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Pa. declares state of emergency on opioids, Krasner responds to critics, Sixers in London | Morning Newsletter

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Robert Hilton holds on to a needle after using heroin along the railroad track in Kensington in Philadelphia, PA on October 25, 2017.  DAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer
Robert Hilton holds on to a needle after using heroin along the railroad track in Kensington in Philadelphia, PA on October 25, 2017. DAVID MAIALETTI / Staff PhotographerRead moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer

Good morning, Philadelphia. Today the Trump-Russia dossier is back in the news, as is Larry Krasner, both certainly not for the last time. But perhaps most importantly, Pennsylvania is taking a bold step in the fight against the opioid epidemic.

If you like what you're reading, tell your friends it's free to sign up to get this newsletter in your inbox every weekday. I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and feedback, so please email me, tweet me @aubsn, or reach our social team on Facebook. Thank you for reading.

— Aubrey Nagle

» READ MORE: Gov. Wolf to declare state of emergency on opioid epidemic

Later today, Gov. Tom Wolf will make Pennsylvania the eighth state to declare a statewide emergency in the wake of the opioid epidemic sweeping the nation.

The status is normally reserved for natural disaster recovery. In Philadelphia, overdose deaths reached record highs in 2017, with final totals expected to pass 1,200 — quadruple the murder rate.

So what comes next? The move will bring more resources to hard hit areas like Philly and Pittsburgh, get more people into treatment, increase the use of the overdose-reversing spray Narcan, and possibly even pave the way for the country's first safe-injection sites.

» READ MORE: Testimony reveals Trump-Russia dossier author feared blackmail

Yesterday Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California released a transcript of the testimony made by Glenn R. Simpson, founder of research firm Fusion GPS which commissioned the famed Trump-Russia dossier, to the Senate Judiciary Committee in August. His testimony reveals that the author of the dossier feared a political candidate was being blackmailed and thus brought his findings to the FBI.

(Simpson actually has a local connection, too: he went to Conestoga High School in Chester County and faced a harsh spotlight as a teen after a classmate died following a party at his house.)

Overnight, the Associated Press also obtained a report by congressional Democrats, to be officially released today, which calls out Trump personally for failing to respond to Russia's mounting destabilization activities in the U.S.

» READ MORE: Krasner responds to critics of forced departures

After ousting dozens from his office during his first week, new Philly District Attorney Larry Krasner has one response to critics of the ousters: "The coach gets to pick the team."

He revealed more about his staffing plans yesterday in his first public interview since being sworn in, vowing to make the office less hierarchical and naming new hires. Krasner also elaborated on the clean sweep to columnist Solomon Jones, emphasizing that he requested resignations rather than firing staffers.

A full list of who was dismissed has yet to be revealed, and columnist Stu Bykofsky believes Philadelphians have the right to know who left and why.

What you need to know today

  1. The Sixers are building an international brand while in London for a game against the Celtics tomorrow night. You can watch it on TV, but if you want to go all out there are 8 ways to visit Britain without leaving Philly.

  2. After years of rumors, Shore endocrinologist James Kauffman was charged yesterday in the 2012 death of his wife, radio personality April Kauffman.

  3. Last night a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program which has protected about 800,000 young immigrants.

  4. After around 50,000 turned up for last year's demonstration, The Women's March is returning to Philadelphia next weekend. Going? Here's what you need to know.

  5. Penn State is reviewing a ruling from a Monroe County judge that barred the Pi Delta Psi fraternity, which has an active chapter at PSU, from operating in Pennsylvania after a member of a New York chapter died in 2013.

  6. Pennsylvania legislature is considering a bill to — wait for it — shrink the size of the Pennsylvania legislature. Yes, you read that correctly.

  7. Educators know a morning meal can help students succeed in the classroom. So local schools are getting creative with the free breakfast program to ramp up academic performance.

  8. Not so fast, Oprah fans. Longtime friend Gayle King doesn't think Winfrey will run in 2020, though she acknowledges she could change her mind.

  9. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has stepped down as chairman of Breitbart News Network following a fallout with President Trump. The internet had a good time with jokes at Bannon's expense upon hearing the news.

» 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

  1. A spinoff of Jekintown-set sitcom The Goldbergs is getting a second chance. ABC will air a special "backdoor pilot" for it later this month.

  2. Animal activists want to make Philadelphia the state's first "no-kill" city, ending the euthanizing of thousands of animals each year that could be adopted. What's not to like?

  3. Ironically enough, this week also marks the 102nd Pennsylvania Farm show where horses, goats, chickens, alpacas and more will be auctioned off to market — even if they're like family.

  4. The Eagles need sacks, turnovers, and a leap of faith to beat the Falcons this weekend, writes reporter Les Bowen. But Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz told our Early Birds newsletter (sign up here) that they'll need the fans' help Saturday, too.

  5. So, what is it like to drink at one of the "stop-and-go" establishments City Council is looking to clean up? Bar columnist Samantha Melamed spent the day at one to find out.

  6. Mayor Jim Kenney's former spokesperson just left town for a big new role in Wisconsin. In an exclusive Q&A, she tells us what she'll remember most about her time here.

  7. Every Wednesday piano man Kurt Martin plays for crowds at the Lit Brothers building. Why does he do it? "You can make people happy."

  8. Last week, we took a look back at how the Inquirer decided to publish the Pentagon Papers in 1974. Now, a former DC correspondent has detailed how he traveled to Boston to pick up the papers … in a closet at student housing.

Opinions

"Little did we know that while we painstakingly curated and safeguarded these disclosure rights for children, adults were also falling victim to similar voicelessness."
— — Garrett Snider, grandson of the late Flyers founder Ed Snider, writes that employers can help #MeToo victims by taking a lesson from how we treat abused children.
  1. There is much about Oprah that is truly praiseworthy, writes columnist Will Bunch. But the frenzy around her rumored presidential run shows that America's standard for leadership has slid irrevocably into Hollywood's territory.

  2. The new position of the Department of Justice on state marijuana legalization sets up the Trump administration to meddle in the industry, writes columnist Chris Goldstein.

What we’re reading

  1. There's a 500-acre island sitting in the Delaware River between Philly and Camden that was almost turned into a $1 billion mixed-use development. Curbed Philly explains how it became a nature preserve instead, with beautiful pictures to boot.

  2. Is movie star and West Philly legend Will Smith trying to pivot to video? The Outline dives into a somewhat odd addition to his resume: YouTube vlogger.

  3. Consider your suspicions confirmed: no one follows the rules of the road. PlanPhilly explores a new study on how cyclists and motorists break the laws — and how it won't change Philadelphians' opinions either way.

  4. The Eagles have spent big on their roster, and few can fault them considering how they've come. But as The Ringer writes, getting to NFL playoffs these days is about just that: money, money, money.

  5. I was surprised to learn that a new study ranks the U.S. last among 20 wealthy countries on childhood deaths. This Vox story full of infographics explains why American kids are more likely to die before adulthood than their counterparts abroad.

Your Daily Dose of | Revenge

Lifestyle blogger Ken Butler went from the Philly foster system to starring on Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian. You may even see him on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, too.