Morning, Philly. Expect a cloudy start to the first full week of 2026.
After a boutique on South Street received a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for selling breast binders for gender-affirming care, the region’s transgender community worries about the potential wider impacts.
And survivors of the explosion that rocked a Bristol nursing home last month recount a persistent gas smell and lack of concern by staff in the hours before.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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A notice over binders
A federal warning has sparked outrage within the Philly area’s transgender community.
The FDA sent a warning letter to South Street’s Passional Boutique & Sexploratorium, along with 11 other businesses, for selling breast binders for gender-affirming care. In the Dec. 16 letter, the agency said the store is violating regulations because it is not registered to sell the binders, which are classified as a medical device.
Agency Commissioner Martin Makary has said the businesses market the binders to minors, but Passional employees dispute that their company does. The warning letter came as President Donald Trump’s administration moved to cut off federal funding from hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to children.
Trans Philadelphians say it’s a clear and alarming attempt to restrict access to gender-affirming care for all, not just children and teens.
In their own words: “This is going to create a chilling effect for anyone who needs a breast binder,” one person told The Inquirer. “It’s all just to open the door to eventually say, ‘Trans people are not allowed to exist.’”
Reporter Wendy Ruderman has the story.
‘The whole hall smelled like gas’
Dec. 23 began as a typical day at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Bucks County — besides the persistent gas smell.
More details are emerging about the circumstances surrounding the explosion that killed two people and injured 20 others at the facility last month. One former resident who spoke to The Inquirer said staffers had acknowledged a gas leak earlier in the day, but said Peco had fixed it.
But investigators still face key questions as they seek to determine the cause of the explosion and assess whether Peco, the nursing home, or both may have been negligent.
Reporter Barbara Laker has more details from the day of the deadly incident.
What you should know today
- Venezuelans in Philadelphia report mixed reactions to the U.S. strike against their home country over the weekend, from elation to trepidation. Some Ukrainian Americans are feeling an uneasy sense of déjà vu, too.
- Amid conflicting recommendations, Americans are now more likely to trust the American Medical Association than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when it comes to vaccine guidance, a University of Pennsylvania study found.
- If she makes it on the ballot, Carlisle lawyer Karen Dalton will be Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry’s first primary opponent since 2012, the year he first won the seat.
- New Jersey lawmakers passed a bill to prohibit households from being denied housing because they use public assistance.
- Vandals scrawled racist and antisemitic graffiti outside Roxborough High School, prompting community members to respond Sunday by chalking positive messages onto the school sidewalk.
- Montgomery County is addressing homelessness with an unusually bipartisan effort, which will result in three new, emergency short-term shelters by the end of this year.
- Construction on the South Street Pedestrian Bridge’s footbridge expansion, planned for years alongside the capping of I-95, will begin this spring.
- “Leaving a legacy” has been a catchphrase ahead of the World Cup. What will that mean for children in Philly?
Quote of the day
GM Sauer spoke to The Inquirer about SEPTA’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year, from train fires to service cuts, as well as what commuters can expect in 2026.
🧠 Trivia time
The United States’ first balloon ride happened in 1793 in Philadelphia. The hydrogen-powered balloon took off from what was then the Walnut Street Prison workyard, and is now what?
A) Penn Museum
B) LOVE Park
C) Walnut Street Theatre
D) The Athenaeum
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re…
💸 Noting: The one really great thing about renting in Philly, according to a Boston transplant.
🎓 Inspired by: This 67-year-old high school dropout who just graduated from college.
🏘️ Learning: Lessons about first-time home buying in Philly and how renovations can strain a relationship.
🎨 In awe of: The massive 1932 N.C. Wyeth mural, now reborn in Wilmington.
🩺 Considering: How to support nurses amid federal attacks.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: _ _ Township in Chester County
DEBTS FORWARD
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Bob LaBelle, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Nicole Michalik. For the 92.5 XTU host, a perfect day in Philly starts with coffee under the covers and ends with a Sixers win.
Photo of the day
📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story
Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.
We’re in search of new “only in Philly” stories for our 2026 series, so dig into your memory bank and send ‘em over. I can’t wait to read them.
Have a great week. Thanks for starting it with The Inquirer.
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