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Joseph N DiStefano

@phillyjoed.bsky.social
776 followers 70 following 781 posts

JoeD@Inquirer.com I write about money and people mostly for the Philadelphia Inquirer www.inquirer.com/author/distefano_j… +OFS

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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
SEC wants to ease rule curbing political contributions from Wall Street managers. Let's recall the extortion and pay-to-play behind that rule - and what it failed to stop: www.inquirer.com/business/sec...
inquirer.com
SEC plans to ease limits on campaign donor practice that fed pension corruption
The rule was enacted amid a string of pay-to-play scandals. Americans have until Nov. 9 to comment on the change.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Kind Financial: Pa. cannabis payments operator charged with fraud against Main Line, Hollywood, pro sports investors. My story: inquirer.com/business/kin... Earlier: inquirer.com/business/kin...
inquirer.com
Main Line cannabis payments operator charged with $9 million fraud
David Dinenberg's Kind Financial won over investors and a few customers but couldn't turn a profit. He has been accused of stealing investors' and growers' money.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
@KindFinancial Pa. cannabis payments operator charged with fraud against Main Line, Hollywood, pro sports investors. My story: www.inquirer.com/business/kin... Earlier: www.inquirer.com/business/kin...
inquirer.com
Main Line cannabis payments operator charged with $9 million fraud
David Dinenberg's Kind Financial won over investors and a few customers but couldn't turn a profit. He has been accused of stealing investors' and growers' money.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Bloom Energy BE makes gas generators at its big subsidized factory in Delaware, struggled for years, struck gold w AI data-center deals and is now worth > than CMCSA or GM. Replaced MolsonCoors on SP500, Crypto. com on NBA 76ers patches. My story: www.inquirer.com/business/blo...
inquirer.com
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Hanwha Philly Shipyard leases nearby land for new facilities : www.inquirer.com/business/han...
inquirer.com
Hanwha is leasing another 47 acres at the Navy Yard
The shipbuilder is leasing additional room to grow as it aims for profits in its South Philly shipyard.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Bosses at Vanguard_Group, which 'plateaued' atop the U.S. (mutual+ETF) fund business, still want to grow much bigger, with Advice, Private assets, Bonds and cash; and, Running from political controversy. My story: www.inquirer.com/business/van... See also: www.inquirer.com/business/van...
inquirer.com
After decades of fund growth, Vanguard pivots
The Malvern-based fund giant has moved its focus to advice, private assets, bonds, and cash.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
breaking this morning: Holtec pulls IPO as USA sentiment turns against data centers, nuclear power demand. My story: www.inquirer.com/business/hol...
inquirer.com
Holtec delays IPO, citing energy demand uncertainty amid U.S. data center backlash
CEO and founder Krishna P. Singh had hoped to raise over $750 million.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
breaking this morning: Holtec pulls IPO as USA sentiment turns against data centers, nuclear power demand. My story: www.inquirer.com/business/hol...
inquirer.com
Holtec delays IPO, citing energy demand uncertainty amid U.S. data center backlash
CEO and founder Krishna P. Singh had hoped to raise over $750 million.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
These Philly robot makers are boosting investments as US military spends $$$ on drones, autonomous systems: www.inquirer.com/business/raj...
inquirer.com
Philly-area war robot makers Asylon and Rajant reveal plans to score military contracts
Norristown's Asylon landed an investment from Germany's Bosch. Rajant of Malvern has hired a "top secret" team to win U.S. military work.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
And DRPA is just PA-NJ. They control 4 main bridges PA to South Jersey (and used to give out business $.) DRJTBC and BCBC toll bridges farther north. DRBA DE-NJ that controls a turnpikes bridge and ferry and ILG airport. PA has proposed but DE refuses 3-state port entity
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Delaware starts work on $700 million container port as up-river rivals PhilaPort and Holt Logistics plan their own. Will more docks mean a price war? And where will Amazon fit? My story: www.inquirer.com/business/del...
inquirer.com
Delaware Container Port plan is full speed ahead, despite lacking research showing it’s needed
The Delaware Container Port is designed to replace high-wage union industrial jobs lost when northern Delaware’s auto, steel and chemical works shut over the past 20 years.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
...too many people try to tell us this can't be done. America is still a land of opportunity for those who are prepared to do what it takes. Not always easy. People are still dying to get here for the opportunity.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
So glad you and your family rose thru your hard work and smarts. Thanks for telling.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Wow. My uncle, one of the Chosin Few USMC, worked on oil platforms + refineries for 30+ years, scorched lungs w naptha and benzene, still hobbling around upper Manhattan at age 96. You guys are tough and I bet you're stronger than those coatings by now. No thanks to shipyard management
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Reposted by Joseph N DiStefano
Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"Philly is going to struggle to recruit an industrial workforce. There is a rhyme and rhythm to an industrial city. You have industrial accidents. You have elevated rates of chronic conditions years afterward."
