‘Love the car, not the CEO’ | Morning Newsletter
And the fallout of federal layoffs
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
We made it to Friday. It should be partly sunny, but there’s a chance of showers.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become an increasingly public — and highly divisive — figure. We talked to some Philly-area Tesla owners who find themselves in a moral dilemma between Musk’s politics and his electric vehicles.
Further down, hear from federal workers in the region as they navigate the aftermath of sweeping layoffs in Pennsylvania and across the country.
— Paola Pérez ([email protected])
P.S. Friday means trivia. Our latest news quiz includes questions on the Philadelphia Orchestra, a viral neighborhood deer, and more.
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They say they purchased Teslas for environmental reasons. They regularly enjoy the features and perks, like dog mode, and have fun driving the EVs. But behind the wheel, some owners feel uncomfortable about their tie to Elon Musk.
Tesla owners in the region are wrestling with their financial support of the CEO, as Musk has become an increasingly controversial figure in President Donald Trump’s administration.
Some drivers try to separate Musk from the company’s employees, but others are experiencing buyers’ remorse. Some have even reported harassment, while others fear targeted attacks.
As Tesla dealerships continue to attract demonstrations against the company, there’s also a growing movement among owners to sell their cars. Some are opting to remove their signature badge, or to adorn the Teslas with anti-Musk stickers, like the one Jennifer Tran and her husband, Eric Griffin, put on theirs pictured above.
In Tran’s own words: “We try to really put our dollars into companies where our values really align. If it were today, we wouldn’t go out and buy a Tesla.”
Consumer reporter Erin McCarthy has the story.
Beyond Tesla drivers, Musk’s moves have impacted the lives of federal employees in Pennsylvania and across the U.S. in recent months.
The Trump administration and Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have set out to shrink the federal workforce and cut government spending. Roughly 1,000 to 1,400 federal employees in Pa. have been fired or put on administrative leave since Trump was inaugurated.
The exact number is hard to pin down because some workers have been reinstated but placed on leave. Unemployment claims have also risen in the state in recent weeks, but those who were affected by the DOGE overhaul and are on paid leave won’t appear in those claims.
Life after layoffs means navigating an uncertain future. In Philadelphia, organized efforts have materialized to support these workers and help them find a new job.
Business reporter Ariana Perez-Castells details the lasting damage of these layoffs, and more potential cuts on the horizon.
What you should know today
A 70-year-old man shot and killed a man who tried to break into his South Philadelphia home Thursday morning, police said.
A Bucks County resident was diagnosed with measles Wednesday, health officials announced, and beforehand had visited several locations in the area while “potentially contagious.”
Three former Philadelphia homicide detectives were acquitted Thursday of lying under oath about a murder investigation that put an innocent man in prison for decades, but two of them were convicted of making false statements about DNA evidence in the case.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s proposed budget would slash a benefit that provides free SEPTA passes to city employees, a perk that the administration has promoted as a help in workforce recruiting and retention.
Joseph LaForte was sentenced to over 15 years in prison for running Par Funding, the now-defunct Philly-based lending company, as a criminal enterprise.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System received the final regulatory approval for its acquisition of Bucks County’s Doylestown Health and plans to complete the deal next week.
A Main Line doctor who terrorized the family of her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend was sentenced to 11½ to 23 months in jail.
The Philadelphia School District is bracing itself to hit a fiscal cliff. Expenditures are outpacing revenues, and the school system will dip into its fund balance to stave off classroom cuts and layoffs.
Alterra Property Group is planning a 300-unit apartment building in Conshohocken on land owned by SEPTA.
The Flyers fired head coach John Tortorella. He leaves his post with a 97-107-33 record.
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 Joseph A. Gambardello on the gaze of the 37-foot-tall statue of William Penn from City Hall.
Alexander Milne Calder, its sculptor, wanted Penn to face south so that he would be lit by the sun during most of the day. So why does it face northeast instead? 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
It looks like Chesco native Bam Margera will be a playable character in the remake of the popular skateboarding game Pro Skater 3+4 — reportedly at Tony Hawk’s insistence.
What’s the last Tony Hawk game Margera was featured in?
A) Pro Skater 2 (2000)
B) American Sk8land (2005)
C) Underground 2 (2004)
D) Proving Ground (2007)
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🚘 Testing: Our knowledge of Philly’s highways, expressways, and streets.
😋 Hungry for: A meal at two historic country inns across the Delaware.
🌺 Planting: Tropical plants in our gardens this summer.
🐟 Excited about: The Atlantic City aquarium finally reopened this week.
🥊 Remembering: This week in Philly history, when Rocky won best picture at the 49th Academy Awards.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: The musicians who serenade the Linc on Sundays
BEND APP
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Stacy Stone, who was the first to solve Thursday’s anagram: Bryce Harper. “The Showman” hit his sixth career opening-day home run Thursday night. The Phils beat the Nationals 7-3.
Photo of the day
👋🏽 It feels good to wake up with a Phillies victory. May this be a great start to your weekend.
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