City Cast Philly

If you’re sniffling and sneezing a lot right now, you’re not alone. Pollen counts in the Philadelphia region are showing “extreme” levels of allergens in the air. Lead producer Laura Benshoff talks to Dr. Marc Goldstein, allergist and immunologist at The Asthma Center about why allergy season started early this year, how long it will last, and what you can do to find some relief. Want some more Ph...

More than 500 Philadelphians were murdered in 2021 and 2022. But fewer than half of these homicides have resulted in an arrest. To tackle the backlog of cases, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, Philadelphia Police Department, and Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office have started a new partnership, asking for the public’s help locating known suspects. However, many victims’ loved ones are skept...

The Committee of Seventy, a non-partisan and nonprofit group, has released the first independent poll in Philly’s 2023 mayor’s race.  In partnership with FairVote, the Urban Affairs Coalition, The Philadelphia Citizen, and the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, pollsters surveyed 1,500 likely voters.  Host Trenae Nuri and Lauren Cristella, interim president and chief operating officer o...

It’s the Friday news round up! Host Trenae Nuri is joined by Kristin Hunt, senior staff writer at PhillyVoice, and Lizzy McLellan Ravitch, workplace reporter at The Philadelphia Inquirer. We discuss the final mayoral candidate debate before the May 16th primary, recent union activity in our region, and why a book about trans youth by a local author has become one of the most banned works in the co...

This February, the 100th school in Pennsylvania started a girls wrestling team. That’s the threshold to get sanctioned and fully sponsored as a sport by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. If approved, girls teams would be able to hold tournaments and championships— without having to compete with boys. Host Trenae Nuri talks with three state qualifying wrestlers and their coach...

The 24th annual Philly Black Pride celebration kicks off this week. The four-day festival includes dance parties, karaoke, and even a skate night! Host Trenae Nuri talks with City Cast Philly arts and culture contributor Charles Tyson Jr. about why Philly’s Black LGBTQ+ community is focusing on joy and healing this year, and his can’t miss events this weekend.  Here’s a list of some resources for...

Philadelphia has 10,000s of vacant lots, according to City data. Keeping them clean and green can help reduce crime and littering, and even raise property values. So, what can your community do to start repurposing a vacant lot? Host Trenae Nuri and Nate Hommel, director of planning and design for University City District, talk through the steps for turning a neglected space into a community oasis...

School districts in Bucks and Philadelphia counties are using AI software to track students' online activities on school-issued devices. The idea is to prevent bullying, suicide, or even a school shooting. However, critics say there are a host of downsides. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Emily Rizzo, reporter for WHYY News, about her recent reporting on this type of software, where it's used locally,...

It’s the Friday news round up! Host Trenae Nuri is join by Emily Neil, digital content producer for WHYY News, Julia Terruso, political reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and O.J. Spivey, sports contributor for The Philadelphia Tribune. We talk about U.S. Senator John Fetterman’s first week back to work, the City’s plan to roll out multilingual emergency alerts, and Philadelphia Eagles quarte...

The Phillie Phanatic turns 45 next week. So, how did a giant, flightless bird from the Galápagos wind up as our baseball mascot anyway? Host Trenae Nuri talks with AJ Mass, editor and writer at ESPN and author of “Yes, It’s Hot in Here,” about his experience as a mascot for the New York Mets and how the Phanatic became the model for future mascots to follow.

Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now. It’s writing travel guides, doing customer service, and even making art. ChatGPT is one such AI tool, that responds to questions or requests in text form. In this episode, host Trenae Nuri, lead producer Laura Benshoff and producer Abby Fritz put questions about Philly to ChatGPT, and get back some surprising answers. Learn more about Chat-GPT at th...

The process of getting into a selective high school has recently changed. The school district launched a lottery admissions system. It’s goal was to boost enrollment for Black and Latino students. But, it’s left many open seats at schools, some parents confused, and even faculty and students have protested. Host Trenae Nuri and senior reporter Dale Mezzacappa talks about what went wrong with the n...

Millions of dollars are flowing to Philly’s Democratic mayoral candidates ahead of the May primary election. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Meir Rinde, investigative reporter for Billy Penn, about where that money is coming from, what those sources say about the candidates, and why it matters to voters.  Find a Financial Empowerment Center near you.  Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign...

