The Brief
The Brief: Supreme Court Candidate Gave Homophobe-Baiting Defense
1. LGBT advocates say Adams County President Judge Michael George, who is running in the state Supreme Court race as a Republican, gave a “repulsive” defense in […]
PPA Says: No Center City SEPTA Bus or Rail Service for Pope Visit, “Significant Security Perimeter” From Girard to South
The gist: More and more logistical details are spilling out about Pope Francis’ September visit to Philadelphia. This thing is just too big, with too […]
The Brief: Another Water Main Broke in West Philly
1. It’s the summer of water main breaks. The gist: A 12-inch water main broke in West Philadelphia on Tuesday evening, according to 6ABC. It led to interruptions […]
The Brief: Why It Takes So Long for City Streets to Get Fixed
1. Why does it take so impossibly long for street repairs to get made in Philadelphia? It’s complicated. Really complicated. The gist: PlanPhilly last week […]
How Philly’s Plummeting Smoking Rate Could Harm Schools
1. Maybe you shouldn’t quit smoking … for the kids. (We kid, we kid.) The gist: Today, Philadelphia’s new cigarette tax is bringing in the bucks for […]
The Brief: Philly’s Hotel Occupancy Rates Explode to a Modern High
1. Philadelphia’s hotels were more booked last month than during any other June since 1993. The gist: The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Center City’s hotel occupancy rates “reached 89.4 percent in […]
The Brief: Why Your Reverse Commute Is So Wretched
1. Why Philadelphia-area residents have some of the worst commutes in the nation. The gist: The Inquirer took a long look on Sunday at commutes […]
The Brief: Hite Damns the Politicos, Moves Full Speed Ahead
1. Tired of waiting, for reasonable funding that may never come, Schools Superintendent Bill Hite is pressing forward on his plan to reshape the district. […]
The Brief: We’ll Soon Know the Names of All Cops Who Shoot Civilians
1. The police department is going to start releasing the names of officers who fire at civilians. The gist: City Paper reports that Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey […]
The Brief: Airlines to Spend Up to $2 Billion More on PHL Improvements
1. A new lease agreement between airlines and the City of Philadelphia secures an additional $1.3-$2.1 billion in new airline spending at the airport and […]
The Brief: The Return of Local Gun Control
1. Now that the Commonwealth Court has overturned a controversial law making local gun control efforts harder to enact, will cities and towns get back […]
The Brief: This Is Why Your Artisanal Cocktail Costs $13
1. The cost of liquor licenses in Philadelphia is skyrocketing. The gist: Michael Klein reports for Philly.com that the price of a liquor license in […]
The Brief: State Moves Closer to Taking Over Philly Schools — Again
1. A state Senate committee approved a bill that would put low-performing Pennsylvania schools into a state-run system. The gist: The Inquirer’s Chris Palmer reports […]
The Brief: How Jim Kenney Is Like John Belushi
1. The inside story of how the Jim Kenney campaign started with nothing and won with 56 percent of the vote. The gist: When Jim […]
The Brief: Is George Norcross Staking a Claim in Philly Politics?
1. George Norcross lands the first post-win meeting with Jim Kenney. The gist: The Next Mayor has a juicy little scoop: George Norcross, the political kingmaker of South Jersey, […]