Newsletter
Does Carson Wentz have a torn ACL?; FBI probes PPA; Strawberry Mansion residents fight gentrification
Newsletter for Monday, Dec 11 2017
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The Eagles won, but Carson Wentz is hurt and everything stinks
Carson Wentz tweeted after Sunday's win in Los Angeles, "NFC East Champs! So proud of the resiliency of this team. Such a special group of men. And I greatly appreciate all the prayers! I know my God is a powerful one with a perfect plan. Time to just lean in to him and trust whatever the circumstances!" Yes, the Eagles won the division, but they may have lost Wentz for the year. Speculation is he could have a torn ACL, but other reports say the team hasn't given up hope. He'll have an MRI today. Here's what happened.
How Strawberry Mansion residents are fighting gentrification
The "We Buy Houses" signs haven't taken over Strawberry Mansion telephone poles the way they have in Brewerytown, but they're popping up with increasing frequency. As Philly's building boom creeps into the neighborhood, homeowners are being tempted to cash out. Here's what community leaders are doing to help longtime residents deal with the coming gentrification.
Former Parking Authority employees say the FBI is investigating
That scathing report from the Pennsylvania auditor general might be the least of the Philadelphia Parking Authority's problems. Three former PPA employees say they've been contacted by federal investigators about a number of issues, including the authority's finances. A spokesman says the PPA hasn't been contacted and the FBI won't confirm anything. Get the details here.
One year of Philly's FMC Tower — do you know what the letters stand for?
The 49-story LEED certified FMC Tower was revealed last December as part of the Cira Center South Complex on the Schuylkill waterfront. It has commercial tenants, residences and an extended-stay hotel, complete with a lobby for each. It's also branded with those red FMC letters. So after one year of looking at them, do you know what they stand for? Get the details here, plus the history of the company's roots in Philly.
Featured Event
New documentary explores and exposes U.S. mass incarceration
In the United States there are more than two million people in prison who exist primarily out of sight. The Prison in Twelve Landscapes is a new film about the hidden geographies of the contemporary prison-industrial complex by Brett Story. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the director, Reentry Think Tank fellow Josh Glenn and scholar Toorjo (TJ) Ghose.
Where: Slought at 4017 Walnut St., 19104
When: December 12, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
How much: Free
Billy Penn Likes
This Eagles fan synced Christmas lights to the fight song
In lighter Eagles news, shout-out to these diehard Eagles fans in South Jersey who love the Birds so much and apparently have a lot of time on their hands. Their Christmas lights are synced to the fight song. E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!
Sorry, Philly's favorite holiday movie is NOT Elf
Are you a fan of clicky lists that put almost zero empirical research into their data collection? Well do we have one for you! A website called CableTV.com (hat tip 6ABC) took AMC's list of top 20 holiday movies and looked across the U.S.A. to track which of those films people from each state search for the most. Based on...Google... it seems “Elf” is our favorite holiday flick. False! Our favorite holiday classic is obviously “A Royal Christmas,” in which Lacey Chabert is an aspiring dressmaker from Philly who meets a prince and Jane Seymour is an evil queen and there's a whole scene where they're making hoagies! Here's our can't-miss review, which itself has become a holiday tradition.