“Sort of like the phoenix rising from the flames, we built something totally different,” said the Rev. John Fisher, pastor of Our Mother of Consolation. “The blessing of this is reimagining a whole new school.”
The Inquirer is your front-row seat to the Philadelphia region. You can support local, impactful journalism at inquirer.com/bsky-subscribe/.
63,882 followers 66 following 1,487 posts
view profile on Bluesky
“Sort of like the phoenix rising from the flames, we built something totally different,” said the Rev. John Fisher, pastor of Our Mother of Consolation. “The blessing of this is reimagining a whole new school.”
“The pandemic isolated us from each other and social media and cultural schisms continue to divide us — forces that have given the togetherness of the Schuylkill Banks this summer an almost utopian feel.” — Inquirer reporter and critic Peter Dobrin
The Trocadero Theatre was, for decades, one of the strongest beating hearts of Philly’s alternative music scene.
The branch was closed for eight months, leaving a hole in the Port Richmond community that loves its library and its offerings. But last week, the branch reopened to the public, who celebrated with hugs, tears and baked goods. The bees are back, too.
Amid the political dysfunction, SEPTA’s 700,000 daily riders — or however many were still taking transit amid the cuts — spent their weekday commutes trying to navigate the agency’s new austerity schedule. (2/2)
Hundreds of thousands of people in Southeastern Pennsylvania who rely on public transit had to adjust to deep cuts in SEPTA’s service this week. We rode along with one Northeast Philly rider who’s adjusting to a new reality. 📹 by Jenna Miller / Staff (1/2)
We know a guy who could give the best man speech... and the perfect paper for a wedding announcement. 🔗 www.inquirer.com/entertainmen...
“We’re gonna be walking all the way to Harrisburg to draw attention to the very real fact that there are folks for whom this — walking — is their new reality because SEPTA has had to drastically reduce services as a result of Republican inaction in Harrisburg.” — State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.
“The safe, trusted space PBS provides children and parents could very well disappear. The window of opportunity to better understand the effects of digital media on young, developing brains is closing.” — Amy Jordan, a member of the board of trustees at Sesame Workshop (1/2)
“Sesame Street could not have existed without federal funding, nor could it have reached such a broad audience without public broadcasting stations that were able to distribute it widely.” — Amy Jordan, a member of the board of trustees at Sesame Workshop (1/2)
In mid-September, SEPTA will publish schedules for restored service on the 31, 84, and 88, as well as 400-series bus routes, which are specifically designed to serve students. (3/3)
The routes that saw service reductions Monday but will see some added service “to reduce crowding and pass-ups” for students beginning Tuesday are the 14, 20, 23, 26, 47, 63, 67, 70, 82, T2, and T5. (2/3)
“This is an innovative solution that will greatly enhance service for students amid these challenging circumstances,” SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said. (1/3)
Officials in Philadelphia’s collar counties are hopeful that the months-long impasse over funding for SEPTA may push lawmakers to consider a change to state tax law they have sought for years.
Barricaded in section 114, eight actors from the beloved ABC sitcom, including creator and star Quinta Brunson, sat together amid dozens of extras while multiple cameras captured the action.
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers’ membership voted 69% to 31% to endorse a three-year deal that gives 14,000 teachers, nurses, secretaries, counselors, and paraprofessionals raises and paid parental leave.
Kyle Schwarber became the first Phillie since Mike Schmidt and the 21st player in MLB history to finish a game with four home runs. He also set a franchise single-game record with nine RBIs.
A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit brought by controversial University of Pennsylvania law professor Amy Wax against the Ivy League school, in which she claimed to have been subjected to discrimination because she is a “white Jewish woman.”
DN headline writer extraordinaire Joe Berkery strikes again! This is such a good pun I'm salty I didn't think of it. My column: www.inquirer.com/columnists/b...
“People have been coming in all the time and asking if it’s real. It’s really been a lot of fun. If people can feel better when they see it, then it’s enough for me.” — Steve Jamison, owner of Blue Sole Shoes
A former Fraternal Order of Police official was accused of swindling a police widow out of more than $20,000. The widow’s daughter filed a complaint, but nearly two-and-a-half years later, the Internal Affairs investigation has yet to be resolved.
City Solicitor Renee Garcia declined to give a detailed breakdown of these costs — or say if this sum was expected to rise. (2/2)
In a Wednesday response to an insurance provider’s complaint filed in relation to the crash, city attorneys said they are seeking claims for property damage and personnel costs totaling “no less than $2,555,897.58.” (1/2)
"Pa. officials promised a Shell plastics plant was the future, awarding a $1.6B tax break to an economic dud and pollution nightmare," writes columnist Will Bunch. For more on Bunch's thoughts 👇 🔗 inquirer.com/opinion/shel...
