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. Runners, protesters, and Phillies fans — prepare for a chill this weekend. With a stiff northwest wind, temperatures are dropping.
A reader says her neighbor’s usually delightful rowhouse garden has taken a stinky turn, thanks to some especially potent fertilizer. Can she intervene? Our group chat discusses.
Plus, Harry Kalas’ widow says the Phillies “betrayed him,” a Tacony teen risked himself to save a stranger’s life, and our report card for this week in Philly news.
— Erin Reynolds (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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What you should know today
Jaheim Warner, a student at Tacony Academy Charter High School, saw a woman having a medical emergency in an unsecured car. He took action to help. “I told the lady it was going to be OK, and I wasn’t going to leave her,” he said.
Harry Kalas’ widow sees the renaming of Harry the K’s at Citizens Bank Park as a betrayal. “Taking down that sign takes away everything he did for the city,” Eileen Kalas said.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s $7 billion city budget proposal includes two tax-raising measures. When Gov. Josh Shapiro was asked if he supported her proposals, he said that they would be moving in the opposite direction.
State Rep. Morgan Cephas is dropping out of the race for Philadelphia’s open congressional seat, shaking up the high-profile contest two months before the Democratic primary.
TSA employees at Philadelphia International Airport have gone weeks without a paycheck. They wonder why Trump waited so long to pay them.
A Secret Service agent has been hospitalized after accidentally shooting himself at PHL Friday.
One of Delaware’s largest developers plans to expand its footprint in Philadelphia as apartment development has slowed and vacancy rates are down.
Jill Scott’s family albums ended up in a Nashville thrift store. A young woman with a kind heart and a social media following united Jilly from Philly with her childhood memories.
A historic amusement park wheel, which predates the patent for the Ferris wheel, will rise once more in Phoenixville this spring.
From the “Wawa sub” to getting a 4 a.m. last call, catch up on the good, bad, and weird from recent stories out of Philly.
A reader asked: My neighbor is starting to plant her mini-garden in front of her rowhome. It’s always very lovely with plenty of flowers and tomatoes. But, this year she’s using fertilizer that smells like BLEEP ... I fear for the smell when the weather is warmer. What can I say?
To tackle this particularly odorous dilemma, Inquirer editor Evan Weiss enlisted the help of features columnist Elizabeth Wellington and culture and identity reporter Mike Newall.
They agree it’s time for a friendly reality check. Tell the neighbor the garden looks lovely, but smells like something that should remain far, far away from a block of rowhouses. While everyone loves a home grown tomato, no one wants to be smacked in the face by Eau de Manure on the way to work.
Read their full conversation here. And if there’s another question you need advice on, we’re all ears. Send us an email to get started.
In this week’s Shackamaxon, Inquirer columnist Daniel Pearson takes a look at Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s wished-for taxes on Uber and Lyft.
“It isn’t that I’m opposed to a tax on tech taxis,” he writes. “It would be better policy, however, to tie the new fees to transit funding instead.”
Read along for Pearson’s perspective.
đź“Ť Find the location
Where can you find this Phillies mural? Our weekly game puts your knowledge of Philly places to the test. Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Grammy-nominated artist from North Philly
LIKE ME ML
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Deveney Mason who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: META. Philly courts will ban all smart eyeglasses, including those made by the multinational technology company, starting next week. The First Judicial District of Pennsylvania said the rule is designed to protect witnesses and jurors from intimidation.
Bookhaven, a beloved used bookstore in Fairmount known for its sprawling selection and fluffy shop cats, has closed. Husband-and-wife duo Ricci (left) and Rolf Andeer purchased and opened the shop in 1987. Rolf Andeer worked for SEPTA for a decade while Ricci cared for their two children before they set out to do their own thing.
Somewhere on the internet in Philly
⚾️ TFW you wake up on opening day as a Phillies fan.
🚌 If SEPTA buses could talk, what would they say?
🌻 Remember Fishtown fish facts? Well, flowers seem to have entered the chat.
✌️ Thanks for reading!
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