Brutal cold in weekend forecast, Comcast quietly fires hundreds, how to get fit in 2018 | Morning Newsletter
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Happy Friday, Philly. As you may have heard, it's still very cold outside. Today we're keeping an eye on the deep freeze settling over the region because it's here to stay for the weekend. It's time to bundle up and stay inside when you can, folks.
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— Aubrey Nagle
» READ MORE: After ‘bomb cyclone,’ it’s only going to get colder
You may be done shoveling snow, but the "bomb cyclone" that dropped 3 to 5 inches in the Philly region and up to 17 inches at the Jersey Shore brought dangerous temperatures with it. Wind chills might not inch above zero until daybreak Sunday and gale force gusts are expected across the region Friday and Saturday.
SEPTA is running a Saturday-like schedule today for Regional Rail. Philadelphia public schools and Archdiocesan schools are closed. Despite a Code Blue, the opioid crisis means city officials are still working to get people off the streets in Kensington.
Could all the salt on the roads be messing with your sleep cycle? It's possible, scientists say. Extreme cold can mess with your car, too; here's how to avoid car trouble during the deep freeze. Whether you're staying in or venturing out, be sure to protect your skin from the cold this weekend.
» READ MORE: Resident dies at Philly group home under state supervision
Blossom Philadelphia's group home for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities had its operation license revoked in October. The facility has been under special state supervision ever since.
And yet a resident with cerebral palsy died on New Year's Eve after choking on a slice of pizza in what advocates are calling a "colossal failure." Relatives of residents have said that conditions at Blossom deteriorated after new management took over in 2014.
The tragedy speaks to the extreme difficulties many adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities face in finding good quality care after "falling off the cliff" into adulthood.
» READ MORE: Want to get fit in 2018? Be a good gym buddy
The weekend is here. Will your New Year's resolution make it to Monday? If you're starting at a new gym to kick off 2018 you'll need to know these unofficial rules of the gym.
There are other exciting ways of exercising, of course: check out local walking tours and themed yoga classes that will have you feeling in shape and in the know.
Still need a New Year's resolution? Try a digital detox. Possibly thanks to politics, people are unplugging in 2018 and experts have tips on how to do it.
What you need to know today
Just days after California opened its first recreational marijuana shops, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is rescinding an Obama-era policy that put marijuana laws in states' hands.
Comcast went all Ebenezer Scrooge this holiday. The telecom giant quietly fired over 500 door-to-door sales people right before Christmas.
Heading into an Eagles-less football weekend, here's who you should root for to give the Birds the best chance in the playoffs. (They'll need it, as their home-field advantage isn't that helpful, writes columnist Mike Sielski.)
The Trump administration just unveiled a plan that would allow offshore drilling in all U.S. waters, a move opposed by governors from New Jersey to Florida, nearly a dozen attorneys general, more than 100 U.S. lawmakers, and the Defense Department.
Former New Jersey governor Brendan T. Byrne, who preserved the Pinelands, enacted the state's first income tax, and was a bomber pilot in World War II, died yesterday at 93.
University City Science Center CEO Stephen Tang is stepping down. He's got a big new opportunity with a Bethlehem-based company.
Sorry, Game of Thrones fans: the next season is officially delayed until 2019. I guess winter isn't coming.
Social media campaigns to get Sixers' Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to the all-star game are off to a good start, according to the latest standings.
Another reason to love the animal kingdom: New research is finding animals may help kids on the autism spectrum relate to other people.
» 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
Free family activity alert: in celebration of what would have been Flyers' co-founder Ed Snider's 85th birthday, you can ice skate for free at public skating venues on Saturday.
Speaking of which, the Flyers scored four goals in the second period to beat the Islanders last night 6-4, putting them four points out of a wild-card spot.
How did a Liberian humor magazine end up finding a legion of fans in West Philly? Just ask Eric Nzeribe, who's been publishing FunTimes here for 10 years.
Who's wackier: a dad who documented his baby's growth with cheesesteaks or a writer who ate 16 cheesesteaks in 12 hours? Both? Agreed.
If you caught The Goldbergs Wednesday night you may have seen a familiar face in the crowd: former Phillies manager Ruben Amaro Jr. made a cameo.
Globe Dye Works, a manufacturing complex turned artist hub, is changing the meaning of work-life balance. What's it like to live where you work … when that work is roasting coffee beans or dealing vintage cars?
Seeing The Post this weekend? We talked to Academy Award-winning screenwriter and Ambler native Josh Singer about bringing the Steven Spielberg film to life. The film depicts how The Washington Post decided to publish the Pentagon Papers. Afterwards the Inquirer did, too; here's why, straight from the source.
The 75th annual Golden Globes are this weekend; here's what to expect from the glitzy show.
Opinions
Columnist Will Bunch went to anti-Trump country in Northwest Philadelphia to shed light on the voters he says still pine for an America better than its president.
By following just two principles, states can avoid redistricting disasters, writes Wharton professor Steve Kimbrough, Temple Emeritus Professor Fred Murphy and UC Irvine researcher Peter Miller.
What we’re reading
You don't want to mess with this cold stretch. Curbed Philly has put together a helpful guide on what to do if your Philly home doesn't have heat or hot water.
Can changing a few of your personal habits help cure racism? Philadelphia Magazine provides tips on how to recognize and shed the bad habits that perpetuate it.
Carpenter Lane in Mt. Airy is a stretch trapped in a time warp, according to Hidden City Philadelphia. Their photo-filled story shows how the street's architecture tells its history.
Yesterday San Francisco was hit by a 4.4 magnitude earthquake. But another California city, L.A., is in a race against time to protect itself from a similar quake, writes the Los Angeles Times.
The White House closed their commission to end voter fraud as President Trump called for more voter ID laws yesterday. WIRED explains how these laws negatively impact voters in a dense but illustrative read.
Your Daily Dose of | Puppies
If we don't get to cheer on a Philly team during the Super Bowl, at least Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl XIV will feature four Philly dogs. Yes, we've got pictures. You can thank us later.