The Philadelphia Citizen
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The Philadelphia Citizen is an independent news outlet focusing on solutions to make Philly a better city and ways to inspire locals to be more engaged. thephiladelphiacitizen.org
Summer isn't over yet, and neither is our nation's biggest celebration. Here's everything to do this week for the semiquincentennial. https://bit.ly/3NERSqH
Things to Do For America's 250th
Celebrate America's 250th this week with a firstival at the Zoo, a day of festivities in Newtown, historic tours of Germantown, and more
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From public parks to open source software, Philadelphia’s wealth of donated labor needs a professional boost to really thrive. https://bit.ly/4vJfye0
Leveraging Philly's Formidable Volunteer Love
From public parks to open source software, Philadelphia’s wealth of donated labor needs a professional boost to really thrive
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When Benjamin Franklin first founded University of Pennsylvania, he asserted that its guiding principle would be that knowledge should serve society. Today, a long-time university president writes, we are in need of another revolution in higher education. https://bit.ly/4bwkVFz
Time for a Higher Ed Revolution in Philadelphia
A long-time university president calls for a constitutional convention on higher education in the city known for revolutions.
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Philly’s Parks on Tap has revived interest in some city parks. Now the city of Memphis has stolen the idea for its own civic purpose. https://bit.ly/4hBHZGX
Philly's Parks on Tap concept makes it to Memphis, Tennessee
Philly’s Parks on Tap has revived interest in some city parks. Now the city of Memphis has stolen the idea for its own civic purpose.
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In partnership with Committee of Seventy, a breakdown of how Governor Josh Shapiro and the PA legislature will be spending taxpayers' money next year. https://bit.ly/3OVP6xH
How Governor Shapiro Wants To Spend Your Money
In partnership with Committee of Seventy, a detailed breakdown of the PA budget adopted by the state legislature for next year
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The Fairmount Park Conservancy CEO urges us to show up for the places that bring us together, care for the parks that define our neighborhoods, and invest in the public spaces that tell Philadelphia’s story. https://bit.ly/3UdfLbw
Guest Commentary: Philadelphia, Park City
Some of Philly’s parks are older than the Constitution. Let’s use them to make us the civic and cultural capital of the nation
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Penn Medicine's large-scale breast cancer clinical trial is testing different drug combinations to keep sleeper cells at bay. Since 2017, they have worked with hundreds of breast cancer patients from across the nation with promising results. https://bit.ly/4geFJny
Can These Docs Keep Breast Cancer From Coming Back?
Thirty percent of all breast cancer patients experience a potentially deadly recurrence. Penn scientists are working on a solution
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The CEO of a statewide anti-hunger nonprofit makes the argument that Pennsylvania must integrate food into healthcare. https://bit.ly/4xkUbjE
Guest Commentary: Nutrition as New Vital Sign
The CEO of a statewide anti-hunger nonprofit makes the argument that Pennsylvania must integrate food into healthcare
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It's almost back-to-school season. Donate food or money for uniforms, share your expertise, provide reading help and more ways you can support schools in Philadelphia. https://bit.ly/4pWp7o4
15+ ways to help Philly schools thrive this upcoming school year
School is back in session in Philadelphia. Here are a bunch of ways you can do your part to make it the best school year ever
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This summer, Kadafi El-Kardah launched Drain Buddies, a volunteer program that encourages neighbors to pick up litter and take care of their storm drains. But more than keeping streets clean, El-Kardah sees it as a way to build community with his neighbors. https://bit.ly/4wyWkZ3
Citizen of The Week: Kadafi El-Kardah's Drain Buddies
Germantown resident Kadafi El-Kardah is bringing neighbors together to fight flooding, one storm drain at a time
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12 steps to running a safe, legal and successful voter registration sign up by the election deadline. https://bit.ly/3TweEUh
How to Start a Voter Registration Drive in Philadelphia
Election experts offer 12 steps to running a safe, legal and effective voter registration drive, so you can help get people to the polls.
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Tonight is Philly's biggest celebration of the year! Join us at the historic National Constitution Center for the annual Best of Philly Party. Get your last-minutes here! https://bit.ly/4hdjRtZ
Best of Philly Party 2026
Celebrate with the city’s best. The biggest celebration of the year is back. Join us for an unforgettable night of fun, food and drink […]
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Here's how to make your representatives work for you, and how to hold them accountable. https://bit.ly/4fN1HN1
How to contact your representatives in Philly and Pennsylvania
Want to contact your representatives? Here's how to find them on the state, local and federal levels, along with tips on what to write.
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Weaponizing federal grants for political punishment? This week, Ali Velshi is joined by former Washington Governor Jay Inslee to discuss the Trump administration's tactics. https://bit.ly/4pWuRhA
Listen: Trump Cancels Grants to States Kamala Harris Won
Ali Velshi and Jay Inslee discuss how the Trump Administration is weaponizing federal clean energy grants for political punishment
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This week it's the return of BlackStar Film Festival, Bug Fest, Port Richmond's Pierogi Fest, the Danny Rumph Classic, Philly Mag's Best of Philly Party, and much much more! https://bit.ly/3dV0t6u
Things to Do in Philly This Week and Weekend
Things to do in Philly this week: BlackStar Film Festival, Best of Philly Party, Bug Fest, Danny Rumph Classic, Port Richmond Pierogi Fest, and more
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If you’re tired of the endless barrage of toxic campaign advertisements, often paid for by secret donors, that spread lies and turn neighbors against each other, Rabbi Michael Pollack says there is a solution: Publicly-financed elections. https://bit.ly/4yTxAwf
Guest Commentary: What If We The People Controlled Our Election Funding?
