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Tiny home village could come to Philly; drug ring busted in Bucks | Morning Newsletter

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You may have seen the "tiny house" phenomenon on TV: families or couples drastically downsize, some with the hopes of traveling the country in their new little home. Could the trend help solve homelessness in Philadelphia? We could be the next U.S. city to try it out, reporter Julia Terruso writes this morning. Something advocates hope the state won't try is a new algorithmic risk-assessment tool for sentencing. Lawmakers want to scrap the project, saying it could amplify racial biases within the criminal justice system.

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

With shelters filling to capacity and close to 1,000 people in Philadelphia sleeping outside on any given night, homelessness continues to be a big problem in the city.

Could trendy tiny homes help solve it? Stephanie Sena, the founder of the Student-Run Emergency Housing Unit of Philadelphia, says thinking small is the next big thing.

She wants to build a village of tiny houses to help the city's homeless. The idea is already being used in a half-dozen U.S. cities and has the support of Councilmembers Allan Domb and Mark Squilla.

It’s been nearly a decade since Pennsylvania legislators ordered the development of a risk-assessment algorithm that would — theoretically — make sentencing fairer, eliminate guesswork and judicial bias, and reduce incarceration.

Now reform advocates, lawyers, lawmakers, and others affected by the justice system want the Commission on Sentencing to go back to the drawing board or scrap the project altogether.

They say the latest proposed risk-assessment tool is racially biased and inaccurate, with one lawmaker likening it to faulty autocorrect on a smartphone.

A massive narcotics distribution center pumping out nearly $8 million of opioids per week from a Warminster home was busted Tuesday, with nearly a dozen people charged. Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said he intends to apply again for federal funding to combat drug trafficking as the opioid crisis continues into suburban communities.

The opioid crisis has resulted in startling news about pregnant women in Pennsylvania. According to new research, opioid use is present in one in every 51 pregnancy-related hospital stays in the state's hospitals. In 2000, that rate was just one in 329.

Today, Pennsylvanians across the state can pick up naloxone, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, at dozens of locations across the state for no cost.

What you need to know today

  1. New data shows that 2018 was the worst year for gun-related incidents in K-12 schools since recording began in 1970 and more than double the number of shootings in 2017.

  2. A Philadelphia judge said Wednesday he can't vacate the controversial plea deal already negotiated by the District Attorney's Office for the gunman who shot a West Philadelphia beer deli owner with an AK-47 rifle. He did, however, schedule a hearing for the victim.

  3. Philly Women Rally, the group that put on the Women's March on Philadelphia for the last two years, is falling apart at the seams due to infighting, just as the national Women's March organization has come under fire.

  4. More injuries for the Eagles: back soreness will likely keep quarterback Carson Wentz out of Sunday's game against the Rams. Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles is preparing to start.

  5. Temple has hired Manny Diaz, who has spent the last three seasons as defensive coordinator at the University of Miami, to replace head football coach Geoff Collins.

  6. Streetside data kiosks with free WiFi, phone calls, phone charging and access to Google Maps, weather, and other information have arrived in Philly. Whether passersby will find them useful is another story.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

South Philadelphians: Do you agree or disagree with @elisshug?

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!

That’s Interesting

  1. The largest Wawa in the universe opens near Independence Hall on Friday, so, naturally, reporter Stephanie Farr had to take a sneak peek at what's in store.

  2. Miniature train displays at museums around Philadelphia draw oohs and ahhs every holiday season. Behind the scenes, creating that magic is a true labor of love.

  3. If the United States legalizes marijuana, what impact will it have on the country? One cannabis expert predicts dirt-cheap weed, THC-laced appetizers, and aggressive marketing.

  4. New Jersey's first girls' wrestling season begins this week and interest at one South Jersey school has already exploded. 

  5. Agent Scott Boras says the Phillies are certainly on free agent Bryce Harper's list, but it's possible the Phillies come out of the winter without Harper or Manny Machado.

  6. Sometimes the best way to drum up interest in a topic is to present it in a new way. That's exactly what one entrepreneur has done by creating an animated series about personal finance just for his generation.

Opinions

“Class, as much as race, determines outcomes in the criminal justice system. Everything, from how one is treated in an interaction with police officers, to whether one is able to pay bail, to what kind of representation one can afford, is determined by our financial status." — Columnist Solomon Jones on why Philly’s new fight against white poverty should prompt help for people of color, too.

  1. Government inaction is only one reason 3,415 children in the Philly region have tested positive for lead poisoning. The companies responsible for the legacy of lead paint should be held accountable, writes Donna Cooper, executive director of Public Citizens for Children & Youth.

  2. As 2018 draws to a close, we want to know what you hope 2019 will bring for the Philadelphia region. Tell us: what's the most important change the area needs to see next year?

What we’re reading

  1. Soda tax supporters and detractors alike may want to check out the new database of revenue and expenditures made possible by the tax, reports Billy Penn.

  2. If you're in the need for a giggle, check out Eater's report on a University of Pennsylvania student satirizing high-end cuisine using Swedish Fish, Nerds, and Fig Newtons.

  3. Technical.ly Philly has the latest on the ongoing controversy surrounding national nonprofit Girl Develop It, including why the Philly chapter is now on hiatus.

  4. What would life be like if you could afford all of the brands popping up in your Instagram feed? One Vox writer found out and it wasn't as great as their ads make it look.

Your Daily Dose of | French Toast

What if everywhere you found funnel cakes and soft pretzels you also found French toast bites? Charisse McGill wants to become “the Auntie Anne of French toast.”