Greetings, Philly. This Halloweekend weather is pristine.
A reader is spooked that friends failed to invite their boyfriend to a Halloween party. Should he join anyway? Inquirer staffers give advice on how to face some potentially scary truths.
Plus, we’re talking about Comcast layoffs, new speed cameras to watch out for, and our report card for this week in Philly news.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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What you should know today
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Hundreds of employees are losing their jobs at Comcast’s Philadelphia headquarters as the company invests in AI agents to connect with customers.
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Five men who were part of one of the most violent and prolific carjacking crews in recent Philadelphia history were sentenced this week to at least several decades in federal prison, capping a criminal rampage that victimized dozens of people.
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City Council has issued a rare subpoena for a deputy mayor and Drexel’s president to testify about the closure of the Academy of Natural Sciences.
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A Franklin County judge ordered that information about a measles-related death be sealed from public review, prompting The Inquirer to take legal action.
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Eleven speed cameras went live Friday along state Route 13 in West Philly, including Baltimore and University Avenues.
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From the Sixers scaling back a beloved tradition to the Portal living to see another day, catch up on the good, bad, and weird from recent stories out of Philly.
This week’s dilemma: My friends are throwing a Halloween murder mystery party and didn’t assign a role to my boyfriend even though I said “we are free!” I’ve gotten the feeling they don’t like him, but how do I respond? Should I not say anything and bring him anyway?
Oof. Inquirer columnists Elizabeth Wellington and Stephanie Farr took on this tricky situation. Their advice is layered, but clear: Do not bring your boo without a bit of clarification (“your friends might treat him like he’s dead if they don’t like him,” Farr warned). Sure, this may all be a simple misunderstanding, but it could run deeper. Be prepared for it to go either way.
“You cannot afford to be skeletal in your approach, you must jump in head on,” Wellington said. “The answer may frighten you now. But it’s better than feeling like death warmed over later after a bad breakup. Ask me how I know.” 😬
Read their full conversation here. Need advice, or want to share your thoughts? We want to hear it. Email us here.
City Council members are working to prevent Philadelphia Gas Works from shutting off heat for residents.
In this week’s Shackamaxon, Inquirer columnist Daniel Pearson unpacks a new resolution that calls for hearings into the city-owned gas utility’s shutoff procedures.
“Restricting shutoffs could lead to higher costs for paying customers,” Pearson writes.
Get Pearson’s take on what he calls a potentially misguided move, and more of this week’s happenings in Philly and Harrisburg.
❓Pop quiz
A woman is CEO at _ of the Philadelphia area’s top 92 public companies.
A) one
B) five
C) eight
D) 20
Think you know? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: He was a free Black Philadelphian who served during the Revolutionary War, became a wealthy sailmaker, and emerged as a leading abolitionist.
FREEMAN JOTS
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Susan Kaplan, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Melting Pot. A long-closed outpost of the fondue chain on Filbert Street near will become a Fine Wine & Good Spirits.
Staff photographer Yong Kim took this photo in 1997, when a new GAP outlet store opened next to the food court at the Franklin Mills Mall.
Fast forward to today, plans for the sprawling complex, now known as Franklin Mall, are at a standstill.
The distressed property was put up for sale last December, but its court-appointed receiver now says it’s no longer on the market. Commercial real estate reporter Jake Blumgart details what could come next for the Northeast Philly mall.
Plus: Saturday marks the closure of Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem. Eerie, empty, and full of memories, take a look inside the once-bustling destination in its final days with consumer reporter Erin McCarthy.
Somewhere on the internet in Philly
🗓️ The Phillies’ 2008 World Series championship is now old enough to vote. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to replay the final three outs of the game.
🍺 Looking for a last-minute costume? Let these very Philly options inspire you, from a Citywide special to a savesies cone.
🐦⬛ Who does Halloween better: Jersey or Philly? This matrix should help us settle the debate.
❤️ We’re thinking of Patrick Stewart, and the time he and Gritty partied together.
👋🏽 Thanks for reading. Take care, and I’ll catch up with you again tomorrow.
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