Eagles' post-Wentz world, election day in Alabama, local Golden Globe nods | Morning Newsletter
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Happy Tuesday, and Happy Hanukkah to those celebrating the festival of lights, which begins tonight. It's a chilly start to the celebration today and getting colder tomorrow, so you should dig out those gloves and hats.
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— Aubrey Nagle
» READ MORE: Wentz out for the season
By now you've probably heard the bad news: Eagles QB Carson Wentz has torn his ACL and is out for the rest of the season. A season that looks (looked?) to be headed to the Super Bowl.
What's next? Reporter Zach Berman runs through the many different playoff scenarios the team could face. Columnist Mike Sielski thinks this is the end of the Eagles' Super Bowl hopes while columnist Marcus Hayes says they're still in the game. Coach Doug Pederson has confidence in backup QB Nick Foles, saying the offense will remain largely the same for him.
ACL tears are common, but take time to heal. Columnist Bob Ford isn't sure Wentz will ever be the same. I know, I know. You need some cheering up. Maybe the Philadelphia Orchestra's cover of the Eagles fight song will do the trick.
» READ MORE: Trump admin says tax plan will pay for itself, CBO disagrees
Yesterday the Treasury Department claimed the GOP's tax plan will generate enough money to pay for itself. But its claim relies on the economy growing 2.9 percent every year for the next 10, a full percent higher than the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's projections.
One percent may not sound like a lot, but economists say it really is. Both the House and the Senate tax plans are expected to add billions to the national deficit.
Both tax plans will also affect seniors and the sick, but with opposite results: the House would eliminate many medical tax deductions while the Senate version would expand them.
» READ MORE: PPA exec snags record retirement perk
City Council reined in the Philadelphia Parking Authority's Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) in 2011, but deputy executive director Richard Dickson was locked into the program's high interest rate. When he retires he'll collect a lump-sum payment of $655,000. Whoa.
How many workers locked in this higher interest rate is still unknown. Dickson worked under former executive director Vincent J. Fenerty Jr., who the Pennsylvania Auditor General recently called out for excessive pay raises and fiscal mismanagement.
In other PPA news, their pay-by-phone app is back again, so you can now pay remotely for parking in certain parts of town. The downside: it isn't free to use.
What you need to know today
Today Alabama voters will decide who will join the U.S. Senate in a special election: Republican Roy Moore, accused by several women of sexual misconduct with teenagers, or Democrat Doug Jones, best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for the 1963 church bombing that killed four black girls. Our columnist Will Bunch filed a report from the scene.
After an attempted terrorist attack on the New York City subway yesterday, authorities are investigating the suspect, who they say probably acted alone. Here's what we know so far.
The Pentagon is allowing transgender people to enlist in the military beginning Jan. 1, despite President Trump's opposition.
Nominations for the 2018 Golden Globes aren't too surprising (like Big Little Lies and Guillermo del Toro's new flick), but they do include a few Philly area natives.
The state court case in which voters argue that Republicans have skewed Pennsylvania's congressional map began yesterday. Lawyers for the voters are hoping to introduce the evidence being used in a similar federal case.
Celebrity chef Mario Batali is stepping away from his food empire after four women came forward accusing him of sexual harassment. In a statement Batali did not deny the accusations.
Three women who've accused President Trump of sexual harassment in the past are calling for a congressional investigation into his behavior. This time they're hoping to hold him accountable.
New Jersey is about to get another ghost town. The state is tearing down 20 homes in Bay Point, Cumberland County as part of a buyout for homeowners in flood prone areas.
» READ MORE: #OurPhilly
We want to see what our community looks like through your eyes. Show us the park that your family walks through every weekend with the dog, the block party in your neighborhood or the historic stretch you see every morning on your commute to work.
Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we'll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out to build those followers!
That’s Interesting
ESPN trusts the process. They're rolling out the red carpet for Friday's Sixers vs. Thunder game and planning to cover the Sixers from morning to the 7 p.m. tipoff.
Ever seen a log cabin in the middle of Northern Liberties? The real estate oddity is well-known in the neighborhood, and now it's up for sale — for over $600,000.
At the MLB's winter meetings, rumors are swirling that the Phillies are close to signing reliever Pat Neshek to a two-year deal and have their eyes on Baltimore star third baseman Manny Machado.
Are you signing your holiday cards all wrong? Learn the difference between plurals and possessives before your next card signing session.
The Nutcracker is back in town and reporter Ellen Dunkel says, "There's still magic in the air." Looking for a sensory-friendly solution to this Christmas tradition? The Pennsylvania Ballet is now offering a performance for special needs audiences.
Thanks to a new partnership with an Australian biopharmaceutical company, CHOP could lead the first major U.S. effort to study the effects of medical marijuana on children with autism.
Philly Pretzel Factory is on a mission to replace every bagel in New York City by opening 25 stores in Manhattan. Now if only they could bring a decent cheesesteak with them.
Opinions
City Council representative Cindy Bass explains her restaurant licensing bill, which she argues will keep stop-and-go liquor outlets from exploiting legal loopholes. The bill includes a ban on barrier glass windows between food service workers and patrons.
Nia Ngina Meeks, who grew up in West Philadelphia by the corner store her family owned, understands Councilwoman Bass and residents' concerns over these barrier windows. But she argues banning them isn't the solution, and may put business owners at risk.
What we’re reading
Philadelphia Magazine interviewed a bunch of local store Santas about what it's like to wear the big red suit. It's hard not to smile reading about all that holiday cheer.
To understand racial disparities and income inequality in Philadelphia, it's crucial to understand the history of redlining in the city. This Next City report explains it all and its lasting impact.
Hoping to skirt those old parking tickets you've stockpiled? The Philadelphia Citizen has partnered with Philadelphia 3.0, a political action committee, for a series of blogs and the first one spells out why you should pay up.
As wildfires rage on, the Los Angeles Times provides a morose look at how what allures residents to Southern California makes such disasters so devastating.
Prepare to be amazed: National Geographic has released their best photos of the year and they are breathtaking.
Your Daily Dose of | Ingenuity
This Silicon Valley escapee moved to Philly to be a lawyer for the poor and downtrodden, and he’s using his hard-won coding skills to do it.