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Wow. Dad was at PNSY/PNB 1971-85 He wasn't a man for complaints When he relocated to GE, I asked him, "What was it like, getting off the base?" He said, "Like Lazarus when he came out of the tomb. Except, Lazarus was only there 3 days. I was there 15 years" Where did you work?
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
My Q&A with Gary Kim: "Shipyards are great for everyone except the people who work there. The economic boom is paid in blood." My latest, on why the real audience for shipyard recruiters shd be our 30MM construction, transport, factory workers. Q&A with Gary Kim: www.inquirer.com/business/han...
inquirer.com
Why don’t construction and factory workers want to build ships?
Gary Kim, formerly a junior officer with U.S. Navy construction units in Asia, detailed the painful conditions and skilled labor shortages at shipyards around the world.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Federal government detaining and deporting workers all over. What a waste. Screen em and sell em work permits
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Swarthmore Group: New owner tries to rebrand pioneer Black-owned stock-picking firm post-bankruptcy as a private-company investor, to match pension and endowment shift. My story: www.inquirer.com/business/swa...
inquirer.com
New owner for bankrupt Swarthmore Group plans shift to venture capital
Gerald Jones says the Philadelphia area needs venture capital for small industrial and retail companies, and he has a plan to raise some.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
U.S. takes Bronx-based, made-in-Philly training ship for six-month 'strategic' mission: Pentagon needs to beef up remote supply after Iran missile attacks crippled our Arab bases www.inquirer.com/business/ts-...
inquirer.com
U.S. grabs made-in-Philly training ship as Navy seeks to beef up bases after Iran hits
TS Empire State is expected to support U.S. forces stationed in the Indian Ocean after Iran bombed U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Wow. Thanks for the warning. Druther have the chance of a remote tornado, as in, far from here
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
This happens cause it's the most recent photo they have on file on a subject they don't usually cover...
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
CEO-Chairman at Philly-based mine and military drone systems maker $EXYN is Out after credit card investigation. My story: www.inquirer.com/business/exy...
inquirer.com
CEO of robot tech company Exyn is out after unauthorized credit card spending
Exyn Technologies CEO Brandon Torres Declet resigned after an investigation found $287,000 in personal expenses.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Contractors pivot to Trump priorities: As college, healthcare, housing projects slow, these builders + bankers hope AI data centers, Pentagon build-up will keep construction going. My story: www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
As Philly-area construction has slowed, builders are shifting to data centers and military projects
Philly bankers and builders are seeing a switch this year away from "eds and meds" and apartment construction toward heavy industry.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Ex- Philadelphia Fed, UDel presidentm Wharton dean Patrick Harker back @Wharton warning on US and global financial risk, and what not to worry about so much: www.inquirer.com/business/pat...
inquirer.com
Ex-Philly Fed chair is back at Wharton and on a quest to save the world financial system
"I’m where the vast majority of Americans are: They’re sick of ideology. It gets us nowhere," Patrick Harker says. "We are a pragmatic people. Let’s do reasonable stuff."
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
See also www.inquirer.com/business/min...
inquirer.com
U.S. officially ends production of the penny after 232-year run
Treasurer Brandon Beach said pennies cost more to make than they're worth, and Americans still have plenty in reserve.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Rope-a-dope, big companies do that.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Hanwha Philly Shipyard owner offers to buy money-losing Austal Alabama shipyard, nuclear-submarine fabricator, and California ship-repair for over $1 billion, after pulling out of NJ deal. My latest: www.inquirer.com/business/han...
inquirer.com
Philly shipyard owner Hanwha is shifting its investment focus to the South and West
Hanwha, which wants to expand in the United States, tried to buy facilities in Paulsboro, N.J., but couldn't reach a deal with Holt Logistics.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Disagree. Pets should be treated humanely but if you make them your priority over personal relationships - with people - you are limiting yourself unnecessarily.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
QVC's new hedge-fund owners name a post-John Malone board with retail/tech muscle, bring back ex-CEO John George as caretaker boss, and chart a future for the faded Pa.-based TV shopping giant. My story: www.inquirer.com/business/qvc...
inquirer.com
QVC brings in old boss and digital-minded board members as it comes out of bankruptcy
West Chester-based QVC cut its debt and shed its CEO in reorganization.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Healthcare and education = government-subsidized jobs
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Remote-shopping pioneer QVC's new hedge-fund masters replace media-billionaire John Malone's board with digital execs, and brings back an old CEO, for now: www.inquirer.com/business/qvc...
