Politics
Why Do We Even Have a Sheriff’s Office in the First Place?
In public service, there are officials who make simple mistakes — errors that can be corrected, and after they are, we move on. Example: when […]
Philly Just Surpassed 500 Homicides. Can We Admit Gun Buyback Programs Aren’t Helping?
With a month to go in 2021, Philadelphia has already hit 500 homicides. At an average of one homicide every 16 hours in the city, […]
5 Ways the Johnny Doc/Bobby Henon Verdict Will Shake Up Philly Politics
Philadelphia’s political world was rocked on Monday when a federal jury convicted union leader John Dougherty and City Councilmember Bobby Henon on bribery and conspiracy […]
Philly Dems Failed Miserably Last Week. 3 Things They Must Fix Before Next Year’s Midterms
Depending on whom you ask, last week’s Pennsylvania election results — a major disappointment for Democrats — were a big surprise or exactly what we […]
We Don’t Need a Jury to Tell Us That the Days of Johnny Doc Have Passed
This week, Philly “politics as usual” is on trial. More than two years after being federally charged for bribery and corruption, Local 98 leader John “Johnny […]
The Return of COVID Restrictions Proves That Unvaccinated Lives Matter
The rise of new COVID-19 cases caused by the highly contagious Delta variant — and the return of restrictions in their wake — has produced […]
Philly’s New Budget Makes It Clear City Hall Will Never Defund the Police
As the saying goes, “Don’t believe the hype,” especially when it comes to the Philly police budget. After all that talk of criminal justice reform […]
Helen Gym and Kenyatta Johnson, Grandstand Less and Legislate More
Having grown up in the South, I’ve never forgotten a piece of wisdom from my elders: “Know your role, play your part.” In a democracy, […]
Four Major Takeaways From the Philadelphia Democratic Primary
The Philadelphia Democratic primary election resulted in a big win for progressive candidates. District Attorney Larry Krasner’s landslide victory over former prosecutor Carlos Vega was […]
Nearly 3/4 of All Contributions to Larry Krasner This Year Came from Outside Philly
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner sure does have a lot of friends — or at least supporters — in faraway places. With polls set to […]
Not Enthusiastic About Voting for Either Larry Krasner or Carlos Vega? You’re Not Alone.
With less than two weeks to go before the Democratic primary, I cut the suspense in my household by casting my mail-in vote. Voting for […]
Why Is Philly In Such a Mess Right Now? Because Our Politicians Have Lost Their Souls
“We need leaders with the courage to risk the thing that matters most to them: their own jobs,” former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell wrote in […]
After Trump Insurrection, the Need for Newsroom Diversity Couldn’t Be More Obvious
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 […]
City Commissioner Al Schmidt, Hero of the 2020 Election, Is Ready to Call It Quits
When Al Schmidt first ran for city commissioner in 2011, seeking one of the three seats in charge of Philly’s elections, he probably never thought […]
The Big List of Philly Pols Demanding Resignations and Prosecutions After Capitol Siege
To think that this week began with the Republican leadership in the state Senate refusing to seat Democrat Jim Brewster of Allegheny County, who won […]