Welcome to February.
Sunday is set to be partly sunny, and wind chills from an offshore storm will make it feel subzero in Philly. The Shore is expecting minor flooding, made potentially worse by the full moon.
In today’s main read: A Grammy-nominated music producer and engineer calls Philadelphia “the indie music capital of the world.”
Further on, we unravel questionable deals for student rentals around Temple University that have raised concerns about potential mortgage fraud.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Philly’s ‘ultimate hype man’
From a young age, Will Yip dreamt of working in music. Tonight, he could go home with his first Grammy.
Yip is a go-to collaborator for acclaimed bands like Philly’s Mannequin Pussy and Baltimore’s Turnstile. He recorded Turnstile’s breakthrough Never Enough in Los Angeles, which netted five Grammy nominations.
But even without his first golden gramophone, the producer will come back home to his new state-of-the-art studio in South Philadelphia, ready to cook up more bangers.
In Yip’s own words: “Everyone is like, ‘Bro, why are you building a million-dollar studio? Aren’t studios dying?’ They are. But my brand of music, that I’m lucky enough to work with, is flourishing. Rock is back. I’ve waited my entire life for this, for people to want electric guitars. I’ve felt it bubbling for the last 10 years. And now it’s happening.”
Pop critic Dan DeLuca has the story on Yip’s road from Philly to the Grammys.
Plus: Here are our Grammy predictions (and a little rant in defense of country music stars), and a shout-out to Philly rapper Eve, who finally got recognition for her verse on “You Got Me” by The Roots and had kind words for her hometown.
Mortgage scheme
An Inquirer investigation found that Philly-area real estate agents brokered $45 million in questionable deals for student rentals around Temple.
The findings: More than two dozen professionals helped arrange the sale of apartment buildings at inflated prices. These rentals had sat on the market for months, then abruptly sold for about double their asking prices.
The key player: Patrick C. Fay of Coldwell Banker was involved in every deal. After The Inquirer published a report concerning 33 of Fay’s deals around Temple, Coldwell cut ties with him. But Fay had a counterpart on the other side of every transaction, including agents at Coldwell and other major brokerages.
The impact: These sales raise concerns of mortgage fraud and could affect property assessments and tax bills, and lead to foreclosures. Records show at least one such property has gone into foreclosure over an unpaid mortgage.
Uncover the full report from Ryan W. Briggs and William Bender.
What you should know today
- Some Philadelphia high schools reported difficult conditions Friday as a bitter cold snap gripped the region. Classrooms at one storied magnet fell to “untenable” temperatures below 40 degrees.
- The dangerous cold also saw nonprofits field hundreds of calls for shelter and outreach workers to help Philadelphians experiencing homelessness move into warming centers.
- The U.S. Senate passed a bill late Friday to fund the federal government, but a short-term shutdown still went into effect Saturday. Sen. John Fetterman crossed the aisle to vote for the compromise bill. Here’s how other local senators voted.
- A recently engaged South Philly couple rang in the new year in Puerto Rico. A wrong turn led to an ambush, and only one made it home.
- A former Philadelphia medic is accused of taking money from a 72-year-old woman’s wallet after she was pronounced dead at her Center City apartment.
- A judge ordered former Philadelphia Art Museum director and CEO Sasha Suda to submit her wrongful-termination claim to arbitration under her employment contract, rejecting Suda’s bid for a jury trial.
- As Gov. Josh Shapiro criticized federal agents, a Republican challenger for his seat says Minnesotans — and Pennsylvanians — should cooperate with ICE.
- The NBA suspended 76ers forward Paul George for violating its antidrug policy, dealing a significant blow to the team’s season. He will miss 25 games without pay.
An enduring vision
Before February was Black History Month, it originated from Negro History Week. It was founded in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, the child of two formerly enslaved parents.
In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially expanded its recognition.
Born from an effort to encourage Black people to learn and reflect from history, it would become a project between Woodson and Black schoolteachers.
In a column for The Inquirer, educator Rann Miller explores the origins of Black History Month and its enduring legacy in Philadelphia and beyond.
❓Pop quiz
To Provenance chef Nicholas Bazik, this place is “as close to a perfect diner as it gets.”
A) Silk City
B) Broad Street Diner
C) Sulimay’s
D) Bob’s Diner
Think you know? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: One of the most memorable moments in Eagles history
APPLY CHILLIES
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Lynne Wlodarczyk, who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: Curtis Institute. The Center City music school is in the early stages of dreaming about the eventual use of the beloved Art Alliance building on Rittenhouse Square.
Photo of the day
🎶 Today’s track goes like this: “Please, don’t fall in love with everything on opening night / Flashback to infinity, just one more time.”
One more musical thing: A dozen Mummers string bands got their encore at the chilly Linc on Saturday. Thousands of people cheered them on “like it’s New Year’s Day all over again.”
👋🏽 That’s it for now. Thanks for stopping by this morning, and have yourself a great day.
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