The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is the day now that's become known as Giving Tuesday -- a movement to fuel charitable giving during the holiday season. Before you donate though, make sure the charity checks out. Here are some links to help with your research.
UPenn's Center for High Impact Philanthropy — This collaborative nonprofit helps philanthropists boasts of helping philanthropists make the biggest different possible when they invest or donate. The center offers investment in a wide range of causes.
Charity Navigator — Search this database to see if your charity shows up. Founded in 2001, Charity Navigator analyzes nonprofit financial documents and rates charities on a numbers-based system they say is unbiased and objective.
Charity Navigator Holiday Giving Guide — Top 10 List of highest and lowest-rated charities by cause and a 5-step checklist for giving to charities.
Internal Revenue Service: Charities & Non-Profits — Tax information for charities and other nonprofits that includes how to apply for tax exempt status, annual reporting and filing, how to stay exempt, educational resources and guidelines as well as other related links.
FTC's Consumer Information on Charity Scams — This is the Federal Trade Commission's guide for what you need to know if you’re thinking about giving to a charity. The information pulled together on this page includes tips that should help you avoid becoming the victim of a charity scam. It also highlights some of the most frequently used scams people fall for.
On any given night, tens of thousands of teens and young adults across America -- hundreds in the Philadelphia area -- don't know where they'll rest their heads.
NBC10 Digital reporters Vince Lattanzio and Morgan Zalot spent two months embedding themselves on the streets of Philadelphia and in Covenant House Pennsylvania, the city's only crisis shelter that specially serves homeless youth ages 18 to 21, to tell the stories of kids in our area who have been homeless, and those who still are.
On Tuesday at 7 p.m., tune in to the Faces of Homeless Youth on NBC10 to meet some of the remarkable young people who opened up to share their stories of survival. The half-hour special report will show you the world through the eyes of young people who have fought their way out of homelessness and others who are still struggling to find a place to call home.
Barron Alexander, the son of convicted Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, was sentenced Monday for burglarizing a college student's home last year.
Alexander, who changed his last name from Gosnell following his father's arrest, received 11 ½ to 23 months in prison as well as eight years probation. Alexander had pleaded guilty to burglary, aggravated assault and other related offenses.
On June 4, 2014, Alexander broke into a rowhome along the 3700 block of Brandywine Avenue in the Mantua section of the city.
Police say he went into the house three times to steal cash and electronics. The last time he entered the home, police say one of the three college students living there woke up.
One of the students got into a struggle with Alexander as another opened fire on him. Alexander was hit multiple times. Alexander received treatment at the hospital before his arrest.
A power outage at a local grocery store led to thousands of dollars' worth of food for the needy in our area only a few days after Thanksgiving.
The power outage occurred Monday around 4:15 a.m. at Weavers Way, a cooperative grocery store on the 8400 block of Germantown Avenue in Northwest Philadelphia. Workers then spent the day moving the store’s perishable items into storage units and a warehouse in Nicetown. They also donated frozen food and other products to local food pantries.
“We immediately got on the phone with our friends at Philabundance and they got on the phone with their friends who have food pantries,” said Weavers Way General Manager Joe Roesser. “Basically, a dozen people dropped everything to come over here and get what we had before it went bad.”
The food and products were sent to several organizations and churches, including Face to Face Germantown, Food Cupboard (Loaves and Fishes) at Jenkintown United Methodist Church, and 2 Fish 5 Loaves Food Ministry at Upper Room Missionary Baptist Church in West Oak Lane. In a press release, Roesser estimated the store donated $6,000 to $7,000 worth of food to the organizations.
READ Glenn's Long-Range Winter Forecast HERE
2ND WARMEST NOVEMBER
It’s the 2nd warmest November on record in Philadelphia. The month has been 5-6 degrees above “normal," which was only beaten in 1931. Highlights of the month:
(My forecast was right on target-see below).
