Trump’s falsehoods about Philly | Morning Newsletter
And the foster-to-adopt process.
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The Morning Newsletter
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Happy Friday, Philly. It’s officially summer — complete with the city’s first heat emergency of the season. And not only is it hot out, it’s abnormally dry. To stay safe, check out the city’s cooling centers, stay hydrated, and be aware: During a heat wave, high indoor temperatures can be dangerous, too.
Ahead of Donald Trump’s first Philadelphia campaign rally on Temple University’s campus this Saturday, we tracked some of the biggest lies the former president has said about Philly — and it’s not just that “bad things happen” here.
And after bonding over football, an Imhotep Charter grad and his adoptive father are spreading the word about the foster-to-adopt process. Here’s what you need to know today.
⚾ P.S. From cheering the red-hot Phillies to eyeing the Sixers’ offseason negotiations, Philadelphia bleeds red, green, orange, and blue. Want to go deeper on the biggest sports stories of the day? Sign up for The Inquirer’s free Sports Daily newsletter, delivered right to your inbox every weekday morning. Starting Tuesday, you’ll also receive email alerts to columns by Mike Sielski, David Murphy, and Marcus Hayes — analysis by, and for, the most passionate Philly sports fans.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Former president Donald Trump hosted campaign rallies in Wildwood in May and the Lehigh Valley in April. Now, for his first-ever Philadelphia rally, the Republican presidential candidate will be at Temple University’s Liacouras Center this Saturday evening.
It’s a surprising choice.
Why is Trump coming to North Philly? Both Trump and president Joe Biden are trying to woo Pennsylvanians, including younger and non-white voters who, polling suggests, are moving away from the Democratic candidate.
How has Trump performed in North Philly in the past two elections? Not well. In the voting precincts around Temple, only 11% showed up for Trump in 2016, along with 5% in 2020.
Will there be protests? Oh, yes — both from the official Democratic party and more grassroots groups.
What will Trump say? Trump has a habit of spreading misinformation about our fair state and city. For instance: the claim that Mitt Romney got “almost zero votes” in Philly in the 2012 election (he got nearly 100,000) and that Pennsylvania’s name will change if he loses in November (it won’t).
What you should know today
A multimillion-dollar project to revitalize Kensington, funded by money from a nationwide settlement of lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, has been rejected by a state committee that oversees how these settlement funds are spent.
Police recovered the vehicle they say was used in a Wednesday shooting in North Philly that injured seven people, who ranged in age from 16 to 46.
The local social-media star known as “Meatball” who gained internet fame for being arrested mid-livestream last fall while filming a night of looting took a plea deal Thursday that will keep her out of jail.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker signed legislation outlawing two types of rapid-fire gun devices just days after the Supreme Court overturned a federal ban. Plus, here’s how the mayor is advancing her pledge to make Philly “greener.”
After its sudden shutdown, University of the Arts does not appear to have enough money to pay its employees the legally required minimum it owes them.
Delaware County considered placing a mental health facility near a planned park. The council faced severe backlash.
An analysis found that a proposed $5.1 billion boost for Pennsylvania schools over the next seven years would result in 18,000 new K-12 jobs and more grads going to college.
Pennsylvania schools will now be required to hold a moment of silence on the anniversary of 9/11, and to develop a curriculum about the terror attacks.
The Battleship New Jersey has returned home to the Camden waterfront, after undergoing a $10 million facelift in South Philadelphia.
Cole Hamels will be honored Friday night with a retirement ceremony at Citizens Bank Park nine years after he made his final start for the Phillies. Meanwhile, Phillies game hot dogs come in new plastic packages, and some fans are upset.
Football star Zymir Cobbs met Jackson Duncan, founder of a nonprofit that helps Philadelphia high school athletes, when he was a 15-year-old in foster care. Now 23, Zymir’s last name is Cobbs-Duncan after his former coach adopted him four years ago.
The pair are advocates who speak about the foster-to-adopt process at events across Pennsylvania. They’re also frank about the challenges involved — and the huge mutual benefits, too.
“I’ve worked hard to get here,” said Cobbs-Duncan, currently a college football player with a daughter of his own. “I’ve also had a genuine person back me up and wanted the best out of me.”
Sports reporter Isabella DiAmore has the story.
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’re resurfacing a timely explainer from reporter Michelle Myers on why you should thank a Burlington County town about 20 miles east of Old City when you’re rechecking this weekend’s forecast.
See, Mount Holly is home to one of 122 local National Weather Service offices around the United States. The site is closer to the radar based at the Fort Dix military base than Philadelphia, which means better predictions for weather events. But it wasn’t always there. 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
When the iconic founder, president, and executive director Sister Mary Scullion retires this year, who will take over Project HOME?
A) Jon Bon Jovi, the rockstar who has given millions to the nonprofit
B) Donna Bullock, the Democratic state legislator
C) Joan Dawson McConnon, the org’s associate executive director
D) Darrell Clarke, the former Philadelphia City Council president
Think you know? Check your answer.
What (and who) we’re...
👣 In awe of: The Philadelphia “walking artist” now in Texas for a 51-mile walk in the state where Juneteenth began.
🚲 Biking: Philly’s streets to see the city from a new perspective.
🚣 Exploring: Jersey’s Pine Barrens with this helpful guide.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
The Montco home to the third-largest shopping mall in the U.S.
A FRISKING SOUP
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Lynne Wlodarczyk, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: ChristianaCare. Attending physicians at Delaware’s largest health system are deciding whether to form a union — and if approved, it would be the first of its kind locally.
Photo of the day
🍦 One last sweet thing: The American Dairy Association North East picked two content-creator friends to be Pennsylvania’s inaugural chief ice cream officers. Talk about a dream job.
Stay cool this weekend, OK? I’ll see you back in your inbox on Monday.
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