A ‘cruel hoax’ at Villanova | Morning Newsletter
🍻 And reminiscing over McGlinchey’s.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It’s Friday, Philly, and at last, it’s sunny.
The president of Villanova University said Thursday evening that the report of an active shooter on campus was a “cruel hoax.”
Find details below, along with a retrospective of Center City’s last public smoking bar, a look at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s fight against a federal investigation into gender-affirming care, and more of the day’s news.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
P.S. Friday means trivia. Our latest news quiz includes questions on breadcrumb drama, yet another Rocky statue, and more.
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A false report of an active shooter on Villanova University’s campus caused chaos and panic Thursday evening.
The Rev. Peter M. Donohue, the Catholic university’s president, called it a “cruel hoax.” No one was injured, though police at one point misidentified a victim of a gunshot wound who had not been shot, according to scanner recordings.
The incident came during freshman orientation as students and staff were celebrating Mass.
“This is only my second day on campus,” one new student said. “Everything was great until this happened. This shouldn’t be happening anywhere.”
See more details of a nerve-wracking evening. Visit Inquirer.com for the latest.
What you should know today
A Philadelphia man has been in prison for 17 years for a crime he says he didn’t commit. Prosecutors now say his conviction should be overturned, as the $2,000 scheme to frame him for murder unravels.
CHOP was ordered to turn over detailed medical records of youth who sought gender-affirming care to President Donald Trump’s administration. Instead, the hospital implored a federal judge to intervene to protect its patients’ privacy rights.
Pennsylvania will not turn over its voter registration database to the Trump administration, denying a request in an apparent inquiry into state voter roll maintenance.
Delaware County may become the first of the collar counties to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Ahead of the 2026 midterms, Pennsylvania Democrats hope to attach commuter pain over SEPTA cuts to vulnerable Republicans from the suburbs.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker won’t say how Philly is responding to Trump’s demands on “sanctuary” policies.
A city audit found that lax work by Department of Licenses and Inspections’ inspectors is putting workers and residents at risk.
Food truck vendors rallied Thursday against an expanded business curfew in wide swaths of North Philadelphia and Kensington.
The Philly school board on Thursday heard about the academic impact of SEPTA cuts, and voted to begin closure procedures for two city charters.
Whether you know it as a University of the Arts hangout, a smokers’ haven, or a casual first-date spot, you know McGlinchey’s has been a Center City institution for decades. And it still is — for now.
🍻 Change is coming, as the dive bar’s longtime owner hopes to sell as soon as possible.
🍻 In the meantime, regulars and past employees visited this week to reminisce on the South 15th Street institution’s colorful history. It’s served as a launchpad for an untold number of careers, couplings, and even children — and its possible end is a loss for Philadelphia, they said.
🍻 “When I thought they were really closing-closing, I felt like someone had died,” one former bartender told The Inquirer, about rumors of the bar’s imminent demise. “It hit me harder than I thought it ever would.”
Food reporter Jenn Ladd sets the scene at the end of an era.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, we have an explainer from reporter Michelle Myers on why, and when, the City of Philadelphia merged with Philadelphia County to become one. As of the mid-1800s, Philly proper was relatively teeny — a two-square-mile radius bounded by the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers and what’s now South and Vine Streets. Those first in favor of combining city and county were driven by a desire to better compete with New York (sounds about right).
But the cause for unity was furthered after two deadly anti-Catholic riots in then-suburbs Kensington and Southwark. Here’s the full explanation.
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.
🧠 Trivia time
The South Philly sports complex is getting another new name. The former Xfinity Live! will be now be called what?
A) Stateside Live!
B) Aramark Live!
C) Chickie’s & Pete’s Live!
D) Wawa Live!
Think you know? Check your answer.
Plus: Is the Uber situation improving at the South Philly sports complex? Depends on whom you ask.
What we’re...
📊 Learning: What new Pew data say about the local immigrant population.
🍾 Borrowing: Le Dîner en Blanc’s timely 2025 theme for our next party.
📖 Reading: Black Genius: Essays on American Legacy by Philly author Tre Johnson.
🐢 Welcoming: Nine more baby Galapagos tortoises to the Philadelphia Zoo.
👊 Remembering: When lawmakers fist-fought in the Capitol and ignited a melee on this week in Philly history.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Coming to the Met next month on a book tour
SHARK MALARIA
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Chris Eaton, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Wonder. The food-hall chain is preparing to open its first Delaware County locations in Media, Ridley, and Newtown Square.
Photo of the day
🌊 One last wet thing: The Shore avoided the worst of Hurricane Erin, but the flood threats will persist into Saturday. On Thursday, flooding in Atlantic City led to multiple water rescues, the city’s emergency management coordinator said, and more than 10 people were evacuated from flood-threatened homes.
Thanks for ending your week with The Inquirer. Paola has you covered this weekend.
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