The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning and happy Monday. Shower chances are back in the forecast, with highs in the mid-80s.
We begin with how a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision could give Democratic Party-backed candidates in Philly an edge.
And, we follow the story of one Venezuelan immigrant detained in Pennsylvania after a routine check-in with immigration authorities.
Plus, new speed cameras are coming online in West and North Philly, and more news of the day.
— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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This summer, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal limit on campaign spending by political parties, allowing them to spend freely on their chosen candidates while coordinating with their campaigns.
Philadelphia elections experts told The Inquirer they’re still figuring out how this decision could affect local races.
One possibility? In Philly, a majority of voters are registered Democrats, which means some hotly contested races are primaries pitting establishment Democrats against members of an insurgent, progressive wing of the party. With this new decision, the party-backed candidates could gain an edge.
Reporter Sean Collins Walsh has more on this scenario and other potential outcomes.
During a crackdown against Venezuela’s opposition party in 2019, Jhon Perez Romero said he received an order he could not follow.
Perez Romero worked for Venezuela’s national intelligence agency, and his decision to defy his superiors led him to be branded a traitor.
Fearing he could be killed or thrown in jail for life, he fled his home country, eventually applying for asylum in the United States. He settled in York, Pa., and married a U.S. citizen.
Today, he sits in an immigration detention center in Central Pennsylvania, after being arrested during a routine check-in with ICE.
What you should know today
Speed cameras along Route 13 in West and North Philly will begin monitoring drivers today, sending warning letters to those found speeding.
Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr. intends to move forward with a limited renovation of Cecil B. Moore Library in North Philly, despite community support and funding for a more comprehensive plan.
The new leader of the University of Pennsylvania’s faculty senate, neurologist Roy Hamilton, previously saw his official title changed to de-emphasize inclusion, diversity, and equity work.
Penn Medicine reported $337 million in operating profit in its most recent fiscal year, up from $247 million the year before.
The Sixers have hired a longtime friend and confidant of LeBron James to help ease his transition onto the team.
Fans packed roadsides across Philly yesterday for the first Philadelphia Cycling Classic in a decade, basking in the return of an event dubbed “the people’s race.”
Mike Grigalonis recently took the helm at the Chester County Economic Development Council. He sat down with the Inquirer’s Brooke Schultz to discuss the county’s economic landscape, from farmland, to QVC, to proposed data center projects.
🧠 Trivia time
Which rapper recently co-headlined a Pilates event with more than 800 attendees in Center City?
A) Meek Mill
B) Waka Flocka Flame
C) Cardi B
D) Lil Yachty
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🏋️♀️ Discovering. Forget beach bodies. Inquirer food writer Kiki Aranita found Philadelphia sushi chefs hit the gym — together — so they stay fit enough to hoist 280-pound tunas at work.
🚽 Covering. Reporter Jason Nark traveled to Dushore, Pa., to witness an unusual event commemorating the town’s founding: outhouse racing.
🚲 Considering. “The prospect of living without a car can seem a little like trying to swim without arms and legs,” writes Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron. Still, with the price of gas spiking, she shares tips for driving less.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: He plays Anthony Bourdain in the new biopic Tony.
CANOE DISMISS
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Meg Berlin who correctly guessed Sunday’s anagram: Nikil Saval. The state senator recently told The Inquirer about his “perfect day” in the city, which involves buying fresh tortillas, strolling down Fabric Row, and playing a game at the Philadelphia Museum of Art inspired by the Surrealists.
📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story
This week’s “only in Philly” story comes from reader Michael Leibrandt, who describes the feeling of shared anticipation the approaching NFL season brings. It has been edited for length.
That Unmistakable, August Eagles Feeling.
... Each August, when the North America light begins to change, slowly drifting us from summer into fall — like most Philadelphians — that feeling finds me again. It builds during the anticipation of the August heat, escalates through Training Camp and the NFL Pre-season, and reaches a peak right before opening day and stays at that passionate level through the chill of February.
Being obsessed with the Eagles in Philadelphia isn’t a cause for therapy — but rather — a tradition handed down for nearly a century directly like a scene from Silver Lining’s Playbook. The great generation saw Steve Van Buren run in the snow to the team’s first NFL Championship in 1948, our Dads saw Chuck Bednarik stop Green Bay’s Jim Taylor in 1960, and we got to see Super Bowl wins in 2018 and 2025 (and almost another in 2023) ... it all began in the heat of August.
When that feeling found us, once again.
Have an ‘only in Philly’ story to share? We’re looking for personal anecdotes about what makes you feel connected to the city. Email us a few sentences for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.
👋 Enjoy the last day of August!
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