Our Reporting
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Chinatown’s future in flux
No clear vision emerging for Market East after Sixers arena deal fails by Chhaya Nayyar and Colette Kearney With the proposed Sixers arena squashed the future of Market East is hazy. Chinatown residents have one vision and their Councilman Mark Squilla is planning another. Neither vision is clear. “There is a task force being assembled…
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Philadelphia plans upgrades to reduce “forever chemicals” in drinking water
The project is driven by new regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency last year, though the fate of those rules remain uncertain in the Trump administration by Chris Shaddock Philadelphia’s water agency, for now, is moving ahead with plans to reduce levels of toxic “forever” chemicals in drinking water as the fates of national…
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A Crisis Pregnancy Center in North Philadelphia rooted in faith
Hope Pregnancy Center is one of thousands of crisis pregnancy centers across the country offering limited family planning assistance under the guise of anti abortion advocacy. by Deesarine Ballayan It’s 7:30 a.m. on Super Bowl Sunday at Greater Exodus Baptist Church. The pews are sprinkled with elders singing together with the worship team and a …
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Temple’s University’s Cherry Pantry dispenses free food to students in need
Many students face food insecurity and depend on the pantry to eat by Cole Cummings and Sayed Almousawi On a recent Tuesday afternoon, student Antonio Rivera shuffled sideways past a cluster of other students and into Temple University’s Cherry Pantry, a food pantry for students. It’s a snug office space with shelves lining the wall…
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Snapshot in the dark: How Philly counts its homeless
Many of the city’s homeless are not on the streets on a rainy winter night by Allison Beck and Julius Philp Audio transcript On one night in January every year, hundreds of people gather in Love Park blasting pop music and eating french fries and chicken tenders from a brightly lit food truck. They aren’t…
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Employed, but can’t afford a home
Low wage jobs, debt and high rents pushes some workers to live in their cars by Frank Garrity The first night Tony and his partner Justin were forced to sleep in their white 2020 BMW they both assumed it would be for one or two nights at most until they figured out a new living…
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From Blight to Blessing
Fairhill community efforts bring new life to former open air drug market by Allison Beck Peaches Ramos has lived on the same Fairhill block for 47 years, raising her kids less than two blocks from what was once one of Philly’s most infamous open air drug markets. “I used to be scared to let my…
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Norris Square vs The Land Bank as community fears increasing gentrification
Land Bank Board weighs private development proposal after community members express opposition by Alayna Hutchinson Norris Square is a neighborhood of contrasts. There’s a strip of vacant land on American Street. It’s filled with overgrown weeds and littered with garbage. An abandoned trailer, old basketball hoop, and mattress sit among other pieces of trash. Behind…
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Young, Unhoused and Unseen
A podcast in collaboration with WHYY NEWS Alexis Pope, 18, a resident at Forget Me Knot, a group home in North Philadelphia, stand in her room. | Photo By Yvonne Latty Teens in group homes, moms in shelters, and LGBTQ youth sleeping on streets: These are some of the faces of young people experiencing homelessness…
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Unsolved Podcast
Ikey Raw, has dedicated his life to amplifying the stories of families grappling with the unsolved murders of their loved ones. In this podcast Raw talks to Tiffaney Flynn whose daughter, Onjanae Thompson, was murdered two years ago in a busy shopping center parking lot. The murder remains unsolved. This podcast is a project of…