Skip to content
Newsletters
Link copied to clipboard

Philly fall arts guide, why the midterms feel so epic | Morning Newsletter

All the local news you need to know to start your day, delivered straight to your email.

Pulaski Day Parade was on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway (MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer); Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (20th Century Fox); The Academy of Natural Sciences (TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer); Dance Iquail in "Black Swan."
Pulaski Day Parade was on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway (MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer); Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (20th Century Fox); The Academy of Natural Sciences (TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer); Dance Iquail in "Black Swan."Read moreTop image clockwise from top left

You might want to pack an umbrella yet again there's another chance of rain this afternoon. Though today's weather isn't as cool as it was over the weekend, you can definitely feel autumn in the air thanks to the release of our fall arts guide. But if that doesn't get you excited for the changing seasons, maybe a midterm election preview will. Just less than two months out, it's already shaping up to be an energetic day in our region.

Reading this online? Sign up here to get this newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning.

— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

The leaves are already falling, the weather has cooled (somewhat), and football is back. That can only mean one thing: it’s about to get very artsy around here.

Philadelphia will soon be full of concerts, festivals, comedy shows, exhibits, movies and more. Our critics have picked the best of what's coming for our fall arts guide so you can sit back and enjoy the harvest.

It’s not just you — the upcoming midterm elections feel unusually charged. Though every national election carries significant stakes, voters are feeling the energy as Democrats try to gain a foothold in Congress and Republicans look to protect their stronghold.

Surveys even show registered voters think it's more important to cast a ballot in November than in past midterms.

Why does this election feel so different? Division over President Trump and his agenda have turned the midterms into a referendum on what the U.S. is and what it could be.

What you need to know today

  1. Hurricane Florence is still expected to make landfall later this week. Amtrak and some airlines are changing plans ahead of the storm, but if the hurricane follows its predicted path that in itself would be a surprise.

  2. President Trump joined an annual remembrance at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa. yesterday, and gave a speech honoring those lost during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. When asked about Hurricane Florence preparedness later in the day, he called the government's response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, where nearly 3,000 people died, "incredibly successful."

  3. The Burlington County man accused of taking GoFundMe donations meant for homeless man Johnny Bobbitt was arrested Monday for driving with a suspended license.

  4. The White House has moved closer to rolling back Obama-era rules reducing oil and gas industry leaks of climate-changing methane gas, which would put an extra 380,000 tons of it into the atmosphere by 2025.

  5. Academy at Palumbo, a South Philly magnet high school, is suffering from major flooding. Workers even had to collapse part of the cafeteria ceiling Tuesday.

  6. After a soggy field postponed Monday's game, the Phillies got swept by the Nationals in a doubleheader at home Tuesday, leaving their season in critical condition.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

That's so gross-looking yet beautiful, @soozi3q.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we'll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!

That’s Interesting

  1. Philly labor groups have recently thrown their weight, time, and resources behind immigrant issues, joining the trend of social justice movements embracing intersectionality.

  2. It's been nearly a week since the Eagles beat the Falcons in the season opener, but reporter Jeff McLane is still finding takeaways in the film breakdown of their red-zone defense.

  3. Philly native, WNBA superstar, and former Temple women's basketball coach Dawn Staley never intended to coach. Now she's about to lead the USA national team to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.

  4. Finding mental health resources on a college campus can be notoriously difficult, so students are turning to Facebook memes and online communities to cope.

  5. If you're seeking adventure, a new Philadelphia travel company may be able to help. Highline creates wild trips with plenty of hiking, yoga, and scenery.

  6. You already know about the rooftop bar, but have you met the other local businesses which now fill the Bok Building? It's got everything from coffee to skincare to woodworking.

Opinions

"But a true 'break with the past' … means a thorough rejection of the devastating agenda carried out by the SRC."
— Lisa Haver, the co-founder of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools, on what the new Philly school board needs to do to make a
  1. Politicians in North and South Carolina have waged a war on science in the face of climate change, so perhaps Hurricane Florence will be science's way of answering back, writes columnist Will Bunch.

  2. Pennsylvania's legislators are hiding from voters while on summer vacation, but once they return there's a lot of work to do, writes the Inquirer Editorial Board.

What we’re reading

  1. Famed eatery South Philly Barbacoa is about to appear on the critically acclaimed Netflix series Chef's Table. Generocity's interview with the activist owners is a warm look at their uniquely American story.

  2. NextCity has taken a look at what cities like Philadelphia are doing to reuse vacant lots and St. Louis's "Mow to Own" program is certainly worth reading about.

  3. The Temple News dedicated a special issue to exploring #MeToo on campus and its collection of student stories is powerful.

  4. Can socialists win over Minnesota? Refinery29's story on the young women trying to turn the midwest a different shade of red is an election season must-read.

  5. Rom-com fans had a great summer. The Ringer's analysis of the genre's resurgence is as escapist as the movies it reviews.

Your Daily Dose of | Weird Science

On Monday, a Judas Priest concert in Camden could be heard loud and clear across the river in Queen Village. Listeners have a “perfect auditory storm” to thank (or blame).