Category: Newsletters

It’s Saturday.

Snow is a near certainty this weekend, with a winter storm watch starting early Sunday for the Philly area. Coastal flooding is possible at the Shore. Resident weather expert Tony Wood (or “AccuTony,” as we like to call him) has the forecast details.

Philly runs on Wawa. What endears people to the store? Scroll along for a deep dive into how hometown fans fuel the beloved chain’s success, and our staffers’ takes on its food quality over the years.

Plus, we’re talking about a battle of the beer festivals brewing in Philadelphia, a new all-day cafe dosing drinks with controversial psychoactive plants, and our report card for this week in news.

— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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What you should know today

• The Supreme Court ruling against President Trump’s global tariffs is good news, Pennsylvania lawmakers say. The state’s dairy industry has suffered. And in other federal news, a judge ruled that the Trump administration doesn’t need to finish restoring the President’s House for now.
• A 260-apartment development, largely composed of one-bedroom units, is the latest residential project slated for Ridge Avenue in East Falls.
• Several Quakertown High School students were taken into custody on Friday after a student walkout protesting federal immigration enforcement escalated into a confrontation that left at least one teenager bloodied and in handcuffs, according to witnesses and video footage from the scene.
• Philly Bierfest and the NYC-rooted Philly Beer Fest will be held on the same date this year, and their names sound nearly identical, but the similarities mostly end there. One wants the other to stop confusing customers.
• Two men have been arrested after breaking into a Lululemon store in Ardmore and allegedly stealing nearly $11,000 in merchandise, police said.
• A man was arrested after he allegedly placed hidden cameras inside restrooms at a Gloucester County barbershop where he worked.
• A new all-day lounge in Old City is betting on kava and kratom to pull crowds away from bars. The substances are associated with stress relief — and health risks.
• Haverford College could convene a committee to review whether U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s name should remain on the campus library, following newly revealed details of the mega-donor’s ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The school has also vowed to amend its events policy after a disturbance at a talk by an Israeli journalist.
• Tired Hands Brewing has turned its original Ardmore outpost into a private event space, for now, as its owner navigates the future of the beer company.
• Chicken bones, potholes, Bruce indoors, and a rush to book the Shore — this week’s Philly Report Card grades the city’s late-winter mood.

Quality check

Loyal customers in the Philadelphia area love Wawa. But as the chain grows, its expansion has tested the brand. With shifting menus and quality, how does it keep people coming back? To find out, consumer reporter Erin McCarthy spoke to the experts about Wawa’s “secret sauce” and how it set a national standard for success in the convenience store industry.

And for a dose of hometown critical analysis, Inquirer editor Evan Weiss polled features columnist Stephanie Farr, programming editor Tommy Rowan, and deputy food editor Jenn Ladd. They sound off on Wawa’s transforming food quality, and whether or not it’s changed too much, for better or for worse.

Got thoughts, opinions, or other ideas for topics we should debate? Send in your suggestions here.

One viewpoint

In this week’s Shackamaxon, Inquirer columnist Daniel Pearson gets into the numbers of the state of crime, public transit, and the economy in Philadelphia.

“Homicides are down, SEPTA ridership is up, and the city’s job growth proves unsurprising,” Pearson writes.

Get Pearson’s perspective on where these and other metrics stand.

📍 Find the location

Think you know where this lion is grazing? Our weekly game puts your knowledge of Philly’s streets to the test. Check your answer.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: A new streaming series that tells the story of America through the lens of Philadelphia

INUIT SPUR

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Kate Vengraitis, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Chris Rabb. The state representative from Northwest Philadelphia said he will not seek reelection while he runs in the Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District.

We were there

Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, better known as La Scala, is one of the world’s most famous opera houses in the world. It’s a popular stop for Winter Olympics spectators when they’re not at a sporting venue.

If it looks familiar, it’s no coincidence. Philadelphia’s Academy of Music was designed after La Scala.

My colleague Ellen Dunkel, who is in Milan covering the Olympics, takes us with her to the theater that inspired our own.

Somewhere on the internet in Philly

Have you seen these brightly colored apartment buildings in North Philadelphia? It sure seems like SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward relocated from Bikini Bottom.

While we’re talking colors, check out this stunning Eagles green painting of the Ben Franklin Bridge. One Reddit user said it “should be the Pantone color of the year.”

And watch out, Bella Vista: A new driver is hitting these ruff roads. Could he be with the “Philadelphia Barking Authority”?

👋🏽 Have a good day, OK? I’ll catch up with you again tomorrow.

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.

It’s Friday, Philly. Don’t put away the winter boots yet: Accumulating snow is looking more likely Sunday into Monday.

