iradiophilly | News - SEPTA Driver Maced, Kenney Takes On Toomey, More SEPTA Rail Delays Expected

Streaming Radio for Philadelphia
More Music. Fewer Interruptions. Just what you want to hear.

FOLLOW:

News
Talk about what's in the news


The Post

SEPTA Driver Maced, Kenney Takes On Toomey, More SEPTA Rail Delays Expected

by: Rebel - Havertown, PA
started: 07/06/16 2:01 am | updated: 07/06/16 2:01 am

A route 47 SEPTA bus driver was maced by a woman on Tuesday night. The incident occurred at 5th Street and W. Olney Avenue in the city's Olney section. According to police, it took place around 7:45 p.m. when a bus stopped at the location. Officials say the driver went to assist a passenger, in a wheelchair, onto the bus. Authorities say that while helping the passenger, a woman boarded the bus. Officials described her as being agitated, stating that she believed the driver passed her in the middle of the block and should have stopped. Police say that while in an angry state, the woman maced the driver and mistakenly maced the passenger in the wheelchair as well. Officials say she left the bus, but was caught by police after just minutes. Authorities say the driver, and the passenger in the wheelchair, were taken to the hospital.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is taking on U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, saying Tuesday that the Republicanâ€™s criticism of his cityâ€™s sanctuary status is fearmongering in line with GOP presidential candidate Donald Trumpâ€™s stances on immigrants. Kenneyâ€™s shot at Toomey on Tuesday came a day before the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on a Toomey bill that would withhold certain federal grants from sanctuary cities. Toomey is using Philadelphiaâ€™s sanctuary city status as a wedge issue against Democratic challenger Katie McGinty in his bid for second term in the November election. The issue of sanctuary cities is one of several - along with gun control, immigration and police access to surplus military gear - that are being tied to crime and terrorism and injected into Pennsylvaniaâ€™s closely watched race for U.S. Senate. Toomey has said that sanctuary city policies like Philadelphiaâ€™s make it harder to stop terrorism, illegal immigration or violent crimes. Toomey also has said that Philadelphia police officials privately oppose Kenneyâ€™s policy, and that it was not always the policy adopted by Kenneyâ€™s predecessors as mayor.
Kenney, a Democrat, said Toomeyâ€™s claims about Philadelphia are wrong. Philadelphia cooperates with the federal government in cases where terrorism is suspected, federal charges are filed or first- or second-degree felonies are committed, Kenney said.
Toomeyâ€™s bill was not expected to pass, after similar legislation failed last year to reach the Senateâ€™s 60-vote threshold to move to a final vote. Kenneyâ€™s administration has said that evidence suggests that sanctuary cities are possibly safer than those that cooperate with immigration authorities because immigrants are not afraid to report crimes or otherwise cooperate with the police. His administration also maintains that a long-standing immigration policy of issuing detainers has unfairly damaged the lives of otherwise law-abiding people who were stopped for things like nuisance crimes. Federal immigration detention requests, or â€œdetainers,â€ have been successfully challenged in court by critics who say they indiscriminately target immigrants, including many innocent of criminal wrongdoing.
Undocumented immigrants arrested for less serious crimes in Philadelphia would not be detained or reported to the federal government, a Kenney spokeswoman said, unless federal authorities presented a judicial warrant requesting their detention. On Tuesday, McGinty released a letter to Kenney urging him to do more to cooperate with the federal government to ensure â€œthat violent criminals, suspected terrorists or others who pose a threat are apprehended and prosecuted.â€ McGinty also blamed Congress and Toomey for failing to fix the nationâ€™s immigration system and failing to provide adequate support to local law enforcement. A Kenney spokeswoman said Tuesday that the administration has asked for more discussion with the federal government after a May visit by Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. But, she said, it will take more from the federal authorities to undo the damage of abusive federal immigration policies. Republicans have pushed for action against sanctuary cities since last July when 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle was shot and killed in San Francisco. The man charged in the killing was in the country illegally despite a long criminal record and multiple prior deportations. He had been released by San Francisco authorities despite a request from federal immigration authorities to keep him detained.

With a third of its rail fleet sidelined, SEPTAâ€™s general manager says inconveniences to riders may be even worse tomorrow. As more people return to work after the holiday, regional rail cars may be even more packed, SEPTA GM Jeff Knueppel warns. He says the transit agency has been meeting with the Silverliner V manufacturer, Hyundai-Rotem, to determine the best way to return 120 cars with cracked beams to service. And Knueppel couldnâ€™t say if that was a matter of weeks or months. He urged riders to continue to look for alternatives, including city transit. In the meantime, riders who bought regional rail TrailPasses can get refunds if they mail the passes back to SEPTA by Thursday.

Sports

Phillies 5 Braves 1

Weather

Partly Cloudy. High 83 in Center City