Menciones en los medios
Penn union coalition, local elected officials call on University to stop union-busting
The Coalition of Workers at Penn — a recently formed association of unions across Penn’s campus — held a press conference in front of College Hall on Jueves. The “Unions Belong at Penn” event was led by the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO — which represents over 100...
Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square to Undergo Transformative Restoration Thanks to State Grant
PHILADELPHIA, PA — In a significant boost for one of Philadelphia’s most cherished green spaces, Rittenhouse Square is set to receive a $200,000 state grant aimed at revitalizing its expansive lawns. The announcement was made recently by State Senator Nikil Saval and...
Fishtown highlighted as part of Main Street Matters initiative
A proposal to invest $25 million to create opportunity for Main Streets and small businesses across the state was touted by Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger at a stop in Fishtown as part of a statewide “Main Streets” tour. Siger,...
Pa. zoning laws are strangling home construction, and lawmakers want changes
HARRISBURG — As housing costs soar for renters and homeowners, an unusual confluence of politicians and interest groups from across the ideological spectrum is pushing for legislation they say will boost housing construction in areas where people want to live....
Fetterman supports nominee for Philly-based court who’s facing Islamophobic smears but Casey is more noncommittal
Until this week, Pennsylvania’s two Democratic senators had been largely quiet as President Joe Biden’s nominee to a key federal court post in Philadelphia became the target of Islamophobic attacks, which began late last year. New Jersey attorney Adeel Mangi would be...
Fossil fuel firms could be tried in US for homicide over climate-related deaths, experts say
Each year, extreme temperatures take 5 million lives, while 400,000 people die from climate-related hunger and disease and scores perish in floods and wildfires. Now, researchers are promoting a new legal theory that says fossil fuel companies – which, data show, are...
From Bars to Belonging: Overcoming the Housing Crisis Facing Returning Citizens
The United States leads the world in mass incarceration – one in three adults have been arrested by the age of 23. As a result, as many as 100 million Americans have some type of criminal record. A minor offense or even an arrest without conviction can lead to a...
Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to spend $80M to attack Pennsylvania’s housing crisis. Here’s how.
HARRISBURG — Housing is often considered a local issue, but there is a growing consensus in Harrisburg that state-level action is necessary to combat Pennsylvania’s persistent shortages and rising costs. That shift can be seen in Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget...
Sections of Rittenhouse Square will close for a multi-year lawn restoration project
A project restoring some of the greenery in Rittenhouse Square will close sections of the park in the coming years. Rittenhouse, one of the city's oldest parks, will be undergoing lawn repairs over approximately four years, with different sections closing at a time to...
Rittenhouse Square’s lawn took a beating during the pandemic. Now, it’s being restored for $500,000.
The grass at Rittenhouse Square was heavily used in normal years, but it took an extra trampling during the pandemic as folks sought to escape outside. Now, the iconic park’s lawn will be dug up and restored over the next four years on the heels of a recent bench...
Senator Nikil Saval, Rep. Ben Waxman, Friends of Rittenhouse Square Celebrate Lawn Restoration Project
Philadelphia, PA − Marzo 17, 2024 − Today, State Senator Nikil Saval and State Representative Ben Waxman joined the Friends of Rittenhouse Square to update and celebrate the ongoing work on behalf of one of Philadelphia’s most beloved parks.
‘Chinatown Stitch’ now fully funded with federal grant to heal community divided for decades
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia has received full funding to put a cap over the Vine Street Expressway. The project is known as the Chinatown Stitch because its purpose is to reconnect the two sides of the neighborhood that were divided when the section of...
Governor Shapiro’s Vision: Main Street Matters Program Proposes $25 Million Investment in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA, PA — In downtown Philadelphia, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger, along with local leaders, returned Viernes to continue the Main Street Matters tour, a central part of the Shapiro Administration’s state-wide...
Main Street Matters: DCED Secretary Rick Siger Visits Philadelphia’s Fishtown Neighborhood to Highlight Governor Shapiro’s Proposed $25 Million Investment to Create Economic Opportunity for Main Streets and Small Businesses Across PA
Philadelphia, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger joined Senator Nikil Saval, Representative Mary Isaacson, Philadelphia Director of Commerce Alba Martinez, and other local leaders to continue the Shapiro...