A local political activist has an idea we should steal to take power back from wealthy special interests: public campaign financing
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"Philadelphia wasn’t simply offering LeBron James another contract. It was offering him one final mountain to climb, one of the most passionate fan bases in America, and the opportunity to end a championship drought that has lasted more than forty years." https://bit.ly/4hbtrxt
Why LeBron James Chose the Sixers
What it means that the billionaire basketball legend took a massive pay cut for the chance to bring a championship back to the Sixers after 43 years.
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On our latest episode of How to Really Run a City, our former mayors Kasim Reed and Michael Nutter, along with Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt, are joined by Brown Univesity Professor Marc Dunkelman. Listen for a conversation on how to actually make progress in our country. https://bit.ly/3PHAlyz
Listen: How to Really Run a City Podcast
Former mayors Michael Nutter and Kasim Reed talk about what it takes to really get sh*t done in cities in How to Really Run a City podcast
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Everything to do to be a good citizen this August and beyond. https://bit.ly/4uiW3Ic
2026 Good Things to Do (Philadelphia) Citizen Calendar
There are so many good things to do in 2026 to make this year in Philadelphia your civic best, from volunteering to celebrating!
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A crisis convinces each of us to pull inward to protect what’s ours, work our corner, do what we can with what’s in front of us. It’s also that exact instinct that keeps a city from solving the crisis at all, writes co-chair of the 2026 Philadelphia Food Summit Ted Hewson. https://bit.ly/4h8dk3G
Guest Commentary: We Have Compassion, Just Lack Connection.
When a city is in crisis, the instinct is to pull inward. That instinct, a local connector says, is the problem. Connection is infrastructure we need
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A Fishtown restaurant takes us on a culinary journey into Pennsylvania’s past. Waffles and catfish, anyone? https://bit.ly/4xeOwM8
How Elwood reinvents food from PA's past. Waffles and catfish, anyone?
The next in our series takes a trip into Pennsylvania’s food history by way of Fishtown’s Elwood. Keep reading to find out more.
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The developers, employers, and planners shaping this city are building it for this generation and the one right behind it. What will it take to keep Gen Z here for the long term? https://bit.ly/3TjGT8C
Guest Commentary: What Gen Z Wants From Work and Philly
A local Gen Zer weighs on where they get their rep — and why they really do want to be in an office and maybe even go out for happy hour
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Throughout 2026, institutions and organizations around the Greater Philadelphia area are marking the semiquincentennial with art installations, theater, exhibits, performances, storytelling, and much more. https://bit.ly/3NERSqH
Things to Do For America's 250th
Celebrate America's 250th this week with a firstival at the Academy of Natural Sciences, a light show at City Hall, and history at the library
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"The voices of everyday colonists who stood for human rights and independence before, during, and following the Revolution were coming from congregations." https://bit.ly/3RZvsT4
The Citizen Recommends: Founding Faiths
Founding Faiths: Historic Sacred Places Celebrate America's 250th invites visitors to appreciate and learn more about historic houses of worship
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And so it was that, upon the 250th anniversary of the world’s greatest civic experiment, LeBronism came to this most historic of birthplaces, and the people rejoiced. https://bit.ly/3S6B9i5
“He Chose Us”
What LeBron James signing on with our beloved 76ers says about a city finally learning to believe in itself
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A CHOP pediatric trauma surgeon asks: What if we confronted the number one cause of death among children the same way we dealt with motor vehicle safety? https://bit.ly/3QSSI49
Guest Commentary: We Can Prevent Children’s Gun Injuries
A CHOP pediatric trauma surgeon asks: What if we confront the number one cause of death among children the same way we deal with motor vehicle safety?
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At Post Haste, kitchen scraps are given a second life in their signature dish. https://bit.ly/4bk0Wda
How Leftovers Create the Viral Billion Layer Lasagna
At Post Haste, kitchen scraps are given a second life in their signature dish.
phillymag.com
For Danny Maloney, an educator who organizes the Philly Queer Book Club at PAT @ Giovanni’s Room, pools are among the clearest places to see democracy in action in this city. https://bit.ly/44XE939
Guest Commentary: Philly’s Public Pools Are Democracy Manifest
Our public pools defy every social demographic difference and represent, a local citizen argues, models of democracy
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Celebrating the founding of our country when it feels like everything is falling apart? Really hard. Celebrating the Philadelphia that hosted the World Cup? Easy. https://bit.ly/4oVNXDS
Soccer Saved Our 250th
Celebrating the semiquincentennial when it feels like everything is falling apart? Really hard. Celebrating the Philly that's hosting the World Cup? Easy
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