5 stories to follow: July 26

Happy Friday. Here are five stories to know about before starting your weekend.

1. Trayvon Martin's mother in Philly: The mother of slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin will speak at the National Urban League's annual conference in Philadelphia today. Sybrina Fulton is scheduled to address the group at noon today. Her remarks come the day after a juror in George Zimmerman's trial told ABC News that Zimmerman "got away with murder" in Martin's death. And Fulton isn't the only notable speaker in Philly this week for the conference. On Thursday, Attorney General Eric Holder spoke at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, announcing a new Voting Rights Act initiative in the wake of a recent Supreme Court decision that weakened parts of the law.

2. "Pray-in" in Montco: A conservative group is planning a "pray-in" rally today to protest the marriage licenses being issued to same-sex couples in Montgomery County. The Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania says the protest at the county Register of Wills office this afternoon will be peaceful. The county register of wills began giving gay and lesbian couples marriage licenses earlier this week, even though Pennsylvania doesn't permit same-sex unions.

3. Grocery stores in Chester: Chester hasn't had a grocery store in a decade, but a groundbreaking is slated to take place today for a Bottom Dollar. And on Monday, construction is slated to resume for Philabundance's Fare & Square (work had been halted for most of this month).

4. Funeral for crash victims: The funeral for Samara Banks and her three children who died when they were struck by a car crossing Roosevelt Boulevard last week will take place Saturday. Greenmount Cemetery and Chandler Funeral Home are donating their services for the funeral and burial.

5. Excavator as scapegoat?: The wife of Sean Benschop, the excavator operator charged in the deadly June building collapse in Center City, says her husband is a scapegoat for the incident. Tynisha Gregory-Benschop says her husband, who faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and other offenses, says her husband was "day laborer" who didn't have the authority to address safety problems at the demolition site at 22nd and Market streets.