Pennsylvania rolls out automatic voter registration
It just got simpler to become a registered voter in Pennsylvania, thanks to a change announced today by Gov. Shapiro, the AP reports. Anyone getting a driver’s license in Pa. will now be automatically sent to the registration screen — whereas before they had to opt in. Similar “automatic” voter registration already exists in 23 states. As of now, about 8.6 of 10 million eligible Pennsylvanians are registered to vote.
In Philly, registration hit a three-decade high in 2020, with 1.12 million residents registered. The count has dropped since then; current stats show 1.03 million registered voters in Philadelphia.
➡️The deadline to register before the November election is Oct. 23. You can do that here.
South Philly’s renowned Korshak Bagels is closing for good
After two and half years of operations, Korshak Bagels is closing its doors for good this Sunday. The shop won a Bon Appetit nod as one of the country’s best new restaurants, was one of the first local cafes to unionize, and features regular lines down the block.
But owner Philip Korshak, also known for his poetry, said the finances wouldn’t work without compromise — and he isn’t willing to adopt “automation,” Ali Mohsen reports.
🏒 BP Quizzo live at Fitler Club: Join us tomorrow for Philly trivia in person at the garden of this social club next to the Schuylkill River in Center City. Your $25 ticket includes unlimited hors d’oeuvres and happy hour snacks, and the top score wins 4 tickets to the Flyers home opener. See you there?
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
• Sen. Fetterman endorsed Working Families Party candidates Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke for City Council, adding to the support they’ve been gathering from Democratic politicians as they attempt to keep Republicans from winning at-large seats. [@kendraforphilly/Philly Mag$/Billy Penn]
• Have something you want to tell Gov. Shapiro? He’s got a text line now: 717-788-8990. [Capital-Star]
• The push to institute open primaries — an effort that was renewed last year — has backing from all five of Pennsylvania’s living former governors (two Democrats, three Republicans). [BP 2022/City & State]
• 2023 brought the world’s hottest summer since the 19th century, but in Philly, it was apparently the coolest summer in almost a decade. [WHYY’s PlanPhilly]
• If you ride the BSL, a Route 15 trolley, or Regional Rail in October or November, keep an eye out for QR codes that will lead to a new art project exploring the daydreams of SEPTA riders and workers. [PhillyVoice]
• Meet Philly’s 2023-2024 youth poet laureate, Oyewumi Oyeniyi, a senior at Cristo Rey High School. [WHYY]
• The home stadium for Orlando’s MLS team is apparently selling a purple “Philly cheesesteak” — and the startling color is only the start of so many things wrong. [@FootyScran]
MAYOR WATCH: Sep. 19, 2023
At a groundbreaking ceremony for Kingsessing Rec Center’s $25 million renovation, Mayor Kenney joins Rebuild officials and reps from the Eagles, who are helping fund the revamp (9:15 a.m.).
ON THE CALENDAR
🕊️ Learn about ways to join Philadelphians in a series of peacemaking events all week to mark Peace Day 2023. Free. (Thursday, Sept. 21)
🍎 Do some after work grocery shopping while sampling goods from featured local businesses at the Magic Riverwards Night Market and cocktail party in Old City. (5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21)
🎭 Travel back in time to join trailblazing journalist Nellie Bly as she goes undercover in New York’s Blackwell’s Asylum in this operatic psychological drama by Opera Philadelphia. Tickets start at $75. (7 p.m. Sept. 21-30)
📘 Billy Penn is participating in Philly Story Fest, joining journalists from media outlets around Philadelphia to tell the city’s best stories on stage at the Bok. Tickets are $25. (7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5)
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