The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Happy Thursday, Philly. If you’re feeling flaky, blame an especially dry January (the other kind).
Barely a day after the Trump’s administration’s plans to freeze federal grants became public, the White House budget office on Wednesday rescinded the chaos-causing order that previously had government officials scrambling for clarity. Pennsylvania and the region are already seeing the impact of a slew of other policy changes resulting from executive orders, from immigration to school choice to energy.
And far from the politics game, Eagles fans are reveling in the magical in-between time of pre-Super Bowl celebrations.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.
Computer systems that run federally funded programs like Medicaid have been restored in Pennsylvania. They became inaccessible on Tuesday amid confusion about President Donald Trump’s federal funding freeze. Gov. Josh Shapiro criticized the jarring move and sudden reversal, calling it “very purposeful in trying to wreak havoc on our communities.”
Here’s how other executive orders are affecting — or expected to affect — the region.
Immigration: Some migrants are skipping work, school, church, and shopping out of fear of potential U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. On Wednesday, rumors of an impending ICE raid unsettled Philadelphia’s famous Italian Market, closing businesses and leaving stalls vacant.
School choice: In Pennsylvania, most school funding comes from local property taxes and the state. But Trump’s order prioritizing school choice will likely push vouchers to the forefront of state budget conversations, again.
Energy: Several executive orders are expected to have big effects on the environment. The Keystone State’s dispersed offerings of rare earth elements could help the White House achieve one of its energy goals.
Plus, the semiquincentennial: Trump signed an order Wednesday creating a task force to plan an “extraordinary celebration” to mark the country’s 250th birthday. It’s not yet clear how the city and its Philadelphia250 organization will factor into these plans.
What you should know today
A Philadelphia man shot a fellow reveler in Center City on Sunday night amid celebrations of the Eagles’ NFC Championship win, police said.
A wind-whipped fire damaged nine West Philadelphia homes and left one adult and three children injured early Wednesday afternoon.
Eighty-five percent of fired Philly police officers return to the force under a grievance arbitration system, a new analysis shows.
Former N.J. Sen. Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison for accepting bribes and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.
Crime boss or civic leader? “Master tactician” South Jersey power broker George E. Norcross III has an eye on the court of public opinion as he fights racketeering charges.
Philadelphia lawmakers today will consider a pair of bills that would cap apartment application fees at $20 and allow renters to pay their security deposit in installments instead of upfront. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier is also putting forward a package of bills to boost affordable housing construction.
Pitman voters overwhelmingly approved a $21.3 million bond referendum in a special election to raise funds for repairs and upgrades in the South Jersey school system.
A building formerly used as a student residence hall has become the fourth University of the Arts structure to draw a bid.
It’s the best possible week to be a Birds fan.
We’re in that sweet spot of post-NFC Championship win, pre-Super Bowl nerves. Feb. 9 may bring a painful or glorious few hours of play, but right now, they haven’t even gotten the chance to let us down yet. No point in wallowing in anticipatory grief! Either they’ll win or they won’t, and the best we can do to influence that outcome is to cheer them on.
And cheering we are. As columnist Stephanie Farr puts it, Philly is the most magical place on Earth right now. Not only are you allowed to wear Eagles gear literally anywhere, but “Go Birds” is an appropriate greeting, farewell, and everything in between.
In other Eagles fandom news:
💚 From Bradley Cooper to Taylor Swift, which Super Bowl LIX team has the better celebrity fan base? Here’s our totally, definitely unbiased take.
💚 In need of a fresh green ‘fit? We found 16 local shops to buy Eagles Super Bowl merch.
💚 Why hasn’t Philly ever hosted a Super Bowl? Could it? It’s not impossible.
💚 The Inquirer’s opinion team has teamed up with the Kansas City Star for “a battle of words and ideas” over football, culture, and more. What questions do you have for the writers? Ask them here.
🧠 Trivia time
Which event did not happen the last time the Eagles were in the Super Bowl?
A) The Kelce brothers played against each other
B) Rihanna revealed her pregnancy
C) Nick Sirianni cried during the national anthem
D) Usher performed a medley of his hits
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🏀 Reading about: Julius Erving’s place in the NBA’s rise, and the importance of the dunk, via Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski’s book Magic in the Air.
🥊 Peeking inside: Philadelphia’s attic via this exhibit of artifacts from the Atwater Kent Collection.
🍽️ Snagging: Philly’s hardest reservations on Super Bowl Sunday, when most of the city is watching the Birds.
🐼 Anticipating: Panda Fest, an Asian street festival coming to Philadelphia in April.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Public education institution in the Logan section of Philadelphia
GOTHIC ANCHOR SHELL
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Miles Philpott, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: Whole Foods. Philly workers have voted to unionize, a first for the Amazon-owned grocery chain. The store will have 300 union employees.
Photo of the day
🧊 One last icy thing: An upside to this month’s freezing temperatures? A historic ice toboggan tradition has made a triumphant return in rural Pennsylvania.
At long last, January is almost over. I’ll see you back here tomorrow to greet the end.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.