Skip to content
Newsletters
Link copied to clipboard

Philly teen impresses in the ring, congressional map dispute continues, Krasner looks at juvenile lifers | Morning Newsletter

All the local news you need to know to start your day, delivered straight to your email.

Natalie Dove, 16, rests during a training session at Philly’s Next Champ boxing gym in Northeast Philadelphia.
Natalie Dove, 16, rests during a training session at Philly’s Next Champ boxing gym in Northeast Philadelphia.Read moreTIM TAI / Staff Photographer

Happy Friday. As chillier temperatures return to pack a punch, we meet a young Philadelphia girl who does the same. The dispute over what Pennsylvania's congressional map should look like continues with talk of impeachment. And as tension continues to divide Philadelphia's charter and public schools, the charter school landscape in the city just got a little bigger. There's plenty to talk about, so let's jump in.

— Ray Boyd (@RayBoydDigital, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

» READ MORE: Why Philly DA Krasner could let 180+ juvenile lifers out early

The U.S. Supreme Court's 2012 decision to ban mandatory life-without-parole sentences for minors means that Philadelphia had to get to the work. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has put new offers on the table for individuals who rejected deals from the previous District Attorney's Office.

Current Pennsylvania sentencing guidelines set minimums at 35 years to life for first-degree murder and 25 to life for second-degree murder. New offers have been made to 17 juvenile lifers who rejected previous deals and make all but two eligible for parole immediately. Krasner intends to tackle these offers on a case-by-case basis.

Common Pleas Judge Kathryn Streeter-Lewis is asking for reasoning from Krasner's office in the deals. Pennsylvania's appellate courts set precedents in the case of Qu'eed Batts, an Easton man who was 14 when he participated in a gang-related execution. In it, the court said that "sentencing courts should be guided" by current state law. Krasner said offers he's approved so far include minimums ranging between just under 20 years and 40 years.

» READ MORE: Pa. Republicans discuss impeaching state Supreme Court justices over congressional map dispute

The congressional map imposed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is not sitting well with Republicans and the idea of impeaching justices is being discussed. The idea was first posed by state Rep. Cris Dush of Jefferson County and was echoed this week by U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello of Chester County. Senator Pat Toomey has also weighed in, saying the idea is worth discussing.

Removing any justices would be rare. The only Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice to be impeached and removed from office was Justice Rolf Larsen after being convicted in 1994 of criminal conspiracy. Experts say politicians should not seek impeachment as judges are generally only removed for criminal behavior, not controversial rulings.

Pennsylvania Republicans have not only discussed impeachment. A group of Republican congressmen from Pennsylvania, joined by two state lawmakers, filed a complaint in U.S. District Court calling the decision an "attack on the [U.S.] Constitution."

» READ MORE: Philadelphia approves one new charter school, turns down six others

Last night, the School Reform Commission gave the green light to another charter school for popular MaST network of schools in Northeast Philadelphia. MaST will operate a K-12 school that will open in 2019 and will serve 1,300 students.

It wasn't as successful an evening for other charter proposals. Six others including well-known operators Mastery Charter Schools and Aspira of Pennsylvania, were turned down citing significant flaws in their applications. The decisions come on the heels of outcry from administrators, parents and students who expressed concerns that policy shifts within the school district would hamper the ability to run charters.

The tension between public and charter schools in Philadelphia is nothing new and has been apparent in recent months. Despite this, charters are popular in Philadelphia as 130,000 students attend district schools while 67,000 are enrolled in the city's charter schools.

What you need to know today

  1. Mercy Philadelphia Hospital has announced a $15 million renovation and expansion for its emergency department, adding 10,000 square feet to the century-old West Philadelphia hospital.

  2. Former Radnor Township Commissioners President Philip Ahr turned himself in on Thursday after being charged with five federal counts including distribution, possession, and receipt of child pornography.

  3. On Thursday, protesters at Penn each held a sign corresponding to one of the 371 mass shootings that have taken place on American soil since Jan. 1, 2017. The protest came from Penn students, inspired by the activism of students who survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.

  4. Officials have announced that a Chester County man has been charged with premeditated murder after they say he killed his 5-month-old daughter by shaking, throwing, and dropping her repeatedly.

