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Philly celebrates MLK Day, DACA deal up in the air, Eagles face Vikings Sunday | Morning Newsletter

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The CAPA Choir perform during the unveiling ceremony of nine sculptures depicting Dr. Martin Luther King at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative & Performing Arts. More than 50 students of the Philadelphia’s young artist community commissioned to design the sculptures attend schools and organizations from across the region, including the Philadelphia High School for the Creative & Performing Arts(CAPA),Art-Reach,Overbrook School for the Blind,Girard College,and Big Brother Big Sisters Independence Region. The sculptures will be displayed throughout the City until the end of February.   Thursday January 11,2018. Mark C Psoras/For the Inquirer
The CAPA Choir perform during the unveiling ceremony of nine sculptures depicting Dr. Martin Luther King at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative & Performing Arts. More than 50 students of the Philadelphia’s young artist community commissioned to design the sculptures attend schools and organizations from across the region, including the Philadelphia High School for the Creative & Performing Arts(CAPA),Art-Reach,Overbrook School for the Blind,Girard College,and Big Brother Big Sisters Independence Region. The sculptures will be displayed throughout the City until the end of February. Thursday January 11,2018. Mark C Psoras/For the InquirerRead moreMark C Psoras/For the Inquirer

Happy Monday. The city's still in celebration mode after Saturday's big Birds win, but today is all about a different celebration: it's Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and much of the city will honor the day with community service. In other words, Philly may feel extra kind this morning.

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

» READ MORE: Philly celebrates Martin Luther King Jr.

It's MLK Day and many Philadelphians are spending the day volunteering across the city, but others are debating whether it's the right way to celebrate King's legacy. Volunteers are at odds with activists pushing for a day of protests and rallies over community service.

Most schools are closed today so students may participate in public service, but one Quakertown school has controversially canceled the holiday.

Philly is home to many community organizations ripe with volunteer opportunities. But as two millennial volunteers write, it's time for younger generations to step up and lend a hand alongside their senior neighbors.

» READ MORE: Ups and downs continue for DACA recipients

It's been a rollercoaster weekend for the 22,024 "dreamers" in New Jersey and the 5,889 in Pennsylvania.

On Saturday, the federal government said it's once again accepting requests to renew deferred action under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

But then President Trump tweeted. On Sunday he wrote that "DACA is probably dead" as Republicans and Democrats struggle to reach a budget deal that would support DACA recipients. Despite the outburst, there's hope a deal can be reached before the looming government shutdown this week.

» READ MORE: Eagles will face Vikings in NFC championship

The city is still riding high from Saturday's Eagles win against the Falcons, getting them one step closer to the Super Bowl. Now we know they'll face Vikings on Sunday at 6:40 p.m.

In light of their success so far, columnist Mike Sielski says it's funny to look back now on how many ways the season could have gone off the rails. Reporter Jeff McLane writes that now we know quarterback Nick Foles can confidently get the job done.

Columnist Marcus Hayes even wrote Foles a letter from the fans with one important message: we're sorry for ever doubting you.

What you need to know today

  1. On Friday authorities arrested a high school friend in the killing of Penn student Blaze Bernstein. Bernstein's body was found buried in a shallow grave at a California park last week.

  2. After 8-year-old Isaac Gardner Jr. was allegedly roughed up by police officers at Solis-Cohen Elementary, parents and education activists are asking questions about the role of school cops.

  3. New Jersey's incoming and outgoing governors plus its two U.S. senators are teaming up to stop the Trump administration's plan to expand offshore drilling at the Jersey Shore.

  4. Shore doctor James Kauffman is accused of arranging the murder of his wife in 2012 with the help of the Pagan Motorcycle Club. Here's what you need to know about the Jersey Shore-tied gang.

  5. A new bill inspired by Kensington's life-saving librarians is hoping to put overdose-reversing drug Narcan into more librarians' hands. Not all heroes wear capes.

  6. Regulators have reversed course, ending a process that would have prevented Pennsylvania's medical marijuana patients from legally purchasing firearms. Yet the debate over ganja and gun ownership rages on.

  7. Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski is known for revitalizing the once downtrodden city. This week he also happens to be headed to federal court on corruption charges.

  8. Pennsylvania lawmakers are trying to end taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlements for cases involving state lawmakers, but victim advocates aren't happy with the solution.

» READ MORE: #OurPhilly

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. Dry South Jersey towns are getting a business boost from a surprising source: craft breweries.

  2. Downtown Chester has seen some big changes since T. Frank McCall's store opened in 1876, though the family-owned business has a much different view of the city than local police.

  3. Congratulations are in order for St. Joseph's Prep's legendary coach "Speedy" Morris: he snagged his 1,000th career win on Friday.

  4. Mount Mariah Cemetery is fighting back against dumping of construction equipment with funny (and mildly threatening) new signs.

  5. Sixers fans eagerly await the return of rookie Markelle Fultz, but it looks like rehabilitating his jump shot after a shoulder injury is still a work in progress. Sigh.

  6. Attention, shoppers: South Jersesy's Burlington Center Mall has closed down, and a resurgence for the once bustling mall is looking unlikely.

  7. Upper Darby Police confiscated a keg awaiting teen revelers behind the Aronimink Swim Club over the weekend and took to social media to have some fun calling off the party.

Opinions

"It's not that I think Dr. King does not deserve to have this national holiday. It's quite the opposite. It is America that does not deserve to celebrate Dr. King."
— Columnist Solomon Jones writes that America should keep Martin Luther King Jr.’s name out of its mouth this year.
  1. Maya Dena Hairston, a senior at the Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, writes that being one of few girls of color at her historically white high school showed her how much of Martin Luther King Jr.'s work still needs to be done.

  2. Leslie Callahan, a pastor at St. Paul's Baptist Church, writes that we must remember King's legacy in the context of his religious commitment to see the full picture of his impact.

What we’re reading

  1. Have off today? Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. by checking out 13 Philly places where he left his mark, thanks to Curbed Philly.

  2. Philadelphia Magazine asks if Philly's left its inferiority complex behind. If the Eagles keep winning, I'd say we'll get pretty close.

  3. This Q&A with two artists creating work using Philly manhole covers from Hidden City will have you looking at city streets in a whole new way.

  4. This one's less of a must-read and more of a must-watch: the short film "Ghost Bikes," curated by the Atlantic, explains how New York cyclists are memorializing riders killed on the road with white bikes, just like in Philly.

  5. Need someone to root for during the Winter Olympics? This Washington Post profile on out freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy will give you a reason to watch.

Your Daily Dose of | Courage

Martin Luther King senior lineman Ojay Harris has overcome a lot, and nearly quit football several times. Now he's receiving a football award for courage.