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January 8, 2016

Philly News Briefs: 1/8/16

1.) Under Mayor Jim Kenney, Philadelphia will be aiming to reduce its prison population by 34 percent over the next three years. News reports state that the city has applied for a $4 million McArthur Foundation grant to give funding to the plan. Kenney and other city officials haven’t released many details of the plan to reduce prison crowding, but […]

January 7, 2016

Philadelphia is a Sanctuary City Under Mayor Kinney

Jim Kenney has been mayor of Philadelphia for all of three days and he’s already causing a stir. As soon as he entered office he signed a spate of executive orders, one of which has proven to be quite controversial. The order returns Philadelphia to a state of being a “sanctuary city” for undocumented immigrants, since they will not be […]

January 6, 2016

Philadelphia’s New Police Commissioner Sworn In

Philadelphia now has a new police commissioner, as Richard Ross was sworn in by Mayor Jim Kenney yesterday. The action came just one day after Kenney himself was inaugurated into office. He was sworn in at Central High School, which Ross himself attended. Also participating in the ceremony was District Attorney Seth Williams, who held the Bible. Ross is a […]

January 5, 2016

Philly News Briefs: 1/5/16

1.) Longtime Philadelphia councilman Jim Kenney was sworn in as the city’s 99th mayor during inaugural festivities yesterday. Kenney, a Philadelphia native, is now in charge of a city that has seen tremendous growth downtown but still struggles with deep-rooted poverty in many areas. He was sworn in by newly-minted state Supreme Court judge Kevin Dougherty, a long-time friend. In […]

January 4, 2016

Jim Kenney to Be Sworn In As Philadelphia’s 99th Mayor

Today Philadelphia gets a new mayor. Jim Kenney will be sworn in at 10 AM this morning, closing the door on Michael Nutter’s two-term reign as mayor of the City of Brotherly Love. Kenney will take office along with all the new members of the Philadelphia City Council this morning at the Academy of Music. Jane Roh, spokesperson for city […]

December 30, 2015

Will the Land Bank Help or Hurt Philadelphia Citizens?

Not far from the shining glass-and-metal skyscrapers of Center City Philadelphia are streets where blight reigns. The New York Times recently ran a story on Philadelphia’s Land Bank, the city’s great hope for revitalizing the crumbling neighborhoods that are endemic in places. The Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, a nonprofit organization that acts as an advocate for mixed-income neighborhoods, […]

December 29, 2015

Philadelphia’s “Pink Nuns” Have Been Praying Nonstop for 100 Years

Pope Francis’ visit in September shined a light on Catholicism in Philadelphia. The vast number of faithful who turned out to see the pope were indicative of the fact that, even in the twenty-first century, the power of the Catholic Church hasn’t completely faltered. The New York Post recently ran a story on a fascinating sect of nuns who live, […]

December 28, 2015

Are Philadelphia Renters Cost-Burdened?

There are more renters in America right now than there have been at any point since the 1960s. Home ownership is at a half-century low, and renting has spiked. This has been the trend since the housing crash of the late 2000s. A discouraging trend that’s gone alongside the rise in renting? Renters paying too much for their housing. It’s […]

December 23, 2015

Philadelphia Signs 15-Year Deal With Comcast

Mayor Michael Nutter signed a deal yesterday that will extend Philadelphia’s contract with Comcast for another 15 years. The franchise agreement is being looked at as a model for all Comcast agreements throughout the country. The deal was brokered largely through the work of Adel Ebeid, the city’s chief innovation officer. It includes millions of dollars in franchise fees for […]