(From Nov. 3) THE NOVEMBER OUTLOOK
The overall outlook is WARM and DRY. I expect temperatures to average 4 to 6 degrees above “normal” (or long-term average). As for precipitation, let’s say ½ to 1 inch below normal. And, oh yes, no measurable snow.
And it’s not just around here. Look at the most recent map of temperatures compared to normal across the U.S. (the bottom map):
As extreme as it’s been in the Northeast U.S., with 4-6 degrees above normal, it’s been even more extreme in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, with temperatures more than 8 degrees above normal. That is the same as if EVERY day of the month had temps 8+ degrees above normal! And the warmth covered the entire eastern half of the U.S. Only seven western states were cooler than normal.
AND NOW FOR DECEMBER…..
The overall pattern shows no sign of changing for the next couple of weeks, at least. Let’s go out a week to December 7th, and predicted temperature anomalies (compared to normal):
The relative warmth across the northern U.S. continues, and the anomalies are highest in Southern Canada. That area has to cool down a LOT before any serious cold can invade our area. And that means air coming down from Central or Northern Canada. How can that happen? It would take a “Blocking Pattern” such as a negative AO (Arctic Oscillation) or NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation), as discussed last month.
For that, we look way above the surface. The map below is for 18,000 feet up for Dec. 7th. There is no evidence of any kind of blocking pattern developing. That high up, winds blow parallel to the lines, so we can trace back from Phialdelphia to see where our air is coming from. Just as we saw earlier in November, it’s coming from the Central Pacific. No Arctic (or even Canadian) air comes in from that direction
The blue colors represent below average pressures, and the reddish colors are the opposite. To get a blocking pattern, we’re looking for some red colors on top of the blue, and there’s nothing close to that. It means a strong westerly jet stream racing across the Pacific, flooding most of the U.S. with unseasonably mild air. That’s for at least the first half of December overall. We’ll keep checking to see if any of those blocking patterns show any sign of developing……
Jenae Brown anticipated the moment for days, wondering what it would be like when daughter Ava Mae would actually hear her mother's voice.
The moment came Monday morning when Brown called out her daughter's name, knowing the 2-year-old would be able to hear again with the help of cochlear implants.
When the electronic device was turned on and Jenae called, "Ava," the moment wasn't as dramatic as Jenae expected, but she knows it will be life-changing for her little girl.
"It's a lot, because I'm a singer so just to know that she'll be able to hear is amazing, just amazing," Jenae said.
Ava, who just turned two on the 18th, was born with a slight ability to hear but suffered profound hearing loss before she was a year old. She recently had surgery for implants in both ears through the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Cochlear Implant Program. The implant is an electronic device that bypasses the damaged organ and directly stimulates the auditory nerve.
"I gave her the life that she deserves. The disability, you know that's what she was born with, but it's not what she has to live with for the rest of her life. So I gave her the second chance to be able to hear, so that she could be into the community of hearing impairment," Jenae said.
Ava, who has already been working to learn sign language, will begin working next week with a speech therapist so she can learn to talk.
Two firefighters and one civilian were injured in a garage fire in the Olney section of the city Monday night.
The fire started at a garage on the 100 block of Wellens Avenue shortly before 8 p.m. Firefighters were eventually able to bring the flames under control around 8:20 p.m.
A civilian as well as two firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the blaze. The civilian was taken to Temple University Hospital while the firefighters were taken to Einstein. All three are in stable condition.
A lot of pro football was played on Thanksgiving, but last week's biggest win was earned a day earlier by the 5-year-old daughter of former NFL player Devon Still, according to "TODAY."
Doctors found "no evidence of disease" in Leah Still almost a year and a half after she was diagnosed with cancer, the 26-year-old former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle announced Wednesday on Instagram.
"Thanks for all the support and prayers!" reads the caption accompanying an image of the words "Thank you," in cursive. "Just got the phone call that her scans showed NED (no evidence of disease)!"
