Media Mentions
“Chaos and confusion” — Shapiro slams Trump tariffs during Philly visit
Gov. Josh Shapiro visited the Port of Philadelphia (PhilaPort) on Thursday to speak directly with port officials, business leaders, and workers about the impact of new federal tariffs on their operations and expenses. The governor’s visit comes amid new federal...
SEPTA riders call on Pennsylvania government to fully fund mass transit system
Just a day after the budget was announced, riders and state and local officials gathered at City Hall to protest the potential service cuts and demand a permanent yearly funding increase for SEPTA.
Transit crisis: Leaders rally outside City Hall to urge Harrisburg for help with SEPTA’s doomsday budget scenario
One day after SEPTA announced a budget that would cut service by nearly half, legislators, labor leaders and transit advocates united to share a singular message: Republicans in the state Senate need to pass a budget that funds transit. SEPTA faces a $213 million...
As Philly reels from SEPTA’s severe budget proposal, hundreds rally at City Hall
It was a cross between a high school football game and a Bernie Sanders rally. Chants. Cheers. Fiery calls to save the working-class people who need SEPTA. Transit riders, advocates, state lawmakers, union leaders, high school students, City Council members, and...
Rally held demanding lawmakers fully fund SEPTA to avoid looming ‘transit death spiral’
Supporters of SEPTA gathered at City Hall on Friday and called on lawmakers to fully fund the transit agency to avoid a "transit death spiral" that would lead to massive service cuts and higher fares. NBC10's Lauren Mayk has the details.
Pa. leaders call for state funding for cash-strapped SEPTA: ‘It’s time to act’
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- With plans for an increase in fares and a decrease in service, the future of SEPTA is in flux. Local and state lawmakers say the transportation agency needs a lifeline from the Pennsylvania legislature. They held a rally on Friday to demand just...
Transit system in ‘crisis’: SEPTA supporters rally at Philadelphia City Hall against ‘death spiral’ of proposed service cuts
Hundreds gathered at Dilworth Plaza Friday morning for the “We’re Not Getting There Without SEPTA” rally, voicing their opposition to proposed cuts and fare increases by the public transit agency. State Sen. Nikil Saval, D-Philadelphia, led the group in a chant: “No...
As brutal service cuts and fare increases loom, Philly-area officials demand solutions for SEPTA
Pennsylvania’s largest mass transit system is in danger of reaching a terminus no one wants to arrive at. On Thursday, SEPTA announced that it would have to implement severe cutbacks amid a $213 million shortfall this year. In response, lawmakers from around the...
‘No cuts, no way’ for SEPTA, lawmakers say
(The Center Square) – Mass transit riders in the Philadelphia region must brace for service cuts and fare increases this summer as the battle for more state funding gears up. On Thursday, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA, announced...
Governor Shapiro at the Port of Philadelphia: New Tariffs Causing Chaos, Uncertainty, and Higher Prices for Pennsylvania Consumers and Businesses
Governor Shapiro visited the Port of Philadelphia — the largest port in the U.S. for imported fruit and a major gateway for goods entering the country, supporting 12,000 jobs locally and 66,000 maritime jobs statewide — to highlight his Administration’s commitment to...
U.S renters fear higher rent, eviction over energy efficient homes
WASHINGTON – Renters and local officials across the United States are warning that the rising response to climate change could inadvertently aggravate the country's housing affordability crisis, driving up costs and even leading to evictions. With homes and buildings...
New U.S. citizens take Oath of Allegiance at Philadelphia’s Museum of the American Revolution
Philadelphia has long been a proud gateway for American citizenship, and on Tuesday, that tradition continued as two dozen new citizens took the Oath of Allegiance in a naturalization ceremony at the Museum of the American Revolution. The event, hosted by the United...
‘Horrified’: State, local politicians criticize termination of Penn student visas
Several state and local elected officials criticized the State Department's recent revocation of student visas — including those of at least three Penn students — in interviews with The Daily Pennsylvanian. Earlier this week, an email from Penn's International Student...
Penn affiliates join Labor for Higher Education rally outside Sen. Dave McCormick’s office
Over 150 individuals gathered in Center City on Tuesday to protest and demand the reversal of federal funding cuts to research, health, and higher education. The April 8 rally — which took place outside the office of Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) on Market Street — was...
James C. Scott’s “In Praise of Floods,” Reviewed
“In Praise of Floods” (Yale), a study of rivers by the late political scientist James C. Scott, arrives after a year of catastrophic floods. Last spring, heavy rainfall lifted parts of the San Jacinto and Trinity Rivers, in East Texas, at least a dozen feet above the...
Pa. Senate Democrats urge bipartisan support for housing as federal backing crumbles
State lawmakers gathered in Harrisburg Wednesday to denounce what they see as a Trump administration rollback of anti-discrimination housing laws. They’re aiming to garner bipartisan support in the state Senate to ensure Pennsylvania upholds federal standards that...
Aramark workers at Philly stadiums reach tentative contract to secure raises, health care
Aramark workers at Citizens Bank Park, Lincoln Financial Field and the Wells Fargo Center have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract with the food service provider, striking a deal that will include raises up to $6 an hour and health care benefits that...
Shapiro announces $5M grant to Philly Muslim community center
Gov. Josh Shapiro joined an iftar dinner at the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society in North Philly to announce a historic grant from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, the largest ever awarded to a Muslim organization.
Elected officials criticize federal ‘assault’ on Penn, call on University to take action
everal elected officials expressed disapproval towards both the Trump administration’s decision to freeze $175 million in federal funds to Penn and the University’s response in interviews with The Daily Pennsylvanian. As federal actions continue to target higher...
