CitizenCast

Thomas Paine. He came. He wrote. And the world was changed forever.

Celebrating the founding of our country when it feels like everything is falling apart? Really hard. Celebrating the Philadelphia that's been hosting the World Cup? Easy!

On this episode of Guest Commentary, one Columbia University vice president argues that to properly celebrate the 250th, we must be like Hungary and do our duty on November 3 in order to save a democracy on the brink.

In a special interview edition, Olivia Kram checks in with Media's own Auston Trusty, Team USA's newest World Cup superstar, on bringing his Philly-ness to the world stage.

Ali Velshi breaks down the attempts by the Trump administration to undermine the upcoming midterm elections, and the forces within our democracy that have blocked their subversions. So far.

The re-opening of a new rail bridge in Southwest Philadelphia will connect one of the city's poorest neighborhoods to jobs and green space downtown. Will local residents be the ones who benefit?

A year from reelection, the mayor has taken big swings, sustained political losses, and faces progressive backlash. Here, a job performance review — and a challenge.

... including cities. One urbanist believes the recent successes of FIFA Fan Fests, the NBA Finals, even Toy Story 5 prove synchronous watching is the new placemaking.

Reporting from The Trace revealed first-responder relatives whose health insurance and benefits were cut when their family member died by suicide. A new City Council bill aims to remedy this. Mayor Parker's administration opposes the cost.

Lesbian bars are on the decline, but the fact that two have popped up in this South Street's micro-hood is not only bold, but feels like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Dr. James Peterson says the miracle of Black life — despite centuries of alienation from our American experiment — is our insistence on finding kinship with each other. That is what we celebrate this weekend.

A recent report by Harvard University's Opportunity Insights revealed a sorry statistic for Philadelphia: We are last in the nation for economic mobility. In other words, we have a lot to learn from other American cities. On this  special episode of How To  Really  Run A City, Citizen Co-Founder Larry Platt and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter and former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed pull out their f...

On this episode of Evening WURDs with Dr. James Peterson, Emily Rizzo is invited onto the Citizen segment of the show to discuss her Citizen article about South Philly's Sharswood K-8 that saw a dramatic rise in reading scores

On this episode of Big Rube's Philly, Reuben Harley catches up with friend Jamele Ransom, who became a viral sensation for saving kids and eating Mr. Softees.

As Ali Velshi moves on to The 11th Hour, he looks back at the last six years of American book bans and has some final thoughts.

What does Pat Croce--Zen guru, Philly cheerleader, rabid pirate enthusiast and former Sixers owner--do when diagnosed with terminal cancer? Climb the world's most famous mountain in order to conquer his mind and spirit.

A Northern Liberties-based refillery and a city-wide door-to-door composting service are teaming up to bring Philly one step close to sustainability

On this episode of Guest Commentary, an advocate for people with disabilities sees Pennsylvanians losing their independence because of PA's gaunt reimbursement rates

This year we heralded city workers in fields ranging from sanitation to violence prevention. Hundreds of attendees left the night's celebration feeling inspired and empowered to uplift our beloved Philadelphia. Hear it for yourself. You can read up on all these award-winning public servants here .

Ali Velshi is taking over The 11th Hour on MS Now. After six years on Velshi , he gives a final word on the vitally important role of journalists bearing witness to the people.

For a decade, political leaders and media elites haven't known how to respond to Trumpism. Last week in a South Philly patriotic tent show revival, Bruce Springsteen provided a script.

Instead of taking the ordinary route, declare independence from the crowds and check out these six Revolutionary sites instead. For more information on these sites and events,  visit this story on the web.

Milwaukee, WI Mayor Cavalier Johnson won reelection in 2024 with 80 percent of the vote. "Those are Vladimir Putin levels," joked Larry Platt. "The difference is, Putin's still looking for the other 20 percent!" said Michael Nutter. Asked why he decided to devote his life to public service, Johnson said, "I fell in love with helping people in my community. I mean, the key word in 'progressive' is...

On this episode of Citizen WURDs with Dr. James Peterson, Kerry Woodward joins the show to chat with Peterson about the new law that mandates every PA student take personal financial courses in high school. 

On this episode of Guest Commentary, City Council has one chance to get rideshare taxation right, says an urbanist and strategist. His solution combines the ideas of Parker, Uber and economics 101.