‘Courtesy’ tows could mean lost cars; Trump impeachment trial gets going in D.C. | Morning Newsletter
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The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
In national news, the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump began yesterday. My Washington-based colleague Jonathan Tamari is covering the proceedings. He wrote that the opening moments felt as if “the Senate was laid out like it was ready for the most pressurized standardized test ever.”
Locally, we have stories today focusing on what it means to have your car “courtesy towed” (Hint: it might not end up going so well), the future of the bankrupt oil refinery in South Philly, and a New Jersey family’s charitable plan for some of their Powerball winnings.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
In Philly, getting “courtesy towed” means that a legally parked vehicle must be “relocated” by police, the Parking Authority, or a private tow company to clear the street for an event, repaving, or utility work. But what happens next can sometimes become worrying.
It can turn into a true Dude, Where’s My Car? moment.
My colleagues recently spoke with more than a dozen people with disappearing-car stories. Reddit and other online message boards are full of Philly drivers seeking courtesy-tow advice or venting about their experience. The reporters found that the “courtesy tow” system is old, and can be comically inefficient as it relies on conflicting policies and shoddy record-keeping. Or, as a police spokesperson put it, “logistical hurdles.”
Bankrupt Philadelphia Energy Solutions has agreed to sell its shuttered South Philly refinery complex. The buyer is a Chicago development company that has experience repurposing old industrial properties for new uses. That could mean that the site might be moving past its 150-year history as a petroleum refinery.
For example, Hilco Redevelopment Partners has acquired old power plant sites in Boston and New Jersey, and is building warehouses on a former steel mill site in Baltimore.
As Democrats and Republicans expressed their differences over virtually every aspect of both the trial and President Trump’s conduct, they agreed on one thing: Impeachment is a test that will measure Congress’ ability to handle one of the most contentious questions possible in an already divided nation.
Yesterday, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presided over arguments by Democratic House members and Trump’s attorneys while members of the Senate listened.
What you need to know today
A woman who ran an immigration services business out of a rundown storefront in Northeast Philadelphia pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of mail fraud and identity theft. Her scheme victimized Philadelphia-area immigrants seeking citizenship.
Researchers from Penn State say that if the spotted lanternfly infestation spreads across the entire state, it could drain an estimated $324 million from the economy per year.
After 28 years in prison for a triple murder he did not commit, Theophalis “Bilal” Wilson was free to go yesterday morning. He became the 12th person exonerated by District Attorney Larry Krasner’s Conviction Integrity Unit.
A Delco resident serving a 30-year prison term for hiding his past as a Liberian warlord urged a federal appeals court to overturn his conviction and sentence. His lawyers argued that their client may have committed numerous murders, rapes, and acts of enslavement, torture, and ritual cannibalism during the first Liberian civil war, but that they did not amount to genocide.
Even while fighting a federal indictment, City Councilmember Bobby Henon secured two important committee chairmanships yesterday, enabling him to keep his political clout.
Delbert Africa, a longtime member of MOVE, said yesterday that he was unrepentant about his part in the 1978 confrontation between the group and Philadelphia police that left an officer dead and sent him to prison for more than 40 years. Africa won his release this weekend.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Anyone escaping Philly for somewhere warm any time soon? Great pic, @jeffphl. 🛫
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
🙌The New Jersey family that won the $429 million Powerball jackpot four years ago plans to award a $10,000 scholarship to a graduate of Central High School in Trenton.
🚎The trolleys on SEPTA’s historic Route 15 are coming off the line. They’ll be replaced by buses for at least a year. SEPTA says it’s not a final goodbye for the trolleys.
📺Gene London, the host of the popular children’s TV show Cartoon Corners and others, died this week at the age of 88.
🏠Over 30% of Philly renters want to leave the city, according to a report. The most desired destination for renters was New York.
💍To honor a historic Irish tradition, a Center City ale house is offering $100 to the first five women to publicly pop the question to their partner on Leap Day (Feb. 29).
🍖Last year, over 15 million pounds of meat and poultry were recalled because they contained metal, plastic, and other materials. The growing rates of contamination point to the need for greater food safety measures, according to a new consumer interest study.
Opinions
“It didn’t matter to Cape May residents that he was a Democrat and we voted Republican. He got things done for us. Everyone knew Jeff stood for his district. So when he voted against the impeachment of President Trump, it came as no surprise to us. Finally quitting the Democratic Party and joining the one he sided for all along? That wasn’t earth-shattering news either.” — Cape May resident Jackie Schifalacqua, a retired jockey and PR agent, about President Trump’s impending visit to Wildwood and the area’s support for Rep. Jeff Van Drew.
When it comes to LGBT issues, the Inquirer Editorial Board writes, New Jersey may be showing Pennsylvania the way.
Music writer Gregory Dale writes about why Philly should get a hip hop museum.
What we’re reading
Food delivery apps are listing some Philly restaurants’ menus and info without permission, Philadelphia Magazine reports. That’s leaving customers frustrated and business owners having to clean up the mess.
NPR was there as the 2020 Census kicked off in Toksook Bay along the rim of Alaska.
TikTok, the social media platform known for viral dances and lighthearted videos, is now home to a new trend: people who are overwhelmed by medical bills finding help, according to a New York Times report.
Your Daily Dose of | Super pups
There are no Eagles in this year’s Super Bowl. But the Philly region will still be represented on Super Bowl Sunday with a few local dogs participating in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl. They are named Coach, Linus, and Kingery.