The Bucks County Beacon is a reader-supported, popular, and participatory media outlet that acts as a catalyst for community organizing and action, and progressive change. Our work has been cited in other outlets such as Vanity Fair, Talking Points Memo, Wonkette, Salon, The Philadelphia Inquirer, WHYY, MSNBC, Keith Olbermann & elswehere. As Bucks County’s only
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Two Pennsylvania court cases could end partisan political districts—possibly even in time for the 2018 elections. Illustration by Michael Wohlberg By Kyle Bagenstose The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania tackles a long list of pressing issues: drilling in the Marcellus shale, child welfare, collective bargaining and campaign finance among them. But more than any
MoreIllustration by Layla Ehsan Protecting and Serving by Brion Shreffler Ahead of another busy Saturday night at the now shuttered Rarest, Sean Ciccarone, 37, took to the streets on March 25 for the #DisruptMAGA (Make America Great Again) protest that coincided with a Trump rally at Independence Mall. It was just one of many marches/protests
MoreCopyright City of Philadelphia. Photo by Samantha Madera The People’s Mayor? by Alex Vuocolo At a campaign event in November 2015, then-mayoral-candidate Jim Kenney spoke to a packed room of Latino families and restaurant industry veterans about the importance of welcoming immigrants into the city. He stressed that newcomers were not “illegal immigrants” and condemned
Moreby Grid staff While 2016 is a year many people are glad to have seen pass, it did contain at least two wins for the environment in Pennsylvania. Most significant was a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling on Act 13, which governs the oil and gas drilling industry in the state. The court struck down several
MoreA Renewed Commitment by Heather Shayne Blakeslee In the days after President-elect Donald Trump won a narrow victory in Pennsylvania, statewide environmental group PennFuture gathered a who’s who of past and future advocates in downtown Philadelphia. In attendance were three former heads of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, current state Assembly members, myriad leaders
MoreIllustration by Layla Ehsan Meet the New Boss by Jerry Silberman Question: Will President-elect Donald Trump change the direction of the country?The Right Question: How much influence does a president actually have? In reality, not much. The political tenor of this, or any country—as well as its economic success or failure—operates in response to systemic
MoreConcerned Residents, Port Authority and Governor’s Office Gather for Town Hall on Oil Refinery ExpansionCommunity activists demanded an end to the expansion of the Southport Marine Terminal during a town hall meeting at Kingsessing Recreation Center on May 19, two weeks after more than 350 people shut down the gates of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions
MoreAndy Toy Joins Southeast Asian NonprofitAndy Toy, formerly of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, is now the development and communications manager for Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition, Inc. (SEAMAAC), a nonprofit organization serving immigrants and refugees in the Philadelphia region since 1984. “I’ve personally seen SEAMAAC grow and evolve over the last couple decades,”
MoreIf Philadelphia hopes to become one of the greenest cities in America, now is the time. Thanks to two multi-million dollar grants from the federal government (distributed as part of President Obama’s Recovery Act), Philly is embarking on initiatives that will create green jobs, address energy concerns and offer sustainable solutions to some of the
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