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Where Pa. and N.J. members of Congress stand on Trump | Morning Newsletter

Players praise Doug Pederson after news of his firing.

    The Morning Newsletter

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First: We found out what 20 lawmakers in the region think about whether Trump should be impeached after the attack on the Capitol.

Then: You probably heard that the Eagles parted ways with the coach who guided the team to its one and only Super Bowl victory. Here’s what sources tell us Doug Pederson told the owner he would do to get the team back on track before the decision.

And: We’ve learned more about the Philly detective reassigned for going to Trump’s Washington rally who called Pence a “traitor” after he condemned the violence and an officer’s death.

— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

In the wake of the attack on the Capitol, Pa. and N.J. lawmakers are already preparing for the repercussions: contending with what could be Trump’s second impeachment. This comes less than a dozen days before the end of Trump’s presidency and amid calls for Trump’s resignation days after he incited a mob to attack the Capitol before the lawful certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. There was also his pressure on Georgia elections officials to “find” evidence of voter fraud.

The House votes today on a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to take away Trump’s presidential power. Here’s what you need to know.

To find out where members of Congress in the region stand, we cast a wide net. Our reporters reached out to all 20 House members and senators from Pennsylvania, as well as New Jersey representatives, with two clear questions about this historic episode.

One: Did President Trump violate his oath of office based on his actions last week? And two: Should he be impeached?

Here’s how they responded.

The Eagles have confirmed the firing of the team’s one and only coach ever to win a Super Bowl championship. Yesterday, they announced that they’d be severing the relationship that helped bring the team to its only Lombardi Trophy.

It’s been three seasons since Pederson coached the team to Super Bowl victory, with the most recent season drawing heavy criticism. Pederson was among the organization’s members to endure his fair share of detractors for the 2020 season, but some say the ire should be directed elsewhere, suggesting it’s the wrong fight to pick.

“I am surprised. He gave me my first championship; he’s always going to be remembered here, for winning that Super Bowl,” defensive end Brandon Graham said after the news broke, adding he would be best known to the players for “his humility, and for every day being the person he is.” Owner Jeff Lurie said it came down to how Pederson said he planned to steer the ship to get back on track. Lurie met with Pederson to discuss the plagued 4-11-1 season last year, and sources spoke to us about how he proposed to rearrange players within the team.

He had been an Eagles quarterback under Andy Reid in 1999 and a Reid coaching protege in Philadelphia and Kansas City. “I’m going to stay aggressive with Nick and let him use his playmakers to make plays,” he said of the Super Bowl strategy in 2018. He also told us that, in his life, there was all that came before the Super Bowl and all that came after. But we’ll always have Super Bowl LII.

Helpful COVID-19 Resources

  1. When can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?

  2. Be among the first to know when you’re up. How to sign up for a Philly COVID-19 vaccine alert that will tell you it’s your turn.

  3. Here are the updated coronavirus case numbers as COVID-19 continues to spread across the region.

  4. How to know whether you should replace your mask.

  5. Can I travel this winter? Here’s your complete guide.

  6. Sign up to get free coronavirus news updates in your inbox three times a week.

What you need to know today

  1. We’ve learned more about the Philly detective reassigned for going to Trump’s Washington rally who called Pence a ‘traitor’ after he condemned the violence and an officer’s death. This is everything we know so far.

  2. New Jersey opened a megasite for the COVID-19 vaccine in Sewell. Here are photos of what that looked like.

  3. A Delaware County DA is charging a contractor with allegedly misclassifying workers to cut costs. It’s another sign of a growing effort to crack down on mistreatment of workers, but also a first.

  4. Nearly a million Pa. utility customers are past due on their bills because of COVID-19. Who will pick up the cost?

Through your eyes | #OurPhilly

It can help to try to rise above it all for a moment. Thanks for sharing @elevated.angles.

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. 🦅 Eagles scribe EJ Smith runs down nine names for Doug Pederson’s potential replacement.

  2. 🗳️ No, Philly Republican Al Schmidt won’t run for reelection in 2023, but he’s not “capitulating to the psychological terrorists.” And his public life may still continue.

  3. 🏒 Meanwhile, here’s how the Flyers coach is keeping his eye on a Cup win.

  4. 🌳 There are two things you should know about falconry. One: it can be dangerous, and two: “the love’s always one way.” Just ask the people in the upper ranks licensed to do it.

Opinions

“The significance mustn’t be lost that the day the mob stormed the rotunda demanding representation without electoral victory, Georgians had voted to send their first black senator to Capitol Hill.” — Chad Dion Lassiter, executive director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, writes that history foretold how the attack on the Capitol would overshadow a massive political victory for Black Americans before it happened.

  1. It’s time to make some room for a substantive debate. The Inquirer turned to two scholars with opposing viewpoints to matter the question of the day: Should Trump be removed from office?

  2. For SEPTA to survive, it’s going to have to rethink the heart of the system, writes the Inquirer Editorial Board, which operates separately from the newsroom.

What we’re reading

  1. Quartz gets into how we’ve created a pet industrial complex. Let’s get parental.

  2. Billy Penn introduces us to the Temple grad who wants to encourage kids to stay away from gun violence with a martial arts program.

The story of these two elementary school sweethearts who got together and stayed together for nine decades is the sweetest thing.