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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On February 1, The Philadelphia Inquirer put a stop to reader comments on the majority of its online articles. They will continue to provide a public forum for sports stories, so feel free to share your opinion on the departure of Carson Wentz, but you can’t comment on the news. Some Inquirer posters bemoaned the
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In November 2019 the City of Philadelphia approved SEPTA’s request to operate a natural gas–burning power plant in the Nicetown neighborhood of North Philadelphia. This approval marked a defeat for the neighbors opposing the plant, who are now preparing for the next phase in the struggle: taking oversight of the new plant’s emissions into their
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As professionals in the hospitality industry, caring for others is important to longtime friends Stephen Pressman and Heather Gettis. When the pandemic hit and both were laid off from their jobs, restaurant worker Pressman and event manager Gettis found themselves with an abundance of time and a lack of opportunity to do things for others.
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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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Luna Lemus-Bromley doesn’t mind getting a little dirt under her fingernails. In fact, that’s what Lemus-Bromley loves so much about gardening. She appreciates that while the end result is beautiful, the road to getting there can be tough. That’s why she named her gardening business Petal and Blade—to signify the time and effort it takes
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When we live in a world where we feel we can do whatever we want, whenever we want, we succumb to a spiritual plague. It erodes the fabric of cooperation and equality, as well as the symbiosis that allows for us to have safe, healthy living environments. When we look at those trying to dismantle
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Whether due to seasonal shutdowns or permanent closures, the city has no shortage of depressingly dim restaurants and bars lately. So it was refreshing to see a welcoming splash of color on the door of one such establishment. While the Valanni Social Club, at 1229 Spruce Street, has been in stasis for months due to
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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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In October 2020, Grid released an introduction to community fridges, a mutual aid concept where a refrigerator is placed in a public space and stocked by organizers and the community at large for the benefit of those in need. The food is free to all. At that time, there were only 11 fridges citywide, but
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