N.J. at the Supreme Court | Morning Newsletter
🛒 And grocery hauls gone viral.
The Morning Newsletter
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We made it to Friday, Philly. Yes, it will probably rain this weekend.
New Jersey led the legal argument against President Donald Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship on Thursday, its solicitor general urging the Supreme Court to bring clarity to the matter through a nationwide ruling.
And on social media, Philadelphians are demonstrating how to spend as little as possible on a weekly grocery haul in an effort to combat economic uncertainty — and get engagement.
— Julie Zeglen ([email protected])
P.S. Friday means trivia. Our latest news quiz includes questions on a Taylor Swift sighting, a giant pride flag, and more.
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New Jersey was in Washington, D.C., this week as the Supreme Court considers a case related to birthright citizenship.
The case concerns a long-established constitutional provision that children born on American soil are American citizens. Arguments on Thursday focused on a separate but critical question regarding federal district court judges. New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum argued the case on behalf of the 22 states that sued.
The state’s attorney general, Matthew Platkin, told The Inquirer he was “very proud of the fact that New Jersey is leading, particularly in this case. We’re a state built on immigrants. This is who we are. It’s also who we are as a nation.”
Immigration reporter Jeff Gammage explains.
In other federal policy news: Democratic state lawmakers and health providers in the region are warning that billions of dollars in Republican-proposed Medicaid cuts will devastate their constituents, especially Black patients. And Montgomery County leaders pledged not to deputize county workers to perform federal immigration enforcement — but advocates want them to go further.
As many consumers look for ways to save amid rising costs, the supermarket has become one of the latest subjects of crowdsourced financial advice found online.
🛒 Shoppers in the Philadelphia area and beyond are posting their so-called grocery hauls, showing off purchases while discussing meals plans and how to find the best deals. Some take a “gamified approach” by challenging themselves to spend less on essentials so they can budget those funds elsewhere.
🛒 Similar to No-Buy and Low-Buy 2025 challenges, this shopping strategy has helped some people spend more mindfully. But frugality isn’t the only focus for everyone.
🛒 “A lot of people are just looking for ideas for what to cook during the week, what to buy at the grocery store,” a Logan Square lifestyle influencer told The Inquirer. And “saving money is always a really great engagement factor for content.”
What you should know today
The body of a 36-year-old contract worker who fell into a South Jersey creek on Wednesday has been recovered, police said.
At the now-closed Crozer-Chester Medical Center Thursday, Gov. Josh Shapiro called for legislation limiting private equity’s role in healthcare. Plus: Pa. GOP lawmakers still want answers from state police on how last month’s arson attack on Shapiro happened.
District Attorney Larry Krasner has endorsed a slate of judicial candidates, raising questions about judicial independence.
Philly City Council on Thursday started the legislative process for approving parts of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s signature housing initiative, but some uncertainty remains.
Pennsylvania State University trustees will meet next week to vote on a plan to close seven of its Commonwealth campuses.
A celebrated and embattled former Northeast High teacher has sued the Philadelphia School District, alleging anti-Islamic bias.
The Montco SPCA hired a new chief executive, nearly eight months after its previous leader resigned following an Inquirer investigation into chronic mismanagement and euthanasia.
Meet Alex Geppert, the Rutgers University student who earned two associate’s degrees while in high school and will get his bachelor’s degree this month at age 18. Next up: a doctorate in AI.
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 have an explainer from reporter Michelle Myers on our polyglot city, where over 300,000 residents speak at least one other language at home besides English. Census data counts 41 languages spoken by Philadelphia residents, while the Office of Immigrant Affairs has recorded translation and interpretation requests for 119 languages since 2022.
As some recent immigrants told Myers, it can be a challenge to navigate public transportation and understand how Philly systems work when you don’t speak English. But there are efforts to make the city more multilingual friendly. 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
Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania recently developed a new treatment for a Delaware County infant with a rare metabolic disease, CPS1 deficiency, using what kind of technology?
A) Artificial intelligence
B) mRNA vaccine
C) Virtual reality
D) CRISPR gene editing
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🛍️ Remembering: When the Franklin Mills mall opened in the Northeast on this week in Philly history.
🌳 Climbing: Trees alongside the pros in Bucks County this weekend.
📺 Anticipating: The locally filmed Task, HBO’s Mare of Easttown follow-up starring Mark Ruffalo.
🧢 Wondering: If Philly’s best cheesesteak is really the one baseball players eat at Citizens Bank Park.
🚎 Considering: This Republican state rep’s case for privatizing SEPTA. (Like Uber’s new bus-like Route Share rides, perhaps?)
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: The Philadelphia Zoo’s oldest residents are this type of reptile
TAGALOG ESOTROPIAS
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Jonathan Schmalzbach, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Schuylkill Banks. A new $48 million pedestrian bridge connects the Center City trail to Grays Ferry.
Photo of the day
I’ll be celebrating my birthday this weekend by finally visiting South Philadelphia’s operatic Victor Cafe, and hopefully catching some pole climbing at the Italian Market Festival.
Wishing you a Philly-tastic couple of days, too. Paola will have your news needs covered. See ya Monday!
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