Bye, bye, Ben. ✌️Hello, James 👋 | Morning Newsletter
It’s gonna be nice out today
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Welcome to what’s set to be the warmest Friday in a while, with temperatures in the high 50s. And we’ve got more on the weather you can expect this weekend.
But first, let’s talk about the collective exhale Sixers fans are taking after the team’s trade with Brooklyn for James Harden — and the departure of Ben Simmons.
— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
At about 1:30 p.m. yesterday, James Harden became the biggest sports name to arrive in Philly since Phillies fans went nuts over the arrival of Bryce Harper three years ago.
Many believe the Sixers, forced to endure the toxic Ben Simmons saga that’s been this season, are now legit championship contenders with Harden in the house bringing:
🏀 A second superstar,
🏀 An intriguing partner for Joel Embiid and,
🏀 A good relationship with general manager Daryl Morey.
Our columnist David Murphy even says that Morey pulled off “a master class in the patience and market instincts necessary to build a winner.”
Then there’s what the Sixers lost. Yes, they turned the page on Simmons, but the team also said goodbye to:
🏀 Quality perimeter shooting in three-point whiz Seth Curry,
🏀 A solid rebounding presence in center Andre Drummond and,
🏀 A pair of future first-round draft picks.
Get up to speed with our reporters Keith Pompey and Gina Mizell, who along with our sports columnists and others have been all over this blockbuster trade.
What you should know today
Why Philly is keeping its mask mandate even as states drop theirs.
Philly schools will invest $3 million in the development of more Black, Asian, and Latino principals.
We dive into campaign contributions and what they tell us about the support Pennsylvania Senate hopefuls are receiving.
A former Wing Bowl champion was arrested with one kilo of cocaine and 250 pounds of marijuana in Nebraska.
Members of a Delco fire company have been suspended after they were recorded allegedly using racial slurs and disparaging Black residents.
Philly’s largest outdoor restaurant opens this spring at Penn’s Landing.
And meet the man who regaled the Kimmel Center this week with “a voice … that felt like a cashmere scarf on a cold night.”
Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
I’m just the middleman for forecasters and our resident weather expert, but it sounds as if beginning today and into tomorrow, temperatures around the region are going to be pretty awesome.
Just how awesome? How about making a run for the 60s awesome — before winterlike temperatures return Sunday. And we might not make it out of the 20s on Monday.
As for the snow, it might come. But as our reporter Anthony R. Wood — better known as AccuTony in the newsroom — notes, it’s a “modest snow threat, although probably not scary enough to touch off panic candy shopping” ahead of Valentine’s Day.
With that said, I think we owe it to ourselves to soak up outdoor events — safely, of course — so here’s a little something to jump-start the process.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
When it comes to Black History and Philadelphia’s role in shaping it, much of the conversation is focused on notable men. In 2021, a new book featured profiles of 95 Black women leaders from Philly who have played crucial roles in fueling Black excellence. Today’s question: What’s the name of that book? Take a guess and find the answer here.
a. The Other Black Girl
b. A Black Woman’s History of the United States
c. They Carried Us
What we’re…
🦎 Wowing: This scientist from Villanova known as the “Lizard King,” who just helped identify a 110-million-year-old lizard fossilized in an amber mine in Myanmar.
🚶🏿♂️ Reading: About this gentleman who is walking the perimeter of city limits just for the heck of it – again.
🎧 Listening to: The *chef’s kiss* that is sports talk radio in Philadelphia as fans offer their thoughts on the Sixers’ trade for James Harden.
Photo of the day
That’s it for me. Ashley Hoffman is already preparing her Sunday round-up of the week that was and the week to come. I return to your inbox on Monday. Make sure you get outside this weekend. ✌️