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Eagles arrive in Minnesota, War on Drugs wins a Grammy, Regional Rail punctuality slips | Morning Newsletter

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Philadelphia Eagles fan Frank Rodriguez, of St. Paul, MN, waits for the team to arrive outside its  hotel in Bloomington, MN on January 28 2018.
Philadelphia Eagles fan Frank Rodriguez, of St. Paul, MN, waits for the team to arrive outside its hotel in Bloomington, MN on January 28 2018.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Happy Monday. The Eagles have arrived in Minnesota ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, and reporters from the Inquirer, Daily News, and Philly.com are there, too, for all the nerve-racking and spirit-lifting news you need. But today we're also keeping an eye on SEPTA's not-so-on-time performance and recapping last night's Grammys. We're hearing PATCO service is having problems this morning, too. Let's get into it.

If you like what you're reading, tell your friends it's free to sign up for this newsletter here.

— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

» READ MORE: Minneapolis prepares for Eagles and fans

Minneapolis has been transformed into Super Bowl City, and Eagles fans will soon begin arriving in droves. Some local Bird gang members have found themselves in a sea of purple as Vikings fans join the festivities (especially awkward considering Eagles fans' recent behavior), but so far fans report they've been treated to "Minnesota Nice."

The Eagles themselves arrived Sunday, too, including Carson Wentz. He's taken a behind-the-scenes role with quarterback Nick Foles and is confident he'll be ready in time for the Eagles' 2018 season opener. (Meanwhile, a South Philly couple just named their newborn after him.)

As he looks ahead to this weekend, columnist Mike Sielski's thinking the Birds have what it takes to overcome the Patriots' mystique. Either way, the team's journey to the Super Bowl has already been a long and strange one.

» READ MORE: Late again? Regional rail on-time performance slips

Stop me if you've heard this one before: just three months after SEPTA said it had made progress with Regional Rail on-time performance, it has actually gotten worse.

And Trenton Line riders, you're not imagining it: your line was punctual only 73 percent of the time in December. What gives?

Winter weather is partly to blame, but so is Amtrak. SEPTA said improving instances where delays were Amtrak-related would be the focus of intensive effort. The effort has yet to bear fruit it seems.

» READ MORE: Philly’s The War On Drugs wins Grammy, other local acts lose out

Award season continued Sunday with the Grammys where Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar were big winners. Many stars from the area were nominated, but few took home awards like Philly's own The War on Drugs, who won best rock album of the year.

Tony- and Oscar-winning Ardmore native Benj Pasek took home the award for best musical theater album for the musical he co-produced with partner Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen. But Philly rapper Lil Uzi Vert, Doylestown's Pink, and comedian Kevin Hart all went home empty handed.

The night featured many political moments, including tributes to the Time's Up movement and to music fans killed in Las Vegas and Manchester last year, and an appearance by Hillary Clinton.

What you need to know today

  1. Reports of the flu and flu-related deaths spiked in New Jersey and Pennsylvania last week. Experts say you should get a flu shot.

  2. A man with an assault rifle killed 4 at a rural Pennsylvania car wash early Sunday. Family members of the victims say the killings may be rooted in a domestic dispute.

  3. A new report says over 600 massage business storefronts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are suspected to be fronts for sex trafficking, part of at least 9,000 businesses nationwide.

  4. The alleged killer of Penn student Blaze Bernstein belonged to a neo-Nazi group, a new report says. Prosecutors are investigating whether the killing was a hate crime.

  5. Rep. Patrick Meehan's public comments about the former aide who accused him of harassment, including the use of the phrase "soul mate," were the product of ignoring direct advice not to do interviews about it.

  6. At least seven Philly-area Republicans (including Meehan) are not seeking reelection this year, and that number's expected to rise. What's to blame? Fear of an anti-Trump wave.

  7. A new police chief has taken over in Bordentown, N.J., after his predecessor was federally charged with hate crimes. He has big changes in store to heal community relations, including new body cameras and de-escalation training.

  8. James Kauffman, the Jersey Shore doctor awaiting trial for the contract murder of his radio host wife April Kauffman, was found dead in his jail cell.

» READ MORE: #OurPhilly: Eagles Edition

The cutest underdog on the team! 🦅🐶 #ourphilly #flyeaglesfly

A post shared by Jaime Meredith (@jaimemere) on

The Eagles are headed to the big game, and we want to see your Eagles pride and displays of super-fandom.

Tag your photos #OurPhilly on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and we'll pick our favorite each day this week to feature in this newsletter!

That’s Interesting

  1. It's been a year since Ashley Bennett decided to run for Atlantic County Freeholder after incumbent John Carman mocked the Women's March. Since taking the seat, Bennett has appeared on The View and Time magazine and is inspiring more women to run.

  2. The renovated Metropolitan Opera House, a historic venue built in 1908 by impresario Oscar Hammerstein, officially has a reopening date, and it could transform North Broad.

  3. Philly's world-renowned Curtis Institute of Music just announced plans to bring 32 black and Latino string players to its summer school for free, and they're looking for local talent.

  4. Think you know the Eagles Fight Song well enough to conduct an orchestra playing it? The Philadelphia Orchestra is holding a contest for one fan to do just that.

  5. Bike and pedestrian trails in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties just got a major influx of cash  $7.9 million worth.

  6. Despite some impressive wins the Sixers have turnovers and fouls to thank for big losses, including last night's loss to the Thunder.

  7. Mayor Jim Kenney has put the Rocky statue on the line in a Super Bowl bet with Brockton, Massachusetts Mayor Bill Carpenter. Vegas bettors are liking the Eagles, too; the point spread just dropped again.

  8. For the Flyers, the grind for a shot at the Stanley Cup is about begin as they prepare to play 33 games in 67 nights.

Opinions

"But the grim reality is that for every Aly Raisman, there is a little girl in Frankford; and for every Anthony Rapp, who was abused when he was 14 by Kevin Spacey, there is a small boy from Kingsessing. Every neighborhood in Philadelphia is affected." Chris Kirchner, executive director of Philadelphia Children's Alliance and
— Cynthia F. Figueroa, commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Human Services, write that child sexual assault is Philly’s problem, too.
  1. Though Philly may break ground with the first safe-injection sites in the U.S., Canada was the first in North America to open them. Thus, Toronto city councillor Giorgio Mamoliti has written to explain why he's opposed to the sites in his city.

  2. And, on the other side of the coin, two Toronto doctors, Carol Strike and Ahmed Bayoumi, explain why they are in favor of the sites, writing "You'll probably never notice them."

What we’re reading

  1. Malcolm Jenkins is the subject of a New York Times profile that deftly contextualizes his busy year, from his work for criminal justice reform to having a baby.

  2. If you idolize local DJ legend King Britt, you'll love to read about how he got to play alongside his childhood icon, WXPN's Chuck van Zyl, at Billy Penn.

  3. Your heart-warmer of the day: the Washington Post writes about a group of fifth grade boys who started a book club so popular the library's struggling to keep their picks in stock.

  4. Elle magazine shines a light on the women lawyers who have stepped in to help immigrants who face an uncertain future. It's a powerful story.

  5. It may not sound fascinating, but I was enthralled by one woman's tale of installing a bird feeder in the window of her high rise apartment and all the bird-based drama that came with it.

Your Daily Dose of | FOMO

Fear of missing out (aka FOMO) has propelled entrepreneur Kenny Poon to become Chinatown's king of cool, bringing zeitgeist-y eateries and hangouts with him.