Category: Inquirer Morning Newsletter

It’s Friday, Philly, and still very, very cold.

The end of the week brought an attempted post-snow return to normal, with Philadelphia students back at school. But the deep freeze — and many of the problems that come with it, including icy, unshoveled sidewalks — will remain through the weekend.

And some restaurateurs are coping with rising food prices by charging you less. Learn how that works, below.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Baby, it’s (still) cold outside

How well did the city navigate this week’s winter storm? Well …

🧊 Some Philly sidewalks remain unshoveled, now more than four days after the snow fell. The city is responsible for many of them, including walkways outside government-owned buildings, in parks, and near SEPTA stops. Many smaller streets are still unplowed, too.

🧊 City schools reopened Thursday after days of virtual learning. Some students returned to snowbanks, burst pipes, and frigid classrooms.

🧊 Ice in the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers signals problems for the Philadelphia Water Department, which draws its drinking water from intakes along the waterways. The department also warns that the extreme cold is causing city water mains to burst — around 150 so far this month.

🧊 Next up: There’s an outside chance of snow in Philly this weekend. And temperatures in the city are forecast to be well below freezing, with lows near zero.

What you should know today

• Sen. John Fetterman on Thursday voted against a federal funding package that included allocations for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, despite previously noting his objections. Later, Democrats and the White House struck a deal to avert a partial government shutdown.
• New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she supports enshrining the state’s existing sanctuary policy into law, as immigrant rights groups push for an expanded version. Her administration will also create an online database for people to upload videos they record of federal immigration officers.
• A veto-proof majority of Philadelphia City Council members have signed onto the “ICE Out” proposal that would limit the city’s cooperation with deportation efforts.
• Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity on Thursday announced her pick for a running mate in the governor’s race: Jason Richey, an attorney and chair of the Allegheny County GOP. President Donald Trump this week endorsed Garrity, calling her an “America First Patriot.”
• The Philadelphia School District’s board met Thursday for the first time since school closures were announced. They got an earful from community members.
• A jury awarded $7.8 million to the family of a Montgomery County resident and Bloomsburg University student who died in a 2019 fall after a night of drinking at a fraternity rush party.
• The woman who pepper-sprayed a conservative influencer on a SEPTA bus earlier this month has been charged with assault, officials said.
• The University of Pennsylvania will institute another round of budget cuts in response to the Trump administration’s actions that threaten future funding and revenues.

‘You can only charge so much for a taco’

As food costs rise, eating out has gotten more expensive. That doesn’t mean restaurants are making more money.

Some Philly-area eateries are adjusting their menus to reduce overhead or prices in a bid to attract diners. They say it’s more about getting creative with ingredients than shrinking portions.

Regional restaurant group Harvest Seasonal Grill, for instance, has cut out garnishes and swapped in a less-expensive scallop pasta dish in place of seared scallops served whole, among other changes.

After an adjustment period, lower check averages have come with higher customer counts and revenue, Harvest’s founder told The Inquirer — “and we didn’t sacrifice quality.”

Restaurant reporter Mike Klein has the story.

In other food news: Amazon plans to lay off nearly 1,000 Amazon Fresh employees in the region at the end of April as it closes the grocery stores. Three of Di Bruno Bros.’ five locations will close in the coming weeks, including one in Center City. And the McGlinchey’s name and building, which closed last summer, are now on the market.

Plus: Why is Dexter, the U.S. Navy’s last working horse, buried in Philly?

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’re resurfacing an explainer on Naval Square, where the U.S. Navy’s last working horse is buried. The beloved Dexter worked for two decades in the middle of the 20th century at the Graduate Hospital site, then a home for retired sailors.

At his funeral in 1968, Taps was played on trumpet as his nine-foot casket was lowered by crane on the grounds. 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

Which 57-year-old Philadelphia dive bar is both responsible for popularizing the Citywide and hosting the city’s longest-running drag show?

A) Dirty Franks

B) Locust Rendezvous

C) El Bar

D) Bob and Barbara’s

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

What we’re …

🦊 Remembering: When John du Pont killed Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz in Newtown Square on this week in Philly history.

🎥 Watching: Philadelphia, among the new selections to the Library of Congress National Film Registry.

📣 Cheering: The first Philly public elementary school to compete in national cheer finals.

🍫 Slurping: Hot chocolate at these seven cozy spots in the city.

🐕 Anticipating: The Simpsons’ 800th episode, which takes place in Philly and features Questlove.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: South Jersey resort hub (two words)

TINY TACTICAL

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

Cheers to Richard Freeman, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Gladwyne. A plan to redevelop the Lower Merion community has residents split on their town’s future. What happens next?

Plus: A Gladwyne estate that can be split into three lots is for sale for $8.5 million. Take a look inside.

