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Women's March returns, Christie's last day, Sixers beat Raptors | Morning Newsletter

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

Joel Embiid, right, and the Raptors’ Pascal Siakam battle for control of the ball in the third quarter.
Joel Embiid, right, and the Raptors’ Pascal Siakam battle for control of the ball in the third quarter.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer

Good morning, Philadelphia. Today we're taking a look back on Chris Christie's Jersey legacy and a look towards this weekend's Women's March. But before we do, check the weather: forecasts show the Philly region getting a little snowfall this evening.

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

» READ MORE: Sixers outlast Raptors, Embiid scores 34 as things get testy

Yesterday Sixers fans gathered at the Wells Fargo Center for a Martin Luther King Day matinee against the Toronto Raptors. The Sixers came out on top, largely thanks to star center Joel Embiid's dominance in the post; he had a 34 point game.

But the win wasn't without struggle: There were two altercations, the final one leading to Sixers point guard Ben Simmons and Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry both being ejected with seconds left in the game.

It was the second straight game that Simmons got into an altercation with a player originally from North Philly. After yesterday's game he said, "So maybe it's a Philly thing."

» READ MORE: Dozens spend MLK Day looking for a second chance at a clean record

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, thousands pledged their time to community service yesterday, including groups that filled Girard College to volunteer their time.

And over at West Philadelphia's Shepard Recreation Center, dozens joined a workshop to learn the processes for getting a criminal record expunged or sealed. Now participants hope to reverse their fortunes and get a second chance with a clean record.

Meanwhile, President Trump spent the day largely out of the public eye. He signed a proclamation for the holiday Friday before departing for Trump International Golf Club in Florida. In New York, hundreds gathered to protest racism and Trump yesterday.

» READ MORE: Chris Christie’s last day in office

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie leaves office today at noon after eight action-packed years. The colorful politician once declared he was "tired of dealing with the crazies" in his party, but reporter Andrew Seidman looks back and asks, did he join the "crazies" in the end?

He may be leaving today, but Christie had one last move to make: he sweetened the pension of  former Camden Mayor Dana L. Redd, a key political ally, on his way out.

And now it's Phil Murphy's turn. As he steps into the governor's office after his inauguration today, one of his first big hurdles will be finding a spare billion dollars for schools. No sweat.

What you need to know today

  1. The Women's March on Philadelphia is this weekend and, thanks to an increase in grassroots activism, organizers expect the local march to be even bigger than last year's.

  2. Tickets for the Eagles-Vikings game go on sale today at 10 a.m. But if you wanted one of those funny "underdog" masks players wore after Saturday's win, you may be out of luck.

  3. A government shutdown may be on the horizon. GOP leaders are looking at short-term funding measures, but Democratic leaders have been unwilling to support a deal that doesn't protect young illegal immigrants.

  4. Blaze Bernstein, the University of Pennsylvania student whose body was found buried in California park last week, had been stabbed more than 20 times, a California newspaper reports.

  5. Pennsylvania's senior population is growing fast. Lawmakers aren't keen on the idea, but taxing retirement income could ease the state's future economic woes.

  6. New military service members are eligible for a new retirement program, but time is of the essence to get maximum savings.

  7. The flu is making the rounds in a big way this year, but there are ways you can help protect yourself this season.

» 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

  1. Heck yes: swearing out loud can boost your physical performance during exercise and ease discomfort or pain, according to a new study. ("We know," said all women in labor ever.)

  2. Well, it finally happened: after a lot of silly tweets and absurdist humor, Reading's own Steak-umms got verified on Twitter.

  3. Philly-based goPuff, an on-demand convenience store delivery service started by two Drexel alums, is expanding to Ardmore and Bethlehem. And yes, they love how much it's been snowing lately.

  4. How far would you go to save your pet's life? One Bucks family knows: they spent $50,000 to take their spaniel to France for open heart surgery.

  5. Whether the Eagles make it or not, the Super Bowl will be Philly-friendly: not only is Pink singing the National Anthem, but Philly's own Leslie Odom Jr. will perform "America the Beautiful," too.

  6. Looking to try something new? Philly Theatre Week is launching next month and tickets (ranging from free to $30) go on sale today.

  7. Good news for CVS shoppers: the pharmacy giant just promised to stop touching up the images used in its beauty ads.

Opinions

"With the Gloria Casarez Residence, we can provide an opportunity for a bright future for young adults and for our City. In the years to come, we can offer hundreds of young people not just a roof over the heads, but a chance at stability, employment and post-secondary education."
— Project H.O.M.E. President

  1. Despite studies showing how addicting its products can be, Apple isn't going to regulate itself — so the government needs to conduct independent research, writes the Inquirer Editorial Board.

  2. New District Attorney Larry Krasner can do four vital and transformational things for Philly in his first year, write Rick Krajewski, an organizer with Reclaim Philadelphia, and Erika Almiron, executive director of Juntos.

What we’re reading

  1. Becoming a South Philly real estate agent helped Monica Wright get out of poverty, so now she's helping others do the same, writes Billy Penn. Talk about paying it forward!

  2. Despite federal budgets cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, the way one local organization is continuing the fight for environmental justice in Overbrook, as told by PlanPhilly, is inspiring.

  3. For those inspired to take action in their own neighborhoods, Curbed Philly put together a handy guide to getting involved and volunteering in the city.

  4. Hooked on Facebook? You might want to know about news feed changes headed your way and how they affected Facebook's "guinea pig" countries, via the New York Times.

  5. The Golden Globes won't be Hollywood's only big #MeToo moment this year if this Atlantic report on gender inequality in the business is any indication. The differences are stark behind the camera, too.