Council members plan to oust Bobby Henon as majority leader; N.J. Democratic congressman to vote against Trump impeachment | Morning Newsletter
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A fight is brewing within City Council, as some members work out a plan to oust Bobby Henon as their majority leader. Henon, you may recall, is fighting federal corruption indictment involving John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty’s electricians union. Across the river, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a Democrat who was elected to Congress in a previously Republican district, is expected to break ranks and vote against impeaching President Donald Trump.
— Ray Boyd (@RayBoydDigital, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Council members have struck a deal in an attempt to oust Councilman Bobby Henon as majority leader while he fights a federal corruption indictment. Henon has pleaded not guilty in the case involving corruption in the Electricians union.
Council members Cherelle L. Parker and Curtis Jones Jr. have been challenging Henon for his post, but neither has been able to secure the eight votes needed to win. So Parker and Jones have agreed to an arrangement they hope will clear the way for Henon’s removal.
Henon said Thursday that his approach to the leadership race will not change.
It turns out President Donald Trump is not alone on the political hot seat of impeachment. New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew is feeling the heat as well.
Van Drew was one of just two House Democrats to vote against the impeachment inquiry into Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. A final House vote on articles of impeachment looms ahead of Christmas. So, what will he do this time?
For now, he’s vowing to vote no again. He argues that impeachment is tearing the country apart and voters should be the ones who decide Trump’s fate. Van Drew’s district is known for its conservative leanings, but the Atlantic County Democratic chairman is imploring Van Drew to think about the priorities of his party.
What you need to know today
City Council voted unanimously to make significant changes to Philadelphia’s 10-year tax abatement — a policy that has been loved and loathed — reducing the break for new residential construction.
New Jersey officials are investigating a Tuesday mass shooting as domestic terrorism fueled “by anti-Semitism and anti-law enforcement beliefs.”
Also in the Garden State, lawmakers are on the verge of giving thousands of people on probation and parole the right to vote. But advocates would like to see it go a step further.
Highway Patrolman Andy Chan helped to save lives during the 2015 Amtrak crash in Philadelphia. Now, he and his family need help as he endures the fight of his life, writes columnist Mike Newall.
A Pennsylvania family has filed a federal lawsuit against the state police and the Game Commission, accusing them of crushing and killing a man with a bulldozer over his marijuana plants.
When Pennsylvania lawmakers want to draft legislation related to drugs or addiction — or need to get one of their loved ones into treatment — they turn to a Harrisburg power player who is using her influence to shape the state’s response to the addiction epidemic.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
This photo absolutely reeled me in 🎣. Thanks for sharing, @datleib.
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That’s interesting
🤕 The Eagles’ season is not over yet. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for one injured wide receiver who will watch the remaining games from the sidelines.
⚖ Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a.k.a. Notorious RBG, will be in Philly next week to receive an honor from the National Museum of American Jewish History.
👩🍳 A Philly native who is no stranger to Bravo will compete on the next season of Top Chef All-Stars. Will her fourth time be the charm?
📖 Meet Philadelphia’s next poet laureate, Trapeta B. Mayson. The Liberia-born poet, teacher, and licensed social worker will serve in the role for 2020 and 2021.
🌲 Did you know that more than half of Pennsylvania is forested? And much of that land is privately owned. Now, a Penn State web series wants to help you keep your tract of woods healthy.
Opinions
“Rather than paying for repeated clean-up and security encircling a contested monument until it is moved, let’s invest in the already decided-upon next chapter for this statue, with help from the people who have helped make its removal possible. Until then, our historic city will be stuck in the past.” — Paul M. Farber, Monument Lab artistic director, on the delayed relocation of Philly’s Frank Rizzo statue.
City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart and Congressman Dwight Evans call for all Philadelphians to lean in and work together — the only way they see the city ending its gun crisis.
President Trump often conflates anti-Israel views with anti-Semitism, write Rowan University professors Jennifer Rich and Debbie Sharnak. They explain why his recent executive order will complicate rising anti-Semitism in America and around the world.
What we’re reading
Many of life’s memorable moments revolve around a kiss. But why do we kiss? Vox looks at the cultural and scientific reasons we love making out 😙, in the form of a comic.
Remember the rush you felt as a kid when right after the house phone rang, you’d hear your name called? The Atlantic examines how the loss of the landline has changed family life.
In naming their Athlete(s) of the Year, Time explains how veterans like New Jersey native Carli Lloyd led the way in the equal pay fight, allowing younger members of the U.S. women’s soccer team to focus on another mission: being the best in the world.
Your Daily Dose of | Harmony 🎶
Layoffs and despair struck many workers at U.S. Steel’s Fairless Works in Bucks County a generation ago. But as columnist Maria Panaritis writes, the Men of Harmony choir that was birthed there continues to thrive and sing this holiday season.