Well, that was a tough game to watch. If you didn't catch the Eagles' brutal loss to the Cowboys last night, read on to find out why there may be some bitter and possibly hungover fans about town this morning. On a more serious note, two of our top stories today build on ongoing narratives shaping our communities. The first is the story of a Denver man who has broken his silence over abuse in the Catholic seminary after learning of investigations into clergy abuse. The second reports that hunger in Philadelphia has increased, following a disappointing pattern in which the city stumbles while nationwide trends improve.
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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meets in Baltimore this week. Clergy sex-abuse claims, which an Inquirer and Boston Globe report recently revealed to be severely mishandled in their ranks, is likely to be a topic of focus.
It was such high profile reports on misconduct in the Catholic church and the release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report on clergy sex abuse released earlier this year that prompted one young seminarian to come forward with a story of his own.
Stephen Szutenbach says he left the seminary in 2004 after he was abused by a priest in Denver. Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput was head of the Denver archdiocese at that time.
The Super Bowl champs lost to their rivals the Cowboys at home last night, giving the team a losing record and likely breaking some hearts along the way.
"This one hurt," quarterback Carson Wentz said, blaming a slow start for the loss that brought both teams to 4-5 and put the Eagles two games behind NFC East leader the Washington Redskins.
Columnist David Murphy called the game the worst since Doug Pederson took over as coach. More bad news: The Saints provide a major challenge for the Birds next week.
Nationwide, food insecurity numbers are dropping; 11.1 percent of the population was living with hunger between 2015 and 2017, down from 15.7 between 2012 and 2014.
That's not what is happening in Philadelphia where those numbers are actually going up. From 2015 to 2017, 18.3 percent of the population was food insecure. In the 2012-2014 period, only 16.7 percent of Philadelphians were living with hunger.
These numbers are just another way Philly is out of step with national trends, like where incomes are rising and poverty is falling.
- The death toll in the wildfire ripping through Northern California has climbed to 29, matching the state's record for deaths in a single fire. Another 228 remain unaccounted for, and two others were killed in fires in Southern California.
- The Veterans Day parades may be over, but there are still ways to honor the Philly region's 200,000-plus veterans. Local groups are looking for jobs, investments, and memorials.
- Last week 15-year-old Trevonte Marks was fatally shot and two other people were wounded during a shooting in Point Breeze. Police say gunmen fired more than 40 rounds in what appears to be a targeted shooting.
- A spate of local hit-and-run crashes left two dead — a teen on Roosevelt Boulevard and a 50-year-old man in Tacony — and a 59-year-old man critically injured in Center City over the weekend.
- It's Election Day: Part Two for Pennsylvania lawmakers who return to the Capitol this week to vote for their leaders. Despite last week's midterms, few expect a big shake-up in the House or the Senate.
- Two men were charged Friday for allegedly shooting at and wounding a Philadelphia police officer last week. The officer was shot in the right thigh but managed to chase and apprehend a suspect after being struck.
Nothing like a crisp fall day for a run, @mablist.
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- Getting some fresh air is good for the soul and Philly schools are taking note. The school district has doubled down on efforts to bring students on nature walks and expeditions.
- Jimmy Butler hasn't taken the court with the Sixers just yet, so reporter Sarah Todd has taken a look at the film to find out what the surprise trade could do for the team. (Hint: It's good things.)
- The Flyers have catapulted to second place in the Metropolitan Division. You can thank Sean Couturier, the team's top-line center — he's on a hot streak.
- Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means Philadelphia's holiday festival is coming up, too. This year it's five weeks long, starting with the Thanksgiving Parade and ending with the Mummers on New Year's Day.
- Rowan University has reversed its policies after an essay questioning a ban on female athletes practicing in sports bras caused a stir online. Students said they heard their attire was distracting the football team.
- Philly cannot let its love of Gritty go. The Flyers' mascot even earned some write-in votes on Election Day.
- Thursday is America Recycles Day and Carlton Williams, commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Streets, wants Philadelphians to know how they can help the city cut costs when it comes to recycling.
- Jill Harkins, writing for the Philadelphia Citizen, writes that Philadelphia can still manage its gentrification and taking lessons from Portland might be the way forward.
- The Atlantic talked to American college students about going to school in the age of campus shootings. It's chilling, to say the least, but it's a must-read.
- Have you seen the Fishtown storefronts that have been turned bright blue? Billy Penn knows where they came from. (Spoiler alert: they're ads.)
- Famous rapper and Philly native Lil Uzi Vert takes a lot of pride in his North Philadelphia neighborhood. So much so that he keeps visiting Temple for haircuts and performances, reports the Temple News, and the way the students react is heartwarming.
- The Kennel Club of Philadelphia's National Dog Show wasn't always a Thanksgiving staple. Philadelphia Magazine has the backstory of how all those furry friends became such a lovable tradition.
- Pop music is too sad these days, Pitchfork posits in a new essay about the morose and miserable hits topping the charts. It's certainly food for thought. What is pop music supposed to do for us, anyway?
A Roy Orbison hologram performed at Parx Casino in Bensalem over the weekend. It was as freaky to watch as you'd expect, writes music critic Dan DeLuca.