"Jenny Han made [Belly] from Philly because it’s the City of Brotherly Love." In honor of last night's wild TSITP episode, I asked local fans for @inquirer.com two very important questions: Belly Conklin is supposed to be from the Philly suburbs, but where? And do we claim her?
The free 28-lesson course, called College App Classroom, was developed by the University of Pennsylvania in partnership with Heights Philadelphia — a nonprofit aimed at providing better access to quality educational and workforce opportunities.
“We may not yet be experiencing the national police state so many have predicted, but it feels like certain parts of the district are being overpoliced. It’s anyone’s guess as to whether it’s a precursor of bad things to come.” — Inquirer columnist Jenice Armstrong
Anti-extremism researchers say they’ve identified a group claiming responsibility for the hoax active-shooter calls that led to massive police responses and widespread panic at Villanova University and other colleges as students returned to campus last week.
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit in which Meredith Elizalde, whose only child, Nicolas Elizalde, 14, was shot and killed in 2022, asserted that the Philadelphia School District failed to protect students from gun violence and contributed to her son’s death.
The rideshare company plans to foot the bill for these trips through a new Uber Senior Rides Program. Spokesperson Freddi Goldstein said the initiative is intended to “fill in transit gaps” created by SEPTA service reductions, the first round of which took effect Sunday.
The cancellation of the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant “caught Woodmere in midair, and it has been scrambling ever since to keep our SAT project alive.”
How will Philadelphia restaurants fare in the new edition of the Michelin Guide? Michelin will reveal the answers on the evening of Nov. 18 at the Kimmel Center when it releases its 2025 Northeast Cities edition.
After winning the Super Bowl seven years ago, the Eagles had a three-year regression. Howie Roseman may not be done tinkering with the roster after the initial 53 was set on Tuesday. 🔗 www.inquirer.com/eagles/eagle...
Consumer advocates and two SEPTA riders sued the transit agency on Wednesday seeking to stop service reductions, arguing that the cuts unlawfully place a greater burden on people of color and low-income communities.
“People are already spending more money out of their paychecks on alternative forms of transportation, which are also clogging our roadways.” — Rosslyn Wuchinich, Unite Here, Local 274, president (3/3)
Some members of Unite Here, Local 274, such as employees at Center City hotels and South Philly stadiums, are spending much more time getting to and from work, said Rosslyn Wuchinich, the local’s president. (2/3)
SEIU 32BJ represents some 12,000 Philadelphia workers, including security guards, school bus drivers, building cleaners, and baggage handlers at the airport. At least 80% of them use SEPTA to get to work, union district director Daisy Cruz estimates. (1/3)
The news comes five months after the company announced it would be laying off 900 people, about 5% of its global workforce, in conjunction with the closure of HSN’s studio in St. Petersburg, Fla.
💍✨ We’re getting a royal wedding, Pennsylvania. 🔗 inquirer.com/news/nation-...
OPINION: "Whether it takes calling a special session of the General Assembly — or simply ordering pizza and beer and going into a locked room until a deal is done — it is up to Shapiro as governor to make this happen. Quickly." — Inquirer Editorial Board 🔗 www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
Halcyone Schiller, president of Philadelphia cultural workers union ACSCME local 397, said the cuts would make for a tougher commute for many, including Philadelphia Museum of Art staffers, the majority of whom cannot afford to live in the neighborhoods near the museum.
The discovery spurred the Clinic for Special Children, an independent clinic in Lancaster County dedicated to treating patients with rare genetic disorders, to test several more Amish patients for the disorder.
We want to know how the cuts are affecting you. What are you noticing as you navigate the city? Your stories and observations will help us as we continue to report on SEPTA’s service reductions 👇
The first full weekday of reduced service was inconvenient for many riders, but it didn’t result in the crush-level crowds SEPTA had predicted. “Next week will be telling, a better indicator,” said a chief of SEPTA’s Control Center. “A lot of factors have not fully played out yet.”
A Bethlehem firefighter and union leader has entered the crowded field of Democrats vying for Congress in the Lehigh Valley. Pa.'s 7th District is one of the closest battlegrounds in the state. Democrats hope to pick it up in their midterm quest to retake the U.S. House.
Jim Murray, the former Eagles general manager who hired Dick Vermeil and helped the franchise return to prominence while also opening the first Ronald McDonald House, died Monday morning at home in Bryn Mawr surrounded by his family. He was 87.
“If we fail to remember slavery honestly, if we silence its lessons, then we risk repeating the very injustices our ancestors bled to overcome.” — Michel J. Faulkner, former NFL player, pastor, and chair of the board of directors of the Philadelphia Council of Clergy
The first day of school for 117,000 Philadelphia School District students began on a high note Monday. As school buses rumbled to life, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers arrived at a tentative three-year contract with the PFT.
