😱 ‘The Sixth Sense’ at 25 | Morning Newsletter

Good morning, Philly.

Expect showers and high temps near 77 as Tropical Storm Debby continues along the Eastern United States. How will Debby impact this region in the coming days? Check out our interactive map with up-to-the-minute predictions of the storm’s path and rainfall forecasts.

It’s been a quarter century since the debut of The Sixth Sense, the supernatural thriller that shocked the world and put director M. Night Shyamalan on the map. The twist? That a film centered on the line “I see dead people” would become a beloved Philly classic.

And Gov. Josh Shapiro’s moment in the national spotlight is (almost) over, but his political career is far from it. We have the story on why Pennsylvania’s leader is emerging from the veepstakes politically stronger.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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In August 1999, a 29-year-old director from Wynnewood released a movie about seeing ghosts. Twenty-five years later, The Sixth Sense is known as one of the greatest Philadelphia films of all time.

😱 The tender, spooky film made the city look really, really good, featuring spots such as Saint Albans Street, Peirce College, and St. Augustine Church.

😱 “Philadelphia is home,” Shyamalan told The Inquirer that year. “If you’re making movies about people you know and love, you want them set in a place you know and love.”

😱 No one involved in the film, including Shyamalan, expected The Sixth Sense to be a blockbuster. But of course, its iconic twist made it a hit — and remains the director’s best film to date.

Arts reporter Rosa Cartagena explains how the supernatural thriller became an unexpected Philly classic.

Vice President Kamala Harris may have picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate over Shapiro, but don’t call it a defeat for Pennsylvania’s governor.

“It’s undeniable that he emerges from the selection process much stronger than where he started,” a local Democratic strategist told The Inquirer. “He now has a national brand as an unusually popular governor and moderate Democrat of the biggest swing state in the country. That’s a good brand.”

So, what’s next for the ambitious politician? Running for president in 2028 or 2032 would be an obvious step. In the meantime, he can seek reelection in the Keystone State.

And he’s not out of the 2024 news cycle yet, with a speaking slot set at the Democratic National Convention later this month.

Here’s the story on why Shapiro is still winning.

P.S. In other politics news, Debby has upended several presidential campaign visits this week, and yes, Shapiro did go to a Bruce Springsteen show with Walz and other politically famous pals.

Harriett’s Bookshop owner Jeannine A. Cook just completed which long-awaited milestone?

A) Purchased her Fishtown building

B) Sold the business to Barnes & Noble

C) Received a national author prize

D) Moved to Paris

Think you know? Check your answer.

🐎 Imagining: What the Olympics could look like with a Philly twist.

🍏 Celebrating: Brat summer, courtesy of these Philly spots’ lime green cocktails and dance parties.

🤽‍♀️ Watching: Delco water polo star Jovana Sekulic play with the U.S. women’s team against Australia at 1:35 p.m. EST, plus a handful of other Philly-area Olympians.

The largest college in its Pennsylvania-bordering state

UNWISE ALFREDO VARIETY

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Roseann Stanley, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: Bob Charger. The beloved radio DJ known for spinning oldies on 98.1 WOGL died Friday at the age of 71.

Enjoy the rest of your Thursday. See you back here same time, same place tomorrow.

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