It’s the Friday news round up! Host Trenae Nuri is joined by Oliver Sabo, staff writer at Temple News, and independent journalist, Kyle Bagenstose. We discuss what’s happening at the former oil refinery site in South Philly, city council talks about teen programs for the summer, and Temple University named its new acting president.  Our Friday news roundups are powered by great local journalism: ...

City Cast Philly producer Abby Fritz is joined by Dawn Woods, administrator for the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee, to talk about the role of block captains and their history in Philly. How to Become a Block Captain.  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...

The city has recently sued an employer for not paying its workers. This is the first time Philly has enforced it’s wage theft laws through a legal action. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Juliana Reyes, investigative reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, about what this wage theft lawsuit means for worker protections in Philly.  Read Reyes’ full story here.  Here’s the city’s list of so-called bad ac...

What does financial freedom mean to you? There’s lot of definitions, but for some Philadelphians it’s hard to meet this goal. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Christopher Wink, publisher and CEO of Technical.ly, about a year-long reporting project called “Thriving” and what it takes for 10 Philadelphians to thrive in Philly.  The Pew Charitable Trusts ‘State of the City’ 2023 Live Webcast : Issues Faci...

Any self respecting Eagles fan knows that you shouldn’t be repping the Cowboys in Philly, but maybe we should make an exception — not for the football team but for the hats. It turns out those wide-brimmed hats you see all over westerns were invented by a hat maker in Philadelphia. City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri talks with WHYY’s midday host, Avi Wolfman-Arent, about the historical significance...

It’s the Friday news round up! Producer Abby Fritz speaks with Denise Clay-Murray, political contributor and co-host of the Philadelphia Hall Monitor. Mayoral candidates were all the talk this week from Jeff Brown’s alleged code-switching, to fundraising numbers going public — plus some surprising mayoral endorsements.  Our Friday news round ups are powered by great local journalism:  Philadelphia...

It's unsurprisingly hard to find humor in terminal illnesses, that is unless you’re Philly comedian and actor Kirsten Michelle Cills. Producer Abby Fritz speaks with the “terminally chill” comedian about why she makes jokes about her terminal illness and how she’s giving audiences permission to laugh along with her. Also, she shares her favorite Philly comedy clubs you need to check out.  To see K...

Whether you’re driving from the Ben Franklin Bridge to 76 and Broad Street to Fairmount Park, traffic in Philly can be a nightmare. This week traffic could be even worse than usual. With PennDOT filling some of those pesky potholes, keep an eye out for lane closures on 95, 76, 676, and even routes 422 and 202. Host Trenae Nuri, producer Abby Fritz and Hey, Philly! newsletter editor Brittany Valent...

April is National Poetry Month. What better way to celebrate than with a Philly-born, award-winning poet who’s hosting an award-winning podcast dedicated to poetry? Host Trenae Nuri chats with Major Jackson, host of The Slowdown podcast, about the reasons we all need poetry.  Read Major’s Duck Girl poem here. Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Phil...

Black infants in Philadelphia are more likely to die within the first year of their lives than babies of other races or ethnicities. So the city wants to roll out a new program to help reduce the city’s high infant mortality rates. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Dr. Stacey Kallem, pediatrician and director of the Division of Maternal, Child and Family Health at the Philadelphia Department of Public H...

It’s the Friday news round up! Host Trenae Nuri is joined by Danya Henniger, director/editor of Billy Penn, and Ben Seal, freelance reporter. We talk about the communication from officials about the safety of Philly’s tap water, Jason Wingard, Temple University’s first Black president, resigning, and the new ballpark snack options at Citizens Bank Park.  Our Friday news roundups are powered by gre...

From Peanut Chews and Tastykake to pretzels and water ice, Philly has some great treats. Host Trenae Nuri and City Cast Philly producer Abby Fritz taste and grade their favorite snacks.  City Cast Philly’s Grading System  A - Free Wawa coffee B - Finding a parking spot on Broad Street on a Saturday C - A bike ride on MLK Drive, but it’s a cloudy day D - Your kid is on the waitlist for a school  F...