National Park Service employees began restoring the slavery exhibits to the President’s House on Thursday. See how a Black history tour kept the historic site’s story alive after the Trump administration tried to erase it.

And the Philadelphia Housing Authority took over its first private-sector apartment building last year. Some tenants say the transition has not gone smoothly.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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‘We can tell the full story of America’

Almost a month after abruptly dismantling exhibits about slavery from the President’s House, National Park Service employees began reinstalling the panels late Thursday morning ahead of a court-imposed deadline.

The site’s restoration comes after weeks of community pushback and legal action against President Donald Trump’s administration, which removed the panels last month because they were deemed to “inappropriately disparage” the United States.

The exhibits may face further legal scrutiny. But the groups that have rallied for them to be reinstalled are committed to keeping the stories they tell about Black history in Philadelphia alive.

Notable quote: “We’re here and you can try and erase whatever you want, as much as you want, but guess what? There are lots of us and we’re just going to keep moving and moving and moving toward truth,” said Mona Washington, a playwright and board member for Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, which fought to develop and now protect the site.

Reporter Fallon Roth joined The Black Journey, a walking tour that includes a stop at the President’s House, for this look at the local response to the site’s changes.

A long troubled apartment building’s new landlord

PHA last year began buying struggling private-sector apartment buildings with a goal to expand the affordable housing supply in the city. The agency plans to fill these buildings with Section 8 voucher holders, though many still have tenants paying market-rate rents.

Tenants at its first acquisition, The Dane in Wynnefield, report a rocky transition, including lost access to a rent payment portal and delayed maintenance. A high turnover rate not seen at PHA’s other properties hints at challenges within the new model.

Still, they say, PHA is a better landlord than the company that ran the building before — and is now no longer in business.

Real estate reporter Jake Blumgart has the story.

In other housing news: A $105 million mixed-use complex with apartments is set to rise in the shadow of the Willow Grove mall.

What you should know today

• Pennsylvania State Police identified the teen who died in a crash while allegedly fleeing from troopers in a stolen vehicle in Montgomery County on Saturday.
• A street shooting in Norristown last week led investigators to discover two sex-trafficking operations, prosecutors said Thursday.
• The Upper Darby Township Council passed a resolution Wednesday to restrict cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following a resident’s death in the agency’s custody.
• In a letter to the Justice Department that was kept secret for months, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker administration’s wrote that Philly is a “welcoming city” for immigrants, but won’t stop federal enforcement.
• A high-stakes fight is brewing between the Trump administration and states such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey over the regulation of prediction markets.
• A three-year ban on puppy breeding in Philadelphia is likely to become law after City Council members on Thursday passed a bill to relieve overcrowded animal shelters.
• Haverford College has vowed to make changes to its events policy following a disturbance by protesters at an Israeli journalist’s talk on campus.
• Students are making gains at Blankenburg Elementary School in West Philly. Supporters fear closing it will threaten kids’ progress.
• About 300,000 Pennsylvania residents risk losing Medicaid next year when new eligibility rules take effect. Advocates worry too few people are aware.

Plus: Why does Philly have so many chicken bones lying around?

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 where the heck all these strewn-about chicken remnants are coming from. Why does it seem like every other city block is the scene of a fowl crime?

As a dog owner who must dig a bone out of a drooly mouth on just about every walk we take through West Philly, I’m thrilled to have someone to blame. 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

For the 800th episode of The Simpsons, the show showcased Philadelphia and parodied National Treasure. Which Philly-tied celebrity was not featured in the episode?

A) Kevin Bacon

B) Questlove

C) Taylor Swift

D) Quinta Brunson

Think you got it? Test your local news know-how and check your answer in our weekly quiz.

What and whom we’re…

🪩 Mourning: Magic Gardens creator Isaiah Zagar, who has died at 86.

⛸️ Applauding: South Jersey’s Isabeau Levito for her impressive first turn in the Olympics.

🪿 Concerned about: The 50-plus dead geese found at Alcyon Lake in Gloucester County.

🚎 Sorry to say: Some Delco SEPTA riders will have longer commutes, beginning Monday.

🏥 Remembering: When a nearly 250-year-old hospital’s closure was announced on this week in Philly history.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: State representative from Northwest Philadelphia

RICH BARBS

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Bob Brauckmann, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Morey’s Piers. A man was arrested this week in the theft of more than $175,000 worth of metal and mechanical components from the iconic Wildwood theme park.

Photo of the day

See? We’re so close to baseball season, and spring. ’Til then, 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.

Welcome to Thursday, Philly. First, see the latest details on the region’s weekend snow threat.

A members-only cop bar in the Far Northeast has been linked to two DUIs — plus a third crash previously kept secret.