SEPTA riders are grappling with how their commutes — and their lives — will change after service cuts took effect Sunday. Across the city, riders reported crowded buses, skipped stops, and frustration with lawmakers in Harrisburg. 🔗 www.inquirer.com/transportati...
As SEPTA cuts go into effect across the Philly region, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) is hosting a fundraiser. State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D., Philadelphia) called the move a “slap in the damn face of every Pennsylvanian.” 🔗 Live updates: www.inquirer.com/transportati...
Mural Arts founder Jane Golden will be stepping down as the organization’s executive director in July 2026. She led the arts group for 42 years.
SEPTA’s massive cuts are here. These tools can help you navigate the new normal: 🗞️ For the latest updates: Inquirer.com/septa 🚌 For a detailed cuts guide: Inquirer.com/septaguide 🚏 For the impact on routes near you: Inquirer.com/septacuts 🗣️ Share your observations: Inquirer.com/septa-feedback
“They’re committing a fraud on the public,” George Bochetto said, noting SEPTA has $390 million in a reserve fund. “There is no reason why these cuts are necessary.”
SEPTA’s massive cuts are here. From students to late-shift workers and drivers on clogged roadways, the impact of the reductions will be felt immediately. We'll have live updates all day. Follow along 👇
The Philadelphia School District and its largest union have a tentative, three-year deal. The dramatic news came late Sunday night — less than 12 hours before the first day of school for 117,000 district students, but a week before the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers’ contract expired.
After a failure in Harrisburg to reach a budget agreement, SEPTA began rolling out dramatic service cuts in Philadelphia and across the region Sunday morning. www.inquirer.com/transportati...
Though the report was fake, the fear it instilled was all too real, and those on campus were still trying to process their emotions Friday. (4/4)
Officials later said it was a swatting incident in which someone reported a fake emergency, inciting panic. Villanova’s president, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, called it a “cruel hoax” in a message to the campus community. Police are continuing to investigate. (3/4)
Just after 4:30 p.m. Thursday, reports of an active shooter began coming in, sending students, faculty, parents, and staff scrambling to hide in secure locations. Fear and panic set in for about 90 minutes as heavily armed police patrolled the campus, looking for a potential shooter. (2/4)
The day after a false report of an active shooter roiled the Villanova University campus during freshman orientation, campus officials were aiming to restore normalcy and support students, faculty and staff. (1/4) 🔗 inquirer.com/education/vi...
If cuts take effect next week, they are all but certain to play a role up and down the ballot as Democrats look to retain the governor’s office and hope to flip the state Senate and the last GOP Congressional district in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Common Pleas Court Judge Jennifer Schultz said Tyree Musier should be granted a new trial, and that his conviction and life sentence should be vacated because prosecutors violated his constitutional rights by failing to turn over key evidence to his lawyers as required by law. (2/2)
A judge on Friday overturned the murder conviction of a North Philadelphia man after prosecutors unearthed jail calls that suggest that a key witness was paid to lie and frame him 17 years ago. (1/2)
4C says its recipe hasn’t changed at all. And that the newly listed ingredients simply reflect the company’s compliance with updated food regulation standards. (2/2)
Home cooks nationwide say their beloved breadcrumb brand is tasting different. Now, following a report by @emilybloch.com, 4C Foods Corp. says it’s investigating. (2/2)
The Who was scheduled to play Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall on Saturday night on just the fourth date of their “The Song Is Over – North American Farewell Tour.” But now that show has been postponed, just as Thursday night’s Philly concert slated for the Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philly, was.
Even if a funding deal in Harrisburg is reached before Sunday, it would be almost impossible for the transit agency to roll back the dramatic cuts entirely right away, SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer told reporters Friday morning.
“I’m against any changes to design that deal with the content. And if that’s the case, then I’m certainly willing to fight and do whatever is possible to make sure that that doesn’t happen,” said Troy C. Leonard, who worked on designing the President’s House almost two decades ago.
Students who are late because of SEPTA issues will get grace from their schools, Superintendent Tony B. Watlington said. “We are not going to penalize our children, our young people, because of no problem of their own making.”
“The level of glee and enjoyment among those enforcing these policies, the outrageous investment in a detention and deportation infrastructure this administration is making, has made this an obsession of unfathomable cruelty and injustice.” — Rabbi Elyse Wechterman
The scene after a recent game differed from times earlier this summer, when fans found it “impossible” to get a ride. But drivers still have gripes, days before steep SEPTA cuts could increase demand.
