🐭 Mutant mice | Morning Newsletter

Welcome to a new week, Philly. Strong storms and downpours could impact the France vs. Iraq World Cup match.

New research uncovers a gnawing problem for pest control in the Philadelphia area.

And a 60-year-old Northeast Philly shopping center is getting a big facelift.

Plus, Sheraton hotel workers went on strike in Philly after contract negotiations fell apart, and more news of the day.

— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Oh rats

To the frustration of residents and pest control professionals, urban rodents in big cities like Philadelphia and New York are routinely surviving rodenticide treatments.

A recent Rutgers study may explain why. It found mice in Philly, Trenton, and some area suburbs carry a genetic mutation that helps them survive common poisons.

🪤 What can be done? The research suggests pests are actively evolving to resist the chemical baits, so pest control companies may need to develop different strategies.

🐀 What about rats? While they haven’t been found to harbor chemical-resistant mutations, they do seem to be cognitively sophisticated enough to evade and outsmart traps entirely, according to the study’s author.

Environmental reporter Frank Kummer explains the findings.

Embracing modernity

As some local malls decline, Roosevelt Mall is seeing a big boost by way of a $70 million-plus makeover that promises to usher it to the modern age.

The transformation is spearheaded by Brixmor Property Group, which is now led by CEO Brian Finnegan of Roxborough.

Drawing tenants, upgrading facades, and implementing a better layout are all a part of the plan. They also briefly considered changing the landmark’s name, but ultimately decided not to rebrand it.

Notable quote: “It’s an iconic name,” said David Vender, Brixmor’s executive vice president for the north region. “People know it as a landmark.”

The community’s perception of the mall plays a role in its redevelopment, as Brixmor considers how local residents who shop, eat, and drive by their centers are affected by the changes.

Go inside the major makeover with consumer reporter Erin McCarthy.

What you should know today

• Unionized hotel workers at Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown walked off the job Sunday after the union and management failed to come to an agreement, and as FIFA World Cup soccer matches flood the city with hotel guests.
• Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and other top leaders of the city government and the Philadelphia School District will travel to Harrisburg on Monday for a high-stakes trip aimed at securing millions of dollars in new funding for the financially strapped public schools.
• One of Mayor Parker’s top officials of the Department of Licenses & Inspections “is no longer with the City.” Her office won’t say why.
• Mayor Parker declared a public safety emergency at Bartram Village after squatters moved in and caused extensive damage.
• The Philadelphia School Board voted to nonrenew a charter school run by a veteran former district administrator, pointing to poor test scores and operational problems.
• A shooting in the wee hours of Sunday left two men dead and two others injured in the Fairhill section of Philadelphia, police said.
• Shore-goers are receiving mixed signals with New Jersey’s new e-bike law. Pennsylvanians are exempt, and no one seems to know how to comply.
• The city has launched an anti-graffiti cleanup campaign to make its best first impression on visitors, but the program doesn’t cover areas where residents most request attention.
• City Tavern’s garden will reopen this week as a summer pop-up with food, drinks, and events behind the shuttered restaurant.

Quote of the day

For the third year in a row, Philadelphia’s ports ranked as the fastest in North America, according to the latest annual Container Port Performance Index. Here’s why Philly longshoremen say the city’s ports outpace the rest.

🧠 Trivia time

Hillary Bor closed Philly’s Pumpkin BYOB in 2024 and moved down the Shore.

What is she selling there now?

A) Cheesesteaks

B) Water ice

C) Soft pretzels

D) Hot dogs

Think you know? Check your answer.

What (and whom) we’re…

🇫🇷 Talking to: Four Frenchmen who skipped work to come see the World Cup in Philly.

🕺 Dancing to: The Camden Bop, the region’s latest viral dance.

🧼 Examining: The staying power of a 150-year-old cleaning supply store in a bankrupt city.

🌊 Planning: A perfect summer weekend on Seven Mile Island.

🏀 Learning: Before Leon Rose built the Knicks, he was a gym rat at Cherry Hill East.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: 🎸 “I’ll keep you my dirty little secret”

ARTS CERAMIC JANELLE

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

Cheers to Dave Davies, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Auston Trusty. Trusty and Matt Freese of Delco helped the helped the U.S. win two games in a World Cup group stage for the first time since 1930.

One more USMNT thing: Can they really win the whole thing? Inquirer soccer reporter Jonathan Tannenwald levels expectations, at least for us outsiders.

Photo of the day

Congrats to Bryce Harper, who just hit his first-career cycle Saturday — against the Mets, no less. It was also a big night for Kyle Schwarber, who hit two homers in the same inning.

📬 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 David McMenamin, who describes a memory marked by music:

It was probably Fall 1969. A group of high school seniors in a car coming up Broad Street from the south. The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” long version came on the radio. We rolled down the windows, started singing along and circled City Hall three times before heading west on Market Street. That was a signature moment of my Philadelphia life.

👋🏽 Go Phils, and have a great day.

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