Best of 2018: music, movies, and more; tax collector chaos in Pa. town | Morning Newsletter

Best Philadelphia music of 2018, with Hop Along, Meek Mill & more

A playlist of the best songs of 2018, from Cardi B to Childish Gambino

2018 was a good year for movies. Here are the best ones.

Philadelphia's best plays and musicals of 2018 (including one you can still catch)

The best albums of the year, from Janelle Monae to John Prine

Babe Ruth, the Beastie Boys, e-mail follies, and romance for today: Our staffers recommend the best reads of 2018

The 10 best shows of 2018 (and how to watch them)

Just two lifers have been granted commutation since Gov. Tom Wolf took office nearly four years ago. Lieutenant governor Mike Stack says the system is broken and is using his last days in office to call for reforms.

Prescriptions for benzodiazepines, which include common anti-anxiety drugs, have skyrocketed. "Benzos" can be dangerous on their own, but they're much deadlier when mixed with opioids. 

Mayor Jim Kenney issued a directive Monday to crack down on public land flipping, requiring developers to follow through with their plans within 18 months and to get permission to resell public property within five years of purchase.

A wave of fresh faces that are more pro-gun-control will join Congress next year. Four bills that gun control groups have made a top priority are likely to come up this session.

A five-alarm blaze burned through a four-story apartment building in Overbrook Monday displacing more than 65 people, many of whom took shelter for the night at West Philadelphia High School.

Comcast Spectacor has hired Valerie Camillo, who had been the chief revenue officer at the Washington Nationals, to lead business operations at the Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center.

Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons may have led the Sixers to a 116-102 victory over the Pistons last night, but fans might be more concerned with new star Jimmy Butler, who left the game with a groin injury.

In his North Philadelphia barbershop, Prentice Michael Boone hosts six-week courses on the basics of barbering for local youth, teaching them skills they could pursue as a career. His story is part of a new series, Made in Philly, on the millennials making a change in the city.

Chocolate chip, schmocolate chip. Impress your guests and cookie swap competitors this year by taking baking advice and recipes from Philly's chefs.

The Eagles' season is likely over thanks to Sunday's devastating loss, but at least the Birds can learn some much-needed lessons from the defeat. Silver linings, folks.

Why did the raccoon cross the Atlantic City Expressway? Because he could, thanks to the South Jersey Transportation Authority and the infrastructure it's built just for furry and flying friends. 

Last week, four members of the Camden 28, a group of anti-war activists who plotted to steal and destroy records at the city draft board office during the Vietnam War, reunited in the building they targeted in 1971. Their message, they say, is as important as ever.

After reporting on a Kensington school where a cell phone ban sprouted a cottage storage industry at local corner stores, columnist Ronnie Polaneczky found there are good reasons to keep the ban in place.

Hospitals in Pennsylvania are facing staffing crises and to fix it they'll have to listen to nurses, writes Betsy M. Snook, CEO of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association.

For years, the Philadelphia District Attorney's office has auctioned off properties seized by the police in a process known as civil asset forfeiture. WHYY's startling new report on the pervasive program shows how members of law enforcement benefitted directly from the sales.

Reporters frequently get information from the government by filing Right-to-Know requests, but you don't have to be a reporter to do so. Billy Penn's guide to filing these and other requests shows you where to start.

Philadelphia Magazine is celebrating Wawa Week. (Isn't that every week??) They kicked it off with a list of what their favorite Philadelphians eat there, from Michael Solomonov to Alex Holley and beyond.

Rap fans who haven't heard of Bri Steves yet should add her to their playlists — as Philadelphia Weekly reports, the Philly rapper is about to be even bigger.

One man's quest to host a huge holiday light show and the four-year battle it began in his neighborhood is a dark and sometimes humorous cautionary tale, thanks to the Inlander.