Blue wave in Pennsylvania; Art Museum outreach ideas; Weekly gun violence brief

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

Explosion of light on Chestnut Street
(Photo by @karenbenson.eyeful)

Democrats sweep Pa. congressional seats

Democrats went into the 2026 midterms expecting a blue wave. The party ultimately racked up historic wins both in Pennsylvania and across the U.S. Continue reading…

Democrat Bob Harvie declared victory in the U.S. Congressional race for 1st district in Pa. on Nov. 3, 2026. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

What Philadelphians want to see at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is on track to have its strongest attendance year since 2019, although still not back at pre-pandemic levels. What could increase interest and successful outreach, asked WHYY’s Maiken Scott?

A glamorous gala, knight fights and more fun hangs are among the suggestions made by Art Museum fans. Continue reading…

The Roman goddess Diana at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (File photo/WHYY)

BP Quizzo Question of the Day

By distance, which three New Jersey counties are closest to Philadelphia?

Goats from the Philly Goat Project visit Temple university on Election day in an effort to encourage students to vote. (Rana Rastegari/WHYY)

POST-ELECTION NEWS

• Election 2026: Here’s who won and who lost in Pennsylvania. [WHYY]

• Gov. Josh Shapiro wins reelection in Pa., defeating Stacy Garrity. [WHYY]

• Democrat Bob Harvie defeats Republican Brian Fitzpatrick to take Pa.’s 1st Congressional District. [WHYY]

• Chris Rabb could bring a new approach to Congress. What does Philly expect? [Billy Penn]

• Blue wave erodes margins in Pennsylvania’s GOP strongholds. [Capital-Star]

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• Drexel suspends two frats amid sexual misconduct, hazing investigation. [PhillyVoice]

• A year’s work, a month’s revenue: Inside Philly’s haunted house business. [Billy Penn]

• At this Mayfair high school, Philly teens take over Election Day polling place. [WHYY]

• For high-achieving students, girls and students of color, learning disabilities can be harder to recognize — and getting help can depend on access to resources. [Billy Penn]

• After missing the Easter rush, Zitner’s has resumed chocolate production in time for winter. [Billy Penn]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker has no public events scheduled for Wednesday.

Weekly brief on gun violence prevention (with PCGVR)

We publish this report each week in partnership with the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting.

Two of the biggest gun violence prevention groups are merging: Cure Violence and Cities United — the latter founded by the mayors of Philadelphia and New Orleans in 2011. [The Trace]
‘Education makes Philadelphia safer’: How to help justice-involved students stay on track. [Chalkbeat]

By the numbers in Philadelphia

15: Shooting victims recorded from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1 with 3 fatalities, according to city data. During the previous week, 18 shooting victims were recorded, including 2 fatalities. [Source: nickhand.dev]
153: Year-to-date homicides, down 20% vs. last year’s pace; down 67% vs. five years ago. [Philly Police]

Highlights from Billy Penn’s City Guide

How Philly works: A look at the city’s governance
From the mayor to City Council to the budget process and row offices, Billy Penn explains the wheels of power.
Philly’s Navy Yard is becoming a neighborhood. Here’s what it’s like now
Once a sprawling military shipyard, the Navy Yard is adding homes, transit and more while holding onto its industrial past.

ON THE CALENDAR

Off-leash comedy show (Wednesday),
The late(ish) poetry show (Friday),
Market of the Macabre at Laurel Hill (Saturday),
AND MORE!

See the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar at BillyPenn.com!