Krasner’s office in hot water | Morning Newsletter
And Canada tariffs hitting Pennsylvania.
The Morning Newsletter
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Happy Friday, Philly. There’s a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon, with highs in the mid-80s.
Today, we’re starting with major news in a case that’s put District Attorney Larry Krasner’s leadership under a microscope. On Thursday, a judge suggested that his office may have broken the law as it sought to overturn an old murder conviction.
And we explain why new Canadian tariffs could hit Pennsylvania businesses especially hard.
Plus, local Freedom Fuel stations face thousands in fines, and more news of the day.
— Laura Benshoff (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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A federal judge suggested Thursday that actions taken by District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office could amount to crimes.
Those comments came during an explosive hearing over the office’s handling of a 2009 murder conviction.
In 2022, attorneys in the DA’s office filed court documents saying they supported overturning the old murder charges.
The attorney who submitted that recommendation on behalf of the DA’s office later testified that she did so only at the request of her supervisor, and that she had been encouraged to lie about aspects of the case.
A different prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Katherine Ernst, testified Thursday that after she petitioned the court to withdraw the earlier recommendation, she was pressured and threatened by Krasner.
“If what they say is true,” U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond said during Ernst’s testimony, “potential wrongdoing abounds.”
Reporter Chris Palmer has the full report.
Pennsylvania’s largest export market is Canada.
That means new tariffs by our northern neighbor will hit some companies in the commonwealth particularly hard.
Exports like raw aluminum, lumber, and passenger vehicles will all face tariff rates of 25% to 50% as the trade war between the two countries escalates.
A few other key figures in this story:
💵 $13.4 billion. The value of Pennsylvania goods exported to Canada last year.
🛍️ 16%. The proportion of that total trade volume that will be subject to higher Canadian tariffs, according to an Inquirer analysis.
📆 Sept. 8. The day the new tariffs take effect.
The Inquirer’s Andrew Seidman and Lizzie Mulvey tallied the full impact.
What you should know today
Freedom Fuel stations in our region have racked up thousands of dollars in fines for environmental violations.
Pennsylvania’s youngest voters disapprove of President Donald Trump at a higher rate than any other age group, fueled by their pessimism over the economy, a new Inquirer/New York Times/Siena poll has found.
Seven families have sued the Lower Merion School District over its new technology policy, which no longer allows parents to opt their children out of using district-issued devices in the classroom.
The Philadelphia School District is making a full-court press to get its vaccination rates up, with plans to offer vaccine clinics at some schools, amid a statewide measles outbreak.
Police recovered a gun — and interviewed the man accused of firing it — in their investigation into the shooting of an off-duty police officer in Southwest Philadelphia on Aug. 16.
Developers of a data center in East Whiteland Township in Chester County have been hit with a second stop-work order in as many months, this time for failing to document that they have “sufficient water” for the project.
New international flights to Portugal, Austria, and Iceland will be taking off from PHL next year.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday, our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks and then we report the answers.
This week, we answer a question from Penn Valley resident J.J. Cutuli about a “curious little” traffic pattern on the Manayunk Bridge.
Halfway across the bridge, which connects Philadelphia to Lower Merion, the bicyclist side becomes the pedestrian side, and vice versa.
On Reddit, one poster called this design decision “Looney Tunes.”
Suburban reporter Denali Sagner talked to local officials about the reasoning behind the switcheroo.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🧠 Trivia time
Earlier this month, National Treasure director Jon Turteltaub stopped by a Philly screening and celebration of the film. While there, Turteltaub revealed that a scene inside this venue was cut from the film’s final version:
A) Pen & Pencil Club
B) Reading Terminal Market
C) Barnes Foundation
D) Strip club
Test your local news know-how and check your answer in our weekly quiz.
What we’re …
🗡️ Dressing up for. Get your lances and chain mail ready — it’s time, once again, for the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire.
🛟 Boarding. For the first time in more than 15 years, cruise ships are departing from our area, heading for destinations in the Caribbean, New England, and Canada.
🥖 Debating. Do sesame seeds belong on a cheesesteak roll? Some of the city’s biggest purveyors are split, The Inquirer’s Mike Klein writes.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: This week, the HBO crime drama Task was reportedly spotted filming for its second season in this Philadelphia neighborhood.
CRY ICE TENT
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Stacey Meadows, who correctly guessed Thursday’s anagram: Imagination Library. Dolly Parton founded this literacy program, which has mailed thousands of free books to children in the Philadelphia area, back in 1995.
Let’s end the week on a sweet note.
Paola Pérez is your guide to the weekend. 👋 See ya Monday!
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