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Eagles advance in playoffs; Larry Krasner’s first year | Morning Newsletter

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Eagles wide receiver Golden Tate (19) celebrates as he runs off the field after a first-round playoff game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019. The Eagles won 16-15.
Eagles wide receiver Golden Tate (19) celebrates as he runs off the field after a first-round playoff game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019. The Eagles won 16-15.Read moreTIM TAI

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If any cuticles remain intact in Philadelphia after last night’s Eagles nail-biter, it will be a miracle. Thanks in part to a missed field goal, the Birds’ playoff dreams are still alive after a 16-15 win over the Chicago Bears. Boy, has it been one dramatic year for Eagles fans. Who else has had a dramatic year? Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, whose term thus far has been filled with staff turnover, fewer cases, and, yes, controversy. No one ever said Philly was boring.

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

Another magical late-season run for the Eagles continues after Nick Foles led a game-winning drive and Chicago Bears kicker (and former Eagle) Cody Parkey missed a potential game-winning field goal Sunday night.

After two interceptions, Foles rebounded in the second half and Golden Tate came up in the clutch. Columnist Mike Sielski writes that the 16-15 victory shows off the Super Bowl champions' toughness.

Alas, there’s no easy road to a repeat. The Birds head to the Big Easy for Sunday’s NFC divisional playoff game against the Saints. Looking back on their rough loss to New Orleans earlier this season, coach Doug Pederson said Sunday, “I think we’re a different football team now.”

Larry Krasner has been Philadelphia’s District Attorney for one year now. So far, his tenure has been marked by a willingness to challenge even well-established conventions and he’s attracted national attention for his pledge to curb mass incarceration.

From public remarks to staffing to policy changes, Krasner has been busy trying to remake the culture of his agency. But his inaugural year has not been without its controversies.

His journey to the head of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce started more than 30 years ago, but Frank Pallone is now in one of the chamber’s most powerful positions.

The Democratic congressman from the North Jersey Shore laid out his agenda last week and it includes calling hearings on climate change and the Trump administration’s “sabotage” of the Affordable Care Act.

Just as he’s leading the charge, a wave of fresh faces in Congress could undercut his voice on the issues that have long driven him.

What you need to know today

  1. Local nominees were passed up for their Golden Globe Awards last night, but hosts Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh made for a very nice night, writes television critic Ellen Gray. There were plenty of very nice dresses and suits on the red carpet, too. 

  2. There’s no relief in sight for those who’ve struggled with long-term care insurance premium hikes. They’re rising again in Pennsylvania, by a lot

  3. It’s been two years since the first preschoolers started free pre-kingergarten classes with proceeds from Philadelphia’s soda tax. To date, over 4,000 3- and 4-year-olds have attended programs. 

  4. Video is quickly becoming as vulnerable to realistic-looking fakes as photos are, and “deepfake” porn videos are being weaponized to harass and humiliate women.

  5. If New Jersey legalizes recreational marijuana, don’t expect flashing ads on the highway or on Facebook. The Garden State’s regulation discussions are taking inspiration from ads for booze and cigarettes. 

  6. Feeling lucky? Parx casino in Bensalem is opening its sportsbook tomorrow, becoming the second retail operation in the Philly area. 

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

Great time for a throwback, @sophieheng.

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. If you’re not too excited to be starting another work week, you could check out the Monday and Tuesday bar specials around town to take the edge off. 

  2. Want to be a little more like award-winning musician and Philly native Questlove? You could eat popcorn like him, thanks to his new line of seasonings. 

  3. Congratulations if your New Year’s resolution remains intact a week later. New gym-goers should avoid these dangerous exercises and try out restorative ones for a fresh start. 

  4. The Philadelphia Orchestra has a new guest conductor with a name you might recognize: Bugs Bunny. The little ones are giving him good reviews.

  5. New Sixer Jimmy Butler has reportedly been “aggressively” challenging Coach Brett Brown about his role. Reporter Keith Pompey thinks he has a point.

  6. As the government shutdown continues, Independence Mall has become littered with, well, litter. So over the weekend a group of young Muslim men volunteered to clean it up.

Opinions

“This makes marijuana legalization above all a racial justice issue — meaning that any tax revenue from marijuana must be invested back in the communities of color that were harmed by prohibition.” — Staff writer Abraham Gutman on the taxation of legalized marijuana.

  1. A recent report on President Trump and his administration mimicking obscure foreign policy points linked directly to Vladimir Putin may show Trump’s Russia problem is far worse than we all thought, writes columnist Will Bunch.

  2. In 84 percent of Philadelphia’s homicides in 2017, the weapon of choice was a gun. This violence screams for a more aggressive strategy to curb the flow of guns in the city, writes the Inquirer Editorial Board.

What we’re reading

  1. This one’s just for fun: Billy Penn gathered up the most entertaining reviews Yelpers have left for Philly’s public agencies. 

  2. Why does it feel good to do good? Philadelphia Magazine had a local professor answer that very question.

  3. When the Spanish Flu pandemic came to New Jersey in 1918, it killed thousands. Only now has the unmarked burial site containing hundreds of their bodies been found, reports NJ.com.

  4. In a long, science-filled read, BuzzFeed News is calling Millennials “The Burnout Generation.” It’s worth a look.

  5. Harry Potter merchandise is suddenly everywhere — strange, considering a new Potter book hasn’t been published in 12 years. The Guardian has taken a magnifying glass to the phenomenon. 

A Daily Dose of | Tradition

Tony Martone has been cutting hair in his East Market barbershop since 1970. He may have lost his lease as the area spruces up, but at 75 he’s not hanging up his clippers yet.