Why the Welcome Park plan was reversed | Morning Newsletter
And widespread floods and downpours
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The Morning Newsletter
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Welcome to Wednesday. It’s a breezy, cloudy day with a high near 47 and a lingering chance of showers.
Flood watches and advisories are up throughout the region, with flooding expected along the Delaware in Philly and all along the Schuylkill River, following yesterday’s powerful winter storm. We recap what happened plus the latest updates at inquirer.com.
But first, a look at the makings — and fallout — of a digital debate after a proposal to rehabilitate Welcome Park was suddenly reversed. Our main story unfolds the series of events that ultimately derailed the plan altogether.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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It all started on Friday when the Independence National Historic Park account posted a link on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) to a news release revealing the plan to rehabilitate Welcome Park.
Know your history: Welcome Park in Old City commemorates the founding of Pennsylvania on the land where William Penn, the founder of Philadelphia and the state, once lived. This revival would make visiting a more inclusive experience and honor America’s 250th birthday celebration in 2026.
But, part of that proposal included the removal of the Penn statue and the model of his Slate Roof house. That sparked a wave of outrage online. The initial tweet about the agency’s proposal was viewed about a million times.
Within 72 hours of the original announcement, the plan ended the same way it started: through a set of tweets. The National Park Service withdrew its proposition after the weekend’s firestorm of outcry.
Keep reading for a look at how online discourse shaped the fate of Welcome Park in a matter of days.
Widespread flooding and downpours driven by potent winds downed trees and closed roads, canceled Amtrak trains, swelled streams, delayed school start times, and knocked out power to more than 150,000 utility customers across the Philadelphia region Tuesday and into Wednesday.
Flooding is expected to continue today along the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, and on streams such as the Neshaminy Creek in Bucks County, and the Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford.
The entire region remains under a flood watch through Wednesday afternoon. A coastal flood warning is also in effect for areas along the lower Delaware River. And another rain storm is expected Friday into Saturday.
🌧️ Visit inquirer.com for our live coverage of the aftermath of last night’s storm.
📷 See the storm’s impact on our region in pictures.
🌊 Know what you should do after a flood.
❄️ Will Philly’s historic snow drought mark a second anniversary? It may get close.
What you should know today
The family of Eric Harrison, the security guard who was fatally stabbed at the Center City Macy’s last month, is suing the department store, claiming the lack of security and safety measures led to his death.
Rothman Orthopaedic Institute is reducing its workforce for the second time in a year, with plans to cut 5% of positions across the organization.
Investigators do not believe they will recover the body of 4-year-old Damari Carter, who police say was fatally beaten by his mother and her boyfriend, who then discarded his body in the trash over a month ago.
Some prominent Center City retailers are closing their doors, but industry experts say that retail occupancy downtown is almost recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
The Philadelphia Orchestra is adding seasoned American conductor Marin Alsop to its artistic leadership team.
Freeman’s, America’s oldest auction house, is merging with Chicago-based Hindman in a deal that will expand the 218-year-old Philadelphia company’s national profile.
Starting in the 2026-27 school year, a new Pennsylvania law will require high schools to provide a course in personal financial literacy worth at least half a credit that students will have to take in order to graduate.
Food hall and beer garden Reunion Hall finally opens in Haddon Township this week, ending nearly four years of hurdles including construction delays and a zoning fight.
🧠 Trivia time
Which studio album did David Bowie record at Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound Studios?
A) Young Americans
B) Ziggy Stardust
C) Low
D) Space Oddity
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we're...
🩸 Monitoring: Philadelphia’s shortage of blood donations.
🥤 Learning: How a soda tax impacted beverage sales in Philly and other cities.
👀 Watching: Former CNN anchor Don Lemon plans to launch a new show on X.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Seamstress and flag maker
BOSSES TRY
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Phyllis Salzman who correctly guessed Tuesday’s answer: Tastykake. The hint was “Victory Brewing’s new collaboration partner on a thoroughly Philly ale.”
Photo of the day
That should get you started for the day. Stay dry and be safe out there.
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