inquirer.com
QVC brings in old boss and digital-minded board members as it comes out of bankruptcy
West Chester-based QVC cut its debt and shed its CEO in reorganization.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Custom Mobile Food Equipment has grown a hot dog cart factory on the edge of the Jersey Pine Barrens into a provider of hand-built mobile steel kitchens to Disney, Carnival Cruise and many more, over three generations. Now coping with tariffs. My story: www.inquirer.com/business/cus...
inquirer.com
Meet the South Jersey business making food carts for Jersey Shore vendors and Disney World
For Custom Mobile’s hand-made stainless-steel food wagons and trucks, competition is cheap foreign carts and Wawa.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Hanwha vs Holt: How New Jersey lost a shipyard. My latest: www.inquirer.com/business/han...
inquirer.com
Hanwha vs. Holt: How New Jersey lost a shipyard
Hanwha is now looking in southern states for a place to invest a chunk of the $5 billion it has pledged for U.S. shipbuilding.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
@PhillyShipyard vs @PhillyPortHolt : How New Jersey lost a shipyard. My latest: www.inquirer.com/business/han...
inquirer.com
Hanwha vs. Holt: How New Jersey lost a shipyard
Hanwha is now looking in southern states for a place to invest a chunk of the $5 billion it has pledged for U.S. shipbuilding.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Philly area construction slowdown? Jake Blumgart has been chronicling project delays and cancellations. Post Bros. has faced a dozen lawsuits from contractors who say they are owed, we review the suits, and the cofounder's response www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
Philly developer Post Brothers faces contractor lawsuits and a union campaign
The Post Brothers face 12 lawsuits from a variety of union-affiliated contractors over their Broad and Washington project.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Made-in-USA ships need Asian parts. My story about Hanwha Philly Shipyard's brand-new shipload of China and Korea built content for Jones Act container ships: www.inquirer.com/business/han...
inquirer.com
Hanwha is importing parts for made-in-America ships
American-made ships at the Philly Shipyard are built with Chinese fuel tanks and Korean steel.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Thanks kindly. I did not know how far USA production of this rop had fallen until I started receiving data for this story.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Both Wawa + Swiss Farms started Delco, Pa, '60s. Now Wood family-run Wawa has 1,000 USA stores, most w/gas; Swiss Farm, after failed PE + chain growth plans, just 10 drive-ups. New owner Arsh Pola to add gas at 25+ new Philly area stores, he tells me: www.inquirer.com/business/swi...
inquirer.com
Like rival Wawa, Delco’s Swiss Farms plans to add gas pumps under its latest owner
Arsh Pola, who owns gas stations, plans steady, incremental, gas-fueled growth for drive-up Swiss Farm Stores.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Both @Wawa + @SwissFarms started Delco, Pa, '60s. Now Wood family-run Wawa has 1,000 USA stores, most w/gas; Swiss Farm, after failed PE + chain growth plans, just 10 drive-ups. New owner Arsh Pola to add gas at 25+ new Philly area stores, he tells me: www.inquirer.com/business/swi...
inquirer.com
Like rival Wawa, Delco’s Swiss Farms plans to add gas pumps under its latest owner
Arsh Pola, who owns gas stations, plans steady, incremental, gas-fueled growth for drive-up Swiss Farm Stores.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Mushroom wars: As U.S. production plunges + farms shut in anti-immigrant labor crisis, family-owned Pa. growers cheer @CommerceGov finding: PE-backed Canada growers dumped fungi below cost. Higher prices could be next. My story: www.inquirer.com/business/ken...
inquirer.com
Pa. mushroom growers are divided over cheap, grocery-store fungi
Canadians are claiming more mushroom sales as Kennett Square growers grapple with labor concerns.
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
This Philadelphia suburb just cancelled Citizens Bank for funding private prisons that handle U.S. immigration deportees + have been the focus of human rights complaints: inquirer.com/news/chelten... Even though Citizens Bank says it doesn't fund them anymore: www.inquirer.com/business/cit...
inquirer.com
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Self knowledge is a wonderful thing, as we are reminded by those who lack
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Tragedy, unnecessary, discouraging to the people who help America
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Wow!
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
This is symbolic, Philly publisher of Chinese and Vietnamese newspapers and successful Chinatown restauranteur takes over an iconic space for a much larger joint
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
When it’s cooked You know it’s dead
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Train’s faster
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Hahahahaha
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Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
USA will keep making NSMV training/emergency ships at Hanwha Philly Shipyard, and Columbia Navy nuclear submarine modules at General Dynamics' Philly contractor Rhoads, Sen. McCormick says. I parse details: www.inquirer.com/business/shi...
inquirer.com
U.S. pledges to buy more Philly-made ships and nuclear sub parts
Hanwha's multipurpose ships and Rhoads' nuclear submarine modules will anchor waterfront investment, say Sen. Dave McCormick and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon.
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