The best beers in Philadelphia; Robert Mueller breaks his silence | Morning Newsletter
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The official start to summer is just 22 days away (but really, who’s counting?), and there’s nothing that helps kick off the season of sun and Shore quite like a locally-brewed beer. Luckily for us, food critic Craig LaBan and 16 Philly beer aficionados have sampled the city’s selection to determine the best brews in and around town. And, in other news, special counsel Robert Mueller broke his silence yesterday to announce the end of his office’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, while this week’s stormy weather has possibly helped to set a national tornado record.
— Oona Goodin-Smith (@oonagoodinsmith, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
You’re invited: Thousands of young people will graduate from Philadelphia schools this spring. Come hear from some of the best and the brightest on Tuesday, June 4. Inquirer education reporter Kristen Graham will speak with students from a variety of schools, including Mastery Charter-Shoemaker and Strawberry Mansion about their hopes, dreams, and experiences in city schools. Register for free at philly.com/inquiringminds.
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With 43 brewers, 82 brews, and one Philly beer per category to rule them all, the competition was stiff at food critic Craig LaBan’s 10th annual Brewvitational.
And the 16 judges thirsting for the perfect ale did not take the task — or pour — at hand lightly. Sipping through saisons and sours, they tasted the notes of basil and “barnyard funk,” peanut butter, and yeasty tropical fruits to describe and define a list of the Philadelphia region’s best new and barrel-aged beers.
The first-prize barrel winner: a New Jersey beer-maker — that doesn’t actually do any brewing.
Special counsel Robert Mueller broke his silence Wednesday to announce the official end of the special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
In an eight-minute speech, Mueller repeated his findings, adding that his more-than-400-page report “speaks for itself.”
“If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime,” Mueller said, explaining that a president can’t be charged with a federal crime due to a long-standing Department of Justice policy.
While the White House declared “case closed,” lawmakers were quick to respond. Some called for impeachment, some avoided the "i" word, and others established that the ball is now in Congress’ court.
For 12 consecutive days, the government’s Storm Prediction Center has logged reports of at least eight tornadoes daily — including one this week in Morgantown — constituting a destructive national record, for now. The violent weather also tore through the central U.S. this week, turning fatal and injuring many others.
In Pennsylvania, there have been 17 confirmed twisters this year, already well over the commonwealth’s annual average of eight.
The possibility of another tornado Wednesday triggered warnings for parts of Bucks, Montgomery, Hunterdon, and Lehigh Counties, and a watch for the rest of the region, but the threat faded away last night. The region instead experienced rain, strong winds, and hail the size of a table tennis ball in some areas.
The weather could take yet another stormy turn today, but with a lower tornado risk than earlier this week.
What you need to know today
Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera left “hand print markings" on his girlfriend’s neck and “small scratches” to her arms in assaulting the 20-year-old woman at the Golden Nugget casino Monday in Atlantic City, according to the police report. It won’t be simple for the Phillies to release the center fielder, writes columnist Marcus Hayes.
A small plane went down in the ocean off Cape May on Wednesday morning, officials said. By early evening, an hours-long rescue effort to find survivors had become a recovery operation.
The Chester City Council ignored multiple warnings about the behavior of a city police officer accused of sexually assaulting five women in their homes or on city property while on-duty, a new lawsuit claims. Former city leaders say he was kept on the force, supported by members of Chester’s city council, despite attempts to remove him and efforts to keep him off the streets, assigned to desk duty.
A 24-year-old Montgomery County woman was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison Wednesday for causing the heroine overdose death of a friend who used the drug alongside her in a KFC bathroom.
Philadelphia’s court computers remained shutdown for a second week Wednesday with no answers as to why it happened, when it will be fixed, or how much that will cost. Law firms that handle civil cases have had to send employees or bike couriers to City Hall to file motions and other documents with regularity this week and last.
Three historic Atlantic City affordable housing properties will be rehabilitated, but not gentrified, local and state officials announced Wednesday.
Longtime St. Joseph’s basketball coach Phil Martelli may have a new offer from the University of Michigan, sources say. After 24 years on the job, Martelli was let go from his position in March, a move that did not come “out of the blue,” the school’s new athletic director, Jill Bodensteiner, told columnist Mike Sielski.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
It’s (sometimes) sunny in Philadelphia. 🌞Thanks, @shaynemalcolm.
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
At their best, they’re gifts to the grieving and final memories of the dearly departed. At their worst, they’re boring and filled with clichés. Eulogists weigh in on crafting a portrait of the dead to comfort the living.
We’ll take good news for $800. Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek says his fight against pancreatic cancer is going so well that the results are “kind of mind-boggling."
Have you fallen prey to hidden fees over the last two years? If so, you’re in the majority. At least 85 percent of Americans have received a surprise charge since 2017, and nearly 100 percent are none too pleased about it.
Get hungry: Black Restaurant Week is returning to Philly next month, showcasing the city’s African American, African, and Caribbean cuisines.
Despite new taxes on short-term rentals, Memorial Day marked a record-setting weekend at the Jersey Shore for Airbnb, figures show.
The Philadelphia Latino Film Festival begins today, featuring four days of 38 films, shorts, and documentaries by Latino filmmakers.
Opinions
“Pennsylvania is one of only a handful of states that holds partisan elections for judge. How could Philadelphia, a city that is overwhelmingly democratic and black, fail to elect a single judge of color?” — Renee Chenault Fattah, former TV news broadcaster and board member of the Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, on the legacy of black judges.
In battles over abortion rights, choice matters most in the voting booth, writes the Inquirer Editorial Board.
Harriet Tubman didn’t take no for an answer, and neither should we when pushing for an image of Tubman on the $20 bill, writes columnist Jenice Armstrong.
What we’re reading
The Transportation Security Administration changed its stance on traveling with medicinal marijuana this week, but that doesn’t open the skies to weed possession, NJ.com explains.
What happens to business when Philly restaurants close for Ramadan? Some vendors take a pay cut while others rely on large catering orders, writes Billy Penn.
Pennsylvania has seen its fair share of tornadoes this year, but twisters are nothing new for the Keystone State. PennLive looks back at tornado damage throughout the commonwealth’s history.
A Daily Dose of | Fancy hats
Some were towering and elaborate, while others dainty and delicate. Wednesday at the Devon Horse Show belonged to headwear as dozens tossed their hats in the ring (or struggled to keep them on) for top honors at the annual hat contest.