Photo of the day

🔓 One last revived thing: Independence Hall reopened Thursday following a four-month preservation project. Reporter Mike Newall chatted with visitors from near and very far about what brought them to the hallowed halls of history.

Thanks for ending your week with The Inquirer. Paola has you covered this weekend.

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.

Morning, Philly. First, a weather update: Yes, it’s still cold out, and will continue to be so as forecasters monitor the potential for another storm this weekend. City schools will be virtual again today.

Designers of the President’s House are grappling with the dismantling of its slavery exhibits last week following orders from the Trump administration.

And federal immigration tactics in Minneapolis have set off a political firestorm. Read on for the latest from Philadelphia City Hall, Harrisburg, and Washington.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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‘A memorial to the death of democracy’

The public received no notice that the President’s House exhibits at Independence National Historical Park would be coming down last week. Neither did the artists, architects, historians, attorneys, and writers who helped create the site in the early 2000s.

Those exhibits, which memorialize the nine people George Washington enslaved at the house once located there, were removed alongside other national parks’ signage deemed by President Donald Trump’s administration to “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”

The City of Philadelphia — now backed by Gov. Josh Shapiro — has sued the federal government to restore the panels. But in the meantime, the site’s creators are grappling with what its now-blank walls say about the country.

In their own words: “It’s sort of now a memorial to the death of democracy and truth,” said Troy C. Leonard, an architect who helped design the site.

Politics reporter Fallon Roth has more details, including why its creators say the exhibits wouldn’t make sense at any other location.

Further viewing: Grassroots signs have replaced informational panels at the President’s House. See the resistance art left on Independence Mall.

A political firestorm

Political backlash to the tactics of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol in Minneapolis is growing locally and across the United States.

In Philadelphia: Two Council members on Tuesday unveiled legislation that would formally limit the city’s cooperation with ICE.

In Harrisburg: A top Democrat floated making Pennsylvania a so-called sanctuary state to protect undocumented immigrants.

In D.C.: Lawmakers face mounting pressure to hold up funding for the Department of Homeland Security, an effort that could result in a government shutdown by the end of the week. Members of the U.S. House representing Pennsylvania, for instance, cosigned a letter to Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick calling them to vote against the funding.

Reporters Sean Collins Walsh, Jeff Gammage, and Anna Orso have the full story.

More ICE news: Activists demonstrated at Philly Target stores on Tuesday, attempting to slow business operations at a company that they say wrongly cooperates with federal immigration enforcement.

What you should know today

• Three people were found dead Monday at a Bucks County home where a man barricaded himself before being arrested. Neighbors on Tuesday described the hours-long police standoff.
• Bucks prosecutors announced charges related to a multistate investigation that led to the recovery of eight firearms and $4 million in drugs.
• The federal commission seeking personal contact information for faculty and staff at the University of Pennsylvania has accused the school of engaging in an “intensive and relentless public relations campaign” to avoid complying with the subpoena.
• Philadelphia health officials are warning of a “small but notable” uptick in chickenpox cases after outbreaks at two city schools in recent months.
• New Jersey and Pennsylvania are poised to regain roughly $144 million in federal funding for electric‑vehicle charging stations after securing a legal victory.
• Parents of deaf and blind infants in Bucks County are worried about losing a “lifeline” as an early intervention contract ends.
• All Amazon Fresh stores, including six in the Philly area, are closing. Some stores will be converted to Whole Foods Markets.
• Her adult autistic son was kicked off a cruise ship after what she calls a misunderstanding. Now this South Jersey mother is on a mission to better awareness.

Quote of the day

A rural county in New York is claiming a familiar moniker. Columnist Stephanie Farr needs to set the record straight: No one does Delco culture quite like Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

🧠 Trivia time

Lincoln, the bald eagle that soars across Lincoln Financial Field before Birds games, befriends what type of animal in a new Budweiser Super Bowl ad?

A) Clydesdale

B) Osprey

C) Dalmatian

D) Pigeon

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🦅 Noting: The Eagles players fans most — and least — want to see back next season, and the steps the team could take to get back to the Super Bowl next year.

💸 Learning: How Philly helicopter makers cope with uncertainty at today’s Pentagon.

🍝 Eager to visit: Chef Greg Vernick’s new restaurant, Emilia, now open in Kensington.

🥯 Anticipating: The latest bagel chain coming to Philly.

🗳️ Considering: Lessons from Chester County’s adaptation after election mistakes.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Center City commercial strip

TEAMSTER TREK

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

Cheers to Dawn Harris, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Wistar Institute. The University City biomedical research org’s president and CEO, Dario Altieri, is stepping down after 11 years.

Photo of the day

Still waiting for your street to be plowed? You’re not alone. The city says it’s working through 311 requests while citing worker safety and the difficulty of navigating Philly’s narrowest roadways.

