Good morning. It’s set to be a hot and sunny Saturday.
Are some cheesesteaks really that much better? Inquirer staffers try to settle a beef over what makes one authentic.
Plus, feds looked into a Philly lobbyist linked to Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, a sprawling King of Prussia data center complex was rejected, and we’ve got our report card for this week in Philly news.
— Paola Pérez and Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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What you should know today
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Federal investigators last summer subpoenaed records about William F. Dunbar Sr., a Philly lobbyist who was key to Mayor Parker’s 2023 campaign. None of the sources said they were aware of an investigation centered on Parker.
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Three Philly men allegedly stole hundreds of federal government checks between 2024 and 2026, reselling them online. Federal prosecutors said their haul totaled $68 million.
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Upper Merion Township’s Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected a data center campus proposal that had sparked a backlash from constituents.
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A Main Line psychiatrist who lost her medical license following an investigation into a sexual relationship with a patient can keep working while she appeals that decision, a judge ruled.
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Iemad Saifo, the owner of Zena’s American Mediterranean Cuisine in Collingswood, was released from ICE detention.
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Kensington High School will temporarily close its building over asbestos concerns. Students and staff will move into the old Austin Meehan Middle School.
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Aramark, one of the region’s major employers, struck a deal directly with Penn Medicine to provide more affordable healthcare to its workers.
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From a Jersey Shore vacation that cost $10,000 to Philly sports taking over the holidays, catch up on the good, bad, and weird from recent stories out of Philly.
A reader asked: I have family visiting and they want an “authentic Philly cheesesteak.” Should I take the entire day, battle traffic and parking, and shuttle them down to South Philly? Or can I order takeout from our local pizza place in the burbs? Is there that much difference?
To help, we enlisted the palates of features columnist Stephanie Farr and programming editor Tommy Rowan.
Farr admitted she took the local pizza shop route when her dad came to town, but now laments her decision. “Missteaks were made, obviously,” Farr said.
Rowan, a cheesesteak connoisseur in his own right, described himself as picky. “If you are passionate about something you have rules,” he said.
They also touched on an important ingredient that flavors the cheesesteak experience in Philly: the people you meet.
Read their full discussion here. Need advice, or want to share your thoughts? We want to hear it. Email us here.
In this week’s Shackamaxon, Inquirer columnist Daniel Pearson unpacks how data centers are shaping the election landscape.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, for example, has shifted his stance from an early embrace of data centers. The issue is testing his high approval ratings in Pennsylvania.
“Of course, there’s a certain opportunism to state Treasurer Stacy Garrity’s embrace of the techlash,” Pearson writes of Shapiro’s gubernatorial opponent.
Hear Pearson’s perspective on how Shapiro is trying to thread the needle on data centers, as well as other happenings in Harrisburg and City Hall.
❓Pop quiz
The Union’s new third jersey pays tribute to the entire Philadelphia professional sports landscape. What landmark is the jersey’s centerpiece?
A) Commodore Barry Bridge
B) Art Museum steps
C) Center City skyline
D) None of the above
Think you know? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Philanthropic organization (two words)
KIND HUNTING AFOOT
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Deborah Solo who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Dito van Reigersberg. Two new scholarships named for the beloved artist — who performed as Philly’s legendary drag queen Martha Graham Cracker — will support local artists in drag, cabaret, and theater.
Before the Phillies bested the Minnesota Twins in Dyersville, Iowa, this week, the players and their families had a chance to visit the set of the 1989 baseball classic Field of Dreams.
Staff writer Lochlahn March and photographer Yong Kim traveled with the team and captured the Phillies soaking up some movie magic.
Somewhere on the internet in Philly
🧠 Another week, another brand-new Pillars to solve. Have you played our new game yet?
🚲 Ariane Datil shows us the best spots to watch the Cycling Classic later this month.
💍 The Foo Fighters rocked the Linc on Thursday night for three whole hours, and that doesn’t include the terrific openers. Someone on Reddit caught the moment a proposal happened in the crowd.
👋🏽 Take care, and I’ll catch up with you again tomorrow.
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