Philadelphia officials are apologizing for a mix-up that led a city worker to paint over the historic 100 Steps granite stairwell in Roxborough.

Why it matters: Residents quickly blasted the paint job online, saying the local landmark should be preserved — not painted over. Now the Parker administration is rushing to undo it.

Driving the news: A worker from the city's Community Life Improvement Program resorted to painting over graffiti tags on the stairwell because a power washer hose "could not reach" them, city spokesperson Keisha McCarty told Axios.

• The city was sending a cleanup crew to the steps yesterday with additional equipment to "have it properly removed," McCarty said, a day after Axios asked about the repainting.

What they're saying: "We apologize for the incident and will work to remediate it as quickly as possible," she says.

Context: The gray paint job quickly went viral on social media, with commenters calling it "hideous" and a "travesty."

• Someone hung a sign on the steps in protest that read:
• "This wall is historic & beautiful. Well over a century old. Made with local stone found nowhere else on Earth. Stones that glimmer like silver. And in 1 night you decided to smother it with a flat gray paint. Without consulting anyone."

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Christina Aguilera and Jill Scott will headline Philadelphia's Fourth of July concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Why it matters: The free concert is the finale for the Wawa Welcome America Festival, marking the nation's 250th birthday.

Driving the news: Comedian Wanda Sykes will host the One Philly Unity Concert For America on the Fourth that will also feature Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Other big names include:

• Seal;
• The Roots;
• Kathy Sledge;
• Infinity Song; and
• State Property, featuring Freeway, Beanie Sigel and Young Gunz.

Plus: The July 4 concert begins at 5pm — the same time that the city's Round 16 World Cup match kicks off.

• The show concludes with fireworks over the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The intrigue: When Mayor Parker and organizers unveiled the festival's lineup yesterday, officials teased that Philly sports legends and actors would make appearances during the concert.

What's ahead: The 16-day festival includes free museum days, free movies, block parties and the always-popular free hoagie day on July 1.

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🎞️ Philly's own Quinta Brunson will star as Betty Boop in a new film adaptation she's developing on the world's most famous flapper. The film will trace the origin and evolution of the iconic character. (Variety)

🗣️ In a social media post, District Attorney Larry Krasner called on longtime Philly Democratic Party chairperson Bob Brady to resign in favor of younger leadership.

• Krasner also denounced fellow Democrats for fighting against progressives — a rebuke that comes days after progressive Chris Rabb won the Democratic primary for the state's 3rd Congressional District.

👀 U.S. Sen. John Fetterman's chief of staff resigned on Wednesday, a source familiar with the move tell Axios.

• It's the latest exodus from the Democrat's office as Fetterman has struggled with staff retention while facing scrutiny over his health struggles and changing political brand.

College-educated fathers are spending less time doing paid work and more time doing things like child care and chores at home, according to a new analysis of Census data.

Why it matters: Millennial and Gen X men are more involved fathers than previous generations, a pattern that appears to have accelerated in the post-pandemic period.

Zoom in: The difference is particularly pronounced among college-educated men who are part of a couple, finds a new working paper, an analysis of census data from Ariel Binder, a research fellow at the American Institute for Boys and Men.

Reality check: Women still do much more unpaid work. Among couples with at least one young child, women do nearly 15 more hours weekly than men (down from nearly 19 hours in the pre-pandemic period).

Between the lines: For decades, women have been increasing their working hours and slightly reducing their time in unpaid work — while men's patterns have been relatively stable.

• Now, something else is going on — possibly a real cultural shift in expectations for men.

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Hershey is celebrating its shared hometown roots with soccer star Christian Pulisic ahead of the World Cup.

Why it matters: A new commercial pairs one of Pennsylvania's most recognizable brands with one of American soccer's biggest stars, who Time magazine dubbed "Captain America."

Driving the news: The campaign includes limited-edition Pulisic bars and packaging highlighting his journey from Pennsylvania soccer fields to international stardom with AC Milan.

• Hershey plans free giveaways next month in Hershey and NYC's Time Square, plus an interactive pop-up in Philly (June 25-27) featuring family activities and giveaways.

What they're saying. In one of the spots, a chocolatier lauds Pulisic for collecting "trophies and defenders' ankles" before the commercial cuts to a smiling Pulisic opening a box of his branded bars.

• "But that's not why we love him. We love him because he's one of us. … Happiness is knowing home is always rooting for you."

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