Senator Nikil Saval Explores Entering the Political Sphere in Night Owls Event
On Marzo 2, Nikil Saval, a former editor of n+1 and Pennsylvania State Senator of the 1st District, shared insights on his journey into and experience in politics at the “Becoming a Politician” Night Owls event. Night Owls is a philosophy discussion forum series...
Sen. John Fetterman’s bill would take Pa.’s Whole-Homes Repair program nationwide
A Pennsylvania program to help property owners repair homes will serve as the model for a similar plan on a national scale under a bill co-introduced by U.S. Sen. John Fetterman. Fetterman and Republican Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis have joined on the bipartisan...
John Fetterman introduces federal Whole-Home Repairs legislation
A bipartisan piece of legislation from Pennsylvania is getting its opportunity in Washington, D.C. Democratic U.S. Sen John Fetterman, alongside Republican colleague Sen. Cynthia Lummis, introduced a federal version of the Whole-Home Repairs program, which provides...
Pennsylvania’s Whole Home Repairs program goes national
US Sen. John Fetterman introduced a national version of Pennsylvania’s Whole Home Repairs program on Martes. The popular program combats neighborhood blight and allows homeowners to weatherize their homes and make needed repairs. Pennsylvania’s wildly popular Whole...
Preservationists and Developers Say Pennsylvania Needs to Boost its Historic Tax Credits
The financing of a commercial development project is often a patchwork of funding sources: equity partners, bank loans, tax credits, and more. When it comes to the rehabilitation of historic buildings, the federal government and most states offer a special tax credit....
Push for Fair Housing in Pennsylvania: Lawmakers Aim to Seal Eviction Records
WILKINSBURG, PA — A gathering of Pennsylvanian Democratic lawmakers, including state Senator Katie Muth and Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, among others, convened a public hearing on Jueves. This assembly, hosted at the Wilkinsburg Borough Building, aimed to...
Pa. home repair and energy efficiency program resuscitated in Shapiro’s budget proposal
A popular Pennsylvania home repair assistance program that garners bipartisan support but was a casualty of last year’s budget battles could get new funding in the coming months. Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro included $50 million in state funding for the “Whole-Home Repairs”...
More money requested for popular $120M home repair program
(The Center Square) — A year after Pennsylvania’s $120 million Whole Home Repairs program got off the ground, advocates praise the results but say dramatically more is needed. The program was funded with federal taxpayer funds through the American Rescue Plan Act of...
Home Improvement, Season 2: Democrats highlight demand for Whole Home Repairs
On Groundhog Day, standing outside the recently renovated home of Kelly and Mo Scatena in Pittsburgh, Democratic politicians joined together to call for not just six weeks but another whole season of home improvement. “I was afraid (my home) was going to crumble out...
Democrats urge state lawmakers to put new funding into Whole Home Repairs program
PITTSBURGH — Kelly Scatena had a serious dilemma: The house she’s owned in Mt. Oliver for 23 years had a seriously leaky roof and a crumbling foundation, and she and her family weren’t in a position to fix either one. “Four or five years ago we had our first roof leak...
Majority of City Councilmembers Support Angel Davis Eviction Accountability Bill
PHILADELPHIA – Today, Councilmember Kendra Brooks (At-Large) announced legislation to bring oversight and accountability to Philadelphia’s eviction system, which has been plagued by violence for years. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District), Councilmember Nicolas...
How We Move Forward Together: People’s Action
For the US Left, much of last year was marked by big shifts and big gatherings, taking stock and plotting paths. Convergence first conceived of this series before Hamas attacked Israel and Israel invaded Gaza, shattering lives and upending politics. But as the shadows...
Our picks for stories of the year
I appreciated the human angle in our coverage of Whole-Home Repairs. The Thompson family – whose home was the first Whole-Home Repairs project completed – shared a relief that illustrated why the program is such a big deal to Pennsylvanians. But it remains to be seen...
Letters to the Editor – Capitol leak
In a recent article, Spotlight PA reporter Stephen Caruso listed the many ways a state Capitol roof leak was derailing services and funding to Pennsylvania residents and institutions. Yet he failed to mention the most glaring irony: The legislature’s displacement also...
Demand for Pennsylvania’s Whole-Home Repairs Program has been overwhelming, but more funding is on hold
HARRISBURG — Stephanie Fritsch is terrified to take a shower. She worries water will start seeping through the floor and into the room below, but she can’t afford to repair the leaky plumbing in her house in Dauphin County. Determined not to miss her shot at getting...
