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Are Pa. landfills making N.J. smell? Sixers make blockbuster trades | Morning Newsletter

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A sign sits outside the entrance to Waste Management's Fairless Landfill in Morrisville, PA on February 4, 2019. Residents in Bordentown City, N.J. have attributed a rotten egg odor to Waste Management's four landfills in lower Bucks County.
A sign sits outside the entrance to Waste Management's Fairless Landfill in Morrisville, PA on February 4, 2019. Residents in Bordentown City, N.J. have attributed a rotten egg odor to Waste Management's four landfills in lower Bucks County.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your neighbors. And in New Jersey’s case, some residents may be regretting that right about now. Apparently the smells of landfills in Bucks County are wafting across the Delaware to Bordentown. I think I can speak on behalf of all of Pennsylvania when I say, that’s gross and we’re really sorry, guys. In much less stinky news, the Sixers made some big trades while you were sleeping. We have all the details for you this morning.

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

Bordentown, N.J., is dealing with a stinky situation and they may have their neighbors across the Delaware River to blame.

A putrid, rotten egg-like stench has made the streets smell “like a garbage can in the middle of summer,” according to one resident.

The smell, they suspect, emanates from the four landfills in and around Falls Township in Bucks County.

President Trump made a call for unity in his State of the Union address last night. But he drew groans from the crowd as he switched from promoting the country’s economic gains to hinting he might declare a government emergency to build a border wall.

He nodded toward issues that could prompt cooperation with the Democratic House, but also provided a clear warning to the party over investigations into the president and his administration.

The Democratic response, delivered by former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, touched on everything from climate change to health care, with a special focus on voting rights.

Landry Shamet, Mike Muscala, and Wilson Chandler, we hardly knew ye. The Sixers have traded all three to the Los Angeles Clippers for Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, and Mike Scott, according to league sources.

The deal went down in the wee hours overnight. The Clippers will also receive a lottery-protected 2020 first-round pick, a 2021 unprotected first-round pick (via Miami), a 2021 second-round pick (via Detroit), and a 2023 second-round pick (via Detroit) in the deal.

And it’s just in time, too: the Sixers' loss to the Raptors last night made clear they needed to improve their roster.

What you need to know today

  1. Gov. Tom Wolf revealed his budget proposal Tuesday: $34.1 billion with more money for public schools, assistance for voting machine updates, and a raise of the minimum wage.

  2. Former Radnor Township Commissioners President Phil Ahr pleaded guilty on Tuesday to sending, receiving, and possessing thousands of images of child pornography. Ahr turned himself in on federal child porn charges a year ago.

  3. Bucks County socialite and Republican Party fund-raiser Claire Risoldi was found guilty Tuesday of a $20 million insurance fraud for conspiring to dupe insurers after three fires at her family’s New Hope estate.

  4. Thirty people were injured Tuesday in a crash involving an SUV, a paratransit van, and a SEPTA trolley in West Philadelphia. None of the injuries immediately appeared to be life-threatening.

  5. Since a new online reporting tool was introduced in July 2018, the City of Philadelphia has received 40 complaints of sexual harassment or misconduct within city government. So far, nine complaints were “substantiated” by city investigators.

  6. There’s a worldwide epidemic of excess weight and a new study has found that six obesity-related cancers are on the rise in young adults. 

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

Good thinking, @feff_jamiletti. 👍

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. Nick Foles is one step closer to not being an Eagle. The team officially informed him that they will pick up the $20 million option on his contract, which Foles said he’ll buy back for $2 million, making him eligible for free agency this offseason.

  2. Center City is getting yet another restaurant from Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook (known for Zahav, Federal Donuts, and more). This time it’s a bakery-bar named K’far.

  3. No matter the flavor or style, beer is mostly water. With that in mind, 11 Pennsylvania and New Jersey breweries are teaming up to protect the Delaware River Watershed on which they rely. Cheers to that.

  4. If you’re reading this bleary-eyed and resentful that you must start the day so early, blame your genes — they could be related to whether you’re a morning person or not. 

  5. Some big changes are coming to the Philadelphia History Museum. It’s in talks to move its massive collection to Drexel University as its museum building closes.

  6. Looks like Giant’s first urban-format grocery in Philly was a success: the company’s about to open three more Heirloom stores in University City, Northern Liberties, and Queen Village.

Opinions

“The only thing that’s as predictable as a political corruption scandal in Philadelphia ... is what follows: the Jacob Marley-like wailing from the accused pols’ peers, who warn that the city is going to be worse off in the long run if prosecutors succeed in getting a conviction.” — Reporter David Gambacorta on why Johnny Doc’s indictment should signal the end of Philly’s kingmaker myth.

  1. The future of the former St. Laurentius Church building is a hot topic among Fishtown residents. St. Laurentius School parents Matthew Kobialka and Garden Wellington Logan write that the only way to save it is to develop it. 

  2. Despite expectations that his speech would strike a conciliatory tone, President Trump couldn’t resist bashing immigrants and “ridiculous partisan investigations” in his State of the Union address, writes columnist Will Bunch.

What we’re reading

  1. An inside look at the innovative lactation program inside Philadelphia prisons keeping mothers connected to their newborns, told by Next City, is downright moving.

  2. Another story told from behind bars comes from NJ.com. They’ve shone a spotlight on a program for jailed teens that prepares them for careers in crafting eyeglasses.

  3. BuzzFeed News has published a series of documents related to how the Trump Organization worked to build a tower in Moscow as Donald Trump publicly praised Putin. It’s worth your time this morning.

  4. The weather might not be quite right today, but when the sun comes back you can trek to Curbed Philly’s 11 favorite places to snag a great Instagram.

  5. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so Entertainment Weekly is revealing the untold stories behind your favorite rom-coms. They kicked things off with the stories of Bridesmaids and Crazy, Stupid, Love.

A Daily Dose of | Joy

Netflix may have a hit in Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, but you don’t need to be on reality TV to de-clutter. You could get tips from a local professional organizer instead.