  5. New Jersey congressional candidate Tanzie Youngblood was featured on TIME Magazine as one of the nation's female avengers. Her candidacy pits her against Democrat Jeff Van Drew who has been challenged on his links to the NRA.

  6. A Bucks County EMT is facing charges after police say he intended to engage in sexual activities with a minor, after sending sexually explicit messages to an undercover detective he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

  7. Two medical residents from Penn see Philadelphia's opioid epidemic on their job. They share their stories on how the crisis touches them, their colleagues and the neonatal intensive care unit.

  8. It's hard to let the past season go, but even champions have to plan for the future. Here's a roundup of who the experts think the Eagles should consider in the NFL Draft.

  9. Philadelphia unveiled a statue to honor civil rights activist Octavius V. Catto outside City Hall in September. Now, Catto will be memorialized again, this time with a South Philly mural.

  10. The Flyers welcomed their new goalie, Petr Mrazek, to town with a 2-1 win over the Blue Jackets in his debut with the team last night.

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

  1. First there was Joe Frazier. Some Philly boxing fans might think of the name Bernard Hopkins. And who can forget Rocky? The next great Philadelphia boxing name: Natalie Dove. The 16-year-old girl from Northeast Philly is turning heads in the ring.

  2. Philadelphia Media Network and the African American Museum in Philadelphia will host a panel discussion on Feb. 27 that will dive into the local black aesthetic, moderated by my colleague Cassie Owens. Admission is free, but you have to register to attend.

  3. ABC's sitcom The Goldbergs is flying high after the Eagles' Super Bowl win. We got an early look at some moments from an upcoming tribute episode that will feature several members of the organization including Merrill Reese.

  4. Former WFAN host Mike Francesa called Eagles center Jason Kelce a "moron" following his parade speech and said he should be fired for it. Seems like he's changing his tune.

  5. Speaking of Kelce, if you want to see him in Mummers gear again, he'll be marching with Avalon on Sunday in the Mardi Gras Parade along Main Street in Manayunk.

  6. While mild temperatures have touched Philadelphia this week, it's still winter. That means there's still time to try all of the activities that make for a day of winter fun in Philly.

  7. Penn State professor Lacey Wallace breaks down why federal dollars are not going toward gun violence research despite incidents like the shooting in Parkland, Fla.

  8. American Idol is back and two Philly contestants will sing their hearts out in the season premiere. Shortly after, we'll meet a New Jersey native in the second episode.

  9. Thursday's back cover of the New York Daily News featured three Yankees players. One has a German shepherd mask and the headline reads "The Underdogs." As my colleague Stephanie Farr puts it: "No. Just no."

  10. Foul shooting hasn't exactly been his strong suit this season, but a pair of Ben Simmons free throws with 5.6 seconds left gave the Sixers a 116-115 win over the Bulls on Thursday.

Opinions

"Cronkite's approval ratings only grew after he spoke truth on Vietnam. Today's journalists who try to do the same thing will face withering attacks on social media from
— a reactionary minority
  1. Columnist Dom Giordano writes that after the Eagles magical season, his hopes moving forward include a conversation with Malcolm Jenkins, the team deciding to visit President Trump in the White House, that one of Jenkins' ideas resonates with Trump and that Nick Foles stays in town.

  2. Ignoring the role of mental illness in deadly incidents of gun violence can have a damaging impact on our society, writes columnist Christine Flowers.

What we’re reading

  1. WHYY examines the question of where a safe injection site might be located in Philadelphia and sheds light on the mapping work already being done by researchers.

  2. PhillyVoice takes a look at a trend that shows hate group activity in Philadelphia declining while it seems to be increasing nationally.

  3. Following the Parkland shooting, TIME is comparing the responses of President Donald Trump to NRA Executive VP and CEO Wayne LaPierre.

  4. As FiveThirtyEight points out, Democrats have appeared to be willing to fund a wall if President Trump would make concessions when it comes to undocumented immigrants. They explain why Trump isn't taking the deal.

  5. The Washington Post examined CNN's town hall on gun violence which included politicians and impacted families, saying the network made "history."

Your Daily Dose of | Clay

The Clay Studio, founded in 1974, has gone from serving a few potters to over 35,000 a year. The Old City business will now setup shop in Kensington.