Pa. Dems warm to socialism | Morning Newsletter
And Philly schools scramble to fill seats.
The Morning Newsletter
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Good morning, Philly. Good news: It’s time to bask! The sun should return today and bring with it highs near 75.
Today, we start with a new poll showing that Pennsylvania Democrats have a largely positive view of socialism, even as voters more broadly do not.
Then, we cover a quiet campaign by the School District of Philadelphia to fix a surprise drop in enrollment.
Plus, there’s a movement to pressure City Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. not to run again, and more news of the day.
— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Let’s start with a number: 40%. That’s the rough proportion of Pennsylvania Democrats who consider themselves to be democratic socialists, according to a new Inquirer/New York Times/Siena University poll.
Why it matters: Philadelphia is likely to send its first democratic socialist, State Rep. Chris Rabb, to Congress this fall. Beyond the next Congress, the leftist wing of the Democratic Party is hoping for momentum heading into the 2028 races.
Caveat: The poll didn’t define “democratic socialism.” And progressives can be overrepresented in these types of surveys.
Big picture: The results represent a major fork. As Democrats shift leftward, 56% of Pennsylvania voters as a whole do not have a favorable view of socialism. Ahead of the midterms, “communist” and “socialist” are terms thrown out by Republicans seeking to paint Democrats as fringe radicals.
The Inquirer’s Sam Janesch has the full breakdown.
With the start of the new school year, the School District of Philadelphia had an unpleasant surprise. Thousands fewer students were showing up than it had anticipated.
That gap represented a critical problem, as federal and state funding for the district is tied to the number of students being educated.
To try to bring them back, district staff — up to and including chiefs and assistant superintendents — are fanning out across the city, pounding the pavement to try to connect with reluctant families face-to-face.
Inquirer education reporter Kristen Graham has this scoop and explains why students may have left.
What you should know today
People close to Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. have recently encouraged him to reconsider seeking a sixth term, following his decision to take controversial early retirement payments known as DROP.
Pennsylvania topped 900 measles cases this week.
Drexel University responded to an offer from the William Penn Foundation to pay for the Academy of Natural Sciences museum to remain open for at last another year with basically: Let’s talk.
Forty-one people in Philadelphia and surrounding areas were arrested in a federal operation on Monday targeting people wanted for violent felonies living in federally subsidized housing.
A Bucks County school district hid a child’s gender identity change from the student’s mother and father for nearly three school years, a conservative Christian legal group alleges.
Montgomery County officials are suing money apps MoneyLion and Dave, alleging they violate Pennsylvania consumer protection law.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker marked her 1,000th day in office by breaking ground on a $21.7 million improvement to the McPherson Square library, a symbol of the Kensington opioid crisis.
LeBron James is coming in with his eyes open about sports fans in Philadelphia.
🧠 Trivia time
Speaking of the 76ers, this company is replacing Crypto.com on the Sixers’ uniform advertising patch this season.
A) Acme Markets
B) Bank of America
C) Independence Blue Cross
D) Bloom Energy
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re …
🌾 Covering. Pennsylvania is home to tens of thousands of farms. Inquirer outdoors reporter Jason Nark found that Airbnb is now paying farmers to list their properties on the site hoping to tap into an agritourism boom.
🥊 Limbering up for. Today kicks off “Rocky Season,” a two-month run of events honoring the iconic Philly film’s 50th anniversary. Don your gray sweats.
🌧️ Asking. Was this past weekend’s nor’easter a practice run? Inquirer weather reporter Anthony R. Wood writes that the El Niño in the Pacific could lead to more nor’easters than normal.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: A video of flooding in this historic Cape May restaurant went viral over the weekend.
BLUE SOOTHERS
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Dan Tureck, who correctly guessed Monday’s anagram: Zenos Frudakis. The sculptor created bronze likenesses of Phillies greats displayed at Citizens Bank Park — and the controversial Frank Rizzo statue that was taken down and mothballed in 2020.
Photo of the day
No September collapse for the Phillies, but no guarantee of a Red October either. Godspeed and go Phils!
👋 Have a wonderful Tuesday.
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