đ Phillyâs most sought-after ride | Morning Newsletter
And adapting tech with faith
The Morning Newsletter
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This is Sunday. Itâs a cloudy one, with a high near 70.
If youâre getting a lift from one particular rideshare driver in Philadelphia, you might hear his car before you see it. Itâs a hit for most customers, especially Eagles fans. Meet the man behind the wheel.
â Paola PĂ©rez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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It may screech like an eagle, but itâs not in the sky.
Manned by Ethiopian rideshare driver Mucha Nama, the decorated Birds mobile roams the city to swoop up passengers, all while blasting âFly, Eagles Flyâ or eagle sound effects, and flashing a faux Lombardi Trophy and replica Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts jerseys.
Anywhere Nama goes, people stop and stare, snap pictures, and honk in approval. He is probably no stranger to a good old âGo Birdsâ shout-out for the road.
To Nama, the minivan is a testament to his Eagles fandom. His pride has bonded him to the city he has called home for more than a decade.
In his own words: âI want to make people happy. I look [at] the people when they walk. When they see [my] car, I look at the peopleâs face. And they make a smile.â
Sports features writer Alex Coffey details Namaâs journey, and what happened when he was matched with a Cowboys fan (oof).
Compass Ironworks in Chester County supplies sophisticated stairs, gates, and other metalwork for a variety of clients.
đ© When it comes to their craft, owner Amos Glick and his staff of mostly fellow Amish workers have to consider how it intersects with their church teachings and family values.
đ© Plain church leaders and scholars have long noted how prosperity and business needs can pose complications due to an opposition to dependence on public utilities and secular networks.
đ© But as its metalwork has become more intricate, Compassâ operating systems have become more efficient, thanks to improved technologies that find a ready market among Plain business owners.
Reporter Joseph DiStefano explains how these Amish ironworkers adapt to technology without breaking their religious norms.
What you should know today
Two 19-year-olds have been arrested and charged, and a third suspect has been identified, in the shooting and killing of Qidere Johnson, a Philadelphia rapper known as LGP Qua, whose death earlier this month drew shock and outrage in the community.
The search continued without success Saturday for the park ranger who went missing after a boating accident at Tyler State Park in Newtown, Bucks County.
Despite a high Latino student population in the district, the Norristown Area School Board is poised to have no Latino members next year after a primary election write-in campaign failed.
A Michigan man was held for trial in a love-triangle arson that destroyed a Bensalem familyâs home.
Thousands of meatpacking-industry workers across the country, including nearly 1,500 at a plant in Montgomery County, are getting better wages and benefits through what their union calls a ânew standardâ for employment contracts.
Questions remain about the chromium leak that shut Bartramâs Mile Trail nearly a year ago.
Pennsylvaniaâs U.S. senators, Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dave McCormick, will debate each other in June with a Fox News moderator.
Media Borough Councilwoman Joi Washington may become the first woman and first Black person to lead the heavily blue community as the borough faces an open race for mayor this fall.
âPop quiz
In line with earlier outlooks, NOAA officials say they expect another active Atlantic hurricane season.
How many named tropical storms did they predict will form?
A) 19 to 21
B) 6 to 10
C) 13 to 19
D) 12 to 16
Think you know? Check your answer.
𧩠Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Food Network winner Leslie Daniel
COY HEFT HOPE
Email us if you know the answer. Weâll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Elizabeth Hagan who correctly guessed Saturdayâs answer: Bluebird Distilling. The 10-year-old Phoenixville distillery is adding a restaurant as part of a $2 million overhaul of its tasting room.
đ¶ Todayâs track goes like this: âNever been abroad before / Now Iâm knocking through your door.â PinkPantheressâ new mixtape warrants an instant replay.
One more musical thing: Curtis Institute president Roberto DĂaz got to play a very rare viola that canât be left unattended, and for good reason: It may be the most expensive musical instrument in the world.
đđœ This newsletter will return to your inbox on Wednesday. Until then, take care, and enjoy the rest of the Memorial Day weekend.