The no-show Philly police captain is out | Morning Newsletter
And House Speaker Mark Rozzi suggests he could step down
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The Morning Newsletter
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Wear a jacket with a hood or grab an umbrella. There’s a chance of showers, and temps will reach the high 50s.
First, a now former Philly police captain resigned — but it wasn’t for his chronic no-shows or the two investigations into his potential misuse of city antiviolence grant funds.
And then, Pennsylvania House Speaker Mark Rozzi suggested he could potentially give up his powerful role.
We have a lot of news today so let’s dive in.
If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Controversial Philadelphia police captain Nashid Akil resigned Wednesday after receiving notice the department intended to fire him.
A quick recap: Akil was the commanding officer of the 22nd District in North Philadelphia until October, when he was reassigned following an Inquirer report that exposed his chronic absenteeism and the resulting chaos in his precinct.
The Inquirer also reported in January that the captain and his officers had improperly received over $75,000 in city grant money for a youth boxing program. As a result, he was benched and stripped of his service weapon.
But in the end, Akil faced termination from his $117,750-a-year-post over a previously unreported incident.
Sources familiar with the case said Akil allegedly violated procedures while trying to fire a district sergeant who was out on COVID-19 sick leave and then later lied to Internal Affairs about it.
Continue reading for more details about the incident that ended Akil’s 22-year career. 🔑
What you should know today
A police officer was shot in West Philadelphia during a traffic stop. He was in critical but stable condition Wednesday night.
Protesters rallied in front of St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls on Wednesday after a racist video showing students in blackface circulated on social media.
Pennsylvania Attorney General charged five more Jehovah’s Witnesses with sexual abuse.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney plans to call for continued business tax cuts in his final budget proposal.
Temple withdrew free tuition for grad students on strike, and gave them until March 9 to pay.
The new version of the Kalaya restaurant in Fishtown is bigger, with even more Southern Thai magic. Craig LaBan calls it one of the most impactful new restaurants in years. 🔑
Black women will be in the spotlight at this year’s Super Bowl.
Speaker Mark Rozzi (D., Berks) said he’d “reassess” his role after lawmakers pass justice measures for victims of childhood sexual abuse in a vote slated for later this month.
It’s the furthest he’s gone to suggest he’d step down from the top spot.
Reminders: Democrats reaffirmed their majority Tuesday after three special elections in Allegheny County put Democrats at a full 102 members to Republicans’ 101.
Democrats won 102 seats on Election Day in November, but three vacancies led them to be in the minority party when the legislative session started last month. Republicans, for their part, could not come together around one GOP candidate for speaker, so they made a deal with Rozzi.
House Majority Leader Joanna McClinton (D., Phila.) was poised to become the first woman and first Black woman to be elected speaker. She’s now unsure if there’s a path for her to become speaker.
Keep reading to learn more about how Rozzi has been using his powers since he took the speaker’s gavel.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
Which actor from Philly will star in the new Netflix limited series set in the Poconos, The Madness?
B) Colman Domingo
B) Bradley Cooper
C) Quinta Brunson
D) Miles Teller
Find out if you know the answer.
What we’re...
📰 Reading: A Philly writer’s reflection on her deceased wife’s love for the Eagles ahead of the Sunday’s Super Bowl.
🗳️ Reviewing: Takeaways from President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.
✏️ Explaining: What you need to know about the landmark Pennsylvania school funding case decision, which states the system is unconstitutional.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
Hint: Super Bowl LII
CHAPPIES LILLY
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Marissa Dotzler, who correctly guessed Wednesday’s answer: Big Charlie’s Saloon. Email us if you know the answer.
Photo of the Day
And that’s it from me. I’ll be back in your inbox bright and early tomorrow. 📧