Inside a brewery’s toxic culture | Morning Newsletter
And, Philly school start times could be changing for the fall.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Hello, dedicated readers of The Inquirer Morning Newsletter.
First: Businesses at the Shore are praying for sun as Memorial Day approaches. Current forecasts aren’t looking so hot for the holiday weekend.
Then: Many accounts of sexism and mistreatment at Tired Hands Brewing Co. surfaced on Instagram last week, leading to founder and co-owner Jean Broillet IV stepping aside from operations. Now, several former employees are coming forward to share more details of the toxic culture at the brewery.
And: Philadelphia wants to change some schools’ schedules by as much as two hours. People are up in arms.
— Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
“Pray to whatever deity you subscribe to for nice weather,” said Reza Khan a week before Memorial Day. He’s been selling T-shirts, sunscreen, and towels to tourists for decades. This weekend’s forecast for New Jersey and the Philly region isn’t looking too summery — with widespread rainfall looking near-certain for Friday.
This weather isn’t the best for the unofficial kickoff weekend of summer, especially for businesses on the Shore that have struggled during this past year in the pandemic. Many of them depend on the summer visitors that some restaurants couldn’t serve safely during the pandemic. But many owners are still confident that this season will be a jackpot and a welcome rebound.
Reporter Jason Nark takes you to the Shore to see how business owners are preparing for Memorial Day.
When account after account of sexism and mistreatment at Tired Hands Brewing Co. appeared on brewer Brienne Allan’s Instagram last week, some fans of the Ardmore brewery were taken aback and disappointed. The stories ranged in severity from servers being belittled in public to a line cook being physically assaulted by another employee with no repercussions. But several former employees were not surprised.
“We all saw it happening, but we couldn’t scream about it until now,” said Allison Hoover, a former server. Hoover and others were emboldened to speak after seeing the posts. They described a particularly negative environment dominated by a “dude-bro culture” and exacerbated by uneven handling of serious complaints and offenses. The company leadership acknowledges the toxic culture, and is planning to implement a profit-sharing model, and a third-party HR audit.
See inside the toxic culture at Tired Hands from reporter Jenn Ladd.
Track the latest data on cases in the region.
Everything you need to know about Philly’s reopening.
What are the CDC mask rules? Use our simple flowchart.
Symptoms of COVID-19, flu, common cold, and allergies can overlap. How to tell the difference.
Side effects mean your COVID-19 vaccine is working. But what if you don’t have a reaction?
What you need to know today
As Philly’s school district prepares to reopen for in-person classes, it announced that most schools’ start and end times would be shifting for the fall. Many parents and staff aren’t happy about it.
Made in America 2021 is happening after being canceled last year because of the pandemic.
Lou Barletta is reintroducing himself to Pennsylvania voters as he runs for governor after a rough 2018 campaign for Senate.
Philadelphia will count undated mail ballots from last week’s primary the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said should be thrown out.
“Internal systemic failures” led to the blunder in Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration that derailed a statewide referendum to provide legal recourse for survivors of child sexual abuse, according to much-anticipated report released Wednesday.
Former Bordentown Township Police Chief Frank Nucera was sentenced to 28 months in prison for lying to the FBI in a hate-crime case.
Philly’s former treasurer Christian Dunbar is facing new charges tied to his role in a medical marijuana start-up. He has already been indicted on charges of obtaining his U.S. citizenship through a sham marriage and embezzling money from his previous job as a financial adviser.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Loving the contrast between the Philly skyline and the Schuylkill in this shot.
Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!
That’s interesting
📺 Did the Mare of Easttown Detective Zabel get his name from a real Delco family? This is what Pennsylvania State Rep. Mike Zabel had to say about his name appearing in the show.
🍽️ Staying in the city for Memorial Day? Here’s the best rooftop and patio dining for your three-day weekend.
🧺 Check out the best picnic spots in the Philly area, too.
🏖️ You can still get to the Shore without a car. Here’s how to do it from Philly.
🚗 If you’re looking for a drive, we have some ideas for day trips.
🍓 Want some fruit? You can pick your own farm-fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries near the city.
📆 And here’s your full guide on things to do for Memorial Day weekend in and near Philly.
Opinions
“The belief that ‘no one wants to work anymore’ is trash. It’s a classist trope and a gross oversimplification. I don’t deny some people are bums who would rather play Fortnite and wait on a government check than go out and work for a living. But it’s not everybody,” writes columnist Jenice Armstrong on why you shouldn’t believe that no one wants to work anymore.
Bring that same Philly Weekly fury to every city institution that dehumanizes homicide victims, writes columnist Helen Ubiñas on the alt paper’s contest to guess the number of murders in the city.
Philly will waste the big opportunity that comes with the $1.4 billion American Rescue Plan funds if they’re not used strategically, writes Philadelphia City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart.
The Republican assault on abortion rights is raising the stakes for Pennsylvania’s 2022 governor race, writes the Inquirer Editorial Board.
What we’re reading
Was the 500-foot sandwich actually one giant cheesesteak? Billy Penn explores the Italian Market’s attempt at a world record.
A Museum of Illusions is opening in Old City, but it’s here to stay. Philly Mag has more.
And a look into why Amazon’s buying MGM, the studio behind James Bond, is a watershed moment for Hollywood and tech, from the Los Angeles Times.
Your Daily Dose of | Shore swimming
Heading to the beach is an essential part of a Jersey Shore vacation: tasting the Atlantic’s brine, swimming with its current, splashing against its waves. But it can be expensive because most towns require and enforce the use of beach tags in order to visit. However, New Jersey does have five guarded ocean beaches that serve the public free of charge. Here’s how to swim at the beach for free.