Philly experts weigh in on Kavanaugh-Ford testimony, N.J. lotto winners pay it forward | Morning Newsletter
And, Kensington High seniors are accepting donations to bring back their school's library.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/F5MFNC7EUVB4RCYBOYP6MV4UNU.jpg)
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Yesterday marked an emotional day in Washington and across the country as Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on their versions of events the night Ford says the judge sexually assaulted her. At the Inquirer and Dailly News, we gathered a panel of Philly-area experts to give real-time analysis and provide varied perspectives on the historic hearing that may go down as a cultural dividing line. On a lighter note, a New Jersey family who scored the Powerball jackpot through "divine intervention" is using their winnings to bolster their church and the Trenton area. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning. — Oona Goodin-Smith (@oonagoodinsmith, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
In nearly nine hours of emotional testimony that captivated the nation yesterday, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford told the Senate Judiciary Committee and America that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party 36 years ago when they were in high school. Appearing irritated and at times tearing up, Kavanaugh appeared before the committee next, vehemently refuting Ford's account of the night.
For days, the historic hearing has drawn parallels to the 1991 testimony of Anita Hill, and yesterday, senators didn't shy away from linking the two.
As the teary scene played out on Capitol Hill, we at the Inquirer and Daily News gathered a panel of area experts to weigh in on the testimony in real time, discussing Kavanaugh and Ford's credibility, behavioral differences, special prosecutor Rachel Miller's line of questioning, and alcohol and sexual assault.
Students and professors at Camden's Rutgers Law School gathered to watch the testimony together, and in the Philadelphia region, crisis centers saw a 147 percent increase in calls from sexual assault survivors during the hearings.
Republicans say they plan to force a committee vote on Kavanaugh's nomination this morning.
It was through “divine intervention” in a dream that Pearlie Mae Smith, 72, says she knew the numbers to pick for two Powerball lottery tickets in 2016.
And now, it's through the biblical principle of sowing and reaping that the Trenton great-grandmother and her seven children are giving 10 percent of their $429.6 million jackpot back to the church and to their city.
With the money, they've built a parish in Bridgeton and set up an $8 million grant-making foundation that invests in Trenton's neighborhoods and sponsors educational and cultural programs, including artist showcases, a youth basketball league, a jazz and comedy festival, backpacks and computer donations to at-risk children, and care baskets for first-generation college students, just to name a few.
What you need to know today
Philadelphia's new payroll system cost the city $44 million, but a uniformity in the program shortening the work day by 30 minutes that officials want may force the city to shell out millions more.
Two Philadelphia police officers were arrested Wednesday and charged with illegally detaining a man and falsifying paperwork during an April pedestrian stop in East Mount Airy.
A cafe and landscaping project are breathing new life into a once-bleak West Philly concrete SEPTA trolley junction, creating a destination in transportation.
Fentanyl and a synthetic cannabinoid, commonly known as "K2" have been confirmed as the drug combination behind a surge of overdoses that sickened 110 and killed 7 over the weekend in Philly.
As the Catholic Church continues to grapple with the sexual-abuse crisis that has shaken its core, the Camden Diocese will host a series of evening vigils starting tonight to pray for the victims and the church.
The former president of a for-profit education firm linked to Chaka "Chip" Fattah Jr., the son of a longtime Philly congressman, was sentenced Thursday in federal court to more than six years in prison for embezzling $800,000 intended to help guide at-risk students in Philadelphia.
After Kensington High School's library was scrapped to cut costs, seniors at the school are working to build their own, donation-driven library center for future students to use.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
Thanks for the reminder, @aimeebsiegel. There's still time for a final salsa night Friday or art market Saturday under the colorful floating lights before Spruce Street Harbor packs up for the season.
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
Eager to keep a low profile and avoid the paparazzi awaiting him at a Jenkintown restaurant, Bradley Cooper drove Inquirer film critic Gary Thompson around his hometown to talk family, Philly, and his upcoming film with Lady Gaga, A Star is Born.
Break out the Doc Martens: punk — and the iconic South Street punk rock boutique, Zipperhead — are making a comeback on an upcoming episode of the Jenkintown-based ABC sitcom, The Goldbergs.
She's finished dead-last time and again, but that doesn't deter this tiny, 60-year-old marathon-running school New Jersey superintendent from entering countless competitive-eating contests.
Media's own Wanda Sykes is coming home for a stand-up show at the Keswick Theatre tonight, but don't expect her to talk about Roseanne.
Bring on the pumpkin spice. Fall is officially here, and millennials on the hunt for Instagram-worthy autumnal activities are flocking to Philly's suburbs.
Opinions
A new brand of traffic cop may help Philly to solve its congestion woes, but alone, it's just a Band Aid fix to a larger problem, writes the Inquirer Editorial Board.
"Uproarious laughter" is Christine Blasey Ford's most powerful memory from the night she claims Brett Kavanaugh assaulted her, but it's America's angry women voters who may have the last laugh in the November election, says columnist Will Bunch.
What we’re reading
Will Elon Musk's sci-fi travel dream, the Hyperloop, become reality in Pennsylvania? State lawmakers are calling for experts to weigh in on the feasibility of connecting Philly and Pittsburgh with the pneumatic tubes, according to PlanPhilly.
Across America, being willed a property isn't enough to receive it, WHYY reports. In Philly, the city charges citizens a hefty processing fee before receiving their inheritance, leaving some low-income residents deciding between groceries and family history.
Star signs aren't just for people, they're for cities, too, Atlas Obscura explains. And really, is it any surprise that Philly's a Scorpio?
It's not accurate to say that alcohol causes sexual assault. Rather, data shows that it's toxic masculinity mixed with inhibition-lowering alcohol that causes sexual violence, FiveThirtyEight reports.
Your Daily Dose of | Viking
Holy ship! A 32-foot-long, 1,100-pound replica of the Eik Sande Viking vessel now hangs from the ceiling of the lobby at the Franklin Museum.