People in Philadelphia came together Wednesday at City Hall to pray for the Eagles. They're hoping the team's success can inspire the city to solve some of its biggest problems. NBC10's Aundrea Cline-Thomas has the story.

A message for Eagles fans across our area traveling to Minneapolis: be careful when booking your stay accommodations! NBC10 Consumer Investigative reporter Harry Hairston has a warning for people heading to the big game.

This week's Wednesday's child is a teenager with a big heart and a love of sports. NBC10's Vai Sikahema introduces us to Zachary. Call 1-866-DO-ADOPT to adopt any Wednesday's Child.

A man is accused of murdering his mother with a hammer and living with her body in the East Falls apartment they shared for days.

Police conducted a well-being check for 49-year-old Tammie Blunt inside a unit of the Avenue at East Falls Apartment Complex on the 5400 block of Wissahickon Avenue Wednesday shortly after noon. Blunt's family members had told police they hadn't seen or heard from her in a few days.

When police arrived they found Blunt's body inside. Police say she died from stab wounds and blunt force trauma.

The woman's son, identified by police as 27-year-old Malachi White, was taken into custody. White allegedly admitted to killing his mother. Sources told NBC10 White got into an argument with his mother Sunday and then killed her around 1 p.m. Monday. Sources also said White lived with his mother's body still inside the apartment until his arrest.

Police say White has mental health issues and may have been off his medication. He does not have any prior arrests. He'll be charged with murder and other related offenses.

Police recovered a hammer and a kitchen knife from the apartment. They continue to investigate.

A “FRONT-LOADED” WINTER SO FAR
We’ve seen a lot of ups and downs during the first two months of “Meteorological Winter” (December & January). In my winter forecast, I had predicted that December would be the coldest and snowiest month of the winter compared to normal. As it turned out, the last week of December and the first week of January were not only cold. That period was also one of the coldest such periods on record.

Since the brutal cold overlapped two months, neither one will look especially cold in the future. December only ended up about 1.4 degrees below normal. And January has only been less than 2 degrees below normal, with an unseasonably mild week coming to end the month. We call early cold and snow, followed by mild weather as a “front-loaded” winter. The big questions are the following. Will the severe winter weather return in February and/or March? Will there be a consistently severe pattern during that time?”

SIGNS OF PATTERN CHANGE
There are many things we look at to try to predict general weather patterns a month or more ahead of time (no one can make specific day-to-day forecasts with any accuracy beyond a couple of weeks). These indicators include what is going on in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Arctic, Siberia and Eurasia on the other side of the world, and even in the stratosphere (the layer above the one we usually talk about, where the “weather” happens). There are many acronyms, such as ENSO, NAO, AO, PNA, EPO, MJO, and more that we look at. I’ll try to simplify it a bit.

The most significant things this winter seems to have been the PNA, EPO, and MJO. We have talked a lot about the AO (Arctic Oscillation) and NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) in previous winters, but neither has been a significant factor so far this winter.

On the other hand, the PNA (Pacific-North American Oscillation), combined with the EPO (East Pacific Oscillation), and the MJO (Madden-Julian Oscillation) were directly related to our super-cold two week blast. You can get the details and see the maps on other “weather weenie” sites.

THE MJO (MADDEN-JULIAN OSCILLATION)
There are a few good sites that explain the MJO, and you’re free to Google them, but you are hereby warned: this is really complicated and scientific stuff.

Here’s the bottom line: the MJO goes through phases 1-8, and they tend to relate to weather patterns around the world. The U.S. effects are below:
 
[[471000653, C]]

It is no surprise that the MJO was in the colder phases 8, 1, and 2 during our extreme cold spell in late December/early January. We have been in the warmer phases 4 and 5 recently. So, we’re heading toward another round of cold. But how cold? We look at other indices for that.

THE PNA (PACIFIC-NORTH AMERICAN OSCILLATION)
This is a blocking pattern that is very important in setting up Arctic air invasions deep into the U.S. Here is a map showing average January temperatures when the PNA is considered “POSITIVE”:

[[471000673, C]]

Notice the extreme warmth compared to normal in Alaska and Western Canada. And now look at the actual map of temperatures compared to normal for our “super-cold” two week period:

[[471000813, C]]

That’s a pretty close correlation. It makes you want to look for forecasts of a +PNA.

