Clergy sex abuse report released, gunman injures five in Cheltenham Walmart | Morning Newsletter
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Yesterday the long-awaited grand jury report on sex abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses was finally released, bringing to light decades' worth of abuse cases with over 1,000 victims involving more than 300 priests. The report is devastating and disturbing, and its ramifications continue to unfold. In Cheltenham yesterday afternoon, a gunman opened fire in a Walmart, injuring five. Initial reports of an active shooter rippled through social media, and the suspect was later taken into custody. Both of these stories may be tough to read this morning, for different reasons. Remember to take care of yourself today, Philly.
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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
» READ MORE: ‘Priests were raping little boys and girls’ while church officials ‘hid it all’
Top Roman Catholic leaders in six of Pennsylvania's eight dioceses — Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Scranton — routinely covered up child sex abuse by hundreds of priests attacking more than 1,000 victims over seven decades, according to a long-awaited grand jury report released Tuesday.
The extensive document accuses church officials of regularly prioritizing their institution over the welfare of children. More than 300 priests were singled out in the report, though some names remain redacted thanks to an ongoing court fight over the report's findings.
Read More
» READ MORE: Five injured when man opens fire inside Cheltenham Walmart, police say
Witnesses described a frantic scene as five people were wounded by gunfire inside a Cheltenham Walmart Tuesday night when a man arguing with another customer grabbed a gun and fired at least 10 shots throughout the store.
The suspected gunman and a woman he was with were taken into custody after crashing their getaway car into a police vehicle a few blocks away, injuring two police officers. None of those struck sustained life-threatening injuries.
» READ MORE: Did Philly police fail to feed horses properly?
In July, a horse trainer who donated her own horse to the Philadelphia Police Department's Mounted Patrol Unit ran into him while in Chestnut Hill. When she later visited the mounted unit's barn, she suspected he was malnourished. Last week she took him to two veterinarians who agreed he was underweight.
After she posted about it on Facebook, an investigation was launched and the department's horses have been examined. But, columnist Ronnie Polaneczky asks, why did it take a Facebook post to spur action?
What you need to know today
During Tuesday primaries in four states, Vermont Democrats rallied behind the nation's first transgender nominee for governor.
Ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, unions that usually lean blue are throwing their support behind a Bucks County Republican and a key South Jersey U.S. House race is neck-and-neck.
President Trump is calling for a boycott of Harley-Davidson as it moves some of its manufacturing overseas. But York County, Pa., stands to benefit from the moves as it becomes the brand's U.S. manufacturing hub.
Readers took to our Curious Philly question-and-answer forum to ask what happened to grocery chain Lidl's plans to remake South Jersey's supermarket scene? Municipal planners helped uncover the details.
Nick Foles will play his first game since the Super Bowl this Thursday against the Patriots. Meanwhile, Carson Wentz is closer to practicing fully but he may not make his goal of playing in the season opener.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
What a nice way to spend the day, @blinckphotography.
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 Phillies lost to the Red Sox last night at home 2-1. They've lost five of their last seven games and beat writer Matt Breen says if they're going to spiral, this feels like how it would begin.
For 15 years, a local couple operated a small slavery museum in Port Richmond before closing last October. Now they're on the hunt for a new location, possibly in Germantown.
If you love the LOVE statue and are ready to get hitched, it's your lucky hump day: LOVE Park will now host weddings on two Wednesdays a month.
A new documentary about a set of triplets separated soon after birth as an experiment has renewed debate over nature versus nurture. Scientists just wish we'd swap that "versus" for "and."
Space 1026, an artist collective and gallery space in Chinatown, helped develop Philadelphia's reputation as an artist-friendly city. Now they're being forced to move from the only home they've ever known.
Opinions
Small businesses are feeling the benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act President Trump signed into law in December, writes Linda McMahon, the administrator of the U.S. Small Business Association.
A local activist group has cracked the code for protesting in the Trump age, columnist Will Bunch writes, by focusing on consumer-facing corporations.
What we’re reading
The rollout of the SEPTA Key hasn't exactly been smooth. Now the project is having often overlooked effects on the city's homeless population by keeping them out of public spaces, reports Philadelphia Weekly.
Gun rights and gun safety advocates are still debating the potential impact of 3D-printed guns, but, as WHYY reports, 3D printing companies are already taking action against this unintended use of their machines.
If you're too scared to surf on the water, you could try it on the sand. Sand "surfing" is gaining popularity in Wildwood and NJ.com has the scoop on this quirky new beach activity.
Have back pain? NPR talked to an expert in sitting (that's a thing) who managed to fix a reporter's posture-related back pain. They even made a GIF to illustrate how to sit correctly.
Perhaps no one needs to read the Guardian's history of Britney Spears' 1998 smash "…Baby One More Time" as it celebrates its 20th birthday, but it's an entertaining confection just like the hit single.
Your Daily Dose of | Security
A security guard at Penn's Institute of Contemporary Art has spent her days teaching visitors to play a racy video game and hanging up on Yoko Ono. Talk about "other duties as assigned."