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Senator Saval Joins Commemoration of Philly’s Historic Carpenters’ Hall
After backlash, an Allentown GOP senator stands by the expletive he used to describe Philly
A Pennsylvania Republican state senator doubled down Thursday on remarks denigrating Philadelphia, despite backlash from prominent Philly Democrats. “Philadelphia wouldn’t be such a shithole” if District Attorney Larry Krasner prosecuted more crimes, State Sen....
PA Senate and House Philadelphia Delegations Denounce ICE Violence, Reaffirm Support for Immigrant Communities, and Call for Action
In a joint statement, 18 Pennsylvania state senators and state representatives serving legislative districts across Philadelphia expressed solidarity with communities across the country fighting the influx of ICE violence and reiterated the need for state and local...
Philadelphia Breaks Ground on Ten-Block Transformation in Center City
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A bold, art-inspired transformation of Center City officially began today as Avenue of the Arts, Inc. (AAI) broke ground on AveArts 2.0, a $150 million, decade-long initiative to reimagine the Avenue of the Arts (aka South...
‘You have to know who you are, and you have to pass it along’: Karen community celebrates the start of Year 2765
While many Philadelphians rang in America’s 250th with the Mummers or at the inaugural NYE concert on the Parkway, one immigrant community celebrated the new year a few days later. And the party wasn’t for 2026; it was for 2765. “Karen New Year is a really precious...
Penn offers support to Venezuelan students following U.S. military action
Days after United States military forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Penn contacted students from Venezuela to acknowledge the unfolding “crisis” and offer academic and wellness resources. On Jan. 6, the College of Arts and Sciences’ CaseNet team,...
The Power of the Source
The night Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York, I was at a dinner gathering of fair housing and tenants’ rights advocates in New Jersey. The occasion was celebratory—we were marking fifty years since the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled...
Celebration and protest erupt in Philly after U.S. attack on Venezuela
Philadelphia saw a mix of celebration and protest on Sunday as residents reacted to news of a U.S. military attack on Venezuela and the capture of its president, Nicolás Maduro. President Donald Trump announced the attack in a post on his Truth Social platform at 4:21...
Philadelphia reacts to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and Trump’s plan to take control of Venezuela
Venezuela native Gil Arends was unwinding at his South Philadelphia apartment Saturday when an X notification came through: “There’s no power in Caracas and we are hearing some explosions.” A panoramic video showed smoke rising from the capital city. “I was...
Will Pennsylvania Unmask ICE Agents in 2026?
In a move to protect citizens from masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement and partnering law enforcement encounters, two Pennsylvania State Senators have introduced legislation that calls to unmask them. The “No Secret Police: Unmask ICE” is co-sponsored by...
Pa. lawmakers fight for accountable policing, introduce bill to unmask federal ICE agents
As Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents continue to ramp up their efforts to detain and arrest civilians, State Sen. Amanda M. Cappelletti (D-17, Montgomery/Delaware) and State Sen. Nikil Saval (D-1, Philadelphia) introduced legislation that will prohibit law...
Narcan in schools? Educators react to proposed legislation
Public school officials statewide administered medication to reverse an opioid overdose 32 times during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Who received the naloxone dose and in which schools it was administered were not made...
Looking back at 2025: State budget standoff left SEPTA on the brink of fiscal collapse
Entering 2025, SEPTA faced a dire fiscal crisis that threatened to slash up to 45% of its service by the start of next year. For the roughly 790,000 people who use SEPTA's mass transit on an average weekday, the backbone of transportation in the Philadelphia region...
Public transit whiplash ahead in 2026
(The Center Square) – It was a wild ride in 2025 for the millions of Pennsylvania residents who rely on public transportation. And 2026 looks no calmer. Ideas were floated and rejected. Routes were suspended and resumed. Funding was denied then extended via emergency...
SEPTA’s tumultuous 2025: Part I
2025 has been a memorable year for Pennsylvania public transit, for better – and for worse. While the state’s budget impasse – and ongoing financial struggles for transit systems – created a rocky road for public transit statewide, in the Philadelphia region, the...
Federal bill would restore billions for Chinatown Stitch and other transportation projects
Congressman Brendan Boyle is co-sponsoring federal legislation to reverse part of President Donald Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” and restore billions of dollars for Philadelphia’s Chinatown Stitch and other defunded transportation projects around the country....
ICE Officers Masking, Homelessness Prevention, On the Issues with Sen. Nikil Saval
ICE Officers Masking, Homelessness Prevention, On the Issues with Sen. Nikil Saval (D)
Pennsylvania Senate panel delves into charged debate over immigrant’s trucking license
Just weeks after federal authorities arrested an Uzbek terror suspect with a Pennsylvania-issued commercial driver’s license, state senators convened a fact-finding panel in Harrisburg to investigate the details — without directly addressing the widely publicized...
State senator makes second attempt to pass a right to read bill
The continuing right-wing assault on libraries, books and the right to read has left state legislators across the country scrambling to pass legislation protecting libraries and guarding against censorship. Pennsylvania can be included in that number. In 2023, State...