THE EPO (EAST PACIFIC OSCILLATION)
The EPO was a significant driving force during the super-cold blast that ended around January 7th. It’s crucial to see how it will change during the rest of winter.

While a +PNA favors cold around here, a +EPO favors the opposite:

[[471000883, C]]

The +EPO favors warm air in Canada and much of the U.S., and colder than normal air in Alaska. So a –EPO would favor the opposite.

THE FORECASTS
I’ve talked about the European model many times-it’s the proven best in the world overall. And using “ensembles” of the European (running the model 51 times under slightly different conditions) is even better for longer range forecasting. I call it “The Best of the Best”. Here is what the BOB shows:

EPO

[[471001003, C]]

(Charts courtesy of weathermodels.com and Ryan Maue)

The EPO clearly goes negative in early February, and if the model is right, it stays negative even into March! The green line is the average, and the gray areas represent reasonable possibilities. So, there’s no guarantee of a –EPO, but it sure looks likely.

THE PNA

[[471001103, C]]

The same model as above, only with a different oscillation. This time, the PNA is predicted to be near neutral for the first half of February, and then it gets more positive. The gray shows a close call until Feb. 16th.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Between the coming phase of the MJO and the clearly –EPO, it sure makes sense to predict a return to significant cold in February-possibly lasting into March. But the PNA is borderline, and that is what makes it far from a sure bet. Plus it’s still not clear just HOW COLD it will get around here.

We’re not talking about a couple of bitter cold days here. If the PNA goes positive, it could be a sustained cold pattern moving in. Stay tuned.

Former Phillies slugger Jim Thome has been elected to the 2018 Baseball Hall of Fame. The MLB Network made the announcement on Twitter Wednesday. Thome joined Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman in the Class of 2018.

Thome played 22 seasons in the MLB from 1991 to 2012 and hit 612 home runs, putting him eighth on the career list. The five-time All-Star played for six different teams, including the Phillies from 2003 to 2005 and again in 2012.

“I couldn’t be happier for Jim, who is like a son to me," said Phillies senior advisor and former manager Charlie Manuel. "This is totally deserving and, for me, ranks up there with anything I’ve ever seen happen in the game of baseball.  For someone that I met as a 19-year-old and saw improve as much as anyone over time, it makes me smile to think that all that hard work, all those swings in the batting cage, is now paying off for him.  I started thinking this was possible after he hit his 500th home run and for the day to finally be here, it’s like winning the World Series all over again.”

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

Police are investigating a shooting in Center City.

A man was near the Wendy's Restaurant on 16th and Chestnut streets Wednesday night when a gunman opened fire.

The man was taken to the hospital. Police have not released his condition but don't believe his injuries are life-threatening.

No arrests have been made. Police continue to investigate.

Philadelphia’s newly minted district attorney is already fulfilling one of his more controversial campaign promises.

On Thursday, Larry Krasner will announce the creation of a new position within his office that will focus exclusively on protecting immigrants' rights.

“So often the consequences of being charged for crimes is deportation,” Krasner spokesman Ben Waxman said. “We want to make sure the assistant DAs are aware of those consequences and factor it into their thinking.”

In other words, Krasner’s appointee would be in charge of ensuring that a foreign national would not be deported over, say, a traffic violation.

“No one thinks that would be appropriate,” Waxman said.

The position is modeled after a similar effort pioneered by Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.

In April, Gonzalez’s office hired two immigration attorneys to train all staff on immigration issues and advise prosecutors when making plea offers and sentencing recommendations.

“Now, more than ever, we must ensure that a conviction, especially for a minor offense, does not lead to unintended and severe consequences like deportation, which can be unfair, tear families apart and destabilize our communities and businesses,” Gonzalez said at the time.

In a New York Times interview, Gonzalez, a longtime veteran of the New York criminal justice system, said targeting immigrants for deportation only weakens law enforcement’s ability to work with those communities. Witnesses and victims are less likely to come forward when a crime is committed, he said.

Gonzalez’s statement seemed to echo - in sentiment - Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s own defense of the city’s “welcoming" status. He has repeatedly called for city employees, especially police, to not question a person’s citizenship, but insists on not using the term "sanctuary city."

