From Delco to DOGE | Morning Newsletter
🍷 And Pennsylvania uncorked.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It’s Friday, Philly, and with it comes some sun before this weekend’s predicted rain.
Elon Musk campaigned relentlessly for President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania last year. Now, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency is the motivation for Democrats’ political pushback. Our top story today tracks the billionaire’s shifting influence in the state and beyond.
And for a palate cleanser, find out what your neighborhood loves to drink with our breakdown of the most popular wine and spirits by zip code.
— Julie Zeglen ([email protected])
P.S. Friday means trivia. Our latest news quiz includes questions on baby tortoises, an Eagles surprise, and more.
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He campaigned at a Delaware County high school, jumped up and down on a stage in Butler, and poured millions into get-out-the-vote efforts across purple Pennsylvania.
The efforts paid off. With Trump back in office, Elon Musk is now one of the most powerful people in the U.S. government, responsible for slashed federal jobs and funding via DOGE.
But that relentless campaigning in 2024 also became a catalyst for Democrats’ political pushback in 2025, especially in Pennsylvania, where those opposed to his steep governmental cuts are looking for ways to win back Republican seats in the midterms.
In other state news: Cody Balmer’s family said they tried to get him help before and after he allegedly set fire to the governor’s mansion. They received little response. Plus, here’s what to know about the review of security at the Harrisburg residence.
What you should know today
A 19-year-old New Jersey man was charged with arson for starting the Ocean County wildfire. The 15,200-acre blaze was 50% contained as of Thursday afternoon. And the 560-acre wildfire that broke out over the weekend near Jim Thorpe in Carbon County was almost fully contained on Thursday morning.
The University of Pennsylvania has settled a lawsuit over the handling of the remains of a MOVE bombing victim kept at the Penn Museum — and on display — for years.
The Bucks County Sheriff’s Department is seeking to join a controversial partnership program where local police officers help federal agents enforce immigration laws.
A Drexel Hill ambulance company will take over emergency medical support for Upper Darby on Monday as Crozer Health phases out its services.
Central Bucks’ superintendent is on leave after a report found abuse of special education students.
Philly homeowners whose properties are worth less than $110,000 would pay nothing in property taxes if a proposed City Council bill is approved. And Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration is defending a move to eliminate a tax break that helps small businesses.
The city finally hired a veterans affairs director, filling a state-mandated position that had been vacant for four years.
Regional planners calculated the impact on traffic if the proposed SEPTA cuts happen, and yes, it’s really bad. Meanwhile, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia wants to build a giant parking garage in Grays Ferry to allow workers to more easily drive to work amid “continued public transportation challenges.”
The NFL draft kicked off last night. Follow our coverage of the Birds’ moves throughout the weekend at Inquirer.com/Eagles.
Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores in Pennsylvania sell a lot of booze each year — $2.53 billion worth, from pints of whiskey and boxes of wine to cans of locally crafted vodka seltzers.
🍷 Each area has its own preferences. In my Philly zip code, for instance, tequila is the most popular liquor, while red wine (port, especially) outsells white.
🍸 Compare that to Bryn Mawr, which loves its white wine, or Doylestown, which consumes a ton of ... Baileys?
🍹 Check your zip code with The Inquirer’s Pennsylvania Uncorked tool.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, we’re resurfacing an explainer from 2018 on a Hunting Park merry-go-round that delighted local kiddos for decades in the early 20th century. Despite earning Philadelphia the nickname “the birthplace of the American carousel,” the ride disappeared by 1968.
The carousel, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, lives on today — nearly 500 miles away, in Ohio, where kiddos ride it still. Here’s the full explanation.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🧠 Trivia time
In a contentious neighborhood meeting this week, Bella Vista residents met with lawyers representing Angelo’s Pizzeria to discuss the crowds and chaos the fêted shop attracts. Which was not floated as a possible solution?
A) Hiring a security guard
B) Conducting a traffic study
C) Establishing a community taskforce
D) Relocating to Angelo’s ghost kitchen location
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🤘 Remembering: When Graduate Hospital was the epicenter of Philly’s punk rock and new wave scene.
🪿 Welcoming: Another doo-wop Wawa in Wildwood and the Cherry Hill Mall’s forthcoming Dick’s House of Sport.
☕ Sipping: Espresso down the Shore.
⛳ Preparing for: The PGA Tour’s Truist Championship in Philly this May with this guide — and for the brand-new Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic.
🏥 Considering: This warning about private equity ownership amid the closure of Crozer’s hospitals.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: If you don’t have one by May 7, today’s anagram is what might happen to your travel plans.
DERAIL
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Andy Wan, who solved Thursday’s anagram: University of Pennsylvania. A group of physicists from the school will share the prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics with an international team of thousands of researchers.
Photo of the day
An Olympian took to the track at Franklin Field on opening day of the 2025 Penn Relays Thursday. And even more remarkably, it was a current high schooler.
Wishing you a weekend that feels much longer than a 4x100 relay. Thanks for kicking it off with The Inquirer.
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