks for reading. Have a great start to your weekend, and Iâll catch up with you again tomorrow.
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