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Black Friday discounts, Lt. Gov. Stack seeks reelection, remains found at Barclay Friends | Morning Newsletter

All the local news you need to know to start your day, delivered straight to your email.

From left, Erick Ortiz, Christian Lozada and Winiel Cruz play basketball at the 11th and Pike Playground in Reading on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. Former Reading Senior High School basketball star Lonnie Walker returns home Wednesday when his team, Miami, takes on La Salle at Santander Arena.
From left, Erick Ortiz, Christian Lozada and Winiel Cruz play basketball at the 11th and Pike Playground in Reading on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. Former Reading Senior High School basketball star Lonnie Walker returns home Wednesday when his team, Miami, takes on La Salle at Santander Arena.Read moreTIM TAI / Staff Photographer

Good morning, Philly. As we head into the holiday, I'm feeling thankful for you, readers. I hope tomorrow you're surrounded by loved ones and a good meal. This newsletter is taking the day off, but I wish you a happy Thanksgiving and will see you bright and early Friday morning.

If you like what you're reading, it's free to sign up to get this newsletter in your inbox every weekday. I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and feedback, so please email me, tweet me @aubsn, or reach our social team on Facebook.

— Aubrey Nagle

» READ MORE: Can basketball save Reading, Pa.?

Reading, Pennsylvania is consistently one of the country's poorest cities. But a big win — Reading High's first state boys' basketball championship — earlier this year brought a renewed spirit to the city.

The star of that championship team with a following of his own, Lonnie Walker, returns to Reading tonight as a University of Miami Hurricanes, facing off against La Salle. The game is set to bring 7,300 fans to Santander Arena, its first Division I basketball game ever.

Since the championship last spring, residents and civic leaders say there's change in the air. If a new sign reading "Mayor Wally Scott Welcomes You to Reading – A City of Positive Change," is to be believed, Walker and basketball could help Reading rebound.

» READ MORE: Black Friday brings earlier, deeper discounts

Once the Thanksgiving leftovers are put away, shoppers will storm local malls and hop online to spend, spend, spend for Black Friday. But don't expect every store to be open on Thursday; over 65 major retailers are closing on Thanksgiving to give employees the day off.

Need help shopping? Don't miss our gift guide with ideas for the music lovers and TV lovers in your life. The bookish crowd might enjoy these coffee table books or this whimsical Philly-themed coloring book.

But before Black Friday, there's Black Wednesday. Tonight is one of the year's rowdiest nights out and many of Philly's best watering holes are offering specials.

» READ MORE: Lt. Gov Mike Stack announces reelection campaign

Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack III officially launched his reelection campaign yesterday with a speech at City Hall.

The race won't be easy. Stack is estranged from Gov. Tom Wolf after being publicly reprimanded last spring for allegedly verbally abusing the state employees who worked for Stack and his wife. He's also facing a slew of challengers, populist small-town mayor John Fettereman among them.

"It's not a secret this year has been difficult for my family and me, but we're emerging stronger and healthier," Stack said at City Hall. This race is certainly one to watch come 2018.

What you need to know today

  1. The remains of two victims were found at the scene of the Barclay Friends nursing home in West Chester. The search for the final two missing residents will resume today, but there are still many unanswered questions about the fire.

  2. David Cassidy, 1970s teen heartthrob and star of The Partridge Family, died yesterday at age 67. He had been hospitalized over the weekend for liver and kidney failure.

  3. Federal Communications Commission head Ajit Pai intends to jettison Obama-era net neutrality rules that would prevent the likes of Comcast and Verizon from throttling internet traffic.

  4. A West Philly community mourns the loss of a leader: Camaro Rob, the 29-year-old businessman and co-sponsor of the annual Thanksgiving Feeding Families block party, was gunned down Saturday.

  5. A new Pew Charitable Trust report shows how geography helps explain poverty in Philly. We dig into the data.

  6. As the FBI's probe reaches a critical point, federal authorities have accused U.S. Rep. Robert Brady of leading a criminal conspiracy to pay a 2012 primary opponent to drop out.

  7. The Free Library is hoping renovations that are both beautiful and useful will help bring in more visitors. Will it work?

» READ MORE: #OurPhilly

We want to see what our community looks like through your eyes. Show us the park that your family walks through every weekend with the dog, the block party in your neighborhood or the historic stretch you see every morning on your commute to work.

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 to build those followers!

That’s Interesting

  1. Have some time off for the holiday? Go see a movie! Movie critic Gary Thompson enjoyed Pixar's "Coco"  and loved "Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri." Staying in? See what's streaming this holiday.

  2. A South Philly man brings his easel to paint at Rittenhouse Square almost everyday, and says you need a tough skin to do it. If that easel could talk …

  3. Former Eagles Brian Dawkins and Terrell Owens are semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2018. (But they were also finalists last year, so maybe cross your fingers if you want them in.)

  4. Long before Meek Mill's legal troubles, Philadelphia's high incarceration rate shaped (and some say stymied) the local hip-hop scene.

  5. Remember that Bella Vista church that was saved from demolition and then un-saved from demolition on Monday? Well … it might be saved again.

  6. If you love live music, try bringing some home with you. Philly's at-home concert scene is booming. 

  7. A new Wawa could (emphasis on the could, folks) land right across the street from Independence Mall. 

Opinions

"As human rights abuses like those taking place in Myanmar continue, we must own that our silence equals our stamp of approval."
— Pediatrician B. Emily Esmaili asks
  1. It's beginning to look at a lot like you-know-what: the Inquirer Editorial Board is thankful that Christmas Village is back at LOVE Park. 

  2. Columnist Solomon Jones has a few demands for Mayor Kenney's new school board. First up: award school district contracts to Philadelphians of color.

What we’re reading

  1. Want to pick the brains of local economic development leaders? Pore over Technical.ly's report on how 125 leaders from Grow PA responded to questions on healthcare, infrastructure and more.

  2. This Next City tale of a local parenting program for incarcerated fathers begins with a heartbreaking story—but ends with hope.

  3. There's a big conversation (and maybe controversy) taking place over the Rotten Tomatoes review of the new Justice League movie. You'll have to read Wired's explanation to believe it.

  4. If you love Instagram and hate being generation-shamed, this Boston Review essay on how we've always been image-obsessed is for you.

  5. According to Pacific Standard, modern scientists are wrong more often than we think, but statisticians can help.

Your Daily Dose of | Yuck

Ever heard of a “fatberg?” It’s a giant ball of grease and debris that forms in the sewer when we pour drippings down the drain. Don’t bring this up over turkey, please.