Inside the ‘Envy Office,’ Reporters Find a Trend, and a Story
Perhaps you’ve seen them on Instagram: offices that look a whole lot cooler than yours. There are soundproof phone booths. Winged armchairs. Bookshelves stacked with strategically placed art books and old copies of The New Yorker. They evoke a trending workplace style...
Philly celebrates third annual Palestinian Day of Solidarity at the Art Museum, despite city leaders’ absence
Over 100 people gathered at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Miércoles for the city’s third annual Palestinian Day of Solidarity — an event that was both a celebration of a long-standing immigrant community as well as a platform for continued grief and...
El Día de la Solidaridad Palestina se celebra en medio de la guerra y los enfrentamientos con el gobierno municipal
Las banderas palestinas ondeaban en una gélida tarde de miércoles mientras una multitud se congregaba en la base de la escalinata del Museo de Arte de Filadelfia. "Hoy no tenía que haber ocurrido", dijo Jude Husein por el micrófono. "Pero año tras año, con paciencia, persistencia, positividad...
La oficina de la envidia: ¿Puede el diseño Instagrammable atraer a los jóvenes trabajadores?
En el interior de la sala de conferencias "blueberry muffin", las paredes están, naturalmente, pintadas de azul. No es un azul cualquiera: es el color tranquilizador que podría encontrarse en el dormitorio de un bebé, lo que la lata de pintura denomina "del mar al mar brillante". Anclando la sala hay una mesa, roja y oblonga,...
Miembros de la Asamblea General de Pensilvania piden un alto el fuego y la liberación de los rehenes en medio de la violencia continuada
PENNSYLVANIA - Los miembros de la Asamblea General de Pensilvania han hecho un llamamiento a la Delegación del Congreso de Pensilvania, instándoles a apoyar un alto el fuego, la liberación de todos los rehenes, y la prestación de ayuda humanitaria a los afectados por la violencia en curso en...
Israel y Hamás acuerdan un alto el fuego temporal y la liberación de rehenes
WASHINGTON - Israel y Hamás han llegado a un acuerdo para un alto el fuego humanitario a corto plazo que permitirá la liberación de algunos rehenes y el aumento de la ayuda humanitaria en la asediada Franja de Gaza, dijeron funcionarios estadounidenses a última hora del martes. El Presidente Joe Biden elogió el...
12 legisladores de Pensilvania piden a la delegación del Congreso que fomente el alto el fuego entre Israel y Hamás
HARRISBURG - Doce legisladores estatales firmaron un llamamiento dirigido a toda la Delegación del Congreso de Pensilvania instándoles a apoyar un alto el fuego en la actual guerra entre Hamás e Israel. Los legisladores estatales mostraron cautela al utilizar un lenguaje neutral al dirigirse...
Lo que aprendimos en el Festival de Ideas que Deberíamos Robar de 2023
Más de 400 invitados nos acompañaron el viernes en nuestro sexto Festival Anual de Ideas que Deberíamos Robar, presentado por Comcast NBCUniversal, un acontecimiento tan inspirador por las ideas que escuchamos en el escenario como por el público que acudió en busca de formas de cambiar las cosas. Esto es sólo un poco de lo que...
La reanudación de los desahucios en Filadelfia hace resurgir las acusaciones de "ejército mercenario privado de caseros
Siguen aumentando las tensiones en torno al agente de arrendamientos de Filadelfia, incluso cuando la oficina reanuda el bloqueo de inquilinos.
Los concejales Brooks y Thomas organizan un debate comunitario sobre las oportunidades para los jóvenes
FILADELFIA - Anoche, la concejal Kendra Brooks (At-Large) y el concejal Isaiah Thomas (At-Large) convocaron a más de 30 miembros de la comunidad para una conversación sobre la necesidad de más apoyo y oportunidades para los jóvenes en Filadelfia. Los participantes revisaron...
Pa. El Senado aprueba una ley sobre "contenido explícito" tras un acalorado debate sobre si se trata de una prohibición de libros
El Senado de Pensilvania votó el martes a favor de una ley que pretende dar a los padres más información y control sobre lo que sus hijos leen en la escuela. Pero los opositores argumentaron enérgicamente que las medidas son una prohibición de facto de los libros, y un esfuerzo redundante para...