The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Rise and shine, Philly, November is here.
How’d that extra hour of sleep feel? The Inquirer’s Tony Wood relays what experts have to say about the unpopular time shift, including ways to cope with it.
But first, we’re stopping by a new chocolate factory, where one of Philly’s favorite candies is rolling off the line again.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Spring in Philly wasn’t the same without Zitner’s. The century-old chocolatier skipped Easter season after closing its aging factory in North Philadelphia.
Now, the company is finally back to the old grind, humming along at a new plant in Hatfield. It’s cranking out about 250 peanut butter eggs a minute and hopes to ramp up to 275 soon.
The facility may be new, but Zitner CEO Evan Prochniak insists the recipe beloved for generations remains the same.
Inquirer food reporter Mike Klein has the details, including when you can expect the chocolates on store shelves.
Plus: Watch the candy get made in our video inside the factory.
By the time you read this, you’ll have “gained” an hour of rest, and may or may not dread the earlier darkness that follows.
This clock -change is particularly notable, though, given that it will be the longest stretch of the misnamed “standard time” in 20 years. No other shift will be longer until 2099, Tony Wood reports.
While many are not enthused about the seasonal flip-flop, health experts argue standard time is better for us. Their suggestions include:
⏰ Embracing the switch as a way to prevent “circadian misalignment.”
☀️ Getting outside in the morning sun for some “natural vitamin D.”
Read on with Wood for a preview of what to expect before daylight “saving” — actually “shifting” — time resumes in March.
What you should know today
As Election Day looms, deadlines for mail-in voters are fast approaching. If you’re using a mail ballot drop box in the Philly area, here’s how to make sure your vote counts.
Police have arrested a 24-year-old Atco resident in connection with a fatal hit-and-run in Voorhees.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker hopes to debut a new city program by the end of the year that is designed to offer affordable mortgages for city residents. We explain how it works, and why it has faced some criticism prior to launch.
A former Sharon Hill police detective who befriended a prolific cocaine dealer and helped him evade arrest to fuel his own drug habit was sentenced Friday to two years of restrictive probation.
The Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation has named Priscilla Suero as interim president. Her tenure will begin Monday.
A proposal in Lower Merion would restrict data centers to a former industrial corridor in Bala Cynwyd.
Philly’s progressive left was energized by Chris Rabb’s primary win for Congress. Now, members are coming for City Council — and they want a majority.
🎤 Here’s Tommy Rowan with a look back at the infamous radio broadcast that spooked Philadelphians.
The premise was clear: Actor/director Orson Welles, all of 23, had adapted for radio a classic sci-fi novel: H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds.
The explanation was played in the first few minutes of the Oct. 30, 1938, transmission, but scores of people, including many Philadelphians, missed it.
It would become one of the most famous radio broadcasts in U.S. history. Why? It made citizens believe that Martians had invaded New Jersey.
❓Pop quiz
Unfortunately, Philly is once again the poorest big city in the United States.
Which city did it reclaim its title from?
A) Chicago
B) New York
C) Houston
D) Los Angeles
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re ...
🍜 Slurping on: Khao soi at a swanky suburban Thai BYOB.
🏫 Learning about: Why educators at a Main Line college established an institute to destigmatize failure, in a world where students increasingly strive for perfection.
👠 Loving: Jilly from Philly and her fire fits, among our favorite artsy things this week.
🏈 Connecting: Why bringing Lincoln University to Philadelphia for HBCU football was “personal” for Mayor Parker.
🗳️ Exploring: How candidates are appealing to unaffiliated voters, the fastest-growing share of Pennsylvania’s electorate.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: This Philly eatery is so close to a graveyard it feels like you’re inside of it.
BRIBED SON
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Gail Hauptfuhrer, who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: James Forten. A free Black Philadelphian who served during the Revolutionary War, Forten became a wealthy sailmaker, and emerged as a leading abolitionist. A new documentary will tell his story.
Photo of the day
Sorority sisters Michele Mathes and Susan Dannenberg were roommates at Penn in 1966. 60 years later, they decided to live together again, this time in Chestnut Hill.
🎶 Today’s song goes like this: “It’s the time of the season / When love runs high.”
👋🏽 Thanks for waking up with The Inquirer. Laura Benshoff will bring you tomorrow’s news. Until then, have a wonderful day.
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