Commentary

Durrell Hospedale | PHL City Council Last Monday, Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke’s package of Safe Healthy Homes bills passed out of the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and the Homeless. Again. By Denise Clay-Murray Last Tuesday afternoon, the saga of Philadelphia’s Landlords vs. Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke continued when two of the city’s landlords amended their suit…

Read More

Mayor Cherelle Parker announced that the tax on ride share she proposed in her Fiscal Year 2027 budget was going to be .80 more than planned. Council wanted to know why. By Denise Clay-Murray Before I begin this column on the first week of Philadelphia City Council’s hearings on Mayor Cherelle Parker’s 2027 fiscal year…

Read More

On Thursday, Philadelphia City Council was scheduled to vote on Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke’s Safe Healthy Homes package. Instead, it’s headed back to committee. By Denise Clay-Murray It’s not every day that my Hanging In The Hall life and my president and board member of the Society of Professional Journalists life intersect. In fact, I try…

Read More

Durrell Hospedale | PHL City Council Hanging In The Hall During Thursday’s Philadelphia City Council meeting, Council voted to let voters decide if the City Charter’s resign-to-run rule should be abolished. But after reading it, I’m not sure if the third time is going to be a charm. By Denise Clay-Murray Thanks to many of…

Read More

Guest Commentary By Fatim Byrd I spent my childhood preparing for the classroom, long before I realized the profession was preparing for me. In the 1990s, my mother pulled me out of Philadelphia’s public schools — not because she didn’t believe in public education, but because the system around it was underfunded, understaffed, and unsafe….

Read More

Philadelphia’s homeowners are getting sticker shock thanks to their property tax bills. Councilmember Quetcy Lozada and her fellow City Council members would like to know why, and how to fix it. By Denise Clay-Murray The only state in which I’ve ever paid property taxes is New Jersey, and it’s something I don’t ever want to…

Read More

Chris Mansfield | PHL City Council Philadelphia City Council introduced a package of bills designed to serve notice on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. By Denise Clay-Murray I can always tell what the hot topic is in Philadelphia City Council by who is lining the halls in front of Council Chambers on Thursday mornings….

Read More

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, left, tries to get away from Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) during the second half of an NFL wild card playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) When a member of the Black press complemented the coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars during…

Read More

Thanks to America’s 250th anniversary, Philadelphia is primed to be one of the nation’s hotspots in 2026. Unfortunately, what made America so special appears to be getting demolished from the inside. By Denise Clay-Murray One of the better moments that I’ve had in 2026 so far was celebrating my 5th wedding anniversary with my husband,…

Read More

The fact that half of the White House was reduced to rubble tells you everything you need to know about 2025 Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Tuesday, Dec., 9, 2025, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) By Denise Clay-Murray If you’re looking…

Read More