‘Welcoming Caucus’ takes stand against Trump immigration policies
(The Center Square) - Invoking the state and national history of immigration, beginning with the welcome offered by William Penn, some Pennsylvania elected officials want to pass new laws that counter the federal government’s recent deportation efforts. The PA...
Pennsylvania Bill Requires Prosecutors to Notify ICE of Illegal Immigrant Proceedings
A bill introduced by Pennsylvania Republican Senator Dan Laughlin to protect citizens from criminal illegal immigrants has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill, Senate Bill 471, requires an attorney to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)...
Enhanced penalty for fatal drug deaths, ban on safe injection sites get initial OK in Pa. Senate
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Senate took steps Tuesday to enact separate legislation that would ban safe injection sites for drug use and institute a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence for anyone who sells fentanyl that results in a fatal overdose. Sen. Christine...
Pennsylvania bill looks to limit local law enforcement, ICE collaborations
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — A Senator has announced she will be introducing legislation focused on limiting local entanglements with federal immigration enforcement. The bill, authored by Sen. Nikil Saval, argues that residents who call 9-1-1 to report a crime cannot and...
What to know about the University of Pennsylvania’s fraught funding
The University of Pennsylvania has joined the ranks of major colleges and universities facing fraught financial situations as the Trump administration continues to expand its policy of withholding federal funding from universities carrying out policies it deems...
Penn unions rally to encourage administration to oppose federal funding cuts, canceling of diversity initiatives
As President Donald Trump’s administration continues to lord federal funding over universities whose policies he finds at odds with his worldview, a coalition of faculty, staff, and students from the University of Pennsylvania is insisting the institution take a stand...
Penn community rallies against recent federal actions, University response
Over 200 members of the Penn community rallied in protest of recent federal actions affecting higher education institutions on Thursday. Penn employees, students, and local and statepoliticians gathered for the March 20 rally — which was held at the intersection of...
Faculty, staff union at Community College of Philadelphia rally for a new contract
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Union leaders, students, and elected officials rallied Thursday in support of the faculty union at Community College of Philadelphia, which has threatened to strike without a new contract.
Rally at City Hall demands release of Mahmoud Khalil, student leader at Columbia University arrested by immigration officers
Hundreds of people gathered Monday evening at Philadelphia City Hall to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University who was arrested by immigration officers earlier this month. Participants in the rally included...
Detention of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil threatens Americans’ free speech rights, protesters say
A couple hundred people crowded outside City Hall on Monday evening to protest the detention and possible deportation of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil. The demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and many people were wearing keffiyehs. State Sen. Nikil...
Highway to Hell: Inside PennDOT’s Plan to Widen I-95 Through South Philly
The Southeast Youth Athletic Association is wedged into a small square block in South Philly. On some level, the location is fitting: From the blacktopped parking lot, you can see the lights from Citizens Bank Park peeking out in the distance a few blocks away. But if...
Philadelphia Ballet nears completion of its North Broad building
Philadelphia Ballet officials on Wednesday ceremoniously raised high the roofbeam, setting the topmost steel girder into place on the company’s new building currently under construction on North Broad Street. The five-story building, expected to be completed in...
Sen. Doug Mastriano introduces ‘Two Gender Protection Act’
In the current legislative session in Harrisburg, one of the most active and visible state senators in the majority Republican caucus is Doug Mastriano, perhaps most well known for his failed run for PA governor, losing to Josh Shapiro. As a supporter of MAGA and a...
1000s waiting as Shapiro admin again tries to convince lawmakers to fund home repairs program
HARRISBURG — Republican concerns about state spending could keep $50 million to help Pennsylvania homeowners with the cost of major repairs out of this year’s budget, despite overwhelming demand and bipartisan support for a similar initiative several years ago. In...
Bok Comes to Broad Street
For Philadelphia native and Bok Building developer Lindsey Scannapieco, Hamilton Hall has long been iconic. To her, the circa 1826, John Haviland-designed Greek Revival landmark at 300 South Broad Street was a symbol of the vibrant, artistic community University of...
City Council tells ICE to release Philadelphia man
City Council is calling on immigration authorities to release a 44-year-old Philadelphia man who has been detained for months and is at risk of being deported to a country he has never visited. In a resolution adopted Thursday, lawmakers also urged the city’s...
Philly Housing Prices Are Through the Roof. But There Are Ways to Fix It
For decades, housing in Philadelphia has been relatively inexpensive. Now? Not so much. Here's how the region can buck skyrocketing costs and return to affordability.
Bathrooms rock: Franklin Square to get $7.8M in upgrades
Straddling Philadelphia’s Old City and Chinatown neighborhoods, Franklin Square has a handful of park improvements on the way. The one that generated the most excitement at Wednesday’s announcement was the new bathrooms costing $2.2 million.
Local Lawmakers Press Penn to Uphold DEI
Local lawmakers walked out of a meeting with University of Pennsylvania officials on Tuesday due to what they said was insufficient support for diversity, equity and inclusion, WHYY reported. Pennsylvania state senator Art Haywood and state representative Napoleon...
Franklin Square Park to get new restrooms, playground updates and other improvements
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A new playground and restrooms are among the enhancements coming to Franklin Square Park over the next 18 months, as revealed by community leaders on Wednesday.
Franklin Square facelift – Center City park eyes multitude of projects
Millions of dollars worth of upgrades are coming to Center City’s Franklin Square. A significant playground renovation, expanded restroom facilities, a reopened PATCO station, traffic safety improvements and new lighting are all on the horizon, representatives from...