Do the House Dems want to lose power??
In the budget fight over school vouchers, House Dems have overplayed their hand politically and invited a mega-donor to flip their majority
Jul 21, 2023•8 min•Season 1Ep. 1116
CitizenCast
The Philadelphia Citizen podcast offers spoken versions of articles, deeper dives into the political, social and cultural workings of our city, explainers on the issues of our day, interviews, conversations and solutions. Lots of solutions. All to help you become a better citizen of your city.
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Episodes
BannedBookClub | Bravery, victims and community in The Hate U Give
MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi talks with Angie Thomas about her young adult novel telling the story of a girl who witnessed a childhood friend killed in front of her at the hands of a police officer. The powerful themes landed this book on banned lists across the country.
Jul 20, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 1115
Mystery Shopper | Parking permit hell
Join our Mystery Shopper in the frustratingly difficult task of just trying to pay the PPA for their residential parking permit
Jul 19, 2023•6 min•Season 1Ep. 1114
Bringing Scandinavian prison reforms to Pennsylvania
A research study at SCI Chester is looking at how Scandinavian conditions could make U.S. prisons safer and reduce recidivism
Jul 18, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 1113
Ali Velshi | Red states are benefitting most from "Bidenomics"
"Bidenomics" is working, explains MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi. Red state senators are taking credit for successes in their states. Despite their opposing votes to Biden's infrastructure bill.
Jul 17, 2023•5 min•Season 1Ep. 1112
When Affirmative Action was a Philly thing
The Philadelphia Plan was the first federal affirmative action program. It was defended and implemented by Black Republican Arthur Fletcher, who argued that diversity was good for business.
Jul 14, 2023•8 min•Season 1Ep. 1111
Ali Velshi | The House is in Donald Trump's pocket
MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi demonstrates that in the House of Representatives, loyalty to Donald Trump holds greater sway than actually governing. "This is Trump's House," Velshi says, "Speaker Kevin McCarthy is just living there."
Jul 13, 2023•5 min•Season 1Ep. 1110
No more traffic deaths in Philly
Six years ago, the City adopted Vision Zero to eliminate pedestrian and cyclist deaths. Instead, they’ve gone up. Can we learn from Hoboken, New Jersey?
Jul 12, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 1109
Guns don't kill people ... bullets do
In the wake of this week’s mass shooting in Southwest Philly, bullet control makes much more sense than the same-old gun control rhetoric
Jul 11, 2023•6 min•Season 1Ep. 1108
Ali Velshi | This was the worst heat wave in U.S. history
MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi looks at the intense heat waves roiling the country and places the crisis in the context of the massively destructive Dust Bowl from almost a century ago. Climate change is here.
Jul 10, 2023•5 min•Season 1Ep. 1107
Ali Velshi | Watergate proves some people are above the law
MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi digs into the presidential pardon of Richard Nixon by Gerald Ford to show the poor precedent it set. If Ford had let the investigations play out a little longer, it might not have signaled to future presidents that criminality would be tolerated in our chief executives.
Jul 07, 2023•5 min•Season 1Ep. 1106
The unfairness of Students for Fair Admissions
The Students for Fair Admissions’ Supreme Court case that struck down affirmative action was not about fairness, it was about race.
Jul 06, 2023•7 min•Season 1Ep. 1105
The next mayor must prioritize sustainable businesses
Philly's Sustainable Business Network on how our next mayor and elected leaders can support values-driven small businesses in Philadelphia
Jul 05, 2023•5 min•Season 1Ep. 1104
This moment is why elections matter
Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter says last week’s Supreme Court rulings should remind us of the power of elections—and voting in them
Jul 04, 2023•5 min•Season 1Ep. 1103
Ali Velshi | Are we banning Pulitzer Prize winning books now?
On this episode of #VelshiBannedBookClub, MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi invites Art Spiegelman on the show to discuss his Pulitzer-winning graphic novel, "Maus." Spiegelman's father survived the Holocaust and "Maus" is part memoir, part exploration of generational trauma. "How," Velshi asks, "is a man whose father survived the Holocaust seeing his book about the Holocaust banned in 2023?"
Jul 03, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 1102
Josh Shapiro, master politician?
Does Josh Shapiro's budget-time support of school vouchers show he's got political game to match his inspiring I-95 crisis management?
