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Could we see snow tomorrow? And, the Eagles try to keep their playoff hopes alive. | Morning Newsletter

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Eagles, Jalen Mills, looks on during practice at the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019.
Eagles, Jalen Mills, looks on during practice at the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019.Read moreJOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Happy post-Thanksgiving Sunday. The turbulent Eagles face a sullen Miami team before they take on what could be must-win NFC East games every week in December. And in today’s Q&A we speak with one of our business reporters, Christian Hetrick, who is tasked with covering the largest cable television company in the United States: Comcast.

Tauhid Chappell (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

The week ahead

  1. For those traveling today and tomorrow, it could be messy out there. Following some potentially icy rain today, road crews are preparing for possible overnight freezing. Then, there might be snow on Monday. Prepare accordingly.

  2. Theoretically, the Eagles should have no problem sinking the 2-9 Miami Dolphins before bulldozing two 2-9 division rivals — New York and Washington. But our columnist Bob Ford has a “nagging feeling the Eagles have a few missteps yet to take.” Injuries and coaching woes have also plagued the team throughout the season, so the games that look like easy wins could end up being closer than anticipated. Get your heartburn medicine ready.

  3. Thanksgiving has quieted the federal government, but Democrats are expected to go into a full sprint to vote on impeaching President Trump by Christmas, if not earlier.

This week’s most popular stories

Behind the story with Christian Hetrick

Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with Christian Hetrick, who’s dedicated to covering Comcast and the telecom giant’s reach in Philly, and beyond.

You’ve recently moved into a role where most of your reporting focuses specifically on Comcast. That’s a pretty large task. What kinds of issues do you hope to cover?

With Comcast being the corporate behemoth in our backyard, I want to cover the company in a way that’s meaningful to a local audience. I’d like to focus on how the company is a major power player in our area, one of the region’s largest employers, and a crucial service provider of broadband internet, which is essentially a utility now. Of course, I’m still interested in what Comcast and NBC do nationally and around the world, too.

What are some hurdles you’re facing when it comes to covering a cable and media giant like Comcast?

They own so much stuff! From the Philadelphia Flyers to Saturday Night Live to theme parks in Florida, there is a lot to keep track of. Comcast is constantly making news on all fronts, whether it’s a civil rights case before the U.S. Supreme Court, contract disputes with popular channels, or lobbying legislation in statehouses. Another challenge is truly getting inside the company. For example, I can’t just file records requests to get internal documents like I could with a government agency.

What kinds of news or stories capture your attention?

I love news stories that hold power accountable, so anything that exposes wrongdoing is a must-read for me.

Why should people be more aware of what Comcast is doing in our region?

Comcast is quite literally reshaping the city skyline and has a major impact on the lives of thousands of workers and hundreds of thousands of consumers in our region. So what the company does matters and deserves our attention.

Stay in touch with Christian by following him on Twitter at @_hetrick or emailing him at chetrick@inquirer.com. You can also get the best of our business coverage sent straight to your inbox for free by signing up for The Inquirer Business Weekly.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

The holiday celebrations continue in Philly. Thanks for capturing the spirit, @the_brittjames!

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!

#CuriousPhilly: Have a question about your community? Ask us!

Have you submitted a question to Curious Philly yet? Try us. We’re listening to our readers and doing our best to find answers to the things you’re curious about.

What we’re …

  1. Eating: at Royal Tavern, which just reopened after a lengthy renovation project. It now has a spruced-up dining room, new royal-blue facade, and a new basement kitchen.

  2. Drinking: post-Thanksgiving cocktails with family and friends in town. Looking for a good experience? Check out our restaurant critic’s top bars in the city.

  3. Watching: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt actor Tituss Burgess, who’s in town today as a guest vocalist for Philly Pops’ two “Uptown Christmas” shows at the Met Philadelphia.

  4. Celebrating: Philly-based African dance and drum ensemble Kulu Mele’s 50th anniversary. The group is producing a multimedia retelling of Ogun & The People, a story describing a deity’s return from an arduous journey and the rejection he feels when he’s unrecognized by his community.

Comment of the week

I hope this can be fixed. Lack of a driver’s license makes it difficult to get and keep a job, be a responsible parent, care for elder relatives, eat healthfully, and do all the things we hope people will do to live fulfilling productive lives. The way our system just keeps punishing people, often for trivial infractions, is disproportionately hard on the poor and working class. — Enlightenmentvalues on Pennsylvania having changed a law suspending driver’s licenses, yet it won’t help thousands still banned from the road.

Your Daily Dose of | The UpSide

While in Philly for his daughter’s bridal shower, Elizabeth Wolfsthal’s father lost a bag containing two dresses inside a random cab. Thankfully, Philly showed why it’s the city of brotherly love and the bags were able to be relocated and returned.