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Comcast staffers report sexual harassment, Cosby jury explains verdict | Morning Newsletter

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Rylinda Rhodes (left) and Laterrica Perry are two of the women who have gone public with their stories of sexual harassment in Comcast call centers around the country.
Rylinda Rhodes (left) and Laterrica Perry are two of the women who have gone public with their stories of sexual harassment in Comcast call centers around the country.Read moreCourtesy of Rylinda Rhodes

Welcome to what will be a very sunny Tuesday, Philly. The #MeToo era has caused a tectonic shift in many industries, but one thing that hasn't changed is how difficult it can be for victims to report sexual harassment or assault. Today two Comcast staffers explain what they went through at the company's call centers and what they want the cable giant to do about it. Speaking of #MeToo, the jury that convicted Bill Cosby last week has come forward to say the movement did not influence their decision. They've set out to explain their thinking with their first public comments on the case. All that and more below; let's dig in.

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

» READ MORE: The torturous process of reporting sexual harassment, as told by 2 Comcast staffers

Six women allege that the Comcast call centers where they worked over the last 15 years were ripe with sexual harassment. They say staffers made comments about coworkers' bodies, discussed their sex lives in graphic detail, and touched colleagues inappropriately.

But, as two of the women's stories show, seeking help in human resources or even an anonymous tip line can bring on problems of their own.

Now they're speaking out about the torturous process of reporting it all, and they want Comcast HQ to listen. They're heading to Philly this week to hand over a petition demanding the company investigate sexual harassment and protect those that come forward.

» READ MORE: Constitutional challenge heard in case of Mumia Abu-Jamal

Lawyers are once again debating the fate of Mumia Abu-Jamal, now 64, the former Black Panther and sometime radio reporter serving a life sentence for the 1981 shooting death of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner.

Yesterday the courtroom was packed for the hearing on whether a former state Supreme Court Justice violated Abu-Jamal's constitutional rights when he didn't recuse himself from Abu-Jamal's appeals.

Abu-Jamal wasn't present, but the widow of Officer Faulker, Maureen Faulkner, was. She told reporters, "He's going to be behind bars for the rest of his life, and I will make sure of that."

» READ MORE: Bill Cosby jury explains its guilty verdict

The jury that convicted Bill Cosby last week issued a statement Monday explaining its guilty verdict, stating "Not once were race or the #metoo movement ever discussed, nor did either factor into our decision, as implied in various media outlets."

One of the jurors said Monday that Cosby's own words were the most damning evidence against him.

Now facing prison time, Cosby likened himself to Nelson Mandela in a new interview and his spokesman compared last week's verdict to a "public lynching."

What you need to know today

  1. Looks like Will Smith's hype video didn't quite do the trick. Thanks to a rusty defense, the Sixers lost to the Celtics 117-101 in the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinals last night.

  2. Camden Catholic teacher Nick Strom has been dismissed as the school's football coach. He says it's because his program featured black players and he was asked to put more white players on the field.

  3. A neighbor of Meredith Chapman, the victim of a murder-suicide in Radnor last week, now says they saw a woman looking at Chapman's house with binoculars days before.

  4. Early investors in celebrity chef Jose Garces' first restaurants are suing to oust him from the eateries   and they fired back at him for dismissing their claims in an interview with the Inquirer last week.

  5. South Jersey Democratic Congressional candidate Jeff Van Drew is facing the glare of a student activist once again after David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland, Fla. school shooting, tweeted about Van Drew's A rating from the NRA.

  6. A Pennsylvania corrections officer was on vacation in South Carolina when he heard a call for help. Thanks to his quick thinking, a 12-year-old boy is now back at school after nearly drowning in a hotel pool.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

We want to see what our community looks like through your eyes. Show us the park that your family walks through every weekend with the dog, the block party in your neighborhood or the historic stretch you see every morning on your commute to work.

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. The weather is warming up, which means Philly's outdoor dining and drinking destinations are kicking into high gear. Cheers!

  2. Bon Jovi is headed to the Wells Fargo Center this week, and yes, Jon knows "a good portion of the planet" thinks they're from Philly.

  3. Comedian Michelle Wolf stirred controversy over the weekend for her monologue at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. But before she had her own Netflix show, she ran track at Hershey High School.

  4. The war over a new mini-golf course coming to Margate is apparently over, now that the developer has agreed to some changes to the project.

  5. A new Penn study may have the answer to a tough question for blood cancer patients: why do some benefit from T-cell immunotherapy when it fails for others?

  6. Yesterday was the last day to purchase a SEPTA token (okay, with some exceptions). Here's what you need to know about the change.

Opinions

"Our family empathizes with Mrs. Faulkner's pain. But we regret that the police have manipulated her thirst for vengeance all these years in order to conceal the truth about who killed Officer Faulkner." — Keith Cook on why he believes his brother, Mumia Abu-Jamal, should be set free.
  1. Society Hill resident Terri Akman writes that the filth and trash in her neighborhood are impossible to ignore and something must be done.

  2. Mark Segal, writing on behalf of the Philadelphia Multicultural Newspaper Association, responds to an Inquirer report on Sheriff's sale ads.

What we’re reading

  1. A new Spring Garden brewery is bringing more than beer to the neighborhood, according to WHYY. Triple Bottom Brewing Company has a special social justice mission baked into its business.

  2. Ahead of last night's game against the Celtics, Sixers star Dario Saric was the subject of a profile at The Ringer explaining just why Philly fans love him so much — and why he's about to be even more popular.

  3. Billy Penn's story on Joe Nester will move you today. The singer-songwriter recently made a triumphant return to a Philly stage after struggling with addiction.

  4. BuzzFeed just took a dive into what they're dubbing the "new California counterculture:" college Republicans. Unapologetic activists and moderates faced off at a convention this spring and the retelling is a wild ride.

  5. The story of how Ferrero Rocher — the gold foil-wrapped hazelnut chocolates — became a status symbol for immigrant families in the U.S., told by Thrillist, is downright fascinating.

Your Daily Dose of | Buttons

Where do political buttons wind up once their elections have passed? In the hands of avid collectors in South Jersey, of course.