In the News
NYC’s primary should inspire Philly to change our votes | Opinion
New York City has become the first major American city to complete a primary election through ranked choice voting. This alone is a historic win for the Black, brown and marginalized people of New York City. The candidates who received 50% of the vote in this primary...
Whistleblowers detail alleged abuse at Delaware County juvenile detention center
DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. - Shocking revelations about what allegedly went on behind closed doors at a juvenile detention center in Delaware County. "We're here because of systemic abuse. The systemic abuse of children," public defender Chris Welsh said. Delaware County's...
Call For Action After Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center Shut Down Over Abuse Allegations
DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) — In Delaware County, a call for action after a detention facility for children was shut down over allegations of abuse. The Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center was closed earlier this month. The public defender’s office says it...
Pa. lawmakers urge sweeping reform after Delco youth facility closure
Just over a week after Delaware County’s president judge emptied the county’s youth detention center in Lima, state and local officials called for dismantling a juvenile-justice system where they said abuse is endemic. “How many times does this have to happen before...
Pennsylvania state senator: People of color are falling ‘way behind’ in vaccinations
Fight over close race mars first day for Pennsylvania Senate
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A bitter dispute erupted on the floor of the Pennsylvania Senate on Tuesday when majority Republicans blocked a Democratic incumbent from being sworn in because his GOP challenger has disputed the razor-thin election results. Lawmakers were...
Gov. Wolf pushes for plan to help Pa. communities struggling with climate change impacts like flooding
Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday ordered the state Planning Board to come up with recommendations on land use, planning, zoning, and storm-water management that would reduce flooding in communities affected by climate change, such as Philadelphia’s Eastwick section that was...
PA State Senator Anthony Williams speaks out calling for reform in police policy
Family, local officials gather to denounce the defacing of Sgt. Wilson mural
WEST PHILADELPHIA - A group of Philadelphia officials joined the family of a fallen police office in gathering to denounce the defacing of a mural dedicated to that officer. Over the weekend, police say a mural of Sgt. Robert Wilson III on the 6000 block of Baltimore...
Philly officials, residents gather to denounce vandalism of the mural of slain Police Sgt. Robert Wilson III
City and state legislators, police commanders, and community residents gathered Tuesday morning in Southwest Philadelphia to denounce the weekend vandalism of the mural of slain Sgt. Robert Wilson III, calling the spraying of anti-police graffiti on the public art...
‘A slap in the face’: West Philadelphians, police decry vandalism of mural honoring slain sergeant
A crowd of city officials and West Philadelphians gathered Tuesday morning to condemn the recent vandalization of a mural honoring Police Sgt. Robert Wilson III, who was killed in 2015 by two gunmen while trying to stop a robbery. On Sunday, the mural, located near...
Senator Williams promotes the Racial Equity Solutions Tour
After recently recovering from the coronavirus, Senator Anthony Williams is hosting the Racial Equity Solutions Tour on Zoom
Pennsylvania is becoming more racially diverse. And that could be a big deal for the 2020 election.
Amilcar Arroyo recalls that when he first came to Hazleton, a small city in southern Luzerne County, in 1989, he was one of just a handful of Spanish-speaking people who lived there. But things have changed so much since then. Almost 60% of the people who now live in...
Pa. Senate unanimously passes bill to reform probation system; supporters call it a ‘milestone’
The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously approved a bill to revamp Pennsylvania’s probation system Wednesday, a step criminal justice reform advocates have long awaited. Advocates and lawmakers have said the probation system is preventing people from rebuilding their lives...
Pennsylvania State Sen. Anthony Williams Speaks With Eyewitness News About Coronavirus Diagnosis
Civil Asset Forfeiture Under New Scrutiny Amid Calls for Police Reform
At a time when politicians of all stripes are thinking of ways to reshape the criminal justice system, an oft-overlooked law enforcement practice is receiving new scrutiny. Civil asset forfeiture, the process of police departments confiscating property they suspect is...
State arts council distributes $2.3 million to arts groups
Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday that 309 nonprofit arts organizations will receive grants totaling $2.3 million to help with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds from the federal CARES Act support staff salaries, facilities costs and fees for artists or...
More than 1,000 protesters walk for Black Lives Matter through Lansdowne, Yeadon
A protest organized by 16-year-old Penn Wood High student Tori Monroe brought more than 1,000 people to walk through Lansdowne and Yeadon on Sunday, including Yeadon Police Chief Anthony "Chachi" Paparo who kneeled on both knees at the event's conclusion. "We came...
Delaware County DA announces Criminal Justice Reform Task Force
MEDIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Delaware County Council and District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer announced the creation of a Criminal Justice Reform Task Force on Tuesday. The announcement comes on the heels of protests around the country after the death of George...