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Trump visits Pa. as impeachment advances; A top basketball coach misses Philly | Morning Newsletter

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Michigan head coach Juwan Howard, left, and associate coach Phil Martelli watch against Saginaw Valley State in the first half of an NCAA exhibition college basketball game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Friday, Nov. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Michigan head coach Juwan Howard, left, and associate coach Phil Martelli watch against Saginaw Valley State in the first half of an NCAA exhibition college basketball game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Friday, Nov. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)Read morePaul Sancya / AP

    The Morning Newsletter

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

While we woke up yesterday to rainy but balmy weather, today it’s definitely colder (bundle up), and look out for some snow that could affect your commute. Last night, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence held a rally in Central Pennsylvania, just hours after Democrats announced another step in the impeachment proceedings. Outside of politics, the highlight today is a story about a Philadelphia basketball legend who has left Philly, to be an assistant coach for a team with Final Four aspirations.

— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

For the first time in his 65 years, Phil Martelli has a new life away from Philadelphia. He began his career with the St. Joseph’s men’s basketball program in 1985 and became the Hawks’ head coach in 1995, holding that job until spring. St. Joe’s moved on. And so did Martelli.

He wound up in Ann Arbor, Mich., helping a first-year head coach pilot the Michigan basketball program to a top-five ranking so far this season. But despite his success over the season’s first month and change, Martelli acknowledges he hasn’t left Philly behind.

One of Martelli’s fellow Michigan staff members says Martelli still reads the Philly papers each morning while he’s on the treadmills. “Whether you call it the hustle and bustle, I miss it,” Martelli said.

Trump and Pence were in Hershey last night at a “Keep America Great" rally after campaigning earlier in the day in the western part of the Keystone State. Pennsylvania is a crucial state in the 2020 election and one that Trump carried in ’16.

Meanwhile, in D.C., House Democrats announced two articles of impeachment against Trump: abuse of power and obstruction of justice. So, what does that really mean? We have a helpful FAQ that breaks down what’s going on.

Three students have died by suicide at Rowan University this semester. That’s more than school officials can ever remember happening in such a short time span. And the New Jersey campus is reeling.

Hundreds of students and staff members gathered this week to share their own struggles with mental health. They also expressed concern about Rowan’s ability to make it better.

What you need to know today

  1. 🌨️ Be careful on those commutes. We could end up getting an inch or more of snow.

  2. Bill Cosby’s bid to overturn his sexual assault conviction was denied yesterday.

  3. Central Jersey does exist, at least according to Gov. Phil Murphy. It’s not the first time he’s made the declaration.

  4. Lawmakers representing the area critiqued congressional leaders who this week changed plans that would have required manufacturers to control PFAS discharges into drinking water and follow other measures.

  5. A now-fired Kennett Township manager took trips to Italy and France and shopped for designer clothes and jewelry. And, according to Chester County investigators, she did that as she siphoned $3 million from taxpayers.

  6. If you need health insurance, the deadline for healthcare.gov enrollment is coming up.

Through your eyes | #OurPhilly

The only good thing about this weather might be @d_smoove’s pictures.

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

  1. The Phillies reached an agreement to sign one of manager Joe Girardi’s former players from the New York Yankees.

  2. Comcast plans to spend $2 billion on its new streaming service in its first two years.

  3. A Philly high school is teaching stressed-out kids how to find their inner calm through mindfulness.

  4. You won’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to have fun with these Star Wars-theme events ahead of the release of the franchise’s new movie this month.

  5. The star of Monday night’s Eagles win over the Giants is, technically speaking, obese. And the reason why shows some of the downfalls of how we look at biometrics.

  6. While not as catchy as “flu season,” sinusitis season can be harmful to millions. And we’re right in the middle of it.

Opinions

“It’s not realistic to expect solutions to Philadelphia’s economic woes to come from a single sector of the city, any more than it would be realistic to expect downtown to solve the citywide problem of homelessness.” — The Inquirer Editorial Board writes about trying to solve homelessness in Center City.

  1. Inquirer columnist Will Bunch writes about whether it’s worth impeaching President Trump if the politics could backfire against his accusers.

  2. Matthew Rader is president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. He writes for The Inquirer about Philadelphia’s decreasing tree canopy — or the area of land shaded by trees.

What we’re reading

  1. Philadelphia Weekly took a look inside Philadelphia’s growing community of Satanists.

  2. Eater has an interesting story on how some restaurants exploit influential TripAdvisor ratings.

  3. Gin is kind of having a moment right now. The New Yorker explores its fascinating history.

Your Daily Dose of | Inspiration

“After Mom’s death, I had to learn how to lead with my heart. I had to learn to live my life like the most precious thing in it was my relationships," former Eagle Jon Dorenbos writes. “I like to think the Eagles gave me that [Super Bowl] ring because I treated everyone — teammates, coaches, staff, media — like they mattered, like each interaction was an end in itself, and not a means to an end.”