United States Attorney William McSwain announced charges Wednesday against a woman for allegedly torching two police cruisers during protests in center city on May 30.Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal, 33, a white resident of Germantown, is in federal custody. She’s charged with criminal arson and faces up to ten years in prison.“We at the U.S. Attorney’s Office fully support the First Amendment right of the people to assemble peaceably and to petition their government,” McSwain said in a statement. “ But torching a police car has nothing to do with peaceful protest or any legitimate message. It is...…United States Attorney William McSwain announced charges Wednesday against a woman for allegedly torching two police cruisers during protests in center city on May 30.Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal, 33, a white resident of Germantown, is in federal custody. She’s charged with criminal arson and faces up to ten years in prison.“We at the U.S. Attorney’s Office fully support the First Amendment right of the people to assemble peaceably and to petition their government,” McSwain said in a statement. “ But torching a police car has nothing to do with peaceful protest or any legitimate message. It is...WW…

In 36 years working as a pharmacist on the corner of Front and Allegheny in Kensington, Randal Policare has been robbed about five times.This time was different.“They took delivery totes and our garbage cans and just did sweeps of medications,” said Policare, owner of Nice Pharmacy, as he stepped around contractors fixing his damaged security system Wednesday. “It was total destruction.”His shop was robbed Sunday, May 31, one of hundreds of businesses looted that weekend in Philadelphia in the unrest that followed the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man and father of two in...…In 36 years working as a pharmacist on the corner of Front and Allegheny in Kensington, Randal Policare has been robbed about five times.This time was different.“They took delivery totes and our garbage cans and just did sweeps of medications,” said Policare, owner of Nice Pharmacy, as he stepped around contractors fixing his damaged security system Wednesday. “It was total destruction.”His shop was robbed Sunday, May 31, one of hundreds of businesses looted that weekend in Philadelphia in the unrest that followed the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man and father of two in...WW…

Are you on the front lines of the coronavirus?David Evasew is not taking the threat of the pandemic lightly.The owner of Upper Merion Dance and Gymnastics Center in King of Prussia spends over an hour each night reading the latest reporting and guidance on the coronavirus, and has reduced the number of kids in his buildings each week by nearly 90% to maintain social distancing.But he’s had a harder time with what is arguably coronavirus prevention measure: mask-wearing. Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine inside businesses back in April, but left it up to business owners to...…Are you on the front lines of the coronavirus?David Evasew is not taking the threat of the pandemic lightly.The owner of Upper Merion Dance and Gymnastics Center in King of Prussia spends over an hour each night reading the latest reporting and guidance on the coronavirus, and has reduced the number of kids in his buildings each week by nearly 90% to maintain social distancing.But he’s had a harder time with what is arguably coronavirus prevention measure: mask-wearing. Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine inside businesses back in April, but left it up to business owners to...WW…

When the Philadelphia Board of Education devoted its entire March 18 meeting to public comment, it was flooded with children and parents pleading for one thing: open classrooms for all kids, as soon as possible.“This is hard to say, but it’s been tough for me to make friends. Trying to get to know another person from behind the screen isn’t the same,” said Abigail Gorman, an 11-year-old fifth-grader at Girard Academy of Music Program (GAMP) in South Philadelphia. “Is this really the best we can do?”Many of the parents who spoke that night were affiliated with “Philadelphians for Open...…When the Philadelphia Board of Education devoted its entire March 18 meeting to public comment, it was flooded with children and parents pleading for one thing: open classrooms for all kids, as soon as possible.“This is hard to say, but it’s been tough for me to make friends. Trying to get to know another person from behind the screen isn’t the same,” said Abigail Gorman, an 11-year-old fifth-grader at Girard Academy of Music Program (GAMP) in South Philadelphia. “Is this really the best we can do?”Many of the parents who spoke that night were affiliated with “Philadelphians for Open...WW…

The newly-released 2021 addition of a popular catalog of Black-owned businesses in Philadelphia offers some concrete data on just how hard Black business owners have been hit by the .Forty-five of the 594 businesses listed in the in 2020 have since closed, either temporarily or permanently — a decline of about 8%.The closed list includes restaurants, bars, event spaces, and gyms: all businesses that have been starved of vital foot traffic over the last year.Still, the decline was not as dramatic as Ken Scott, CEO of the Beech companies, had expected. He credits the flow of state and federal...…The newly-released 2021 addition of a popular catalog of Black-owned businesses in Philadelphia offers some concrete data on just how hard Black business owners have been hit by the .Forty-five of the 594 businesses listed in the in 2020 have since closed, either temporarily or permanently — a decline of about 8%.The closed list includes restaurants, bars, event spaces, and gyms: all businesses that have been starved of vital foot traffic over the last year.Still, the decline was not as dramatic as Ken Scott, CEO of the Beech companies, had expected. He credits the flow of state and federal...WW…

