It’s Friday, Philly. The Arctic chill returns this weekend, along with the possibility of a dash of snow and 50 mph gusts. We might not see 20 degrees in the region until Monday.
The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics officially kick off today. We tracked all the Philly connections to the games, from a South Jersey figure skater to Donovan McNabb’s niece.
And Philadelphia lawmakers appear poised to pass legislation that would ban all officers operating in the city — local police as well as federal immigration agents — from concealing their identities. The question is whether they can make that rule stick.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Local Olympians to watch
Philly, it’s time again to hunker down in front of the TV to watch the most aerodynamic humans on earth pull off wild feats of athleticism and think (i.e. lie) to yourself, “Maybe I’d be good at luge.” It’s the Winter Olympics, baby!
The region is well represented in Italy this month, with local athletes competing across several events:
⛸️ Figure skater Isabeau Levito, part of the trio known as Team USA’s Blade Angels, was the 2023 U.S. champion and 2024 world silver medalist. The 18-year-old was born in Philadelphia and lives and trains in Mount Laurel.
🥌 Curler Taylor Anderson-Heide is a five-time national champion. She grew up in Broomall and trained with her identical twin sister at the Philadelphia Curling Club in Paoli.
🥽 Speed skater Andrew Heo returns after making his Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Games. He grew up in Warrington, and the family’s North Philly auto shop funded his Olympic pursuit.
Meet Penn State-alum Olympians and more with local ties.
Further reading: See our beginner’s guide to watching figure skating at the Winter Olympics, including “Quad God” and the pairs vs. dance programs. Plus, here’s how to watch the opening ceremony today.
Unmasking ICE in Philly
A City Council effort to ban all law enforcement officers from concealing their identities while on the job could test the limits of local power over federal agents.
The legislation is among the package of bills proposed by Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Rue Landau last month aimed at pushing back against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the city. If it passes, officers would be banned from wearing masks or using unmarked vehicles.
Advocates in the city, which is home to an estimated 76,000 undocumented immigrants, say unmasking ICE agents is a safety issue.
But experts are split on whether the bill would survive a federal lawsuit.
Reporters Anna Orso and Jeff Gammage explain.
In other ICE news: Philadelphia’s federal judges have been unusually outspoken and frustrated about what they call an “illegal” policy by ICE in recent weeks. And activists protested inside a South Philly Target store Thursday to demand that the company take a public stand against ICE enforcement actions at its stores.
What you should know today
- The winners of Thursday’s special election primaries in New Jersey will face off in April to fill Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s vacant 11th Congressional District seat.
- A Camden firefighter died Thursday after falling into the Delaware River while conducting maintenance on a fireboat.
- The family of a man who died in a Philadelphia jail last year contends in a lawsuit filed this week that jail staff did not offer him treatment for opioid withdrawal.
- A Michigan man who set fire to a Bensalem house to target his ex’s new boyfriend was sentenced Thursday to 20 to 40 years in prison.
- A Philly man applying for a job was rejected when he revealed a prior conviction. A federal court ruled that was discrimination.
- Conservation projects within the Delaware River Watershed, including a South Philadelphia wetlands park, will receive federal and private grants totaling nearly $29 million.
- Five cases of measles have been confirmed in Lancaster County by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
- A mega-development that would have brought 1,367 residential units to South Philly’s stadium district but was opposed by the Phillies, Eagles, and Comcast Spectacor appears to have fallen apart.
- This week’s “first” in Philadelphia Historic District’s 52 Weeks of Firsts program celebrates Society Hill’s Mother Bethel, the country’s first African Methodist Episcopal church.
Plus: Can you ice fish on the Schuylkill?
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, we have an explainer from reporter Nate File on the legality of a chilly winter pastime. As Philadelphia police reminded us this week, you’re not supposed to walk on the frozen river. But what about ice fishing?
Sorry, that’s also quite illegal — not the act itself, but everything it would take to get there. Here’s the full story.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🧠 Trivia time
Beloved Center City dive bar Dirty Franks just announced a big change. What is it?
A) It will be open 24 hours a day
B) It will ban anyone 24 and younger from entering
C) It will charge $24 for 24 shots
D) It will close in 24 days
Think you know? Check your answer.
P.S. Want more trivia? Our latest news quiz includes questions on a former DA’s new gig, a famous groundhog’s home, and more.
What we’re …
🕙 Remembering: When the City Hall clock kept the wrong time on this week in Philly history.
⚾ Glad to see: Orion Kerkering facing his season-ending error head-on, and with a little humor.
🗣️ Appreciating: John Waters’ comparison of the Philly and Baltimore accents.
🎤 Always happy to hear: Jordan Mailata singing, even like this.
🏙️ Considering: Black Philadelphia’s role in shaping democracy.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Delaware County borough
EARTHWORMS
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Joi Washington, who wins because she may be the first Inquirer newsletter reader to solve an anagram about themselves: Media. Learn how Washington is settling into life as the Delaware County borough’s mayor — a part-time gig — after a historic win last fall.
Photo of the day
🦅 One last spiritual thing: Sermon on the Lot, the new photo book by Cherry Hill native Mike Cordisco, compares Eagles fandom to a religious experience. It also features a “sermon” from Philly journalist Dan McQuade, who died in January.
Thanks for ending your week with The Inquirer. Wishing you a calm weekend.
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