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5 stories to follow: June 19

    by Emily Babay
    Published 

Here's your daily round-up of five stories to follow:

1. Building collapse hearing: The Philadelphia City Council will hold its first hearing today about the Center City building collapse that left six people dead and 13 injured last month. Today's council's hearing -- the first of five -- will focus on licensing and inspection issues. Meanwhile, the expediter who helped the contractor tasked with the demolishing the building at 22nd and Market streets, owes the city more than $17,000 in back taxes.

2. Review of police shootings: A federal review of the Philadelphia police department's use of force will begin in July. Philly police leaders will meet with the U.S. Department of Justice on July 10 as the first step in the review process. The meeting comes after Philly.com reported last month that police shot 52 suspects last year, the highest level in a decade.

3. Philly schools funding: A deal is said to be in the works for a funding package that could designate as much as $100 million for the Philadelphia School District. The money could come with major strings attached, such as securing significant concessions from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. City Council has largely left the problem of solving the school district's financial woes to state lawmakers.

4. SEPTA police video: SEPTA and witnesses have vastly different accounts about what happened just before a six-second video was filmed, showing two transit agency officers punching a man. A witness says officers "jumped" his unarmed friend at the 15th Street Market-Frankford Line station and initiated the altercation, which was posted on YouTube. A SEPTA spokeswoman says a disturbance on the street spilled into the station; someone was arrested for resisting arrest and three were charged with disorderly conduct.

5. Booker in South Jersey: U.S. Senate candidate and Newark Mayor Cory Booker is making an appearance with top Democrats in South Jersey this afternoon. Booker is an early Democratic primary favorite in the race to replace the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg. Primaries are scheduled for Aug. 13 and a special general election will take place Oct. 16.