Spearheaded by Kenney and City Solicitor Sozi Pedro Tulante, Philadelphia filed a lawsuit last year against U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions after he imposed new restrictions on federal grant money for sanctuary cities. 

The  Department of Justice called the lawsuit "a disservice" to Philadelphia by "protecting criminal aliens rather than law-abiding citizens."

Several months later, United States District Court Judge Michael M. Baylson granted a preliminary injunction against the DOJ. But Sessions filed an appeal earlier this week, setting the stage for a continued fight over sanctuary cities.

The five-piece chicken tenders menu item at Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen fast food restaurant has 3,035 milligrams of sodium.

That doesn't include a side item. (Take the macaroni and cheese, for instance, which has 2,995 milligrams of sodium.)

Those tenders (and that mac-and-cheese) would have to be labeled through proposed legislation expected to be introduced Thursday by Philadelphia Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown.

The bill would require all eating establishments in the city to label any menu items containing 2,300 milligrams or more of sodium. The rule would add to a list of health-conscious laws in Philadelphia that proponents say promote well-being and critics describe as overbearing.

The city several years ago passed a menu labeling requirement for any restaurant chain with 15 or more locations. And a much-debated sugary-drink tax signed into law in 2016 remains on the books, but is still being contested by soda distributors. The state Supreme Court has not yet decided whether to hear an appeal by the distributors.

"It is imperative that we work with the City of Philadelphia to secure additional protection measures designed to further protect and improve the health of children, families and our communities," Reynolds Brown said.
"We cannot assume that consumers know the nutritional content of food before they eat. This legislative measure is another opportunity to educate promote smart food choices and educate our communities about what they are consuming."

Mayor Jim Kenney said he supports the bill.

"People can't make good choices without information," Kenney said in a statement. "A sodium warning label gives people information they need to help keep themselves healthy."

Reynolds Brown is expected to introduce the bill at a City Council hearing Thursday morning.

An Eagles fan teaching in South Korea got a little help from a few friends as they joined him in the Eagles Fight Song Challenge!

A popular gym in Philadelphia's 'Gayborhood' is closing its doors for good at the end of the month.

The 12th Street Gym announced Wednesday they will officially close on January 31 at 11 p.m. They did not give a reason for the closure only writing, “over the past year, we have been forced to evaluate the future of 12th Street Gym.”

A recent Philly.com report stated the gym was considering closing due to costly repairs they had to make after the Department of Licenses and Inspections found at least a dozen code violations in the gym's building back in 2016. The future of the building, which features a mural of LGBT activist Gloria Casarez, remains uncertain.

The gym, which has been around for more than three decades, featured thousands of members. It was a sponsor for Philly's PrideDay as well as OutFest.

The gym announced that the balance of their pre-paid memberships will be honored at no additional cost by Philadelphia Sports Clubs at the following three locations:

• 1735 Market Street, 215.564.5353 (6 blocks, 0.5 miles from 12th Street Gym)

• 220-250 South 5th Street, 215.592.8900 (7 blocks, 0.6 miles from 12th Street Gym)

• 2000 Hamilton Street, 215.568.9555 (14 blocks, 1.1 miles from 12th Street Gym)

Eagles fans have always had a reputation of being rude, nasty and out of control. Three fans are disputing that image however in a viral video in which they hug Vikings fans. NBC10's Aaron Baskerville spoke to the three women.

Going to Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis? You will want to arrive hungry. Check out some of the delicious items on the menu at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Let's HEAR those Eagles fly!

Throughout the playoffs we've been wowed by your renditions of the Philadelphia Eagles fight song. Individuals, groups, bands, choirs and more have entered their version!

Some of you have used creative instruments or arrangements. And we're now looking for groups of people — the bigger, the better.

Here's the Fight Song Challenge with the Eagles headed to Super Bowl LII:

• The performance with the most people
• The most creative take on the tune
• The version with the most unusual instruments

We may showcase your entry on NBC10, the official television station of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Dust off the kazoo, didgeridoo or the electric guitar, grab your friends and submit your entry on this page.

Or post it to Twitter or Instagram, by tagging @nbcphiladelphia and using the hashtag #FlyEaglesFly.

