Good morning, Philly.
Today, we begin with an interview to better understand one of the day’s biggest headlines: the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office.
Then, we’ll hear from patients caught in the middle of a bruising contract fight between Jefferson Health and IBX.
Plus, we’ll cover the new job that Philly City Councilmember Mark Squilla is eyeing, and more news of the day.
— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.
The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office, sending out grand jury subpoenas centering on potential obstruction of justice, two sources with knowledge of the probe told The Inquirer. It’s the latest development in a controversial post-conviction case that has roiled the progressive DA’s office.
To help unpack this moment, I called up Inquirer courts reporter Chris Palmer. His answers have been lightly condensed.
How big of a deal is this investigation? The way that this began, with a federal judge essentially saying that he believed the sitting DA could have committed crimes in a case he was overseeing, is virtually unprecedented. Krasner said as much in his own filings.
Will it affect how Krasner’s office works and how prosecutors do their job? It’s a good question. The way this case unfolded, a lot of the accusations against Krasner were levied by people who at the time worked for Krasner and his office. And one of the questions we are trying to learn more about is how, if at all, does that airing of grievances so to speak impact the way prosecutors feel they might have to conduct themselves.
What happens next? Grand juries are conducted in secret and so this is not something we can watch play out in a courtroom. Prosecutors can open and close an investigation very quickly [or] they can spend a lot of time investigating potential crimes. So the range of potential outcomes is pretty wide.
Read on for Palmer and reporter Ellie Rushing’s full report about the investigation.
As the area’s largest health insurer and largest hospital system duke it out over payment rates, some Medicare Advantage patients feel caught in the middle.
The current contract between Jefferson Health and Independence Blue Cross expires at the end of the year. But the Medicare open enrollment period ends Dec. 7, meaning Jefferson patients with IBX Medicare plans must decide sooner if they want to change insurers or risk losing access to their doctors next year.
Insurance showdowns are not unusual and usually end with a deal at the last minute.
But the time crunch facing Medicare patients now mean some, like 82-year-old Ann Lesch, are planning to switch if there’s no contract update soon.
“I don’t want to do anything that’s stressful at the last minute,” she said.
Inquirer healthcare business reporter Harold Brubaker has the full story.
What you should know today
-
Philly City Councilmember Mark Squilla could become the next head of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, shaking up next year’s race for Council’s 1st District.
-
FanDuel has abandoned a plan to offer VIP bettors and their children admission to the Philadelphia Zoo’s annual “Boo at the Zoo” festivities this coming Saturday, citing “guidance from our regulators.”
-
New Jersey public schools are weighing policies to guide when and how students and teachers can use generative AI in the classroom.
-
Temple University brought in substantially more transfer students last year, as it sought to stem a steep drop in enrollment.
-
Parents in the Lower Merion School District expressed frustration that another superintendent has resigned, the third departure from that role in about as many years.
-
Atlantic County has installed what it says is the world’s first permanent microplastics filter at a wastewater treatment plant.
-
East Whiteland residents are teeing up a lawsuit over an approved 1.5 million-square-foot data center project in the township.
-
The CEO of World Stage, the venue formerly known as World Cafe Live, confirmed that it will shut down on Halloween.
Shane Seiber came home from two tours in Iraq wanting one thing: to be a Philadelphia police officer. He went on to achieve his dream before his life was tragically cut short.
Seiber was laid to rest yesterday after being killed in the line of duty on Oct. 10, report The Inquirer’s Jillian Kramer and Jesse Bunch.
🧠 Trivia time
Which 150-year-old Philadelphia-area company was recently acquired?
A) Pep Boys
B) Urban Outfitters
C) Acme Markets
D) Burpee
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re …
📺 Watching. 587. That’s how many Philly-area political ads The Inquirer reviewed to break down the top themes dominating the airwaves this midterm election.
🥘 Reviewing. At Nagpuri Saoji, a Central Indian restaurant in Voorhees, the namesake Saoji curry blends 27 spices in “an exercise in intricacy and balance,” writes Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan. He raves about it and other dishes.
🎄 Scratching our heads at. Cue the endless loop of Christmas carols. More than a week before Halloween, the first Spirit Christmas store has opened its doors for the season in South Jersey, reports The Inquirer’s Erin McCarthy.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: The annual German-style holiday market in LOVE Park.
GALLICISM HARVEST
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Congrats to Nicole Caprario, who correctly guessed Tuesday’s answer: Sean Combs. Sean “Diddy” Combs was recently transferred from a federal prison in New Jersey to one in Pennsylvania after a report that the hip-hop mogul was living the high life at FCI Fort Dix.
Photo of the day
I saved the weather report for the end so I could transmit it visually. Sunny, highs in the mid-60s, perfect for soaking up the long fall rays before winter fully sets in.
👋 Have a great one, Philly.
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.