CitizenCast

Right out of the pages of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Republicans in Ohio proposed a bill that would "allow the government to track every pregnancy, beginning to end." Ali Velshi explains.

If you have unwanted rodent visitors, there are two docs from Drexel who are asking Philadelphians to put them in the freezer. For science. They even have a few pointers for catching the elusive pests.

On this episode of The Citizen Recommends, Roxanne Patel Shepelavy asks why pay Silicon Valley tech companies for your ride when locally-owned taxi cabs are faster, cost less and put money back into Philadelphia's economy?

Pups are everywhere these days, thanks to indulgent owners and business proprietors. Guess what else is everywhere -- sidewalks, street corners, soles of shoes?

In all the talk over closing and fixing up Philly schools, there is no mention of building new ones that might serve the community better. Can we look to New York City and Boston for solutions we should steal?

Picture more than a dozen pregnant teenage girls crammed into a single building, Ali Velshi explains. They're scared. They're alone. They don't know what's going to happen to them and they don't have access to adequate healthcare.

On this episode of How To Really Run A City, Michael Smerconish joins the show.  Smerconish is a Sirius XM and CNN host, a prolific political commentator, a nationally recognized author — and leader of the fight for a political center in the U.S., which means having a robust media. "I think the press is being hollowed out," said former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. Local outlets are disappearing, the press is "functionally gutted; there's no longer a paper on your porch … and there's been a conservative effort to buy up local media because [it] still has credibility with folks." Smerconish is also an activist for voters who refuse to align with either of the two major parties. "I became so disenchanted with the Bush administration (W.) for their inability to go kill bin Laden," he said. He then swam against the tide of his own listener base by announcing his support for Barack Obama's presidential run in 2008. "How do you feel about that vote today?" asked former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. "Oh my god, I feel great about it," Smerconish said. "[My listeners] went crazy, but it was a breaking point and a wake-up call for me." Join us for a thoroughly entertaining and important conversation about what local leaders and citizens alike can do to break through the partisanship of the moment and start meeting each other on neutral ground. "Use the remote, mix it up," Smerconish said. "Don't rely on [others] to do it — do it yourself." As cities go, so goes the nation!

On this episode of Big Rube's Philly, Lauren McCutcheon discusses with Reuben Harley the most iconic musicians he's ever photographed. Jay-Z, Usher, Snoop Dog, Meek Mill, Rube tells some of his favorite personal stories.

Kimberly McGlonn is back with gentle wisdom to help you navigate life's tough situations. One listener asks how to manage shifting work identities. Kimberly advises recognizing your fears — and using your excitement to motivate change. If you have a question for Kimberly, submit it here. We'll do our best to feature it in an upcoming episode.

Ahead of the country's 250th anniversary, the historic tall ship Gazela celebrates getting to 125 — with a little help from her friends in Philadelphia

Donald Trump nonchalantly dropped this line about American casualties in a widening Middle East conflict. "The way he was talking about it," says Ali Velshi, "you'd think he was talking about the weather." More worrisome, military commanders are framing the war within Christian ideology. "To the extent that you turn this into a religious war, you almost guarantee your own defeat."

How the hell did that happen? Larry Platt asks this week. And why is the mayor not taking more credit for it? On this episode, the anatomy of a stunning turnaround for the city.

On this episode of How To Really Run A City, our hosts, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt, invite onto the show a guest well-known to our mayors.   Jannet Walker-Ford is a nationally recognized transportation expert who worked on the recently released Special Event Transportation — Guidance and Opportunities Playbook (SetGo) to help transit agencies navigate "mega-events" like the upcoming FIFA World Cup and the many semiquincentennial celebrations across the country. Join us for a timely conversation about how the United States needs to prepare for this blockbuster year when millions of visitors and celebrants will enter our cities and transportation systems. As cities go, so goes the nation!

On a special interview edition, Luke Mickelson comes onto the show to talk about his crusade against child bedlessness. Mickelson is the founder of Sleep In Heavenly Peace (SHP), whose local chapters have made and delivered more than 350,000 beds to kids that had formerly been sleeping on floors, couch cushions, etc. To find out more, visit shpbeds.org. Episode correction: SHP does not have a Philadelphia chapter yet. There is a New Jersey chapter. Those interested in contacting the closest local chapter can reach out to Sarah Fulton at sarah.fulton@shpbeds.org, or 844-432-2337 x5977

On this episode of Dear Kimberly, one reader asks how jealousy can be tamed. Kimberly McGlonn suggests recognizing the feeling and then honestly interrogating it.

