Yesterday in Philly
The City Tries to Dig Out (Again)
Hey, hope you made it through the blizzard. Philly got whacked with over 16 inches of snow, making this one of the biggest storms we've seen in years. Crews are scrambling to clear streets, but if your block's still buried, good luck getting a plow anytime soon. SEPTA and NJ Transit are crawling back to a normal schedule, though be ready for detours and delays. More flurries are supposed to hit Wednesday morning, but at least the weekend looks milder. Power's still out for thousands in South Jersey (Burlington County is struggling), and Philly crews are dealing with fallen trees and debris all over.
One poor soul in Fishtown even got buried by a plow's snow wall while shoveling—if you needed a reminder that this city's sense of humor is involuntary.
Politics & Policy: Lawsuits and the State of the Union
- PA and NJ joined 13 other states in suing the Trump administration over new CDC vaccine schedule changes. The fight is about federal recommendations, not a local mandate (yet), but it's worth watching.
- Meanwhile, the Trump administration fired back, suing New Jersey for restricting ICE access to state property. Complicated, but big if you care about immigration enforcement here.
- State of the Union happened. It was long. Local lawmakers from PA, NJ, and Delaware invited guests to highlight everything from health care to ICE crackdowns (Delaware too).
City Grumbles & Good News
- If rent is burning a hole in your wallet, you're not alone: a developer just scored a $150 million loan for a 36-story riverfront apartment tower in South Philly. No word on what "luxury" means pricewise this time.
- Pennsylvania Hospital is 275 (!) years old, and it's getting a whole museum devoted to its medical history. Now you know where to send relatives who’ve seen the Liberty Bell twice.
- Temple’s jazz band just took home the national title (you love to see it), and a Temple cop is inspiring students with crochet. Seriously.
- New Philly food obsession alert: there's a pancake going for $59 in Chinatown (actual price), and apparently, it's worth it?
Quick Hits
- Person with measles wandered through a Montgomery County Wawa and car dealership (keep an eye out if you were near Norristown or Collegeville).
- Pennsylvania’s dealing with bird flu in 7 million+ birds. Officials are ramping up efforts, but no threat to humans—yet.
Sports: Win Some, Lose More
- Sixers talk: Nick Nurse is catching some heat (mailbag explainer here).
- Phillies: Bryce Harper needs a bounce-back, and the team literally can’t afford to get anyone else hurt (here's why).
- Eagles are doing that thing where Howie says A.J. Brown is amazing — but they’d also listen to trade offers for him. It’s never boring!
Stay safe out there. Shovel your sidewalk (please), and let us know if you try that pancake. Back tomorrow with more.
