State Rep. Chris Rabb, a five-term lawmaker for Pennsylvania’s 200th legislative district, is one of eight Democratic candidates running for the chance to take Congressman Dwight Evans’ vacant seat in the U.S. House of Representatives next year. Rabb has emerged as a progressive option in the lead-up to the Democratic primary in May, with positions
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I don’t know what was more depressing, the dead raccoon alongside Cardington Road at the edge of the freshly erected construction fencing, or the clearcut hillside it had died trying to reach. Cardington cuts through the Cobbs Creek and Karakung golf courses in West Philly, and two weeks ago both sides of the road were
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While it seems like just yesterday, it was six years ago that a world-famous hitchhiking robot was smashed in Philadelphia. The robot—dubbed hitchBOT—was originally created by a Canadian research team. It “could carry a limited conversation” and “took a photo every 20 minutes,” according to the Associated Press. HitchBOT had previously made its way across
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The country’s reckoning with issues of racial justice reached a boiling point last summer after the murder of George Floyd. What followed was an onslaught of streets emblazoned with “Black Lives Matter” and corporate commitments to support equity and examine racial injustice. Notably absent were commitments to cut funding from police budgets and plans to
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Homeless encampments have been popping up around Center City like a game of whack-a-mole. From the Pennsylvania Convention Center, to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, now to Reading Terminal Market and the SEPTA Locust Street underground. Philadelphia’s unhoused continue to band together in small communities rather than relying on city services. As summer approaches and the
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Within the first three months of 2021, Philadelphia has recorded more than 100 homicides—a figure up 32% as of this same time last year. The city has also seen almost 400 shootings. The majority of people being shot are young, Black men—85% of Philly’s gun violence victims are Black and 60% are under the age
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Imagine a world without co-pays, deductibles, premiums, explanations of benefits, pre-existing conditions, tiers, in-network and out-of-network providers. I talked to two capitalists the other day. One in favor of Medicare for all. One on the fence. I initially wanted to talk to small businesses in Philadelphia about Medicare For All and their challenges with our
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On February 26, United Nations human rights experts released a statement calling for reform in American policing. Their primary example for the necessity of reform was the Philadelphia Police Department. The statement came from the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, which is a group of independent experts with mandates to report and advise
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You don’t need to be an urban planner to appreciate the inherent good of public space. This is what Dena Driscoll, co-chair of the all-volunteer grassroots organization and urbanist political action committee 5th Square wants Philadelphians to know as they reimagine the city beyond the pandemic. Formed in 2014, 5th Square supports candidates for local
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On February 9 and 10, Philadelphia artists and creatives held the Digital Rally for Philly Arts, a livestream event spanning more than 24 hours designed to highlight the value of arts and culture in the city ahead of City Council’s budgeting decisions for the next fiscal year. The budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year closed
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WASHINGTON D.C. – On January 6, a mob of angry Americans marched on Washington and successfully stormed the United States Capitol Building. Two weeks following the insurrection, on the eve of Joe Biden’s inauguration, it was evident that a repeat to the violence and conflict at the Capitol was not possible. Approaching the White House
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