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Philly Asks Millennials: What Do You Want From Our City?

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Philadelphia is reaching out to millennials to ask how officials can make a better city for them.

At a Millennial Forum Saturday, the mayor and members of his administration will hear from that generation about local issues that matter to them.

The city established its first Millennial Advisory Committee in August 2016. More than 400 people applied for the committee's 21 spots.

"The millennial population is the largest demographic in the city of Philadelphia. We want to know what this age group needs to succeed and want to remain in the city," MAC Chair Nicole White said.

The forum starts at 9 a.m. at Temple University's Howard Gittis Student Center. It's free and open to the public, but anyone interested in attending should pre-register to reserve a spot.

"This event will provide an opportunity for a large swath of the city's millennials to give their opinion on these issues. We hope that it will be fun, engaging, informative and most importantly allow our peers to have their voices heard," White said in a press release.

The MAC is a diverse group; members range in age from 23 to 34 and come from different neighborhoods and cultures in the Philadelphia area.

Following the opening remarks from Mayor Jim Kenney and other officials, the forum will break off into three workshops focused on social justice, financial futures, and neighborhood change. At this point, the public will be able to discuss opinions with specific committee's in Kenney's administration

White said city officials hope that this will be the start of an ongoing discussion between the city and millennials. Although this is the only event officially planned, expect more announcements in the near future.

"We want to have at least three public events per year," White said. "The size of each may vary, but we want to do something similar."


Pence in Philly Amid Outrage Over Separating Kids at Border

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Vice President Mike Pence is heading to Philadelphia Tuesday even as outrage grows over separating immigrant children from their parents along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Pence will be in town for a fundraiser at the Rittenhouse Hotel with Scott Wagner, the Republican nominee for governor in Pennsylvania.

Outside the event, hundreds of protesters are planning to congregate to oppose President Donald Trump’s immigration policy.

An unapologetic Trump doubled down on the policy, declaring that the U.S. "will not be a migrant camp" on his watch.

But images of sobbing children held in fenced cages fueled a growing chorus of condemnation from both political parties and even four former first ladies. The children are being held separately from parents who are being prosecuted under the administration's "zero-tolerance" policy for illegal border crossings.

Tuesday night's event benefits the Republican Governors Association, and Pence and Wagner are both expected to speak at it. The association is not releasing details on how many people will attend the private event or how much they are paying to get in.

Wagner is challenging the re-election bid by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who began June with a nearly 10-to-1 cash advantage after Wagner spent heavily to win a three-way Republican primary last month.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro joined other attorney generals throughout the country in signing a letter opposing the practice. 

The "family separation policy is un-American and violates the core principles and values of our nation,” he said in a statement after sending a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “President Trump has the sole authority to rescind his policy and should stop using children as leverage in political battles.”

The fundraiser is closed to the public and media, but NBC10 will be covering the demonstration. Follow us for complete coverage.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Second Suspect Charged in Trenton Art Festival Mass Shooting

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A second suspect in a mass shooting at a 24-hour Trenton art festival over the weekend was charged Tuesday as elected officials and community leaders met at a Trenton church to talk about ways forward amid gang violence.

The chaos broke out at the Art All Night festival in downtown Trenton around 2:45 a.m. Sunday, according to investigators.

One man, Tahaij Wells, was killed and 21 others injured by either gunfire or in the chaos of people fleeing. Both suspects who have so far been charged are among the wounded and remain hospitalized.

Davone White, 26, of Trenton, faces multiple counts of illegally owning a weapon, including possession of a large capacity magazine. Amir Armstrong, 23, was charged Sunday with unlawful possession of a weapon. No court dates have been set for either.

Local, state and federal investigators are still trying to determined exactly how Wells was killed. He had been on parole since February for homicide, police said.

Officials have said several fights sparked by disputes between neighborhood gangs broke out prior to the shooting.

"Prior to the shooting, the Trenton Police Department began dispersing individuals," Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said. "Those individuals, however, continued to loiter and additional fights broke out and then the shooting occurred."

Witnesses told officials they heard people arguing inside the historic Roebling Wire Works venue moments before gunfire erupted. The fight soon spilled out into the street as attendees ran for cover.

