Tierra Whack đź’šs the Phanatic | Morning Newsletter
And today’s top stories
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The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Wake up, it’s a sunny Saturday. Hopefully Nick Castellanos didn’t forget his sunglasses. And if you’re headed to Citizens Bank Park this weekend as workers picket employment conditions, here’s what to expect.
Today, I’m highlighting how Tierra Whack just made the playoffs even better by adding a riveting love story to the Phillie Phanatic canon. Plus, a local union leader is out after being accused of using members for free labor, a Philly-founded cookie company is on an expansion spree, and two of our favorite Philly sitcoms are cooking up a crossover for the ages.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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What you should know today
Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally in Butler on Saturday, the same site where he was nearly killed by a would-be assassin’s bullet in July. Billionaire Elon Musk said he will be there to “show support” as one of several special guests expected at the event.
The president of Local 1 of the Bricklayers and Allied Craft Workers resigned following allegations that he abused a training program to get free work on his Delaware County home.
Officials are investigating after an off-duty homicide detective shot and killed a man Thursday in Northeast Philadelphia. And a man was shot in the legs Friday near the Fashion District mall in Center City. A suspect was apprehended and a gun was recovered.
Daniel Greenstein concludes his six-year-tenure as chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education next week. The Inquirer sat down with Greenstein to talk declining enrollment, funding, mergers and more.
Philly-based Insomnia Cookies celebrated the opening of its 300th store last week in Seattle and looks to open 55 new stores this year — including one coming to Fishtown soon.
After delighting a sold-out crowd at Citizens Bank Park, the Savannah Bananas will return in 2025 for two more games. The ticket lottery is open until Nov. 1.
Move over, Infinity War, this crossover might break the internet: Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are teasing a collab episode, and Philly is here for it.
The playoffs begin in South Philly this afternoon with a matchup we’ve never seen before: Phillies vs. Mets in the postseason. Who’s taking the NLDS home? Here’s how our insiders see the series going down.
Every Saturday, I’ll share a Philly story that’s stuck in my mind. This week, I can’t stop thinking about North Philly’s own Tierra Whack and her animated music video for the hopeless romantic bop “MOOVIES.”
The illustrious rapper and singer behind World Wide Whack once again teamed up with the Philly-based visual artist Alex Da Corte for this fun, colorful masterpiece.
Throughout the video, we get to ride along with Whack for several romantic adventures, going places like the Tower Theater in Upper Darby and the Mummers Museum — and even flying high above the city with a flock of Wawa geese. So classically Philly. Then, she stops bouncing between lovers when the meet-cute of a lifetime happens with the Phillie Phanatic himself.
My mind is racing trying to connect the dots at this point: Is this a continuation of their cute NPR Tiny Desk performance? Did they flirt and fall in love? What’s next?
Next thing you know, the future flashes before Whack’s eyes: spaghetti kisses, wedding bells, and a little green baby. It’s a fantasy plucked straight from TV. That is, until the baseball bat of fate strikes Whack back to reality. The way the tempo changes in this cinematic interlude is so satisfying.
Outside of her Phanatic fantasy, Whack is stuck on a merry-go-round of lousy movie dates with the likes of an enigmatic Flower Kid, a sly fox that takes “Fly Me to the Moon” extremely seriously, and the unmistakable Ghost who literally just ghosts her. (Ugh. It’s not just you, girl. Philly is so single.) And even though the Phanatic relationship didn’t really materialize, I’m still gonna ship them. They both love Philly real hard. They could be the power couple of the year. Tayvis who?
The first time I saw Whack live was her surprise appearance at a Childish Gambino show. It was heartwarming seeing her embrace the love from her city. Imagine she starts bringing the Phanatic on tour with her — those less in-tune will ask, “Who is that big green guy?” Real ones already know.
One viewpoint
The Philadelphia Orchestra is no stranger to the rude interruption of a cell phone ringing loudly in the middle of a blissful performance. It can be an awkward and embarrassing situation for everyone.
But the audience isn’t entirely to blame for this persistent problem, arts reporter Peter Dobrin suggests in a column.
“The responsibility for cell phone peace also rests with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center Inc., which has invited the problem at least partially by asking audiences to more deeply engage with their cell phones during visits,” Dobrin says. Keep reading for his perspective on why this keeps happening, and some potential solutions.
âť“ Pop quiz
On this week in what year did Pope John Paul II become the first sitting pope to visit Philadelphia?
A) 1969
B) 1975
C) 1978
D) 1979
Think you know? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Ring. The. Bell.
CODE ROBERT
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Kathy Houck who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Stevie Nicks. We’re on the edge of hearing this legendary singer-songwriter’s feature on the third Eagles Christmas album.
Boricuas brought the sazón to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Sunday at the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Between the music, dancing and parade floats, it was a vibrant celebration of Latino culture by proud puertorriqueños.
The city’s Latino population has doubled in size since the start of the century, making it the fastest-growing demographic in Philadelphia. El Centro de Oro is considered by many to be the center of the Latino community.
Somewhere on the internet in Philly
Catching Philly Elmo and his entourage in the flesh means you get to tick one square on your Philadelphian bingo card.
Yes, we have yet another celeb sighting, captured on a Reddit user’s video of the local institution walking with his drum line in East Kensington.
Apart from the general excitement of casually seeing the star IRL, some of the comments embody the city’s general attitude toward Philly Elmo and his entourage: We might get cranky over loud noises when the vibes don’t call for it, but maybe don’t mind so much if these folks are behind it. One Redditor said, “2 years ago the day I moved to Philly these guys came down my block. Best celebrity sighting ever.” Now there’s a positively warm welcome.
👋🏽 Let’s do this again tomorrow with the latest news.
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