A Philadelphia man who was freed from prison last year is suing the city and police, alleging detectives used unreliable forensics and a questionable informant to obtain a wrongful conviction.

The big picture: Mark Young, 69, is among dozens of people whose convictions have been overturned in Philadelphia since 2018, per the federal lawsuit he filed this month.

• Many of the convictions were overturned because of allegations of police misconduct, and Philadelphia has paid millions to settle some of those cases, some of which date back decades.

Driving the news: Young — who spent more than four decades in prison for the 1974 murder in a bar of Walter Palmero — is seeking an unspecified amount in damages and punitive action against the officers.

The other side: The city declined to comment, and Young's attorney didn't respond to Axios' requests for comment.

Between the lines: Young says he falsely confessed after being interrogated by police for 15 hours, during which he was denied access to an attorney and food and water and was physically assaulted by one of the detectives, per the lawsuit.

• Police also used a "pseudo-scientific" microscopic hair test that the FBI later said was unreliable, and used "highly suggestive" tactics to pressure witnesses into identifying Young in the 1974 Place Bar robbery, per the lawsuit.

Catch up quick: Two men held up the West Oak Lane bar in September 1974, stealing more than $100 and a bottle of alcohol. Palmero was shot in the back during the holdup, prosecutors said.

• Young, then 18, had enlisted in the Army and was at a New Jersey military base for basic training when detectives arrested him for the crime.
• After his initial trial ended with a hung jury, Young was convicted of murder, robbery and conspiracy during a second trial in 1975 and received a life sentence.

The latest: A judge overturned Young's conviction in 2024, and Young accepted a plea deal to admit to third-degree murder to avoid another trial. He was released from prison three months later.

Zoom in: The lawsuit centers on a longtime police informant known as "Turtle," whom a witness had identified early on as one of the men who robbed the bar.

• Police "did not charge him with the crime" because he had cooperated with them in the past to avoid charges or to have other cases dropped, per the lawsuit.

What they're saying: The detectives "knew they could hold this over [the informant's] head to manipulate him to implicate any suspect they wanted in this case," Young's lawyers wrote in the complaint.

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Two of Philly's prominent female poets are spotlighted in Monument Lab's new art book.

Why it matters: Monument Lab released the book, "Re:Generation," this month, spotlighting the public art and history studio's landmark national projects, coinciding with celebrations of Philly as America's birthplace.

The big picture: The initiative asked, "Which stories belong in public?"

• The book's 304 pages include Philadelphians whose stories resoundingly answered that question.

Former city poet laureates Yolanda Wisher and Trapeta Mayson, whose 2022 "ConsenSis" project is highlighted in the book, tell Axios the book acknowledges previous decades' work that "has not gotten written about in a book."

Catch up quick: In 2022, they brought together more than 100 of the region's Black female poets for a restorative retreat in Germantown.

• They later worked with composer Kendra Butler Waters to record "Sisterly Affection," a 20-minute oral history track centering those women's stories.

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🐧 The people have spoken: After a two-week public vote, the Adventure Aquarium named its latest African penguin chick Scrappy, per a news release.

• The little guy — who hatched in November and is the 53rd such penguin at the aquarium — is slated to join the colony in the spring.

👑 The cheesesteak king has left the building. Frank Olivieri Sr., the longtime owner of Pat's King of Steaks in South Philly, died over the weekend at 87, per a statement on the business's website.

💰 A new $50 million loan from the city's politically powerful building trades will help the Philadelphia Housing Authority redevelop the run-down senior apartment complex Brith Sholom House in Wynnefield. (Inquirer🔒)

🧀 Mini Mac Mart recently opened a kiosk at the corner of Arch and 18th streets outside the Comcast Tech Center, serving mac and cheese, hoagies, wraps and sweets.

Philly has received 6.4 inches of snow this winter through Monday, per the National Weather Service.

Context: It's the snowiest season to date since 2021 — 6.6 inches had fallen at this point in the season, per the NWS.

• Yes, but: The city is more than an inch behind what's considered its "normal" snowfall so far this winter.

👀 What we're watching: A potential winter storm this weekend.

Nearly anyone can have more meaningful conversations by becoming an "opener," a term psychology researchers have for someone who easily gets others to open up.

Why it matters: Research suggests that strangers are much more open to conversation than you think.

• Marisa G. Franco, a professor, psychologist and the author of "Platonic," has these science-backed tips for having more engaging discussions.

Be curious.

• Openers are genuinely interested in other people, without judgment. They're less concerned with gossip and more interested in connection.

Ditch the small talk.

• Forget the standard "What do you do for a living?" — openers get creative. For example, asking for someone's opinion — or going out on a limb with one of these questions from Jim Vandehei's dinner party list — could spur deep connection.
• Note: People view vulnerability much more positively than we think.

Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey has punched his ticket to next month's NBA All-Star game.

Why it matters: "The Franchise" is making his case why he's the future of the 76ers.

Driving the news: The sixth-year point guard was one of 10 All-Star Game starters selected yesterday.

• It's Maxey's second All-Star appearance and first-ever as a starter.

Fun fact: Maxey will become the eighth-youngest player in 76ers franchise history to be selected as an All-Star starter.

What's next: The All-Star game is Feb. 15 in Inglewood, California.