After U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, Ali Velshi weighs in with  Pennsylvania Rep. Chrissy Houlahan

Google's Waymo taxibots are quickly learning Philly roads, while lawmakers — and the rest of us — grapple with what to do next

Under RFK Jr.'s leadership, the CDC is withholding critical information about vaccine-preventable diseases from the American public. One of the most renowned immunologist in country explains why.

The Citizen's Malcolm Burnley joins Philly Unpacked host, Jordana Rubenstein to discuss the realities of Mayor Parker's H.O.M.E. Initiative.  "Housing policy isn't just about units and budgets -- it's about whether Philadelphians can stay safe, healthy and rooted in their communities." You can watch the extended episode at PhillyCAM's YouTube page.

In this episode of Business for Good, local social media app Playdate encourages IRL gatherings by telling Philadelphians what events are happening in town — and encouraging them to invite their friends

The Supreme Court recently ruled against the Trump administration's liberal use of tariffs on imports. Ali Velshi breaks down the ruling as well as the impact on American consumers.

Last year, Philadelphians got $19 million back in government refunds. This year, take advantage of a free city program to get yours. Visit this story on the web, or call (215) 454-6483 for more information on Claim Your Money Philadelphia.

From Terrence Howard to Michael K. Williams to Zendaya, Big Rube has a unique ability to get personable with celebrities and create longstanding relationships

Posting "all lives splatter" and other offensive Internet memes in a Facebook comment section got one conservative columnist banned from Fergie's Pub. "Things are too serious for that kind of stuff," the owner says. "Unfollow. Unfriend. Fuck off."

Instead of a win, though, it has become a political football used by the Trump administration to punish Canada. Ali Velshi explains, "[The bridge] is financed by Canada and built with American labor and materials. It's not a prop. It is the circulatory system of a shared economy."

On this Presidents' Day, it's important to remember that while the federal government may have removed the memorial to slavery on Independence Mall, the history of African Americans exceeds the limits of historic comfort.

Larry Platt convened his podcast co-hosts for a special episode about recent crises plaguing the leaders of prominent cities. "We are in a constitutional crisis," Platt said. "You have federal troops — masked law enforcement — doing these surges. The question is: Who's in charge?" "Folks should remember," Kasim Reed said, "almost always, the mayor controls the biggest police department. There is an incentive to make sure the people policing your communities are … people you control, by virtue of you being elected CEO of the city." Join us for a special edition of How To Really Run A City that examines the challenges of dealing with ICE ("To ICE, get the fuck out of Minneapolis," — Minneapolis Mayor John Frey) as well as snow and ice ("[Mayor] Cherelle Parker better not fucking forget about us!" — viral Redditor from North Philly).  Mayors Reed and Nutter have weathered crises before, and they don't pull their punches on this episode. As cities go, so goes the nation!

On this episode of Evening WURDs, Dr. James Peterson invites the Citizen's own Larry Platt onto the show to talk about his recent story about the Constitution Center and its moral responsibility. "The Constitution is under attack," Platt told Peterson, "and the non-partisan Constitution Center should take that on."

In this special interview episode, Bradford Pearson, Executive Editor of Philadelphia magazine, comes onto the show to discuss his recent article about lessons Philly can learn from ICE's aggressive operations in Minneapolis.

On this episode of Ideas We Should Steal, a longtime university president suggests the city's library system follow Chicago and Baltimore, and add food pantries to its community services

For darker-skinned women, face recognition tools employed by ICE have an error rate of 34.7%. Ali Velshi digs into the apps and tech ICE is using to create surveillance states in the cities they enter.

It's been 10 days since snowmageddon. Snow and ice are still everywhere. Let's have a chat about how Cherelle Parker is actually doing.

