🎬 How Philly moved David Lynch | Morning Newsletter

Rise and shine, Philly.

Some snow is expected Saturday, but exactly how much is still up in the air.

In today’s edition, we’re talking about a new podcast that explores the city’s influence on a late filmmaker’s distinct style.

But first, there’s good news on students’ academic performance, another historic event added to the city’s busy schedule this year, and our weekly report card for the latest regional news.

Read on for these stories and more.

— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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What you should know today

• Philadelphia students are performing the best they have in math in years. There has been steady improvement since the pandemic.
• North Philadelphia restaurant Bella Vista is temporarily closed after a fire caused severe damage to the building on Friday morning.
• Police are investigating whether a string of Philadelphia murders of workers in the towing industry are connected.
• Federal grant recipients faced fresh uncertainty this week as $2 billion in mental health and addiction grants were abruptly cut and then restored with little explanation. Meanwhile, Philly groups secured about $3 million in new grants despite recent cuts and an uncertain future.
• About 70,000 Pennsylvania residents have dropped health coverage through the state’s Pennie marketplace, with sharp price hikes on the horizon.
• The Franklin Institute is debuting an “immersive multimedia show” about Ben Franklin on Saturday, marking his 320th birthday.
• A group seeking to open a charter school on the Valley Forge Military Academy campus has withdrawn its plans as Radnor pursues eminent domain.
• Apartments have come to Suburban Square, the first of their kind in the Ardmore shopping destination.
• Subaru Park will host the inaugural Women’s Lacrosse League championship in August, during the Philadelphia Waterdogs’ homecoming weekend.
• From Philadelphians saying goodbye to Ranger Suárez to rejecting a vibes-only Wawa, catch up on the good, bad, and weird from recent stories out of Philly.

This week’s obsession

Friday marked one year since the passing of David Lynch, the cult-classic filmmaker and onetime Philadelphian known for his beautifully strange storytelling. Lynch being one of my favorite directors, I got really excited to hear about Song of Lynchadelphia, a new deep dive into the profound impact this gritty city made on him and his artistry.

Lynch, a PAFA alumnus, would not have made films if it was not for the time he spent in Philadelphia in the mid-1960s. He called it one of “the sickest, most corrupt, fear-ridden” cities, as well as one of his “greatest influences.”

Podcast host Julien Suaudeau, a writer and film professor at Bryn Mawr College, said Song of Lynchadelphia explores “the encounter of the 1950s American innocence with a place where the dream had already, and very concretely, turned into a nightmare.” These themes are notable in projects like Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks.

The unsettling feeling of something lurking below the surface is pervasive in Lynch’s works. I personally enjoy any opportunity to learn how his cinematic universe came together, and how his foundational Philly years led him to become a key fixture in the world of surrealist American film.

One viewpoint

In the aftermath of Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal making national headlines for her comments about ICE, Inquirer columnist Daniel Pearson argued that Bilal’s point is moot as she is unable to protect Philadelphians from the agency.

“Americans take their heroes where they can get them, but they should look past Philly’s sheriff,” Pearson writes.

Get Pearson’s perspective in this week’s Shackamaxon, as well as thoughts on SEPTA’s starts and stops, and America’s 250th birthday celebrations.

📍 Find the location

Think you can pinpoint where this car-free recreational spot can be found? Our weekly game puts your knowledge of Philly’s streets to the test. Check your answer.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: A Philly home for people with severe physical disabilities

ELUSION SIGH

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

Cheers to Kathleen Wersinger, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Charles Dickens. Philadelphia’s favorite Victorian novelist made his second, and final, visit to the City of Brotherly Love on this week 158 years ago.

🔔 We were there

On Friday, the city revealed the 22 large replica Liberty Bells that will be installed across Philadelphia this year as part of the city’s Semiquincentennial celebration.

Each painted bell depicts the histories, heroes, cultures, and traditions of Philly neighborhoods. Here’s where you can find them this spring.

Somewhere on the internet in Philly

Vintage Philadelphia posted a picture of 15th and Chestnut in the 1940s. Recognize anything? 😉

Why are Redditors so excited about University City’s new Taco Bell? Food writer Beatrice Forman looked into it.

Over on Instagram, people are reacting to the Phillies re-signing J.T. Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million contract. Comments range from excitement (“I love this and tolerate no JT slander. This man needs to retire with Philly”) to ambivalence (“Happy for my mom, I guess”).

And Jimmy King shared some stunning sunset photos, with an encouraging reminder: “Longer and warmer days aren’t too far away.”

👋🏽 May your day be a good one. I’ll catch up with you again tomorrow.

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