Origins of a crisis | Morning Newsletter
📸 And recording Philadelphians’ rituals.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Welcome to Wednesday, Philly. Snow enthusiasts, your time is nigh: The region may get its first (barely) measurable snowfall of the season Thursday.
A long history of social ills and inequitable policies has conspired to push the Black homicide rate far beyond that of other racial groups. Today’s lead story digs into the origins of the city’s modern gun violence crisis.
And through the year, Inquirer photographers captured images showcasing the powerful bond between Philadelphians and their beloved rituals. Our photo essay below features scenes from religious ceremonies, ethnic traditions, sports celebrations, and more.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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The roots of one of Philadelphia’s most intractable challenges reach back centuries.
Beginning with W.E.B. Du Bois’ “The Philadelphia Negro” published in 1899, scholars have long identified institutional racism, including segregation and redlining, as a major contributor to the enduring cycle of violence faced by the city’s Black residents.
Today, gun violence disproportionately touches Black Philadelphians: Since 2015, more than 80% of victims and 79% of people arrested for gun violence have been Black. This troubling trend continues even as the city’s gun violence rates are declining.
Trace reporter Mensah M. Dean examines the origins of this crisis and its ongoing impact on Black Philadelphians. This story appears in collaboration with The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom covering gun violence in America.
What are your rituals? From reading the morning paper to participating in parades to religious worship, we all have them.
This year, Inquirer photographers documented scores of Philadelphians honoring their closest-held traditions.
They were on site for the annual Odunde Festival, the procession of saints at the Italian Market Festival, and a Holi celebration on a college campus. They captured Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts as he kneeled in prayer before the start of the game, and a family as they set up their ofrenda for a Dia de los Muertos event.
Their new photo essay documents these diverse and colorful rituals and more. As you scroll through the images, consider how your own rituals shape your life.
What you should know today
A Delaware County man was sentenced to 40 to 80 years in state prison for series of rapes targeting women walking alone.
Seven people involved in two human trafficking rings in northern and southern New Jersey have been indicted, state officials announced Tuesday.
New Jersey Senator-elect Andy Kim will officially join the U.S. Senate before the year ends following George Helmy’s resignation.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General Office is reviewing complaints from residents who received unsolicited $100 checks that appear to be from Elon Musk’s pro-Trump America PAC.
Sixers leaders said they are negotiating about potentially paying more than $50 million for the community benefits agreement associated with the team’s proposal to build a new arena in Center City. Meanwhile, a major Chinatown group has drafted a $163 million list of demands.
The emergency departments at Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital abruptly closed Tuesday for three hours because they lacked imaging services.
Pennsylvania State University is aiming to grow the first-year student body at University Park over the next few years as enrollment declines at its Commonwealth campuses.
Some Philly-area travelers are balking at high Amtrak fares this holiday season, but there are ways to save on tickets. Plus, ATMs along the Pennsylvania Turnpike were shut down over the weekend — and they still aren’t working.
Tyson Foods is closing two facilities in North Philadelphia, eliminating hundreds of jobs there.
P.S. The link to this story was broken in yesterday’s newsletter: Listen to clips from the conversation between the parents of a 5-year-old who died after undergoing a lymphatic procedure and the CHOP doctors who performed it. (Then, read five takeaways from The Inquirer’s deep dive on the hospital’s innovative treatment program.)
🧠 Trivia time
A long-planned apartment project at the Italian Market appears to be shelved. Instead, the developer is planning what?
A) A DisneyQuest theme park
B) A parking garage
C) A retail complex
D) A Sixers arena
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🍽️ Booking: Reservations at Inquirer critic Craig LaBan’s top 10 restaurants of 2024.
🎅 Watching: The latest entry into the Kelce family cinematic universe.
🏠 Predicting: What the 2025 housing market might look like.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Delran native and new member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
ACRID LOLLY
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Tom Hubbs, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: brain rot. The word of the year, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, has been around for a century.
Photo of the day
🥊 One last triumphant thing: Sylvester Stallone lent his personal Rocky statue to the city for RockyFest, which kicked off this week. The larger-than-life figure will be at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, where it was in Rocky III, for a month.
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