Citizencast

A closer look at an age-old rivalry, on the eve of the Eagles beating Dallas (right?) this weekend. This is the spoken edition of Dave Kyu's story. The text version can be read here.

Larry Platt talks to Sixers fan Sam Wachs, who was kicked out of a game in Philadelphia for protesting China’s crackdown on Hong Kong. Wachs details the experience leading up to the game, what happened when he was finally approached by guards and why he decided to take on the NBA in this way.  This is the spoken edition of Larry Platt's story. The text version can be read here.

The small city of Sandusky, Ohio, cancelled the out-of-step holiday in favor of one much needed. We should do that in Philly, too. This is the spoken edition of Roxanne Patel Shepelavy's story. The text version can be read here.

Larry is the publisher of the Philadelphia Citizen and joined Charles to talk about his story on the new poverty numbers, Mayor Kenney’s reaction, and some ideas for how the City could be moving forward. This live Reality Check episode was a discussion of Larry Platt's recent story, which can be read here.

Eagles offensive lineman and education advocate Jason Kelce spotlights Furness High School and its game-changing ESL program, which sets immigrant students up to succeed. This is the spoken edition of Jason Kelce's story. The text version can be read here.

Jobs, housing and economic mobility all rely on good public transportation. Can Philly rise to the occasion before it’s too late? This is the spoken edition of Diana Lind's story. The text version can be read here.

The only gun bills the state legislature will consider this year take us backwards, not forwards. Is there anything Philly can do? This the spoken edition of Roxanne Patel Shepelavy's story. The text version can be read here.

On the heels of the birth of his first child, Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce writes about Philly's Foster Grandparent Program—the oldest and largest of its kind in the nation—which places seniors in classrooms across the city.  This is the audio version of Jason Kelce's story. The text version can be read here.

The latest Philly poverty numbers should be a call to arms and not cause for a victory lap. Did it wake up Mayor Kenney? This is the podcast version of Larry Platt's story. Find the text version here. 

Chef Chris Cho hopes to expand his family's business into a new Philadelphia restaurant empire, starting with Center City Korean spot Seorabol.   Find the text version of the story here. 

Jill and Keith joined Charles to discuss a program called Bridges to Wealth, that is bringing financial empowerment training to students and adults in Philadelphia, as a way to lessen the wealth gap in the city. The Citizen's Alyssa Biederman recently wrote an article about Bridges to Wealth which can be read here.

Description: University of Pennsylvania-based nonprofit Bridges to Wealth—which has partnered with Jay-Z’s Shawn Carter Foundation—works to decrease the wealth gap in Philly by providing underserved communities the education and tools they need to start businesses and invest to build a sound financial future.    Find the text version of Alyssa Biederman’s story here. 

Mike McLively of the Giffords Law Center to Reduce Gun Violence, studied those efforts in Oakland for a report that came out earlier this year. The Citizen's Roxanne Patel Shepelavy wrote about the study and how it could be applied to Philadelphia in an article that can be read here.

Candidates in the Working Families Party would have you believe  that the impediment to progress in the city has been  two Republican at-large members of Council. But is that really true? Larry Platt looks at candidates Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke’s campaigns and wonders where’s the substance? Find the text version of the story here.

Eagles coaches have long mirrored the Philly political eras in which they worked. Dave Kyu asks, what does that mean today? Read the original article here.

The Eagles offensive lineman talks about the importance of nutritional programming for youth, and spotlights Philabundance’s BackPack program, which removes the stigma surrounding need by delivering nutritious food to every kid at 27 participating sites. Find the full text version of the story here. 

Angela Beale-Tawfeeq, a Rowan University professor and former competitive swimmer who created a program to teach city kids how to swim—something particularly relevant for African Americans, whose rate of unintentional drowning is more than 5 times that of white children. She has done some pretty great work, partnering with Masjidullah and with Brannon Johnson, who owns the only all-female African American boathouse in the country.

This week, the Super Bowl-winning offensive lineman spotlights cool music programs for youth in Philadelphia and talks about why they're so important. He also shares stories about his own experience with music as a child, including an obsession with the baritone sax. Read the text version here

Oakland cut its gun violence rate in half by using a version of programs Philly abandoned in 2015. Roxanne Patel Shepelavy asks: With shootings on the rise, isn’t it time we embraced Ceasefire?

Violence in the West Philadelphia community of Overbrook might be what makes the news. But Nick Fiorellini writes that it’s not the whole—or even the most important—story to those who live there