Chemicals might slide by Philly, but could Brita filters help?
Philadelphia water is still contamination free and safe to drink through at least 11:59 p.m. tomorrow, officials said this morning — and it’s looking possible chemicals from the Bucks plant might miss the system entirely.
- We won’t get an all-clear until Wednesday or Thursday, and the city is creating a water distribution plan, just in case. The bottled water buying — which reached a frenzy on Sunday — has mostly calmed down.
Many are also wondering whether pitcher filters like Brita or Pur can give that extra layer of certainty, so Meir Rinde talked to some experts to find out.
How an Afghan family escaped and built a home in Philadelphia
Najia and Ghulam Danish fled Kabul two years ago, after the Taliban government took over and made it dangerous for them to stay.
- It hasn’t been easy in Philadelphia, where the couple is struggling to find appropriate jobs, care for their small children, and fit in with a new way of life, reports Emily Whitney for Billy Penn.
But they’re determined to establish a new beginning — one with opportunity, career advancement, and daughters raised as “independent women.”
→ From refugee to Philadelphian
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
- President Biden appointed several Philadelphians to his Sports, Fitness, & Nutrition Council, including chefs Jose Garces and Michael Solomonov, North Philly-born Barbie Izquierdo of Feeding America, and former Phillie Ryan Howard. [White House]
- City Council is holding hearings on rent control in the city, and a Philly state legislator is planning to introduce a rent stabilization bill in Harrisburg soon. [NBC10]
- Heads up for cyclists and joggers who use MLK Drive on weekends, and commuters trying to shortcut the Schuylkill: the bridge that connects the riverside roadway to the Ben Franklin Parkway is closed for repairs for the next two years. [6ABC/PhillyVoice]
- Nonbinary winners in the Broad Street Run will be offered prizes separate from men’s and women’s awards for the first time this year. [Broad Street Run]
- Dora Keen, the daughter of a 19th century Philadelphia brain surgeon, was the first person to scale Alaska’s Mount Blackburn. [NW Local]
- As the Phillies gear up for Opening Day on Thursday and next week’s home opener, catcher JT Realmuto got a surprise when he was summarily ejected for failing to hold out his glove long enough. [NBC Sports Philly/ESPN/@TimKellySports]
MAYOR WATCH
Mayor Kenney, who faced criticism from mayoral candidates and others for not participating in the water response over the weekend, appeared at a press conference yesterday, saying he’d been involved all along but stayed behind the scenes.
Today Kenney joins what arts leaders hope will be a swarm in LOVE Park as they try to set the world record for the most jazz hands at once (12 p.m.). The stunt will help kick off Jazz Appreciation Month.
ON THE CALENDAR
📋 Meet the contenders for at-large seats at the City Council Candidates Convention hosted at WHYY in partnership with The Inquirer and the Committee of 70. The event will run like a reverse job fair, with candidates receiving visitors at their tables. (4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 11)
👗 Make your own screen print and learn about the namesake fashion house at the opening of the monthlong “Radically Marimekko” exhibit at the American Swedish Historical Museum in FDR Park. (5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 29)
🥁 The Franklin Institute’s annual Science After Hours gala, the Spectacular Spectacular, returns with circus performers, burlesque performers, drumlines, and other entertainment. Tickets are $40 in advance. (7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Friday, March 31)
Catch up on the previous week
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Correction: A previous version of this roundup referred to the Phillies catcher as Rhys Hoskins instead of JT Realmuto. We are just missing Rhys! And we regret the error.
