One dead in emergency plane landing, Jose Garces fields multiple lawsuits | Morning Newsletter

April 18--Welcome to Wednesday, Philly. Investigations continue today into the engine explosion that caused a Southwest Airlines flight to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia yesterday. One passenger has died as a result of the accident. The Bill Cosby trial continues today as prosecutors plan to wrap up their case against the entertainer. Meanwhile, celebrity chef Jose Garces is in a bit of legal trouble as he fields another lawsuit, his sixth in eight months. This one's from two disgruntled investors. Finally, I hope you brought in your plants last night: the winter that will not end continues this morning as temperatures near freezing.

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-- Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, [email protected])

1 dead after Southwest airplane makes emergency landing at PHL

A Southwest Airlines plane flying from New York to Dallas made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport Tuesday afternoon after one of its engines exploded in flight.

The pilot was able to safely land the plane with 149 on board but one passenger, a mother and bank vice president from New Mexico, was killed and seven others were injured.

Passengers took to social media during and after the flight to describe their harrowing experiences aboard. One man broadcast a video during the plane's descent via Facebook Live. "I thought I was cataloging the last moment of my existence," he said.

Rash of lawsuits hits celebrity chef Jose Garces

In Philly, Jose Garces is known for his lauded restaurants, philanthropy, and TV appearances. But to some former vendors and investors, he's known as the subject of their lawsuits.

Six suits have been brought against the celebrity chef in the last eight months. One pair of jilted investors has accused the restaurateur of a "continuing fraud -- in substance and operation a Ponzi scheme." Four vendors have said he stiffed them on food they supplied to his portfolio of restaurants.

But the lawsuits haven't slowed Garces down. Recently his restaurant empire has shifted its focus to Atlantic City where he plans to open two eateries.

Cory Booker's 'failed' football career paved the way for his political future

Before New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker was a potential Democratic presidential candidate, he played football for Stanford -- but he didn't become the star he thought he'd be. But that change of fate, he says, set him on his path to the Senate floor.

A new special report from reporter Jonathan Tamari explores what Booker calls "the first time in my life I ever felt like I failed at something."

What you need to know today

* Starbucks drinkers better make other plans for May 29: Starbucks is closing all of its U.S. stores that afternoon to conduct racial-bias education for employees. Meanwhile, the audio recording of the 911 call and police report from the arrests of two men at a Center City Starbucks last week have been released.

* Barbara Bush, the former first lady and mother of George W. Bush, has died at age 92, a family spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.

* Cosby trial: Prosecutors are expected to wrap up their case against Bill Cosby today in his retrial for sexual assault. Yesterday jurors heard Cosby's own words as detectives read aloud statements he made about accuser Andrea Constand in 2005.

* The Chester County District Attorney's office is now looking into the secret bank account of the former pastor at a Catholic parish in Downingtown after news of his resignation spread this week.

* What's it got to do with the price of milk? Everything for Pennsylvania dairy farmers who, facing an oversupply of the white stuff, are auctioning off their herds or making mooves into other careers.

* "Trust The Process" is going international. The Sixers are scheduled to play two games in China next season.

Through Your Eyes -- #OurPhilly

We want to see what our community looks like through your eyes. Show us the park that your family walks through every weekend with the dog, the block party in your neighborhood or the historic stretch you see every morning on your commute to work.

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

* Comedian Kevin Hart may be to blame for the Sixers' loss Monday night. Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade said the Philly native was his motivation.

* Mike Regan, a Delaware County native, has a ... unique talent. He can catch food in his mouth from very long distances. Like, "from the top of the Ben Franklin Bridge" long.

* What's in a restaurant name? Reporter Michael Klein has discovered the stories behind some of Philly's best. Some are confounding but some are just plain clever.

* More than 8,000 of Ben Franklin's original manuscripts and papers were just digitized through the Library of Congress. We picked out the five best documents to peruse online, like his sketches of bifocals and a kite.

* Fans have spent hours picking through Beyoncé's history-making Coachella performance for cultural references and homages. They'd be right at home in one Penn professor's class all about Queen Bey, her husband Jay-Z and sister Solange.

* The story of Spackle, a stray dog saved by a pair of Arcadia students while on spring break, is sure to warm any dog lover's heart today.

Opinions

"[Russian TV host] Kiselyov's presentation of the 'facts' about the missile affair, reflecting the claims of the Kremlin, were 180 degrees opposed to the news from Washington. According to him, the Syrians shot down the bulk of the U.S. missiles (which the Pentagon says is totally untrue)." -- Columnist Trudy Rubin, currently reporting from Russia, on how Russian TV exacerbates the disconnect between Putin and the U.S.

* Columnist Solomon Jones calls for a nationwide boycott of Starbucks stores until the company fires the manager who called the police on two black men last week.

* It's time to make our communities more resilient to flooding and that starts with flood insurance reform, writes Robert J. Kagel, director of the Chester County Department of Emergency Services.

What we're reading

* If you've ever dipped into your family tree, a New Jersey teen who traced his own genealogy back to the Middle Ages may inspire you. As PhillyVoice reports, he's now helping others do the same.

* Would you use a drone to take a campus tour? Temple students are hoping so as they develop autonomous drones for just that purpose. Geek out over this Temple News story.

* The old Cresswell Iron Works building in Logan Square -- which is blanketed in thick ivy on two sides, you can't miss it -- is facing the wrecking ball, so Hidden City went inside to tell the building's unusual history.

* It's not just you. Allergy season is getting worse every year. Leave it up to Vox to explain the phenomenon with some handy charts. Misery loves company, after all.

* Wired's latest cover story is a fascinating (and long) tale about Xbox Underground, the international group who hacked into Microsoft's network between 2011 and 2013. The chilling illustrations add to the story's sense of foreboding.

Your Daily Dose of -- Miniatures

A local ob-gyn has turned an unusual hobby -- decorating a dollhouse to look like the home of HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines -- into social media stardom.

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