Two brothers accused of sparking a devastating 2018 arson in Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood have been ordered by a judge to pay out more than $135,000 to victims of a .Brothers Imad and Bahaa Dawara were to collect on a $750,000 insurance payout. The ensuing blaze displaced hundreds and destroyed millions of dollars worth of property.But a class-action suit filed by four former employees in 2018 alleged the duo were up to nefarious activity years before the blaze –– requiring their employees to work for tips alone, then falsifying tax records to create the impression they had paid out...…Two brothers accused of sparking a devastating 2018 arson in Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood have been ordered by a judge to pay out more than $135,000 to victims of a .Brothers Imad and Bahaa Dawara were to collect on a $750,000 insurance payout. The ensuing blaze displaced hundreds and destroyed millions of dollars worth of property.But a class-action suit filed by four former employees in 2018 alleged the duo were up to nefarious activity years before the blaze –– requiring their employees to work for tips alone, then falsifying tax records to create the impression they had paid out...WW…

Updated 6:13 p.m.The Pennsylvania State Police have publicly released never-before-seen dashcam footage from a law enforcement vehicle stuck on Interstate 676 in Philadelphia just before protesters were tear-gassed in an incident that became international news.Taken from the camera in PSP patrol unit K1-15, the video does show a masked protester who approaches and spray-paints a small circle over the windshield of the trooper SUV, obscuring much of the camera’s field of vision.The , requested by WHYY News, does not appear to otherwise corroborate accounts of violence circulated by Mayor Jim...…Updated 6:13 p.m.The Pennsylvania State Police have publicly released never-before-seen dashcam footage from a law enforcement vehicle stuck on Interstate 676 in Philadelphia just before protesters were tear-gassed in an incident that became international news.Taken from the camera in PSP patrol unit K1-15, the video does show a masked protester who approaches and spray-paints a small circle over the windshield of the trooper SUV, obscuring much of the camera’s field of vision.The , requested by WHYY News, does not appear to otherwise corroborate accounts of violence circulated by Mayor Jim...WW…

A high-ranking Philadelphia Police Department commander who roughed up protesters with a baton in two separate incidents this week will be charged with aggravated assault, the District Attorney’s Office said. The officer facing charges is Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna Jr, who has a history of misconduct and is linked to past corruption scandals. Before he was removed from street patrol duty this week, Bologna was operations commander of the department’s Patrol Bureau, a bicycle-mounted police unit that runs interference for protests and special events. In one video, Bologna can be seen...…A high-ranking Philadelphia Police Department commander who roughed up protesters with a baton in two separate incidents this week will be charged with aggravated assault, the District Attorney’s Office said. The officer facing charges is Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna Jr, who has a history of misconduct and is linked to past corruption scandals. Before he was removed from street patrol duty this week, Bologna was operations commander of the department’s Patrol Bureau, a bicycle-mounted police unit that runs interference for protests and special events. In one video, Bologna can be seen...WW…

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of an extinguished dumpster fire, Philadelphia’s on-again-off-again affair with renewed street sweeping may be back on.Just seven weeks ago, officials said plans to expand a year-and-a-half-long street cleaning pilot program were instead — one of many cuts as the city heads into a triggered by the COVID-19 crisis.But it appears that even as Mayor Jim Kenney battles with City Council over cuts to ,, and other city initiatives, officials clarified that some expanded cleaning services were likely to continue.City spokesperson Kelly Cofrancisco said that the...…Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of an extinguished dumpster fire, Philadelphia’s on-again-off-again affair with renewed street sweeping may be back on.Just seven weeks ago, officials said plans to expand a year-and-a-half-long street cleaning pilot program were instead — one of many cuts as the city heads into a triggered by the COVID-19 crisis.But it appears that even as Mayor Jim Kenney battles with City Council over cuts to ,, and other city initiatives, officials clarified that some expanded cleaning services were likely to continue.City spokesperson Kelly Cofrancisco said that the...WW…

City officials have announced yet another overhaul to Philadelphia’s system for selling publicly owned vacant lots, aimed at streamlining sales to residents seeking to create side yards or community gardens.Philadelphia Housing Development Corp., a quasi-municipal agency that manages certain city land sales, will launch new online platforms that will allow buyers to formally apply to purchase land for such uses.“It is critical that the process of reactivating vacant publicly owned land is fair, predictable and transparent,” Angel Rodriguez, a vice president at PHDC, said of the revamped...…City officials have announced yet another overhaul to Philadelphia’s system for selling publicly owned vacant lots, aimed at streamlining sales to residents seeking to create side yards or community gardens.Philadelphia Housing Development Corp., a quasi-municipal agency that manages certain city land sales, will launch new online platforms that will allow buyers to formally apply to purchase land for such uses.“It is critical that the process of reactivating vacant publicly owned land is fair, predictable and transparent,” Angel Rodriguez, a vice president at PHDC, said of the revamped...WW…

