Cosby paid accuser $3.4M, Temple neighbors balk at community center 'bribe' | Morning Newsletter
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Welcome to Tuesday, folks. Well, the first day of Bill Cosby's retrial was eventful to say the least; you'll find more on that below. Meanwhile, the feud over Temple's proposed football stadium has pulled a local community center into its maelstrom and another case of excessive force is brewing in Atlantic City's police department. Plus, we've got thoughts on Pitbull headlining Philly's July 4 concert. Let's dig in.
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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
» READ MORE: Cosby paid accuser $3.4 million; topless protester charges entertainer
Before the first day of Bill Cosby's retrial on sexual assault charges could even begin Monday, a topless protester charged the entertainer outside the Montgomery County Courthouse. As it turns out, she was also a four-time guest star on The Cosby Show.
A different kind of disruption — a juror saying "I just think he's guilty" — delayed Monday's proceedings, but the juror was left on the case and opening arguments commenced. In his opening statement to jurors, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele revealed Bill Cosby paid Andrea Constand nearly $3.4 million to settle her 2005 lawsuit, a sum hidden for more than a decade behind a confidentiality agreement.
And that was just Day One. Cosby's lawyer Tom Mesereau is expected to deliver his opening statement today.
» READ MORE: Temple neighbors call proposed community center a stadium bribe
Plans for a community center in North Philadelphia are now in the middle of the battle over Temple University's proposed football stadium.
Temple intended for the center to be an olive branch to the community, but many neighbors just see it as a carrot — "a tease in order to get the stadium," said Jackie Wiggins, a North Philadelphia block captain and member of opponent group Stadium Stompers.
The College of Education's dean, Gregory Anderson, says he's been trying to build a center that would hold a pre-K, a dental clinic, autism screenings, and workforce training for years. But residents say Temple again failed to engage the community to ask what it wants or needs.
What you need to know today
Federal authorities raided the offices of President Trump's longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen Monday, seizing records on payments made to porn actress Stormy Daniels. Trump responded by teasing that he could fire special counsel Robert Mueller.
Another case of alleged police brutality in Atlantic City — part of a history of excessive force claims in the department — is heading to court as an officer is accused of assaulting a man while removing him from Bally's casino.
Parents and alumni are still fuming over the undisclosed conditions the Abington School Board agreed to in exchange for $25 million from Wall Street billionaire Stephen Schwarzman. A new reworked agreement will be unveiled to the public tonight.
Why were a SEPTA transit officer and his K9 partner, who his family has kept as its own for five years, suddenly separated? It could be over an update to officer uniforms.
New Jersey lawmakers gathered for a hearing on school security last night in Cherry Hill following the Parkland, Fla. shooting. The overwhelming sentiment? Security measures must be preventative, not reactive.
Liberty Motel in North Philadelphia was long a magnet for drug use and prostitution — until a local nonprofit decided to redevelop the site to serve the community.
A new study has found that young women continually underestimate their risk for STDs. Blame those awkward conversations between doctor and patient.
Acclaimed drum and bugle corps director George Hopkins resigned last week after nine women accused him of sexual harassment or assault, and others are now sharing their own stories. If you have a story or tip you'd like to share, reporter Tricia Nadolny would like to hear from you.
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
Today is Equal Pay Day, a day to raise awareness for the gender pay gap. So, women are sharing stories about when they faced unequal pay and what to do if it happens to you.
Nick Williams provided a game-winning homer last night for the Phillies over the Reds just a few days after his heart to heart with manager Gabe Kapler over playing time. Speak your dreams into existence, Nick!
The Barnes Foundation has found a new chief curator, and she's known for bringing virtual reality experiences to museum exhibits.
Pour the Fireball: Mr. Worldwide himself, Pitbull, is headlining this year's July 4 Wawa Welcome America concert and music critic Dan DeLuca says he is the perfect artist to ring in Independence Day.
Watch out, West Reading — the Dragons are spreading their wings. Drexel University is opening a new branch campus for their College of Medicine in Berks County.
Perhaps "It Won't Be Long Now" until In the Heights is on the silver screen. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Philly's own Quiara Alegría Hudes just retrieved the movie rights to their Broadway smash.
The Flyers kick off their playoff run Wednesday against the Penguins and competition is looking tough. But Flyer Claude Giroux is making a convincing case for NHL MVP.
If you have a few million dollars lying around, you can now live on the fabled Ardrossan estate that inspired The Philadelphia Story.
Opinions
Jennifer Schrad of Bryn Mawr opposes legislation before the state House and Senate seeking to block abortions sought exclusively because of a fetal diagnosis of Down syndrome. That's because, she writes, she once had to face such a diagnosis herself.
For the next two weeks, Pennsylvania's House Judiciary Committee will host hearings on a series of gun bills, and the Inquirer Editorial Board writes that it could be lawmakers' chance to truly take action and protect us.
What we’re reading
Following a deadly fire in a North Philly home illegally operating as a boarding house, WURD's Charles D. Ellison offers an opinion for the Philadelphia Citizen that the city must focus on its affordable living problem.
Technically Media's Alexandria Leggett attended BlackTech Week in Miami to get some inspiration for Philly Tech Week — and met a long-lost cousin in the process. Talk about a happy ending!
Give a hearty thanks to Philadelphia Magazine for gathering wellness influencers to debunk the worst nutrition "advice" on Instagram. Bad news, bulletproof coffee drinkers.
The BBC's photo essay on the drag queens of Beirut, where homosexuality is technically illegal, is an intimate look at the quickly evolving, rebellious scene.
How do police shootings relate to America's gun problem? In the U.S., weaker gun laws correlate to more killings by police officers, according to a new analysis by Vox.
Your Daily Dose of | Transformation
Mark your calendars for a grand re-opening: The Philadelphia Museum of Art is closing its Chinese art galleries for ten months for a major revamp.