CitizenCast
by The Philadelphia Citizen
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.
Episodes
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We are all heroes this week
Forget the labels and the horse-race calculations about election night winners and losers. Larry Platt says Tuesday night heralded the emergence of a DIY political generation…and a return to a community-based philosophy.
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A unique reflection on Election Day
This year's midterms contest had something in common with the year's most talked-about film
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The art of living with Pat Croce
Recently, the former Sixers owner, eccentric trainer, television host, bar owner, pirate enthusiast and spiritual guru sat before a crowded room with his longtime friend, Larry Platt, to talk about his new book, Enjoy Your Self Now! "To live a joyfully fulfilled life is our true purpose," Croce...
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Can we win against the data centers?
This David and Goliath battle has been going on for two years now. What it means for Philly — and the rest of the country.
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Bedside legal help for gun violence survivors
A program in Chicago has helped patients access $1.2 million in benefits to which they are entitled, while cutting their risk of further violence. Now a Philly hospital wants to bring it here.
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If federal agents show up at your polling place
Election Day has arrived and this time around the federal government has been trying to place its thumb on the scales in unprecedented ways. Here then, a few tips for how to de-escalate the situation if someone attepts to impede your right to vote. Follow this link to read our full guide on…
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The West Philly Dumpster Derby is pure community joy
Part of one West Philly Halloween celebration, the Dumpster Derby invited everyone to be a racing star -- large wheels, small wheels, or no wheels at all.
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Obama | "I'm tired of being divided...I want neighborliness and joy."
"Barack Obama is a reminder of a more decent time in America," Ali Velshi says this week, ending with a quote from distinguished history professor Tim Snyder: "All of this can be solved."
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What happened to Chris Rabb?
Sixteen years ago, he was publicly touting conscious capitalism. Now he's a Democratic Socialist hanging out with controversial leftist influencer Hasan Piker. Did he change — or did America?
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Six pillars to creating a successful Philadelphia
Real estate developer and former City Councilperson Allan Domb says we need to offer people a safe, clean, and affordable place to live
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Philadelphians fly to Israel to cast their vote
Traveling 6,000 miles is the only way for some Israeli citizens to have their voices heard
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The two ballot questions you'll see this Tuesday
In a special edition of the podcast, Lauren McCutcheon, deputy editor here at The Citizen, comes onto the show to give a lightning breakdown of the two ballot questions you'll see when you walk into the booth on November 3.
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Model, actress ... and construction worker?
On this episode of Big Rube's Philly, Reuben Harley chats with Jakai Bishop, a North Philadelphian who went from "Top Model" to Philly construction sites. "I learned so much from working in a male-dominated industry," she said. Don't miss this insightful conversation with one of Big Rube's most...
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Equitable city agencies are efficient city agencies
An analysis of 311 help request tickets proves it is possible to provide great and timely quality of life services in every neighborhood of the city
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Hate speech on Facebook, turbocharged
Facebook has been under investigation for years for its contributions to societal harm. Ali Velshi sits down with Roger McNamee the executive producer of The Social Reckoning, a new film shining the spotlight on tech leaders and their pursuit of political power.
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Your suburban ballot questions, explained
Increased library funding, additional public green space and more are on the general election ballot in the collar counties. We break down the major suburban ballot questions and why Philadelphians should care. You read the full story on the web, here.
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What really happened at the Academy of Natural Sciences
"They just ruined it." Inside the epic collapse of the 200-year-old museum.
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If one party wins PA, this is what they'll focus on
The 2026 midterms may mean the end of Pennsylvania's split legislature. If so, you'll see effects on affordability, election reform, marijuana and more. Here's the breakdown.
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A new blueprint for North Philadelphia
How H. Chase Lenfest and an expanding circle of Philly-based supporters are leveraging smart partnerships to bring prosperity to Hunting Park and East Tioga
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When Elizabeth Holmes came to Philly
With the release of Nathan Fielder's "You Can See Everything," the spotlight has landed back on Elizabeth Holmes. A 2016 presentation to the American Association for Clinical Chemistry offers a very different look at the Theranos CEO.
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The problems you may face at the polls
From voter intimidation to malfunctioning machines to polls that open too late, we take a dive into what's legal, what's not legal, and what you can do about it in this special interview edition. You can RSVP to the October 20th Election Protection & De-Escalation Training being put on by The...
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We're being gaslighted about the cost of fuel
The Trump administration is saying the high price of diesel (and all the inflated costs that go with it), is because Ukraine is hitting Russian energy facilities. Ali Velshi shows that simply is not true.
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Solving Philly's rat problem might require ... birth control?
PETA has asked Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker to put the kibosh on the poisoning of those vile four-legged varmints and take a wholly different approach.
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Governing like a startup
Matt Mahan, the wildly popular mayor of San Jose, California, was recently reelected with a whopping 87 percent of the vote. How do you get to what Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt jokingly called (echoing The Daily Show host Jon Stewart) "Vladimir Putin numbers?" As Mahan laid out on the latest...
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The Philly nonprofit making biotech workshops for kids
On this Citizen segment of Evening WURDs, Dr. James Peterson invites onto the show Nafees Norris, named a recent Citizen of the Week. Norris was the first Black student accepted into Thomas Jefferson University's Biopharmaceutical Engineering Master's Program. After graduation he had a choice:...