Police said multiple people, including Wells, 32, and Armstrong then opened fire at each other. At least 1,000 people were in the area at the time.

One witness said he grabbed his girlfriend when the shooting started and the barrage went on for a long time. 

"[It] just kept going," Franco Roberts said.

Officials said 17 of the victims were shot while others who were hiding behind cars during the shooting were hurt when the vehicles began to move. 

Police are also investigating an attempted carjacking in an alley behind the venue. Investigators have not yet determined whether it was related to the shooting.

Investigators recovered multiple weapons after the shooting. One weapon was a handgun with an extended capacity magazine that contained more ammunition than permitted under New Jersey law, officials said. 

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he was troubled the shooting happened just days after he signed tougher gun laws into legislation. 

"This is yet another reminder of the senselessness of gun violence," he said. "For those responsible, we will bring the full extent of the law and justice to bear on them."

Art All Night Trenton began Saturday afternoon and was scheduled to conclude Sunday afternoon. The remainder of the festival, which promoted "community, creativity and inspiration," was canceled.

"We're very shocked. We're deeply saddened. Our hearts ache and our eyes are blurry but our dedication and resolve to building a better Trenton through community, creativity and inspiration will never fade. Not tonight. Not ever," festival organizers posted on social media Sunday.

"My sympathy goes out to the victims and their families," Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson said at a Sunday morning press conference. "All shootings are a crisis. This is not just a random act of violence — this is a public health issue."



Photo Credit: NBC10
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Summer Stage Kicking Off in Upper Darby

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The Upper Darby Summer Stage has been putting on live theater for over 40 years. Chris Monico and Marie McVeigh from the company sat down to talk about how young people find friends and a community performing in Summers Stage shows. The Upper Darby Summer Stage will open again on July 3.

Philadelphia FIGHT Talks Sexual Health with Youth

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In honor of AIDS Education Month, Philadelphia FIGHT is raising awareness and dispelling rumors about the HIV/AIDS. The organization is also getting Philly youth involved in the discussion with Hip Hop for Philly.

15 Crack Overdoses Could Be Linked to Opipids, Officials Say

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Fifteen people in West Philadelphia overdosed over the weekend on what experts worry could be crack cocaine laced with fentanyl or some other opioid.

An email sent to health care providers from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health warned that several of the patients suffered near fatal outcomes, including brain injury and cardiac arrest.

All 15 patients were admitted to the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and required higher than average doses of narcan, which reverses the effects of opioid overdoses.

“We’ve known for some time that fentanyl has made its way into the powdered coke supply,” Dr. Brian D. Work from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center said.

Work, who is also on the board of Prevention Point, said regular crack cocaine users “wouldn’t even remotely expect to overdose and neither would the people that [they’re] with.”

By contrast, “the intravenous drug community is relatively savvy” to what an overdose looks like.

Those who overdosed reported using their regular supply of crack cocaine only to experience shortness of breath before losing consciousness. Some are now in comas, according to Dr. Jeanmarie Perrone, professor of emergency medicine and the director of medical toxicology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

These symptoms are not consistent with cocaine overdoses, which typically result in increased heart rates, she said.



Photo Credit: NBC10

'Can't in Good Conscience': Govs. Defiant on Separation Rule

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Delaware's governor said he will not deploy National Guard troops to assist with the growing crisis along the United States-Mexico border until President Donald Trump does an about-face on separating immigrants from their children.

Hours later, his counterparts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey followed suit refusing to be in the business of splitting up migrant families.

In a series of tweets Tuesday, Democratic Gov. John Carney said he "can't in good conscience send Delawareans to help" given a Trump administration policy that has torn apart families seeking asylum when attempting crossing the border.

Carney's announcement was followed up by similar sentiments from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.

"While Pennsylvania proudly sent troops to help Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico in the last year to assist with disaster relief and Governor Wolf believes we need to protect our borders from real threats, he opposes state resources being used to further President Trump's policy of separating young children from their parents," Wolf spokesman J.J. Abbott said.

Meanwhile, Murphy preemptively signed an executive order Tuesday afternoon banning state resources from being used to separate families of immigrants.

