South Jersey Democratic congressman expected to switch parties; how discrimination impacts female surgical residents | Morning Newsletter
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The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
The big Philadelphia news from yesterday: the Eagles’ comeback win in Washington. After trailing in the fourth quarter, a wild final five minutes saw the Birds grab a 37-27 victory. More on what that means for the team later in the newsletter.
In other news, my colleagues are reporting that Jeff Van Drew, a Democrat elected last year to represent a South Jersey congressional district, is expected to become a Republican. That decision apparently has a lot to do with the effort to impeach President Donald Trump.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
A recent national survey revealed that 65% of female surgical residents reported some encountering type of gender discrimination. While gender bias is not new, a separate study found that most of the discrimination came from patients, not other surgeons.
“All of us have had patients who say, ‘I don’t want a female doctor. I want a white male American doctor,’” said Jo Buyske, president of the American Board of Surgery and a surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. “And a lot of hospitals will say that it’s their mission for the patients to come first, period.”
Van Drew has vocally opposed impeaching Trump. He’s now expected to switch parties in the coming days, according to three New Jersey Democratic sources. Van Drew, from Cape May County, has been elected as a Democrat for more than two decades and previously was a state legislator.
Van Drew recently asked party chairs to sign a pledge to support him. They refused, according to the Atlantic County chairman. In a statement, Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said that Van Drew’s impeachment stand meant he would no longer have the Democrats’ support. Six of Van Drew’s senior aids resigned on Sunday.
For Charles Strange, a father from Montgomery County, reading the Washington Post’s reporting on U.S. military leaders misleading the public about the war in Afghanistan didn’t make him angry. More than eight years ago, his son was killed alongside 29 other U.S. soldiers and eight Afghan security forces. But he was hurt, especially by the allegations of lying in the Post’s investigation.
“This is what you get when your son dies: a pin and a flag,” Strange said, his Gold Star pinned to his chest. “And lied to.”
What you need to know today
The New Jersey Senate is scheduled to vote on some controversial legislation today that would end the religious exemption for vaccinating children.
The Flyers announced that left winger Oskar Lindblom has a rare form of cancer and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Philly and the hockey world poured forth support for the 23-year-old.
Drexel University and Tower Health have completed their purchase of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children out of bankruptcy.
From the campaign trail: Members of Democratic groups are making their cases by going door-to-door in swing states while their candidates are busy with the primaries.
A former Philadelphia homicide detective’s name cast a shadow over a three-week murder trial that he helped investigate five years ago. The ex-cop was fired in 2017. He’s awaiting trial on allegations that he sexually assaulted male witnesses during investigations.
La Salle University is taking action against its women’s soccer program after a top recruit brought forward allegations of hazing and retaliation.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
I, too, will meow for treats. Great find and pic, @someguyinphilly.
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
🦅Carson Wentz led a 75-yard comeback drive to beat Washington yesterday, keeping the Eagles’ playoff hopes alive and setting up a season-defining clash with the Cowboys next week.
❄️To keep roads safe in icy conditions, highway agencies are trying to look for alternatives to salt. Some options: beet juice, leftover residue from vodka distilleries, and cheese rinds.
🏀Meet the hot-shooting, community-supporting rookie that has the Sixers thinking big despite chaotic defense.
⛪Last week, I shared a story about a local high school that wanted to turn an empty church building into a gym and performing space. But there was a chance the building could have been put on Philly’s Register of Historic Places, which would have altered the school’s renovation plans. On Friday, the Philadelphia Historical Commission made its decision.
🎬Quiara Alegría Hudes, born and raised in West Philly, is the award-winning writer of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new movie, In the Heights.
⚖️My colleague William Bender went inside the legal drama that could lead to the end of a major Philly law firm.
Opinions
“But then there’s that one unanswered wish so many of us have: that the next generation of children never know what it’s like to be the collateral victims of gun violence.” — Inquirer columnist Helen Ubiñas writes about a Christmas party for the children of Philadelphia murder victims.
The Inquirer Editorial Board writes that City Hall had a productive fall, but also that there’s still plenty left to do.
Voices from the community write for The Inquirer about the future of the South Philly refinery site.
What we’re reading
The Philadelphia Tribune reports on the city’s first urban agriculture director’s plan to address endangered edible gardens.
Image editing apps, combined with plastic surgery, have created an “Instagram face," according to an essay in the New Yorker.
The Atlantic has a story about formerly incarcerated coders working for major tech firms in Silicon Valley.
Your Daily Dose of | The UpSide
Kyle Levy, a teen with cancer, went to the Kimmel Center last October on a field trip to watch the Philadelphia Orchestra rehearse. An hour later, he was stunned by a big surprise.