Local News

The white supremacist terrorist insurrection of Wednesday January 6, 2021 was an ugly day in American history; an ugly day in a long list of ugly days. As a result, members of the Trump Administration have resigned in protest, including transportation secretary Elaine Chao and education secretary Betsy DeVos. It’s too little, too late in The post Deciding To Stay or Leave: When Is […]

The white supremacist terrorist insurrection of Wednesday January 6, 2021 was an ugly day in American history; an ugly day in a long list of ugly days. As a result, members of the Trump Administration have resigned in protest, including transportation secretary Elaine Chao and education secretary Betsy DeVos. It’s too little, too late in The post Deciding To Stay or Leave: When Is […]

Local trans advocates are speaking out for JayCee Cooper, a transgender powerlifter from Minnesota who recently filed suit against USA Powerlifting for allegedly refusing to allow her to compete with other female powerlifters. The 26-page lawsuit was filed on behalf of Cooper by Gender Justice, a nonprofit legal and policy advocacy organization based in St. The post Local advocates back […]

When it comes to recognizing and embracing promising talent, the gays have been at it longer than practically everyone else. Remember the opening sequence of “Beaches,” with the lead characters as children? That was a young Mayim Bialik in one of her earliest film roles, playing Bette Midler’s C.C. Bloom as a kid. Ask any The post Call her rad: an interview with Mayim Bialik appeared first […]

James Darrah’s career exists at the intersection of his training in film and media and his passion for classical music. In recent years, the bisexual director has forged an enduring creative relationship with Opera Philadelphia, helming productions such as “Breaking the Waves” (2016), “Ne Quittez Pas” (2018) and “Semele” (2019). The partnership continues with “Soldier The post […]

Author André Aciman, who penned “Call Me by Your Name” and its sequel, “Find Me,” has a new essay collection, “Homo Irrealis.” The title comes from the irrealis mood in linguistics, a liminal space where “the might-have-been hasn’t happened,” or “might still happen.” Aciman equates this to “awaiting nostalgia.” When he and his family are The post “Homo Irrealis” […]

Given the sheer number of people who turned up for the Capitol riot on January 6th and Washington, D.C.’s proximity to Philadelphia, it was only The post This South Jersey Woman Helped Lead the Charge Up the Capitol Steps appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.

"One cannot appreciate the importance of MLK Day without understanding the tradition that formed one of America’s most influential civil rights leaders," says guest columnist Jason Oliver Evans.

Luke Taylor was 17 when his voice dropped from a normal teenage register to a deep basso profundo. “I freaked out my family,” he recalls The post Sea Shanties — Yes, Sea Shanties — Are Making a Comeback, Thanks in Part to This Delco Teen appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.

The big news on the local things-to-do scene lately is the return of indoor dining—at 25-percent capacity—at dozens of restaurants around the city. For those not ready for that, there’s still plenty of things going on around town to keep you busy—including a wealth of restaurants still offering outdoor seating. You could also spend an … Continue reading Things to Do in Philadelphia This […]

[Ed note: A version of this story first ran in 2016, on the Friday before Martin Luther King Day. It is still relevant—perhaps more so—today.] Today, newspapers and local TV news stations will all dutifully cover what is the strangest Martin Luther King Day on record, a mostly virtual version mostly virtual version of the … Continue reading Let’s Make Every Day A Day of Service The post […]

"[The sector] is filled with good people who want to advance justice and help create an equitable society. We may have the same dreams as MLK, but so many of our good intentions serve to further the very injustice we claim to be fighting," says the founder of Nonprofit AF.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought de-facto segregation and substandard housing. Black Philadelphians knew the struggle all too well. They still do.

It’s Friday afternoon, the end of the first full week back at school after the holidays, and 15-year-old Dayanara Rodriguez is at her North Philly home, sitting beneath her lofted bed. Behind her, the iconography of an adolescence creatively spent: medals from her 8th grade graduation last spring—one for Spanish, another for music—and a ukulele … Continue reading The Power of Snapshots […]

How many people have been inoculated so far — and how close is herd immunity?

We trick out city parks. Our parks are shaping up to be important social hubs — some of the few places to see anyone outside The post 4 Ways the City Could Make the Winter of COVID More Liveable appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.

New wheatpase this week in Philly’s Gayborhood honoring the late great activist and leader Gloria Casarez! Created by local street artist Tiff Urquhart, the artwork was wheatpasted on a wall at St. James and Camac Streets, just around the corner from where the Gloria Casarez mural was whitewashed last month (more about that here and

Recently, Pennsylvania has specifically expanded some of these regulations, which may make it easier for people with criminal records to get licenses for specific jobs, or even have their records sealed or expunged. So what are your rights when you’re looking for work and you have a criminal record, and how should prospective employers handle your application? | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)

About 968,000 mostly residential customers of large electric, gas and water utilities were more than 30 days past due on their bills at the end of November, up 34% from a year ago, according to reports filed with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. They owed more than $808 million, up 70% from the previous year. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)

Increased public school funding is associated with increased student achievement and economic mobility. Improvements in public education funding should be central to our state’s plan to recover from the pandemic. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)

Thinking about our own mortality is never comfortable, but it is important to plan what you want to happen after you die. And having a last will and testament is an important step. | From: The Inquirer (Read more.)

