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Philly experiences unseasonably warm temps; Mummer who wore blackface denounced by his union | Morning Newsletter

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Naheem Williams, center (in red) attempts a layup past Quinzel Tabron, center left (in black), and Amir Ford, center right (in white), during a pickup game of basketball at Cobbs Creek Park in West Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. The National Weather Service said temperatures reached a record high of 67 degrees Fahrenheit at Philadelphia International Airport.
Naheem Williams, center (in red) attempts a layup past Quinzel Tabron, center left (in black), and Amir Ford, center right (in white), during a pickup game of basketball at Cobbs Creek Park in West Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. The National Weather Service said temperatures reached a record high of 67 degrees Fahrenheit at Philadelphia International Airport.Read moreTIM TAI / Staff Photographer

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Good morning, everyone! I hope you get outside to enjoy the unseasonably superb weather today. In this weekend’s Q&A, we talk to our deputy managing producer Lexi Belculfine about how you see The Inquirer on your computers and phones. There’s more that happens behind the scenes than you might think!

Tauhid Chappell (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

The week ahead

  1. Depending on whom you ask, this warm weather is either a blessing or just another sobering reminder of climate change. Philadelphians around the region are enjoying the spring-like temps. But there’s also an overarching question: What happened to January?

  2. The Carpenters union in Philly is attempting to distance itself from an official with one of its local chapters who was identified wearing blackface in this year’s Mummers Parade. This continues the ongoing fallout from the parade since instances of blackface were first brought to light.

  3. Wildwood is bracing for its moment in the Trump spotlight when the president visits the city’s convention center later this month. The campaign rally has riled up several Garden State politicians.

This week’s most popular stories

Behind the story with Lexi Belculfine

Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face. This week we chat with Lexi Belculfine, who helps manage the Inquirer’s homepage and mobile experience.

As deputy managing producer and mobile editor, what does your role entail?

Whether our readers are on their computers or on the go, I help make sure they have a great experience on Inquirer.com.

What goes into configuring the Inquirer.com homepage and how do you determine which stories get placed where?

We have more than a dozen journalists making Inquirer.com indispensable to Philly. Every headline, photo and story is placed on the homepage by those producers, and we’re constantly trying to make the page as useful and relevant as possible. We work with a team of editors across the newsroom to decide what stories are in the spotlight.

What are stories that capture your attention?

I read local news because I think it’s a great way to learn about our city. I’m also a sucker for stories about animals.

If there’s one thing readers should know as they read Inquirer.com, on their computers or phones, it should be …

Humans update the site around the clock, and we put a lot of time and care into it. Send us your feedback; we’d love to hear from you.

Stay in touch with Lexi on Twitter at @LexiBelc or by email at LBelculfine@inquirer.com.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

Do you see it? 👁Thanks for sharing, @rafurstein.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!

#CuriousPhilly: Have a question about your community? Ask us!

Have you submitted a question to Curious Philly yet? Try us. We’re listening to our readers and doing our best to find answers to the things you’re curious about.

Our readers’ latest question: Why is a Revolutionary War traitor the namesake of certain streets in Philly?

The answer: The conflation of James Fitzpatrick’s story has him painted as either a traitor or a Robin Hood figure. The fiction blended with facts was evident in the naming of roads.

What we’re …

  1. Eating: sopes with chorizo at the new La Cocina Del Cafe at 1500 S. Broad St. The cafe is helping increase the influx of genuine Mexican flavors in South Philly.

  2. Trying: exercise routines and health advice from some of the top chefs in Philly.

  3. Watching: Just Mercy, a film based on a true story that follows an attorney who appeals the conviction of Walter McMillian, a black man on death row who was wrongfully imprisoned for the 1986 murder of a white woman.

  4. Listening to: The Thompsons’ 1975 album, I’ll Get Over It, a Philly classic that was reissued by BCW Records and Brewerytown Beats. Brewerytown Beats’ owner is on a mission to preserve and celebrate Philly’s music, particularly decades-old, forgotten treasures.

Comment of the week

At least he is sorry about it. Our government steals from us everyday without one iota of an apology. — Sinstar.72, on ‘I’m sorry, I have a sick child,’ Philly robber writes in demand note.

Your Daily Dose of | The UpSide

Emilia Flores not only owns an eatery called Taco Stop, which sells Mexican street-style tacos, but also hosts a rack of coats outside her store in an effort to help those in need stay warm during the cold months.