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 […]
Beth Ann Rosica: An unlikely case against open primaries
Pennsylvania is one of fourteen states in the country with closed primary elections, meaning a voter must officially register with a political party in advance of the election date in order to participate. And the only political parties that get to vote in the Pennsylvania taxpayer funded primaries are Republicans […]
Erik Telford: How Pennsylvania House Democrats may derail Shapiro’s national ambitions
The 2024 election may be over, but it is safe to bet that Gov. Josh Shapiro — whose national ambitions are well known — already has his eyes set on 2028. As Pennsylvania enters the final legislative session of his term, Shapiro should avoid putting the presidential cart before his […]
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 […]
Guy Ciarrocchi: Progressives policies are doomed to fail — often in deadly ways
In a still-unfolding tragedy, land over twice the size of Manhattan has burned to the ground across greater Los Angeles. Lives have been lost. Thousands have lost their homes, their businesses. Billions lost in property damage. However, this should not be a surprise. Progressive policies always fail. We are watching […]
Beth Ann Rosica: Suburban congress members prioritize illegal immigrants over citizen safety
Last week, three U.S. House members representing Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Berks counties voted against the Laken Riley Act. The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain illegal immigrants who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. When the Delaware Valley Journal reported on Representatives […]
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 […]
Michael Thomas Leibrandt: My Philly Snow Bowl bash
It was November of 1992 when my Dad took me to a local party in Philadelphia to see another epic matchup of Penn State vs. Notre Dame. In the previous decade , it had become one of the best matchups in all of college football. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Penn State […]
David Reel: The consequences of America’s broken moral compass
A dictionary definition of a moral compass is a set of beliefs or values that help guide ethical decisions, judgments, and behavior, an internal sense of what is right and wrong. A dictionary definition of broken is something that is no longer whole or working correctly. As has been reported […]
Jeff Hurvitz: Bob Dylan’s movie and self-determination
Midway through 1965, Bob Dylan changed the world of music by bringing his compositions from the era of acoustic guitar to one of electronic. The creation of “Like A Rolling Stone,” a piece hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as number one among its top songs ever, is now depicted in the […]