Late Thursday afternoon, police rushed to Villanova University over a report of an active shooter — later determined to be a hoax — searching for someone who did not exist and at one point misidentifying a victim of a gunshot wound who had not been shot, according to police scanner recordings.
Police responded to a report of an active shooter at Villanova on Thursday. There was an initial report via police radio conversations among responding officers that there was a gunshot victim, but police said later there were “no reported victims.”
The president of Villanova University on Thursday evening said the report of an active shooter on campus was a “cruel hoax” and that no one was injured.
JUST IN: The reported active shooter situation at Villanova University was a "cruel hoax," school officials said in a message sent to the campus community.
Police said at least one person had been shot as they responded to a report of an active shooter at Villanova University on Thursday. 🔴 Live updates:
The Radnor Township Police Department asked that students and nearby resident shelter in place. It was not immediately known if there are any injuries.
The Who has postponed Thursday night’s Philadelphia stop on its “The Song Is Over — North American Farewell Tour,” which was scheduled to play the Xfinity Mobile Arena (formerly known as the Wells Fargo Center).
Kamala Harris, in partnership with Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books, will be at The Met on Sept. 25 to discuss “107 Days,” which details her whirlwind 2024 presidential campaign against President Donald Trump.
Tyree Musier has been in prison for 17 years for a crime he says he didn’t commit. Prosecutors now say his conviction should be overturned.
Almost all SEPTA services will be impacted — either with a reduced service, a shorter or altered route, or outright removal from the network. Type your address below and we’ll walk you through how the cuts will impact the services in your area ⤵️ (3/3)
SEPTA, the sixth-largest transportation agency in the country, plans to slash service by 20% on buses, trolleys, and Metro lines on Aug. 24. A week later, a fare increase will take effect and on Sept. 2, midday service will be trimmed on all Regional Rail lines. (2/3)
As Pennsylvania’s state lawmakers continue their stalemate over the commonwealth’s annual budget the Philadelphia region is bracing for massive cuts to its transit network. (1/3)
The Mütter Museum has adopted a new policy for its displays of human remains. It will also restore hundreds of videos and exhibits that had been taken down.
Knoll commissioned artists like Eero Saarinen and Isamu Noguchi, and created the iconic design style that changed the way American homes looked.
Here’s a guide to alternatives if your usual SEPTA route is shortened, delayed, or eliminated 👇
Behind the scenes in recent years, prosecutors said in court documents, Nat Leonard helped oversee a system in which groups of thieves sold him goods including power tools, computer equipment, and electronics that he knew had been stolen from big-box retailers.
SEPTA’s average 21.5% fare increase takes effect Sept. 1, but some monthly pass customers will notice the higher price earlier. It’s all a quirk of SEPTA’s implementation of its doomsday budget, which includes the fare increase as well as service cuts that are scheduled to begin Sunday.
Borromini, a $20 million trattoria in the former Barnes & Noble on Rittenhouse Square, is Stephen Starr’s most significant Philadelphia restaurant since Parc debuted nearly two decades ago. We take an up-close look at the process of opening the ambitious eatery 🍝 👇
PATCO will not run its weekday overnight trains for six months for system upgrades. The schedule will change on Sept. 1 and last until January.
As Hurricane Erin approaches, some barrier island towns are all but closing their No. 1 attraction — the Atlantic Ocean. “The ocean is quite angry,” said Gov. Phil Murphy.
“It will have absolutely have no bearing on our elections here in Pennsylvania and we will once again have free and fair, safe and secure elections,” Shapiro said at an unrelated press conference Tuesday.
SEPTA provides about 4,000 rides on an average weekday on these services, 54% of them on Shared-Ride and 46% ADA paratransit.
As of Aug. 19, it remains unclear what will happen to more than a dozen displays flagged for review at Independence Park, including several in the President’s House Site.
“When I tell you this has rocked the community.” — Judi Cutrone, an author and content creator from Maine.
Tim Lopez spent over a decade cooking for the #Eagles. Now, he’s sharing his stories and recipes in a new cookbook. 🦅 🔗 www.inquirer.com/eagles/forme...
“The potential reduction in SEPTA’s financial contribution will have a negative impact on Amtrak’s ability to reinvest in the rail network,” the national passenger railroad said in a statement Tuesday. Read on for more ⬇️ 🔗 inquirer.com/politics/sep...
The sit-in on Monday afternoon was the latest effort to get Picozzi to more aggressively address SEPTA’s $213 million operating deficit with his Republican colleagues.
This South Jersey educator has been named national high school principal of the year. He'll spend the year traveling around the country to share best practices with others.
OPINION: "As a Marine, I vowed to protect the country, not turn my training — designed for combat, not de-escalation — on fellow citizens exercising their constitutional rights." — Joa Rojas