New informal currencies arise as Pa. prisons ban tobacco; What comes next after Mueller probe | Morning Newsletter
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Necessity is the mother of invention and in the Pennsylvania prison system, inmates are in need of a new informal currency. As of July 1, tobacco will be banned, but reporter Samantha Melamed knows what will take its place on the market. And no, you haven’t heard the last of Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia and the U.S. 2016 election. In this case the end was merely the beginning of debate over the investigation and its outcomes.
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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
In the informal economy of prisons, tobacco has long functioned as extralegal tender. Inmates trade them for food, everyday necessities, and even laundry services or personal security.
But tobacco products will be banned in Pennsylvania State Prisons as of July 1. So what’s next?
As the price of cigarettes has gone up and more prisons have banned smoking, new, hotter commodities are taking their place.
The co-founder of Liberation Way, a Bucks County drug treatment company, and 10 others have been charged in a fraud scheme, state officials say.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office alleges Liberation Way was trapping patients suffering from drug and alcohol addiction in a cycle of ineffective treatments and relapse.
All the while, the company made tens of millions of dollars off insurance reimbursements and kickbacks.
If you thought the end of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election was, well, the end — think again. Battles over its conclusions are just getting started.
Democrats and Republicans alike have called for more hearings and investigations, signalling a partisan debate over unanswered questions as we head into the 2020 election. Leaders of both parties have called for the full report to be made public.
What effect has it all had on voters? In a New Jersey town that flipped for President Trump in 2016, those who followed the investigation are still on his side.
What you need to know today
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has issued an emergency removal order of all the boys remaining at Glen Mills Schools following allegations of abuse there.
Recreational marijuana won’t be legalized in New Jersey just yet. A vote to do so was delayed Monday until at least June.
PFAS chemicals have been found in the drinking water in Bucks and Montgomery County communities. Now, across the river, New Jersey has ordered five companies to fund the cleanup of the chemical in that state.
A reparations movement is taking shape at the Princeton Theological Seminary after a report outlined the school’s connection to the slave economy.
The father of a Sandy Hook school shooting victim was found dead Monday, marking the third death of a mass-shooting survivor in a week. Experts say looking for warning signs can help prevent suicide.
Women made ill by breast implants spoke to the FDA Monday, detailing their experiences with chronic pain, disability, and even cancer from devices they thought were safe.
Join Inquirer columnist Jenice Armstrong for a conversation about the Starbucks protests one year later at the next Inquiring Minds Wednesday, April 2. Get your free tickets here.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
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That’s Interesting
Their final 10-game stretch heading into the postseason was supposed to be easy, but the Sixers suffered a setback Monday night with a 119-98 loss to the Orlando Magic.
Sorry, InstaPot fanatics. Philly chefs say some food just can’t be rushed. Take some advice from the experts in slow cooking.
This year marks 400 since the first documented Africans were brought to America. One Bucks woman’s connection to this “African landing” shows how the narrative of U.S. slavery is changing.
At the league meetings, the Eagles’ top executive Howie Roseman expressed confidence in the team’s free agency moves and emphasized the team wants Carson Wentz on a long-term contract.
TedSilary.com has kept meticulous track of the region’s high school football and basketball leagues since 1999. Now the labor of love will cease receiving updates.
Excited for the new Pizzeria Beddia in Fishtown? We got a peek inside the bigger home for the country’s best pizza.
Opinions
“The Soviets used to call unwitting collaborators ‘useful idiots.’ That may not equate with overt collusion but the term certainly fits Trump’s behavior.” — Columnist Trudy Rubin on what she calls the truth about the Mueller report.
Employer bias against applicants with criminal records drags us all down by boosting the unemployment rate writes Claudia De Palma, staff attorney at the Public Interest Law Center.
Following the release of a summary of the Mueller report to Congress, responses from the political right, left, and center show the saga is far from over.
What we’re reading
Vox has published photos from the aftermath of a devastating cyclone that hit Mozambique earlier this month, providing perspective on the tragedy that claimed hundreds of lives.
As Philadelphia changes, tensions arise when construction reveals burial grounds, often of African American communities, on the sites of new developments. Billy Penn’s latest explores the solution other cities have found to the problem.
Speaking of historic preservation, NJ.com has the details on a house in Salem County that’s older than America itself and how the local community is rallying to save it.
If you prefer to experience bugs from afar, you might want to check out Isa Betancourt of the Academy of Natural Sciences and her live-streamed show about insects, reports Grid Philly.
Just for fun, take a moment to find out how packets of Taco Bell hot sauce saved two peoples’ lives recently, via the Guardian. Yes, really.
A Daily Dose of | Fudge Swirl
You can’t call 1-900-ICE-CREAM, but if you plan ahead you can snag a coveted pint of this new Philly brand’s mix-in-filled ice cream before it sells out.