🍽️ The best diners (still left) in Philly

🏆 Penn Scientists Win Nobel Prize

On Monday, two University of Pennsylvania scientists, Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó, won the prestigious Nobel Prize in medicine for their pivotal role in discoveries that proved vital to the creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. The award is a recognition of decades of research by the duo, who met by chance at the university in the 1990s, and worked together to discover new ways to utilize messenger RNA in medical treatments. [Inquirer]

Philly Journalist Shot In His Home

Freelance journalist Josh Kruger, 39, was shot and killed at his Point Breeze home early Monday morning, according to police. Responding to reports of gunfire, police arrived at the scene around 1:30 a.m. to find Kruger in the street. Authorities believe a home intruder inflicted the critical wound, while also acknowledging there were no signs of forced entry, no murder weapon was found at the scene, and no arrests were made. A recent contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Billy Penn, the Philadelphia Citizen, among others, Kruger also worked for the Philadelphia city government from 2016 to 2021. [NYT]

📢 Recent Highlights (and Low-Lights) in Philly Sportsdom

• The 76ers all-star beard-haver and foul-baiter, James Harden, continued his offseason of malcontent Monday by skipping the team’s scheduled media day session. General Manager Daryl Morey confirmed in a press conference that Harden is still requesting a trade, to no one’s surprise. [ESPN]
• After securing the No. 4 seed in the National League, the Phillies begin their (hopeful) march to October glory tonight as they face-off against their divisional rival Miami Marlins in the first game of a best-of-three series. The good news? All three games, if needed, will be played in Philly. The bad news? Miami has a winning record (7-6) against the Phils this season. [NBC Sports Philly]
• As the dust settles on another week in the NFL, the Birds are in sole possession of first place in the NFC East and one of two unbeaten teams in the NFL after an O.T. nail biter against Washington. [Sports Illustrated]

🫘 Latin Flavors | Wednesday | 3:30 p.m.

Savor Latin American-inspired dishes like veggie tostadas and Ecuadorian lentil stew at the South Philly Library. Masks encouraged 😷 [East Passyunk, free admission]

🧛 The Count's Halloween Spooktacular | Friday-Sunday | Hours Vary

Get the whole family dressed up in their Halloween best for this not-so-scary but very family-friendly event at Sesame Place. [Middletown Township, Tickets start at $44.99]

🏳️‍🌈 OURfest: National Coming Out Parade | Saturday | 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Volunteer or join in from the sidelines at the only parade in the U.S. dedicated to National Coming Out Day. [Gayborhood, free]

🎉 Old City Fest | Sunday | 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Celebrate the unique sights, sounds, and tastes of Philly in the city's Historic District. [Old City, free admission]

The Best Diners Left in Philly

South Philly’s iconic Melrose Diner was demolished last month to make way for an apartment building. The plan is to reopen a smaller version of Melrose in the same spot. But other local landmarks haven't been so lucky, and have gone out of business or reduced their hours as dining habits and the city change.

Host Trenae Nuri talks with Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Beatrice Forman about what made Melrose Diner special. And, they share a list of the city’s best remaining diners, from early morning breakfast spots to 24-hour dinner counters.