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Latest on Sixers GM Twitter scandal, LOVE Park reopens | Morning Newsletter

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Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo has some critics around the league regarding tweets that may be linked to him.
Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo has some critics around the league regarding tweets that may be linked to him.Read moreED HILLE / Staff Photographer

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Good morning, neighbors. Hope you're not sick of the humidity yet (I sure am) because you'll need to stash an umbrella in your bag. Looks like rain this afternoon. But even if the weather's got you down, at least you're not Bryan Colangelo today. The Sixers GM is embroiled in a messy Twitter scandal. You'll find everything you need to know about the controversy below, but let's just say not all is well in Sixers nation. All is not well in LOVE Park, either. The famed park had its grand-reopening yesterday but the new space is not without its fair share of critics. Let's dive in.

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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

» READ MORE: Bryan Colangelo’s Twitter scandal: What we know and don’t know

Sixers fans got some earth-shaking news late Tuesday night. Bryan Colangelo, the team's general manager, has been accused of using multiple "burner" accounts to tweet criticisms of current and former players and colleagues, including sensitive insider information.

The Sixers are starting their own independent investigation into the allegations. With Colangelo's job and his trust with his team at risk, one NBA executive said, "I think the damage is done."

It may sound far-fetched, but the textual analysis supposedly used to determine Colangelo's involvement is scientifically straightforward. So how did we get here? Well, it all starts with "the Process."

» READ MORE: Police body-cam videos show violent arrest of woman at Wildwood beach

Over Memorial Day weekend, the arrest of a 20-year-old woman on the beach in Wildwood went viral. In the video, taken by a bystander, a police officer can be seen punching her in the head.

Police have now released their own body-cam footage of the arrest. The three redacted videos show her cursing and insulting the police. Then an officer loses patience as she walks away and says, "That's it. I'm done with you. You're about to get dropped."

Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. stood by his previous comments about the incident, saying "This young lady attacked our officer." But her lawyer thinks the videos say differently.

» READ MORE: LOVE Park (officially, controversially) reopens after renovations

Though it's been pretty much open for weeks, Philadelphia's most famous park celebrated it's official grand re-opening Wednesday — to cheers and groans.

The renovations, which began over two years ago, removed the skateboard-able features LOVE Park was known for and added more green space and a new, flatter water fountain.

But not everyone is happy with the results. Critics say the once inclusive and lively space has been filled with hostile architecture built to keep specific types of users (like skateboarders and the homeless) out.

What you need to know today

  1. Despite ongoing protests, Philadelphia officials cleared out two heroin encampments in Kensington Wednesday. Some residents moved to shelters or housing services, but others had nowhere to go. 

  2. Meek Mill suffered a setback in his fight against the judge who sent him to prison yesterday. Another judge declined to throw Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Genece E. Brinkley off his appeals case.

  3. Philadelphia immigration attorney Elizabeth Yaeger wants to correct the record about the #WhereAreTheChildren campaign. It's likely that many, if not most, of the 1,500 undocumented children described as "missing" are safe, she says.

  4. The American Bible Society, a Philly-based nonprofit, has a new policy for employees: agree to abstain from sex outside marriage between a man and a woman — or resign.

  5. The death of bicycle courier Pablo Avendano earlier this month raised concerns about bike safety and the gig economy. Sadly, he's far from the only case where on-demand jobs have put workers in dangerous situations.

  6. Another reminder to pick up the SPF: melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, is on the rise according to the Blue Cross.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

It almost looks like he's walking on water, @staceyelle.

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

  1. Like it or not, Center City Sips is about to return for the summer. Thanks in part to shenanigans during last year's happy hours (like brawls and crowdsexpect higher prices and upscale touches.

  2. While there won't be much nostalgia for Graterford state prison once it closes this summer, its 89-year history is full of oddball stories. Like when one lifer raised dozens of cows and inmates found a dinosaur fossil. 

  3. Reporter Bethany Ao (who may just have the most fun job at the Inquirer) just rode a giant chandelier 50 feet over the Schuylkill in the name of international art — and lived to tell the tale.

  4. You might have heard that the reboot of Roseanne was cancelled after Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet earlier this week. She blamed it on Ambien, but the sleep drug would very much like to be excluded from that narrative.

  5. Selling your home? There are tricks to photographing it to make it look better to buyers. One local shutterbug has all the secrets.

  6. Theater buffs, rejoice: our area will be chock-full of plays and musicals this summer, from Mamma Mia and Aladdin to Fun Home and Shakespeare. 

Opinions

"Racial animus is as American as apple pie and football, and there's nothing anyone or any corporation or any government can do about it. It's what this country was founded upon.
— “ — Columnist Jenice Armstrong on why it’ll take more than a workshop to end racial bias at Starbucks and beyond.
  1. Vladimir Putin is waging a war on information to influence the U.S. and play on our political divisions and President Trump is amplifying that message with an information war of his own, writes columnist Trudy Rubin.

  2. Philadelphia has a pollution problem and the city's asthma sufferers — including 22 percent of children — could benefit from an air quality app pioneered in Louisville, writes Roxanne Patel Sheplavy of The Philadelphia Citizen.

What we’re reading

  1. The survival of Shivtei Yeshuron Orthodox synagogue in an historic South Philly row home is downright remarkable considering how often similar landmarks fall by the wayside in the city. Hidden Philly has the scoop on its rebirth.

  2. Philadelphia Magazine just sat in on workplace sexual harassment training for restaurants and the six takeaways they drew from the experience should be eye-opening for the industry.

  3. Lumberville, a sleepy river town in Bucks County, hasn't changed much in the past few decades and WHYY has all the nostalgia-inducing photos to prove it.

  4. Glamour interviewed 1,147 men about the #MeToo movement and the survey results are an emotional roller coaster for womankind. For instance, 41 percent of the men said they'd never even heard of #MeToo. Ugh.

  5. Ok, this is just cool: the Washington Post took a look under the hood of their favorite food trucks to see what — and who — is inside, complete with some exceptionally fun interactive graphics. 

Your Daily Dose of | Wishes

Local elderly residents are having their wishes granted by a bucket-list-meets-Make-A-Wish program and the heartwarming and heartbreaking requests range from sky-diving to pierced ears.