Gun control debate hits Pa. House, apologies for men arrested at Starbucks | Morning Newsletter
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Happy Friday, Philadelphia. Today students across the country, including many in our region, will stage another school walkout in protest of gun violence on the anniversary of the Columbine shooting. The walkout comes after a hearing in the Pennsylvania House over dozens of proposals to address gun violence. Yesterday, the two men who were arrested at a Center City Starbucks last week finally entered the spotlight to share their story and receive an apology from Police Commissioner Ross, though the issue is far from settled. Oh, and it's 4/20. Let's get started.
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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
» READ MORE: See every idea the Pa. House has for gun safety after Parkland
Three dozen Pennsylvania House members just spent six days offering dozens of bills and ideas about gun safety in wake of February's Parkland, Fla. school shooting. To clear it all up, reporter Justine McDaniel has broken down each and every suggestion (arming teachers, not arming teachers, banning bump stocks) by subject, with their sponsors and lawmakers' opinions.
Will any of them actually facilitate change? Today, on the anniversary of the Columbine school shooting, students across the country hope so as they participate in a National School Walkout to protest mass shootings. For students at Cheltenham High School, this walkout takes on a different tone than last month's anti-gun-violence March for Our Lives by focusing on gun control and unity.
» READ MORE: Police Commissioner apologizes to 2 men arrested at Starbucks
After he was criticized for defending police arresting two black men in a Center City Starbucks last week, Philly Police Commissioner Richard Ross offered the men a public apology Thursday.
"It just comes back to the notion that I have to do better, we have to do better," he said.
The men, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, appeared on Good Morning America Thursday to tell their side of the story after staying out of the spotlight all week. In another interview, Nelson indicated he was afraid for his life during the arrest.
» READ MORE: It’s Philly’s first 4/20 with medical marijuana
Today, April 20 (also known as 4/20), is marijuana's high holiday, and it's the first since medical marijuana became available in Pennsylvania. Of course, it's still only legal for those qualified as a medical patient, but that hasn't stopped Philly from booking themed events across the city.
But Pennsylvania's marijuana growers aren't in a celebratory mood. They're suing the state's medical research program over their perceived disruption of the blossoming business.
So why is today so special for the cannabis community? You'll have to ask five men called The Waldos.
What you need to know today
Southwest flight 1380: Late last year, the Federal Aviation Administration called for inspections on fan blades like the one which broke and caused the fatal engine failure of a Southwest Airlines plane this week. Southwest asked for more time to complete the inspections.
Thanks to multiple iterations of a plastic protective mask covering his injury, Sixers star Joel Embiid returned to the court last night to help beat the Heat. The Sixers are now up 2-1 in the playoff series.
Cosby trial: Two toxicologists, one called by each side in Bill Cosby's sex assault retrial, testified yesterday with conflicting opinions on how drugs could have impacted accuser Andrea Constand. Meanwhile, the topless protester who charged Cosby on the first day of the trial says she'd do it all again because, to her, it's personal.
Former Philadelphia Sheriff John Green is headed back to court. Federal prosecutors are going to retry him on charges he defrauded taxpayers after he beat every charge in a trial earlier this month.
The death of H.R. McMaster Sr., father of former national security adviser H.R. McMaster Jr., is under investigation by the Department of Health, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office and the Philadelphia Police Department. The Philly nursing home where he died of "blunt impact head trauma" Friday has been cited by health inspectors in recent years.
A Delaware County man convicted of hiding his past as a murderous Liberian warlord has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. He's the first to be punished for crimes related to the Liberian civil war from 1989 to 1997.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
We want to see what our community looks like through your eyes. Show us the park that your family walks through every weekend with the dog, the block party in your neighborhood or the historic stretch you see every morning on your commute to work.
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
Next season's Eagles schedule was released yesterday, and your Super Bowl champs will both open the season in Philly with the Atlanta Falcons and clock their first regular season game overseas. Get hyped for it all by watching the Eagles' brand new documentary about their historic 2017.
Neighbors of Margate, New Jersey's famous Lucy the Elephant are wary of the town's latest boardwalk-style attraction, a "monstrosity" of a mini-golf course.
A Philly charity says comedian Trevor Noah of The Daily Show wasn't such a stand-up guy when he bailed on their fundraiser, leaving them in a $200,000 hole.
An historic Bella Vista church once headed for demolition may get a second chance — if the owner can find a preservation-minded buyer, that is.
Great news for Rail Park devotees: the first leg of the new park over the Reading Viaduct will open in June. What happens after that is a whole different story.
A Philadelphia man was once hailed as the "worst roommate ever" for terrorizing his cohabitants and laying claim to their space. Now his reign of terror is getting the small and big screen treatment.
Opinions
Pennsylvania's acting Secretary of State Robert Torres is calling upon voters to vocally support purchasing new voting systems lest the state's system fall victim to hacking.
Drexel University president John Fry agrees higher penalties for hazing are necessary following the death of Penn State student Tim Piazza, a death, he says, that "still weighs on me."
What we’re reading
It's almost pop-up season in Philadelphia, so WHYY has put together a primer on the city's beer gardens and food truck fests, including how they impact neighborhoods and gentrification.
One local actress committed an act of extreme tax transparency by revealing her salary on Facebook. Then she told Philadelphia Magazine how she got by on $16,000 in 2017.
The Daily Pennsylvanian's latest provides updates on a tract of land the University of Pennsylvania owns which they recently learned was once a historical African American burial ground.
A former Reuters Iraq bureau chief has written a moving personal essay about his experiences with PTSD following the deaths of a Reuters photographer and driver at the hands of U.S. forces in 2007. It's a must-read.
Bustle's marketing team recently surveyed young women about motherhood and the results were a bit shocking: they were so convinced motherhood would negatively impact their careers that many were rethinking it altogether.
Your Daily Dose of | Immersion
The latest health and wellness craze is called "forest bathing" and it's all about stress relief. Don't worry, there's no swimming or stripping required.