Curbing mural vandalism | Morning Newsletter
🚍 And Bus Revolution, postponed
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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 finally Friday. There’ll be a mix of sun and clouds, and temps will barely hit 60 degrees.
A flood advisory is in effect for Philly and the Shore — but there’s no rain in sight. Tony Wood explains why we can blame the supermoon.
The “Godfather of graffiti” and legendary street artist Darryl McCray wants to stop the vandalism of Philadelphia’s murals. Our top story highlights his efforts to halt the desecration.
Plus, SEPTA’s highly anticipated Bus Revolution has been postponed, marking another casualty of the transportation authority’s financial straits.
Let’s get into the news to start your weekend.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
P.S. Friday means new games! Test your Eagles players know-how with a new Bird Box, then take our latest news quiz, including questions on new eats around the city, the Sixers’ new uniform, and much more.
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Darryl “Cornbread” McCray is a big part of the reason Philadelphia is called the “Mural Capital of the World.”
As a teen, McCray built his reputation as the “king of the walls.” His art inspired a wave of artists in the city and beyond in the 1960s and ‘70s, and made its mark on the hip-hop revolution. McCray is also celebrated for his contributions to the world of street art.
Now, the Brewerytown native is begging people to stop the random defacing of murals that define his beloved hometown.
In McCray’s own words: “It’s the vandals that ruin the art. We have renegades who just don’t care. They’re even putting their names on the defaced murals.”
Back in 2013, McCray started a Graffiti Summit for people to come together and tackle this problem. He has worked with people like Mural Arts executive director Jane Golden, who says Mural Arts has spent thousands of dollars to clean up the mess.
Read on for Earl Hopkins’ story on McCray’s quest to protect the city’s works and end the destruction of its art.
The long-planned reorganization of SEPTA bus routes is on hold.
The indefinite “suspension” comes as SEPTA plans to increase fares and cut services next year.
🚏 What SEPTA is saying: “If we have to do the service cuts, we can’t do Bus Revolution because we’d be cutting so much of the existing network,” SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said. “We’d be moving in the opposite direction” of the program’s intent, he said.
🚏 The Bus Revolution, explained: An overhaul of SEPTA’s bus network for the first time in six decades. It’s designed to streamline service and make trips more frequent and reliable.
🚏 Off the rails: Between an operating budget deficit, soaring costs, and the failure of Harrisburg to deliver more funds for public transportation, explore our timeline of SEPTA’s funding woes.
🚏 In other news: Talks continue between SEPTA and the Transport Workers Union, with no contract and no strike.
Transportation reporter Tom Fitzgerald has the latest.
What you should know today
Members of Philadelphia’s largest union for city workers have authorized a strike that could delay trash pickup and emergency services in Philly. A date has not been set to walk off the job.
Police have identified three officers who they say were involved in the fatal shooting of a 47-year-old man Sunday night in West Philadelphia, though authorities still are uncertain who fired the shot or shots that killed Jonathan Corbin.
Police also announced Thursday the arrest of a 16-year-old boy in a Fairmount Park shooting in June that killed a 17-year-old girl and wounded four other teens.
A third teenager has been charged in the high-profile killing of a West Philly-based rapper and gang leader this summer.
City Council President Kenyatta Johnson introduced a bill to raise wages and boost health benefits for stadium workers, as the debate around the Sixers’ proposed arena brings fresh attention to the industry. Councilmember Mark Squilla also unveiled a zoning bill that would require affordable housing to be included in Chinatown apartment construction.
Ameen Hurst was sentenced to 55 to 110 years in prison for shooting and killing four people, robbing two convenience stores at gunpoint, and then escaping from prison while awaiting trial.
Penn Museum says it is in possession of more human remains from the MOVE bombing — three years after it was first revealed that university researchers had kept remains from the 1985 tragedy.
A 14-year-old is accused of intentionally setting the fire that later consumed 52 acres in South Jersey, police said.
Pennsylvania has rescinded its cultural competency standards for teachers, after a conservative legal group filed a lawsuit last year that claimed they were issued illegally and violated teachers’ First Amendment rights.
Dave McCormick once fought to have undated mail ballots counted. Now, in the tight race for Senate with Bob Casey, McCormick is suing to block them. Meanwhile, Elon Musk is falsely claiming that Pennsylvania Democrats are trying to count the votes of noncitizens to change the outcome of the Senate race.
The rumors are true. Six Flags Great Adventure will retire Kingda Ka, the world’s tallest roller coaster. Here’s what it will be replaced with.
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 an explainer from reporter TyLisa C. Johnson on the history of the city’s library system and why it’s called the “Free Library.”
Prior to 1894, Philadelphia had no free public libraries. Private libraries were only accessible to residents who could afford them. 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
Who is set to replace Hoda Kotb as cohost of NBC’s Today show?
A) Al Roker
B) Tamron Hall
C) Craig Melvin
D) Savannah Guthrie
Think you know? Check your answer.
What (and who) we’re...
🤔 Considering: America’s proclivity for a certain type of masculinity.
🐷 Anticipating: Pig & Khao, the pork-heavy Thai-Filipino restaurant coming to Kensington.
🚗 Wondering: Where parking fits in Swedesboro’s big downtown redevelopment project.
🐘 Meeting: Pennsylvania’s two new GOP members of Congress, who flipped two seats held by Democrats.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Philly’s popular open-air, German-style holiday market
AIMS CHILL GRAVEST
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Janine Breier who solved Thursday’s anagram: Jill Biden. The first lady (and Philly-area native) visited the city Wednesday to talk about 250th anniversary plans.
Photo of the day
👋🏽 Have a great weekend when you get there.
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