A young biker’s clash with neighbors | Morning Newsletter
And a classic Philly sound
The Morning Newsletter
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Welcome to Sunday. It’s expected to be a stormy day with a high near 93, so grab your umbrella just in case.
To some residents and police in a Philadelphia-area suburb, an 11-year-old boy doing tricks on his bike is the neighborhood menace. Our main read highlights how the sixth grader’s rise to internet fame has added a modern twist to a classic suburban struggle.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Alex “Lilman” Santacroce is a true disciple of “bike life.” As soon as he gets home from school, he hops on his custom-built SE Savage Flyer, coasts down the driveway, and clears his mind.
Under the professional moniker Oneway Lilman, Alex has amassed 1.4 million followers on YouTube and earned roughly $100,000 last year through sponsorships and advertising, according to his parents.
But his neighbors are fed up — and it’s not just because Alex and his siblings zoom up and down the upscale community streets practicing daredevil tricks. It’s that the annoyance of his neighbors has only fueled his content creation.
Alex’s family has repeatedly gotten into legal trouble. They pleaded guilty to charges against them, the kids kept biking, and Lilman continued to grow online.
In his mother’s own words: “I tried to explain this is what my kids do. You know, this is his job,” said Michelle Santacroce. “I’m never going to stop my kids from doing something they love.”
Feature reporter Zoe Greenberg has the full story on how Lilman navigates the sometimes challenging underbelly of online fame, and the ongoing struggle in his community for common peace.
What you should know today
Drexel University president John A. Fry is the leading finalist to become Temple University’s next president. The Brooklyn native has spent 14 years at Drexel’s helm and has been a college president for more than two decades.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday created a significant hurdle in the Justice Department’s ongoing effort to prosecute hundreds of Americans who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The ruling involved a case brought by a Pennsylvania cop.
A Philadelphia man has been charged with homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence, and related crimes in connection with a two-car crash that killed his girlfriend and her baby.
Savage Sisters has pulled out of a proposal to expand in Haverford Township, ending its bid to house those struggling with addiction in a suburban neighborhood where opposition was fierce.
A 32-year-old Philadelphia woman has been charged with causing the death of her 10-month-old son through exposure to xylazine, a powerful animal tranquilizer that has been increasingly abused in connection with illegal drugs.
Physicians at Delaware’s largest health system voted to unionize, becoming the first group of post-training doctors to do so at a Philadelphia-area hospital.
And last week workers at Green Line Cafe, the West Philly-rooted coffee shop with locations throughout the city, announced their intent to join Philly’s growing barista union.
For three years, the plaintiff in a civil sexual abuse case against Camden school board’s president was identified only as Jane Doe in court documents, her name never publicly spoken — until now. “I feel brave ... in saying my name,” Salema Hicks Robinson told The Inquirer.
Villanova University officially assumed ownership of Cabrini University’s campus in Radnor Friday and announced it will be closed for at least two years for renovations.
The Eagles’ kelly green jerseys are officially back for 2024. Here are the two games when they will suit up in the fan-favorite throwbacks.
In a viral clip from a Helium Club routine in April, Philly comedian Chip Chantry told an audience he regards the Action News opener “Move Closer to Your World” with the same patriotism as the American flag: “If you’re in my home, you better stand for the Action News theme song.” That sentiment resonates across the region.
“Move Closer to Your World” is a sound that’s as Philly as it gets. The song remains iconic for longtime Philly residents even 52 years after its creation.
It’s an instantly recognizable tune. It elicits a sense of local pride, like the chill down your back when you hear the sizzle of a cheesesteak ribeye or cheers from Eagles fans.
Let arts and entertainment writer Earl Hopkins take you deeper into the lore of the theme song that unlocks memories and pride in Philadelphians.
❓Pop quiz
What’s the one Wawa snack Kylie Kelce recently said she can’t live without?
A) bagel
B) hoagie
C) mac & cheese
D) pizza
Think you know? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: This Philly star is straying from her straight-laced Abbott Elementary roots to bring the heat and humor to the silver screen this summer in The Fabulous Four.
ELLA HELPER RHYS
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Richard Sachs who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Willie Nelson. The musician’s Fourth of July picnic is coming to the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion next Thursday. But after missing recent performances, will he be there?
🎶 Today’s Sunday track goes like this: “Did you know / I could claim the dreamer from the dream?”
That’s from Fontaines D.C.’s sweet and sentimental single “Favourite.” The Dublin post-punk band got a deserved shout-out in pop critic Dan DeLuca’s annotated Spotify playlist of essential summer songs.
DeLuca’s pick for the #1 song of the summer might not be a shocker — it’s a sweet one from a Bucks County-raised pop singer — but I was surprised Tinashe’s hit “Nasty” didn’t make the cut. Charli XCX’s “Girl, so confusing” remix with Lorde was a solid shout-out, too. (I can’t get Kyle MacLachlan’s “music video” out of my head.)
What do you think is the song of the summer? Hit me up with recommendations.
👋🏽 That’s it for now. Thanks for catching up on the news with me. Have a great day!