Today's Top Picks: June 24, 2015
Your early look at the day's top stories and what we're reading.
Top 5 Headlines
1. Thunderstorms batter Philadelphia region
A band of strong thunderstorms slammed the Philadelphia region Tuesday night, leaving hundreds of thousands without power. The power problems have also disrupted public transportation, with PATCO not expected to resume service until mid-morning. Utility companies said it could take several days before full service is restored. Read more.
2. Activists deface police memorial
A group of activists have taken credit for defacing a memorial for fallen police officers in Olney. The anti-police graffiti was chalked by a group who has protested police since Brandon Tate-Brown was killed in an officer-involved shooting in December. At the time of the most recent vandalism, the group was outside the 35th District memorial to hold a solidarity rally for an activist arrested by SEPTA police. Read more.
3. Philly prepares to auction tax liens
Philadelphia is set to auction 938 tax liens, beginning today, in an effort to collect millions in unpaid property taxes and other fees. But several community groups and nonprofits aren't happy about the pilot program to auction off control of the liens. Read more.
4. Montco man's death in Cuba a mystery
The circumstances surrounding the death of Hatfield native Christopher Tur remains a mystery, six months after the civilian contractor was found in the water off the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay. The Navy has remained silent about his cause and manner of death, but a private autopsy determined that he died by "drowning with recent blunt injuries (circumstances unknown)." Read more.
5. Officers to stand trial in beating case
Two Philadelphia police officers will stand trial on brutality charges in the beating of a man in North Philadelphia Sean McKnight and Kevin Robinson are accused of knocking 23-year-old Najee Rivera off his motor scooter then assaulting him after he ran a stop sign. Defense attorneys say Rivera was fleeing the officers, while prosecutors contend that surveillance video shows the two pummeling him. Read more.
What We're Reading
1. Fair streets in Philadelphia require trade-offs
Newsworks
4. Putin's plot to get Texas to secede
Politico
5. Why former Pittsburgh Steelers' names are in a gas pipeline controversy
PennLive