She’s in limbo, he’s in prison | Morning Newsletter
And updates in the lawsuit at the center of Bryce Harper’s video controversy.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning, Philly! You may want to break out the umbrellas again, since more storms are expected later today. ☔
Carisia Magobet fought for years to bring the man she loves home from the state prison in Chester after a landmark Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling made the idea seem possible. But lawmakers’ inaction has left her in limbo, and him still behind bars.
FanDuel, DraftKings, the NFL, and Genius Sports have asked a Philly judge to dismiss a lawsuit against them, which centers on two suburban men who allege that they developed addictions to in-game microbets.
Plus, an off-duty Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed his uncle is claiming self-defense, and more news of the day.
— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Back in 1998, Matthew Garcia, who was 18 at the time, set out to rob a Hunting Park bar with four others. He was the getaway driver, and did not have a gun. The robbery quickly went awry, and a retired Philly police officer was shot and killed. Garcia says he had fled by the time the fatal shot was fired.
The five involved were convicted of second-degree murder — a killing committed during a felony, no matter who pulled the trigger — and sentenced to the only punishment Pennsylvania law allowed: life without the possibility of parole.
But in March, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down mandatory life sentences for second-degree murder. It gave lawmakers until July 24 to write new sentencing guidelines for future cases and determine how, or whether, the ruling would apply to the roughly 1,100 Pennsylvanians already serving that sentence. The deadline arrived, but a resolution did not.
Now, the love of Garcia’s life, Carisia Magobet, is left in limbo. Everything Magobet and Garcia have spent the last two years assembling in anticipation of Garcia’s freedom — which both yearn for but neither can control — is now on hold.
FanDuel and DraftKings have each asked a Philadelphia judge to dismiss a lawsuit that accuses the companies of profiting from practices that two bettors say caused them to develop gambling addictions.
The sportsbook operators, as well as the National Football League and the data company Genius Sports, were sued in March by the nonprofit Public Health Advocacy Institute on behalf of Terry Thompson and Christopher Sage.
Thompson and Sage are Philadelphia-area men who allege that they compulsively placed in-game microbets through FanDuel’s and DraftKings’ apps and were enticed to continue gambling by rewards that VIP managers offered, even after they displayed signs of addiction.
But attorneys for FanDuel and DraftKings argue that the lawsuit — which claims that the companies violated Pennsylvania’s consumer protection law, and were negligent in protecting Thompson and Sage from harm — is inherently flawed.
What you should know today
An off-duty Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed his uncle in Northampton County during the weekend contended he did so in self-defense, according to court documents. Kenroy Cummings, a two-year veteran of the force, shot the man six times in the head before fleeing police, documents say.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and other Democrats blasted President Donald Trump’s “conspiracy theories.” That message has not changed after New Jersey’s noncitizen voting revelation.
The French company under fire after Gov. Mikie Sherrill blamed it for allowing noncitizens to register to vote holds three multimillion-dollar contracts with the state of New Jersey.
Delaware County is launching a vaccine campaign as Pennsylvania’s measles cases reach its highest level in more than 30 years. The state has reported 142 measles cases so far this year.
Brian J. Malloy, chief executive officer of Philadelphia-based Carpenter Technology Corp., died “suddenly and unexpectedly” Friday, July 24, three weeks after he was promoted to run the company. He was 59.
Quote of the day
“Sue Me” singer and songwriter Audrey Hobert was recently asked during an onstage Q&A: “If you could haunt any place, just some place, for the rest of your life, what would you choose?”
Hobert couldn’t recall the name of the bar in the moment, but a blog post on her website detailing the backstory of “Silver Jubilee” explains that the song was inspired by a weekend she spent at Drinker’s Pub in Center City.
🧠 Trivia time
The Franklin Institute’s forthcoming exhibit will honor which iconic film franchise?
A) Star Wars
B) Marvel
C) Dune
D) Star Trek
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re ...
🍽️ Wanting to try: A forthcoming Italian-inspired tavern coming to Center City, from Royal Tavern chef Nic Macri.
🏡 Gushing over: A three-story Victorian house in Wyncote. The home has its original hardwood floors and two fireplaces, plus a garage.
📆 Planning: The best things to do in Philadelphia this weekend. From festivals to shows, there’s plenty to look forward to.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: One of Nicolas Cage’s most iconic films
SENATORIAL UNRATE
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to William West, who solved Monday’s anagram: LeBron James. Within days of James’ landmark deal with the 76ers, T-shirt hawkers outside stadiums and along the Jersey Shore were stocked up on unauthorized Sixers gear.
Photo of the day
🏀 One last thing... New reports say LeBron James will likely live in New York City while playing for the Sixers, and he wouldn’t be the first player to do it.
Have a good day, everyone! 👋 I’ll be back next week.
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