Discarded | Morning Newsletter
And the Amtrak conductor on trial
The Morning Newsletter
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It’s a sunny Monday with temperatures expected in the high 50s. This is the beginning of a few warmer days in another wild week of weather ahead.
Today we look at possible proof of the city unjustly discarding the possessions of people experiencing homelessness.
And a jury will decide the culpability of the Amtrak conductor who was at the helm during 2015′s deadly Frankford crash.
— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Advocates and people experiencing homelessness have long alleged that Philadelphia routinely discards the possessions of individuals living on the streets.
Now, thanks to a number of well-placed Apple AirTags, there might be proof.
The day before the city cleared a pair of Kensington encampments last summer, a group of advocates attached Apple AirTags to the belongings of eight people living in the encampment. The advocates later discovered that four items ended up in a landfill in Conshohocken – a violation, advocates asserted, of the constitutional rights of the homeless.
The city says it doesn’t dispose of possessions and instead offers storage, but there’s also video believed to show that workers destroyed the tent of a man experiencing homelessness.
Our reporter Alfred Lubrano has more on what the city said about the accusations and what’s next.
What you should know today
The decision to require masking in schools caused tension across area districts, but now the decision to end the mandates is similarly divisive.
Philadelphia Police have a new unit dedicated to investigating shootings. How much it will improve their success rate is in question.
Service dogs help the disabled more than ever, but fraud is growing.
It’s been a year since New Jersey legalized recreational marijuana. Here’s why you still can’t buy it in the Garden State.
Joel Embiid shined at the NBA All-Star game, while Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, James Harden and others were honored at halftime.
Friendship and brotherhood are found through this virtual game of dominoes.
And Foo Fighters rocker Dave Grohl sat down for an interview with our critic Dan DeLuca.
Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
That’s what a jury will decide as the trial of Brandon Bostian, the engineer of the ill-fated Amtrak train that derailed in Frankford, opens this week.
Some key numbers the jury will hear:
8: The number of people who died in the crash
200: The minimum number of people who suffered injuries
106: The speed, in miles per hour, at which the train Bostian was conducting hit a curve meant for a top speed of only 50 mph. A report from the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that Bostian lost his “situational awareness.”
250: The amount, in millions of dollars, that Amtrak has agreed to pay victims in lawsuit settlements.
This isn’t the first time the case has been in court. In 2017, a Municipal Court judge dismissed the case against Bostian, calling the crash an accident and not a crime. Within a few months, that decision was overturned by a Common Pleas Court judge. The case then ping-ponged in and out of court — with a second judge dismissing the case in 2019, only for it to be revived by Superior Court in 2020.
Our reporter Chris Palmer previews the trial in one of the most disastrous events in Philly.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
As we continue to focus on the cultural influences of people of color during Black History Month, today we’re taking a look at cuisine. If you’ve never tried the delicacy that is oxtails, now is a fantastic time to give it a try. Today’s question: Where does the oxtail recipe we have for you come from? Take a guess and find the answer here.
a. Senegal
b. Jamaica
c. Nigeria
What we’re…
😊 Admiring: The changes SEPTA has made to Wayne Junction and the vibes they’re bringing to Germantown.
👀 Eyeing: Why Philly condo king Allan Domb decided to try his hand in city politics.
📚 Reading: While we’re not calling it a tragedy, this piece from the Atlantic on the life of music and entertainment mogul Kanye West is.
Photo of the day
Here’s hoping we got the week off to a good start. Enjoy today, I’ll catch you all tomorrow. 🙌🏽