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Solar panels you can plug right into your wall
On this episode of Ideas We Should Steal, ten states have legalized this energy- and money-saving home technology. Should PA become the first swing state to do so?
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Laundromat phones, horse welfare, and absolutely no public spitting
A read of our City's 2,000-page constitution reveals an accidental anthropology of the weird, outdated and pointless
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A truly epic Philadelphia Film Festival
A veteran movie critic previews the coming 10-day, three-venue movie extravaganza as "one of the richest festivals in recent memory"
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Is surge pricing coming to a store near you?
According to an explosive report from consumer protection advocates, Walmart filed several patents that would aid personalized surge pricing (electronic shelf labels) by tracking customers in stores and online through their cell phones. Ali Velshi breaks it down.
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Philly's Tale of Two Judges
The fall of Larry Krasner has produced a hero for our times. Meantime, recent headlines concerning another judge? Not so heroic.
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The battle over a West Philly street tree
What do you do if you want to get workers to stop cutting down a tree? If you're one citizen in West Philly, you block their way with your body.
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Debunking "chicken soup and vitamin A"
On this Citizen segment of Evening WURDs with Dr. James Peterson, renowned CHOP immunologist called in to discuss vaccines, chicken soup and RFK Jr.
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My Son Died of Sickle Cell Disease
Hannibal Collins lived with sickle cell anemia for 37 years. It was only after his death that his mother discovered how little the world knows about the disease.
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Keeping Philly Theater Alive
Tom and Judy Kleinman produced Operation Mincemeat, Sunset Blvd. and Evita on Broadway. Now this eminently entrepreneurial Philadelphia couple plans to foster the next generation and keep their love for theater alive in their hometown.
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Philly's Final Wilderness is Under Attack
Upper Roxborough is the last rural corner of Philadelphia, a place where forests and fields reign. Squeezed by development, how much longer can it last?
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What would Jesus do ... about vaccines?
CHOP's esteemed immunologist, Paul Offit, steps into the debate over vaccines and religious freedom, and concludes that being anti-vax is not pro-religion
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Will Donald Trump invoke the Insurrection Act before the midterms?
Ali Velshi argues that Trump is incapable of acknowledging the reality of the polls ahead of the midterms, nor is he making any attempt to connect to the pains of the average voter. What might he do to circumvent the will of the people?
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Putting Parker's H.O.M.E. plan to the test
Thousands of West Philly residents fear displacement from affordable homes owned by one landlord. Mayor Parker's $2 billion housing plan might help to prevent that fate.
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Progress over pride
From family trauma to a teenage murder conviction to a returning citizen rising to become a force for good and healing, on this episode of Big Rube's Philly, Reuben "Big Rube" Harley has an unvarnished conversation with barber and poet Will Little about how he overcame the streets of South Philly
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Building a better school merger
The principals of two high schools set to merge aren't just waiting to see what happens next to displaced students and staff, they're reaching out early to ease the transition
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35 years after the last measles outbreak, what have we learned?
Philly saw an outbreak of measles in 1991 centered around certain religious communities. What have we learned since? Not much. In fact, things have gotten worse.
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Trump is the gift to China that keeps on giving
In the wake of a high-stakes state visit by the Chinese president, Ali Veshi breaks down the many gifts to China that are Donald Trump's foreign bungles.
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Philly's homegrown robot dogs
Meet the next generation of man's best friend (some with lasers some with thermal sensors, some with machine guns). Brought to you by Philly's brightest tech minds.
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How To Really Run A City goes to college
On a special live episode of How To Really Run A City, former Mayor Michael Nutter takes us inside his new Impact Scholars Program at the University of Pennsylvania. His co-host, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, as well as former Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum are this year's inaugural scholars. "The idea…
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Like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park, RFK Jr. is learning
Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services seems to have stopped pushing vitamin A to treat measles. Paul Offit, CHOP's renowned immunologist, wonders if this reversal will come in time to save PA from an even more massive outbreak?
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Making compost from ... poop?
On this episode of Ideas We Should Steal, Philadelphians flush 310 tons of what could be money-making compost every year. Will fears of forever chemical contamination prevent us from cashing in?
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Farmers are going broke
The rising cost of diesel fuel is wiping out the already thin margins that farmers across the country have been operating under. Some farmers are fearing they won't be able to pay basic bills. Ali Velshi explains how this puts America's food security at serious risk.
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The Forever Paycheck
On a special episode, Roxanne Patel Shepelavy sits down with personal finance guru Jean Chatzky, author of The Forever Paycheck, who offers listeners the reassurance that your retirement savings can last the rest of your life, provided you structure your funds properly. Join us for a rousing...
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Opioids and climate change
On this episode of Guest Commentary, an environmental researcher explains why we must consider illicit drugs and climate change as an interlocking challenge facing Philadelphians in need
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Swamp Yankees
On this episode of Big Rube's Philly, style iconoclast and Philly transplant Charlie Lichtenfels shares their "Swamp Yankee" style, vintage records and classic 90s looks with the OG entrepreneur, chef and photographer
About this show
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.
Hosted by
The Philadelphia Citizen