City Cast Philly

Summer is on it’s way here and so is the stress of trying to fit in absolutely every warm-weather activity you dreamed about all winter. We’re gonna try to make things a little easier - over the next three weeks, you’ll be hearing our Summer Entertainment Guide, recommendations for what to do in this city, and how to have the best time doing them. Host Trenae Nuri chats with Evon Burton, creative...

A Philadelphia Police Department pilot program, that refers people to social services instead of jail, is set to expand to the entire city this summer. The Police Assisted Diversion (PAD) started in Kensington in 2017 and has been successful, with only 8.5% of people who get into the program committing another crime after going through it. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Christina Griffith, contributi...

Philly Beer Week is happening! Many of the top craft brewers in the country are right here in Pennsylvania. Host Trenae Nuri joins City Cast Pittsburgh host Megan Harris to talk and sample the best beers in the Commonwealth.  Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Follow us @citycastphilly. Have a question or just want...

A new analysis by the online real estate brokerage company Redfin found buying a home is slightly cheaper than renting in four U.S. metro areas: Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland and Houston. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Michaelle Bond, residential real estate reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, about the pros and cons of buying or renting a home in Philly.  Read Michaelle’s full story here.  Fi...

It’s the Friday news roundup! Host Trenae Nuri is joined by City Cast Philly arts & culture contributor, Charles Tyson, Jr., and PhillyVoice staff writer Maggie Mancini. They discuss Philly Pride festivities, Temple University’s new public safety plan, and a free sunscreen program now at Pennsylvania's state parks. Our Friday news roundups are powered by great local journalism:  Temple University...

Six school buildings have closed due to asbestos this year, and the School District of Philadelphia is scrambling to inspect more before the next school year. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Dale Mezzacappa, senior reporter at Chalkbeat Philadelphia, about what the risk is for students and staff, and why this keeps happening in Philly. Read more of Dale’s reporting here.  And, please take our audience...

SEPTA is updating the Key system. Those are the electronic “smart cards” that replaced tokens and paper passes. But, that initial rollout took years and ran into tons of problems along the way. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Jordan Levy, general assignment reporter for Billy Penn, about what we can learn from past transit mistakes and what riders want. Read Jordan’s full story here.  And, please tak...

If you grew up in Philly, you probably took a field trip to the Liberty Bell, City Hall or even the Betsy Ross house. This is American history that gets talked about a lot. But there are other important local figures you may have never heard about. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Samip Mallick, executive director of South Asian American Digital Archive, about how he documents and shares the stories o...

It’s the Friday news roundup! Host Trenae Nuri is joined by Ali Mohsen, food and drink reporter at Billy Penn, and Sophia Schmidt, environment reporter at WHYY. They discuss how the city is trying to clean up dirty air from factories, how to cool off at Philly’s 90 sprinkler parks, and where to eat this Memorial Day weekend. Our Friday news roundups are powered by great local journalism:  Philadel...

What do the Grays Ferry, Fairmount, and Tioga neighborhoods have in common? Taney Street, named for the author of one of the most racist U.S. Supreme Court decisions in history. Neighbors have voted to rename the street after Caroline LeCount, known as “Philly’s Rosa Parks,” for her work to integrate streetcars here in the 1860s. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Samaya Brown, a member of the Rename Ta...

Philly has more than 4,000 murals, and claims the title “Mural Capital of the World.” But these public art pieces are being destroyed without warning, whether it’s South Philly’s famous Isaiah Zagar mosaics or murals representing the communities they’re located in. Lead producer Laura Benshoff talks with muralist, Shira Walinsky, and Streets Dept lead contributor, Eric Dale, about why this is happ...

It’s prime time to eat outdoors! During the pandemic, more than 800 Philly restaurants set up spaces to serve guests outside. Now, it’s a little harder to find a place to enjoy a meal in the sunshine. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Ben Fileccia from the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association about how city regulations closed down many of these dining patios. Plus, he shares tons of recommend...

