Philadelphia’s Opioid Addiction Failure

A New York Times article about a crippling new drug has drawn national attention (once again) to Kensington. A former city official who worked on the crisis under Jim Kenney takes the Mayor to task for his failure to solve the problem

By Josh Kruger
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Ali Velshi Banned Book Club on Nickel and Dimed

Ali Velshi talks with the authors of Maid and Heartland about bans on books about poverty, such as Nickel and Dimed

By Ali Velshi

Kensington’s Trauma Porn Problem

YouTubers roaming Kensington to record human suffering there have built a cottage industry of crass global gawkers. What can Philly do about it?

By Nick Russo

Safe at Home

Philadelphia’s Eviction Diversion Program has become a model for cities around the country — and a lifesaver for Philadelphia families

By Jessica Blatt Press

Announcing Kenney 2.0

Jim Kenney can still reverse his legacy as a mayor who quit on his city. Here, the “Quality of Life” speech to Philadelphians he needs to make now.

By Larry Platt

How a Community Fridge Built … a Community

Jane Ellis opened one of the city’s first community fridges at the start of Covid. Two years later, Germantown’s two free-to-all pantries testify to the power and promise of mutual aid

By Ethan Young
Citizen of the Week

Mithsaika Napoleon

The Haiti-born soccer player and coach found her voice through Starfinder, a free Philly program that teaches kids how to play the beautiful game — and how to live a beautiful life

By Kai Englisch

How to Fight Food Insecurity in Philly

Donate peanut butter! Organize a food drive! Sort cans! Here are 15 simple things you can do now to help food insecure citizens of Philadelphia.

By Christine Speer Lejeune
Ideas We Should Steal Revisited

Security Deposit Alternatives

Philly rents rose 6 percent during the pandemic, making security deposits even harder for new tenants. A Cincinnati law is applying private market disruption to the problem. Should we do that here too?

By Jill Harkins
Ideas We Should Steal

Fix Poverty by Giving Cash to the Poor

Organizations like Give Directly take money from donors and give it directly to the poor. Statistics say that's the best way to do it.

By Saurav Upadhyay