Health costs consumer guide, mistrial for Merlino, GOP vows to sue over Pa. map | Morning Newsletter

Feb. 21--Good morning, neighbors. It is going to be another freakishly warm February day today, so enjoy the weather while it lasts. But before you soak up that winter warmth, dive into our new Philly Health Costs consumer guide, launching today. And don't miss updates on the new Pennsylvania congressional map or the verdict in "Skinny Joey" Merlino's trial.

If you like what you're reading, tell your friends it's free to sign up for this newsletter here.

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

Philly Health Costs consumer guide aims to lift the veil on health care prices

The Philadelphia Inquirer and 6ABC Action News are teaming up with ClearHealthCosts, a health cost transparency company, to report on and collect prices of common health care procedures with you, the members of our community.

This new project, called Philly Health Costs, launches today alongside Philly Price Check, a new consumer guide for easily discovering costs of tests, treatments, and services. You can help, too, by anonymously contributing prices or sharing your health care story.

But that's not all; we're kicking things off with a slew of new reports on health care costs:

* One MRI is $1,000 more than another. That's just the start of Philly's health care pricing mysteries

* It's hard to get health-care prices in advance. These 10 questions can help

* Have a high deductible insurance plan? Knowing the cash prices could save you money

* How to appeal an insurance claim or medical bill

* How much does a colonoscopy cost?

* Find out what's in the ClearHealthCosts database

National Republicans vow to sue over new Pa. map

In a somewhat expected turn, state and federal Republicans are preparing at least two separate legal challenges in federal court to the new congressional map imposed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Monday. President Trump weighed in, too.

The map was declared an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander last month. The new map is likely to increase Democrats' chances of winning several key races in the state. Chester County's second-term congressman Ryan Costello took a political blow from the map and Democrats are jockeying over a new Montgomery County congressional seat.

Thanks to the new map, some South Philadelphians will find themselves joining Delaware County in the Fifth Congressional District. Are you one of them? Here's what you need to know about Delco.

Deadlocked jury means mistrial for reputed mob boss 'Skinny Joey' Merlino

A federal judge in Manhattan declared a mistrial Tuesday in the latest racketeering prosecution involving the reputed head of the Philadelphia mob. The case could have seen "Skinny Joe" Merlino sent back to jail for decades.

The three-week trial came nearly two years after federal authorities swept up Merlino in an East Coast dragnet of 46 purported mafiosi stretching from Springfield, Mass., to Boca Raton, Fla., where Merlino had set up shop since last leaving prison in 2011. Although 44 of his co-defendants pleaded guilty before trial, Merlino chose to take his chances.

What you need to know today

* A Snapchat video showing a high school student smiling while wearing blackface and another in which a girl says a racial slur have spread through Maple Shade High School, outraging parents and students.

* Students attending Pennsylvania's 14 state universities may see another tuition hike next year.

* Look out, ride-hailers: The Philadelphia Parking Authority wants to replace a tax on every taxi, Lyft, and Uber ride in the city with a 50-cent surcharge.

* A local student was benched from her public league basketball game Friday after being told she needed a waiver to wear her hijab on the court. Family, friends, and her principal were livid, wondering why the waiver rule even exists.

* Eleven DACA recipients are walking 250 miles from New York to D.C. to demand justice for Dreamers. They arrived in Philly yesterday where they rested and rallied at the Liberty Bell.

* Insurance giant Independence Blue Cross just announced it will make an opioid overdose reversal drug available to its subscribers for no charge.

* Sad news from the Philadelphia Zoo: beloved polar bear Coldilocks, the oldest in the country, has been euthanized following a serious decline in her health.

* Olympics Update: Lindsey Vonn earned a bronze medal in what was likely her final Olympic downhill run while U.S. men's hockey was defeated by the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals Wednesday. Here's Wednesday's TV schedule.

Through Your Eyes -- #OurPhilly

We want to see what our community looks like through your eyes. Show us the park that your family walks through every weekend with the dog, the block party in your neighborhood or the historic stretch you see every morning on your commute to work.

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

* Get ready to rock: for the first time since 2012, alt-rock legends Radiohead will perform for Philly fans for two nights this summer.

* Reading Terminal market celebrates its 125th birthday on Thursday, and they're celebrating all week long with events full of -- what else? --delicious food.

* Want to join one of the new ax-throwing leagues cropping up around town? Take some tips from the local experts who just won a national competition.

* If you grew up stepping quietly around a relative's cabinet of fine china, reporter Cassie Owens' personal essay on what the delicate collections mean to her mother and grandmother will ring all too true.

* What does it mean to live Brotherly Love instead of just using the words? Two Philadelphia recovery advocates say they have the answer.

* There are just 27 games left in the Sixers' season and, thanks to a favorable schedule, it looks like their playoff hopes are within reach. Trusting that process, folks.

* Looking to up your aerobic workout? These machines at the gym are best at burning fat (spoiler alert: not the treadmill).

* The NFL season just ended (for us winners, that is), but free agency is just around the corner, so our beat reporters are previewing the Eagles' offseason one position at a time. First up: what will it take to trade Nick Foles?

Opinions

"Allowing people to use certain illicit substances and not others is discrimination, and if city officials fail to include individuals who smoke crack in their plans for these sites, this response is as discriminatory as the height of the war on crack 30 years ago." -- Temple professor Jillian Bauer-Reese as well as harm reduction volunteer and advocate Sterling Keith Johnson write that Philly's safe injection sites need to be inclusive.

* In the national debate over guns, playing offense by grabbing or banning guns isn't as effective as playing defense, writes columnist Stu Bykofsky. Instead, he offers six ways to change gun laws that almost everyone can agree on.

* Local lawmakers are substituting social media for town halls, but with spam filters and blocking techniques it's no substitute for democracy, writes columnist Will Bunch.

What we're reading

* Ahead of the the Rail Park opening on the Reading Viaduct, Hidden City has taken a deep, deep dive into the history of the old Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad. Come for the history, stay for the pretty vintage illustrations.

* I love the series on Philly's African American businesses that Philadelphia Weekly has been publishing this month. Their latest is all about Stripp'd Juice in Old City and the owner who wants to make his customers healthy and happy.

* StateImpact Pennsylvania spoke with 93-year-old Albertine Anthony, one of 50 landowners being sued by PennEast to take some of their land via eminent domain. You'll want to hear her story.

* A group of teen survivors of last week's Parkland, Florida shooting have since banded together to fight gun violence, and Buzzfeed sat in on a recent organizing session. Their will power and organization in the face of tragedy is seriously impressive.

* Read before you watch: The U.S. Women's Hockey team is going for gold Thursday, but The Ringer writes that this team's legacy is already secure for changing the future of their sport.

Your Daily Dose of -- Insta-fame

A-lister and West Philly native Will Smith has been a box office bust lately, so he's taken his talents to Instagram where fans are eating up his inspirational videos.

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