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DA Larry Krasner gives up fight in more death-row appeals; San Antonio about to pass Philly in size | Morning Newsletter

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Suzette Crawford holds a photo of her brother at her home March 27, 2019. Robert Crawford was shot to death in Philadelphia in December 2003. His killer, Lavar Brown, is on death row.
Suzette Crawford holds a photo of her brother at her home March 27, 2019. Robert Crawford was shot to death in Philadelphia in December 2003. His killer, Lavar Brown, is on death row.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

It may not be such a beautiful day in the neighborhood today, but it is the 143rd day of the year, and in the Keystone State, that means it’s time to honor “Mister” Fred Rogers and do something kind for a neighbor. So bring out the brotherly love, Philly. Philadelphia’s neighbors in South Jersey, meanwhile, continue to lose residents, while Philly’s collar counties are growing, according to the latest census data. And in other news, District Attorney Larry Krasner’s efforts to reverse death-sentences in years-old convictions are raising concerns regarding transparency among law-enforcement officials and victims’ advocates.

— Oona Goodin-Smith (@oonagoodinsmith, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

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It’s no secret that District Attorney Larry Krasner is vehemently against the death penalty. In fact, he campaigned on the promise to “never seek the death penalty — ever” in 2017.

A review by The Inquirer shows that Krasner has taken steps or signaled a willingness to overturn more than one-third of the death sentences for the 45 Philadelphia murderers currently on death row, often by effectively abandoning any challenge to the appeals.

The issue is not guilt or innocence, but whether the killer deserves to die, his office argues.

But Krasner’s efforts to reverse death sentences in years-old convictions have raised concerns among law-enforcement officials and victims’ advocates about whether his office has been transparent with victims’ families.

In Tuesday’s primary election, Jamie Gauthier’s defeat of longtime Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell was just one of three upsets that defied the long-held belief that in low turnout elections, party-backed incumbents tend to win.

The reasons vary, but the races share key characteristics. In each, voters chose a fresh name, and each victor — expected to coast to election in November — was a woman who knocked out an older member of the party establishment.

In addition to Gauthier, two other newer, younger candidates emerged victorious in the Democratic Council primary, and you can learn more about them here.

Also on the ballot Tuesday, Philadelphians overwhelmingly threw their support behind encouraging the city to lobby state legislators — or act on its own — to establish a $15-an-hour minimum wage. But did the vote mean anything?

South Jersey towns keep losing residents, while Philadelphia’s collar counties keep gaining them, according to municipal population numbers released Thursday by the Census Bureau.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, added more than 3,900 residents between 2017 and 2018 and 55,800 over the last eight years. But if growth trends over the last two decades continue, in two years the City of Brotherly Love will lose its spot as the country’s sixth-largest city. San Antonio will take its place.

What you need to know today

  1. A Philadelphia judge stunned a courtroom this week after throwing out a 21-year-old conviction of a man serving a life sentence for a 1996 West Philadelphia murder.

  2. Due to overwhelming support of referendum questions regarding the expansion of local laws, you’ll be able to buy alcohol in more places in Delaware and Chester Counties — eventually.

  3. According to District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office, the judge overseeing Meek Mill’s case has been biased against the celebrity rapper, abused her discretion when she sentenced him to prison in 2017 for probation violations, and should be removed from making decisions in his ongoing appeal.

  4. West Wildwood Mayor Christopher Fox has been fired from his day post as municipal administrator with the City of Wildwood. Fox’s tenure as mayor of West Wildwood has become embroiled in lawsuits, state ethics violations, and questions about his relationship with the town’s chief of police, with whom he lives.

  5. Despite President Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric during his campaign and first years in office, white Americans’ prejudice toward Latinos and African Americans declined, according to a new study by University of Pennsylvania scholars.

  6. At Philadelphia-area college commencement ceremonies this year, Super Bowl champs, actors, an astronaut and cofounder of the “Life is Good” brand gave sage advice to the class of 2019.

  7. Monica Malpass is signing off. The Action News anchor told viewers Wednesday that she had “decided to move on from 6ABC,” after more than 31 years at the station.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

Lookin’ good, Grays Ferry. 🏡 Thanks for the photo, @ann1e_in_philly.

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. Philadelphia City Hall’s tower is a different color than the rest of the building. But was that an oversight during renovation, or due to a technical reason? The answers: yes, and yes.

  2. Wawa’s hoagies may be hot, but its playlist is fire. With sandwich-specific Shakespearian lyrics like, "You and I, we’re just like two hoagies on the run,” a new Spotify playlist features four full-length songs entirely dedicated to Pennsylvania’s best convenience store.

  3. Days after retiring from his 11-year professional career, now-former Eagle Chris Long is already dishing about his experiences in the NFL, including using marijuana while playing.

  4. Beer garden season is upon us. Make the most of your al fresco imbibing this summer with our round-up of the best beer gardens throughout the region. Or, if you’re opting for BYOB, check out these eight bottle shops worth a trek in Philly and its suburbs.

  5. The Devon Horse Show, the crown jewel of Main Line traditions, begins today. Reporter Bethany Ao breaks down everything you need to know about the show, from fancy horses to fancy hats.

Opinions

“The blocks where the rival crews hang out, as Fritze would witness on surveillance video, are places where women pushing baby strollers duck for cover from gunmen. Where high schoolers are left paralyzed simply for walking home with the wrong classmates. Where grade schoolers watch teenagers die at their feet at corner stores. Where all this runs the risk of becoming normal. It’s the story of a war two miles from Center City." - Columnist Mike Newall on the weight of violence on a South Philly neighborhood.

  1. It’s time for Pennsylvania to do more to protect transgender people from violence, writes North Philadelphia Policy Institute founder Michael Cogbill.

  2. The story of Philadelphia’s 2019 primary election is that it is a mistake to discount the ability of the Democratic establishment to win elections by putting its weight behind candidates, writes the Inquirer Editorial Board.

What we’re reading

  1. Heading out of town for Memorial Day weekend? Avoid the traffic rush with these tips from Curbed Philly.

  2. There’s new life blooming in Philadelphia’s historic cemeteries, and Hidden City Philadelphia has the story.

  3. Wi-Fi has come to Mt. Everest. National Geographic profiles the sherpa helping internet reach new heights.

A Daily Dose of | The sound of silence

While his classmates are waiting tables and pushing shopping carts, 17-year-old Brett Miller has made an after-school job out of a beautiful-but-bygone profession: playing live organ as an accompaniment for silent films.