After Glen Mills violence, legal center warns Pa. leaders; U.S. House approves Trump impeachment inquiry | Morning Newsletter
All the local news you need to know to start your day, delivered straight to your email.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Decades of violence at the Glen Mills Schools were brought to light in an Inquirer investigation. Now, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit hopes to convince state leaders to be more alert to the problems at similar institutions to which children are sent. Also, the U.S. House’s first vote related to the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump was taken Thursday and went mostly along party lines. One New Jersey Democrat went against his party.
Also, this week Josh Rosenblat has been asking for your feedback on this newsletter, and we truly appreciate your responses. Your thoughts will help us make The Inquirer Morning Newsletter the best it can be. Thanks 🙏🏾
— Ray Boyd (@RayBoyd, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The Juvenile Law Center, a national nonprofit, is suing Pennsylvania officials over decades of violence at the Glen Mills Schools, outlined in an Inquirer investigation in February. In addition to the lawsuit, the organization is attempting to persuade state leaders to stop sending children to juvenile programs like Glen Mills.
The Philadelphia-based nonprofit will release a report saying the state sends too many children to these facilities for minor, nonviolent offenses. The authors hope to influence Gov. Tom Wolf as he makes decisions about the future of these state-licensed facilities. Last month, a second Inquirer investigation showed how the state Department of Human Services failed to stop and detect abuses at Glen Mills and other facilities. This summer, Wolf announced he would overhaul DHS.
The U.S. House cast its first vote Thursday related to the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. The procedures for public hearings were approved, a sign of how much Democrats have united around the effort.
But not every Democrat was on board — including one New Jersey representative who voted against most of the members of his party. After the vote, Rep. Jeff Van Drew explained why he made that call.
With this vote, the stage has been set for evidence gathered by Congress to become public. Republicans have called the process heavy-handed and argue that no set of rules laid out now can make it fair.
Today marks the release of Inside Game — a film that resurrects a betting scandal that rocked the NBA 12 years ago. At the center of it was Tim Donaghy, a Havertown native and a former NBA official who was arrested for providing inside information to gambling buddies, sometimes on games he refereed.
“Every time I think it’s through,” Donaghy told my colleague Frank Fitzpatrick, “something else pops up and puts you back in the spotlight again. It’s an absolute embarrassment."
What you need to know today
Storms accompanied by high winds caused damage around the region overnight, including a possible tornado that touched down in Delaware County.
A quadruple homicide rocked the 5000 block of Walton Avenue this week. It marked the second quadruple homicide the West Philly neighborhood has seen in a year. The residents in the community are leaning on each other to cope with the loss.
Though Philadelphia has effectively decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana, the weed’s odor is one of the most common reasons officers give for searching vehicles. Critics are raising concerns over what they’re finding.
Philadelphia City Council voted unanimously on Thursday to expand protections for domestic workers across the city.
Tax returns released by his office show that New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and his wife, Tammy, made millions of dollars during his first year in office. But, it’s the smallest amount of money they had made in nearly a decade.
In a newly filed federal lawsuit, a former regional operations director of Philadelphia-area Starbucks stores claims she was fired because she’s white. She argues that the move was to make amends with the community after the wrongful arrest of two black men at a Philly store in 2018.
The NBA has issued suspensions for 76ers star Joel Embiid and the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns after their fight on Wednesday. The Sixers will start a West Coast swing without their big man in the middle.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
🍂 I couldn’t help but fall for this picture. Thanks for sharing, @gritadelphia.
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
The city celebrated Halloween in true Philly fashion Thursday. We came across costumes ranging from potholes to naloxone and spotted lanternflies, and so much more.
A Malvern-raised director will produce a series for HBO on Jeffrey Epstein with a little help from a former Daily News reporter.
A former manager is coming to Philadelphia to serve as new Phillies skipper Joe Girardi’s pitching coach.
Deadspin is going through a drastic transformation after its new hedge fund-owned parent company ordered staffers to stick to sports in a memo this week. At least a dozen employees, including a Temple alum and editor, have walked away.
A University of Pittsburgh study found a link between doctors who receive gifts and payments from opioid manufacturers and the amounts of opioid painkillers they prescribe.
Opinions
“Choice critics are correct to point out that our nation’s school systems favor the rich, privileged, and white. But laying the blame on school choice policies is sorely misguided, even disingenuous.” — Educator and activist Zach Wright on the impact of school choice.
Lin-Fan Wang, a family physician in the Philadelphia suburbs, explains why she believes Pennsylvania’s proposed abortion ban will prevent her from offering essential care to patients.
With Larry Krasner serving as district attorney, Philadelphia crime victims need protections like Marsy’s Law, writes former federal and state prosecutor George Parry.
What we’re reading
Director M. Night Shyamalan loves the Philadelphia-area, and that’s why he’s chosen to shoot most of his projects here. But he’s urging the state to make some changes so filmmakers with less clout can do the same, WHYY reports.
Paper towels are wiping the floor with napkins. In recent years, paper napkin sales have plummeted. Vox explains how the industry is trying to save itself.
Eater takes a look at the pervasive culture of harassment often unseen in restaurants, and examines how the next generation of line cooks sees the future of restaurant kitchens.
A Daily Dose of | Gritty Surprise
This week, Gritty delivered on a special birthday wish for a 4-year-old boy battling cancer at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — creating an amazing moment for his biggest fan.