Philly’s year in weird stories | Morning Newsletter

Good morning.

Sunday will be slightly warmer, but some showers are possible in the evening.

Some truly bizarre stuff happened in and around Philadelphia this year. In our main story, we recap the strangest stories of 2025.

And for the more than 550,000 people who drive on the Pennsylvania Turnpike every day, stopping for a meal can feel like a trip back in time.

Scroll along for these stories and more.

— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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2025 was wild

No matter how hard we try, there are certain tales we just can’t forget from this roller coaster of a year.

In reflection, Inquirer columnist Stephanie Farr collected a handful of Philly-area stories that captured the peculiar. For example:

💩 At least one kind of tush push was deemed illegal. A viral video of a road rage incident in April “put a stain on Delco that won’t be wiped away anytime soon,” Farr writes.

🗑️ When Philly got trashed over the summer, things went from stinky to strange. A major city workers strike over eight hot days led to dead bodies piling up at the medical examiner’s office, slashed car tires, and plenty of memes.

🐢 And we can’t leave out our “shellebrities” Mommy and Abrazzo, the nonagenarian tortoise couple at the Philadelphia Zoo that fascinated the country in hatching a historic count of 16 kids.

Between the Phillies Karen situation and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s “Eagles” chant gone wrong, there was no shortage of sports-related wackiness, too. Read on for Farr’s list of the 10 weirdest stories of 2025.

Turnpike fare

🎤 Now I’m passing the mic to reporter Brett Sholtis.

Driving west on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Mary Wright was hoping for a Chick-fil-A. But as she watched the limited options on road signs pass, fond memories of roast beef sandwiches lured her to Roy Rogers.

“My mother liked Roy Rogers,” said Wright, who is in her 60s and from Collingswood. “That’s how long it’s been around.”

That’s pretty typical of the food offerings on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, where old-school brands such as Auntie Anne’s, Baskin-Robbins, and Sbarro dot many of the 17 service plazas.

That puts the turnpike behind the times compared with similar toll roads in New Jersey and New York, where travelers can hold out for newer brands like Chick-fil-A, Pret a Manger, and Shake Shack.

“I think the older generation likes Roy Rogers and all that, but younger people are more likely to like Shake Shack, for example,” said John Zhang, professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Once on the toll road, people are faced with dining options decided almost entirely by one company. It’s what Zhang called a “captive consumer” environment. The reasons for this involve state policy, a corporate contract, and a little business history. — Brett Sholtis

Sholtis explains how consumer preferences have shifted over the decades, and the commercial stakes at play.

What you should know today

• Days after the nursing home explosion in Bristol, several families said residents who were evacuated now find themselves in unfamiliar places and lack basic necessities.
• A man died after being hit by a Trenton Line train Saturday afternoon, SEPTA officials said. No other information was immediately available.
• The recent winter storm that swept the Northeast and Great Lakes regions disrupted a busy holiday travel weekend. Check The Inquirer’s tracker for the latest on delays and cancellations at PHL.
• A woman was killed in front of her three children reportedly by their father who then shot himself during a custody transfer early Friday afternoon in Upper Darby.
• A New Jersey actor was indicted earlier this month on attempted murder and other charges in connection with accusations he shot a woman in the face following a traffic dispute.
• Investigators say the man accused of fatally shooting a Delaware State Police trooper at a DMV office let customers leave, then fired at approaching officers before being killed.
• Special interests and donor groups spent at least $18.7 million to influence Pennsylvania’s 2025 Supreme Court retention races, with supporters of three Democratic-elected justices outspending opponents by millions, a Spotlight PA review found.
• 2026 will be a banner year for big-time sports events in Philly. These are the ones not to miss.
• The Eagles and Bills will lock horns on Sunday in a game that some believe could be a Super Bowl preview. Use our quick viewer’s guide to get ready for kickoff.

❓Pop quiz

Which famous Eagle made a surprise performance at the War on Drugs’ performance at Johnny Brenda’s last weekend?

A) Swoop

B) Jason Kelce

C) Jordan Mailata

D) Joe Walsh

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

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: World-renowned _ Guitars

MIN TAR

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

Cheers to Linda Chaga, who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” One of America’s great Christmas songs, it was first composed and heard in a Philadelphia church before it spread across the world.

Photo of the day

🎶 Today’s track goes like this: “Now we can begin again / For then was then, and now is now.”

One more musical thing: The forthcoming week is full of concert options for Philly-area fans. Pop critic Dan DeLuca picked these highlights.

👋🏽 I’ll be back in your inbox in 2026, so I want to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy and bright new year. Julie will bring you Monday’s news. Thanks for reading, and take care.