And the city’s No. 2 public official has been noticeably absent during major events in the last year. His increasingly low profile in Philadelphia City Hall has generated frustration and fueled questions.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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‘It’s just not something that would have happened maybe if it didn’t involve the police or the FOP’

7C Lounge, a members-only club in the Far Northeast for active and retired cops, has been connected to multiple drunken-driving incidents in the last few years.

The most severe incident left a woman in a coma for more than two months. An off-duty police officer who had been drinking at 7C just down the street plowed his car through the front of her home, striking and dragging her into another room.

It was the second time the family’s property had been damaged by a patron who left 7C impaired.

The bar is operated by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, inside the union’s headquarters, raising questions about how drunken-driving cases are investigated when they involve a powerful police union operating its own bar.

The officer behind the near-fatal crash was ultimately sentenced to prison. But records show that in the immediate aftermath of the incident, he had been allowed to confer with FOP representatives and delay a blood-alcohol test for nearly six hours.

Reporters Barbara Laker and David Gambacorta investigate several apparent alcohol-related crashes linked to 7C — including one in the union’s own parking lot that was kept secret.

In other police news: Dozens of drug and gun convictions were vacated Wednesday, the latest batch in what could grow to 1,000 cases tied to three narcotics officers who prosecutors say repeatedly gave false testimony in court.

MIA managing director

As Philadelphia’s managing director, Adam Thiel is tasked with overseeing the delivery of city services. Yet the top-ranking official has been noticeably absent from public view in recent months.

An Inquirer review found that Thiel was out of office last year for a total of nearly five months, much of which he spent on military leave. In addition to his high-profile role with the city, he serves as a major in the U.S. Army Reserves, works as a consultant, and is an adjunct faculty member at two universities.

Almost half of his $316,200 city salary — more than the mayor’s — in 2025 was for paid time off, according to payroll records.

His extended absence has prompted frustration at City Hall.

City Hall reporter Anna Orso has the story.

More on local government: Philadelphia has spent about $59 million in snow response since January’s massive storm. That includes spending on the extended activation of warming centers, plowing operations, and more.

What you should know today

• Federal authorities in New Jersey violated judicial orders in recent immigration cases, the Department of Justice noted in a court filing, such as improperly deporting a man to Peru.
• President Donald Trump’s administration must restore the slavery exhibits to the President’s House by Friday evening, a judge ruled.
• Bucks County officials voted to oppose immigrant detention or processing centers in the county. The feds have already approached two warehouse owners there.
• Stetson Middle School was neglected for decades, district officials admit. Now, they’re trying to close the school.
• A Chester County planning commission on Tuesday recommended township supervisors deny a developer’s plan for a data center at the historic Pennhurst site.
• QVC Group in West Chester faces a $30 million “unjustified termination” lawsuit following a report of its potential bankruptcy.
• Johnson & Johnson plans to spend more than $1 billion to build a cell therapy manufacturing facility in Montgomery County.
• Robert Indiana’s bright red AMOR sculpture has been removed temporarily from Sister Cities Park for conservation and restoration.
• The Simpsons snuck a cartoon version of the late writer Dan McQuade into its Philadelphia episode. Here’s how it came together so quickly.

Quote of the day

Lingel interviewed hundreds of Craigslist users in Philadelphia for her book An Internet for the People: The Politics and Promise of Craigslist. She says the platform functions as a kind of parallel infrastructure to the more polished Facebook Marketplace and Depop, particularly for people with fewer financial resources.

🧠 Trivia time

Philadelphia’s Chinatown gate isn’t the oldest in the country, but does have the distinction of being the first Chinese American archway that was what?

A) Built over 20 feet tall

B) Built with materials from Asia

C) Built to match another U.S. city’s gate

D) Reconstructed after a massive fire

Think you know? Check your answer.

What and whom we’re …

🏡 Remembering: Marie Whitaker, whose Media organization bridged racial divides.

🫁 Checking: Philly’s new real-time public air quality monitoring network.

🍲 Suggesting: Where to break Ramadan fast around Philadelphia.

🌊 Eager to see: A concert on the Atlantic City beach.

📜 Considering: The pitch to get this Old City print shop a blue historic marker before July 4.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Wildwood amusement park

ROSY EMPIRES

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Nereda Jones-Pugh, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: NovaCare Complex. The Eagles’ training facility in South Philadelphia will have a new name this coming season: Jefferson Health Training Complex.

Photo of the day

⛄ One last creative thing: Narberth artist Emily Stewart is making public art out of snow in her own front yard, including Swedish lanterns and sculptures of a giant eagle and orge-like creature. The art form is “ephemeral,” she said. “Like, enjoy it, and it’s not yours to keep.”

Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. See you back here tomorrow.

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.