How the politicized use of public funds results in rampant waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption.
By Ben Mannes
Seven dead after small jet crashes near Northeast Philadelphia mall
(The Center Square) – All six people aboard a small medical jet that crashed Friday night near a Philadelphia mall are dead, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said Saturday. Another person in a vehicle near where the jet crashed and exploded also was killed, Parker said, and at least 19 others […]
Stu Bykofsky: Sanctuary cities plan to defy immigration law, still
I see a strange, unlikely parallel between the promise of churches to resist deportation of “migrants” (correct term, illegal residents) and the action of churches 60 years ago to protect civil rights protestors. The crucial difference is the civil rights protestors of yore were trying to demand federal law, while […]
Philly Dems opt not to endorse in District Attorney race
Philadelphia’s Democratic ward leaders voted last night to not endorse a candidate in this year’s contest for District Attorney, turning their back on current office holder Larry Krasner. It is the second time in four years that the group has opted to rebuff the progressive incumbent and the second consecutive […]
Thom Nickels: Port Richmond elegy
There’s not a single vacant space in my Riverwards Fishtown-Port Richmond neighborhood that hasn’t been rezoned for rehab by developers. One night as I was making my way to a friend’s house in the neighborhood, I passed the spot where one of my favorite little houses once stood. This tiny […]
Award for Philly schools superintendent sparks controversy following antisemitism failures
Allegations of antisemitism in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) erupted after the October 7, 2023, attacks against Israel, but the district’s actions and a subsequent investigation don’t show a culture that’s improving. I reported in May about extensive accusations from students, parents, and teachers within the district. When Superintendent […]
Kyle Sammin: Philadelphia benefits when both parties pay attention to it
For the first time in 24 years, Philadelphia will be represented by a Republican in the state senate (along with six Democrats) following the election of Joe Picozzi in the 5th Senatorial District. Combined with a single Northeast Philly state house district also being occupied by a Republican, Martina White, […]
Thom Nickels: Owen Wister and the ‘Western Cure’
Several years ago while researching my book, Literary Philadelphia: A History of Poetry & Prose in the City of Brotherly Love, I looked into the life of Owen Wister, the author of the western novel, The Virginian. Wister was the only child of a physician father and an actress mother […]
Michael Thomas Leibrandt: The Day that Jimmy Carter Built Houses in Philly
Not every US ex-President would volunteer to build houses in North Philadelphia. Then again, Jimmy Carter wasn’t just any ex-President. Even in 1988 , the neighborhood around Wilt Street in Philadelphia was a dangerous place. Jimmy Carter didn’t care. He would reside in the Temple University Dorms for three days during the Habit for Humanity Project in […]
Thom Nickels: Rooming houses could help with Philly’s overpriced housing market
Several years ago while browsing through the Rooms Wanted section of Philadelphia Craigslist, I found that many of the ads there sounded like the personal ads of old. Some people included photos of themselves and lists of their hobbies, likes and dislikes and whether or not they are drinkers, addicts […]