Media Mentions
Pa. Senate approves bill supporting Israel, Shapiro spox says gov supports measure
HARRISBURG — State Senators approved a bill protecting Pennsylvania’s investments in Israel and related companies, one that would allow lawmakers to withhold potentially millions in funds from any university that would choose to divest in protest of the Israel-Hamas...
Pa. Senate passes bill barring state and higher education divestments from Israel
Student protests on college campuses called on universities to pull their investments from Israel over the war in Gaza. While some schools agreed to at least discuss divestment, Pennsylvania higher education institutions will not have the choice if a bill continues...
Housing and Education Go Hand in Hand in Our Vision for a Healthy Pennsylvania
House Democrats, with support from some Republican colleagues, made major headway in Harrisburg with the passing of our education funding bill (HB2370) that would clear the path for equitable access to an adequate and fully funded education for every child. After...
Pennsylvania progressives resolute in Palestinian support
(The Center Square) – Recent critical remarks from top-ranking state officials, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, have not deterred Palestinian support among progressive lawmakers and advocacy groups in Pennsylvania. Earlier this month, Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill,...
The Best Places to Sit in Town, According to These Philly Celebs
From a park bench to a sky-high restaurant table to a simple seat on a SEPTA bus, here’s where notable Philadelphians prefer sitting. We reached out to some notable Philadelphians to discover their favorite spots to sit and soak in the city. From a park bench to a...
Pa. state Sen. Nikil Saval plans to finally read ‘Ulysses’ on Bloomsday
This weekend, the Rosenbach Library and Museum is hosting its annual marathon reading of James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” an event held every year on June 16, or Bloomsday, the calendar day experienced by Leopold Bloom during the entirety of the novel. The Rosenbach owns...
June 13: Rust Belt Strategy
“President Joe Biden’s most likely path to re-election is a narrow one that relies on the same three states that gave Donald Trump the Oval Office in 2016 and then yanked it away from him in 2020 — Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — along with a single electoral...
Dozens arrested as hundreds of Aramark workers protested in Center City
Hundreds of cooks, servers, bartenders, dishwashers and concessions workers employed by Aramark protested in Center City on Wednesday, June 12. The workers, represented by UNITE Here Local 274, gathered on the bridge near the Aramark global headquarters along 24th and...
Pa. state senator arrested during rally over wages, benefits of Philly stadium workers
State Sen. Nikil Saval (D-Philadelphia) was among around 50 people arrested Wednesday during a protest in south Philadelphia at a rally in protest of Aramark’s treatment of Philadelphia stadium workers, his office said in a news release. Hundreds of people rallied...
50 arrests made during Aramark workers protest in Center City
UNIVERSITY CITY - Union organizers say about 50 people were arrested protesting outside Aramark’s corporate headquarters in Center City on Wednesday. Food service workers from Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park and Wells Fargo Center were calling for higher...
Pa. state senator among dozens arrested during Aramark protest outside Philadelphia headquarters
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Dozens of people were arrested Wednesday afternoon during a protest outside Aramark's headquarters in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania State Senator Nikil Saval was among the protesters arrested while calling for better wages and health care. Workers...
PA Senator Speaks Out After Arrest At Aramark Protest: ‘Their Fight Is My Fight’
A Pennsylvania State Senator was one of dozens of protestors arrested in Philadelphia this week, and he's speaking out. Represented by UNITE Here Local 274, food service workers from Wells Fargo Center, Lincoln Financial Field, and Citizens Bank Park picketed at the...
46 people arrested during Aramark workers protest that blocked Market Street
Hundreds of Aramark workers blocked off Market Street in a massive demonstration at rush hour Wednesday. Demonstrators gathered on the bridge outside of Aramark's headquarters at 24th and Market streets beginning at 4 p.m., and disrupted traffic by sitting in the...
At least 45 Aramark food workers arrested during Center City demonstration for better pay and health benefits
Union members working for Aramark at the South Philadelphia sports complex conducted a “civil disobedience” protest in Center City late Wednesday afternoon, with at least 45 participants arrested as they disrupted rush-hour traffic to draw attention to their...
Market Street Bridge reopens after Aramark workers’ protest stopped traffic in Center City Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Aramark workers blocked traffic in Center City Philadelphia for a short time Wednesday evening. Workers protested at Aramark's global headquarters at 24th and Market streets and on the Market Street Bridge, which connects University City and...
Aramark workers protest
Striking Aramark food-service workers protest during rush hour in Philly on Wed., June 12th.
Closure of Philadelphia’s University of the Arts Triggers Attorney General Review
The University of the Arts in Philadelphia abruptly closed its doors at the end of the spring semester last week and fired around 600 faculty members, spurring a review by the office of Pennsylvania’s attorney general. “We’re closed,” a statement on the university’s...
University of the Arts’ sudden closure draws state, city reviews
The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office is reviewing the abrupt shutdown, while Philadelphia’s city council is planning a hearing over the matter.
Hundreds Laid Off from Philadelphia’s UArts in Conference Call on Last Day of Operations
Some 600 staffers at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts were laid off on a conference call Friday, on what the college said was its final day of operations. According to local media reports, some staffers were given the option to work through the end of June. On...
600+ University of the Arts faculty and staff laid off on the school’s chaotic final day; hundreds rally
The University of the Arts, an institution with roots dating back nearly 150 years, laid off 613 staff members Friday on its chaotic, final day of formal existence. “We are confirming that the university is closing today, June 7, as previously announced — this means...
Closure of Philadelphia Art School Spurs Review by State Attorney General
The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office and state lawmakers said Friday that they were reviewing the abrupt closure of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, which blindsided students and faculty members. “We are very concerned by the sudden closure of the...
