What’s With the Texas Ads on the Backs of SEPTA Buses?
Plus, will Mayor Kenney make an endorsement? And would any of the candidates actually want it?
This Texas Medicaid ad has shown up on the back of SEPTA buses in Philadelphia (photo courtesy @notliamanders0n/Twitter)
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What’s With the Texas Ads On the Backs of SEPTA Buses?
An observant Twitter user noticed a curious thing on the streets of Philadelphia the other day: an ad for Texas Medicaid on the back on a SEPTA bus. And it turns out it’s not just one bus displaying the odd ad.
Fortunately, an Austin TV station got wind of the ads and made inquiries.
A SEPTA spokesperson told KXAN that Texas and Philadelphia apparently use the same printer for medical assistance advertising on buses. And somehow, the Texas ads wound up being sent to SEPTA. And I guess the person who installed the ads on the buses didn’t have enough coffee that morning to realize something was up.
SEPTA is planning to remove the Texas ads. Now if we could only get it to do something about those Jawn Morgan ones!
Political Movements
Rebecca Rhynhart may have won the endorsements of former mayors Nutter, Rendell and Street. But she didn’t get so lucky when it came to former mayor Bill Green, who just endorsed Allan Domb. If you’re a relative newcomer to Philadelphia, you might not recognize the name. Green is “a mayor who left office before I was born,” says one of my colleagues. Green served as mayor in the early ’80s, between Frank Rizzo and Wilson Goode.
No word on whether Goode will make an endorsement, though since he’s the guy still plagued with the legacy of the MOVE bombing, maybe an endorsement from him isn’t exactly welcome. Speaking of not exactly welcome, it’s hard to imagine any candidate wanting the backing of current mayor Jim Kenney. Maybe he’ll give it to the one he likes the least. I wouldn’t put it past him.
After endorsing Cherelle Parker for mayor, her former opponent in the race, Maria Quiñones Sánchez, has made some new endorsements. She’s picking Rue Landau, Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Erika Almirón and Luz Colon for City Council-at-Large. For City Council District 7, she’s going with Quetcy Lozada. District 8? Cindy Bass. City Commissioner? Lisa Deeley. Okay, okay, okay. That’s all well and good. But more than one set of eyebrows at my office was raised by her endorsement for sheriff. Quiñones Sánchez has backed controversial incumbent Rochelle Bilal. Things that make you say hmmmm.
And, the Inquirer wonders, could all of Cherelle Parker’s local pol endorsements actually be hurting her? And will all of Helen Gym’s bigwig endorsements from outside of Philadelphia help?
By the Numbers
10: Years the Philly-based TV show The Goldbergs managed to run before finally airing its last episode last night.
2: Mayoral candidates who bothered to respond to a list of important questions about the arts in Philadelphia.
22: Stores in Reading Terminal Market forced to shut down on Thursday due to an electrical problem.
20: Seats in Philly’s newest BYOB.
And from the L.A.-L.A.-Land Sports Desk …
For a recap of last night’s Sixers-Celts playoff game, go here. Meantime, lo, miracles do happen! Thanks to a Trea Turner double (more doubles!), a couple of walks and a sac fly off starter Gavin Stone, the Phils were up by one at the end of the first yesterday afternoon. Doubles (I’m telling ya!) by Harper and Castellanos and singles by Bohm, Marsh, Sosa and Stubbs in the third tacked on four more runs. The Dodgers managed to grind one out in the bottom of the inning off starter Aaron Nola, then got two more on a homer by Miguel Vargas in the fourth. In the fifth, Victor Gonzalez came in for Stone, to be replaced by Yency Almonte in the sixth.
Late-Inning Fireworks
A Chris Taylor triple off Nola in the seventh brought in Seranthony, and a Freeman sac fly brought Taylor home: 5-4. In the eighth, Almonte came out and Caleb Ferguson came in. There was a bit of a brouhaha over whether Ferguson had a pitch-clock violation — the home-plate umpire “completely screwed it up,” Kevin Stocker opined on the radio — but it got straightened out, and the Phils went down one-two-three. Jose Alvarado pitched the bottom of the inning and gave up a single to Miguel Rojas; James Outman then doubled. Miguel Vargas hit a grounder to Turner, who nailed Rojas coming home for the second out; the Dodgers challenged the play to no avail. Hairy! Austin Barnes hit a line drive that Sosa missed snagging. Oh hell: 6-5 Dodgers. But Barnes was caught stealing, at least. Last-chance time!
Schwarber ground out. Graterol came in to pitch. Turner couldn’t beat a great play on his grounder. And my my, who was up? Why, Harper! He got a single, his fifth time on base for the game. Castellanos’s turn. He worked a walk on a ton of pitches, bringing up Stott.
https://twitter.com/NBCSPhilly/status/1653895894813618178
Up came Bohm, with men on first and second, and he … struck out. On to the bottom of the ninth, with Kimbrel in for Alvarado. Chris Taylor singled. Craig threw three straight balls to Mookie Betts … and got him on a called strike. Then he walked Freeman on purpose and Will Smith not on purpose. And Max Muncy whaled a grand slam. Goddamn. Phils lose, 10-6.
Phillies get swept by the Dodgers giving up 36 runs in 3 games
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) May 3, 2023
They come home to face the Red Sox on Friday.
All Philly Today Sports Desk coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.