Be safe out there. I’ll be back with more news 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.

Hi, Philly. After the region’s biggest snow in 10 years, we may get a rare deep freeze soon via the first zero-degree reading since 1994.

Two Philadelphia City Council members will introduce legislation this week to restrict cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The push comes as ICE faces mounting national scrutiny over its tactics in Minneapolis.

And the school district’s building plan would close a high-performing Roxborough magnet. Its community plans to fight back.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

P.S. City offices and courts are closed today, and city schools are virtual. See the latest weather updates at Inquirer.com.

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Limiting cooperation with ICE

Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Rue Landau are expected this week to introduce a package of bills aimed at pushing back against ICE activity in Philly, home to an estimated 76,000 undocumented immigrants.

In the legislation: Among other directives, the bills would limit information sharing between the city and ICE and effectively make permanent Philadelphia’s status as a so-called “sanctuary city” by barring authorities from holding people at ICE’s request without a court order.

National context: While activists have been calling for Philadelphia leaders to formalize its sanctuary city status for months, this Council action comes after federal agents shot and killed two civilians in Minneapolis in the last three weeks, prompting national outrage.

Eyes on Parker: Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has largely avoiding criticizing the Trump administration outwardly. She may now be forced to take a side if the legislation reaches her desk.

Reporters Anna Orso, Sean Collins Walsh, and Jeff Gammage have more.

In other ICE news: Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) on Monday called for the federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis to “immediately end,” while Sen. Dave McCormick (R, Pa.) on Sunday called for a “full investigation into the tragedy” following Saturday’s fatal shooting.

Rooting for Lankenau

At Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School, students can join a birdwatching club, take pesticide classes, and work with beehives. The school, based in the woods of Roxborough, is the state’s only three-year agriculture, food, and natural resources career and technical education program.

Now, it’s one of 20 city schools proposed for closure in the Philadelphia School District’s facilities plan.

Lankenau’s inclusion on that list is a blow to its students and staff. They say they aren’t letting it go down without a fight.

Notable quote: “Lankenau takes education to the next level,” a junior told The Inquirer. “The environment is beautiful, the woods are amazing — that’s another classroom. Nature is like therapy for a lot of people — it changed my life.”

Education reporter Kristen A. Graham has the story.

What you should know today

• One man is dead, and three others are hospitalized after a shooting inside a North Philly house early Monday.
• State Rep. Joanna McClinton has carefully wielded her power as Pennsylvania House speaker. Now, she’s taking a more active role in pushing for the issues she cares about most, with special attention to the home care wage crisis.
• A federal judge denied convicted former labor leader John Dougherty’s latest request to serve the rest of his six-year prison term on house arrest to care for his gravely ill wife.
• A split Pennsylvania Game Commission has voted in favor of a developer’s land swap widely opposed by Limerick Township residents who fear it could pave the way for a large data center.
• The Philadelphia Housing Authority plans to reopen the derelict former Germantown Settlement properties by 2029 — at great cost.
• A bill signed last week by former N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy makes it easier for manufactured home and mobile home residents to buy their communities.
• Camden’s American Water and Bryn Mawr’s Aqua have had a tough time privatizing water and sewer systems. So far, their planned merger doesn’t impress investors.
• Meet Laura Carlson, University of Delaware’s new president, who runs weekly with staff and students and wants better relationships with state and local governments.
• Opera Philadelphia has signed an early contract extension with director Anthony Roth Costanzo, who since 2024 has brought national attention and funding to the arts org.

Quote of the day

Did you know bats are both helpful and extremely cute? See what else Stephanie Stronsick, a bat expert who rehabilitates them in her Berks County home, wants you to know about the winged mammals.

🧠 Trivia time

After its trademark and intellectual property were acquired by an investment firm, which bankrupt firm could be revived in some locations?

A) Rite Aid

B) Iron Hill Brewery

C) Bistro at Cherry Hill

D) Joann Fabrics

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🍻 Debating: Philly’s ultimate dive bar map, informed by readers’ faves.

🐻 Respectfully learning: The story behind the viral naughty bears outside a Southwest Philly strip club.

📝 Noting: What employers want to see in resumés, according to this Wharton expert.

🍕 Dreaming of: A trip to New Haven filled with pizza, museums, and waterfront walks.

🕳️ Asking: Why do sinkholes keep opening up in Philly?

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: University City research org

WARTIEST INTUITS

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

Cheers to Tony Jagielski, who solved Monday’s anagram: Philly Auto Show. The annual event returns to the Convention Center this weekend. More brands and electric vehicles are expected, despite the automobile industry’s volatile year.

Photo of the day

And that, folks, is why we let the kids have their snow days.

Stay cozy today. 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.

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)

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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.

Welcome to Sunday.

