Philly
Today
Thursday, August 21st, 2025
Good morning, Philadelphia. Here's your local news at a glance for Thursday, the 21st of August.
CULTURE NEWS
- ➤ Stephen Starr will debut his new restaurant, Borromini, on Rittenhouse Square after a year of creative planning with his team—experts expect it to set a fresh standard for Philly dining. Other local ventures, including a Jewish diner in South Philly and a fast-casual Asian concept in Powelton Village, will open later this year to expand the city’s food options. The Philadelphia Inquirer
- ➤ Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum announced a new human remains policy after two years of public backlash, staff departures, and leadership changes. At a public event on August 20th, staff explained that tours, labels, and digital materials will be updated to show more about the lives of past patients (their personal stories matter). WHYY
EDUCATION NEWS
- ➤ A local mother from Northeast Philadelphia says school choice is vital after her children thrived in a private school that offered safety and small classes when local public schools did not meet their needs—she supports the proposed PASS legislation that could provide up to $15,000 in scholarships to help families in underperforming zip codes access quality education. The Philadelphia Inquirer
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ SEPTA will raise monthly pass fares by 21.5% starting Sept. 1 as part of its doomsday budget—bringing service cuts on Aug. 24 and higher rates for reloaded passes. Passengers using autoload will see the increase on Aug. 26, while Key Commuter and student passes will keep their current prices until their next renewal. The Philadelphia Inquirer
- ➤ On Monday, about 20 SEPTA riders staged a sit-in at State Sen. Joe Picozzi’s Northeast Philly office to protest a funding plan that would cut transit service by 20% and raise fares to $2.90, arguing that diverting funds from SEPTA will hurt maintenance and daily users. Organized by the 215 People Alliance—these demonstrators stayed for two and a half hours before leaving at 4:30 p.m. and vowed to return until their concerns are addressed. The Philadelphia Inquirer
- ➤ PATCO will suspend its weekday overnight trains from midnight to 4:30 a.m. starting September 1 for six months so crews can deep clean concourses and complete rail projects—weekend owl service will continue and DRPA will decide on next steps when the pilot ends on March 1. The Philadelphia Inquirer
- ➤ Some SEPTA paratransit riders will lose service as deep cuts push them outside required boundaries. SEPTA will cut 32 bus routes and shorten 16 more starting Sunday—advocacy groups are helping riders find alternative transportation options. The Philadelphia Inquirer
SPORTS NEWS
- ➤ Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo impressed coaches in training camp and is set to play a bigger role in the season—coach Fangio noted his strength and work ethic from last year—and may soon become a key part of the defense. Metro Philadelphia
TODAY'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The quieter you become, the more you can hear.
~ Ram Dass
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