The Philadelphia Citizen

CitizenCast

News EN ↓ 1987 episodes

The Philadelphia Citizen podcast offers spoken versions of articles, deeper dives into the political, social and cultural workings of our city, explainers on the issues of our day, interviews, conversations and solutions. Lots of solutions. All to help you become a better citizen of your city.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: thephiladelphiacitizen.org

Author

The Philadelphia Citizen

Category

News

Podcast website

thephiladelphiacitizen.org

Latest episode

Oct 21, 2026

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Episodes

Unmasking the inventor of Bitcoin | pt. 1 30.04.2025

Citizen writer Malcolm Burnley sat down with the author of a new nonfiction book about his epic attempt to learn the identity of Bitcoin's fabled inventor, one of the world's richest people

Where are all the trees we were promised? 29.04.2025

Trees provide documented health benefits and even reduce crime, but two years into the City's first-ever Tree Plan, our leafy coverage has remained pretty much static. Why is that, and what happens next?

The very real threat to libraries across the country 28.04.2025

"I don't remember Trump campaigning on the promise to cut local library funding, but there were warnings," says Ali Velshi on this episode of the Banned Book Club. He brings onto the show Jon Yaged, CEO of Macmillan Publishers to discuss the effects of book banning and the slashing of federal funding to the little-known federal agency, the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Josh Shapiro and moral clarity 25.04.2025

After the assassination attempt, Governor Shapiro's principled call for moral clarity might be better served by retiring the phrase "antisemitism" and calling it what it is: Jew Hate.

From graffiti artist to celebrity shoemaker 24.04.2025

Iconic fashion designer and renowned chef Big Rube invites Jim Buck of Made By Buck down to his kitchen at Pitchers Pub in Manayunk. Buck tells Rube his story of pulling himself up by his literal bootstraps.

What is the Black Brain Campaign? 23.04.2025

On this week's episode of Citizen WURDs, James Peterson is joined by Dr. Kevana Nixon, whose mission is to "eradicate the stigma of mental health in the Black community."

Can Philly still become "Cellicon Valley?" 22.04.2025

Layoffs, vacant labs and NIH cuts are diminishing the once-booming biotech sector that promised an economic windfall in the region. Is it time to write off biotech?

Do we now live in a surveillance state? 21.04.2025

Private companies are increasingly profiting from state-sponsored surveillance aimed at immigrants. Ali Velshi brings the practice into the light and asks what this all means since "the true mark of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable."

For sale: Your state legislature 18.04.2025

The latest push for a ban on egregious gifts to legislators is the 38th attempt at a gift ban in the last 25 years ...

Ultimate Job Interview: DA | 2 17.04.2025

On this second part of Ultimate Job Interview, three panelists put tough questions to District Attorney hopeful Paul Dugan. Listen and prepare to vote in the May 20th primary.

Ultimate Job Interview: DA | 1 16.04.2025

On this episode of our two-part Ultimate Job Interview, three panelists are assembled to put the tough questions to District Attorney hopeful Paul Dugan. Listen and prepare to vote in the May 20th primary.

Mommy, the 100-year-old, pregnant tortoise 15.04.2025

Our Citizen of the Week is a century-old Galápagos tortoise at the Philadelphia Zoo. She's a new mother and she's helping to save her species from extinction.

Even with the tariff pause, prices went up 14.04.2025

Ali Velshi brings out "Betty" to once again demonstrate how tariff pause or no, everything in her life just got more expensive. Reach for that glass of wine. On second thought, don't.

John Fry's call to arms 11.04.2025

New Temple President John Fry doubled down on Enlightenment values, modeling a new course for would-be leaders in this age of autocracy

Where local matters 10.04.2025

In this episode of How To Really Run A City, our hosts bring Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti onto the show. Cognetti is demonstrating how cities are blazing a way forward amidst the daily chaos spilling out of Washington, D.C. "This is where local matters," Cognetti says. "At the local level, we're nimble, we're able to try things that are harder at the state level, and definitely at the national le...

Will PA ever legalize weed? 09.04.2025

Citizen writer Malcolm Burnley explores the burning question of whether or not legal use of recreational marijuana really is in our future.

Winners write the history 08.04.2025

Let's ensure it's the American people who are the winners by preserving and teaching the stories that form our democracy

There's no good or bad government, the power is the problem 07.04.2025

Journalist Melissa Chan and cartoonist Badiucao created a highly accessible dystopian graphic novel that takes place in 2035. America has become proto-fascist and is at war with a techno-authoritarian regime in China. Chan and Badiucao join Ali Velshi for his latest installment of the Velshi Banned Book Club. "Serious topics about human rights and social issues needs to break into gamers, the geek...

U.S. Rep Brendan Boyle, the Eagles and Trump 04.04.2025

U.S. Representative Brendan Boyle recently expressed his outrage over Trump inviting the Kansas City Chiefs to the White House. Lauren McCutcheon asked him why. 

Giving small and minority businesses a real chance 03.04.2025

On this episode of Evening WURDs, James Peterson is joined by Kenyatta James, executive director of the Economy League. They discuss how small and minority-owned businesses can get ahead in Philly and what "human-centered design" means. 

Literacy is never neutral 02.04.2025

There is a literary crisis in Philadelphia. Percival Everett's National Book Award-winning novel James might just be the way forward. 

An ode to ... the Fashion District? 01.04.2025

The remade Gallery is constantly roasted for its lack of personality. But maybe that's just what makes our Fashion District a hidden gem. Maybe.

The tragedy on the 57 Bus 31.03.2025

In 2013, a teenage boy lit the skirt of an agender teen asleep nearby on fire. They sustained major burns to their legs and the offending teen was charged as an adult -- over the wishes of the victim and their family. This true story is detailed in The 57 Bus by journalist Dashka Slater. With discrimination against trans persons becoming openly accepted in the U.S., Ali Velshi sits down with Slate...

Krasner versus ... Trump? 28.03.2025

DA Larry Krasner says he's a "democracy advocate" and his real opponent is Donald Trump. Is there actually something to it?

The "elusive wizard" of housing 27.03.2025

In our latest episode of How To Really Run A City, our hosts invite an "elusive wizard" onto the show. Bruce Katz is the Founding Director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University, and an architect of the National Housing Crisis Task Force at Accelerator For America. "Bruce has forgotten more about cities than I'll ever know," Larry tells our mayors before referencing the Trump Administ...

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