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, Philly. Today should be mostly sunny, with temperatures grazing the upper 80s.
We’re starting with how a criminal investigation into healthcare fraud has upended a $55 million donation to Temple University, during an already-tough financial spell for the school.
And we have a roundup of restaurants opening in our area for the rest of the year.
Plus, a former staffer announces she’s challenging Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, and more news of the day.
— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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The $55 million donation from alumnus Christopher M. Barnett — the largest in Temple University’s history — was supposed to flow to its College of Public Health.
But after allegations emerged last week that the healthcare executive’s company overbilled insurers to fund his lavish lifestyle, Temple’s administration and Barnett made the decision to part ways.
“We have to think about our values,” Temple president John Fry told The Inquirer. “Given the nature of the allegations, we felt that the best thing to do was to separate ourselves from this ... as painful as that is.”
That meant stripping Barnett’s name from the College of Public Health and terminating the donation, which Temple had not yet received.
Barnett has not been charged and denies the allegations.
The Inquirer’s Susan Snyder and Abraham Gutman detail the fallout.
Around five dozen restaurants are slated to open around our region this fall, according to food writer Michael Klein. Amid this boon are some trending menu items like caviar, Korean barbecue, and cocktails.
But it’s hard to generalize with offerings as varied and eclectic as those coming soon. Before I share Klein’s full list of openings, here are three descriptions that caught my eye:
🐍 Philly Curio (2240 Frankford Ave.): This restaurant-bar from the founder of the Tattoo Arts Convention will display his private collection of curiosities, such as tribal masks, skeletal displays, and taxidermy; its Cajun-Creole menu will feature unconventional proteins like rattlesnake.
🎨 Opus (201 Birch St., Kennett Square): This two-story space includes a 125-seat New American restaurant, a cocktail lounge, terraces, and work by local artists. Profits will support community projects and nonprofits.
🐟 Rumblefish (1700 N. Third St.): This fast-casual Caribbean fish-fry restaurant will focus on serving invasive species, breaded in corn flour and seasoned with Trinidadian spice blends, to take out or eat on the covered patio.
Read on for Klein’s full list.
What you should know today
Shania Bennett, the 26-year-old former director of youth engagement in Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration, has announced she will challenge Parker for the Democratic nomination for mayor next year.
ICE arrested at least 49 people during a raid at a construction site in central Pennsylvania last week, immigration advocates said.
U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick and Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, both Pennsylvania Republicans, will be speaking at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, an event dubbed “Trump-a-palooza.”
A retired Philadelphia elementary school principal failed to deposit cash received for book fairs, graduation fees, and holiday bazaars in the school’s bank account. The Philadelphia School District’s inspector general said the missing funds total more than $31,000.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office argued in a new court filing that District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office should be barred from overseeing a post-conviction case that has landed his office in hot water.
Hundreds protested the closure of the Academy of Natural Sciences on Tuesday, including a fifth grader who said the museum inspired her dreams of being a paleontologist.
The Eagles’ Brandon Graham announced he was retiring for the second time in as many years on Tuesday.
In one of the swingiest congressional districts in Pennsylvania, Bob Harvie, the Democratic challenger to incumbent Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, is campaigning on affordability while barely mentioning abortion.
That reflects a broader messaging shift by Democrats, The Inquirer’s Fallon Roth reports.
🧠 Trivia time
A private construction crew knocked down a legally mandated sign warning drivers of a speed camera on the 6500 block of North Broad Street. How many speeding tickets did the Philadelphia Parking Authority have to throw out as a result of that missing sign?
A) 80,000
B) 23,195
C) 5,920
D) 247,649
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re ...
🍁 Planning for. This summer’s hot and steamy weather may have a silver lining, reports The Inquirer’s Tony Wood. Those conditions could make for a spectacular leaf-peeping season.
🎭 Watching. With more than 330 shows, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival can be overwhelming. We asked some of the theater artists performing this year for their tips on picking the best shows to see.
🍵 Sipping. Food writer Kiki Aranita waited in line for 90 minutes to try a King Jasmine Guava tea at heytea, one of a slew of Chinese-owned drink chains opening in Philly.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: The new arena for the 76ers and Flyers will rise where this building once stood.
CRUMPETS
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Beth Briglia, who correctly guessed Sunday’s answer: Icona Resorts. The founder, Eustace Mita, says his hotels and mansions are built on faith. He’s behind the Wonderland Pier hotel proposal in Ocean City and planning Avalon’s largest house
Ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we revisit photographer Tom Gralish’s lovely photo essay on artifacts from that day that live on in our region.
Thank you for spending time with The Inquirer this morning. See you tomorrow 👋.
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