Tax bill in flux, payday lending pioneer found guilty, affordable housing bill stalls | Morning Newsletter
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Good morning, Philadelphia. Today the news is bills, bills, bills: GOP tax bills, affordable housing bills, and loan sharks preying on Americans paying their bills. And sadly, I have no good sports news for you. Both the Flyers and the Sixers lost last night, though we did learn LeBron James loves Eagles QB Carson Wentz.
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— Aubrey Nagle
» READ MORE: Main Line payday lending pioneer found guilty
The "godfather" of payday lending, Villanova resident and Wharton grad Charles Hallinan, was convicted yesterday of racketeering conspiracy charges.
The crime he was charged with is traditionally associated with Mafia loan sharks. Recently it's reined in payday lenders who prey on vulnerable Americans with sky-high interest rates.
Hallinan spent much of the last three decades in the business. The 76-year-old faces a sentence that could effectively put him in prison for the rest of his life.
» READ MORE: Tax bill still in flux ahead of vote
President Trump has said he is open to making changes to the GOP's tax bill and Senate Republicans are doing their best to make them as they try to pass their tax package by the end of the year.
A vote on the bill is expected this week. A second Republican senator announced he opposed the bill yesterday, and Republicans only have two votes to spare in their 52-48 edge on the Senate.
Democrats and opposing Republicans say the current bill would benefit big business and make things worse for middle- and low-income families. A new analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office agrees.
» READ MORE: College professors’ new worry? Going viral
As political polarization collides with students' ability to make classroom comments go viral, college professors are making self-censorship a priority. One Temple professor says they should all, "Be afraid. Be very afraid."
Some local professors have found themselves in the spotlight for their online comments, too.
Drexel associate professor George Ciccariello-Maher was placed on leave following tweets about October's Las Vegas massacre. A Penn teaching assistant recently came under fire for saying she would always call on her black women students first. An adjunct professor at Rutgers said his teaching contract wasn't renewed after controversial tweets, too.
What you need to know today
After a heated hearing yesterday, a bill that would mandate affordable housing in Philadelphia has been put on hold.
The Washington Post reports that a woman they believe is working with an organization seeking to discredit mainstream media falsely accused U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore of impregnating her as a teenager to one of their reporters.
A New Jersey-based grocery chain has spent months partnering with Uplift Solutions to train and hire ex-offenders. What have they learned? It's not perfect, but the system works.
Rev. Al Sharpton paid a visit to Meek Mill yesterday while he serves time at Chester State Correctional Institution. Sharpton pledged to use his power to help Mill and said the rapper appears well, all things considered.
Something all students can agree on: the more sleep, the better. That's why Pennsylvania school districts are experimenting with later start times.
A Cherry Hill Ford dealership is paying $150,000 in back wages to eight Chinese technicians they were routinely underpaying compared to non-Chinese technicians.
Pope Francis is visiting Myanmar and Bangladesh this week and kicked off the trip by meeting with Myanmar's military chief yesterday to address violence against Rohingya Muslims in that country.
» READ MORE: #OurPhilly
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That’s Interesting
A new storyboard was unveiled yesterday marking the contributions of African American Civil War veterans buried at Philadelphia National Cemetery in West Oak Lane. Now visitors can learn all about the U.S. Colored Troops.
The Camden County Historical Society also unveiled new historical markers yesterday. These will be placed at three sites along the Delaware River in remembrance of African slaves brought to the city in the 18th century.
Prepare to be amazed: The latest installation for 100th anniversary of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway is set to open Thursday, and it features four 13-feet-high fiberglass domes covered in digital projections.
Looks like it was another record-breaking Cyber Monday: shoppers spent $6.59 billion. That's a lot of people shopping at their desks.
The Painted Bride Art Center, a stalwart of Philly's alternative art scene, is closing its doors. But don't worry, the Bride will still exist as a project-based organization.
Rejoice, Kevin Hart fans: the Philly comedian will host SNL for the third time next month.
Good news for Bruce Springsteen fans, too. The Boss is extending his Broadway run.
Opinions
Proposed tax-reform legislation would devastate charitable giving in our area, writes Mike DiCandilo, interim president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and Pedro A. Ramos, president and CEO of The Philadelphia Foundation.
Columnist E.J. Dionne says that Sen. John McCain needs to step up and stop the GOP tax reform efforts in their tracks.
What we’re reading
Philly's philanthropy scene is struggling as local funding stagnates and nonprofits grow. Philadelphia Magazine's package of stories on the philanthropy crisis may put you in a giving mood.
WURD's Charles D. Ellison, host of Reality Check, called out SEPTA and city council for their treatment of seniors at the Philadelphia Citizen. His argument raises important points about how paratransit riders are (or are not) able to get around the city.
Thousands of Philadelphia students are homeless and, as WHYY News reports, school counselors are often their primary resource for aid. Not all heroes wear capes.
Digitization may have changed the print industry, but as NPR writes, some craftspeople are keeping the art of bookmaking alive. For them, we are thankful.
This New Yorker story on how a triple infanticide helped scientists discover the age of the Greenland shark is just bananas. Turns out, they're the longest-living vertebrate on the planet.
Your Daily Dose of | Adulting
Millennials, want to learn how to balance a checkbook or change a tire? Turns out, there’s an app (or a local business) for that.