Fighting the PPA | Morning Newsletter
🏈 And Lego videos of Super Bowl stunts.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It’s Friday, Philly.
A Philadelphia Parking Authority employee crashed into an out-of-towner’s parked car in January. She’s been stuck in the city ever since.
And an Eagles fan recreates Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts highlights with just two Lego minifigures. Read on to learn all about his frame-by-frame process.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
P.S. Friday means trivia. Our latest news quiz includes questions on the Kelces’ new kid, a Taco Bell prank, and more.
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A Columbia County woman was visiting her son in Philadelphia when her parked car was hit by a PPA vehicle, damaging it and pushing it onto the Bainbridge Street sidewalk.
She and the PPA disagree over what’s owed to her and how long it’s taken to reimburse her. More than two months later, she says she’s unable to leave the city until she gets paid.
So, what’s “fair” after a freak accident like this?
Reporter Ximena Conde attempts to pick up the pieces for this story.
In other strange car-related news: Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal disclosed this week that she is conducting an internal investigation into how her staff failed to notify city fleet officials that an SUV assigned to her deputy had allegedly been stolen and wrecked. Meanwhile, emerging details about the four-car crash in West Philly last summer shed new light on the poodle-involved series of events.
Center City resident Jimmy King is catching the internet’s attention for his stop-motion Lego reenactments of big moments from the 2024 Eagles season.
🏈 Think: Saquon Barkley’s gravity-defying backward hurdle and Jalen Hurts’ Super Bowl touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. Both feature audio from their respective games, lending a layer of reality to the cartoony shorts.
🏈 The Delaware County native and self-described amateur animator told The Inquirer the 30-second videos require meticulous attention to detail and many hours of work — almost 25, in the case of the 33-second LIX video.
🏈 Sports reporter Gabriela Carroll goes behind the scenes of the viral clips’ creation.
More sports news: Barkley became the latest Philly athlete to take on the spicy sauces of online interview show Hot Ones. And for those seeking World Cup 2026 tickets, FIFA has a new ticket package to consider.
What you should know today
Three people were killed after being struck by an Amtrak train Thursday evening in Bucks County.
The “probable cause” of the 2023 I-95 crash and overpass collapse in Northeast Philly was unsafe speed, a final investigative report found.
The teen who police say shot and killed a 15-year-old after a fight on a SEPTA bus last month, then fled the city, has been taken into custody, authorities said.
Philadelphia clergy held a prayerful protest Thursday against the Trump administration’s move to let agents make immigration arrests in churches.
The Pennsylvania Senate passed a bill that would compel the state’s district attorneys to notify federal agents if they encounter a criminal who is in the country illegally.
The Trump administration is giving state education agencies 10 days to certify that schools have no “illegal DEI practices.”
Philly’s seaport imports more fresh fruit than any other port in the United States. It could cost 4% more under new federal tariffs.
In an effort to prevent medical emergencies in its prisons, Philadelphia is rolling out bracelets that monitor incarcerated people’s health in real time.
The latest City Council hearing included updates that lawmakers will consider expanding business curfews in North Philly and Kensington; a contested zoning bill has been shelved; and a previously frozen $12 million federal grant for the Philly Tree Plan has been unfrozen — at least for now. Plus, a Council member pitched a plan to save free transit passes for low-income people.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, we have an explainer from reporter Michelle Myers on the city’s pavement markings — or lack thereof. Scores of Philadelphia roads have faded or missing lane markers and crosswalks, a reader noted. That’s a safety issue.
Though the type of material used is meant to last eight years, factors like heavy traffic, weather, and snow plowing can reduce visibility much more quickly. Here’s the full explanation.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🧠 Trivia time
The Philadelphia Zoo officially has a few new residents, which also represent a first in its 150-year history — they were successfully bred and hatched at the zoo. What are they?
A) Galapagos tortoises
B) Caribbean flamingos
C) Western burrowing owls
D) Humboldt penguins
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🦌 Following: The latest in the saga of Baby the deer.
🪞 Voting for: The Portal to be kept at LOVE Park or moved to City Hall courtyard.
🍺 Anticipating: Parks on Tap’s return on April 9.
🥚 Asking Kiki: “Why are eggs expensive and not chicken?”
📖 Considering: Why are none of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Author Events free anymore?
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: A vacation spot, a reality show, a way of life
SHEERER JOYS
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Bill Beirne, who solved Thursday’s anagram: IronPigs. The Phillies’ triple-A affiliate will rebrand as the Lehigh Valley Tomato Pie for this year’s “Salute to Philly” game in May.
Photo of the day
🚇 One last connective thing: PATCO’s Franklin Square Station returned to service Thursday after more than 45 years. Transportation reporter Tom Fitzgerald talked to some of the first riders.
“It’s been a long time since Philly got some shiny and new transit infrastructure,” said Miles Taylor, a.k.a. Milesintransit, a YouTuber who traveled from Boston to be one of the first at the newly remodeled station.
Thanks for ending your week with The Inquirer. Have a good one.
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