Morning Headlines: NRA-Friendly Law Goes Before High Court

Photo by iStock.com/Rex Wholster

Good morning, Philadelphia. Here’s what you need to know today:

The state’s Supreme Court will decide the fate of a state law that lets the NRA sue Pa. cities over their gun restrictions.

You might remember the law — known as Act 192 — passed in 2014 and then was struck down by a Commonwealth Court last year after a lawsuit from Philadelphia, allied cities and some state legislators. The challenge was based on the process used to pass it: The bill was originally written to create penalties for the theft of copper wiring — late during the legislative session it was gutted and repurposed as a gun bill. Critics said that violated the Pennsylvania Constitution, which requires that a bill not be amended in a way that changes its original purpose, and that bills passed by the legislature contain only a single subject. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court hears the appeal today.

A woman tells police she was sexually assaulted by a taxi driver in Northern Liberties.

Philly Mag’s David Gambacorta reports: A 27-year-old woman told Philadelphia police that she was sexually assaulted by a Freedom Taxi driver early Tuesday morning near the Barbary in Northern Liberties. The victim told investigators she climbed into the red-and-blue cab outside of the bar, on Frankford Avenue near Allen Street, at about 12:30 a.m. The driver pulled over a short while later and entered the backseat to help her find her cell phone. He then allegedly digitally penetrated her, police said. The victim described the driver as a stocky black man who was about 40- to 50-years-old and wore a brown jacket. Police had no additional information about the incident.

A Twitter-loving rock-star professor is joining the Temple faculty.

Philly Mag’s Sandy Hingston reports: A higher-ed star is joining Temple’s faculty as of this July 1st. Sara Goldrick-Rab, a Penn grad who was most recently a professor of educational policy studies and sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, announced on Monday that she’s leaving that institution and taking her talents to North Broad. Goldrick-Rab is well known in educational circles for her liberal use of Twitter, which she has used to, among other things, assail Wisconsin governor Scott Walker (she called him a fascist) and encourage incoming UW-Madison freshman to take their tuition money elsewhere because the school no longer offers “true tenure” to its faculty. In Education Week’s 2016 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence rankings, Goldrick-Rab is in 13th place.

Bob Tracey found $15,200 in cash sitting in the road. And he didn’t try to keep it for himself.

Instead, the Inquirer reports, the 61-year-old SEPTA worker turned the cash in to Upper Darby police. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is going to pay off my vacation,’ ” Tracey said. “But it’s not my way.” His daughter said Tracey’s act was consistent with his character. “That’s the man my dad has been his entire life,” Sommer Tracey Kelly said, adding: “If he would have found just $20, he would have tried to find the owner.” So who lost the cash? So far, nobody’s claimed it.

A La Salle student’s spring break? Playing guitar with The Boss.

CBS3 reports La Salle marketing student Tom England saw Bruce Springsteen in St. Louis during his spring break. He held a sign above his head, got Springsteen’s attention, and got invited on stage to play. “As soon as the song ended, he looked at me and we both kind of started laughing and he hugged me and I just started saying, ‘Bruce. Thank you so much’,” England said.  “That was my bucket list. I have no more bucket list. My bucket list is over. I can die happy.”

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