Friday Morning: U.S. House committee flags Penn investments

Friday, March 17

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Good morning, Penn.

I am filling in for Jonah today. A former Penn professor will receive $1 million after the University was found guilty of retaliating against her, and SEPTA awarded a contract to purchase new trolleys. But first, Penn refuted allegations by a United States House Committee that its endowment includes investments in multiple "adversarial" entities.

Today's top story

Photo by Son Nguyen

Penn disputes U.S. House allegations

A letter sent to Penn President Liz Magill from the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means claims that Penn's endowment invests in three foreign entities identified as "adversarial" by U.S. government lists. In a statement to the DP, the University wrote that it holds no direct investments in the three referenced entities.

Four more big stories

After winning a retaliation lawsuit against the University, a former Penn professor was awarded $1 million.
The new program manager of Penn Student Agencies is instituting a new strategic plan to revive businesses following COVID-19.
Penn Hillel is hosting events in celebration of Israel Week, aiming to "uplift and share [their] Israeli culture with with the Penn community."
SEPTA awarded Alstom Transportation Inc. a $714 million contract to purchase new, ADA-compliant trolleys by 2027.

Opinion

Columnist Aksa Choudhry argues that Philadelphia’s needle exchange programs have proven to be an effective means of harm reduction despite stigma.

Sports

With a dominating 10-run sixth inning, baseball secured a 15-5 victory over Villanova in its home opener.
Women's basketball was thoroughly trounced by Richmond, 75-52, in the first round of the WNIT.

Today in DP history

In 2016, the DP reported that nearly 80 percent of first-year students wished they did not have to be on a meal plan, citing pricing and poor food quality. Recently, two dining halls amassed 100 observations of health code violations during recent inspections by the Philadelphia Office of Food Protection.

This week in print

Missed this week's print issue? Read the DP's weekly paper online here.

From 34th Street Magazine

From copyright lawsuits to misogynistic lyrics, Drake and 21 Savage’s album is riddled with scandal. Writer Mehreen Syed explores the pair’s recent project "Her Loss" and the controversy surrounding it.
Cecily Nishimura (C '23) makes herself present in nearly every art-related field. With a major in design, and minors in fine arts, architecture, and art history, she experiments and takes inspiration from all around. Writer Josephine Buccini spoke to the senior about her passion for creativity.

Today's newsletter was copy edited by Maddie Pastore.

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