More snow coming our way, Pa. congressional map upheld, body of St. Joe's student found | Morning Newsletter
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Happy first day of spring, Philadelphia! The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, the sun is shining — oh wait, just kidding, we're getting another winter storm. More on that below. (Take a deep breath. It has to end some time, right?) Plus, Pennsylvania's new congressional map is officially here to stay and a northeast community is up in arms over the city's plans to fight the opioid crisis. Lots to discuss today.
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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
» READ MORE: Organizers fired from New Sanctuary Movement say they sought ouster of ‘incompetent’ director
The New Sanctuary Movement, which has led the local resistance to new immigration policies, is in turmoil after three immigrant women organizers say they were fired after demanding the dismissal of their "incompetent" boss.
The women say executive director Peter Pedemonti, the group's co-founder, summoned one of them to speak with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at a protest despite knowing her immigration status was unsettled.
The firings halve NSM's staff, a group that's built a shining reputation over the last decade, ramping up efforts in the past few years by mounting street protests, engaging new partners, and providing legal assistance to immigrants.
» READ MORE: Pa. congressional district map upheld
Just in time for today's deadline to file nominating petitions, the U.S. Supreme Court and the federal District Court in Pennsylvania have both rejected challenges to the congressional map imposed by the state Supreme Court.
The courts' decisions to uphold the new map disappointed Republican challengers who had hoped to block the map from going into effect for the May 15 primary elections. But Democrats, who stand to benefit from the reshuffled map, were delighted.
The fight has thrown local campaigns into disarray as candidates reorganize into new districts, but it has also revealed a deeper national redistricting battle.
» READ MORE: Tensions flare at N.E. Philly meeting on opioid crisis
Sparks flew at a meeting held Monday at a Fox Chase community center on Philadelphia's plan to fight the opioid crisis. Before the meeting, a false rumor had spread that the city had broken ground on a safe injection site nearby.
At times city officials shouted over the crowd to dispel rumors as it presented the city's 18-point plan. No safe injection site has been approved anywhere in the city just yet.
President Trump announced his own plans to fight the opioid epidemic Monday, giving a speech that was light on specifics but called for some drug dealers to be sentenced to death.
What you need to know today
Say it ain't snow: this month's fourth straight week of winter storms is bringing sleet and snow to the region tonight with a second and much stronger storm expected to dump six to twelve inches on us Wednesday.
St. Joseph's University is in mourning after the body of a freshman student reported missing in Bermuda over the weekend was found Monday.
Bill Cosby's retrial on sexual assault charges is being pushed back a few days, allowing for two more days of pre-trial hearings.
Friends and family took to social media Monday to mourn the loss of a Penn State student killed during an argument at a West Philly bar Sunday. Her grandfather and father were also shot during the fight.
Uber has suspended testing on its self-driving cars after one of its vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona.
Retired Wells Fargo Bank executive Michele Lawrence of Fishtown wants to be Pennsylvania's first African-American congresswoman — and she's facing some well-known competition.
A Philly towing company has agreed to repay 28 people after it was discovered the company was illegally towing cars to scam drivers. Think you might qualify? You have until April 29 to file a claim.
Democrats have rejected a White House deal to extend protections for DACA recipients in exchange for $25 billion in funding for President Trump's border wall project. The House and Senate need to take by midnight Friday to avoid another government shutdown.
The Sixers beat the Charlotte Hornets last night 108-94. During the game Ben Simmons scored his ninth triple-double — a move which reporter Keith Pompey says should secure him the rookie-of-the-year award.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
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That’s Interesting
Dust off those wigs and capes: celebrities from Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Arrow, and Justice League are coming to Philly's Wizard World Comic Con.
Fox29's Mike Jerrick has long held the role of "weird uncle" on Good Day Philadelphia, but are his sometimes awkward antics just a consequence of the morning show format?
It's far from a scientific analysis, but a marketing agency has named Philadelphia seventh in the country for good late-night restaurants.
It feels like just yesterday the Birds were parading through the city with the Lombardi trophy, and now six players have signed elsewhere. Here's where they each landed. New players Michael Bennett and Daryl Worley made their debuts Monday.
Don't worry, Barnes Foundation fans. Just because they're renting their historic Merion property to St. Joseph's University does not mean they're selling the art there.
Did you know April is National Poetry Month? Reporter Cassie Owens wants you to share your favorite poems with us for an upcoming project.
Despite the weather, many families are already thinking about summer camp plans, and every year more camps are going tech-free. Spoiler alert: it's more difficult for campers (and parents) than it sounds.
Philly Wine Week kicks off on Thursday, and the lineup is full of very strange food pairing events.
Opinions
Following this weekend's reports on research firm Cambridge Analytica and its dealings with Facebook, columnist Will Bunch writes that Facebook's 'likes' helped Trump steal the 2016 election.
Miles Wilson, the president and CEO of EducationWorks, writes that to help close income gaps for people of color in Philadelphia, we need to focus on careers, not just jobs.
What we’re reading
Philadelphia City Council members are driving around in brand-new, taxpayer-funded SUVs, so Philadelphia Weekly broke down who's guzzling the most (free) gas. The answers may surprise you.
Here's a hot take for you: NJ.com has included Haddonfield, Merchantville, and Hammonton among 15 great New Jersey food towns "that no one knows about."
Sarah Lomax-Reese, the CEO of WURD, has written an inspiring note for the Philadelphia Citizen on what it means to her to be running a female-led, Black-owned radio station in America.
Drop that diet book, now. Food writer Mark Bittman and doctor David L. Katz had a ridiculously in-depth conversation at GrubStreet answering every healthy eating question you've ever had, with some myth-busting thrown in.
While some celebrants were busy getting boozy, dance troupes around the country spent St. Patrick's Day kickin' it in their Celtic-inspired best. Racked has run an endearing look at how the fashions of Irish dancers evolved into beauty pageant looks.
Your Daily Dose of | Poetry
Nick Virgilio,
Haiku master, honored by
Camden Writer's House.