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Eagles suffer ugly loss in Dallas; meet Pa.’s Queen of Cannabis | Morning Newsletter

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Chris Visco, President and CEO of TerraVida Holistic Center, shown here in her office holding Copper Chem Marijuana Bud by Ilera Healthcare, at her office in Abington, Pennsylvania, November 28, 2018. Visco sells more cannabis than any other legal dealer in the state.
Chris Visco, President and CEO of TerraVida Holistic Center, shown here in her office holding Copper Chem Marijuana Bud by Ilera Healthcare, at her office in Abington, Pennsylvania, November 28, 2018. Visco sells more cannabis than any other legal dealer in the state.Read moreJESSICA GRIFFIN / 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

If the city seems a little down today, we know why: the Eagles suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Cowboys Sunday that may very well have ended their season. For fans who can handle it, we've got a look back at last night's game and how it fell apart. For those who can't, we've got something else that's green you could read about instead: Pennsylvania's marijuana industry, and the Queen of Cannabis who rules over it. Medical marijuana retailer Chris Visco has quite the interesting origin story to share.

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

"You've got to hate this feeling," coach Doug Pederson said after the Eagles lost in overtime to the Dallas Cowboys 29-23 Sunday, giving them a 6-7 record and dashing their hopes of winning the NFC East.

From beginning — what the Eagles think was a botched call on the first play of the game — to end — a Cowboys touchdown caught on a deflection by Eagles cornerback Rasul Douglas — it was an ugly game for the Birds.

Fans were not happy about a call that brought back an Eagles touchdown late in the game, either. At the end of the day, the Eagles defensive line didn't do enough and Carson Wentz wasn't good enough to pull out a win.

Chris Visco’s resume is varied, to say the least. She’s been a major buyer for a department store, taught serial killers how to make lamps, run several political campaigns, and operated a bakery.

Now she's the biggest legal weed dealer in Pennsylvania, thanks to her chain of cannabis dispensaries scattered across the Philly suburbs and her unorthodox route to the top of the industry.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in New Jersey are looking to pair legalizing weed for adult use with a remedy for past discriminatory marijuana arrests by erasing those criminal records.

From completing homework to finding jobs, so much of our lives now happen online. But in Philadelphia, new U.S. Census data has confirmed what many have long suspected: large sections of the city have minimal access to fast internet services at home.

In fact, the city has the second-lowest rate of broadband penetration among the nation's 25 largest cities, and Philly actually recorded a decline in internet access between 2016 and 2017.

Wealthier parts of Philadelphia fare more favorably, data shows, illuminating a stark digital divide.

What you need to know today

  1. Cities like Philadelphia are increasingly using data to operate more efficiently, but experts warn that computer-based decision-making isn't perfect and policymakers need to think critically about data.

  2. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that automatic life-without-parole terms for minors are illegal. Since Pennsylvania began resentencing its juvenile lifers in 2016, those who claim their innocence have been left behind.

  3. New Census data shows more commuters are biking to work in Philly and subway and Regional Rail ridership is up, but the bus system could use a boost.

  4. Philadelphia police and the FBI are investigating the theft of two nearly 8-foot-tall stained-glass windows from a historic North Philadelphia mansion built in the 1880s.

  5. Want to rent out your house? A case before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court could clarify for homeowners whether their single-family homes can be used for short-term rentals on sites like Airbnb.

  6. Philadelphia is looking to crack down on illegal lock-outs and negligent landlords, but the fact that close to 40,000 rental properties in the city are unlicensed has become a major obstacle to enforcement.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

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That’s Interesting

  1. As part of Made In Philly, a new series about millennials who are working to address community challenges, reporter Aneri Pattani spoke with the Philly women bringing sex education to black girls.

  2. Now that former Temple football coach Geoff Collins has left for Georgia Tech, sources say Greg Schiano, Butch Jones, and Alabama's Josh Gattis are interested in coming to Temple.

  3. Need host gifts to bring to all those holiday parties? Look no further than locally made treats from festive spirits and jams to classic Philadelphia snacks.

  4. During the MLB's Winter Meetings, which begin Monday and run through Thursday, the Phillies will be in the thick of the race for Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.

  5. Eagle-eyed Philadelphians might notice that some (but not all) city street signs feature a Liberty Bell icon. The reason for its appearance is simpler than you might expect.

  6. Sixers center Joel Embiid made comments last week about his displeasure with his recent performance and made it clear he has no problems with new teammate Jimmy Butler, but Butler says he can understand his frustrations.

Opinions

"But everything I've seen so far out of France is singing loudly that, yes, it's a small world, after all and that what's happening on the barricades is both a reflection of what's going on in much of the developed world and a screaming alarm for what could come next." Columnist Will Bunch on what the unrest in France could mean for America.
  1. Beyond their religious benefits and architectural beauty, Philly's historic sacred spaces can make the city stronger, write Robert Jaeger, of Partners for Sacred Places, and Beth Miller, of the Community Design Collaborative.

  2. Adrienne Gonzalez, the founder of GoFraudMe.com, collects stories of crowdfunding fraud and writes that there are ways to avoid a Johnny Bobbitt scenario when donating.

What we’re reading

  1. The Washington Post has released an important, must-read report on how often domestic violence leads to murder. Their study of major U.S. cities found half of the women murdered in the last decade were killed by an intimate partner.

  2. Was this the "year of the woman?" After the midterm elections, Politico found that one glass ceiling women still face in politics, working on political campaigns, is holding firm.

  3. For some Monday morning inspiration, look no further than Al Día's profile of Antonio Romero, the community schools coordinator at Kensington Health Sciences Academy, and his focus on student leadership.

  4. The story of one New Jersey couple that is helping their community by providing food and shelter services, as told by NJ.com, will put a smile on your face.

  5. The full GQ story on Philadelphia being the "City of the Year" is finally online, and it cites Eagle Malcolm Jenkins, rapper Meek Mill, District Attorney Larry Krasner, and chef Cristina Martínez.

Your Daily Dose of | Philadelphos

Many know Philadelphia as the City of Brotherly Love, but the adoption of the addendum “and Sisterly Affection” has a more obscure history in sex work and women’s rights.