Good morning. Sunday should be mostly sunny with a high near 83.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t take much to clog up Philadelphia\u2019s 72,000 stormwater drains. Our main read highlights the pronounced stress on the city\u2019s century-old infrastructure<\/a>. <\/p>\n And more people now pay for services that keep them off social media when self-control may fail<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u2014 Paola P\u00e9rez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The city hadn\u2019t seen normal levels of precipitation for 16 consecutive months. But when the rainfall made a return in July and August, the flooding followed suit.<\/p>\n The dread and anxiety are real among residents who say they feel helpless watching stormwater fill their basements, or when their local roads \u201cbecome rivers.\u201d<\/p>\n The city\u2019s drains get blocked easily. There is roughly one stormwater inlet for every 20 residents, and ordinary objects like tree leaves, dirt, trash, and other street debris can get in the way.<\/p>\n Almost 3,000 requests for inlet cleanings were filed to the city\u2019s 311 line last year, an Inquirer data review found. The city has closed such requests in under four days on average under Mayor Cherelle L. Parker\u2019s administration, but some residents report issues directly to the Philadelphia Water Department.<\/p>\n From Fairmount to Mount Airy, hear from Philadelphians on their frustrating experiences dealing with the water department and the uncertain atmosphere<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our devices can make some parts of our daily lives convenient, but they can also put a strain on our mental health. The human-smartphone relationship has become a \u201cparadox,\u201d as one expert told The Inquirer\u2019s Erin McCarthy.<\/p>\n People have become more aware of the cumulative hours they spend tapping away, but many find it hard to curb temptation by themselves, especially given the addictive designs of social platforms.<\/p>\n In response, McCarthy reports that a growing number of social-media-detox businesses have emerged. More consumers are using these services designed to block distracting apps. Ironically, some of the tools are apps themselves.<\/p>\n As a self-case study, McCarthy tried going without Instagram for two weeks. \u201cAfter my experiment, I see why people are willing to pay to unplug from social media,\u201d she writes.<\/p>\n Read on to learn about these services, and for tips to reduce screen time<\/a>.<\/p>\n What you should know today<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa4 Here\u2019s Tommy Rowan with a look back at the massive refinery blaze that killed eight firefighters and injured dozens more.<\/p>\n Investigators would later determine that inattentive workers let oil storage tanks overfill and unleash highly flammable vapors.<\/p>\n In the early hours of Aug. 17, 1975, those vapors snaked through the hulking Gulf Oil Refinery smeared along the Schuylkill in Southwest Philly.<\/p>\n What happened next is still considered one of the worst refinery disasters in recent memory, and one of the deadliest days in the history of the Philadelphia Fire Department.<\/p>\n Read on for the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2753Pop quiz<\/p>\n Which soccer league will stream games for free in the United States through the summer of 2031?<\/p>\n A) Spain\u2019s La Liga <\/p>\n B) Champions League<\/p>\n C) Germany\u2019s Bundesliga<\/p>\n D) England\u2019s Premier League<\/p>\n Think you know? Check your answer<\/a>.<\/p>\n What (and whom) we\u2019re …<\/p>\n \ud83d\uddbc\ufe0f Chatting with: Four Philadelphia artists who are a part of this year\u2019s Whitney Biennial<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa4 Reliving: Isaiah Rashad\u2019s set at the Fillmore<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd24 Hungry for: The Chino breakfast sandwich from Chibanos<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udde0 Playing: This week\u2019s Pillars, our new word game<\/a>, built specifically for Philly.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd81 Mourning: Makini, the last African lion at the Philadelphia Zoo<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udde9 Unscramble the anagram<\/p>\n Hint: Director of the National Treasure films<\/p>\n JETTON TUBULAR <\/p>\n Email us if you know the answer<\/a>. We\u2019ll select a reader at random to shout out here.<\/p>\n Cheers to Kathleen Babcock, who correctly guessed Saturday\u2019s answer: Willow Grove Park. A sale of the Montgomery County shopping mall is expected \u201cin the near term,\u201d according to property owner PREIT<\/a>.<\/p>\n Photo of the day<\/p>\n Twenty years ago, Philadelphia almost lost Thomas Eakins\u2019 1875 painting The Gross Clinic forever. Almost. Then, Philadelphians raised $68 million in 45 days to keep it from being sold. Morgan Ritter recounts the iconic painting\u2019s journey<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb6 Today, I\u2019m listening to Philly singer-songwriter Anna Shoemaker. The title track of her forthcoming record, Back to Pennsylvania<\/a>, goes like this: \u201cI didn\u2019t plan on losing everything \/ You\u2019re never planning for the ship to sink<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n One more musical thing: The bittersweet emotions were palpable at Rush\u2019s first Philly show<\/a> for the band\u2019s \u201cFifty Something\u201d reunion tour. The septuagenarian rockers will play the Xfinity Mobile Arena again on Sunday.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc4b\ud83c\udffd That\u2019s it for now. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, and take care.<\/p>\n