Watching Hurricane Florence, sheriffs target ‘deadbeat dads’ | Morning Newsletter
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It is a solemn day for Americans as we remember and honor the many lives lost on this day 17 years ago. President Trump and his wife Melania will mark the day with a visit to Shanksville, Pa., where hijackers crashed United Flight 93, killing all on board. It's now the site of a 9/11 memorial. In other news, much of the East Coast is on alert as Hurricane Florence makes its way across the ocean. We'll be following its moves closely all week.
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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
Father of four Michael Casner has seen firsthand the ways local sheriffs are targeting “deadbeat dads.” He was arrested at his Spring City home in the middle of the night for owing $1,323.99 in child support.
The problem is, Casner says, he's not a deadbeat — he has primary custody of three of his kids and had been paying child support for the fourth.
His experience is becoming more common as deputies in our region join overnight raids to capture parents in contempt of court. But experts aren't so sure the sweeps are the best way to address child support debt.
Florence is officially a major Category 4 hurricane and on a probable path to make landfall along the coast of the Carolinas by Friday, where evacuations are already taking place.
It's too soon to tell what it will mean for the southeast, let alone our region. But no matter where Florence lands it's likely to incite storm waves off the New Jersey and Delaware coasts and bring tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rain inland.
If and when rain does come our way, it will be adding to an already record-breaking year for precipitation in Pennsylvania.
Before Julie Hlebik of Norristown was diagnosed with cancer in 2012, she had received $11,500 in college loans. Those loans ballooned to $18,000 a few years later on interest alone as she paid for doctors' visits and chemotherapy.
College students like Hlebik can't discharge education loans in bankruptcy, even if they get sick with a serious illness like cancer. But a new bill working its way through Congress is hoping to change that.
What you need to know today
The Burlington County couple accused of misusing the $400,000 in GoFundMe donations raised for homeless man Johnny Bobbitt may be indicted, according to the attorney who says he may no longer be able to represent them.
Longtime journalist Bob Woodward is staunchly defending his new book on the Trump White House, out today, and its many shocking passages.
Residents and developers are opposing a South Jersey company's plan to erect a billboard at the base of the Ben Franklin Bridge in Camden. But a hearing on the controversial proposal has been delayed again.
Studies have shown the dementia rate for black Americans is up to twice as high as it is for white Americans. Now a new study suggests a depression treatment could help African Americans with mild cognitive impairment.
It's the end of an era as Our Lady of Fatima Monastery in Mount Laurel, New Jersey has shuttered after 60 years. It's being preserved as open space by the township.
More Than Just Ice Cream, a Washington Square West stalwart, is closing up shop after 43 years. The last chance to grab a bite of their famed pies is Sept. 27.
Fear not, Muggles. Chestnut Hill will have a magical fall festival after all. Just don't call it the Harry Potter Festival.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
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That’s Interesting
The Met Philadelphia, the North Broad Street opera house that's been dormant for decades, has released its first schedule ahead of its December reopening and it all starts with Bob Dylan.
Keegan Bradley may have won the BMW Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square Monday, but, as columnist Marcus Hayes writes, the grounds crew keeping the course dry were the real heroes.
Citizens Bank Park wasn't prepared for all that rain we got last weekend and their use of blowtorches to dry the field didn't work. Last night's Phillies game versus the Nationals was postponed thanks to the muddy infield.
As if Penn alum John Legend didn't have enough going for him (the hits, the looks, the charm), he just became the first black man and the youngest person to become an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner.
A video of an Eagles fan helping a man spread his father's ashes at Lincoln Financial Field has gone viral. Maybe this story will replace the whole snowballing Santa thing. But probably not.
Geoffrey Owens, the former Cosby Show actor who was job shamed for working at Trader Joe's, says the Bill Cosby scandal was partially to blame as it meant the show's reruns were pulled from syndication.
Anchor Lake in Winslow Township, New Jersey was once a beautiful backdrop for residents. But the privately owned lake is now so overgrown it looks more like a meadow than a body of water.
Opinions
Proposals to allow teachers to carry firearms, like one Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos plans to approve, are ridiculous and will make our children less safe, writes city councilman Kenyatta Johnson and Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry T. Jordan.
Despite the controversies and missing swimsuit competition, Sunday showed Miss America is here to stay, writes Lisa DePaulo, who has been covering the pageant since 1982.
What we’re reading
PhillyVoice has the latest on Sheila Modglin, the beloved Dirty Franks bartender still recovering after being hit by a car in February. Her brother says she's a fighter but there's a still a long road ahead.
This football season, the Philadelphia Citizen is bringing back its weekly column comparing Philly to the city the Eagles play on the field and broadcaster Mike Quick is at the helm.
Attention history lovers: don't miss Billy Penn's look at the Northern Saving Fund building in Callowhill, a Frank Furness work that somehow went from historical landmark to Stephen Starr bar to real estate headquarters.
Anxiety is now the most common mental illness in America so, naturally, a unique economy has sprouted up to meet it. Vox's exploration of the meaning of fidget spinners and weighted blankets is endlessly fascinating and more than a bit concerning.
Speaking of concerning … anyone who uses Facebook (that would be most of you, statistically speaking) should read the New Yorker's new profile on CEO Mark Zuckerberg before logging on.
Your Daily Dose of | Team Spirit
After a decade without, the Philadelphia Union finally has a mascot. Introducing Phang, a blue, two-legged, golden mohawked snake.