One progressive lawmaker has become a prominent voice in City Hall. We examine how she charted a new path to power.

But first, a massive winter storm is sweeping through the Philly region. As conditions grow icier by the minute, we’ve got you covered with important information and guides below, and all the latest updates at Inquirer.com.

— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Snowpocalypse now

Philadelphia is weathering its most significant winter storm in years. The threat of heavy snowfall and potentially dangerous icing prompted a citywide emergency and a winter storm warning through early Monday afternoon. All schools are closed Monday.

Forecasts say 6 to 18 inches of snow is possible across most of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Philly is expecting somewhere between 6 and 10 inches.

Though exact amounts are never fully certain, one thing is for sure: It will not melt soon. The bitter cold will stick around for several days.

🔍 Use our map to see how much snow is expected in the Philly region.

🛷 Once it’s safe to go outside, bundle up and make the most of the snowfall at some of the area’s best sledding spots.

🪏 And before you grab the shovel, we explain how to do it safely and give you the rundown on Philly’s snow rules.

⏰ Could this storm break records? Take a look at the top January snowstorms in Philadelphia history.

Get more from resident weather expert Tony Wood, and be sure to visit Inquirer.com for developments.

‘Thought leader’

🎤 Now I’m passing the mic to City Hall reporter Anna Orso.

When Mayor Cherelle L. Parker unveiled her much-anticipated plan to address Philadelphia’s housing crisis last year, there was predictable criticism from the political left. Activists said the proposal drafted by the moderate Democrat would not do enough for the city’s poorest residents.

Less predictable was that a majority of City Council stood with them.

Even the Council president, a centrist ally of the mayor, sided with a progressive faction that just two years ago had been soundly defeated in the mayor’s race — but whose new de facto leader in City Hall has proven adept at building alliances across the ideological spectrum.

At the center of that shift was Jamie Gauthier. — Anna Orso

Read along to learn how the second-term Democratic lawmaker from West Philadelphia has solidified her place as a leading voice on Council.

What you should know today

• Philadelphia parents are worried and shocked over the school district’s proposal for closings, colocations, and other changes would affect children in every neighborhood in the city. “That can’t happen,” one told The Inquirer.
• Michael Coard, a leader in the fight to memorialize enslaved people at the President’s House in Philadelphia, is launching a new campaign to restore the dismantled slavery exhibit and keep it on Independence Mall.
• Federal immigration officers shot and killed a man Saturday in Minneapolis, as hundreds of people protested in the cold in a city still reeling from another fatal shooting weeks earlier. The man, identified as Alex Pretti, was an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Administration who was troubled by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, according to his family.
• Very little is publicly known about Jonathan Gerlach, the Ephrata man accused of stealing human remains from Mount Moriah Cemetery. Here’s what we have learned about him.
• In Camden, incoming state-appointed School Superintendent Alfonso Q. Llano Jr. says it’s too soon to know if more budget cuts will be needed after the district cut nearly 300 jobs last year.
• Collingswood Mayor Daniela Solano-Ward settled a conflict-of-interest lawsuit by agreeing to void her vote and recuse herself from decisions on an ambulance-services contract with Virtua Health, which employs her husband.
• One of Kennett Square’s last remaining sizable undeveloped parcels could get hundreds of townhomes and apartments — but only after a former industrial site is decontaminated.
• The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts has named art museum veteran Kristen Shepherd as its next leader.

❓Pop quiz

Swedish retailer Ikea, which has its U.S. headquarters in Conshohocken, announced this week that it is testing an immersive product experience on which platform?

A) Minecraft

B) Roblox

C) Fortnite

D) Vegas Sphere

Think you know? Check your answer.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Tokyo bar and shrine to the city of Brotherly Love (two words)

HILL PHOBIA SHINNY

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

Cheers to Geraldine DiPersia, who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: Will Shortz. The New York Times crossword editor and NPR puzzle master is moving the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament to Philly next year.

Photo of the day

Emilio Mignucci, the third-generation grocer of Di Bruno Bros, is synonymous with cheese in Philly. He recently took us through his favorite places to grab a bite on a perfect Friday in the city.

🎶 Today’s song goes like this: “The things we do for love / Like walking in the rain and the snow / When there’s nowhere to go…”

One more thing: Food writer Kiki Aranita has a reminder to boot: “If you’re ordering delivery from any restaurant or local business, remember to tip your delivery person extra — especially if they dash through the snow and arrive at your house on a re-purposed ATV.”

👋🏽 How will you pass the time indoors today? Let me know. I plan to eat soup and (finally!) finish Task. Thank you for checking in this morning, and may you be safe and warm.

Good morning.

The bitter cold is here, and a winter storm is on the way. The latest forecasts call for more ice in Philadelphia. Be sure to visit Inquirer.com for weather updates.

