Young Eagles fans have it so good | Morning Newsletter
And Northeast Philly plane crash evidence emergences.
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, Philly. Alas, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of wintry weather — but you probably could have predicted that yourself.
Young Eagles fans are used to winning, a departure from the long-suffering allegiance of veteran fans like their parents. It’s resulted in very different views of what it means to back the team.
And in more somber news, residents of the Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood where a plane went down in a fiery explosion say life has been upended as investigators continue to parse through the wreckage. Read on for more info on the aftermath of Friday evening’s disaster, including what we know about the crash victims.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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One week from now, we’ll know whether the Birds are Super Bowl champions, again, after making it to the big game three times in eight seasons.
To members of older generations, that win rate would have been unheard of before 2018. Being a Philly fan meant watching rivals hoist the Lombardi Trophy, never the Eagles. But to kids, playoff success — and the fun that comes with it — is all they’ve ever known.
Some parents even find it a little troubling to be raising a new generation that roots for a consistently winning team: “I almost feel like you should have to sit through some misery before feeling the joy,” one dad said.
In other Eagles news: Lansdale native Ryan Quigley’s best friend and fellow devoted Birds fan, Tiger Bech, was killed in the terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve. Quigley, who was injured in the attack, is returning to the city to cheer his team in the Super Bowl, honor Bech, and “not let the evil act win.”
Two days after a medical transport plane crashed near Roosevelt Mall, investigators continued searching for clues about how the tragedy occurred. The National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday night that the jet’s black box was found at the initial impact of the crash, down about eight feet.
Seven victims: A 37-year-old father from Mount Airy died while driving on Cottman Avenue with his son when the plane crashed and exploded, relatives said. The six citizens of Mexico who were aboard the plane were identified Sunday, including the 11-year-old who had spent four months undergoing treatment for a medical condition at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia.
Lingering damage: In the densely populated residential area, 11 homes and an untold number of businesses were damaged. Churches and the mall were closed Sunday. Buses were diverted, and some residents were in too much despair to leave their blocks — or if they left, to return to them.
Looking forward: Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said the city will host a town hall meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday for residents and businesses from the crash-affected areas. Read about the latest developments on Inquirer.com.
What you should know today
President Donald Trump’s ban on federal support for gender-affirming care could have a chilling effect on health-care providers and block recipients, including Philly-area transgender teens, from being able to receive the treatments. Plus, Trump’s threat to pull funding from K-12 schools over DEI and gender policies is creating uncertainty for Pennsylvania educators and students.
The pathologist who ruled Ellen Greenberg’s 2011 death by 20 stab wounds a homicide, then switched it to suicide, said he now believes that ruling should be changed.
The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court will soon decide whether Lower Merion has the authority to limit where guns are sold in the community. The ruling could impact gun policies across the state.
What’s at stake for cash-strapped SEPTA in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget? Despite austerity measures, the transit agency will need to make drastic cuts if Harrisburg can’t provide more dollars.
University of Pennsylvania is making itself ground zero for conversation on the challenges threatening higher education, from politics to overreaching board members.
The first major office-to-residential conversion of the post-pandemic era in Philadelphia is set to be completed this spring at a law firm’s former home. Take a peek at the (surprisingly smooth) process.
After 50 years on the Oaklyn school board, this will be William Stauts’ last term. The South Jersey town just named the school library after him.
Sabrina Carpenter, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Bradley Cooper, and Adam Blackstone are all Philly-area Grammy winners. Bucks County-raised Carpenter thanked her mother “for driving me to all my voice lessons in Bala Cynwyd.”
February is Black History Month, a time for celebration, reflection, and learning. But as South Jersey-based educator and writer Rann Miller argues, teaching Black history shouldn’t fall solely on Black people.
“If there isn’t a committee for planning and executing Black History Month activities, if approvable activities don’t go beyond lunch and a movie with misguided interpretations of Black activism, and if there is a lack of supervisory support if confronted with any retaliation,” he writes, “you don’t have to isolate yourself to take on that level of stress and anxiety.”
Read his op-ed about showing up in a challenging moment for American education.
Plus: Author and history buff David W. Young writes about how the organ in Philadelphia’s Wanamaker Building played a role in the birth of the commemorative month.
🧠 Trivia time
Despite high-profile quarterback concussions, the NFL reported that brain injuries dropped 17% during the 2024 season to the lowest count since 2015. How many concussions did players sustain?
A) 17
B) 182
C) 659
D) 5,500
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
💔 Moved by: This tribute to the extended Shriners family in the wake of Friday’s crash, written by a former childhood patient.
🦅 Glad to see: Eagles fans send the team off to New Orleans in style.
👗 Checking out: Jenny Walton’s feminist art on display at the Fabric Museum.
🫶 Considering: These ideas to make life better for people with disabilities and their caregivers.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Saquon Barkley attended Whitehall High School in the _ _
A LEVEL HIGHLY
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Dayna Wells, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Society Hill. Before every home game, the Eagles eat cherry pop tarts and cinnamon brioche from this bakery in the neighborhood.
Photo of the day
Finding a drink of water can be a major winter problem for the unsheltered, especially as public drinking-water fountains are fading away in many cities, including Philadelphia. Reporter Lynette Hazelton has the details.
Your “only in Philly” story
📬 Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.
This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Kimberly Raynore-Van Leer, who recalls a lifetime of memories tying her family to the city:
Although I was born and raised over the bridge in South Jersey, I carry a piece of Philadelphia in my soul.
My father, along with three of his six brothers, were born in Philadelphia. My grandfather was born in Italy and came over as a teenager and settled in South Philadelphia, where he married my Irish grandmother.
I remember every Saturday morning in the 1960s going to Ninth Street with my grandparents: the excitement of the hustle and bustle, the aromas, and the taste of the salty provolone. I grew up on the tradition of the string bands and banging pots on the steps New Year’s Eve, and the Thanksgiving Parade of the 1960s.
My grandfather took me to my first Phillies game, which I viewed from the press box. He was a true man of the city, and a photographer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. I remember going through boxes of black-and-white, eight-by-10 glossies, the view from his lenses, the vision of his Philadelphia.
As a teenager, I experienced my first Bruce concert at the Spectrum, Pat’s Steaks and Chinatown with my little sister, and Sundays with friends at the Art Museum.
I’m a nurse, and had the privilege to work at two of the many outstanding hospitals in Philadelphia, Jefferson Hospital and Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, which required sitting in Philadelphia traffic — and as my Nan would say, swearing like a truck driver!
My husband Bill, a retired union tile setter, worked in all the sport stadiums and hundreds of other city locations. I have enjoyed so many Philadelphia experiences over the years with him — fireworks at New Year’s, the theaters, all kinds of dining experiences, the zoo and many museums, the Duck Boat rides and Rita’s.
Now our five grown children take our 12 grandchildren and travel to the city often for ice skating, theater, and festivals. They enjoy Union season tickets and my Phillies (I still wanna marry Larry Bowa). My sons are Eagles fans.
I could go on forever with our love connection to the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love! I am so humble and grateful to Philadelphia, a city and people that have touched my family’s lives in so many ways!
👋 Wishing you an easy week. Thanks for starting it with The Inquirer.
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