Was the lanternfly stomping worth it? | Morning Newsletter

It’s Friday, Philly. Today is forecast to be mostly sunny, with a high near 85.

It’s also been a decade since the lanternfly landed in Pennsylvania. Is the spotted, jumping pest as destructive as we feared? Our top story examines the impact of “a complex bug that still has lots of secrets,” as one expert put it.

And Gov. Josh Shapiro is in the national spotlight as a possible VP candidate for the Democratic ticket. He faces criticism from progressives who disagree with his stances on Israel and on public education funding.

Here’s what you need to know to end your week.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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It’s been 10 years since spotted lanternflies first appeared in Berks County and we got the collective OK to squash them on sight. We’ve learned a lot about the scarily beautiful crop-killing insects since then:

🥾 They do have some natural predators, though they once seemed to be immune to everything but the boot.

🌳 And they are harmful to native plants like trees, and especially to vineyards.

🍇 But they’ve brought less wrath than predicted. “Far and away, lanternflies are not the fire and brimstone, doom and gloom situation that they were originally feared to be,” one expert said. “Except for grapes — it’s been worse than expected for grapes.”

Reporter Henry Savage explains how the local lanternfly population has impacted the region over the past decade — and whether all that stomping made a difference.

Plus, homeowners: Here’s how to identify, prevent, and treat spotted lanternfly damage to your property.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has emerged in the past five days as a favorite to be named by Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris as her vice presidential running mate. Yet some progressives think he would weaken a Harris ticket, given his stances on two hot issues: public education funding and the war in Gaza.

On education: The governor supports private school vouchers, an issue traditionally adopted by conservatives. In turn, a collective of public education advocacy groups say he’s not aligned with their interests.

On Gaza: Shapiro has voiced an explicitly pro-Israel stance since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. That could sway swing voters who agree at the same time that it could turn off pro-Palestinian voters critical of the United States’ involvement in the war.

What legislators in the state say: Philly’s Democratic Party has already endorsed him, an unusual move. Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis says he’s ready to step up if his boss resigns to run for the higher office.

Next up: As the country awaits Harris’ announcement of her pick, Shapiro will be in Montco with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday to campaign for her.

P.S. Farther right on the political spectrum, a PAC called Haley Voters for Harris that mobilizes former Nikki Haley voters to cast their ballots for the presumptive Democratic candidate received a cease-and-desist from Haley. They say they’ll do neither.

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 Michelle Myers on an essential service’s occasionally poor timing. A reader who’s tired of getting stuck behind slow-moving trucks asked why the Department of Streets is still collecting trash during rush hour.

The short answer: They’d rather not be working then, either. But sometimes morning delays and unforeseen circumstances necessitate it. (You want the trash gone no matter what, right?) Here’s the full explanation, stuffed with lots of Philly trash facts.

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.

SEPTA just announced a new contract aimed at reducing service disruptions on the Market-Frankford Line. What is the funding for?

A) Hiring 100 additional train operators

B) Using AI to predict when mechanical failures will happen

C) Increasing rider capacity on each car

D) Adding up to 240 new train cars

Think you know? Check your answer.

☎️ Speaking to: The dead, via this Germantown phone booth.

🙄 Arguing about: Whether a person’s childless status is relevant to their ability to lead.

👆 Swiping: To determine who should take over naming rights for the Wells Fargo Center.

This million-square-foot Bucks County mall was sold earlier this month for $27.5 million.

SHINY MANE

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Bob Allmond, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Starbucks. Workers just voted to unionize at another Philadelphia location of the coffee chain.

🍠 One last tubular thing: In West Philadelphia, Steven Erdman’s Yamatorium is an immersive, absurdist art experience. Columnist Stephanie Farr reports from his two-room bunker that features yams with heads, soft pretzels with eyes, and even a Marcel Duchamp-inspired piece.

Wishing you a fun (maybe even absurdist?) weekend. Thanks, as always, for starting your day with The Inquirer.

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