Philly's eviction crisis, inside Southwest flight's emergency landing | Morning Newsletter
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Good morning, Philly. To start your day, we've just released a new report on the city's eviction crisis to launch a new reporting project called BROKE in Philly, which focuses on economic justice. It's brought to you by the same group of news organizations that created last year's Reentry Project on prisoner reentry in Philly. Plus, details from passengers and investigators have emerged to reconstruct the 20 minutes between the engine failure and the emergency landing of a Southwest airlines flight this week in Philadelphia. Their tales are distressing to say the least. Read on for the latest on this, the Starbucks arrests, and more.
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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
» READ MORE: Why do 1 in 14 renters in Philadelphia face eviction every year?
Thousands of Philadelphians are handed eviction notices each year and many of them are forced out of their homes. Evictions have become a nationwide crisis, and now a new national database has shed light on the city's startling numbers.
The scale of the problem has already stirred some action at City Hall. The city has funneled more money to legal representation for tenants, for example. But, according to the city's own Eviction Task Force, it's not nearly enough.
This new report on the city's eviction crisis is the Inquirer and Daily News' first contribution to BROKE in Philly, a new year-long collaborative reporting initiative on economic justice and solutions to poverty in Philadelphia.
» READ MORE: Twenty minutes of terror: the emergency landing of Southwest Flight 1380
Engineers have said the engine failure which caused a Southwest Airlines plane to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia Tuesday likely started with the metal fatigue of a fan blade. Federal investigators have so far declined to say there was cause to worry about this popular type of engine.
One passenger died after the incident and the pilot, former U.S. Navy flyer Tammie Jo Shults, was able to land the plane safely. Passengers have since said the victim was partially pulled through a plane window when debris from the engine hit the fuselage. An audio recording of Shults' messages to air traffic control sheds light on the harrowing twenty minutes between the failure and the plane's landing.
» READ MORE: Puerto Ricans in Philly tell others on the island ‘Don’t come here’
Activists gathered outside of FEMA's Philadelphia office Wednesday to protest the end of another round of federal assistance for Puerto Rican evacuees, telling their friends and families, "Stop coming to Philadelphia or Pennsylvania. They don't have resources."
More than 2,000 evacuees came to Philly following the September hurricane. Some evacuees say they've received no help from the government since arriving after Hurricane Maria. The city has only referred five families to subsidized housing, 10 percent of what Housing Authority rules allow them to refer.
Meanwhile, an island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico Wednesday. Officials said it could take 24 to 36 hours to fully restore power.
What you need to know today
Starbucks arrests: One of two men arrested at a Center City Starbucks last week has been identified as Rashon Nelson, 23, of Elmwood. Neighbors spoke highly of him Wednesday, though he's kept out of the spotlight since the arrests went viral. A march for police accountability is planned this evening in light of police response to the arrests.
Cosby trial: The defense called their star witness to the stand Wednesday in Bill Cosby's retrial for sexual assault. Marguerite Jackson claimed accuser Andrea Constand spoke of fabricating abuse claims to extort a celebrity.
The brand new Hard Rock Atlantic City casino, taking the place of the former Trump Taj Mahal, has set an opening date for this summer. They've even released a lineup of music and comedy shows through the fall.
State Rep. Nick Miccarelli violated House policy by retaliating against a woman who accused him of sexual assault. But House leaders say they're constrained from punishing the Pennsylvania Republican.
The Flyers fell to the Penguins once again last night, leaving the Penguins up 3-1 in their playoff series and the Flyers facing elimination during Game 5 tomorrow. Star center Sean Couturier was sorely missed after being injured during practice Tuesday.
Hazing could become a felony if "Tim's Law," already approved by the Pennsylvania Senate and named for the Penn State sophomore who died following a booze-fueled frat party last year, is passed.
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
Trust the process? More like trust the numbers. The Sixers employ 10 math whizzes and computer programmers, most with PhDs, to break down billions of lines of data to help plan each game, like tonight's playoff match up against the Heat. Data even helps them select their trades.
The historic Frankford Chocolate Factory on Washington Avenue in South Philly is facing the wrecking ball to make way for new apartments. No, it's nothing like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.
ABC hit Scandal ends its seven-season run tonight, and Havertown's Tom Verica, who directed the finale, told TV critic Ellen Gray all about it. But don't worry, it's spoiler-free!
Philly was just rated the most facial hair friendly city in the country. How you feel about that particular designation is up to you.
There's a new documentary in the works that claims it will settle an age-old debate that's torn apart families and friends for years: which is better, Sheetz or Wawa?
Benjamin Lay was an 18th century vegetarian hunchbacked dwarf who lived in a cave in Abington — but that's not why he was buried 259 years ago without a headstone.
Opinions
Dava Guerin worked with the late Barbara Bush on multiple literacy projects and Bush even wrote a foreword to the book she co-authored on wounded warriors. Working with the former first lady taught her not to take herself too seriously, Guerin writes.
Corporate diversity champion and author Sophia A. Nelson is skeptical of Starbucks' plan to fix its culture issues with one afternoon of training. She suggests the company follows six extra steps to really deal with their problem.
What we’re reading
The Francisville neighborhood is undergoing a lot of change and it's caused ruptures throughout the community. PlanPhilly's latest chronicles an ongoing feud playing out across new civic associations and zoning meetings.
If you've ever seen a bird use a piece of string for its nest, you know the animal kingdom is constantly adjusting to life with humans. But, as Billy Penn reports, cities like Philly are even changing evolution and creating entirely new animal species.
For a long time, faux fur was the environmentally friendly choice for fashionistas, but as Refinery29 reports, that's no longer necessarily the case. In terms of sustainability, faux fur can actually be worse for the planet.
Two computer-generated Instagram "influencers" are feuding. Seriously. Let New York Magazine explain what on earth is going on here.
The Washington Post has published an intriguing new look at how government policies have created a huge imbalance among men and women in China and India. The story's interactive format illustrates the challenges they face.
Your Daily Dose of | Science
The Philadelphia Science Festival begins Friday! From family-friendly activities to beer-friendly bar crawls, don't miss our guide to the week's best events.