Does a week at the boardwalk beat a trip to the ballpark down South? Inquirer staffers make their case for the better vacation option.

Plus, there’s news about a grocery store chain collecting biometric data, the aftermath of the removal of slavery exhibits at the President’s House, and our report card for this week in Philly-area news.

— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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What you should know today

• All Philadelphia schools will be closed Monday. Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. said he wants students to focus on having fun after the incoming snowfall.
• The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the suspension of a former Philadelphia judge who was ejected from the bench in 2024 after refusing to stop posting political statements on Facebook.
• Wegmans recently started collecting shoppers’ biometric data at its New York City stores, but the company won’t say if it’s happening at Philly-area locations, too. And in other grocery store news, more options are coming to Chester County this year.
• Parents and teachers at Southwark School in South Philadelphia are sounding an alarm about building conditions, including mice, graffiti, and broken bathrooms.
• Philadelphia-based telecommunications giant Comcast is one step closer to settling class-action lawsuits for $117.5 million over a data breach that potentially impacted over 30 million customers.
• The abrupt removal of all exhibits about slavery at the President’s House Site on Thursday has rocked the city. Philadelphians are asking: What could happen next?
• The developer behind a massive mixed-use project in South Jersey has filed a lawsuit accusing a “rogue” employee of derailing municipal approvals and plotting to steer the property to Rowan University and a rival firm.
• A Florida fraudster who fooled 60 mostly Philadelphia-area investors into contributing $5 million to develop biometric anti-addiction systems was sentenced to 5½ years in prison.
• Remnants of a 19th-century shipwreck washed up on a New Jersey beach after weeks of erosion from high winds and rough surf.
• How did Philly get dragged into a Palm Beach reality show? Catch up on this and more among the good, bad, and weird from the region’s recent stories.

Spring training vs. peak Shore summer

We’re answering this reader question: What’s a better vacation: a week at the Jersey Shore or spring training in Clearwater? (It’s real chilly out. Of course you’re thinking about warmer environments.)

To reach a verdict, Inquirer editor Evan Weiss recruited regular Shore-goer and past spring training attendee Sam Ruland, as well as Shore resident and correspondent Amy Rosenberg. They get to the core of the decision: the timing, the costs, and what either trip delivers.

For instance, Rosenberg notes that there’s “almost nothing” happening down the Shore in February or March, so maybe baseball is your best bet. Then Ruland points out how one can gain something different from each experience: “Spring training wouldn’t fill the void of missing a week down the Shore in the summer,” she said.

In their chat, Rosenberg also shared an incredible life hack to save money while traveling to Florida.

Read along for my colleagues’ full discussion. And if you’re looking for advice (or just want to share your takes), we’re all ears. Send in your pressing questions here.

One viewpoint

In this week’s Shackamaxon, Inquirer columnist Daniel Pearson unpacks a compromise agreement between Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and City Council that would make Parker’s $800 million H.O.M.E. proposal a reality.

Get Pearson’s perspective on the return of City Council and much more.

📍 Find the location

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

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: New York Times crossword editor and NPR puzzle master

STROLL WHIZ

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

Cheers to Joann Polk, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Stixers. The Sixers’ drum line provides opportunities for young people in the city, alongside bringing the team’s game-day beat.

We were there

The Sixers beat the Rockets, 128-122, on Thursday night. Between “vintage” Joel Embiid out in full force and Kelly Oubre Jr. showing why he should stay in the starting lineup, it was a thrilling overtime victory.

See more in our roundup of the week’s best Philly sports photos.

Somewhere on the internet in Philly

To the tune of Semisonic’s “Closing Time,” people are paying respects to Drexel’s shuttered Wawa.

A.J. Brown has been low-key since the Eagles’ season came to an end, but a video of him making a kid’s day in Miami is making the rounds on social media.

And I’m not even going to try to describe what happens in this recent chaotic Gritty video, but the caption sums it up pretty well: “shoey? no, leggy.” As my favorite comment put it, this couldn’t be more Philly if you tried.

👋🏽 Time to bundle up. Enjoy your Saturday, and I’ll catch up with you again tomorrow morning.

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. Forecasts for this weekend’s storm now have more than a foot hitting the region, and city residents are, understandably, freaking out — but with some whimsy sprinkled in.

Philadelphia School District officials are proposing closing 20 schools, colocating others inside existing buildings, and renovating more than 150 others as part of a massive reshaping of the system. Read on for what we know and don’t and local lawmakers’ strong reactions.

And the immigrant father of a 5-year-old with brain cancer is accepting deportation to Bolivia after months in federal detention.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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A school district overhaul

Philadelphia School District officials have revealed the results of a years-in-the-making facilities plan to reshape the system.

