Citizencast

Immigrant small businesses help power Philadelphia. But tariffs — and deportations — could devastate many of them

The fallout from SEPTA's budget deficit will impact the entire state. On this episode of Guest Commentary, the CEO of Brandywine Realty Trust wants every Pennsylvanian to see that SETPTA doesn't just survive, it thrives.

Join us for part two of the fascinating conversation between Ambassador David Cohen, now back from Canada, and Citizen co-founder Larry Platt. They talk about real diplomacy on the world stage and why diversity is so important for our city, state and nation. 

In a post-Roe world, Ali Velshi explains, choices around pregnancy in America can now be criminalized and life-threatening. 

Political reform is bubbling up in other cities. Here? Maybe not so much. An election post-mortem

Philly punk rocker Ron Gallo once avoided social media. Now he’s made it the stage for his most unseriously serious music yet, attracting both worldwide fans and MAGA haters

Just what does an ambassador do, anyway? Back from Canada, join legendary civic force David Cohen and Citizen co-founder Larry Platt for a candid conversation about the embattled art of diplomacy, the power of diversity, and the state of our city. The first of a monthly live podcast recording series.

It's time for Democrats to lead on education again. The CEO of an education reform group has an idea for just how to do that.

... gets dark very quickly. "When the federal government prioritizes profit over people," Ali Velshi says, "middle-class families suffer first."

The U.S. Senator has come under fire by his own staffers and media alike, despite Republican Senator Dave McCormick’s call to lay off. What’s really going on?

“Traditional license plate readers were developed in the 1950s and 60s,” says Garrett Langley of Flock Safety. “But you can go into Flock and say I’m looking for a black Sedan with after-market tires and a dent on the left corner, and we will find that car.” On this episode of How To Really Run A City, our hosts chat with Langley about his innovative and cost-saving approach to public safety, which made national headlines last year by promptly apprehending a would-be Trump assassin and an Atlanta mass shooter. After being the victim of a robbery in his own neighborhood, Langley reimagined vehicle surveillance and built a company that operates alongside thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country. “I love citizen entrepreneurs who are in the civic problem-solving business,” Larry Platt told former mayors Kasim Reed and Michael Nutter. “That’s who this guy is.” Join us for a deep dive into an idea that keeps cities safer while avoiding the typical pitfalls of street surveillance.  As cities go, so

Forty years after the City bombed a house, killed 11 MOVE members and destroyed a neighborhood, Philadelphia still has not reckoned with what it says about us

A nonprofit that recruits volunteers to repair homes is strengthening the physical, social and economic infrastructure of Philly’s neighborhoods.

The austerity mindset Donald Trump is asking of the American people is not the result of a wartime economy or a natural disaster. "No," says Ali Velshi, "we're not buying the idea that Americans need to give up the things that keep our lives running, just because you lit the house on fire."

Jew hate in a Center City bar. A cop shot during a brawl outside Overbrook High. An assassination attempt on our Governor. Maybe it’s time for a rally that reminds us to refocus on shared values and seeing ourselves in one another?

This week the Citizen screened a powerful documentary featuring witnesses of the MOVE bombing, one of the darkest moments of Philadelphia’s racial history.

Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s latest film in theaters now, is a tribute to Black people, their music, and their American experience. Dr. James Peterson argues this is more than a film -- it's a crossroads at its own cultural crossroads.

As a candidate, Donald Trump constantly distanced himself from from the hyper-conservative agenda of Project 2025. As the President, has he changed his tune and embraced it? Ali Velshi explains.

As this budget season reminds us, Democrats had better stop celebrating what they spend — and instead focus on what they actually build and deliver for real people. It was for this reason that I purchased copies of Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson and sent them to our city's leaders.

Join us for a rare behind-the-scenes look into the Citizen's newsroom and a friendly debate about athletes and what political responsibilities they may have.