The remains of 50 unhoused Philadelphians will be laid to rest at Mount Peace Cemetery in North Philadelphia on Tuesday, May 23rd. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Michele Wexler, program manager of homeless services at the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, and Quibila Divine, Chief Program Officer at SELF, Inc, about providing dignity for the remains of...

It’s the Friday News Roundup! Host Trenae Nuri is joined by Chris Palmer, criminal justice and law enforcement reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Lauren Cristella, Interim President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at The Committee of 70. We discuss how two men broke out of the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center, this week's historic primary election, and the Fairmount Park Conse...

Is it a sweet riesling type of night? Or a boxed wine brunch Sunday? With Philly’s 300+ BYOB restaurants, you can pick the best alcoholic beverage to pair with some great food. To help break down the options, host Trenae Nuri chatted with Arindam Basu, molecular scientist and educator at Wine & Spirit Education Trust, about the city’s best restaurants to bring-your-own-beverage to and what drink h...

City Cast Philly is in your feed a little later this morning to bring you the most up-to-date results of the 2023 primary election. Host Trenae Nuri, lead producer Laura Benshoff, and producer Abby Fritz break down the winners, turnout and what we can expect for the general election in November. Want to check out the returns yourself? You can look at Philadelphia races at vote.phila.gov, and state...

Philly may lose more than 10,000 federally-backed affordable housing units in the next decade. To try to slow that trend, Philadelphia City Council has passed a package of bills aimed at making it harder to convert them into more profitable, market-rate homes. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Aaron Moselle, housing and community development reporter for WHYY’s PlanPhilly, about the battle between affo...

Tuesday is the big primary election in Philadelphia we’ve all been gearing up for. If you haven’t been paying much attention until now, we got you. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Asha Prihar, general assignment reporter at Billy Penn, and Katie Meyer, government editor and reporter at Spotlight PA, to break down your ballot.  Want more information to make your picks? Here are some resources that Asha...

It’s the Friday news round up! Host Trenae Nuri is joined by Alan Yu, science reporter at WHYY’s The Pulse, and Jeff Gammage, immigration reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer. We discuss why more immigrants arrived by bus from Texas to Philly, why the Mütter Museum takes down all its online exhibits, and how to get $25 concert tickets. Our Friday news roundups are powered by great local journali...

Mother’s Day is a national celebration, but it was founded by Anna Jarvis in Philadelphia. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Patricia Madej, senior digital editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer, about the history of this special day and why Anna might have hated your brunch plans.  Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Follow...

A new report by the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania says Black girls in local public schools experience an oppressive school culture that holds them back and hurts their mental health. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Paige Joki, staff attorney at the Education Law Center and author of “We Need Supportive Spaces That Celebrate Us,” and Amaiyah, a 12th grade student from Philadelphia, about what ne...

Philly is known for its amazing sandwiches, like the cheesesteak and of course and the hoagie. Host Trenae Nuri and Dave Wesolowski, creator of Feeding Time TV, break down the essential ingredients that go into a hoagie and his recommendations for the best places to get one.  Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Foll...

Philadelphia’s City Council races are taking up a lot of space in the upcoming primary election - literally. There are dozens of candidates on the ballot vying for seven at-large seats. Due to resignations and retirements, nearly half of the next seating of City Council will be brand new. Host Trenae Nuri and Max Marin, reporter at The Philadelphia Inquirer, break down why this much turnover is ra...

It’s the Friday news round up! Host Trenae Nuri is joined by Eliot Olaya, fellow at AL DÍA News and Julie Zeglen, managing editor at Technical.ly. We discuss Philly’s first Youth Ombudsperson, the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s bike lane enforcement unit and the 13th annual Philly Tech Week.    Our Friday news roundups are powered by great local journalism:  Philadelphia’s bike lane enforcement...

States across the country have introduced bills restricting or criminalizing drag shows. While that’s not happening in Philly, local performers say they do feel the effects of a national backlash against LGBTQ+ rights. Host Trenae Nuri checks in with Ian Morrison, aka Brittany Lynn, creator of Philly Drag Mafia and Drag Queen Story Time, about how drag story time helps kids accept themselves, and...