The big picture: Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr.’s current proposal would close 20 schools, colocate six, and modernize 159. The closures, which would not begin to take effect until the 2027-28 school year, would be scattered through the city, with North and West Philly hardest hit. The 10-year blueprint comes with a $2.8 billion price tag.

What we don’t know: Of several unknowns, the biggest is which, if any, of the proposed closures will actually happen. Any changes must be approved by the school board, which could adopt all, some, or none of Watlington’s recommendations.

Lawmakers’ reactions: The district’s facilities plan did not go over well in City Council’s first session of the year on Thursday, with several members voicing dismay and one proposing to allow Council to remove the school board members who will consider the proposed closures.

Search your school: Check our chart to see what’s happening to any city school under the proposal.

‘He reached his limit’

Despite community support and legal efforts, the detained immigrant father of a 5-year-old son with brain cancer has decided to drop efforts to stay in the United States and accept deportation to Bolivia.

Johny Merida Aguilara has been in federal custody at Moshannon Valley Processing Center since September. He was previously a main caretaker for his son, Jair, who has been treated at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, but whose future care is now uncertain.

Merida Aguilara’s wife and three American-citizen children will also go, voluntarily, leaving their home in Northeast Philadelphia.

In their own words: “I am tired,” Gimena Morales Antezana, his wife, said in an interview with The Inquirer. “We have been trying to survive, but it is difficult with the children because they miss their dad so much.”

Reporters Jeff Gammage and Michelle Myers have the story.

What you should know today

• The National Park Service on Thursday started dismantling exhibits about slavery at the President’s House in Independence National Historical Park. The Trump administration last year ordered displays at national parks that “inappropriately disparage” the U.S. to be reviewed and potentially removed.
• Villanova University was one of several colleges nationwide that saw its operations disrupted Thursday by a series of hoax threats.
• Mayor Cherelle Parker’s housing plan is back on track after Philadelphia City Council reapproved $800 million in city bonds. Plus, a bill to ban waste incineration was put on hold after failing to gain lawmakers’ support. And one Council member refused to advance her colleague’s reproductive healthcare legislation — but is now promoting her own.
• We asked attendees at New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s inaugural ball four questions about her. Here’s what they said.
• An independent law firm found that independent and unaffiliated voters were left off Chester County’s poll books in November’s election due to human error and insufficient training.
• A massive data center is under construction in South Jersey. Some residents are concerned about its impact on their lives and the environment.
• New Jersey officials confirmed 2026’s first case of bird flu in a commercial flock in Burlington County.
• A Philadelphia woman accused a local influencer of racist remarks and then pepper-sprayed him in the face on a SEPTA bus. Video was taken and widely shared on conservative media.
• The University of Pennsylvania received an $8 million gift to redesign how it trains doctors at its medical school.

Plus: What’s the story behind the colonial-era grave site hidden in residential Cherry Hill?

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 suburban reporter Denali Sagner by way of Curious Cherry Hill. A reader asked for the backstory of a hidden-in-plain-sight grave site in the township’s Woodcrest neighborhood.

The small cemetery is the final resting place of one of South Jersey’s most prominent colonial families, the Matlacks, and an unspecified number of servants and enslaved people. 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

The former KYW radio building on Walnut Street just sold for about $5 million — a steep discount from the $19 million it sold for in 2019. Which Beatle once worked there?

A) Ringo Starr

B) George Harrison

C) John Lennon

D) Paul McCartney

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

What (and whom) we’re …

🚚 Remembering: That time an armored guard stole from his own truck on this week in Philly history.

⚕️ Cheering on: The Bucks County toddler who’s an ambassador for a national cancer charity.

⛳ Reading: Chill Moody’s new book about a little girl with magical golf clubs.

🍴 Impressed by: The 28-year-old about to open his third restaurant in the suburbs.

🍺 Anticipating: Philly bar legend “Fergie” Carey’s takeover of Mac’s Tavern in Old City.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Sixers’ drum line

REST SIX

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

Cheers to Ruben Taborda, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Four Seasons. If you want to stay in the luxury hotel’s new penthouse suite, it’ll cost you … $25,000 per night.

Photo of the day

Consider this your moment of calm before the storm. Remember: City residents can be fined up to $300 for not shoveling their sidewalks.

Thanks for ending your week with The Inquirer. ’Til we meet again in your inbox, 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.

Hi there, Philly. A major winter storm is looking more likely for the region this weekend, with experts calling for several inches of snow that’s likely to stick around into next week.

What can the city’s nonemergency service system do? Take our quiz to see if you know how to use Philly311.

And President Donald Trump’s strong support in the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania is splintering. Read on to learn what that could mean for key races this year.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Phoning 311

Several street lamps in my neighborhood park had been out for what seemed like months. So, earlier this winter, I fired up the Philly311 app, reported the dead bulbs, and voilà — within days, light was restored.

