Skip to content
Newsletters
Link copied to clipboard

Eagles win but lose Wentz, Philly's top 25 restaurants, FBI probes PPA | Morning Newsletter

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

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz rubs his knee before the Eagles scored in the third-quarter against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, December 10, 2017. YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz rubs his knee before the Eagles scored in the third-quarter against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, December 10, 2017. YONG KIM / Staff PhotographerRead moreYONG KIM

Good morning, Philadelphia. Last night's Eagles win was rough, and it feels like the city's holding its breath for Wentz news. In the meantime I'm distracting myself with Craig LaBan's top 25 restaurants while keeping an eye on the state gerrymandering trial.

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: Eagles win, and lose, big

The Eagles won big against the Rams last night, winning the NFC East and taking the top playoff seed. But it came at a price: quarterback Carson Wentz suffered a knee injury that took him out of the game.

There was no update on Wentz's status after the game, though there are fears that he tore his ACL; we'll know more pending an MRI today. Are Super Bowl dreams dashed without him? Columnist Mike Sielski certainly thinks soWith Wentz's fearlessness, an injury was inevitable, reporter Jeff McLane writes.

Backup quarterback Nick Foles stepped in to lead the Birds to victory with the help of the Eagles defense. Foles says he's prepared to do it again if necessary.

» READ MORE: Philadelphia’s top 25 restaurants

That's right, it's end-of-year-list season, and restaurant critic Craig LaBan is no exception. He's put together a new list of his top 25 Philadelphia restaurants, just in time for entertaining visitors this holiday.

There are eight newcomers joining the list since LaBan's inaugural 2016 dining guide, including Friday Saturday Sunday ("a bold evolution under new owners") and Walnut Street Cafe ("a knockout destination").

Look for updated reviews for best-of veterans, too. Vernick is still "Philly's best overall restaurant" and "Vedge is rightfully now a national destination."

» READ MORE: The data Pa. Republicans don’t want you to see

When creating the current congressional map, GOP lawmakers had access to data giving them a granular look at Pennsylvania's partisan makeup. Did they use it to make a skewed map? That's what a federal gerrymandering trial will try to decide.

What we do know: state Republicans fought to keep the data private. And Pennsylvania is one of the most extreme congressional gerrymanders in the country.

The data isn't inherently suspicious, but when paired with the current map it could be a smoking gun. The trial should be decided by the end of the year and could impact the 2018 elections. A state court trial on the map begins today, too.

What you need to know today

  1. Sources say the FBI is probing the Philadelphia Parking Authority and so far it's unclear how far the inquiry goes. Keep your schadenfreude to respectful levels, folks.

  2. New Jersey is moving toward legalizing marijuana while a main figure in the movement, Ed Forchion, sits behind bars. And yes, he sees the irony.

  3. Negative repercussions from the GOP tax bill aren't limited to health care, national monumentsgraduate students, or seniorsIt may also sink local property values in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

  4. As guns become easier and easier for teens to access, muggings and fistfights are turning into murders. For teens who do pull the trigger, the judicial system is unforgiving.

  5. Messages are pouring in from families facing the challenges described in Ronnie Polaneczky's series "Falling Off the Cliff" on adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. One father wrote, "We're no longer invisible."

  6. Portions of the Southern California wildfires are being contained just as new evacuations were ordered in Santa Barbara County. Gov. Jerry Brown has said of the deadly wildfires, "This is the new normal."

  7. A Downingtown paper mill, which Trump once called "sad!" in a tweet, is transforming from a town eyesore to a town center.

  8. The Sixers had a rocky weekend, losing to the Cavs Saturday night and the Pelicans last night. Robert Covington may be out for two games and Joel Embiid sat out Sunday. Markelle Fultz is unlikely to return before the New Year. Ugh.

» READ MORE: #OurPhilly

Standing out in the snow

A post shared by Jason Coopman (@jasoncoopman) on

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. Johnny Bobbit, the homeless man who spent his last few bucks on a stranded driver and was rewarded with over $400,000 in donations, is turning his life around. First step: a new house, complete with a Christmas tree.

  2. As City Council considers banning public drumming, reporter Cassie Owens traces Philly's deep history of drum lines. Advocates for local drummers say they could use some citywide recognition like the Mummers, and maybe even a mural.

  3. The Color Purple is in town and the Philly Pops are putting on their Christmas show this week, if you're looking for some entertainment in the city.

  4. Braden Halladay, Roy Halladay's son, is heading this way: the high school junior just committed to Penn State baseball. 

  5. Want to prove, once and for all, how stressful your in-laws are? Try the NeuroFlow, a new Philly-made tool that visualizes your physiological response to stress.

  6. Who says pop-up bars are only for warm weather? Tinsel, a temporary Christmas-themed spot, just opened in Center City.

  7. Maria Panaritis, the Upper Darby native who's covered the city, the suburbs, business and more at the Inquirer, has a new gig: meet your new Pennsylvania columnist.

Opinions

"Only the rich can expect to benefit from this the rest of us are getting coal in our stockings. Call your representatives to stop this bill."
— Mayor Jim Kenney urges Philadelphia residents to oppose the GOP’s tax bill, which he says would cut jobs, increase tax burdens, and raise insurance premiums in the city.
  1. If Councilwoman Cindy Bass's plan to tear down bulletproof glass service windows in beer delis prevails and someone is shot, she and any approving council members will have blood on their hands, writes the Inquirer Editorial Board.

  2. Columnist Will Bunch is in Alabama ahead of tomorrow's special election for the U.S. Senate. In his first report, he wonders if Alabama's black votes can sink the GOP candidate Roy Moore.

What we’re reading

  1. It's great to read about the counselors behind our nation's 24-hour helplines over at WHYY — but not every state has enough counselors or funding. Yes, Pennsylvania is one of them.

  2. PlanPhilly details how Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church saved itself from the wrecking ball: embracing diversity and bringing Christian, Islamic and Jewish faiths under one (renovated) roof.

  3. I was floored by the tragedy of Shalon Irving's death, as detailed in NPR's report on black women facing disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality. Black women are 243 percent more likely to die from pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes than white women.

  4. The Seattle Times wonders whether a strategy used in Miami to diversify advanced learning programs for gifted students could work in Washington. Maybe it could work in Philly, too?

  5. Adults having trouble finding and keeping new friends may place some of the blame on their living situations. I found this Vox article on how a neighborhood's "walkshed" affects socializing enlightening.

Your Daily Dose of | Sparkle

Doesn’t the city look great this time of year? Join our oohs and aahs with this collection of photos of Philly in the holiday spirit.