💊 Rite Aid to close all Philly stores

⛳ World’s Best Golfers Coming to Montgomery County

The golfing world’s finest are descending on the Philadelphia Cricket Club (the oldest country club in the country!) for the Truist Championship. Although it’s not one of the four major PGA Tour championships, there’s still a $20 million prize pool. No Philadelphians will be competing but the historic Wissahickon Course in Flourtown, just outside city limits, will be in the spotlight. [🔒 The Inquirer]

💰 More DOGE Cuts Slash Arts, Literacy & Anti-Gun Violence Programs

Just how bad are the latest federal funding cuts in Philly? Money for an AmeriCorps program to help students improve their literacy skills was slashed. Local art organizations lost thousands of dollars in funding for community outreach programs after their National Endowment for the Arts grants were rescinded and are now scrambling to cover costs for upcoming performances. And groups addressing gun violence and public safety are also seeing financial support fall through. [Chalkbeat, Broad Street Review, The Trace]

​​💊 Rite Aid To Close 33 Stores in Philly

If you’re surprised there were even any Rite Aid stores left in the city to shutter, so are we. After an initial round of closures, Rite Aid yet again filed for bankruptcy and is now closing all remaining stores. The company will still run pharmacy services over the next few months and will transfer your prescriptions, but will not purchase much from vendors. [WHYY]

🚨 Philly Police Officer Shot Near Overbrook High School

A 26-year-old officer new to the force was shot yesterday in the stomach while attempting to break up a fight in Overbook, according to initial reports. As of Wednesday night, one person was in custody and the officer was listed in critical but stable condition. No students were involved in the shooting and the officer was not detailed to the school. [6ABC]

Philadelphia’s renowned for its vibrant food scene, and that’s in part thanks to the different cultures that make up our city. Immigrants accounted for 15.1% of new residents in 2023, according to Pew Charitable Trusts. The city’s Language Services Usage dashboard shows Philadelphians have accessed resources in 119 languages.

However, White House policies targeting immigrants across the country and an increased ICE presence may slow this growth. And local immigration nonprofits are struggling to sustain their work assisting immigrants, migrants, and refugees.

One local chef is working with Philadelphia’s culinary community to financially support these nonprofits, send a message of open-mindedness, and share delicious meals from around the world.

Ange Branca, the owner and chef behind Kampar, created Muhibbah Dinners as a way to celebrate Philadelphia’s diverse communities and make a difference. “Muhibbah” is a Malay word that describes the pure harmony of multiple races coming together in the spirit of peace and tolerance.

Running a Restaurant Amid Anti-Immigrant Sentiment

The Muhibbah Dinners began in 2017, the same year that the first Trump Administration instituted a travel ban to the United States, mostly from Muslim countries.

“The feeling among immigrants was pretty much like what we’re feeling today,” Branca said. “There’s a lot of fear going on. There was a lot of racial discrimination as well among the immigrant community. Islamophobia was at its highest at that point.”

Branca had just opened her restaurant a year before, and what was meant to be a celebratory time was tainted by worry. As a first-generation immigrant leading a staff of mostly immigrants, there was a sense of fear and lack of focus in the kitchen, she said, with staff afraid to go to work or leave the house at all, concerned they would be pulled off the streets.

“I’ve been in America for many years and never felt that kind of chaos and fear as an immigrant in this country until that point of time,” Branca recalled.

As a new business owner navigating a tumultuous time, she didn’t want to feel helpless. She wanted to do something. So Branca contacted the city’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and learned about several organizations supporting Philadelphia’s immigrant community, such as HIAS Pennsylvania, Nationalities Services Center, and SEAMAAC. These organizations host know-your-rights workshops and offer legal assistance, but need funding to keep the resources running.

Then, everything clicked for her. If she could use food to bring people together, maybe she could rally people around this common cause through her cooking and connect immigrants to needed resources.