💰 Shapiro’s big biz backers | Morning Newsletter

Good morning, Philly.

As Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro seeks reelection, his business-friendly brand has drawn millions from CEOs — including some with interests in Harrisburg.

And can legacy brands like Coach bring Gen Z shoppers to the mall? Cherry Hill Mall executives think so.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Deep pockets

Gov. Shapiro has sought to build a profile as a pragmatic, business-friendly leader who can “get s— done.” He has also proven adept at raising campaign cash from people who have business interests before state government.

By the numbers: Nearly 240 executives gave almost $8.6 million to Shapiro’s reelection campaign last year, including 27 who gave $100,000 or more.

Industry ties: CEOs in industries ranging from coal mining to gambling to real estate are among those helping to bankroll the campaign. Many donors are based outside Pennsylvania, including the head of a Baltimore company seeking to restart a nuclear reactor near Harrisburg, and the Florida data center developer eyeing locations in the state.

Eyeing 2028: Shapiro’s fundraising could invite scrutiny if he makes a run for the White House, particularly among voters dismayed by the role of money in politics.

Reporters Andrew Seidman and Joe Yerardi dig into the data.

Retailers’ resurgence

Mall executives are counting on legacy brands to inspire consumers’ love of IRL shopping.

Consider Coach, the 85-year-old high-end retailer that has found renewed popularity among Gen Z and millennials. Younger fans say they like that it’s more affordable than other luxury brands, and that it lets them lean into the “Y2K, late-’90s, early-’90s nostalgia” fueled by social media.

Coach’s new shop in the Cherry Hill Mall is seen by the shopping destination’s leaders as one sign of its success — especially as other area malls close.

Consumer reporter Erin McCarthy explains how other legacy brands are faring amid shifting trends.

What you should know today

• The Trump administration has given shifting rationales for its decision to attack Iran, from regime change to eliminating its nuclear program. Plus, oil prices surged after the U.S.-Israel strikes, and the impacts have already started to trickle down to gas stations.
• The University of Pennsylvania was cut from the Pentagon’s list of colleges that will lose tuition assistance for military officers.
• Commerce Secretary and Haverford College mega-donor Howard Lutnick will testify before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
• Nine firefighters were injured after a floor collapsed as they fought a two-alarm fire Monday night in Wynnefield.
• A former Burlington County mayor pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and child endangerment after an incident last March that prompted calls for her resignation. And a Montgomery County school bus driver was charged with driving under the influence and related crimes after she drove children while intoxicated, officials said.
• A federal jury in Philadelphia awarded $1.67 million to the sons of a diabetic man who died in a city jail in 2023.
• Pennsylvania had 12 confirmed cases of measles among state residents and two more involving visitors to the state as of Tuesday.
• Philly school officials want to close Harding Middle School in Frankford and replace it with a K-8. Teachers worry programs will be lost.
• Philadelphia launched a high-stakes charm campaign to lure the 2028 Democratic National Convention. With the city now a host finalist, what comes next is a public relations effort and fundraising push.

Quote of the day

Burpee, the Philly-born seed seller, celebrates 150 years in business alongside the country’s Semiquincentennial. It’s thriving again after past periods of financial trouble.

🧠 Trivia time

Former Phillies pitcher Phillippe Aumont left professional baseball in 2020, but the 37-year-old is returning with Team Canada — and he’ll face his old team today. What has he been up to the past few years?

A) Modeling

B) Studying for the bar exam

C) Coaching

D) Running a pig farm

Think you know? Check your answer.

🏒 Hockey fans: What is the Flyers’ plan for the NHL trade deadline? You can ask that question and more during a Reddit AMA with The Inquirer’s Jackie Spiegel today at 2 p.m. EST in the r/Flyers subreddit.

What we’re …

🛒 Remembering: When the A&P grocery chain said it was closing its city stores on this week in Philly history.

🍴 Eager to watch: Cherry Hill chef Nana Araba Wilmot on Top Chef.

🦐 Already tasting: The full-flavored cooking of the legendary Peter Chang, now in the Philly burbs.

🥯 Anticipating: The Philly area’s crop of new restaurants for March.

⛪ Considering: What today’s American churches can learn from Germany’s past theologians.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: 🏁 🏎️

AN ARCS

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Byron Peebles, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Christiana. Delaware’s only Nordstrom, in the Christiana Mall, is closing. But the luxury retailer is opening more Nordstrom Rack locations, including in Deptford, Exton, Marlton, and Media.

Photo of the day

🏛️ One last affordable thing: The Franklin Institute and five other cultural institutions will continue to offer $2 tickets for low-income patrons, thanks to $7.6 million in grants from the William Penn Foundation.

Go look at something beautiful today. See you back here tomorrow

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