The official Taylor Swift online store is chockablock with earrings, hoodies, vinyl and other merchandise promoting the star’s latest record-breaking album, The Tortured Poets Department. But there’s also a parallel industry devoted to selling crafty products inspired by Swift’s music and style — and it’s thriving. “We’ve made soaps inspired by all of Taylor Swift’s albums. So of course we’re excited to introduce this one: Tortured Poet!” says Duane Swenk in a TikTok video. It’s been up for about a week, and has already been viewed more than 1.4 million times. Swenk is the spokesperson for his ..read more

A long-running sandstorm at the Jersey Shore could soon come to an end as New Jersey will carry out an emergency beach replenishment project at one of the state’s most badly eroded beaches. North Wildwood and the state have been fighting in court for years over measures the town has taken on its own to try to hold off the encroaching seas while waiting — in vain — for the same sort of replenishment projects that virtually the entire rest of the Jersey Shore has received. It could still be another two years before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Envir ..read more

This story originally appeared on Spotlight PA. Location, reputation, demographics, and pure luck may have mattered more than policy differences in Pennsylvania’s row office primary elections this week. Tuesday saw a major upset in the Democratic race for state treasurer and a decisive win in a crowded Democratic attorney general field by a candidate who brought statewide name recognition — but not much cash — to the race. With the fields settled for November’s marquee presidential and U.S. Senate races, turnout for the Democratic and Republican primaries was low, according to election adminis ..read more

Have a question about Philly’s neighborhoods or the systems that shape them? PlanPhilly reporters want to hear from you! Ask us a question or send us a story idea you think we should cover. Sandra Carter nearly fainted the day she saw the most recent property assessment for the triplex she and her siblings own in West Philadelphia. According to the notice she got from the city, the value of her family’s Parkside apartment building had jumped to $513,800 in 2022 — a nearly 500% increase from the previous citywide reassessment in 2019, when the three-story property was valued at $90,200. “I said ..read more

Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a condition that can strike out of the blue and cause muscles on one side of a person’s face to become weak or paralyzed, distorting expression. Here’s what to know about the mostly temporary condition: What is it? Bell’s palsy occurs when something inflames or injures a nerve that controls facial muscles. Symptoms come on rapidly over two to three days. They can include difficulty closing an eyelid, a drooping eye or mouth or paralysis of an entire half of the face. Cases can be mild or severe. It c ..read more

Next on You Oughta Know, celebrate art and feminism at the Phila. Museum of Art. Memorialize motherhood with breastmilk jewelry. Create a maximalist Mother’s Day brunch display. Learn how Booker’s Restaurant rewards students and inspires entrepreneurs. Discover why youth rugby is so popular. Find out how a local radio program is helping to protect our planet. Visit Styler’s Peony Festival ..read more

This story originally appeared on 6abc. North Wildwood in New Jersey is preparing to head off unruly teen gatherings during the summer season at the shore. City leaders passed an ordinance that created a new curfew. In the new ordinance, anyone under 18 years old cannot be out after 10 p.m. without a guardian. That includes being in a car. This rule will begin in May and last through August. The curfew will then be pushed back until 11 p.m. in September. Parents who knowingly allow a minor to break the curfew could be punished. Wildwood, Ocean City and Sea Isle City already have similar curfew ..read more

When medical mistakes happen, patients and their families often find themselves at a loss trying to figure out exactly what went wrong. Something bad happened. And then, communication drops; there’s no real explanation, and no apology. Suddenly, everybody seems on guard. Health care providers can often feel bound by an imposed cone of silence that’s designed to protect them and their institution, but makes it impossible to fully face up to their mistake, or have open conversations about preventing future ones. On this episode, we explore the breaking of that silence, along with new solutions t ..read more

This story originally appeared on 6abc. A former Philadelphia police officer who was originally charged with first-degree murder in 2017 while on duty and then had the charges dropped will get his job back. An arbitrator made the decision about Ryan Pownall’s future on Thursday. Pownall was charged with shooting David Jones, who was pulled over while riding a dirt bike. Police said Pownall was transporting a victim to the special victims unit when he saw Jones riding a dirtbike on a city street. Jones’ bike had stalled and he pulled into the parking lot of a night club. Pownall also pulle ..read more

Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament. Embiid wore sunglasses to the podium after he scored 50 points in the Sixers’ Game 3 win over the New York Knicks and said he’s battled various symptoms such as blurred vision and dry eyes. Embiid said he first started suffering from the affliction about a “day or two” before the Sixers played the Miami Heat on April 17 in the play-in tournament. Embiid had 23 points and 15 rebounds in the win that sent the Sixer ..read more