Philadelphia Inquirer

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, June 18th. City of Philadelphia officials have appealed to the Commonwealth Court to stop an Arizona-based youth agency from moving undocumented migrant children into its Logan neighborhood shelter. VisionQuest had expected to begin accepting children into its facility at the end of June, after winning the right to proceed last week in Common Pleas Court. The agency plans to house a rotating population of Spanish-speaking boys, ages 12 to 17.

Good morning. It’s Monday, June 17th. It was a violent weekend of gun violence in Philadelphia. There were sixteen shootings across the city, leaving twenty-six victims, including four who were killed. The shootings happened on a playground, inside a deli, at a graduation party, and elsewhere — with two happening on busy stretches of South Street.

Good morning. It’s Friday, June 14th. Philadelphia City Council approved its spending plan for the 2020 fiscal year. At $5 billion, it’s an increase of $300 million from the current budget. This newly approved budget is part of Mayor Jim Kenney’s five-year plan of larger initiatives. For example, the budget includes $36 million over five years for a program focused on fighting the opioid crisis.

Good morning. It’s Thursday, June 13th. Roman Catholic bishops in the U.S. are expected to vote this week on a number of reforms aimed at holding themselves accountable for their response to reports of sexual misconduct. The proposals come after a scandal-filled year that exposed hundreds of priests and leaders who covered-up decades of misconduct. One proposal would move the initial investigation of misconduct conduct away from Vatican investigators to local officials.

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, June 12th. A new program to put Suburban Station’s homeless population to work is eight weeks into its two-year pilot. And, so far, interest in the program is growing. On a recent Monday morning, 34 people gathered at Love Park, hoping they’d be chosen for one of ten spots in a lottery for morning of work. The lucky group then started their morning with Mural Arts Philadelphia, painting in the station. And they ended it with a payday.

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, June 11th. A corrupt ex-Bucks County judge was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison Monday afternoon. John I. Waltman presided over Lower Southampton Township like an old-time political boss during his time as a district judge from 2010 to 2016. He was found guilty of a litany of federal crimes including extorting bribes, fixing cases, and conspiring to launder $400,000 in what he believed to be proceeds from the illegal sale of drugs.

Good morning. It’s Monday, June 10th. A Philadelphia sheriff’s deputy was found dead at his desk in his Center City office Friday Morning. 27-year-old Dante Austin was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Sheriff Jewell Williams. Austin was a leader in the city’s gay community and was the department’s first LGBTQ community liaison. Austin was a U.S. Army veteran and was scheduled to be promoted to sergeant in the Sheriff’s Office next month.

Good morning. It’s Friday, June 7th. The Philadelphia Orchestra has received the single-largest gift in its history: a total donation of $55 million. The gift comes from a couple wishing to stay anonymous. It places $50 million in the orchestra’s endowment, with $5 million going toward operating costs. The Philadelphia Orchestra has historically not had as much money as many of its peers from across the country.

Good morning. It’s Thursday, June 6th. Redevelopment plans for the shuttered Germantown High School have finally been revealed. The Philly high school and a nearby elementary school were sold to developers in 2017. Since then, the properties have sat vacant. And neighbors have grown frustrated with the silence from developers when they raised questions. This week, the owners finally revealed that their plan includes a cafe, coworking spaces, and over 230 housing units.

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, June 5th. Meek Mill is getting a new hearing. The Philly-born rapper and criminal justice advocate has been entangled in a criminal case for more than a decade. Now Mill has been granted an appellate hearing in Pennsylvania Superior Court with a new judge. The previous judge, Genece Brinkley, has put Mill in jail several times for parole violations, and Mill’s legal team has accused her of bias.