☎️ The 311 hotline and its accompanying app, website, and email address make up the city’s nonemergency service system. The call center fields residents’ requests and transfers them to the city department or community partner best equipped to help.

☎️ The service received over half a million requests last year.

☎️ But what counts as a nonemergency? Is it a noise complaint about a loud neighbor, a car that seems abandoned, a persistent pothole, a beeping smoke alarm?

Think you know all that 311 can do? Find out with our quiz.

‘He left nothing for the working man’

In the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania, where President Trump made his biggest gains in the state in the 2024 election, there are signs that his winning coalition is splintering.

Some Republican and independent voters in the region who previously backed the president told The Inquirer they still do. But others shared their disappointment with rising grocery prices and what they see as Trump’s failure to keep his commitments.

The shift comes as the Pennsylvania GOP looks to hold onto two swing congressional seats in November: U.S. Reps. Ryan Mackenzie, who represents the Lehigh Valley, and Rob Bresnahan, who represents his neighboring Northeastern Pennsylvania district. Both won their seats in 2024 by a single point or less.

Reporter Alfred Lubrano spoke to voters in five counties to learn how the region perceives Trump now.

In other federal government news: A Chester County school district is under investigation by the Trump administration for a policy allowing transgender girls to play on girls’ sports teams. And Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touted his new nutritional guidelines and pushed back against criticism of his vaccine policy at a rally in Harrisburg Wednesday.

What you should know today

• From calls for “ICE out of Philadelphia” to Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s signature housing initiative, see what’s on City Council’s agenda in 2026.
• The foster parent of a 20-month-old who died in a Harrowgate home in April has been arrested and charged with murder.
• A man died after being electrocuted inside the shuttered Brith Sholom House senior housing complex Wednesday, authorities say, one day after city officials announced a plan to redevelop the vacant West Philadelphia facility.
• In one of Phil Murphy’s final acts as New Jersey governor, he signed a bill that could help a Camden tower get $400 million in tax credits and pardoned a power broker’s son who was convicted in a fatal hit-and-run. The state also ended up with some of the most restrictive e-bike regulations in the country.
• The new owner of the defunct Crozer-Chester Medical Center wants to restore hospital and emergency services to the 64-acre Delaware County campus. Plus, two other Delco hospitals are getting $6 million from the state to help them address a sharp increase in patients after Crozer Health closed last year.
• A warehouse developer’s proposal to trade land with the state in Limerick Township and beyond has blindsided local officials and ignited fierce opposition from residents.
• The region nabbed 13 James Beard Award semifinalist slots, including Greg Vernick for outstanding restaurateur and Kalaya for outstanding restaurant.
• Architecture critic Inga Saffron weighs in on the city’s decision to allow the Rocky statue to be permanently installed at the top of the Art Museum steps, calling the move “no victory.”

Quote of the day

On this week’s episode of Abbott Elementary — the Emmy-winning sitcom from West Philly-raised comedy star Quinta Brunson — the teachers get a visit from a surprise guest: a reporter from The Philadelphia Inquirer.

More Philly-on-TV news: A politics and public policy professor from Immaculata University is competing in the Jeopardy! 2026 Tournament of Champions this Friday. And ABC’s Shark Tank is returning to Philadelphia for an open casting call on March 18.

🧠 Trivia time

Ahead of this year’s Groundhog Day, the animal-rights organization PETA offered to replace Punxsutawney Phil with what?

A) An animatronic groundhog

B) A taxidermied groundhog

C) A hologram of a groundhog

D) A human in a groundhog suit

Think you know? Check your answer.

What (and whom) we’re …

🤝 Meeting: Dana Edwards, the new mayor of Narberth, and Conlen Booth, the new mayor of Swarthmore.

🍝 Ordering: These 26 standout dishes on Center City District Restaurant Week menus.

🏀 Confirming: Yes, Philly is most definitely a basketball city — dating all the way back to 1898.

🏒 Obsessed with: Heated Rivalry, the talk of Flyers’ Pride Night as it introduces hockey to a new, gayer audience.

🏈 Answering: Why is a Pennsylvania school celebrating Indiana’s national title?

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Luxury hotel in Center City

SUNROOF SEAS

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

Cheers to Mark Bussy, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: Kim Kardashian. Skims, the clothing company she founded, collected sales tax from New Jersey consumers for five years. (The state doesn’t tax clothing.) The brand has settled an investigation for $200,000.

Photo of the day

🖌️ One last playful thing: Educational play spaces were built at two North Philly affordable housing sites. Stakeholders hope they can inspire similar projects nationwide.

Stay warm out there. I’ll see you back here tomorrow morning.

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.

Good morning. More snow is expected across the region today.