Preeminent Philadelphia boosters Angela Val of Visit Philadelphia, and Kathryn Ott Lovell of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, talk semiquincentennial with The Citizen Media Group's Roxanne Patel Shepelavy. Together, the "Laverne & Shirley" of 2026 have taken up the mantle of generating funds, ideas and excitement for a year to remember. They're creating a legacy to preserve, as Ott Lovell puts it, "democracy, democracy, democracy."

On this episode of Guest Commentary, the head of one independent school in Southwest Philly says the fallout from the District's plan to transform the city's school buildings will be personal. 

Way before the NFL and NBA started posting game-day fits, the iconic photographer, marketing guru and gourmet chef Reuben Harley snapped Philadelphia's most stylish athletes off the field and on the streets

ICE and Border Patrol may be the faces of these immigration crackdowns, but they don't operate alone. Ali Velshi takes a deep dive into the corporations that are supporting ICE operations and encourages all Americans to protest with their wallets.

Jeffrey Rosen is out. Now, the NCC must decide if it will remain a genteel place of scholarship or become the antidote to recent threats to democracy.

Matthew Tuerk is a wicked skater. He's a tattoo connoisseur. He's a marathoner, and the popular second-term mayor of Allentown, PA who has made it his mission to bring back his city's manufacturing success.  On the latest episode of How To Really Run A City, our hosts invite this punk-rocking mayor to join them on the show. "This guy is a fanatic about economic development," said Platt. "He's turned Allentown into Pennsylvania's third-fastest growing city." "We had this idea that you could still make stuff in cities," Tuerk replied. "Soot and smog-filled cities are not what the future of manufacturing looks like. Manufacturing needs people. It needs good, high-paying jobs. There are a lot of folks that came to Allentown looking to tap into the American Dream. Empowering people should be our motivation."  Then Platt prompted Tuerk to show off his unique Allentown flair. "I have the city seal tattooed on my chest," Tuerk declared, unfastening a few buttons on his shirt. "That's commitment," Nutter said with a laugh. Join us for an entertaining and informative episode about a city with its first Latino mayor "restoring a little bit of faith in the power of government to actually meet people's needs." As cities go, so goes the nation!

From dating rumors to charitable donations to slapping his son around for ... improper attire, unravel the ten greatest mysteries of Donald Trump and Wharton

The iconic photographer, chef and marketing guru is facing worrisome health diagnoses this year, but is keeping his spirits up. Deputy Editor Lauren McCutcheon called up Big Rube to talk about his contributions to Philadelphia and his most memorable photo subjects.

Ali Velshi invites presidential historian Jon Meacham onto the show to discuss the many moments in American history where our ancestors struggled to establish our natural rights. "Every measure of progress has been met with pushback by those in power."

Progressives cheered, but Larry Platt argues that Sheriff Rochelle Bilal's viral press conference about Trump and ICE were a spectacle Philly can ill afford on the national stage right now

… but is it willing to do what it takes? Today is the time to weigh in on what trash and recycling services will look like for the next four years. We can do better.

On this episode of Guest Commentary, the Secretary of Health doesn't apologize — even when he is proven completely wrong about the link between Tylenol and autism

Conversations about what it means to be a neighbor, and what it means to be a citizen, will be happening in Philly throughout the semiquincentennial in the form of free dinners and guided conversations. Roxanne Patel Shepelavy spoke with Anuj Gupta of The Welcoming Center. For more details visit Breaking Bread for Citizenship at thephiladelphiacitizen.org

Ali Velshi invites Martin Luther King Jr.'s son, Martin Luther King III, onto the show to talk about his father's legacy. "Every year, we felt like we were advancing," King told Velshi. "Now it feels like we're going backward."

Freedom does not ring on its own, declares Dr. James Peterson as we head into Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The bell of liberty must be struck repeatedly. Deliberately. And at any cost. 

In the wake of the horrific murders of the Reiners, J.P. Romney chats with Kim Porter, Executive Director and Co-founder of Be a Part of the Conversation, about substance use disorder and why so many parents think "this could happen in our home."

20 young teens were asked to imagine Philadelphia in 50 years. How they responded may surprise you.

In light of a recent Hollywood tragedy, a Main Line recovery specialist says people who love people with mental health disorders are quietly asking: Could this happen to us?

In the wake of the horrific shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis, Ali Velshi sits down with MN State Rep Aisha Gomez to talk about the state's reaction.