Philly development may rest on the dead; AG Barr defends handling of Mueller report | Morning Newsletter
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The Morning Newsletter
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In West Philadelphia, the multi-billion dollar Schuylkill Yards development is beginning to take shape. But some say it’s doing so atop not one, but two historic cemeteries. The company behind it claims it did its due diligence at the site. Senators also did their due diligence Wednesday as they questioned Attorney General William Barr about his handling of Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Barr also explained why he felt President Trump did not obstruct justice.
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— Ray Boyd (@RayBoydDigital, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
Schuylkill Yards, the massive $3.5 billion development near 30th Street Station, is taking shape, in part on land that was once occupied — and may still be — by two of Philly’s oldest and largest abandoned historic cemeteries.
The burial grounds were started by the Quakers and were used from the 1680s until the mid-19th century. No records of removals of skeletal remains from either site have been found in public records.
Skulls and bones have been unearthed in the area repeatedly over the last century due to construction. Archaeologists say possibly thousands of skeletons remain buried, but the company behind the work says they are confident none still do.
Attorney General William Barr was grilled by Senate Democrats Wednesday over his handling of the rollout of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference during the 2016 election. Barr’s characterization of the report has come under fire.
Mueller told Barr in a letter that his summary of the report did not capture “the context, nature and substance” of the full report and left the public confused.
Barr also said that President Trump did not commit obstruction of justice by ordering White House counsel to remove Mueller from the investigation, saying there’s a difference between ordering to “remove” someone and ordering to “fire” someone.
Temple asked Moshe Porat to resign, but he refused. The former dean of the Fox Business School says the university unfairly blamed him for a rankings scandal that damaged the school’s reputation, and ruined his reputation last summer.
Porat maintains that he knew nothing about false data being reported to U.S. News & World Report to boost the school’s ranking. Now, he is planning a lawsuit against the university and its president.
In a statement, Porat wrote “Out of loyalty to the university, I have been publicly silent for 10 long months. That ends today.”
What you need to know today
Swarthmore College’s two remaining fraternities will disband amid outrage over leaked internal documents that suggested one of the group’s members made offensive comments about women and minorities and joked about sexual assault.
Optimization. That’s the word SEPTA is now using to describe its efforts to improve Philly’s bus service. The plan is to revamp the existing network instead of redesigning it completely.
Philadelphia reimagined how the city regulates employers’ control over their employee schedules when a “Fair Workweek” law passed five months ago. Now, a state legislator wants to take it statewide.
There’s quite a price to pay for living in Philly. According to a new report, the city ranks among the nation’s highest when it comes to monthly household bills.
Speaking of making payments, Philly City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart says she will not approve payments for new voting machines that will cost the city millions until her office investigates the much scrutinized machine selection process.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
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That’s Interesting
Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek says he’s doing well — even though he doesn’t always feel it. He opened up Wednesday about the emotional toll he’s experienced since his cancer diagnosis.
Kyle Tanguay made history on Tuesday night. The University of the Arts junior will become the first male cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Could you imagine a world with no Eagles football before 2 p.m. or after 6 p.m. on Sundays? Well, that’s the law (luckily unenforced) in the Keystone State. Now, lawmakers are working to rid Pennsylvania of its most outdated laws.
Decades of silt build-up in the Schuylkill River has threatened the regattas that take place on the iconic racecourse for years. A last minute effort will finally lead to the dredging the river desperately needs.
Opinions
“I can remember a time not long ago when the prospect of armed men in places of worship was a joke rather than a constant reality. ... I wish men with weapons in places of worship were still a joke. But now it’s a sad and frightening reality — one that’s repeating itself and spreading like cancer in places all over the world.” — Columnist Solomon Jones on recent shootings inside places of worship.
Philadelphia is clearly making progress on a number of issues statistically, but the city still has a ways to go to benefit everyone, writes The Inquirer Editorial Board.
The decision to abandon Germantown High School instead of restoring and repurposing the once stately school building is a sad sign of Philly’s building neglect, writes Germantown alumnus Jeff Hurvitz.
What we’re reading
If you love super blooms, you might want to stop using them as the backdrop of your online posts. Our obsession with posting flowers on Instagram is killing them, The Ringer reports.
Some journalists live in a state of constant threat as they fulfill their mission to share truth. Ahead of World Press Freedom Day Friday, TIME has rounded up the 10 “most urgent” cases of threats to press freedom in the world today.
WHYY explored Philadelphia neighborhoods to chat with residents about the issues they feel most threatened by ahead of the May primary. It’s all about everyday problems, not the most talked about political debates.
A Daily Dose of | Crowds
Maybe it’s the Bryce Harper deal. Maybe’s it’s the new vegan cheesesteak. Whatever the reason, Phillies games have seen a major spike in attendance this season as fans flock to Citizens Bank Park.