The art of pest prevention | Morning Newsletter
And the joys (and sorrows) of Mother’s Day.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Saturday showers brought Sunday flowers — and sunshine — on this Mother’s Day.
Tomorrow, Taylor has some great stories coming your way ahead of Tuesday’s primary election, when voters hit the polls to pick among other things their choice for Philadelphia’s 100th mayor.
Today we take a closer look at a museum’s quest to keep the crawlies out.
If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
You don’t go to museums looking for moths and sticky traps, but they’re there.
At the Barnes Foundation, keeping bugs out is just part of the program. Pest management has been an important part of conservation practices in museums for more than three decades.
But Barnes doesn’t have a creepy-crawly crisis. They just remain vigilant for meddlesome moths, carpet beetles, wood-boring beetles, and more.
In their own words: “It’s not the sexiest thing in the world. But it’s something that protects the artwork, the building, the people, the visitors. It’s integral to making everything work around here,” said Carolyn Rivera, brand engagement manager at the Barnes.
So Rivera came up with a fun (insect-free) idea: Use social media to take museum-goers behind the scenes of Barnes’ bug-blocking tactics.
Writing this made me itchy. Read on in Mike Newall’s report.
What you should know today
Helen Gym’s campaign reached a resolution with the union that represents Philadelphia stagehands after a dispute over a Bernie Sanders rally.
This weekend marks the anniversary of the 1985 MOVE bombing, when police dropped a bomb on a West Philly house. The fire caused by the explosion killed 11 people, an atrocity that Philadelphia still grapples with today.
Philly native Quinta Brunson of Abbott Elementary delivered Penn’s Graduate School of Education commencement speech with humor and candor.
Authorities have shut down Stoned, a Queen Village dining concept that infuses its food and beverages with cannabis.
John DeBella talks retirement, the Howard Stern feud, and what’s next after he’s off the air.
Swiftadelphia continues. Music critic Dan DeLuca’s review is in. And so is a look at the fun in the Linc parking lot among the fans who couldn’t get into Saturday’s concert.
Primal Supply Meats will close later this month, citing challenges “set in motion by the pandemic.”
How to book the cheapest flights from Philly, according to Frontier Airlines’ CEO.
Remember to use our guide to Philly’s 2023 Democratic primary for mayor, City Council, and more.
Mother’s Day can be a hard holiday for some. It’s especially difficult for those grappling with loss.
“A Mother’s Love,” an exhibit of 55 portraits of children killed by gun violence in Philadelphia, debuted in the courtyard of City Hall on Friday. It was organized by the nonprofit organization Apologues. The faces together portray a generation of Philadelphians lost to gun violence — and a staggering collective toll.
Some family members reacted viscerally to seeing their sons and daughters so lifelike once again. Michele Parker wept upon seeing the portrait of her child, Evan Baylor, who was killed in 2021 at the age of 23.
Parker found herself thinking about how her son used to shower her with flowers, gifts, and appreciation posts on social media for Mother’s Day; he treated her to a Mother’s Day dinner at an Italian restaurant in Center City just before he died.
Whatever your situation looks like this Mother’s Day, I’m sending you love and a warm hug. And a special thanks to all the awesome moms out there. Here are some more reads:
❤️ A Philly therapist walks us through the emotional land mines of Mother’s Day. 🔑
❤️ “It’s the first Mother’s Day since my son died. I’ll spend it hugging strangers.”
❤️ When parents die, even the mundane memories comfort their children. Here are their tales, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer Gary Miles.
❤️ Take a look at our collection of works connected to motherhood on view in museums and other venues around Philadelphia.
🎤 Now I’m passing the microphone over to sports columnist Marcus Hayes.
What the Sixers look like in two months depends on what happens Sunday in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
If they beat the Celtics, Doc Rivers will remain the Sixers’ coach. James Harden will either opt in to the second year of his contract or the Sixers will make him theirs for the rest of his career. Joel Embiid won’t hint (again) that he wants to be reunited with Heat star Jimmy Butler. But if they lose in Boston? Doc gets fired. Harden probably will opt out of the final year of his contract. Embiid almost surely will take his talents to South Beach.
And, 10 years after its conception, Josh Harris and the Sixers will start rebuilding all over again: The Process, 2.0. Here’s more on what could go down.
❓Pop quiz❓
When he’s on the clock, Steven Cohen is a doctor first and a fan second. What Philly sports team is he a physician for?
A) Sixers
B) Eagles
C) Phillies
D) Flyers
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: Established in 1858 for biomedical research and education
EMMETT RÜMUSU
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Email us if you know the answer. Cheers to Kate Vengraitis who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Southeast Asian Market.
Photo of the day
🎶 For today’s Sunday track, we’re listening to “Do you know where you’re going to? / Do you like the things that life is showin’ you?” 🎶
👋🏽 It’s a good day to have a good day. I’ll be (finally) sorting out my garden, and giving my mom a FaceTime call to thank her for, among other things, introducing me to Diana Ross.