"Ever since our founding – and even before – our nation has been a beacon for families seeking freedom and yearning for a better life. President Trump has turned this promise on its head by doubling-down on his inhumane and cruel policy of separating families," Murphy said in a statement. “It has no basis in law or Scripture, no matter how many times the President, the Vice President, or anyone who tries to defend this policy tries to spin it. This is a matter of human rights, human dignity, and basic humanity.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, neither state had received a new federal request to dispatch troops to the border.

The separation policy has drawn outrage from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress and sparked a national uproar about the treatment of undocumented immigrants.

Trump strongly defended the practice, which has been in the works since February 2017, saying the U.S. "will not be a migrant camp." He also inaccurately said Democratic lawmakers were holding up legislation to change the policy. In fact, the Trump administration changed longstanding practices and it remains within the president's power to reverse course.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen also has said, "We will not apologize for the job we do or for the job law enforcement does, for doing the job that the American people expect us to do."

From May 5 to June 9 when the zero tolerance rule was fully-enforced, more than 2,230 families were apprehended at the border, a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told NBC News. Of those families, 2,342 children were taken from their parents' custody.

Many children were taken to temporary detention facilities, including one inside an old Walmart in South Texas. News outlets have been barred from widely touring these centers and from filming inside of them. But the federal government issued video showing children inside of cages reminiscent of prison cells.

In April, Trump called for National Guard help in securing the nation's southern border. Some bordering states have agreed to help, but support from other states has been anemic.

Carney said his office received a new request on Tuesday to send troops.

Carney is not alone in refusing to assist with security effort because of the separation policy. The governors of Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut all have done the same. These governors include Democrats and Republicans.

"If President Trump revokes the current inhumane policy of separating children from their parents, Delaware will be the first in line to assist our sister states in securing the border," Carney said.



Photo Credit: Getty Images, AP
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Controversy Over Homeless People Sleeping at Allentown Public Parks

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Saying they have nowhere else to go, some homeless people are sleeping at public parks in Allentown, Pennsylvania. However, with the summer season here, some parents are saying those parks should only be for the kids.


Villanova Coach Speaks on Wildcats in NBA Draft

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With two national championships in three years for Jay Wright, Villanova's head coach speaks about the former Wildcats who are in the upcoming NBA draft.

Woman Charged in Deadly Hit-and-Run in Norristown

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A woman was arrested after she allegedly struck and killed a pedestrian with her vehicle and then fled the scene.

Alexa Laffkas, 21, of Uwchlan Township is charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death or injury and other related offenses.

Police say Laffkas was driving a Jeep at the intersection of Markley and Main streets in Norristown back on May 27 shortly after 4 a.m. when she struck a man who was crossing the street. Investigators say Laffkas entered the intersection when the traffic signal turned yellow and was also driving 40 mph in a 25 mph zone.

Laffkas allegedly fled the scene and continued driving to a friend’s apartment in Bridgeport.

The victim, identified as Clinton Rucker, 64, was pronounced dead at the scene.

“If this defendant had stopped, attempted to help the victim and called police, she likely would not be facing this severe of a charge or state prison time,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said. “Drivers need to do the right and responsible thing.”

Laffkas was arraigned Tuesday. She’s scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 28.



Photo Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney's Office

Hundreds Gather to Protest Pence in Philly Amid Outrage

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A large group of protesters gathered outside the Rittenhouse hotel in Philadelphia where Vice President Mike Pence will speak at a fundraiser for a Republican nominee for Pennsylvania governor.

The protest comes amid outrage over the separation of immigrant parents from their children at the U.S.-Mexico border. Check out these photos of the protesters.

Waterford Township Tells Neighbors to Move Basketball Hoops

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What's so dangerous about a basketball hoop? That's the question Waterford Township neighbors are asking after town officials told residents to move their basketball hoops out of the street, calling it a hazard to school buses and emergency vehicles.

Video Shows Moments Before Shooting at Restaurant

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Surveillance video shows a gunman dragging a man outside an Upper Darby restaurant prior to a shooting. Police are searching for two men involved in the incident.

Police Say Crowd Taunted Them While They Tried to Help Man Suffering from Seizure

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Pleasantville's police chief says an angry crowd taunted and disrupted officers while they were trying to help an 18-year-old man who was suffering from a seizure. A police dashcam video captured the incident.

