The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning. Expect showers and wind throughout Sunday and into Memorial Day, from here to the Shore.
Will the World Cup give Chester a much-needed boost? We look into the potential for economic impact on the bankrupt city.
And a community landmark has been restored after an accidental paint job drew the ire of neighbors.
Scroll along to read these stories and more.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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The global spotlight is on Philadelphia as it prepares to host FIFA World Cup games and draw thousands of people to the region. Chester, the home of Philly’s pro soccer team, could reap some of the spillover benefits.
💰 Local officials aren’t betting on that, though. Neither the mayor nor other local and state officials expect the big event to make a dent in the city’s longstanding financial problems. It has been in “distressed” status since 1995 and bankrupt since 2022.
🏘️ 30% of Chester households live in poverty. Residents there also pay the highest wage-tax rate in Pennsylvania.
🏟️ The Union will host World Cup watch parties at Subaru Park. The stadium has drawn crowds to the riverfront over the years, but people in the area say local businesses haven’t gained much in return.
Tony Wood reports on the history of Chester’s waterfront, and the city’s ongoing challenges.
The city had sent a crew to power wash away graffiti on the wall along the steps to the Wissahickon Creek Trail.
But instead of cleaning it, the workers painted it. It was an accident, according to Thomas Conway, executive director of the Philadelphia Community Life Improvement Program.
The community was furious and posted a storm of complaints online to lament the desecration of the historic stones.
To neighbors’ relief, workers washed away the mistake on Friday afternoon, but the sting remains.
Notable quote: “I’m fine with the graffiti being gone, but not like this,” one resident said. “This community is multigenerational and tells the story of the people in this neighborhood who have been here for generations; we have to honor that.”
Michelle Myers has the full story.
What you should know today
The Norristown school district is eliminating its chief of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging position, but has said it is not abandoning DEI.
Chester County’s small towns, swaddled by mushroom farms, are attracting new residents. The supply of available housing isn’t keeping up with demand.
A Philadelphia woman pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $100,000 in disability benefits intended for a woman whose remains were found buried under concrete in the basement of a Frankford rowhouse in 2022.
A drunk driver who killed a cyclist in FDR Park in 2023 was sentenced to up to 21 years in prison. The cyclist’s father says that isn’t enough.
A starter’s pistol will no longer open the Philly Marathon. A West Philly native’s company created an alternative that keeps runners with PTSD, neurodivergence, and veterans in mind.
The U.S. men’s soccer team’s World Cup squad is reportedly set, including four players with local ties
Wawa and Comcast made Forbes’ list of America’s biggest family businesses by revenue.
🎤 Now I’m passing the mic to Tommy Rowan for a look back at the Chicago gum tycoon who bought a Pennsylvania baseball team.
Philadelphia roots run deep in Chicago Cubs history, from William Wrigley Jr.’s Germantown upbringing to the 1929 World Series clash with the Philly A’s.
And on May 17, 1927, Wrigley bought into the AA Reading Baseball Club, hoping his Pennsylvania heritage could help him develop a winning recipe for the Cubs. Here’s the full story.
❓Pop quiz
Smuckers’ longtime favorite Uncrustables are no longer the official PB&J sandwich for NFL players.
Which company produces the new pick?
A) JAMS
B) Wawa
C) Aldi
D) Trader Joe’s
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re ...
🦀 Following: Craig LaBan’s guide to the best seafood down the Shore.
🪟 Stunned by: A mysterious window at the Bellevue Hotel.
🥬 Munching on: Seared savoy cabbage at Uchi, among the best things we ate this week.
🏠 Loving: How intuition led a couple to land a home in Palmyra.
💭 Imagining: An alternative universe where Rhys Hoskins never got injured.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: British pop star and former One Direction member
IZAK LYMAN
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Wren Ingram, who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: The Black Sheep. Patrons, including its community of Manchester United supporters, rallied around the pub after it suffered a devastating fire.
🎶 Today’s song goes like this: “Ever since the rain, I’ve been living days too slow.”
👋🏽 Thanks for reading. This newsletter will be taking a break in observance of Memorial Day. Look out for its return on Wednesday, and visit Inquirer.com for the latest news. Until then, be well.
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