🏎️💨 Let's get going, Monday!

🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a high of 72 and a low of 48.

Today’s newsletter is 1,026 words — a 4-minute read.

Work is now underway on the next phase of the renovation of McPherson Square in Kensington.

The big picture: The rehab of the notorious public green space — widely known as Needle Park — could become the biggest test of Mayor Cherelle Parker's ultimate goal of shutting down open-air drug markets in the neighborhood.

State of play: Last week, the city kicked off a $21.7 million project that will fully restore the interior and exterior of the Carnegie library at the site, as well as upgrade the square's amenities.

• Timeline: Roughly two years.

Yes, but: The Free Library and Parker administration have yet to set up a local temporary location for the community to access library services and programs.

• Mark Graham, a spokesperson for the Free Library, tells Axios the agency is in the process of securing a lease and setting up a temporary spot, expecting it to open later this year.

Plus: The city will fence off the entire six-acre square for the project (playground and all).

• The result: The neighborhood is cut off from another much-needed public space.

Context: Kensington is the epicenter of the city's opioid crisis, suffering from entrenched open-air drug markets, blight and homelessness.

• Parker has pledged to revive the neighborhood.
• Under Parker, the police have ramped up enforcement and cleared encampments of homeless individuals.

Zoom in: Despite the mayor's efforts, the square remains a haven for open drug use and homelessness.

• Last Thursday afternoon, the square itself was largely vacant, but small groups of homeless individuals could be seen keeping to the park's periphery.
• A police officer in a cruiser was stationed at the park.

Worth noting: The Parker administration declined Axios' requests for comment.

What they're saying: Sarah Laurel, executive director of the nonprofit Savage Sisters, which helps people with substance use disorders and those experiencing homelessness, tells Axios she applauds the city's efforts to revive the public space.

• But she noted the community could greatly benefit from more immediate investments — public restrooms, wound care and housing.

Read what else the project includes

The LeJawn era officially starts today.

Why it matters: Sixers fans will get their first peek at how much LeBron James has left in the tank when he makes his preseason debut, likely logging limited minutes against the defending-champion Knicks.

The big picture: Preseason games are virtually meaningless — but not in Philly this year, where fans will get an early look at how James gels with his new teammates on one of the Sixers' most talented rosters in decades.

• The regular season begins Oct. 20, when the Sixers face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Driving the news: The Sixers haven't even stepped on the court, but they're already dominating the Knicks in one big way: demand for tickets on the secondary market.

• TickPick tells Axios it has sold 113% more tickets for Sixers games this season than for Knicks games.

By the numbers: Average Sixers ticket prices on TickPick have more than doubled, from $109 at the start of last season to $279 heading into the Sixers' regular-season opener.

• StubHub told Axios that tickets for Monday's Knicks-Sixers game are fetching $150-$300.

Keep reading

🔍 Investigators are expected to ramp up their search today of the "house of horrors" home of late pornographer Raymond "R.C." Horsch amid an investigation into the disappearance of at least five women. (NewsNation)

🚘 Rearview mirror on my car, who's the fairest parallel parker of them all?

• West Mount Airy's Mario "One-Shot Mar" Zucca was crowned Philly's best parallel parker over the weekend, beating out 13 other contestants in the city's inaugural competition. (Inquirer)

🧀 🥩 ICYMI: An influencer is facing a harassment charge following a viral stunt in which he hurled a cheesesteak at an employee of Pat's King of Steaks. (6ABC)

Philadelphia-area universities are largely failing to create a healthy free speech climate on campus, per a new national ranking.

Why it matters: Students are self-censoring at high rates amid intense political pressure from the Trump administration and efforts by some universities to change policies in response.

How it works: The nonpartisan nonprofit Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) defined self-censorship as refraining from sharing views because of fear of social, professional, legal or violent consequences.

Zoom in: The University of Pennsylvania landed near the bottom of the nationwide rankings: 227th — up four spots from the previous year.

• It received an overall F grade for free speech and got low scores on students' comfort with expressing ideas and self-censorship.

Here's how other Philly regional schools ranked:

• Drexel University: 249th with an overall F grade
• Villanova University: 247th, F
• Swarthmore College: 217th, F
• Temple University: 145th, F

Full story

Many Eagles fans woke up today Monday morning quarterbacking the Eagles' fourth-quarter collapse against the Rams.

Why it matters: Four weeks into the season, the Eagles are playing mediocre football, which has some fans and pundits wondering whether this team is in crisis.

Driving the picture: Head coach Nick Sirianni is facing the brunt of the criticism over his decision to go for a touchdown rather than settle for a field goal late in the fourth quarter that would've put his team up 13 points.

Reality check: For better or worse, this has been Sirianni's modus operandi.

• Let's just call him "Big Stick Nick." Sometimes he moves the sticks with clutch play calls in the nick of time.
• And sometimes he sticks a finger in Eagles Nation's eye by overthinking easy points in gimme situations.

📬 Weigh in: Is Sirianni's propensity for going for it late in big games costing the Eagles easy wins, or do you appreciate his bravado?

😳 Isaac's gambling nickname is "Parlay Papi," so he understands the inclination to go big or go home.

• But even he thinks you have to settle for a FG in that situation and leave it up to your defense to keep the Rams out of the end zone twice.

Today's newsletter was edited by Jen Burkett.