The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Morning, Philly. If you got caught in any of yesterday’s many rainstorms, you might not be surprised to learn that we reached rainforest levels of moisture.
The big story of the day is, of course, the municipal worker strike. Read on for the latest, from tension at the picket lines to the city’s legal response.
And if you’ve ever wondered how the ham, roast beef, and yes, the sausage get made at Dietz & Watson, step inside the Philly company’s deli meat factory with us.
— Julie Zeglen and Jaison Nieves (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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More than 9,000 municipal employees who are members of AFSCME District Council 33 officially went on strike Tuesday after contract negotiations with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration fell apart late Monday night.
Who’s involved: DC 33 workers include police dispatchers, trash collectors, water treatment plant operators, and others who perform manual labor and skilled trades.
Walking the lines: Tensions were high on the first day of DC 33’s first major strike since 1986, with minor confrontations on picket lines across the city and alleged incidents such as Water Department truck tires slashed. On the picket lines, union members expressed struggles with low wages and feeling underappreciated for taxing work.
Legal fight: The city has responded to the stoppage by filing several lawsuits and injunction requests to require certain workers to resume work. Striking 911 dispatchers, for instance, “poses unacceptable threats to public health, safety and welfare,” lawyers for the city wrote in a filing. A judge agreed, on Tuesday ordering those workers to return to their jobs for at least one week.
Trash talk: The city established 60-plus sites for garbage drop-off through the strike. (Remember when the Daily News reviewed trash-disposal sites during the 1986 DC 33 strike?) Now may be the time to look into composting to reduce the pile up, and the smell that comes with it.
Find the latest on contract negotiations and more at Inquirer.com.
Vegans, avert your eyes as we take a tour of the Philadelphia headquarters of the country’s second-largest deli meat and cheese brand.
🌭 That’s a lot of sandwiches: Dietz & Watson produces 100 million pounds annually of cold cuts, sausage, and hot dogs from its plant based on Tacony Street in Wissinoming.
🥪 Meet your meat: The Philly plant is divided into two sections — raw and ready-to-eat — to avoid cross-contamination. Despite what may come to mind when picturing a meat-processing factory, both are “perfectly clean,” as food reporter Jenn Ladd found during a recent visit. Parts even smell downright fragrant — think honey-baked ham and 50 different marinades.
🧀 In the family: Dietz & Watson has been a family-owned business since 1939. “They’re helping make it bigger, to make room for themselves,” CEO Louis Eni said of the fourth generation currently involved. While he’s not preemptively recruiting his grandchildren, he does “hope there’s a fifth.”
Go inside the factory with Ladd to find out how the sausage is made.
Even more meat: Watch The Inquirer’s video tour of the Dietz & Watson factory.
What you should know today
President Donald Trump’s sweeping economic package narrowly passed the Republican-controlled Senate on Tuesday, with Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman splitting the Pennsylvania vote.
University of Pennsylvania will send “personalized” letters of apology to its female athletes who felt aggrieved by a transgender swimmer’s participation on their team, among other concessions, according to a deal with the Trump administration.
Philadelphia police believe the school district safety officer shot over the weekend was not targeted and was likely struck by stray bullets fired during a nearby road-rage incident.
Eight people were charged with human trafficking on Tuesday for running a sprawling prostitution ring in South Jersey.
Nicetown residents are searching for normalcy in the days after an explosion killed one neighbor and injured two others.
New Jersey’s governor candidates are fighting about Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Party nominee for New York City mayor.
While lawmakers continue to negotiate the state budget, some school districts, including William Penn in Delaware County, need to borrow to make ends meet.
New Jersey allocated $45 million in opioid settlement funds to four hospitals. Some community advocates and the state attorney general say the move goes against recommendations.
Quote of the day
Yes, the insect wields a painful sting that can trigger life-threatening anaphylaxis in some people. But the Pennsylvania State University professor cautions that it’s not yet clear how much of a threat they pose to the region.
🧠 Trivia time
One day after Philadelphia-based U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans announced he would retire at the end of his term in 2027, which Democratic politician launched their campaign to take his seat?
A) State Sen. Sharif Street
B) State Rep. Morgan Cephas
C) State Rep. Chris Rabb
D) City Council president Kenyatta Johnson
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🏀 Suggesting: Locally inspired names for Philly’s new WNBA team.
🚎 Dreading: The annual trolley blitz, beginning this year on July 11.
🔪 Asking: Does picking your knife make a steak taste better?
🥵 Peeping: The steamy books beachgoers are reading at the Jersey Shore.
🌡️ Considering: How cooling support can save lives amid heat emergencies.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: WNBA commissioner and Collingswood native
BREATHY NEGLECT
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Minky Kernacs, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Upper Darby. The beloved Pica’s Restaurant is relocating after nearly 70 years from the Delaware County township to Broomall. Could this be the new location?
Photo of the day
Pretend they’re screeching “Have a good one!” and then go do it. See you back here tomorrow.
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