The fake license plate problem | Morning Newsletter
And a World Cup eating tour
The Morning Newsletter
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Congrats, you made it to Friday. It’ll be mostly sunny with a high of 45. Stay warm out there.
September’s Roxborough High School shooting and another shooting from earlier this month in Kensington have something in common. The cars used in those crimes had temporary Delaware license plates.
Our lead story focuses on how a surge of fraudulent paper license plates is becoming a pattern in crimes across city.
We have a lot to cover so let’s dive in.
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— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Using a fake license plate during criminal acts isn’t anything new.
But the recent flood of fraudulent temporary tags into Philadelphia from states with looser issuance rules — like Texas and Delaware — is novel. The fake tags are showing up increasingly in police investigations into shootings, carjackings, hit and runs, and car thefts.
Important note: The Philadelphia Police Department acknowledged that it lacks automatic plate readers and other technology to trace cars with fake tags. Police also don’t log incidents of forged plates or track plates in multiple crimes.
This problem isn’t unique to Philly. It’s a nationwide issue.
Texas overhauled its car tag regulations and penalties following reports of a “tagdemic” that may have put 1.2 million fake plates into circulation.
New York City began sweeping neighborhoods for fake out-of-state tags earlier this year.
Yonkers, N.Y., police pulled 42 “ghost cars” off the streets last month.
Be aware: Although this is a trend, the vast majority of people with fraudulent plates use them to save money on title transfers and avoid tolls.
Keep reading to find out why fake Delaware plates, in particular, keep popping up in Philadelphia.
What you should know today
Ex-Philadelphia police officer Eric Ruch was sentenced to 11.5 to 23 months in prison for the 2017 fatal shooting of Dennis Plowden Jr., who was Black. Prosecutors are calling the conviction the first for an on-duty killing in recent city history.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a bill for protected bike lanes because it included an amendment that would have removed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s jurisdiction over crimes on transit.
Pennsylvania Democrats appears to have won the state House for the first time in 12 years.
The morning after The Inquirer published a story about the Queer Cinema for Palestine Film Festival, PayPal began blocking ticket purchases.
Philly’s arts and cultural groups could get millions more in city funds by the end of the year.
Local coronavirus numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
Although Philadelphia won’t host the World Cup for another four years, there’s already plenty of excitement for this year’s tournament in Qatar. This is especially true for the many international communities whose countries of origin are vying for the Cup.
Our resident food critic extraordinaire Craig LaBan took note and presented his own World Cup eating tour of Philadelphia.
In Craig LaBan’s own words: “And as I nibbled across our diverse dining pitch from schnitzel to soondubu and from tacos to Thieboudienne, I scored goals in bunches with empanadas, sukiyaki, and hot socca cakes, with sweet bolos de rolos for the win.”
A snapshot of the tour:
Brazil: Kouklet Brazilian Bakehouse will offer special build-your-own boxes to go for the World Cup, including coxinha, the crispy chicken croquettes and Brazilian Guaraná soda. Mardhory Cepeda’s baking skills shine if you’re in the mood for something sweet (bolos de rolos) or savory (cheesy pão de queijo balls and flaky empada pastries stuffed with hearts of palm).
Mexico: La Llorona Cantina is going all out with a Saturday brunch for the Mexico-Argentina match on Nov. 26, with a special $15 tacos dorado platter from chef Marco Ronzon (ex-Talula’s Garden). There’s also a Mexican Citywide special, simple huevos de la casa and pumpkin churros, that you shouldn’t miss.
Germany: Brauhaus Schmitz is one of the last spots for traditional German food to satisfy your craving for schnitzel, spaetzel, and brats. It will have special morning hours and German breakfasts for early games, and an all-out party shutting down South Street for the Black Friday match between USA and England.
Keep reading for more of the global eating tour in the city.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
Which state has too many potbelly pigs?
A) New Jersey
B) Delaware
C) Pennsylvania
D) Maryland
Find out if you know the answer.
What we’re...
⚾ Reliving: The pure spectacle and joy that was the Phillies’ World Series run.
🛋️ Learning: What a ketamine therapy session is like, as a Philly-based therapist explains her process.
👀 Waiting: For a possible (and likely) mayoral run announcement from another Philadelphia City Council member.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
Hint: Franolli
AGNES’ FRILL
Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shout-out to a reader at random who answers correctly. Today’s shout-out goes to Terry Maxwell, who correctly guessed Union Transfer as Thursday’s answer.
Photo of the Day
And that should wrap up your week. I’m off to brew my first cup of coffee for the day ☕. Ashley Hoffman has you covered Sunday.