Good morning, Philly.
The region’s biggest snow in 10 years had an icy finish, and it isn’t going anywhere soon. Read on to learn what it takes to clear 2,500 miles of city streets.
And after a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed a man Saturday in Minneapolis, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and other Democratic officials are responding, along with protesters across the country.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.
Trudging through
The weekend’s storm coated the city with more than 9 inches of snow, and upward of 9.5 inches in the wider region.
❄️ The follow-up sleet means “we’re going to have a rather glacial snowpack for the foreseeable future,” a National Weather Service meteorologist told The Inquirer.
❄️ Tackling a snow event in the city requires around 600 pieces of equipment and more than 1,000 employees. Think of it like a ballet, reporter Maggie Prosser writes after an overnight tour of the production.
❄️ If you’re feeling cooped up and eager to dine at your favorite neighborhood haunt, just make sure it’s open before braving the elements. Some decided as early as Saturday to close through Monday, weighing safety concerns and uncertain food deliveries against the loss of revenue.
See photos of the storm’s impact and the latest weather updates at Inquirer.com.
Another fatal federal shooting
The shooting death of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti by a federal agent in Minneapolis has sparked outrage in Philadelphia and across the United States.
The national view: State officials and protesters in Minnesota are demanding federal agents leave the state while federal officials assert the killing was justified. In Congress, Senate Democrats plan to block a sweeping government funding package in protest, increasing the likelihood of another shutdown at the end of the week. Meanwhile, the federal agencies that would typically be involved in investigating a shooting by an officer have been quiet.
Shapiro’s response: In an interview with CBS News, the Pennsylvania governor said he has plans in place should the Trump administration attempt a surge of federal agents here.
Local mobilization: At Shapiro’s book tour event Saturday at Philly’s Central Library, roughly 100 protesters gathered in the bitter cold to demand that the governor stop sharing state data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Hundreds also gathered Friday night in Center City to show support for Minneapolis, a city still reeling from another fatal shooting weeks earlier. See photos from the rally and march.
What you should know today
- A teenager admitted in court that he wanted to join ISIS and pleaded guilty last week to the attempted murder of a South Jersey police officer.
- The man who struck and killed Tracey Cary as she crossed City Avenue in a wheelchair in 2024 was sentenced Friday to three to six years in state prison. At sentencing, Cary’s sister remembered her as a beloved “favorite auntie.”
- In her run for Pennsylvania governor, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced she has fundraised $1.5 million in her first few months as a Republican candidate. She faces an uphill battle against Gov. Josh Shapiro’s $30 million war chest.
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Denver’s Soar Autism Centers are launching a local autism therapy network, starting with a location in Newtown.
- A massive, mixed-use warehouse project near Rowan University has hit a snag in the approvals process. A lawsuit blames a “rogue” employee and a rival firm.
- Some Philly-area workers are making $100,000 without a bachelor’s degree. See what industries and roles they’re in.
- The National Women’s Soccer League wants an expansion team in Philadelphia, if a buyer comes along, its commissioner told The Inquirer.
Quote of the day
Less than two years ago, RJ Smith was cooking elaborate tasting menus for four people in his Drexel University dorm room. Now, the 21-year-old chef is about to step onto a far bigger stage: a 120-seat restaurant overlooking Rittenhouse Square.
🧠 Trivia time
Now an advocate for women’s professional sports in Philly and beyond, which athlete was once a player-coach of the Philadelphia Freedoms tennis team?
A) Andre Agassi
B) Venus Williams
C) Andy Roddick
D) Billie Jean King
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re…
👞 Seeing: Costumes from the Oscar-nominated wardrobe of Sinners at the African American Museum in Philadelphia.
⛪ Ogling: This $2.5 million Society Hill church, soon to be a family home.
💌 Loving: The Inquirer’s series on life partners, including this edition on polyamory in Manayunk.
🥕 Noting: Chester County’s new grocery store offerings.
🏛️ Considering: What the removal of the President’s House Site slavery exhibits means for America.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: For car enthusiasts, the Philly _ _
OUST WHOA
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Jane Hughes, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Nihonbashi Philly. Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan visited Tokyo’s shrine to Philly culture, and he tried the cheesesteak. No way it passed muster — right?
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.
This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Alan M. Iavecchia, who describes the lifelong repercussions of a pretzel craving:
In May 1974, I was 20 and had just completed my second uninspired year of commuting to Temple University from Lower Mayfair. I woke up one beautiful spring morning, free of school and SEPTA stress, and decided to treat myself to some soft pretzels. That’s when the dominoes began to fall.
Domino #1: I walked three blocks to Pat’s, a mom-and-pop candy store that I hadn’t visited in years. While waiting for my pretzels, I noticed the newspaper rack and impulsively made my first-ever purchase of the Daily News. (Our home had daily deliveries of both the Inquirer and Bulletin newspapers, so I never had any need for the Daily News.)
Domino #2: The center page of that Daily News just happened to have a free ads promotion. I submitted an ad, and subsequently got a summer job at Philly’s historic J.B. Lippincott Publishing Co., two blocks behind Independence Hall.
Domino #3: At the end of that summer, I accepted a permanent job at Lippincott’s distribution center in Northeast Philly, foregoing college.
Domino #4: The following spring, the company bulletin board announced that Lippincott would be opening a West Coast distribution warehouse in San Jose. I requested and received a transfer there, leading to my first times on an airplane, buying a car, finding an apartment, and living alone, after 21 years in a rowhome overpopulated with our family of seven.
I spent nearly three decades in San Jose, but returned to my Mayfair home in 2002 for the final years of my father’s life. I reside there still. And while I happily partake of soft pretzels only a few times a year, each one always reminds me of those random dominoes of my life. California would never have happened without that free ad, and I would never have seen that promotion if not for my want of a pretzel.
Thanks for starting your week with The Inquirer. Be well.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Leave a Reply