Good morning, Philly. I’m starting to feel like a broken record for sharing a similar, glorious forecast every day this week: highs in the mid-to-upper-60s, sunny, with clear skies expected.
Today, we start with new reporting that fundamentally changes our understanding of who is at risk for measles. In Pennsylvania, more adults are getting sick than children.
And, we’ll cover the sale of the former Trump Plaza site in Atlantic City to a South Jersey titan, along with other top headlines of the day.
Plus, if you scroll on, we’ll explain why PETA wants Philly to invest in birth control … for rats.
— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.
Measles has long been thought of as a childhood disease. But Pennsylvania’s current outbreak is defying historical trends, write Inquirer health reporters Sarah Gantz and Aubrey Whelan.
Here, adults account for about two-thirds of the nearly 1,300 cases reported by the state in the largest outbreak the country has seen in decades.
Adults are also getting sick enough to go to the hospital, as measles triggers serious illnesses such as meningitis, sepsis, and pneumonia. Of the six infected Pennsylvanians who have died, four were adults.
Notable quote: “The disease doesn’t know how old you are,” Chester County’s health director Jeanne Franklin said. “This is not a childhood disease — you can get it at any point in your life if you’re unvaccinated.”
Read on for Gantz and Whelan’s reporting on why this outbreak is different.
What you should know today
-
House GOP leaders, including South Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew, are subpoenaing Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration for records that may explain how 6,600 noncitizens got on voter rolls.
-
The U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee released a report Wednesday accusing the Philadelphia School District of teaching antisemitism and far-left activism, charges the school district denies.
-
Cheltenham School District has the results of an independent legal review of its policies, commissioned after two alleged 2025 locker room assaults.
-
Police in Paulsboro diligently tried to track down a car said to have hit 9-year-old Maya Thomas before determining her parents had fabricated the story.
-
A Chester County business owner, who was arrested earlier this year for alleged sexual abuse of children, is now facing more charges, including some for child pornography.
-
South Jersey power broker George Norcross has purchased the site of the former Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.
-
A 68-unit apartment building is proposed for a parking lot at South Broad and Reed Streets.
I don’t know why I’m admitting this, but this year I started seeing a rat near my house. Having lived a blissfully rat-free life in the city, I was aghast to find a new pest in the picture. (Mice and I are old foes.)
It turns out, Philly has a rat problem. City Council recently adopted a resolution calling for a coordinated city response to persistent rat problems in some neighborhoods.
The animal rights organization PETA is now proposing a solution. In a letter to Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, the animal rights organization suggested: “Put rats on birth control instead of poisoning them.”
This idea is not as out there as it may initially sound. Several cities, including Baltimore and Washington, D.C., have recently tested various rat contraception products. Initial results are promising, though more study is needed.
As one pest control expert put it to Inquirer reporter Abigail Covington, “We’ve been killing these animals for centuries, and we have more than we ever have before. The strategy of killing doesn’t work.”
Read on for Covington’s reporting into whether Philly is listening.
The Sixers’ home opener is tonight.
🧠 Trivia time
Autonomous food delivery robots have a new client in Philly. Which restaurant chain is it?
A) Cheesecake Factory
B) Taco Bell
C) Wonder
D) Asad’s Hot Chicken
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re …
🍸 Tippling. Field Day, a new bar in Northern Liberties, features “field-and-farm-to-bar” cocktails with ingredients like Jersey corn-made miso and raw honey, writes Inquirer food editor Jenn Ladd.
⚾️ Analyzing. We asked Phillies fans to vote on which players should stick around next season. Trea Turner has fallen from your good graces.
📺 Pondering. Could Tyrese Maxey work in TV? Abbott Elementary’s creator, Quinta Brunson, thinks so, per The Inquirer’s Mike Livingston.
👻 Listing. Halloween fun doesn’t have to be gory. Inquirer culture reporter Earl Hopkins runs down spooky outings that are safe for even the smallest ghouls and gals.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: The world’s first trillionaire.
OMEN SULK
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Gary Steinberg who correctly solved Wednesday’s anagram: Christmas Village. The annual German-style holiday market in LOVE Park returns on Nov. 26.
Photo of the day
Catch some big air out there today.
👋 See you in your inbox tomorrow. Hat tip to editor Joe Berkery for the headline assist.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.