The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning. A winter weather advisory is in effect. Forecasts call for another round of snow, sleet, and freezing rain later today.
Today, I’m talking about the city’s enduring spirit in the face of disaster. Plus, there’s news about what may happen to U.S. Steel after all, the heated race to lead the Pennsylvania GOP, and why Super Bowl tickets, albeit pricey, are actually cheaper than usual.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.
What you should know today
A Philadelphia police captain was set to be the next chief of police in Hartford, Conn., but he withdrew from the position after records surfaced showing that he had been accused of sexual harassment in Philadelphia.
Authorities have charged the two other men believed to have posed as ICE agents while disrupting a business on Temple University’s North Philly campus this month.
A 22-year-old Temple student shot and killed another student Thursday night in North Philadelphia after what police believe might have been an argument over drugs, university and police officials said.
Former city homicide detective James Pitts was sentenced to at least 2½ years in prison for fabricating evidence and lying about it.
More than 300 passengers were safely evacuated after a SEPTA Regional Rail train caught fire Thursday evening in Delaware County, an agency spokesperson said.
President Donald Trump on Friday suggested that Nippon Steel would no longer buy U.S. Steel as planned and would instead invest in the Pennsylvania company.
A candidate for Pennsylvania GOP chair is accusing his opponent’s backers of intimidation tactics and calling for a secret paper ballot in Saturday’s election in Gettysburg. The intraparty tension is being described as “full-blown cannibalism.”
The SS United States’ departure to Mobile, Ala., on Thursday was canceled at the request of the U.S. Coast Guard. There is no new move date.
Garage Rittenhouse will officially debut on Super Bowl Sunday in Center City. Meanwhile, the city’s only Chiefs bar is closing for the big game.
Relative to other recent Super Bowls, current ticket prices are a steal. A Temple professor explains why.
This week’s obsession
“It’s been bringing the community together,” a pizza shop owner told The Inquirer. “Just like the Eagles.”
Julie Zeglen, your weekday morning newsletter emcee, highlighted that quote a few days ago. It came from a story about businesses inching back to normal following the horrific plane crash in Northeast Philly. Those words and their sentiment have stuck with me since.
An unforgettable fear, sadness, and confusion fell on the city after the crash took seven souls and injured at least another 24 people last Friday night. The pain and trauma has touched so many lives and came so soon after another recent aviation tragedy.
It’s hard to not feel like things are particularly chaotic and uncertain right now. These are the times when we need that sense of community the most. After the crash, I thought about how Stephanie Farr recently told us to keep our “eyes and hearts open to the magical moments” that will occur around Philly in the days leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. She was right, and so was the pizza shop owner.
Take your pick of wholesomeness, because there’s a lot of it to go around. There’s magic in the heart of the artist preparing a mural for the Philly crash victims, in the gleeful Philadelphia Zoo staff who can’t contain their bird brains, and in A.J. Brown sending well-wishes to a survivor. There’s magic in the tearjerker voicemail from Saquon Barkley’s daughter, in the neon green lights blinking brightly across the skyline, in our shared humanity in the midst of a crisis, and in our capacity to bring joy anywhere we go.
Our magic is inspiring, and our spirit is contagious. You simply can’t watch Eloise the 102-year-old fan “blow the whistle” without grinning cheek to cheek. Some awesome animals are rooting for us, and Fiona the hippo’s endorsement is especially encouraging. We’re even converting Commanders fans.
Our Gemeinschaftsgefühl — German for community feeling — keeps us going. We come together, even when we’re heartbroken. I’m carrying that magic into the weekend. Now there’s nothing left to do but create more magic as we cheer for our city, admire how we got here, and hope it ends in sweet victory.
In December, Philadelphia’s Department of Revenue announced it would resume door-to-door investigations to enforce compliance, verify eligibility, and confirm account information from individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations alike.
But in a column for The Inquirer, Amanda Staples of Germantown Kitchen Garden says she and other business owners are not convinced the city is up for the task.
“If I’ve learned anything as a Philly business owner in the last 12 years, it’s that the Department of Revenue is so dysfunctional that they don’t even have the account information they’d be hoping to confirm, nor do they have much public trust in their operations left to maintain,” Staples writes.
Read on for Staples' perspective on what she calls “widespread, egregious mismanagement” at the department.
🧠 Trivia time
In a very Philly partnering, comedian Tina Fey is teaming up with which actor in the upcoming Netflix series The Four Seasons?
A) Bradley Cooper
B) Kevin Hart
C) Colman Domingo
D) None of the above
Think you know? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Roots drummer and music documentary filmmaker
SEQUEL TOV
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Stuart Claghorn who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Tony Watlington. Philly schools will not have a delayed opening after the Super Bowl, the superintendent announced — “in keeping with the winning tradition.”
My adventurous colleague Vaughn Johnson, our social media editor for sports, tried the 40-yard dash at the Super Bowl Experience in New Orleans. Famous last words: “Don’t hold it against me if I run a slow time.” Watch him in action.
Somewhere on the internet in Philly
Philadelphia artist Eric Kenney is working on an Eagles-inspired mural using the signature “Heavyslime” skull.
Major shout-out to the person who spelled out “GO BIRDS” with a 7.6-mile run around Philly. That is commitment.
And some of us are still trying to impress Gillie Da King with our (virtual) dance moves. Did you get an A? Send me your score, and keep this link handy for all of our SB coverage.
👋🏽 Thanks for stopping by. See 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.