93-3-WMR Audio on Demand presents the Preston and Steve show podcast.

And now, Preston and Steve's news update with Kathy Romano.

And today is Tuesday, June 16th.

Good morning, Kathy.

Good morning in the news this morning.

Mayor Jim Kenney on Monday announced plans to initiate a public process to consider the future of the Christopher Columbus statue located in Marconi Plaza on South Broad Street.

In a statement, Kenny asked the public art director to initiate the appropriate process through the Philadelphia Art Commission.

The city previously said there were no plans to remove the statue, which drew a crowd of people who said they were

protecting it over the weekend. Barricades remained around the statue on Monday, and there was a

smaller crowd. It was a different scene on Saturday and Sunday where a mixture of residents,

protesters, spectators, and police converge. Some residents claim the statue is an important part

of the Italian American heritage and should be left alone. Others were denouncing Columbus, calling him a symbol of hate and oppression.

Statues of Columbus have been removed in other cities, including Camden, New Jersey, and Wilmington, Delaware.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling Monday will extend legal protection to gay, lesbian, and transgender people from discrimination at certain

workplaces across all of Pennsylvania.

But advocates for LGBT rights say a year-long fight for the civil rights in the state legislature

is not over.

To be sure, LGBT rights advocates in Pennsylvania held the high court's ruling as a historic

victory.

But the court's ruling does not cover people who work for smaller employers, and it does not extend legal protection against discrimination to housing or public services.

Longstanding opposition by Republicans who control both chambers of the legislature spurred advocates to work at the municipal level.

That resulted in the rights protection in 58 municipalities covering roughly one-third of Pennsylvania's population, according to the Pennsylvania Youth Congress.

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