TikTok vigilantes | Morning Newsletter
And Philly’s next nightlife star
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
We’re in for another sunny day with a high of 48.
Back in February, a video of a woman’s racist rant inside a Montgomery County pizza shop went viral on Reddit and TikTok.
The internet immediately began a dogged pursuit of the woman who spewed xenophobic vitriol at the owner. It didn’t take long before several Twitter and TikTok users doxxed three innocent women who had nothing in common with the woman in the video other than being blond accountants.
Our lead story follows what can happen when a pursuit of justice goes rogue.
If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
It was Rita Bellew, 55, who called pizza shop owner Omar Quiñonez an un-American “ignoramus” for playing Spanish-language television in his shop.
A video of her racist rant went viral and the internet immediately jumped on the case to find her identity.
But before the Hatboro police identified her and TikTok found her Facebook page, several TikTok accounts doxxed Candice Bogar, Sally Poppert, and Tracey Gaida.
All three of the innocent women received threatening phone calls and emails that left them fearing for their jobs and safety. The Hatboro Police had to issue two warnings asking people to stop harassing the women.
Keep reading to learn more about the pitfalls of digital vigilantism when speed and ease is rewarded over accuracy.
Shapiro’s $44.4 billion budget is a rare sign of unity in Harrisburg
Gov. Josh Shapiro openly said his goal for his first state budget was bipartisan appeal.
And when he unveiled it Tuesday, it seems like he got what he wanted.
Democrats — and even some wary Republicans — praised the Democratic governor’s $44.4 billion proposal.
Republicans liked the idea of no tax hikes and conservative estimates of revenue and spending power.
Democrats hailed Shapiro’s call to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15-per-hour, up from $7.25.
The strategy: The newly Democratic-controlled House allows Shapiro to make a more modest spending proposal that Democrats hope to increase in the final budget.
Keep reading to learn about the work ahead before a budget can be passed by the divided legislature and signed by Shapiro.
What you should know today
Temple faculty union will vote next week on whether to hold a vote of no-confidence in university leaders.
A sexual harassment allegation is straining Pa. House Democrats’ narrow majority. 🔑
The Philadelphia School District knew of damaged asbestos at the Building 21 school two years ago and did nothing about it.
Abbott Elementary may have taken a shot at Pennsylvania’s richest man for his charter school support.
Ten plaques were stolen from the statues outside of Citizens Bank Park.
Upstairs at Franky Bradley’s, a live competition for Philly’s next nightlife star has returned.
Inspired by RuPaul’s Drag Race and Project Runway, each nine-week season features a cast of drag, burlesque, and nightlife performers competing in front of six judges and an often sold-out crowd.
One contender is eliminated each week and the rest return to battle. Previous contestants were invited back this season for an All-Stars show.
Important note: This season also premieres at a moment when conservative groups are targeting drag performers across the country. A day after opening night, Tennessee passed a law classifying “male or female impersonators” as adult entertainers in the same category as topless dancers and strippers. It bans “adult cabaret” that the state defines as sexually explicit from public property and anywhere minors might see it. Similar bills are on tap in at least 13 other states.
Keep reading to learn more about the individual cast members as they fight for the title of the “Miss Snatcherella 3000 All Star.”
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
Which entertainer from Philadelphia has a street named after them?
A) Will Smith
B) Patti LaBelle
C) Kevin Bacon
D) Questlove
Find out if you know the answer.
What we’re...
💭Wondering: What the future holds for Philly’s Sigma Sound building.
👀Watching: State Sen. Doug Mastriano — the man with a hard-right campaign who lost the Pennsylvania governor’s race by double digits — is considering a run for U.S Senate in 2024.
🚧 Hoping: A plus side to Philly’s mild winter could mean PennDOT has more money to fix the city’s potholes.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
Hint: An award-winning Philadelphia poet
SANCHO ZANIES
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Cheers to Starr Osborne, who correctly guessed Tuesday’s answer: Slinky. Email us if you know the answer.
Photo of the day
And that should be enough to get your day started. I’ll be back with more news in your inbox tomorrow. 📧