Philadelphia Inquirer

It’s Friday, January 25th. The Senate voted against two bills to reopen the federal government as the partial shutdown enters Day 35. Both a Republican-backed proposal and a measure supported by Democrats didn’t get the 60 votes needed to pass. The failed attempts to find a resolution come as 800,000 federal workers miss another paycheck.

It’s Thursday, January 24th. Thieves and forgers are stealing homes ... from the dead. Philly neighborhoods are gentrifying, causing home values to skyrocket. City records show that a number of people who are no longer alive are somehow signing away their properties. An Inquirer investigation shows that several of these suspicious transactions placed homes in the hands of a man who was able to complete some deals while in jail. But these are not isolated incidents.

It’s Wednesday, January 23rd. Temple and Penn universities’ dental schools want to help furloughed federal employees smile. Both are offering free dental care to government workers impacted by the shutdown. Workers who do not have dental insurance are welcome. The dean of Temple’s dental school says the institution feels obligated to help out as the shutdown continues to affect hundreds of thousands of workers who are either out of work or working without pay.

It’s Tuesday, January 22nd. Philadelphia city officials are stopping the sale of vacant public lots to prevent developers from continuing to exploit loopholes in the system at taxpayers’ expense. The move comes after a series of recent bad press which exposed developers reaping inappropriate windfalls.

It’s Monday, January 21st. The government shutdown has led to the cancelation of the annual National Bell Ceremony in honor of Martin Luther King at the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, an anonymous donor has paid 500-thousand-dollars to cover costs of short-term no-interest loans to federal workers who haven't been paid. Negotiations to end the shutdown have stalled following President Trump’s attempt to broker a deal with Democrats Saturday.

It’s Friday, January 18th. Jurors in Philadelphia found former Temple University student Joshua Hupperterz [HUPP-ER-TURZ] guilty in the murder of Jenna Burleigh, another Temple student. The jury deliberated for about 1 hour and 20 minutes before returning its verdict. Prosecutors argued that DNA evidence pointed directly to a violent struggle between Hupperterz and Burleigh in his North Philadelphia apartment two years ago. He will face a sentence of life in prison.

It’s Thursday, January 17th. John Bogle, the man who launched the mutual fund company Vanguard, died Wednesday. He was 89. Bogle revolutionized the way Americans save for the future. He championed the interests of small investors, and railed against corporate greed and the excesses of Wall Street. His Malvern-based company pioneered low-cost, low-fee investing and mutual funds tied to stock-market indexes. These innovations helped millions buy homes, pay for college, and retire comfortably.

It’s Wednesday, January 16th. Governor Tom Wolf took the oath of office Tuesday for his second term as Pennsylvania’s governor. In his speech outside the state Capitol, Wolf talked about the state’s ability to rise above divides to fix problems together, while embracing tolerance and diversity. He promised to continue his focus on school funding, creating job opportunities, and working toward criminal justice reform. Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman was also sworn in.

It’s Tuesday, January 15th. Philly’s Roosevelt Boulevard had one of its deadliest years in 2018. But a safety fix may not come until the fall. The 12-lane road was the scene of 21 fatal crashes last year - more than twice as much as 2017. The Pennsylvania legislature approved speed cameras to increase safety. But putting the cameras in requires City Council approval and officials are still working out details about how they’ll be used.

It’s Monday, January 14th. What’s next for Nick Foles? That’s the question on the minds of Eagles fans after the team’s playoff run came to an end with a 20-14 defeat in New Orleans Sunday. The Eagles got off to a hot start but a late interception sealed their fate. The Birds will head into the offseason with a number of question marks, including what to do with Foles and injured quarterback Carson Wentz. It's likely that Foles has played his last game with the Eagles.