About a decade ago, Gina Raimondo, the Governor of Rhode Island, placed a call to Bill Haslam, the Governor of Tennessee. Raimondo, a Democrat, was trying to steward a small state in New England that had struggled for decades with deindustrialization and globalization. Haslam, a Republican, was trying to elevate a border state from middle … Continue reading The Limits of “Phone Call” Federalism

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If someone you know is detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), you may find it incredibly challenging to find and communicate with them.        Listen to the audio edition here: For example, it can take several days just to confirm where an ICE detainee is. Even after locating a loved one, … Continue reading How to Help Philadelphians Detained by ICE

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In 2018, George and Carol Felgate should have been enjoying the early days of his retirement. George cut back on his work schedule; Carol had fully retired. Instead, George was often afraid to leave the house. Carol, who injured her back during her years lifting patients as a Navy nurse, recently had a few falls, … Continue reading Business for Good: Medical Guardian

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As Philadelphia heads into another summer, we already know what is coming: extreme heat, unhealthy air, and likely more wildfire smoke drifting into the city. By now, it should be clear that climate change and air pollution are not separate problems. Philadelphia is dealing with both at the same time. The city has a goal … Continue reading Guest Commentary: Philadelphia Can Move Beyond Gas. Here’s How.

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In the American South, a new Jim Crow era is dawning. Ali Velshi calls these gerrymandered redistricting efforts a “shameless power grab by a wannabe dictator facing the electoral consequences of his deeply unpopular regime,” but the effectiveness of this effort must motivate Americans to act. “This is the most urgent problem facing every one … Continue reading Listen: Ali Velshi on Jim Crow 2.0

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It’s a big week for Philly’s stage, screen, and cultural scene, so make sure you don’t miss any of these things to do. The Docs & Dialogues documentary festival continues, Becoming American: Philadelphia’s Story premieres, as does The Coral Ring Legacy.  GIRL DOLLS: The American Musical continues its run, The Black Clown opens at the Miller … Continue reading Fun Things to Do in Philly this Week and Weekend

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Teacher Andrea Barile didn’t think her students could do it. Barile has taught at the George Sharswood K-8 public school in South Philadelphia’s Whitman neighborhood for 25 years. Never before had she tasked first graders to write three-stanza poems about the sun — or anything else for that matter. “ They didn’’t even know what a … Continue reading The School Where Kids Can Actually … Read

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Mario Cuomo, the late, great governor of New York, once famously observed that “You campaign in poetry, but you govern in prose.” More recently, our own retiring Congressman Dwight Evans — whose seat is currently being vied for — has advertised himself as belonging to (an ever-dwindling?) “governing wing of the Democratic Party.”     … Continue reading Welcome To Pander-Delphia

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In the 2023 Barbie movie, America Ferrera delivers a monologue that gives voice to a grueling reality: To be a woman in leadership is to be a walking contradiction. You have to be “extraordinary,” but somehow, you’re “always doing it wrong.” You must be “perfect,” yet you are still denied a seat at the table. … Continue reading Guest Commentary: Ala Stanford and the Barbie Double Standard

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Every year, thousands of Philadelphians take part in Love Your Park week. (In 2026, it’s May 9 through 17.) But truth is, you can love your park any day of any week — after all, 95 percent of city residents live within a 10-minute walk of one of 150 of them, including 2,000-acre Fairmount Park. … Continue reading How to Love Your Park All Year Round

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During a concert in Chris’ Jazz Cafe in Center City, a trombonist, saxophonist a drummer are awash in blue light. There’s a run on the sax, a few piano chords. Over the music, a woman reads “The Grave of the Slave,” an 1831 abolitionist poem by Philadelphian Sarah Louisa Forten Purvis. The poem is one … Continue reading The Citizen Recommends: Becoming American, Philadelphia’s Story

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Connor Barwin is a huge fan of live music, particularly in the indie rock spectrum. When he was a defensive end and outside linebacker for the Houston Texans, he spent much of his free time at Fitzgerald’s, the since-demolished Houston independent music venue that hosted the likes of Soundgarden and Sonic Youth and, in its … Continue reading The Citizen Recommends: Connor Barwin’s Make the World Better Concert

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This year, the United States of America celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding. The American Revolutionary War was fought between April 1775 and September 1783, though the war for independence wasn’t “formalized” until the next year, when the Second Continental Congress, right here in Philadelphia, passed the Lee Resolution for Independence on July 2, … Continue reading Things to Do This Week For America’s 250th

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