It’s finally Friday, Philly. The morning may be foggy, then the day should turn partly sunny with highs nearing 80.
Students and other renters are caught in the crosshairs of a possible mortgage-fraud scheme near Temple University.
Further on, we’re flashing back to a massive fight that turned the 1999 Phillies home opener into an unforgettable “Wild West” moment.
Plus, lawmakers in the region react to the firing of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and more news of the day.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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A previous Inquirer investigation uncovered how real estate agents in the Philadelphia area brokered $45 million in unusual deals for dozens of student rentals around Temple.
Now, foreclosures are underway for some properties after buyers stopped making mortgage payments. The growing filings are the clearest signs of trouble connected to the questionable sales.
A potential wave: One expert told the Inquirer that a tide of foreclosures could have far-reaching consequences. The latest filings include two buildings on the 1800 block of North 18th Street and properties on Willington Street and North Park Avenue.
An uncertain future: Some residents have received pre-foreclosure warnings, and others have been notified of their building being foreclosed. Some worry they will be locked out of their homes.
Not just Philly: The FBI is investigating similar inflated sales of more than 700 properties in Baltimore. About half have since lapsed into foreclosure.
Get more details from reporters Ryan W. Briggs and William Bender.
What you should know today
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Terminal C has reopened at Philadelphia International Airport. TSA checkpoints for Terminals F and A-West remain closed.
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Deputies handcuffed and removed protesters staging a sit-in at the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office Thursday. The demonstrators sought to meet with Sheriff Rochelle Bilal and demand her to help stop ICE arrests at the Criminal Justice Center.
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Regulators suspended federal support for a health clinic in North Philadelphia because the organization is four years behind on filing required audit reports.
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Democratic lawmakers from Pennsylvania and New Jersey took a victory lap Thursday after President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi. Sen. John Fetterman, the only Democrat to vote for Bondi’s confirmation, did not issue a statement at the time of publication. Neither had Republican Sen. Dave McCormick, who also voted for Bondi.
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Pride flags at Upper Perkiomen Middle School have reignited a dispute about whether the district’s schools should display them.
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Philadelphia’s largest misdemeanor diversion program will soon expand its reach with more hours and three new neighborhood locations.
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A new lawsuit accuses Philadelphia CBD Kratom stores of failing to adequately warn consumers about the dangers and addictive properties of its beverage products.
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Gov. Josh Shapiro raised a whopping $10 million in the first three months of 2026, according to his campaign, a haul amassed on the heels of a nationwide book tour and media blitz.
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Under a new Navy contract, Hanwha Philly Shipyard will work with a partner barge marker to build oiler ships for the U.S. Navy.
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The Free Library is looking to add Sunday hours at several branches later this year.
🎤 Now I’m passing the mic to sports features writer Alex Coffey.
Every year around late March or early April, a video starts to circulate among Monsignor Bonner’s Class of 1999. It is just over three minutes long, with no sound, but any member of that group would immediately recognize it.
The scene was Veterans Stadium, April 12, 1999. The Phillies were playing their home opener against the Atlanta Braves on a breezy, brisk Philadelphia afternoon.
In the fourth inning, a cameraman noticed some commotion below the Coca-Cola sign near center field.
The 700 level was prone to fights, but this brawl looked different. He zoomed in to find dozens of what looked like teenagers slugging it out. A few started to tumble down the seats.
This footage is the clearest documentation of a melee so infamous it became national news. You can make out each student’s face, and even see the logos on their T-shirts.
— Alex Coffey
Read on to hear the Class of 1999 relive the encounter in vibrant detail.
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 on where and how the National Weather Service measures temperature around here.
The city hit a record 84 degrees on Wednesday. But in some parts, it may have felt cooler, or perhaps warmer. So how do the temps projected on our weather apps actually get calculated, and where are they measured from? Here’s the full story.
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
This HBO Max show has been giving repeated love to the Sixers, with several main characters referencing the team and its players:
A) The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins
B) The Pitt
C) Abbott Elementary
D) Scrubs
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re…
📰 Remembering: Sen. John Heinz and six others died when a plane and helicopter collided on this week in Philly history.
🎸 Rocking out to: Robert Plant, Hayley Williams, Philly shoegaze heroes Nothing, and more gigs this week.
🏡 Noting: Which Main Line suburbs ranked among the best places to live in the country.
📖 Reading: Weird Girl, a Port Richmond librarian’s debut book “for the oddballs.”
📱 Considering: The implications of celebrities using their platform to spread misinformation.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Colombian pop superstar (one word)
AHA RISK
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Jay Sitkin, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Parks on Tap. Philly’s traveling beer garden returns next week. Check out the schedule, locations, and new food and drink menu.
👋🏽 Thanks for starting your weekend with us. Take care.
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