#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY
Echoes of playground fun in South Philly
(Photo by @_mtkrupka)
City Councilmembers, advocates push for AI protections
Artificial Intelligence is all the rage these days, and that’s true for the city of Philadelphia, too. A wide-ranging City Council hearing on AI this week offered a glimpse into its sprawling and potentially worrisome uses — from spotting potholes to issuing traffic tickets to potentially aiding ICE. Continue reading …
20 scary movie screenings around Philly to get you into the spooky spirit
As Halloween approaches, we’ve compiled a list of scary movie screenings around the city — including vintage cult classics, as well as fresh independent horrors. After all, sometimes it’s better to go through jump scares in a public, group setting. The movies in this roundup span from 1947 to today. Continue reading …
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
• Pennsylvania is not among the states with Democratic governors teaming up for a multistate public health alliance to counter Trump, RFK Jr. policy decisions. [Capital-Star]
• Trump’s controversial pick. Jennifer Mascott, will soon join the federal 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears cases from Pa., N.J. and Del. [WHYY]
• Penn joined other universities in declining to sign Trump’s “higher education compact” that would restrict student demographics and speech — in exchange for federal funding. Gov. Shapiro voiced his support for Penn’s decision.
• Jefferson Health is laying off about 1%, or roughly 600 to 700 people, of its employees this week. [Inq$]
• Philly estate planning program has helped 1,000 homeowners complete wills. [WHYY’s PlanPhilly]
• Philly-centric history books will offer a view into city’s unique place in American history. [Billy Penn]
• The Philadelphia Zoo is adding a 110-foot Ferris wheel ahead of next year’s 250th anniversary festivities. It will open Nov. 20. [PhillyVoice]
• Moki Cherry, the matriarch of a musical family, gets the spotlight at the Philadelphia’s Fabric Museum. [WHYY]
MAYOR WATCH
The mayor has no public events scheduled for today.
ON THE CALENDAR
🍂 Autumn festival lineup
🎞️ Scary Movie screenings
🎃 Halloween events across Philly, now through October
👻 Dia de los Muertos events
🏃🏽 Philly Runners Guide
Saturday, Oct. 18: Streets Dept. Excursion: Northeast Kingsessing Murals
On this tour, Conrad Benner will lead you on a zig-zag through the northeast section of this neighborhood to see new and old mural artworks and learn more about each of them, their artists, their stories, and how they got made. $20 tickets. (11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
Saturday, Oct. 18: Hound-O-Ween
A fall festival at Liberty Lands park is back for a 13th year. Join Street Tails Animal Rescue (STAR) for the annual fest and pet costume contest. Grand prize of $500. (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Saturday, Oct. 18: SuperGame Day at Cherry Street Pier
Browse a vibrant pop-up marketplace, show off your best cosplay, dance to live DJ sets, and catch a family-friendly movie. Free to attend. $15 entry for tournaments: Tekken 8, Super Smash Bros., Street Fighter 6, Marvel vs. Capcom: MVC2… (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Saturday to Sunday, Oct. 18-19: Philadelphia Open Studio Tours — West of Broad
View the directory of participating artists and the map online here. (12 to 6 p.m.)
Saturday, Oct. 18: Mutual Aid Market
Share no- or low-cost services and skills from neighbors! Also, bagel-making, an empathy circle, fiber arts, clothing alterations, coworking collective and more. (1 to 4 p.m.)
Saturday to Sunday, Oct. 18-19: Diwali Celebration: The Spirit of Jahaji
The 18th annual festival of lights honors the light carried by immigrant ancestors. This year, this includes reimagining Diwali in the Caribbean beyond caste constraints. Congregants will speak on the history of indentured labor, traditions transformed by migrants, and personal stories. Hosted at the Unitarian Society of Germantown. (Saturday 6 to 8 p.m. + Sunday 10:30 a.m.)
Sunday, Oct. 19: Dearly, Yet Oddly Departed
Join this entertaining walking tour to learn more about some of Laurel Hill Cemetery’s most eccentric personalities and the peculiar ways in which they departed this earth. Tickets from $8.50 to $12. (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
Sunday, Oct. 19: Stray Cat Scurry
Stray Cat Relief’s fourth annual Walk-a-thon at FDR Park is a scurry through the park trails benefiting the cats in our rescue along with stray cats of South Philly. Post-walk vendor shop, water ice, pretzels, and festivities to ’80s music. (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
Sunday, Oct. 19: Afrobeats & Mindfulness Workshop
Prepare to move to music from across the continent, most notably the sounds and styles of Azonto (Ghana), Amapiano (S. Africa), and the ever-evolving Afrobeats genre from the giant of Africa, (Nigeria). Class begins with stretching flow and will close with a brief meditation and cooldown. $10 sliding scale. At the Arts League. (12 to 1:30 p.m.)
Tuesday, Oct. 21: WHYY’s The Pulse Presents: Reimagining Menopause
WHYY’s Maiken Scott and a panel of the region’s leading menopause experts discuss the newest science on symptom management and treatment options. Free registration. (5:30 p.m.)
Through Oct. 26: 34th Philadelphia Film Festival
The 34th annual festival lineup includes the Philadelphia premieres of Rian Johnson’s new “Knives Out” mystery, “Wake Up Dead Man,” plus special event screenings and high-profile selections like Bradley Cooper’s “Is This Thing On” and Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet.” The 10-day festival also includes panels, Q&As, parties, networking events and multiple independent films from Philly-based and international filmmakers.
Through Jan. 3, 2027: The Declaration’s Journey — a new exhibit
To mark the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, the Museum of the American Revolution launches a major 1½-year long special exhibit exploring the history and global impact of the Declaration of Independence from 1776 to today.
The post Philly and AI; Scary movie screenings; Jefferson Health layoffs | Morning Roundup appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY.
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