🤢 Foul odor? Blame the pear trees | Morning Newsletter

We made it to Friday. Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 70.

There’s a funky springtime smell stinking up the city of Philadelphia. We traced the source to a peculiar type of tree.

And Uber is taking on aggressive tactics to undermine Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s proposed $1-per-ride tax on rideshare services.

Plus, what may have triggered the partial collapse of a parking garage in Grays Ferry, and more news of the day.

— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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It’s their time of year to shine ... and to stink.

The Bradford pear tree (also known as Callery pear) seem to be the reason for the foul air in Philly. They sure are pretty to look at. But once it hits you, the ammonia-like odor can be quite unbearable.

Notable quote: “People describe it as a rotting fish smell or urine,” said Pamela Morris Olshefski, plant collections manager at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania. “They give off these smells to attract the flies and beetles that help pollinate them.”

Yeah... That sounds about right. 🤢

Long before its stench started spreading around our neighborhoods, the Bradford pear tree was introduced to the United States in the early 1900s. It didn’t bear fruit (namely, pears), but would help trees with edible pears create resistance to fire blight.

But an unintentional cross-pollination of a Bradford tree with another tree changed that, and our noses have noticed ever since.

Reporter Michelle Myers shares the full history.

In March, Mayor Parker pitched a $1-per-ride tax on rideshare services as part of her annual budget plan.

Now, in opposition to the proposal — and with a final budget vote expected in June — rideshire giant Uber is taking its cause directly to riders.

After hailing a ride, Philadelphia customers are now seeing a new banner message at the top of their receipts: “Learn more about Mayor Parker’s proposed tax that will make your trips more expensive.”

Uber is lobbying City Council, too, emphasizing that the costs of the policy would fall on the riders. Some Council members have already expressed concern that it could hurt low-income constituents.

City Hall reporter Anna Orso has the details on Uber’s all-out pressure campaign.

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’re resurfacing an explainer from Michelle Myers on Peco’s material of choice for 111,000-plus of its poles throughout the city.

One reader asked, couldn’t they pick a more modern option like concrete, steel, or fiberglass? It turns out wood is safer and cheaper than its alternatives. 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.

Early last Saturday morning, a little after 2 a.m., two men entered a Wawa on York and Horsham Roads in Hatboro made off with 96 of this item without paying. They were eventually tracked down by authorities. What was the item?

A) Twizzlers

B) Bananas

C) Beef jerky

D) Soft pretzels

Think you know? Test your local news know-how and check your answer in our weekly quiz.

💿 Spinning: “Guy Stuck Holding Door at Wawa” and other locals-only bangers from this record store’s “love letter” to Delco.

📺 Recapping: How The Inquirer and Daily News covered three notorious cases featured on the new season of Philly Homicide.

👩‍🚀 Loving: Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch is a big Philly sports fan — and even watches games from space.

☕ Anticipating: More books and bigger events as Uncle Bobbie’s grows in Germantown.

🎤 “Raising our glass” to: The acrobatic Doylestown native tapped to host this year’s Tony Awards.

Hint: Philadelphia health insurance company

BLISSED NOUN PRECEDENCE

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Louis Quay, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Ursinus College. This Collegeville institution of higher education named a new president.

🐰 One more chaotic thing: Family Easter egg hunt events across Pennsylvania spiraled out of control in strikingly similar ways. Think stampedes of children — and adults.

👋🏽 Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend.

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