Media Mentions

HARRISBURG — As the Trump administration ramps up efforts to deport undocumented immigrants, advocates in Pennsylvania worry that existing civil rights and safety problems at the state’s largest federal detention center will get worse. Known problems at Moshannon...

José has lost count of how many times he’s shuttered his store in the last three months amid rumors that ICE was poised to strike the venerable Italian Market. The undocumented 45-year-old business owner, who declined to provide a last name out of fear of deportation,...

State Rep. Ben Waxman, D-Philadelphia, doesn’t have to look very far to see the importance of public transit in his Central City district. Studies have shown a higher percentage of workers in Waxman’s district use public transit to get to work than any other district...

Allegheny County state House Democrats Aerion Abney and Jessica Benham say they’ve got some ideas to fund the state’s struggling public transportation system: add a tax on ride-share trips such as Uber and Lyft, and increase fees on car rentals and leases. 

HARRISBURG, June 3 – As Pride Month begins, state lawmakers in the Pennsylvania LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus on Monday announced the reintroduction of the Fairness Act at a state Capitol news conference. “Discrimination is something many LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians still...

SEPTA's board appointed Scott Sauer general manager of the transit authority on Monday, removing the interim title he received when Leslie Richards stepped down in November, officials said. Sauer, who began his career as a SEPTA trolley driver in 1990, will continue...

The 2025 Philadelphia Pride March and Festival kicked off Pride Month with a vibrant cascade of color, and a half-mile procession through the city and its history. Marking 50 years since Pennsylvania became the first U.S. state to protect LGBTQ+ employees from...

Marchers carried a newly expanded 600-foot-long Pride flag up Walnut Street from Washington Square to the Gayborhood for a Festival with food trucks, stages, and performances to continue the celebration. The The theme for this year's event was LUV or “Legacy, Unity...

GAYBORHOOD (KYW Newsradio) — Pride Month is here and Philadelphia kicked it all off on Sunday with a 600-foot Pride flag, a parade full of drummers, and tens of thousands of community members flocking from Old City to the Gayborhood for the celebration. 

PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — Two Pennsylvania Senators announced legislation that aims to prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Senators Steven Santarsiero (D-Bucks) and Nikil Saval (D-Philadelphia) argued in...

Most rental applications ask potential tenants whether they’ve ever faced an eviction. This Watchdog, whose lease ends in July, has been asked that question quite a few times recently. It’s best not to lie when answering. Eviction filings are public documents, and...

Philadelphia, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro visited Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood to meet with small business owners, celebrate the community’s cultural and economic contributions, and highlight his Administration’s work to support local economies, improve...

Northwest Philadelphia residents and Save the Train Coalition members united Monday morning, taking the Chestnut Hill West line to SEPTA headquarters for a rally. At the rally, Save the Train organizers, elected officials and several other speakers advocated for the...

Nicholas Orlowsky graduated from the University of Texas at Austin last week, and he said that he decided to move to Philadelphia because of its transit system. “If SEPTA were in the state it will be in after these cuts, I likely would not have made the decision to...

(The Center Square) - Mass transit advocates rallied to gather support on Monday for SEPTA funding ahead of the state’s upcoming budget negotiations in June. Over the next three days, SEPTA will be holding public hearings to discuss their 2026 operating budget, and...

SEPTA is, once again, facing a major hole in its budget. The Philadelphia-based transit agency says it's staring down a $213 million shortfall in its operating budget starting on July 1. If it doesn't get money from the state, leaders say major cuts will take place...

On the ornate steps in the rotunda of the state capitol on Tuesday, May 13, transit union members held signs that read “Transit moves us” with a heart for the “o” - and a lot on the line. “People are scared,” said SEPTA employee John Lipscomb, who made the trip to...

Gov. Josh Shapiro visited the Philadelphia Navy Yard to highlight a $30 million investment of transforming 54 acres into advanced manufacturing, life science and commercial use sites. The money was awarded through the Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance...

The streets of South Philadelphia are often flooded with bicyclists. Some may be out for a joyride or running an errand, but studies show that South Philly has one of the highest rates of workers using a bike for their morning and evening commutes.

“Bike to Work & Wherever Day” celebrated urban cycling and highlighted the need for safe, protected bike lanes. The Bicycle Coalition with Independence Blue Cross hosted a group bicycle ride starting in five different neighborhoods and all ending in a press conference...

A Republican-led state Senate passed the Save Women’s Sports Act (SB9) on May 6 — a piece of legislation that would ban trans people from participating in school-sponsored athletic teams that align with their gender identities. If the bill becomes law, the rule would...

ocal lawmakers convened at Philadelphia City Hall on Friday to condemn Penn’s “mind boggling” rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs — and University leaders’ “refusal” to attend the hearing. The May 9 joint committee hearing — held by Philadelphia...

The work of a Pennsylvania legislator may be defined by bureaucracy and procedure, but lawmaker lives can be a little more colorful in the off-hours. While the hundreds of legislators in Harrisburg proudly tout their values and communities, they're often less vocal...

“Location, location, location” is a well-known real estate axiom, and the value of a particular building or piece of land is heavily influenced by the access it provides to different kinds of amenities and services. Among those services that affect housing prices is...

(The Center Square) - While the Navy Yard in Philadelphia looks toward the future, a Pennsylvania brand which briefly made its home there is closing its doors. On Thursday the Shapiro administration visited the Navy Yard to speak about a $30 million investment toward...

The $30 million investment in the Philadelphia Navy Yard is part of the Governor’s first round of PA SITES funding — a total of $64 million awarded to 11 strategic sites across the Commonwealth — helping create shovel-ready sites across the Commonwealth in order to...

SEPTA’s doomsday budget would have a sweeping impact on the Main Line, stranding young people from the area’s many colleges, cutting off residents from opportunities and increasing car traffic, Montgomery County leaders warned Tuesday. County elected officials,...

Amid the blizzard of executive orders President Donald Trump has issued in his return to office — from the significant (gutting federal diversity programs) to the overly ambitious (“Iron Dome for America”) to the downright silly (Gulf of America, anyone?) — one that’s...

All that’s left of 2716 N. 12th St. in North Philadelphia are sun-bleached rectangles of plaster clinging to the party wall of an adjacent house that still stands. Traces of stairways, shelving, joists, and tilework overlook demolition sites in the city’s older...

The Transit Authority of Warren County stands to see an additional $231,766 in the budget proposed by Gov. Josh Shapiro. With two months remaining before the deadline for state lawmakers to adopt the 2026 state budget, Democrats in Harrisburg are putting on a...

HARRISBURG – Philadelphia County Senator Nikil Saval and Allegheny County Sen. Lindsey Williams announced the Transit for All PA Funding Package, a suite of legislative proposals to help secure full funding for transit agencies across the state. The package includes a...

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Two Pennsylvania state lawmakers are planning to introduce legislation that could offer a lifeline to public transportation agencies, like SEPTA. State Senator Lindsey Williams, of District 38, and State Senator Nikil Saval, of District 1 in...

Just days after a Republican proposal to privatize SEPTA’s bus services, Democratic lawmakers in Harrisburg announced a legislative package aimed at staving off service cuts to public transit systems statewide. Dubbed the “Transit for All PA Funding Package,” the set...

HARRISBURG, Pa. — With transit agencies in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh both warning of catastrophic service cuts without additional state funding, two Pennsylvania state senators have announced plans for legislation to help fund transit statewide. 

For nearly seven hours Tuesday, Pittsburgh Regional transit heard from dozens of riders and transit advocates about the serious problems they would face if the agency follows through with service cuts of 45%, a 62% reduction in the area served by Access paratransit...