Fly, Eagles fly!

On the road to victory.

Fight, Eagles fight!

Score a touchdown 1-2-3.

Hit 'em low,

Hit 'em high,

And watch our Eagles fly ...

Fly, Eagles Fly

On the road to victory!

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!

NBC10 News morning anchors Vai Sikahema and Tracy Davidson got in on the Super Bowl hype at the "Today Show" as they sat down with hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.

The recent surge in flu cases has forced Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest to open up a "surge tent" to accommodate everyone.

NBC10's Vai Sikahema speaks with former heavyweight champion of the world, Evander Holyfield, about his newest venture that is bringing "Real Deal" boxing to Philadelphia. 

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner could not have known that defending protestors arrested during the 2000 Republican National Convention would lead, nearly 18 years later, to the creation of a groundbreaking position within his office.

Yet Krasner, just weeks into his new role, stood next to one of those people Thursday morning as he introduced Caleb U. Arnold, the city’s inaugural immigration counsel.

The position, based on a similar role already in place in Brooklyn, will work as a liaison between immigrant communities and the criminal justice system. Arnold, who uses the pronouns “they” and “them,” will advise prosecutors on minimizing the impact of criminal convictions on their immigration status, especially for low-level offenders.

“Together, we will ensure that all people are treated fairly by the justice system regardless of their immigration status,” Krasner said. “This is also part of our overall effort to protect the most vulnerable and ensure they are able participate as witnesses or complainants in the criminal justice system.”

Arnold has more than 10 years experience litigating and representing immigration cases. But like so many of Krasner’s previous clients, they started as an activist first in their native Colorado and more recently in Philadelphia and New York.

The West Philadelphia resident first met Krasner as a young law student. Arnold, in town for the RNC, was arrested for protesting the death penalty outside the RNC. Krasner represented them, and several hundred others, in court. But he was impressed with Arnold’s passion and with their shared ideals, he told NBC10.

“I got to know Caleb both in their capacity as a defendant who won their case, but also in Caleb’s capacity as someone who was helping get others together,” he said.

Arnold will focus on ensuring that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials do not use the courts as a “trap” to find and deport undocumented immigrants during criminal proceedings. This will include helping prosecutors secure visas for people who are cooperating with ongoing investigations.

“It is not fair to punish someone based on their immigration status,” Arnold said. “When people can come forward, we are more effective.”

Both Krasner and Arnold said their office’s protection will extend to people accused of low-level and non-violent crimes. The idea is to encourage a better relationship between law enforcement and immigrant communities by encouraging victims of crime to speak out and by not marginalizing already shunned residents.

Arnold’s appointment signals a new phase in Philadelphia’s ongoing battle with the White House. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has been vocal against President Donald Trump’s position on immigration. On Wednesday, Kenney tweeted that he had “no interest in going to the White House when the resident welcomes white supremacists and vilifies immigrants.”

Similarly, Krasner called Trump’s policies “misguided.”

“We are talking about having a criminal justice system that functions,” Krasner said. “Nothing we’re doing here makes it impossible for the feds to do what they need to do.”

Citizens Bank joins NBC10 & Telemundo62 is awarding Philadelphia's Village of Arts and Humanities with its latest Champions in Action honor. NBc10's Rosemary Connors reports.

Remember the cute little robot that met its untimely end in Philadelphia several summers ago?

Hitch Bot traveled across Europe and Canada only to be beheaded in Old City one hot August day.

Now, the Preston & Steve Show on WMMR is resurrecting that concept and adapting it to celebrate the Eagles' road to victory.

Meet Bird Bot.

It's made from a large paint can, Eagle head, football helmet, claws and wings. It relies on Eagles fan to pass it from location to location in Philadelphia all the way to the Super Bowl.

Bird Bot's journey started Thursday morning in Bala Cynwyd. From there, an Eagles fan took it to the Narberth Animal Hospital with plans to pass to a new person in East Falls. 

The idea is to pass the bot from human to human all the way to Minneapolis by Super Bowl weekend.

Think it can't be done?

Follow Bird Bot online using the hashtag #birdbotphilly or check out its Facebook page. And remember, it can only make it to Minnesota if people are nice to it.