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Eagles keep the season alive; MaST prepares to expand; local businesses to get a boost | Morning Newsletter

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Eagles kicker Jake Elliott (4) kicks the game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter of a game at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. The Eagles won 25-22. TIM TAI / Staff Photographer
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott (4) kicks the game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter of a game at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. The Eagles won 25-22. TIM TAI / Staff PhotographerRead moreTIM TAI

    The Morning Newsletter

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From Turkey Day to Sunday's big Eagles win, this holiday weekend was one for the birds. The Eagles' season is still alive this morning, and that fact is sure to be bringing some smiles to Philadelphians today. The expansion of Philly's in-demand MaST charter schools and a new program aiming to get small local businesses a slice of the eds-and-meds pie may cause a few smiles of their own. We've got the details on both for you.

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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

» READ MORE: Jake Elliott’s 43-yard field goal keeps Birds alive in the NFC East

This season ain't over 'til it's over. With a game-winning field goal from kicker Jake Elliott amid a second-half comeback, the Eagles kept their postseason dreams alive Sunday with a 25-22 win over the Giants.

Quarterback Carson Wentz led the team on the game-winning drive in the final six minutes and coach Doug Pederson made a "fearless" call at fourth-and-1 to put them in field goal range. Elsewhere in the offense, Josh Adams, an undrafted rookie from Central Bucks South and Notre Dame, and Corey Clement both had a big impact.

The Birds are now just one game out of first place in the NFC East with two games left against Washington and one against Dallas. After the game, Pederson called the win "a great boost for the entire team."

» READ MORE: Riverfront complex, media center, telescope. These are Philadelphia public schools?

In the last decade, the charter school sector in Philadelphia has doubled and now enrolls about one-third of public-school students in the city.

Northeast Philadelphia's nationally recognized Mathematics, Sciences and Technology Community Charter School — known as MaST — is part of that growth and claims a wait-list of more than 11,000.

While the Philadelphia School District has struggled to fix environmental problems amid $5 billion in repair needs, MaST is opening two more campuses in the next year, one in a brand-new building overlooking the Delaware River.

» READ MORE: Philadelphia launches push to get hospitals and universities to buy local

Philly's vast eds and meds community has a lot of buying power. In an effort to give local businesses a slice of that pie, a city-wide initiative is launching Wednesday.

Called Philadelphia Anchors for Growth & Equity (or PAGE), the collaboration looks to boost local purchasing by some of the city's biggest employers. The initial goal is to localize $500 million in contracts at 13 Philly hospitals and universities.

But that's not all: PAGE also hopes to create as many as 5,000 living wage, middle-skill jobs for residents in eight to 10 years.

What you need to know today

  1. The Philadelphia Parking Authority is getting in the holiday spirit. From now until Jan. 1, street parking will be free citywide on Saturdays after 11 a.m.

  2. Jimmy Butler did it again: he put up a game-winning three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to lift the Sixers to a 127-125 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night.

  3. New Jersey legislators will hold hearings today to debate a package of bills that would legalize recreational marijuana in the state and expand its medical marijuana program.

  4. After being laid off in May, Toys R Us workers scored a $20 million win last Tuesday. Their efforts are just one example of a burgeoning retail labor movement.

  5. Russia's coast guard opened fire on and seized three of Ukraine's vessels Sunday, wounding two crew members. The incident followed a standoff in the Black Sea and comes amid rising tensions between the two countries.

  6. Since a program to distribute gun locks in Bucks County began in April 2017, thousands of locks have been given out to gun owners. The success has prompted the county to expand the program to seniors in 2019.

  7. Think Philly's transit system could use some sprucing up? One expert who recently took a look at the region agrees and SEPTA is considering his recommendations.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

Too. Cute. For. Full. Sentences. 😍

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 Markelle Fultz shoulder saga has continued for 13 months. Some sources have said that he's no longer in the Sixers' long-term plans and the drama shows no signs of stopping.

  2. Instagram is chock-full of personal trainers and fitness models who might inspire you to hit the gym, but there are six reasons to use caution before you hit "follow."

  3. Warning: Phillies fans will be quite jealous while reading the story of "Video Dan," the man who spent the last 36 years recording the team's biggest and smallest moments.

  4. It's officially the holiday season which means there are a ton of cheesy new rom-coms and family films to watch — and TV critic Ellen Gray gives you her blessing to watch them all totally shame-free.

  5. The Met Philadelphia has been reborn on North Broad Street and with its Dec. 3 opening comes a shakeup for the local concert scene.

  6. The local mascot scene just got a little more crowded. South Jersey's Rowan College just revealed its own costumed icon.

Opinions

"Not everyone afflicted by poverty carries and uses a gun to hurt other people. Focused Deterrence has a proven track record of success of targeting those that do."
— Reuben Jones of Frontline Dads and lawyer Bryan Lentz on Philly’s pivot to fighting poverty in order to quell gun violence.
  1. The midterm elections may have brought about a blue wave, but we should be focused on going green, writes Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education director Mike Weilbacher.

  2. Politicians aren't listening to teens and student activists, but they deserve to be heard and involved in democracy, writes Upper Dublin High School senior Josh Portney.

What we’re reading

  1. Another reason to be jealous of the youths: WHYY reports that Lock Haven University is letting students bring their pets to school now.

  2. Take a trip down memory lane thanks to PlanPhilly's look inside an old Frank Furness building in West Philly, a hidden masterpiece covered and then uncovered by renovations.

  3. For a different trip down memory lane, try Billy Penn's look back at when Reading, Pa., became a hotbed for socialism in the early 20th century.

  4. You've definitely seen the famous Norwegian knit pattern that adorns many cozy winter accessories, but until the Atlantic's essay on it, you might never have known its name: selburose.

  5. File this under "New Year's resolution candidates:" the Washington Post has a handy new guide to organizing all those old photos you have gathering dust in the back of your closet.

Your Daily Dose of | History

Nature has reclaimed much of the trolley trails that used to weave through Fairmount Park. Now their remains are on track to become a new nature walk.