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Good morning, Philly. This Wednesday is expected to be sunny, with highs in the 30s.
For eight years, the No Kill Car Shelter in Port Richmond has been buying junk cars, wrecks, junkyards and piles of junk from the tri-state area – and not so much repairing them as transforming them. Some look like they came straight out of a Mad Max Movie.
And the city is on track to clean every block this summer, officials say. In total, that will be about 18,000. We’re checking in on the progress so far.
Because of the holiday tomorrow, this is the last Inquirer morning newsletter you’ll receive this week. Paola will be back in your inbox on Sunday. If you’re looking for information on Philadelphia’s Fourth of July celebrations — and a weather forecast for fireworks — read on.
— Julie Zeglen ([email protected])
If someone forwarded this email to you, sign up for free here.
That’s the motto of the No Kill Car Shelter – but according to the team behind the Port Richmond repair shop where rescued vintage cars are given new life, it might as well be “save old cars, get dirty and be weird.”
🔧 Brian Smith and Sage Binder do not care about shiny paintwork or flawless chrome. Their cars sometimes look like they were put together like Frankenstein – but that is their charm and often the crux of the matter.
🔧 The couple documents their work for thousands on social media. And other rust bucket lovers are buying. But mostly “it’s about keeping as many of these cars running as possible,” Smith told the Inquirer.
🔧 Among their transformed treasures are a 1929 Ford Model A pickup, a 1961 Chevy Impala Bubbletop and a 1959 Thunderbird – “just like the one Elvira had.”
You don’t have to be a classic car fan to enjoy this car. Reporter Mike Newall has the story.
When I heard the leaf blowers on my block in West Philadelphia on Monday morning, I knew the cleanup crew was there.
East Parkside, Wynnefield, Haddington, Overbrook and Cobbs Creek are the latest neighborhoods to be cleaned block by block as part of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s Clean and Green pledge.
Previous results: A month into the 13-week initiative, the city has already swept 5,000 of the city’s 18,000 blocks, officials said. In addition, more than 1,500 vacant lots have been cleaned, 1,800 potholes have been repaired, graffiti has been removed from 850 blocks and 600 abandoned cars have been towed.
Ongoing support: Residents told the Inquirer they were grateful for the program, but longer-term questions remained about maintenance and sustainability.
Next: West Parkside, Mantua, University City, Southwest, Kingsessing and Eastwick will have a block cleanup next week. Find the full schedule here.
PS: Elsewhere in city government, a union representing thousands of Philadelphia city workers sued the Parker administration on Tuesday over the mayor’s return-to-work policy, asking a judge to stay the order before it takes effect on July 15.
What you should know today
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The July 3, 2023, shooting in Kingsessing still affects all the victims, families and first responders on the scene. One year later, they say they are struggling to move on.
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The man who shot and killed an off-duty police officer at a South Philly CVS store has been sentenced to up to 51 years in prison.
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A former member of the Philadelphia Proud Boys who stormed the Capitol has been sentenced to 100 days in prison.
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Four students who were involved in pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Pennsylvania have been suspended from classes because of their involvement, a student group said.
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President Joe Biden is facing his most difficult re-election to date. Jill Biden campaigned for her husband in Allentown on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Senator John Fetterman criticized the “Abandon Biden” movement amid the panic among Democrats after the debate.
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The country’s largest teachers union, led by North Philadelphia native Becky Pringle, is meeting in the city. Biden is scheduled to speak at the event on Sunday.
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While lawmakers work toward a budget agreement, Senate Republicans are focusing their education funding efforts on a sweeping new proposal to subsidize the cost of private schools and home schooling.
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The Philadelphia City Council’s office plans to hire an outside marketing firm for $1.4 million to combat voter fraud and disinformation.
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Howard Eskin, the longtime sportscaster who pioneered sports radio as “The King,” was banned from attending Citizens Bank Park for the remainder of the season because he made unwanted advances to an Aramark employee.
In America’s hometown, you have to celebrate the Fourth of July. Check out the Inquirer’s guides to help you plan your holiday:
🎆 Where to see fireworks in the city, suburbs and Jersey Shore
🎆 What you should know about the Wawa Welcome America Festival at the Parkway
🎆 What’s open and closed, from garbage collection to grocery stores
🎆 And perhaps most importantly, what is the forecast for Thursday evening?
For bonus reading, we look ahead to 2026: A local lawmaker wants to hold a commemorative joint session of Congress at Independence National Historical Park as part of the state’s 250th anniversary celebration. But the push comes as a new cultural coalition seeks much-needed improvements to the park.
🧠 Time for interesting facts
Ala Stanford, whose work on health equity issues in Philadelphia during the COVID-19 pandemic has garnered national recognition, has announced her next career move. What is she doing?
A) Producing a documentary about their work during the pandemic
B) Converting the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium into a for-profit company
C) Admission to the Penn faculty
D) Establishment of a non-profit organization to promote children’s literacy
Think you know? Check your answer.
What was…
🎹 Groove to: “Dear June,” the contest-winning song by Northeast Philadelphia singer-songwriter Khalil Amaru.
💸 Pay: Up to 3% more on some airport purchases at PHL due to this new fee.
🐽 Petting: Pigs, goats and more at these local farms and animal rescues.
🧩 Decipher the anagram
This year, a “cantina” version of this chain will open in Rittenhouse Square – possibly with alcohol.
LOCAL BETS
Email us if you know the answer and we’ll randomly select a reader to share it here. Cheers to Alyssa Opdyke for solving Tuesday’s anagram: Salus University. The planned merger of Drexel University with the small private health sciences university based in Elkins Park has been approved by the institutions’ accrediting agency, according to Drexel President John Fry.
picture of the Day
I hope you have a nice holiday and a long weekend if you have one. See you next week!
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