Philly mother fights for justice; Questions surround Miss America | Morning Newsletter
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Tamika Watson's daughter was killed more than a decade ago, but it doesn't mean she's done fighting for justice. She is still wondering why the man who confessed to the murder has not been charged. The next Miss America is just weeks away from being crowned in Atlantic City, but this year, a cloud of skepticism seems to be hanging above the organization and participants. We're in the middle of amusement park season and two of my colleagues took on all of Six Flags' roller coasters to rank them for you — not a bad assignment. Once again, don't forget that umbrella today.
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— Ray Boyd (@RayBoydDigital, morningnewsletter@philly.com)
» READ MORE: Philadelphia mother seeks justice after man confessed to killing her daughter
A Philadelphia mother is left wondering why a man confessed to the murder of her daughter, but hasn't been charged. 1n 2016, James Barrow admitted killing Tamika Watson's daughter six years earlier.
Watson is not only angry with Barrow. She's angry with the man who has not charged him. To make matters worse, Watson's believes the District's Attorney's Office has left her in the dark about updates in the case.
Without hearing from District Attorney Larry Krasner, Watson is left speculating about the reason he has not charged Barrow. And she believes she knows why.
According to data from the Washington Post, over the last decade in America's largest cities, there were clear disparities when looking at unsolved homicides when broken down by the victim's race. It also sheds light on the number of unsolved homicides Philly has seen during that time.
» READ MORE: With six weeks to go, is Miss America ‘coming apart at the seams?’
There's roughly six weeks left until Miss America 2019 is crowned in Atlantic City. Usually excitement would be mounting, but this year there is noticeable skepticism.
A former winner describes Boardwalk Hall as "coming apart at the seams," — an opinion leading to some pageant winners passing on coming to Atlantic City. That feeling has also been fueled by changes to the competition including the elimination of the swimsuit competition — a move that was not welcomed by all candidates.
An email scandal revealed that Miss America's former CEO used vulgar language in referencing former winners. New leadership is now in place, but several departures occurred as well. Current leadership is denies the existence of any friction within the organization.
» READ MORE: Riding and ranking all of the roller coasters at Six Flags
Riding roller coasters isn't for everyone. If you're on the fence about which ones to ride, my colleagues Bethany Ao and Claire Wolters would like to help.
The pair recently made their way to Six Flags Great Adventure to help guide you through the quintessential amusement park experience. What does that include you might ask. Well, long lines, crowds and amusement park food are givens. And of course, thrill seeking.
The duo decided to tackle all 12 of Six Flags' roller coasters. They ranked them and offer some vital information on how not to wind up sick in the bathroom while your friends keep going.
What you need to know today
A batch of heroin circulated across Philadelphia and experts believe it's responsible for a recent spike in overdoses. Researchers think they may have a sense of what that batch was contaminated with.
Two years before walking into her Hatboro church, Jennifer Angelina Petro came out as transgender. On that day, she felt most comfortable in the back by the door. Today, she says that community saved her.
Pamela James' granddaughter was all set for the charter school she was newly accepted to. The family complained that the school denied the ninth-grader only after finding out about her special-education status. Officials say it isn't the first complaint against this Philly charter.
A group of parking lot attendants in Philadelphia were recently fired, saying they were let go after an attempt to unionize. Their experience sheds light on what private-sector workers face when trying to organize.
The legal battle over a secret grand jury report into clergy sex abuse in Pennsylvania continues. Attorney General Josh Shapiro is appealing to Pope Francis to step in.
The controversial Kensington junkyard, which reopened just two weeks after a massive blaze, has been ordered to stop operating. With multiple violations in the last decade, the city is shutting the junkyard down until it cleans up its act.
A Japanese-American woman attended a conference in Philadelphia last week. As she left her hotel, she says she was horrified by the slur written on her bill.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
Who doesn't love the dog days of summer? The winner of this week's #OurPhilly fan poll is @_codys_world_.
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
Wildwood is often seen as the junk-food capital of the Jersey Shore. Despite the calorie-packed competition, Bill Baxavaneos continues his daily call: "Fresh fruit!"
In other shore-related news: MTV's Jersey Shore reboot now has a premiere date and yes — it will feature the actual Jersey Shore. Rest easy, Wildwood. It's a different Shore town.
The Eagles hit the practice field on Thursday at training camp, including Carson Wentz. When he wasn't cracking jokes about his honeymoon, he was discussing how it felt to be back out on the field.
In a move that will hopefully ease some of the parking-induced headaches in Philly, pay-by-app parking will soon be expanded to all metered street parking.
I'm sure there were a ton of reasons why Jim Thome decided to sign with the Phillies. But, my colleague Matt Breen points out how union boss John Dougherty electrified the pitch to the slugger.
Tonight, the Phillies are handing over Citizens Bank Park to Billy Joel and that isn't the only show you can catch this weekend. On Saturday, fans will enjoy the sounds of the (not-Philadelphia) Eagles.
Opinions
Philadelphia teacher Quamiir Trice wants to set the record straight. He is not leaving the classroom after all and believes he can make things better now, not later.
Timothy Tyson, the author of The Blood of Emmett Till, writes that as the Department of Justice reopens the case, America cannot afford to forget the lynching of Emmett Till.
What we’re reading
It can be hard for teenagers to debate the news on the internet as adults often don't take them seriously. As The Atlantic explains, they've found their own social space to talk big issues with little interruption.
Sixers guard J.J. Redick was asked on his podcast what five NBA players he would need to have with him to survive while stranded on an island. The Ringer shares his list and you can probably guess why he picked his teammate Joel Embiid.
How well do you know Philly? If you think you know it pretty well, Billy Penn presents a quiz with 24 questions to test your knowledge of the City of Brotherly Love.
The Trump administration is continuing to work to reunite families that were separated at the border. Three reunited families share their stories of fear and confusion with Buzzfeed News.
As The Washington Post writes, this has been a hot and dangerous summer across the planet and scientists say the brutal heat is something they saw coming.
Your Daily Dose of | Scoop
Sherry Horsey Darden, the new owner and publisher of Philly's black-owned community paper Scoop USA, is looking to take a different approach as she fights to keep it alive.