Eagles’ Super Bowl window is wide open — for now; Pa.'s proposed risk-assessment tool is racist, critics say | 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
Summer, my friends, is (un)officially over. Labor Day and Made in America have come and gone. School is back in session. And what many in Philly consider to be the true mark of fall’s arrival will happen Sunday. The Eagles are back in action, welcoming a division rival to the Linc. On paper, the Birds are one of the NFL’s most talented teams, and Carson Wentz and Co. are looking to get back to the heights they reached during their Super Bowl run two seasons ago.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Carson Wentz is good. Like really good. Like best-QB-in-franchise-history good. And, not surprisingly, the team’s short-term future relies on his shoulders (and back, and surgically repaired knee, and all the other banged up and battered body parts that the Eagles need to make sure stay healthy).
He will lead an offense this season that might look familiar. Forget what happened in 2018. The Birds’ personnel looks like it did in 2017, when Wentz was an MVP candidate and had one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. But, defensively, there are a few more questions. Will Howie Roseman regret not cashing in on assets to bring in a star defensive end?
Either way, the Birds have a chance to be special. With the right moves, they can keep this window open for years to come.
You can check out a full season preview in our special section in today’s Inquirer. If you want to chat with three of our Eagles writers, they’ll be at our Inquiring Minds event on Thursday, Sept. 10. Get your tickets for exclusive Eagles analysis, hoagies, and more.
Nearly 10 years ago, state lawmakers ordered the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing to create a way that would give judges the information they needed to move low-risk individuals from prison to alternative sentencing programs. Known as a risk-assessment tool, it was thought to be a way to help the state overcome a rapidly rising prison population with stark racial disparities.
Five drafts later, the commission is scheduled to finally vote on a proposal this week, despite a major issue. Critics say that the risk assessment they’ve come up with could actually increase incarceration and reinforce racial and gender biases.
What you need to know today
As Hurricane Dorian approaches the Southeastern U.S., more storms have started to develop in the Gulf of Mexico.
Philly students were back in school yesterday, kicking off a crucial year for the district.
Philadelphia has filed a lawsuit to compel an “incompetent” developer to repair and stabilize a historic factory that started to crumble during their contracting work — no matter the cost.
A high-stakes showdown is set for this afternoon in the Hahnemann bankruptcy hearing.
A 28-year-old cold case murder may have been solved yesterday with the arrest of a Germantown pizza deliveryman who was a suspect in the slaying of his former girlfriend. A breakthrough in the case centered on connecting a pair of separated socks.
A biotech company in Philly appears ready to dramatically change how we can treat cancer tumors by producing a revolutionary personalized therapy.
New programs have been helping people in recovery find work.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
Even if we’ve all moved on, the Italian Market seems to still be in peak summer produce season. Nice shot, @localspov.
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
SEPTA Key cards are giving fare evaders a new way to take advantage of the system.
After a fire destroyed their West Philly church, Greater Bible Way Temple members worshipped together on the street.
Some ICYMI moments from Made in America include Meek Mill’s street, Travis Scott’s fireworks, Cardi B’s outfit, and Beyoncé dancing to Lizzo and celebrating her birthday.
White wolves, wild turkeys, and red-eyed turtles are popping up around Fishtown, either atop or underneath lampposts.
Last week, a hedge fund manager was arrested for running an alleged Ponzi scheme. Here’s the story of how Brenda Smith traded her Rittenhouse Square penthouse for a New Jersey jail cell.
The latest effort to save malls includes apartments and microbreweries.
Opinions
“Had my son used at a Safehouse in Philly that day, there is no doubt that he would have survived. Statistics prove me right. He would have been 28 years old.” — Dr. Bonnie Milas, a professor at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, writes for The Inquirer about supervised injection sites after losing her son to an overdose.
Climate activist Tiara Campbell writes in support of Philadelphia taking the step of declaring a “climate emergency.”
There are things all parents should be talking to their teens about as the school year starts. Cindy Lapinski, the middle school director at The Baldwin School, goes through them all.
What we’re reading
As a millennial, I get blamed for “killing” a lot of things. Some examples: casual chain restaurants, “starter” homes, cable TV. Now, we’re being blamed for killing the Philly accent, WHYY reports.
Amazon’s attempt to ensure next-day delivery has “brought chaos and carnage” to America’s streets, according to BuzzFeed News.
NPR caught up with the “ketchup master," a man who has lived all things ketchup for more than 20 years.
Your Daily Dose of | The Best Coworkers
We got a glimpse into the lives of the working pets of Philadelphia, with cats and dogs that hang in bike shops, salons, bookstores, and beer distributors.