Are you on the front lines of the coronavirus?Street sweeping in Philadelphia is over before it began.Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration has slashed as part of .Philadelphia is the only big city in the country to lack a comprehensive street sweeping program. But Marisa Waxman, Kenney’s budget director, said Thursday that the projected $10 to $11 million needed to finance the expanded program was not in the cards.“As we looked across the budget with a $649 million gap, we had to prioritize what we still are able to do and we focused on keeping Philadelphians safe, healthy and educated,”...…Are you on the front lines of the coronavirus?Street sweeping in Philadelphia is over before it began.Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration has slashed as part of .Philadelphia is the only big city in the country to lack a comprehensive street sweeping program. But Marisa Waxman, Kenney’s budget director, said Thursday that the projected $10 to $11 million needed to finance the expanded program was not in the cards.“As we looked across the budget with a $649 million gap, we had to prioritize what we still are able to do and we focused on keeping Philadelphians safe, healthy and educated,”...WW…

CoronavirusAP TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. .For years, Pennsylvania has had a hard time counting its dead.A new analysis shows that in 2017, Pennsylvania had the most severe death reporting lags in the country. Almost every state was able to send the vast majority of death certificates to federal health officials within three months,...…CoronavirusAP TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. .For years, Pennsylvania has had a hard time counting its dead.A new analysis shows that in 2017, Pennsylvania had the most severe death reporting lags in the country. Almost every state was able to send the vast majority of death certificates to federal health officials within three months,...WW…

Minutes before his life ended, U.S. Army veteran Angelo Slaughter was with his two young sons on the steps of their Southwest Philly rowhouse. That night in 2006, police officers appeared on the block to question suspects over a drug transaction that had allegedly taken place earlier that day.Two plainclothes officers approached Slaughter to question him. What happened next is a matter of dispute — a story where the distinction between self-defense and a police murder hinged on the position of Slaughter’s arms.Philly Police Officer Sharrod Davis, who had joined the force three years prior,...…Minutes before his life ended, U.S. Army veteran Angelo Slaughter was with his two young sons on the steps of their Southwest Philly rowhouse. That night in 2006, police officers appeared on the block to question suspects over a drug transaction that had allegedly taken place earlier that day.Two plainclothes officers approached Slaughter to question him. What happened next is a matter of dispute — a story where the distinction between self-defense and a police murder hinged on the position of Slaughter’s arms.Philly Police Officer Sharrod Davis, who had joined the force three years prior,...WW…

In the winter of 2017, Blanche Jacob’s North Philadelphia apartment got so cold, she moved her bed into the kitchen at night and turned on the oven for warmth.She says the heat in the building never worked right, but the landlord still asked tenants to pay utilities.“The building was real old, everything was a mess,” she said in a July interview. “But they still wanted the money whether it was heated or not.”Jacobs said she called the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections and eventually began withholding rent after a doctor diagnosed her with pneumonia in the spring of 2018. Her...…In the winter of 2017, Blanche Jacob’s North Philadelphia apartment got so cold, she moved her bed into the kitchen at night and turned on the oven for warmth.She says the heat in the building never worked right, but the landlord still asked tenants to pay utilities.“The building was real old, everything was a mess,” she said in a July interview. “But they still wanted the money whether it was heated or not.”Jacobs said she called the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections and eventually began withholding rent after a doctor diagnosed her with pneumonia in the spring of 2018. Her...WW…

A day after Philadelphia police came under fire for the handling of a demonstration on I-676, PPD Commissioner Danielle Outlaw is ordering the department to revise its use of force guidelines.A memo obtained by Billy Penn and WHYY shows officers will be required to report all use of force live on their radios, rather than as procedural paperwork after the fact.“Effective immediately, and until notified otherwise, all uses of force must be reported via Police Radio, to ensure we can properly defend our actions when we are ultimately challenged,” Outlaw wrote in the department-wide...…A day after Philadelphia police came under fire for the handling of a demonstration on I-676, PPD Commissioner Danielle Outlaw is ordering the department to revise its use of force guidelines.A memo obtained by Billy Penn and WHYY shows officers will be required to report all use of force live on their radios, rather than as procedural paperwork after the fact.“Effective immediately, and until notified otherwise, all uses of force must be reported via Police Radio, to ensure we can properly defend our actions when we are ultimately challenged,” Outlaw wrote in the department-wide...WW…