Good morning, Philly.
When’s the best time to go to the mall for your last-minute holiday shopping? We asked local mall officials how to avoid the crowds.
And Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and law enforcement officials gathered Monday to emphasize that the city’s recent spate of shootings, including the incident at Dilworth Park’s Christmas Village, are “not the norm.”
Plus, find The Inquirer’s best interactives of 2024 and more of the latest news, below.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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If you, like me, looked at the calendar and realized with horror that today is one week from Christmas Eve, then you, like me, might have some last-minute shopping to do. And this close to the holidays, gifts ordered online might not make it in time.
To the nearest mall we go. Consider these tips to have the most peaceful shopping experience possible during a busy time:
🛍️ To avoid crowds, mall officials advise checking inventory ahead of your visit, as well as going in the morning or later evening.
🛍️ More than a dozen malls in the region have extended hours this and next week, including Center City’s Fashion District and the King of Prussia Mall.
🛍️ P.S. The area’s holiday markets are also open for a few more days, from Cherry Street Pier to Bethlehem’s Christkindlmarkt.
🛍️ Plus: Read up on the Philly shopping trends experts are seeing this holiday season, including that millennials spend the most and men spend more on themselves.
Following a spate of shootings, Mayor Parker and law enforcement officials aim to reassure Philadelphians and visitors that the city is committed to tackling gun violence.
A deadly weekend: At least two dozen people were shot across 11 incidents over three days. Four people were killed. The violent streak began Friday afternoon at Dilworth Park’s Christmas Village, where three teen boys were injured near the busy Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink.
By the numbers: Gun violence overall is decreasing in the city, with a 37% drop in homicides and 36% drop in shootings this year compared to 2023. But Parker, alongside Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel and District Attorney Larry Krasner, acknowledged that more needs to be done.
Notable quote: “Where you stand now is one of the safest areas in the city of Philadelphia,” Bethel said in Dilworth Park. “We will bolster our resources here, as well as across the city, to address the episode of violence that we saw over the weekend, but I commit to you that that is not the norm.”
Reporters Ximena Conde and Rodrigo Torrejón have the latest.
What you should know today
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The Inquirer found that the wrong man was convicted in the 1988 murder case of 5-year-old Marcus Yates, and now, the boy’s mother is working to free him. Here’s what to know about our six-part murder investigation, “The Wrong Man.”
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A 44-year-old woman was found stabbed to death inside an enclosed porch of a Kingsessing rowhouse Monday night, police said.
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Heavily South Asian precincts in Delaware County saw the sharpest suburban shift toward Donald Trump in the presidential election. Voters cited immigration, the war in Gaza, and inflation as key drivers.
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A member of President Joe Biden’s cabinet confirmed Sunday that New Jersey residents are, in fact, spotting drones — and promised federal action. President-elect Trump asserted without evidence that the Biden administration “knows what is happening” but won’t reveal details about the drones to the public. Plus: Here’s how to tell the difference between a drone and a plane.
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For a decade, the Department of Justice delayed a winning criminal case against Endo Health Solutions. That allowed the Malvern company, which owed up to $7 billion, to expand its narcotics empire and execute a corporate escape plan.
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McDonald’s is coming back to Center City after its previous location shuttered in 2020.
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The iconic midcentury modern home in Center City owned by renowned architect Frank Weise is now for sale for $3.5 million.
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Meet the actor who played (fake) Jason Kelce in Lifetime’s Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Christmas movie.
The Inquirer’s interactives team spends their time designing fun, informative stories that invite you to play along.
This year’s slate ranged from a game that asks how far can you can make a horse run down I-95, to a video series in which centenarians offer life advice, to an explainer on how kids are being taught to read. Want to finally understand whether pro wrestling is fake, or how the I-95 cap project will reconnect Philadelphians to the Delaware waterfront? We have interactives for those, too.
Check out the team’s favorite visual stories from the past 12 months.
🧠 Trivia time
A new hotel inspired by which board game is coming to Atlantic City? (Psst, the original game was also based on the Jersey city’s streets.)
A) Parcheesi
B) Life
C) Clue
D) Monopoly
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re…
🏀 Asking for: A WNBA team for Philly.
🎻 Buying: $10 tickets to nine chamber music performances.
🗣️ Considering: How Philadelphia can provide more Spanish language access.
🍸 Toasting to: The new year at one of these eight Philly bars.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: The actor and comedian born at Third and South Streets who is best known for being part of a famous trio
ARLINE FRY
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Kate Hetherington, who solved Monday’s anagram: John Legend. After campaigning for Kamala Harris and Bob Casey this fall, the University of Pennsylvania alum and EGOT winner is returning to the region with his Christmas tour.
Photo of the day
💚 One last Grinchy thing: Our review of “Mabeline: The Greenaissance Tour” has me running to get tickets. The operatic, Who-tastic, Christmas-themed drag show runs through Dec. 21 at Voyeur Nightclub.
Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. See you back here tomorrow.
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