Thirteen city nonprofits that work with children and families released a statement Tuesday calling on the teachers union to abandon its battle with the School District of Philadelphia and allow some teachers to return to their classrooms.The district had asked some teachers to report to school buildings yesterday ahead of a planned return of up to 9,000 young children to their classrooms later this month. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has objected, arguing that buildings are not yet safe because of ventilation problems and that members should be vaccinated before returning. Both...…Thirteen city nonprofits that work with children and families released a statement Tuesday calling on the teachers union to abandon its battle with the School District of Philadelphia and allow some teachers to return to their classrooms.The district had asked some teachers to report to school buildings yesterday ahead of a planned return of up to 9,000 young children to their classrooms later this month. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has objected, arguing that buildings are not yet safe because of ventilation problems and that members should be vaccinated before returning. Both...WW…

One of Philadelphia’s most prominent experts on how to handle schooling during the pandemic said Friday that going to school may actually reduce a child’s risk of catching the coronavirus.Dr. Susan Coffin is a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Her remarks came during a virtual roundtable, hosted by CHOP’s PolicyLab, on what to expect for the remainder of the school year.“Schools may be little islands of safety,” Coffin said. “Where the people who gather, if they gather in good conscience and...…One of Philadelphia’s most prominent experts on how to handle schooling during the pandemic said Friday that going to school may actually reduce a child’s risk of catching the coronavirus.Dr. Susan Coffin is a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Her remarks came during a virtual roundtable, hosted by CHOP’s PolicyLab, on what to expect for the remainder of the school year.“Schools may be little islands of safety,” Coffin said. “Where the people who gather, if they gather in good conscience and...WW…

A proposed constitutional amendment that would drastically alter Pennsylvania’s judicial system advanced Wednesday with the blessing of the House Judiciary Committee.The amendment would let voters choose to elect the state’s appellate court judges by region, instead of statewide — a move opponents say would “gerrymander the court.”The bill passed the GOP-controlled committee by a vote of 13 to 12 with two Republicans, Todd Stephens (R-Montgomery) and Natalie Mihalek (R-Allegheny), breaking ranks to oppose the measure.Republicans who back the measure say the idea would give voters in...…A proposed constitutional amendment that would drastically alter Pennsylvania’s judicial system advanced Wednesday with the blessing of the House Judiciary Committee.The amendment would let voters choose to elect the state’s appellate court judges by region, instead of statewide — a move opponents say would “gerrymander the court.”The bill passed the GOP-controlled committee by a vote of 13 to 12 with two Republicans, Todd Stephens (R-Montgomery) and Natalie Mihalek (R-Allegheny), breaking ranks to oppose the measure.Republicans who back the measure say the idea would give voters in...WW…

Campaign finance records show that State Sen. Doug Mastriano’s campaign spent thousands of dollars on charter buses ahead of the Washington D.C. rally that ended with supporters of President Donald Trump violently storming the halls of Congress last week during an insurrection.Mastriano (R-Franklin), rumored to be a future GOP gubernatorial candidate, has faced calls to resign for attending the rally. A review of the state senator’s campaign finance records shows that his committee paid $3,354 to Wolf’s Bus Lines in three installments for “bus reservations” about six days before Trump’s...…Campaign finance records show that State Sen. Doug Mastriano’s campaign spent thousands of dollars on charter buses ahead of the Washington D.C. rally that ended with supporters of President Donald Trump violently storming the halls of Congress last week during an insurrection.Mastriano (R-Franklin), rumored to be a future GOP gubernatorial candidate, has faced calls to resign for attending the rally. A review of the state senator’s campaign finance records shows that his committee paid $3,354 to Wolf’s Bus Lines in three installments for “bus reservations” about six days before Trump’s...WW…

A Lebanon County supporter of President Donald Trump was one of the few insurrectionists arrested Wednesday for storming the nation’s capital in an attempt toTerry Brown, a 69-year-old retired public safety code enforcement officer, is one of , and the only one from Pennsylvania. Police officers arrested 70 people elsewhere in Washington D.C. between Wednesday night and early Thursday.Brown left his Myerstown home early Wednesday morning, arriving in the capital around 7:30 a.m. to join thousands of other Trump supporters in what turned into a violent siege that left at least four people...…A Lebanon County supporter of President Donald Trump was one of the few insurrectionists arrested Wednesday for storming the nation’s capital in an attempt toTerry Brown, a 69-year-old retired public safety code enforcement officer, is one of , and the only one from Pennsylvania. Police officers arrested 70 people elsewhere in Washington D.C. between Wednesday night and early Thursday.Brown left his Myerstown home early Wednesday morning, arriving in the capital around 7:30 a.m. to join thousands of other Trump supporters in what turned into a violent siege that left at least four people...WW…