đź’° Can Harrisburg save SEPTA? | Morning Newsletter
And a potluck cooks up ancient dishes
The Morning Newsletter
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Welcome to Wednesday. It’s mostly cloudy and the high will be 52.
State lawmakers will spend the next several months dealmaking to help SEPTA avoid a fiscal crisis that could impact riders across the region. Our top story explores the politics at play.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Who is to blame for SEPTA’s funding crisis? Why couldn’t lawmakers come together sooner to reach a solution? It depends on who you ask.
The ongoing disagreement among legislative leaders in the GOP-controlled Senate and narrow Democratic majority in the state House on this issue also means they have yet to agree on how to move forward.
Earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed increasing the share of how much public transit receives under the state’s sales tax — but not increasing the tax itself — to give transit agencies some stability. However, GOP leaders bucked that plan, stating they would not support public transit funding without pairing it with infrastructure funding.
And last week, Shapiro announced he would flex $153 million in federal funds for SEPTA. This temporarily stalled major rate increases for nearly 800,000 residents who use public transportation everyday in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties.
Gillian McGoldrick takes us inside the fight in Harrisburg to secure a reliable stream of state funds for the nation’s sixth-largest public transit system. For further reading, dive into The Inquirer’s timeline of the transit agency’s funding woes.
What you should know today
A woman was found dead and covered in dog bites in a home in West Philadelphia on Monday afternoon, police said. No criminal charges have been filed as police continue to investigate.
The 76ers will pay for SEPTA passes for season-ticket holders to get to their proposed Center City arena for one year, developers announced on Tuesday. But a key lawmaker wants the team to go further.
A man wielding a knife who threatened passengers on the Norristown High Speed Line late Monday has been charged with terroristic threats and related crimes, police said.
A Philly man was killed in an August crash while riding in an Uber. Now his mother is alleging the ride-share giant is responsible for her son’s death.
Tenants at the catastrophically neglected West Philly apartment building Brith Sholom House will have to move out as PHA repairs the structure, which will require more extensive work than previously thought.
The family of Curtis Smith Jr., who was shot and killed by Philadelphia police officers last year, has sued the city, saying the officers “unreasonably fired” their guns at him during a foot pursuit and physical struggle.
A former school business administrator is suing 21st Century Cyber Charter School, alleging that it was improperly billing school districts, including for students who weren’t logging on to the charter’s lessons.
Police have arrested a man in connection with a string of gunpoint robberies at three Northeast Philadelphia smoke shops over the weekend, including one in which a person was shot.
Doctors from Philadelphia’s major health systems compared notes for the first time on the medical consequences of tranq — the street term for xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that has exploded across the city’s illicit opioid supply.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, seen as a front-runner for the Democratic nomination in 2028, is polling behind some fellow Democrats and presidential hopefuls in Emerson College’s first post-election poll released Tuesday.
Since Gillian’s Wonderland Pier shut down in October, there has been a steady stream of outraged voices among Ocean City loyalists. Here’s how a developer faced detractors at a packed public meeting in Ocean City this week.
Some offices host cookie swaps or catered lunches during the holidays. Atwater Kent does things a little differently.
This year, staffers at the repository of roughly 130,000 objects related to Philadelphia history held a Thanksgiving potluck in which every dish came from their archival collection.
We’re talking long-forgotten Philly delicacies like “chicken jelly,” Grape-Nuts muffins, and a no-bake fudge-like chocolate candy cookie.
There were thousands options to choose from. Read more in Zoe Greenberg’s dispatch from the ancient banquet.
🧠Trivia time
When traffic suddenly stops on a busy stretch of road in one South Jersey township, honking motorists may find this unusual culprit and beloved fixture in the community.
A) Gritty
B) a wild turkey
C) a wild horse
D) a man in a clown suit
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🛍️ Learning: How local businesses are making the most of Small Business Saturday.
🍷 Noticing: State-run liquor stores will be closed on Thanksgiving, but there are other options.
✅ Remembering: Everything else that’s open (or closed) in Philly on Thanksgiving.
❤️ Asking: Members of The Inquirer Opinion team to reflect on what they’re thankful for this year.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Montco-raised singer, best known for indie tunes like “ceilings” and “doomsday”
AMY LINC PIZZLE
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Angelino’s Restaurant Team (yes, the whole team!) who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Kylie Kelce. She’s the latest member of the Kelce clan to jump into the podcast ring, launching her own show, Not Gonna Lie! with Kylie Kelce.
Photo of the day
What you’re saying about ...
I recently asked if you had a favorite holiday-themed commercial or ad. Here’s a sample of your responses, edited for clarity and
Dave Sesso: Wintry scene of Budweiser horses pulling a sled or truck in the snow.
Michael McCrossen: As much as I love the PA Lottery commercial, nothing thaws my frozen heart as much as the Folgers commercial.
Phyllis Salzman: My favorite Christmastime commercial is the Hershey Kisses’ Bell Choir rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The little Kiss on the right has the task of playing the prolonged last note. He jumps up, rings his little heart out, and collapses back into formation. Then, he wipes the sweat off his head (?) with his Hershey flag and issues an audible, “Whew!” I must have seen this commercial hundreds of times and it cracks me up every time.
Apparently that is The Hershey Company’s longest-running commercial! It first debuted in 1989. And that Folgers ad is certainly memorable... perhaps for the wrong reasons.
👋🏽 This newsletter will take a break for a couple of days. We’ll be back in your inbox on Sunday. You can always visit inquirer.com or download The Inquirer’s app on your Apple iOS or Google Android mobile device to stay up-to-date with the latest news. Take care!
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