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Sheriff Green beats all charges, how MLK's death changed America, Villanova preps for parade | Morning Newsletter

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FILE- In this Aug. 28, 1963, black-and-white file photo Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, addresses marchers during his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. NBC News says it will rebroadcast a 1963 "Meet the Press" interview with Martin Luther King Jr. in honor of the March on Washington's 50th anniversary next week. King appeared on the news program three days before his landmark “I Have a Dream” speech at the civil rights march. (AP Photo/File)
FILE- In this Aug. 28, 1963, black-and-white file photo Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, addresses marchers during his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. NBC News says it will rebroadcast a 1963 "Meet the Press" interview with Martin Luther King Jr. in honor of the March on Washington's 50th anniversary next week. King appeared on the news program three days before his landmark “I Have a Dream” speech at the civil rights march. (AP Photo/File)Read moreFile / AP

Welcome to Wednesday, folks. I have no good news on the weather front today: look for rain early and high winds. But I do have updates for you on Villanova's impending parade, the trial of former Sheriff John Green, and the retrial of Bill Cosby. Plus, we're taking a look back on the 50 years since Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. There's a lot to discuss, so let's jump in.

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

» READ MORE: It’s been 50 years since MLK’s assassination. Where does the country stand?

Fifty years ago today, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn. The anniversary begs the question: how has America changed since his passing?

There has been progress, according to some Philadelphia activists, ministers, and teachers. But to others, race relations and racism have taken a giant step backward.

Columnist Jenice Armstrong is headed to Memphis for a commemoration of the anniversary and, along the way, spoke to Rev. Joel King about how his cousin's legacy lives on.

» READ MORE: Nova Nation celebration continues with parade

After getting emotional on the court, the Villanova men's basketball team continued celebrating their Monday night NCAA championship win with a party back at their place Tuesday — on campus, with more cheering fans. 

They'll see even more Thursday when crowds gather in Center City for a victory parade. And yes, as usual, plenty have pointed out Villanova isn't actually in Philly. But who doesn't love a parade?

Want to relive the 2017-18 season? Don't miss our coverage of the "superNova" team from doubts to dominance.

» READ MORE: Former Philly Sheriff John Green beats all corruption charges

Former Philadelphia Sheriff John Green, who was sheriff for two decades, beat all five charges in his federal corruption trial Tuesday. The jury also rejected many of the charges against businessman John Davis, accused of showering Green with bribes and kickbacks.

Earlier in the trial, Green, 70, defended giving unwritten city contracts worth $35 million to Davis, who later became his financial benefactor. He argued he was told the practice was legal.

What you need to know today

  1. The answer to one of the great mysteries of Bill Cosby's legal travails — how much did he pay accuser Andrea Constand to settle a sexual assault lawsuit in 2006? — may be revealed in his retrial this month following a new court ruling.

  2. A woman opened fire at YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, California Tuesday, wounding three people before fatally shooting herself. The shooter told family members she "hated" the company.

  3. Pennsylvania has joined 17 other states in suing the Trump administration to prevent a question about citizenship from being added to the 2020 census.

  4. Two New Jersey state troopers are being investigated after pulling a man over for tailgating and then searching his underwear for pot along a Burlington County highway.

  5. The Philadelphia School District just committed $20 million to classroom renovations next year. But the makeovers are way more than just new paint and carpets.

  6. The city held another community meeting about safe injection sites Monday, and it featured a Canadian cop who says one of the sites transformed his beat for the better.

  7. The fiscal year doesn't end until June 30, but the Police Department has already burned through its $57 million overtime budget. Oops.

  8. It looks like Mayor Jim Kenney is going to name his new school board today. Follow along here for updates.

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. Our latest edition of the Clean Plates series shows inspectors found mouse droppings, live cats, overflowing sewage, and rusted paint chips at local restaurants. Yuck.

  2. The Toll Brothers effort to build a condo tower on Jewelers Row cleared its final design review Tuesday, but not without some last-minute drama.

  3. The Phillies got shut out by the Mets Tuesday night in New York. Don't worry, manager Gabe Kapler is already writing about what's gone wrong so far this season.

  4. The Sixers, on the other hand, won 121-95 over the Brooklyn Nets, led by Ben Simmons (who Dr. J himself just called a "maybe once in a lifetime-type player") and JJ Redick.

  5. That's right, the Flyers played last night, too. (It was quite a night for Philly sports.) But they lost to the Islanders, putting their playoff hopes at risk.

  6. Fair Food Farmstand at Reading Terminal Market, which has promoted buying local for the last 15 years, is closing, ironically because of growing competition.

  7. Lorde stopped at the Wells Fargo Center on her latest tour this week and covered a Bruce Springsteen classic. 

  8. In-law suites are on-trend in Philadelphia, meaning more families are embracing inter-generational living.

Opinions

"No longer do we see the criminalized images of the black addict that we saw during the war on drugs. Now we see the image of the white sympathetic figure as the face of the opioid crisis." — Columnist Solomon Jones on how the language of shame has changed with the gentrification of addiction.

  1. A South Philly woman running for committee person this fall has responded to recent commentary on the role by U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, explaining what it really entails.

  2. State Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Mayor Jim Kenney write that they're joining the suit against the Trump administration over changes to the 2020 census because it would hurt the people of Pennsylvania. 

What we’re reading

  1. The Ringer says college basketball has entered the "Age of Villanova," and they're not sure it's a good thing. What say you, Nova Nation?

  2. If you want to look like (and not just at) Creed II star Michael B. Jordan, his trainer's given Philadelphia Magazine the secrets to getting in Adonis-like shape. 

  3. You'll definitely want to know why 35 grown men traveled hundreds of miles to ride a SEPTA trolley, via PlanPhilly.

  4. Nadirah McRae, a former Strawberry Mansion High School student, has told Refinery29 about the lacrosse scholarship that was supposed to transform her life — until paperwork and a tangled lawsuit undid her dream.

  5. Would you raise your child without gender from birth? The Cut's exploration of parents raising "theybies" is quite thought-provoking.

Your Daily Dose of | Blooms

For many, spring means cherry blossoms in bloom. For Sandi Polyakov of the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden, it means his first Cherry Blossom Festival as head gardener. No pressure.