Harrowing scenes in Northeast Philadelphia after a plane crashed near Roosevelt Mall and erupted into a massive fireball, scattering debris and setting several homes and cars on fire. Read More World News
Good morning, and welcome to February.
The sun is expected to break up the clouds with a high near 40 and some gusty winds.
There’s news on the Sixers’ bid to bring a WNBA team to the city and Drexel University’s new pick for president. But first, our reporters are bringing you the latest from Northeast Philadelphia after a medical jet crashed in a fiery explosion near the Roosevelt Mall.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Here’s what we know right now, according to multiple sources:
A private medical jet crashed shortly after 6 p.m. Friday in the area of Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia.
It happened within a minute after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. The plane was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, with Mexico its final destination.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, a medical flight company, wrote on LinkedIn that four crew members and two passengers, a pediatric patient and their escort, were on the plane.
A representative from Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia said they were “heartbroken” to confirm one of their patients was aboard the flight.
Multiple houses and cars were on fire.
Nearby roads were closed including parts of Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman and Bustleton Avenues.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker encouraged residents to stay away from the scene, and not to touch any debris in the street, and asked for the city’s prayers.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash in the coming days. We will be publishing all new developments on Inquirer.com.
Some of Saturday’s regular newsletter programming continues below.
What you should know today
Political economist Antonio Merlo will be the next president of Drexel University. Merlo previously worked at the University of Pennsylvania and currently serves as a dean at New York University.
Two Montgomery County men were charged in a failed murder-for-hire plot earlier this week, according to prosecutors.
The serial arsonist who stalked his ex-girlfriend, burned down five homes, and killed her new boyfriend was sentenced to up to 176 years in prison.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Friday that local elected officials and law enforcement cannot be forced to comply with the Trump administration’s “Nazi stuff,” referring to President Donald Trump’s planned crackdown on immigration.
Trump will put in place 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% tariffs on goods from China effective on Saturday. There was no word on whether there would be any exemptions to the measures that could result in swift price increases to U.S. consumers.
A West Philadelphia charter school has asked Commonwealth Court to freeze a state order that would make the school pay the district $30 million for overenrolling hundreds of students for more than a decade.
Bankrupt Prospect Medical Holdings said it intends to sell Crozer Health to a “not-for-profit consortium of health-care operators,” with state involvement in its plan, but state officials did not immediately confirm that a deal had been reached.
After years of talk but little action, the owners of the 76ers told The Inquirer on Friday that they’ve made an official bid to bring a WNBA team to town.
On Jan. 24, Target announced it was rolling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, joining other companies that have retracted similar policies following Trump’s election.
People opposed have called for boycotts of the discount store chain, something that columnist Jenice Armstrong says will hurt minority-owned brands sold there, “which is unfortunate.” Black entrepreneurs are asking supporters to “clear the shelves.”
“The best weapon consumers have is our wallets,” Armstrong writes. “I’m going to miss shopping at Target.”
Keep reading for Armstrong’s perspective on parting ways with the retailer.
🧠 Trivia time
This week in history: On Jan. 29, 1993, the inaugural eating contest that would become known as Wing Bowl was held in a Center City hotel lobby. How many wings did the winner eat?
A) 96
B) 100
C) 112
D) 200
Think you know? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: In West Philadelphia, born and raised
TILLS WHIM
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Terri Dean who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Restaurant Week. The Northern Liberties edition runs through Feb. 8.
It was a “weird” night at the Wells Fargo Center, and it’s not just because of Ivan Fedetov’s goalie style.
The Flyers ultimately fell 3-0 to the New York Islanders. But after around the halfway mark of the second period, Morgan Frost and Mavei Michkov did not see the ice again, and reports swirled on social media that the team was working on a trade. Let Flyers beat reporter Jackie Spiegel catch you up on what happened behind the scenes, and check out more photos from the action by staff photographer Yong Kim.
Somewhere on the internet in Philly
Comedian and Eagles fan Justin Silva was feeling good ahead of his sold-out shows at the Helium Club this weekend. My favorite Justin moment: the time he squawked like an eagle and, in broken Spanglish, kindly asked reggaeton star Karol G to dye her hair a different color.
In another corner of the web, Sixers fans are discussing potential names for Philly’s WNBA team. Here’s a sample of some very creatively Philly suggestions: the Betsy Ross Ballers, the Liberty Belles, the Schuylkill Sirens, and the Philadelphia Jawns.
And over on Inquirer.com, some of us are brushing up on the Eagles’ fight song history and (still) playing Birdle. What’s your best score so far? Mine was 2/6 on Birdle #14.
👋🏽 It’s been a long week. Thanks for stopping by. Take care, and I’ll see you again tomorrow.
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