Prior to the explosion of a nursing home in Bucks County last month, the facility was cited for multiple violations. Our main Sunday read examines the safety lapses that preceded the deadly incident, as well as the records of other homes in Philadelphia and surrounding counties.

And while Ocean City will never be the same without Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, boardwalk merchants are holding on — and they want a say in what comes next.

— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Repeat citations

Three people died after a natural gas explosion flattened Bristol Health & Rehab Center just before Christmas.

While the cause has not yet been determined, an Inquirer data review found that state regulators had cited the facility for over 70 health and safety violations in the three years leading up to the tragedy.

Highest in the region: The Bristol facility that exploded has been hit with $418,000 in fines since 2023, more than any nursing home in the Philadelphia area.

All other offenders: In the same time span, almost half of the Philadelphia-area’s 182 facilities have faced over $5 million in financial penalties for safety violations.

Reporters Lizzie Mulvey and Harold Brubaker break down the details on other regional nursing homes that have been fined, and the history of inspections and citations at the Bucks facility.

In related news: Muthoni Nduthu, a nurse who was killed in the blast, was laid to rest Saturday. She was memorialized by family, friends, and a nurse honor guard as a dutiful nurse and faithful mother.

‘They have galvanized us’

🎤 I’m passing the mic to Amy Rosenberg down the Shore.

Along the commercial stretch of Ocean City’s boardwalk, from Sixth to 14th Streets, there are 167 storefronts, including four Kohr Bros. Frozen Custards, three Johnson’s Popcorns, three Manco & Manco Pizzas, and eight Jilly’s stores of one type or another.

There are eight mini-golfs, nine candy shops, 18 ice cream places, 10 pizza shops, 18 arcades or other types of amusements, five jewelry stores, three surf shops, five T-shirt shops, and 47 clothing or other retail shops. There is one palm reader.

Even without Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, the iconic amusement park at Sixth Street that famously closed in October 2024, it still adds up to a classically specific, if repetitive, Jersey Shore boardwalk experience. Many of the shops are owned by the same Ocean City families, some into their third generation.

But now these very shop owners are sounding the alarm.

“This is a group that’s been hanging on for a long time,” Jamie Ford, owner of Barefoot Trading Co., at 1070 Boardwalk, said in an interview last week. “These places are hanging in there. They’re not going anywhere, but we’re nervous.” — Amy Rosenberg

Read on to learn why the merchants are urging city officials to green-light a plan for a hotel at the Wonderland site.

What you should know today

• Two Philly-area children’s hospitals are under federal investigation for their gender-affirming care for transgender children.
• Police are investigating the cause of a deadly three-car crash on Lincoln Drive on Thursday night.
• Bensalem Township police arrested two men and a 17-year-old boy for allegedly stealing $16,000 worth of weight-loss drugs being delivered to a pharmacy.
• Small-business advisers and advocates in Philadelphia are bracing for a big tax headache as the city’s municipal tax expands to cover tens of thousands more small businesses and self-employed workers.
• A federal lawsuit alleges misconduct by two Pennsylvania state troopers who investigated the case of a former pastor who was acquitted of a 1975 killing.
• In an interview with Pennsylvania’s two U.S. senators, CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil asked about “extreme rhetoric” in Minneapolis. Here’s what Dave McCormick and John Fetterman said.
• Springfield Hospital has a new buyer: the same local investor group that bought Taylor Hospital in September.
• The universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education were flat-funded this year for the first time since 2021-22. They’re preparing for another enrollment cliff.
• An Old City establishment now offers a GLP-1 menu, making it one of the country’s first full-service restaurants to do so. It’s part of a trend of restaurateurs adapting to diners’ shifting preferences amid economic uncertainty and the rise of appetite-curbing medications.
• Center City District Restaurant Week returns Sunday for the first time in a year, with 120 restaurants offering fixed-price lunches and dinners — the largest lineup since the pandemic.

❓Pop quiz

The Inquirer will make an appearance in an upcoming episode of which TV series?

A) The Pitt

B) The Paper

C) Abbott Elementary

D) The White Lotus

Think you know? Check your answer.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Drag queen repping Philly on RuPaul’s Drag Race

GYM MADONNA

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

Cheers to Chris Lewis, who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: Inglis House. Five residents of the home for people with severe physical disabilities are taking classes at Community College of Philadelphia. It’s the largest group to start since the 1990s.

📼 Photo of the day

This is Charlotte Astor, a high school junior from Cherry Hill. She’s trying to track down a long-lost demo tape recorded by her mom’s band in the ’90s. The hardcore community banded together to help Astor on her quest.

🎶 Today’s track goes like this: “As crazy as it may seem / I will change my whole life today.”

👋🏽 This newsletter is taking a break in observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We’ll be back in your inbox bright and early on Wednesday. Until then, stay warm and take care.