The airlines are running point on the new CDC requirement, which will be enforced at PHL Airport.

Chester County common pleas court Judge Jeffrey Sommer has dismissed all charges against Harrisburg resident James Murphy, a security firm employee who had been charged in connection with an alleged bribery scheme related to Mariner East pipeline construction in Chester County. Courtesy: Chester County District Attorney's officeIn late 2019, James Murphy, operator of Raven Knights LLC, faced […]

City's mayor says he looks forward to collaborating with the Biden administration and its 'more serious approach' to climate change.

Hopeful the incoming Biden administration will help it address climate change, the city now has a goal of achieving carbon-neutral emissions by 2050.

The building owner said they expected the artwork to remain up until at least the end of the month.

Philadelphia’s Republican City Commissioner Al Schmidt, whose matter-of-fact demeanor and competence under pressure provided reassurance throughout 2020, has announced he won’t seek another term as Commissioner in 2023. The announcement is disappointing but understandable given the many bridges Schmidt had to burn with his party to do his job with integrity this year, and the … Continue […]

The workforce development advocate and civil rights leader's org, Philadelphia OIC, has offered job training and education for economic resilience for nearly 60 years.

One of Philadelphia’s most storied and solid attractions and home to over 80 vendors selling a variety of foodstuffs and crafts, RTM's foot traffic has plummeted by 50%.

Joseph Bologna was arrested in June after a baton-beating video went viral.

Monday, January 18th, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday that honors the legacy of the civil rights leader who dedicated his life The post Martin Luther King Jr. Day Opportunities to Volunteer and Celebrate in Philadelphia appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.

The two companies, both of which were cofounded by Will Luttrell, began working on a digital advertising product together in April 2020.

Think Company is conducting virtual mock interviews with Hopeworks youth, for instance. Here are some ideas for your own Martin Luther King Jr. Day volunteering.

This week's column highlights openings at 27 nonprofit and civic organizations, plus a request for proposals from The Food Trust.

For residents of the South Jersey suburbs, finding LGBTQ-specific doctors meant heading into Center City, driving nearly two hours to Asbury Park, or heading to practices in Bucks County. But this month all that changed.  On January 4, Jefferson Health Haddonfield Primary & Specialty Care opened as the first LGBTQ-affirming medical center in South Jersey. The post LGBTQ-affirming medical […]

Scientists say the outcomes of studies are not as well known as the initial concerns.

Very excited to curate a new temporary mural with artists Symone Salib and Letisha Bindu Golafaie, titled We Did That, with support from Mural Arts Philadelphia. Our mural honors the countless Philly organizers who helped to energize the electorate in 2020! From the artists:  “We Did That is a mural celebrating and thanking the resilient organizers of Philadelphia for their

Back in the spring, reeling from the economic fallout of Covid-19, Mayor Jim Kenney went into a room with his brain trust of three white guy buddies—some of whom he grew up with—and, focusing on the short-term, emerged with a vision-less, revised budget of indiscriminate budget cuts. (Don’t be surprised if we get an instant … Continue reading The Fix: How About an Open, Transparent […]

Back in June, we told you about Ryan Dubiel, the white Woodlynne police officer who was caught on video pepper-spraying a Black teen who wasn’t The post White South Jersey Cop Who Casually Pepper-Sprayed Black Teen Is Banned From Holding Any Public Job In the State appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.

It’s been a week and a day since a mob of domestic terrorists stormed the Capitol Building. Six people died as a result of the The post After Trump Insurrection, the Need for Newsroom Diversity Couldn’t Be More Obvious appeared first on Philadelphia Magazine.

Verizon is partnering with the City of Philadelphia for the initiatives that will focus on enhancing digital resources via its public-access computer centers, as well as funding for founders.

In analyzing 64 U.S. protests from 2017 and 2018 where counter-protesters were present and arrests were made, right-leaning protesters account for 8% of total arrests while left-leaning protesters account for 81% of arrests.

Verizon is partnering with the City of Philadelphia for the initiatives that will focus on enhancing digital resources via its public-access computer centers, as well as funding for founders.

The free, eight-week program will run from March to May of this year.

Guest columnist Sam Chenkin offers four ideas of how to share power with the people you serve.

The free OnRamp program will increase accessibility to education and opportunities for a wide cross section of Philly founders.

Queer artist Tiff Urquhart eased her pain by installing a wheatpaste of the LGBTQ icon.

The Penn State professor says President-elect Joe Biden has a mandate to act on the climate crisis.

It was 70 years ago, in 1951, when the legendary reformer Mayor Richardson Dilworth led the charge to write our city’s constitution, the Home Rule Charter, as a rebuttal to what had been a corrupt Republican machine in Philadelphia. He was, in essence, taking government back for the people, leading us into a new era … Continue reading The Fix: How To Reform The City Charter The post The Fix: […]

Getting hit by a rubber bullet helped Judith Max Palmer understand the wanton violence that Black communities experience too often at the hands of police.