The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It’s finally Friday, Philly.
Rains and strong gusts could impact your travel. A high wind advisory is in effect for the entire region.
Things can get chaotic with Christmas around the corner, but these local Santas wouldn’t trade the hustle for anything.
And while some Philadelphia architects take a standard, fast-casual approach to designing rowhouses, a few are bringing back one Romanesque feature.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Donning the red suit and transforming into the jolly character can be a grueling grind. It can mean sacrificing time with loved ones and running on little sleep.
But local Santas do it year after year, and it’s not because it pays big bucks — some even do it for free. Each has their own reason, but they share one thing in common: It’s the holiday magic that makes it worthwhile.
In one Santa’s own words: “The hugs you get from the little kids, or to have a 5-year-old child run to you and [yell] ‘Santa!’” it melts my heart,” said 71-year-old Paul Bradley, or “Santa Paul,” of Mantua. “That’s why I do it.”
And sometimes, that special magic gets returned to them, too.
Allow reporters Erin McCarthy and Ariana Perez-Castells to introduce you to several Philly-area Santas, and hear their tales of the chaotic, magical world of being Old Saint Nick at Christmastime.
You may have noticed more contemporary arches and rounded corners around the city. Architecture critic Inga Saffron says it’s because the arch is making a comeback.
With origins in the Roman times, arches no longer serve much purpose in the structural sense. But Philadelphians started sneaking them back into architecture as early as the 1960s, Saffron writes.
Today, more are throwing a curve into the mix, though Saffron points out that these new-wave arches only faintly resemble their predecessors.
Continue reading on the history of the arch and its revival.
What you should know today
SEPTA’s largest union has agreed to a new contract with the transit authority. The deal will deliver a 3.5% pay raise, bolster pension funds, and expand health benefits for new employees.
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. was acquitted of child endangerment and related crimes Thursday after being accused of repeatedly assaulting his teenage daughter.
Experts in fugitive apprehension say Philadelphia deputies appear to have made serious tactical errors while trying to apprehend a wanted man Monday, which enabled him to speed away in his car.
A 2-year-old girl was beaten to death in South Philadelphia last week, police say, and three people have been charged in connection with the crime.
A Malvern man who brought weapons to a “No Kings” protest in West Chester — and who was rearrested when police found homemade bombs at his house — has pleaded guilty in federal court.
President Donald Trump announced he would advise federal agencies to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug and ease restrictions. Here’s what that means.
Two Philadelphia men are facing federal charges in Minnesota after authorities said they fraudulently obtained more than $3.5 million in government proceeds in a long-running “fraud tourism” scandal that has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump.
Nonprofits ChristianaCare and Virtua Health dropped negotiations to join forces. A merger would have created a healthcare system with more than $6 billion in annual revenue and business in four states.
European cargo ships are rerouting to Philadelphia as Baltimore struggles to replace the Key Bridge, whose collapse 21 months ago crippled ship traffic to that city’s harbor.
A data center planned for the Pennhurst State School and Hospital site will now move forward in a monthslong, multistep process. A Wednesday meeting turned heated with yelling residents prompting officials to call for a break.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, we have an explainer from reporter Henry Savage about the sculpture on the Cherry Hill Public Library lawn. Since its installment in 2009, the 8-foot-tall “Totem” gives people pause to try and decipher its meaning.
Crafted by the award-winning sculptor David Ascalon, it turns out its meaning is in the eyes of the beholder. Here’s the full story.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🧠 Trivia time
During her first interview on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show, Taylor Swift referenced a photo from 2001, at age 11, performing at this local spot:
A) Reading Terminal Market
B) A Phillies game
C) An Eagles game
D) A Sixers game
Think you got it? Test your local news know-how and check your answer in our weekly quiz.
What we’re...
🕎 Remembering: The likely first public menorah was lit on Independence Mall.
📝 Scoring: How Jersey Shore towns are faring in the off-season.
🍷 Curious about: More wine clubs popping up around Philadelphia.
✅ Noting: What’s open and closed on Christmas Day in the Philly area.
😋 Keeping: These five Philly restaurants on our radar, because Craig LaBan said so.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: The _ _ Film Institute, a beloved Main Line theater
BRAWNY MR
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Kathy Wersinger, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Liz Moore. Another book by the South Philly author is heading to the small screen.
One more story to go: A Cobbs Creek man recorded thousands of basketball broadcasts onto VHS tapes for five decades. His grieving family wants to pass them on to someone who appreciates them.
Thank you for reading. Be safe out there, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
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