Jun 30, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 1101
Ali Velshi | "Weaponization" is the Alamo of Republicans
MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi highlights some of the most damning evidence from Trump's latest indictment, and shows how claiming the "weaponization of everything," from the National Archives to the FBI, has become the last refuge of Republican defenders.
Jun 29, 2023•4 min•Season 1Ep. 1100
Fighting gentrification through Black business density
On this episode of our acclaimed podcast, "How To Really Run A City," recorded live at the National Conference of Black Mayors, we ask: Have you ever thrown up your hands over gentrification, convinced there's no way to avoid ousting long-time residents? T ake heart . Have you ever thought redlining, while technically illegal, will invariably continue to permeate societies without penalty? Take heart. Have you felt defeated by the uphill battle of growing Black business density? Take heart . Our...
Jun 28, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1099
Bring back queer radicalism
Rainbow capitalism and crosswalks are nice, but let’s not forget LGBTQ+ people are defending their very right to exist
Jun 27, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 1098
Ali Velshi | This book resulted in death threats. From the Taliban.
On this episode of #VelshiBannedBookClub, MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi speaks with Professor Hassan Abbas about his book "Return of the Taliban." Professor Abbas says that tarnishing the image of Taliban leaders (including reporting stories of alcohol and drug use and prostitution) produced death threats from the regime in Afghanistan.
Jun 26, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 1097
To Madam Mayor: Get your public safety team in place now
On this episode, Larry gives a bit of advice to presumptive Philadelphia Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker: Don't wait to put together a public safety team. Announce your presence with authority.
Jun 23, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 1096
I-95, a troubled history
The I-95 overpass collapse last week was not the first catastrophe associated with Philly’s stretch of interstate. In fact, it's old news.
Jun 22, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 1095
Ali Velshi | "This Book is Gay" landed on the banned list years after its publication
MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi invites Juno Dawson onto the show to discuss her book, which was written to elevate LGBT+ youth. After a successful reception, things turned sour around the time Sarah Palin hit the national stage. Now her book sits on the list of most banned books.
Jun 21, 2023•7 min•Season 1Ep. 1094
Interview Special | Which world city gets sustainable businesses right?
Roxanne Patel Shepelavy returns to her interview with Devi Ramkissoon, head of the Sustainable Business Network. In this episode they discuss which international city stands out for its success in social impact business, and what lessons Philly can learn from poorer, enterprising countries around the world. Join us for part 2 of this enlightening interview.
Jun 20, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 1093
Ali Velshi | The Tulsa Race Massacre
In 1921, 300 Black Americans were massacred, and a city razed to the ground in Tulsa, Oklahoma. MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi explains what sparked the massacre and how Oklahoma politicians are still trying to keep the history hidden.
Jun 19, 2023•5 min•Season 1Ep. 1092
A bold proposal for I-95
I-95 has splintered neighborhoods and magnified inequities since 1957. Amanda Steinberg proposes a solution: transportation reparations
Jun 16, 2023•6 min•Season 1Ep. 1091
The I-95 wake-up call
The collapse of I-95 is a symptom of a larger problem, says Charles Ellison. Philadelphia is addicted to fossil fuels.
Jun 15, 2023•6 min•Season 1Ep. 1090
Teaching business and financial literacy in prisons slashes recidivism
In this episode of Business For Good, we look at Wharton WORKS, a new program that teaches incarcerated men and women valuable skills while teaching future MBAs the value of employing returning citizens.
Jun 14, 2023•6 min•Season 1Ep. 1089
City Cast Philly presents: Philadelphia's alternative to locking people up
On a recent episode of City Cast Philly , host Trenae Nuri talked with Citizen editor Christina Griffith about Police Assisted Diversion (PAD) which refers people to social services instead of jail. This program was started in Kensington in 2017 and boasts impressive statistics. Only 8.5% of participants commit another crime. PAD is set to expand to the entire city this summer. Nuri chatted with Griffith about who qualifies for the program and if Philly is ready for a city-wide expansion....
Jun 13, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 1088
Ali Velshi | What exactly is the Espionage Act?
MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi breaks down the meaning and historical context of the 1917 Espionage Act, and explains how it could take down a former President.
Jun 12, 2023•5 min•Season 1Ep. 1087
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