A Philadelphia arts college closes abruptly, leaving students reeling
Last week’s sudden announcement that the longstanding University of the Arts in Philadelphia would permanently close June 7 sent shockwaves through the school community. The news came amid generational challenges to higher education, from declining enrollment to...
‘Stand up, fight back’: UArts students and faculty mark the abrupt end of a 150-year-old Philly institution
Philadelphia police temporarily shut down the southbound lanes of Broad Street Friday afternoon so that around 1,000 students, faculty and alumni of the University of the Arts could take a final group photo on the day their school closed for good. But first, there...
Philadelphia’s UArts Hit with Class-Action Lawsuit Amid Sudden Closure
Just days after announcing its sudden closure, Philadelphia’s University of the Arts was hit with a class action lawsuit by nine of its employees, including several professors and department directors. The news was first reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The...
Philadelphia’s University of the Arts suddenly closes, prompting president’s resignation, student protests and a class action lawsuit
The sudden closure of the University of the Arts (UArts) has sent shockwaves through the Philadelphia art community and the US arts education field. Outcry over the suddenness of the closure—announced on 31 May, taking effect on 7 June—has led to the resignation of...
Students, advocates, and elected officials rally for dedicated afterschool program funding
HARRISBURG, JUNE 5 -- A coalition of elected officials, students and advocates rallied in the state Capitol today to support a dedicated funding source for after-school programs across Pennsylvania. Led by Sunrise of Philadelphia, a community-based after-school...
‘A crown jewel’: Questions, anger, and a lawsuit threat follow University of the Arts’ announcement of imminent closure
As University of the Arts trustees met Saturday to deal with the school’s shocking, imminent closure, the prevalent question among students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni was effectively summarized by Bradley Philbert, an adjunct professor. “How,” Philbert asked,...
‘A fragile financial state’: University of the Arts to close next week
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — University of the Arts will close its doors for good on June 7. “I’m shocked for sure, disappointed… just really sad,” said Ev Dowling, a rising senior at the University of Arts studying musical theater. He only had one year left at the...
Sen. Fetterman Wants to Take PA’s Whole-Home Repairs Program to the National Level
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WENY) -- Whether you live in a rural or urban area, maintaining your home can be difficult and costly. With rising repair and utility costs, homeowners and renters are often forced to live with leaky roofs, lead paint, mold and other health and...
‘Fair chance’ hiring helps formerly incarcerated people find work
On a recent afternoon in April, more than 50 employers gathered at Temple University with one mission: to meet and hire qualified applicants for open positions at their companies. Within a few hours, discount clothing store Forman Mills hired 50 people. Unlike other...
Parents, city and community leaders ask Philly schools to install HEPA air filters
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Parents and elected officials are calling on the School District of Philadelphia to install HEPA air filters in classrooms. The Safe Air for Philly Schools campaign sent a letter on Wednesday to the Board of Education, asking that...
Vandals strike Arab-owned Philly coffee shop prompting peaceful rally in support of owner
QUEEN VILLAGE - A peaceful rally was held in front of a Queen Village café Friday after the Arab-owned Lombard Café was vandalized this week and many people, including Governor Josh Shapiro, are condemning the incident. "I was very upset and angry when I heard about...
Police are investigating vandalism at Lombard Cafe where Israeli flag stickers appeared inside
Philadelphia police are investigating a reported break-in and act of vandalism at Lombard Cafe, a Society Hill coffee shop whose owner claims her business was targeted for being vocally pro-Palestinian. The incident has drawn interest from Gov. Josh Shapiro and other...
The Graduation Issue 2024: Graduate student employees, RAs, and Penn Med residents unionize
Penn’s graduate student workers voted to unionize by an overwhelming majority amid a wave of union activism among the student worker community. The vote passed by a 1,807-97 margin. Over 2,300 eligible workers, all of whom are members of Graduate Employees Together —...
A Homeowner’s Nightmare: Pennsylvania Senators Probe into the Perils of Newly Built Homes
PHOENIXVILLE, PA — Unpacked dreams and unmet expectations – this has been the story for many newly-minted homeowners in Pennsylvania. On Friday, State Senator Katie Muth, Chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee, gathered with Senators Nikil Saval...
Philly Aramark stadium workers demand healthcare, raises, dignity
PHILADELPHIA—Aramark food and beverage workers, custodians, and security staff at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center are tired of the company’s greed and refusal to negotiate in good faith after months of bargaining sessions. So, with the support of their neighbors,...
Gov. Shapiro touts $50M proposal for home repairs program in Philadelphia
Standing outside Dominique Young’s recently repaired Southwest Philadelphia home Friday morning, Gov. Josh Shapiro and area lawmakers boasted about the benefits of the Whole-Home Repairs Program and the $50 million proposal in the governor’s budget to further fund the...
“It’s All Connected”: One Mom Battles Asthma and Climate Change to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Brooke Petry was a new parent when she moved into a carpeted apartment in Philadelphia around 2010. Her baby, then 18 months, had asthma, and so did Petry. Still, it took almost six years for Petry to connect their asthmatic symptoms with their living situation. It...
More tech savvy: Troop K state police get body cams and video
State police patrol troopers assigned to Troop K – covering Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Delaware counties – are now outfitted with body-worn cameras and updated mobile video recorders in their patrol vehicles. Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) officials said PSP...
Enhancing Transparency: Pennsylvania State Police Outfit Patrol Troopers with Body Cameras
HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) have reached a new milestone in their duty. As of April 29, 2024, all patrol troopers in Troop K, assigned to Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Delaware counties, are equipped with body-worn cameras and updated mobile...