Since June 2014, when doctors diagnosed Leah with Stage-4 neuroblastoma and gave her a 50/50 chance to survive, it's been a roller-coaster of emotions for everyone involved.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ winless season has been a source of pain for their fans and amusement for everyone else, including late night talk show hosts.
The Tonight Show’s Jimmy Fallon poked fun at the Sixers and their 0 and 18 record during Monday’s opening monologue. He even had his house band and popular Philly hip hop group the Roots join in on mocking their hometown team.
“The Sixers are so bad that the last time they won, Ben Franklin had courtside seats,” said Roots rapper Black Thought.
“The Sixers are so bad they’re now named after how many people are in the crowd,” drummer Questlove quipped.
After other Roots members shared their own one-liners, Fallon ended it with a joke of his own.
“The 76ers are so bad that Nike is sponsoring them to wear Adidas,” he said as the crowd laughed.
Funny? Corny? Sad? A mixture of all three? Check out the full roasting session above and judge for yourself.
A day after announcing his retirement, Kobe Bryant arrived in Philadelphia on the eve of his last NBA game in his hometown.
The legendary Laker stopped by Larry’s Steaks on N. 54th Street off City Ave Monday night to get a bite to eat. On Tuesday Bryant and the Lakers will face the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center.
Tuesday’s game will be a significant one for Bryant. It will be his final NBA game in his native Philadelphia. On Sunday the 37-year-old announced he would retire at the end of the 2015-16 season.
Bryant was born in Philadelphia and became a nationally-recognized star when he played for the Lower Merion High School Basketball team. He won one of his five NBA titles in Philadelphia in 2001 when the Lakers defeated the Sixers. He also won the 2002 All-Star Game MVP in Philly and was infamously booed by the crowd as he held up his trophy.
Despite his complicated relationship with Philly, his final game in the city of brotherly love has garnered plenty of excitement, especially from the young Sixers, composed of many players who grew up watching him play.
“I’m hearing it’s probably going to be sold out just because it’s Kobe’s last time playing in Philadelphia,” Sixers center Jahlil Okafor said Sunday. “That’ll be great. That’s somebody I grew up watching. He’s been around 20 seasons. That’s 20 years and I’m 19. That’s before I was even born. It’s kind of bittersweet hearing that he’s retiring. He’s one of the best all-time players, so I’m excited to play against him.”
Sixers coach Brett Brown spent the majority of Bryant’s career scheming of ways to stop him when he was working as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers, Brown said, were one of the teams he was in charge of scouting for the Spurs so he had an intimate look at Bryant’s game over the years.
“It’s an honor sort of to welcome him back to Philadelphia to begin with,” Brown said. “Kobe’s legend has lived in the city for many years and will continue to live. To play his first game back in Philly after his retirement [announcement] is a privilege for all of us.”
During a press conference, Bryant discussed his feelings towards playing his final game in Philly.
"It's gonna be beautiful," Bryant said. "So much of my game was developed in Philadelphia. Lower Merion High School with Coach Downer and playing in the Sonny Hill league with so many of the great coaches."
One man was killed while another is fighting for his life after a double shooting in Philadelphia Monday night.
The men were on the 2900 block of Frankford Avenue when an unidentified gunman opened fire. Both men were struck in the shooting. One victim, a 25-year-old man, died from his injuries. The second victim is in critical condition.
No arrests have been made. Police continue to investigate.
A man is in critical condition after he was shot inside a speakeasy in Philadelphia early Tuesday morning.
The shooting happened about 2:30 a.m. inside a property in the 6400 block of Glenmore Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia.
According to investigators, the incident began as an argument inside the speakeasy. During the argument, a 35-year-old man was shot in the chest.
He managed to walk out of the building before he collapsed on the ground. The man was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in critical condition.
So far, no arrests have been made.
A speakeasy is an establishment that is not allowed by law to sell alcohol.
The shooting remains under investigation.
