Good morning, Philly.
We’re entering a heady week, where it’s both the run-up to the midterm elections and Halloween. Expect both topics to be threaded through newsletters this week.
For example, today we’re starting with a delightful, illustrated article that takes us to five spots in the city that are allegedly haunted.
Then, we’ll cover why the DOJ says it’s sending election monitors to Philly and what that means.
Plus, we have City Council’s contentious hearing on the closure of Philly’s historic science history museum, and more news of the day.
— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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In a city as old and historic as Philly, we usually trudge through daily life oblivious to the stories of the people who lived — and died — here before us.
That is, until Halloween.
The Inquirer’s Garland Fordice has compiled five places where ghosts have been spotted, and the stories behind them.
Take Washington Square. Originally a 1700s burial ground, the park is now a bustling commons. But according to Josh Hitchens, writer of Haunted History of Philadelphia, several ghosts have been seen wandering among the benches and trees over the years.
The most sighted is Leah, said to be an elderly Quaker woman protecting those buried there from grave robbers.
Read on for four more haunted spots in Philly.
The federal government plans to send election monitors to Philadelphia, Allegheny, Luzerne, and Lehigh Counties for the Nov. 3 general election, according to a letter obtained by The Inquirer.
This is in keeping with previous elections. The Biden administration sent monitors to the same counties in previous elections, according to a lawyer with the ACLU of Pennsylvania.
Officials from Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration and the Pennsylvania Department of State both said they anticipated voting to go smoothly.
But one thing that is different this midterms is how many election monitors are being dispersed throughout the country. In 2022, the Biden administration sent fewer than 400. This year, the Trump administration is sending 1,000.
The Inquirer’s Abraham Gutman has the full story.
What you should know today
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Philly City Council held a long-awaited hearing on the closing of the Academy of Natural Sciences, pressing representatives of Drexel University about its abrupt closure.
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A worker at the Cheltenham Walmart killed in the store’s parking lot last week was shot by her ex, police allege, after she changed her mind about marrying him to help him get a green card.
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A local restaurant group must pay $200,000 to two former employees for mishandling sexual harassment by a coworker, a jury has ruled.
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Tenants at a West Oak Lane apartment building will receive tens of thousands of dollars in rental payment refunds after suing their landlord over unsafe conditions.
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A University of Pennsylvania student journalist is one of six people suing President Donald Trump for banning certain media outlets from the White House.
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The Michelin-recommended Old City restaurant Forsythia has closed, as creditors seek more than $900,000 and the owner faces assault charges.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro stopped by a middle school in the Central Bucks School District Monday to sign a law banning cell phones in all K-12 schools, starting in the 2027-2028 year.
The Phillies certainly didn’t make it to the World Series, but Philadelphia sophomore Kaitlyn Asher still made us proud.
She plays softball with the Phillies Youth Academy, and was celebrated during Game 2 as one of nine Youth of the Year, writes sports reporter Mia Messina.
🧠 Trivia time
Which retail chain has a new line of Eagles merch?
A) Home Goods
B) Kohl’s
C) Walmart
D) Target
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re …
🦴 Considering. The Academy of Natural Sciences’ collection includes specimens of species that no longer exist anywhere else, writes ornithologist Daniel Lewis in a guest essay. He argues that closing the museum puts them at risk.
💊 Learning. Area businesses and nonprofits are coming together to launch the Philadelphia Food as Medicine Coalition, to promote the use of food to manage and prevent diseases, writes health reporter Kayla Yup.
🏡 Ogling. If you happen to find $8.75M in your couch cushions, you could buy this Chester County abode, featuring a 40-car garage and double-sided fish tank.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: U.S. congressman representing New Jersey’s 1st District.
CALDRONS DONORS
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Andy Gutman, who correctly guessed Monday’s answer: Tacony. This neighborhood just welcomed a new grocery store in a building formerly occupied by a Rite Aid pharmacy.
Perhaps a game of dress-up, a costume, or a core memory being formed. Either way, it’s pretty darn cute. Here’s the story to go with the picture (which is not cute, but important).
👋 Have a great day!
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