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U.S. bishops face new judgment over sex abuse; young people mobilize for Election Day | Morning Newsletter

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Pope Francis celebrates a Mass for the closing of the synod of bishops in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018.
Pope Francis celebrates a Mass for the closing of the synod of bishops in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018.Read moreAndrew Medichini / AP
    by Aubrey Nagle
    Published 

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Well, it's almost Election Day, so of course, we've got our eyes on voters this morning. Most interesting to me is a story from my colleague Justine McDaniel about young people, some not even old enough to vote themselves, who are joining politics for the first time. It says a lot about our political climate. And, as we mentioned briefly yesterday, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Boston Globe have teamed up for a special report on the failures of American bishops throughout the Catholic Church's sex abuse crisis. Reporters from both newsrooms visited nine states, conducted scores of interviews, and reviewed thousands of pages of records to produce this report. It's a must-read.

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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

» READ MORE: American bishops face new judgment over sexual abuse after decades of failed reforms, cover-ups

In 2002, America's Catholic bishops gathered for a historic conference and vowed to remove abusive priests from the church.

But they specifically excluded themselves from these landmark child-protection measures — and they failed to police themselves.

According to an examination by the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Boston Globe, 130 U.S. bishops have been accused during their careers of failing to adequately respond to sexual misconduct in their dioceses. And there have been few consequences.

» READ MORE: ‘Ready to fight’: Young people joining politics cite Parkland

Age is nothing but a number to new political activists. A wave of young people are mobilizing ahead of tomorrow's midterm elections, and some aren't even old enough to vote.

Many are energized by the issue of gun violence following the deadly shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla. in February.

But they aren't the only demographic anxiously awaiting tomorrow's poll results. Across the country, voters are angry and divided.

» READ MORE: A polio-like illness is on the rise again. But why?

A mysterious disease is affecting dozens of children in the U.S. this fall, causing them to suffer from sudden muscle weakness or paralysis.

Researchers tracking the disease are fairly certain enterovirus D68 is to blame. Its symptoms are similar to what happens with polio and it has traveled through the population on a multi-year cycle, spiking every two years.

But questions about the virus still remain. Why do some patients with symptoms test negative for the virus? And why does it affect some kids and not others?

What you need to know today

  1. Friday night a man opened fire on a Tallahassee, Fla. yoga class shooting six people and killing two of them. The suspect has been repeatedly accused of groping women and is linked to YouTube videos about his hatred of women.

  2. An apparent gas explosion leveled a home in Gladwyne and shook Lower Merion Sunday night. Luckily no injuries were reported, but many said they heard the explosion from miles away.

  3. Philly voters will see a familiar ballot question at the polls Tuesday, asking yet again if voters will let the city issue bonds to pay for capital projects. This year they're asking to add $181 million to Philly's $5.5 billion debt.

  4. A report released Monday has new details on how former Allentown drum and bugle corps director George Hopkins managed the nonprofit: he threw things when he was angry and ranted about breakups with employees on his blog.

  5. If you saw balloons depicting President Trump as a cartoon baby at Independence Mall Sunday afternoon, it was thanks to a group of protesters looking to build opposition ahead of tomorrow's elections.

  6. In congregations around the Philadelphia region this weekend, worshippers answered the call to #ShowUpforShabbat in response to last week's mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. The result was an interfaith showing of support and unity against anti-Semitism.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

Can't stop, won't stop looking at fall foliage. 🍂

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

  1. Research shows creative-arts therapy can change the way people deal with mental illness, so Philly creatives are using music, photography and more to help others cope.

  2. New Jersey's legal sports-betting industry is off to the races and early takeaways show how the industry could impact Pennsylvania.

  3. Bryn Mawr Film Institute is bringing your favorite TV shows to the big screen. Its courses on classic TV shows have already tackled The Wire and Breaking Bad and are heading to Mad Men next.

  4. The Eagles didn't play Sunday due to a bye week, but thanks to a Washington Redskins loss, they actually gained in the standings. No complaints here.

  5. Some residents thought the damaging winds that visited Montgomery and Chester Counties Friday were from tornadoes, but they were actually due to a weather phenomenon called "microbursts."

  6. Before an ugly loss (as in, 28 turnovers ugly) to the Nets Sunday, coach Brett Brown was asked when the Sixers will reach elite status. His answer? "Not soon." Yikes.

Opinions

"Be good to each other, they say. Be compassionate toward friend and stranger alike. It's the only way to embody the decency that Americans are supposed to be known for. Well, allow me to get the Decency Train rolling." — Columnist Ronnie Polaneczky on why a vote for Philly's Fair Workweek legislation is a vote for decency.

  1. Many issues have been eclipsed by the lead-up to the 2018 midterms, including income inequality, mass incarceration, and America's "forever war" against terrorism, writes columnist Will Bunch.

  2. When it comes to gender identity, being truly inclusive at work requires institutions to do more than just use the right pronouns, writes V Varun Chaudhry, a scholar-in-residence at the Leeway Foundation.

What we’re reading

  1. The New York Times Magazine says it released an upcoming cover story on white nationalism early to expose how U.S. domestic counterterrorism strategy ignored rising far-right extremism for decades and how it's coping (or not coping) with it now.

  2. Five years ago, West Philly's Mantua neighborhood was designated a Promise Zone. Philadelphia Weekly's look at what's happened so far during the 10-year program shows both where it's succeeding and stalling.

  3. Philadelphia Magazine's new report on the diverse residents revitalizing Northeast Philly is an intimate portrait of the region. The photography is particularly engrossing.

  4. Hidden City is always good for a trip back in time. This weekend they revealed the story behind a mysterious and previously secluded stone stairway leading from Lincoln Drive to Monoshone Creek in Fairmount Park.

Your Daily Dose of | CBD

Smoothies are just the latest food product you can get infused with CBD, or cannabidiol, oil in Philly. But does it actually have any health benefits?