Driver Drags Officer in West Philly, Police Say

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A police officer is recovering after she was dragged by a vehicle in West Philadelphia Tuesday.

The incident began as a domestic situation between two men, one of whom was holding an axe handle, police said. The man then used the handle to smash a gold Hyundai, according to investigators.

The driver of the Hyundai then fled on 57th Street and Girard Avenue as a responding officer tried to intervene. The officer was dragged by the vehicle which continued down the street.

The officer was treated for minor injuries and is expected to be okay. Police are currently searching for the driver. They have not yet revealed whether the man who had the axe handle will face any charges.


Meet Baby Beau! Newborn Giraffe Makes Philly Zoo Debut

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There's a new attraction at the Philadelphia Zoo. 

Giraffe parents Stella and Gus welcomed baby Beau into the world on the evening of Sunday, June 10.

The newborn calf made his public debut Tuesday in the African Plains exhibit.

Beau is the second calf of Stella and Gus, who also have a seven-year-old named Abigail. Gus, will live apart from his son for a lengthy period of time as male giraffes do not play a role in caring for their newborns.

Dr. Andy Baker, the Zoo’s chief operating officer said in a statement, “The giraffe is one of the most iconic animals in the world, and unfortunately now among the threatened. Recently listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the number of giraffe is in steady decline with threats including poaching and habitat destruction.”

The week-old calf stands 5-foot-7-inches and weighs about 125 pounds. As an adult Beau can reach up to 18 feet tall and weigh close to 3,000 pounds.

Catch him with his mom at the zoo. 



Photo Credit: Philadelphia Zoo

Sneak Peek Inside Construction at the Wells Fargo Center

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Photo Credit: Wells Fargo Center

U-Haul, Employee Charged in Deadly Food Truck Explosion

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Nearly four years after a Philadelphia food truck explosion killed a woman and her daughter, a Pennsylvania U-Haul company and an employee face charges.

The U-Haul Company of Pennsylvania and Miguel Rivera, a general manager of U-Haul's Hunting Park location, were charged Tuesday with violating hazardous materials regulations in connection to the deadly blast.

The six-count indictment accuses Rivera and the U-Haul company of violating the United States Department of Transportation regulations on classifying, handling and packaging hazardous materials.

Rivera filled two propane cylinders back on June 29, 2014, according to the indictment. On July 1, 2015, one of those cylinders ignited and exploded in the back of the La Parrillada Chapina food truck as it sat parked along Wyoming Avenue in the Feltonville section of Philadelphia.

The explosion engulfed the entire street in a fireball and sent shrapnel flying some 95 feet.

The blast injured Olga Galdernez, 42, and her daughter, Jaylin Landaverry, 17. Both victims died from their injuries weeks later. Nine other people were also hurt.

Rivera faces 15 years in prison while the U-Haul Company of Pennsylvania faces a maximum sentence of five years of probation if convicted.

A lawsuit filed on behalf of the family in June of 2015 said the tanks were aging and damaged and should never have been refilled by staff at U-Haul.

U-Haul's parent company, Americo, both stores' general managers and food truck kitchen designer ERI Vending Cart were named in the suit as well.

"This was a bad tank that should not have been filled," attorney Alan Feldman told NBC10. "There are specific federal regulations that companies like U-Haul have to observe."

The tanks, which were owned by Galdernez, held 100-pounds of propane each. She had them regularly refilled by friends at two U-Haul locations along W. Allegheny Avenue and W. Hunting Park Avenue, according to the suit. Feldman said she, like many others, would not know how to spot a bad propane tank.

U-Haul staff are required to inspect the tanks, make sure they're in good condition and ensure the valve design is current. Those checks were not done, the suit alleges.

"This was by all accounts an old tank," Feldman said. "This was not a leak, this was a rupture of the entire tank."

In the explosion's wake, Philadelphia City Council began pushing to change state law to allow local inspections of food truck propane tanks.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com/Family Photo
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Car Crashes Into North Philly Row Home

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No one was reported injured after a car crashed into a row home along W Allegheny Avenue in North Philadelphia Wednesday morning. 

Border Policy Backlash

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President Donald Trump says it's up to Congress to end the controversial immigration policy that separates children from their parents.

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