CitizenCast

Penn professor and bestselling author Angela Duckworth just released her newest book: Situated. "Much of human behavior is rooted in our immediate circumstances," Duckworth says. She goes on to discuss her previous book, Grit, and how Situated completes the explanation for why people succeed.

63 years after the 1963 March on Washington led by Martin Luther King Jr., voting rights advocates again filled the National Mall to make their collective voices heard. Ali Velshi has a few thoughts.

Our Trump-like DA indicted himself last week in the court of public opinion by coming up short on public virtue. From Larry Platt, an offer to help.

Monday night was Tynan's last broadcast and it was the end of a local news era

On this episode of Ideas We Should Steal, we look at states — New Jersey, for example — that launched programs offering free at-home post-baby visits for every new mom. Could we do the same in Philly?

World renowned eyewear vendor Julian Emami talks the business of celebrity fashion with brand marketer, chef and photographer Reuben "Big Rube" Harley

The link in Lancaster County between unvaccinated rates and the first two U.S. measles deaths this year is "clear." Ali Velshi weighs in.

Larry Platt writes investing in arts and culture drives local economies and brings us all together, so why is Philadelphia lagging so far behind other cities?

Organizers from the Philly Black Workers Project joined Dr. James Peterson for the Citizen segment of Evening WURDs to discuss a recent Citizen article about the exploitative nature of the temp worker industry

Food insecurity directly impacts neighborhood violence. Fighting hunger should be a vital part of our anti-violence strategy.

Why the City's support of Center City's Meantime on Market — now extended until the year's end — is money well spent

A new survey from the University of Pennsylvania revealed that 61% of Americans oppose data centers being built in their area. Ali Velshi breaks down why.

In this episode of Business For Good, one Southampton company is tackling a growing problem in pediatric care: getting children developmental therapy when they need it, regardless of language, insurance or distance 

As Philly road rage has hit the Schuylkill River Trail, one local cyclist calls for her fellow riders to show some decorum. 

Who are all those people standing outside City Hall with their bicycles? 

On this episode of Citizen WURDs, Dr. James Peterson is joined by Natalie Shieh and Sarah Maginnis who dissected the wage tax and talked about how they're boosting urban development in order to make the city more affordable for everyone.

On this episode of Citizen of the Week, one veteran from West Philly felt left out of the parenting equation twenty-two years. Today, he's turned thousands of local dads into successful child-rearers. For even more information about Daddy University, visit this story on the web.

Military stockpiles of defensive and offensive missiles are dwindling. It would take four to five years to restock our supplies. Ali Velshi investigates the growing crisis.

To combat wartime food prices in the 1910s, the federal government actively promoted local food markets. Modern urban thinkers build on these ideas to reinvent grocery stores and combat food deserts.

CNN's Michael Smerconish moderated a panel at the Promise of Democracy 250th Summit recently. It focused on how the country can overcome the widening divisions shaping American public life, and the cultural and community tensions that have resulted. 

We consider our animals to be part of the family. Then why, asks a former pet insurance professional, don't we plan ahead for their medical care?

One restaurant in Kensington is participating in the Pay-What-You-Can movement that lets customers decide how much they want to pay for their meal. It's a no-judgment way of making finer dining accessible to anyone.

Donald Trump keeps telling Americans we're in a "golden age" of economic prosperity. Ali Velshi breaks down the reality.

The highly contagious disease is sweeping the United States. Philly currently has zero confirmed cases — a stark difference from the city's major outbreak 30 years ago. Are we more prepared this time around?

A long-time university president calls for a constitutional convention on higher education in the city known for revolutions. Penn, et al, are you listening?

Thirty percent of all breast cancer patients experience a potentially deadly recurrence. Scientists at Penn are finding ways to prevent dormant cells from waking up.

This time, we take a lightning look at takeaways from Governor Shapiro's FY27 budget

In this episode of Guest Commentary, a local political activist has an idea we should steal to bring power back to the people

Take in the most notable changes to Mayor Parker's FY27 budget in this lightning episode.

In court documents, the Trump administration admitted to terminating federal clean energy grants "to states that awarded electoral votes to Kamala Harris in the 2024 election." Ali Velshi weighs in. 

"The problems we have as a country don't go away because the federal government leaves the stage," says Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, CEO of Accelerator for America, on the latest episode of How To Really Run A City. "All this stuff lands on the front steps of City Hall." And then what? That's what hosts Kasim Reed (former mayor of Atlanta) and Michael Nutter (former mayor of Philadelphia), along with Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt, explore with Brown University Professor Marc Dunkelman, author of the new book, Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and How to Bring It Back. "We need to rethink the balance between our impulse to empower central authority and the attempts to ensure that power doesn't do damage," says Dunkelman. Dunkelman highlights the push and pull of centralized power in U.S. politics, tracing a line from the Progressive Era of the late 19th century to the destructive anger of modern MAGAism. Reed weighed in with his experience. "Fair is harder," he says. "I believe in action-oriented leadership. Move faster. Be decisive. Be more inclusive, yes, but by god, do something." Join us for an unvarnished discussion about why trust in both politics and infrastructure continues to be broken in this country, along with steps we can take to actually make things work. As Dunkelman says, "There's a fantasy that if you just get everyone around a table, they will eventually come to an agreement. The truth is, we need deciders. That's why we have elections." As cities go, so goes the nation!

Research shows Americans are spending less time with the folks next door than just a decade ago. Roxanne Patel Shepelavy joined the hosts of WHYY's Studio Two to discuss ways we can turn this trend around.

What the LeBron James' era says about a city finally learning to believe in itself

On this episode of Big Rube's Philly, the city's favorite entrepreneur, brand marketer, chef and photographer caught up with fashion and artistic icon Bariq Cobbs who's dressed the Fresh Prince, TLC and LeBron James. Cobbs collabed with Nike and Nordstrom and toured the world exhibiting his paintings.

Donald Trump's ICE crackdown is increasingly violent, provoking widespread backlash after two traffic stop killings in one month. This is how a president with a private police force and "acting with total impunity" behaves.

The City's former Litter Czar bemoans a missed opportunity for real environmental and sanitation changes in Philly. Here's how we can do better.

Police can legally question citizens without reasonable suspicion or probable cause in what are called "mere encounters." Do citizens know they're free to just walk away? If you've experienced a mere encounter with Philadelphia police, CPOC would like to hear about it. You can access a survey here.

On this episode of Guest Commentary, one former Philadelphia Mayor pulled a few political and life lessons from the NBA Finals

On this episode of Citizen Recommends, we all know Philadelphia is the mural capital of the world, but did you know we're also a Playful Learning capital?

Sandra Shachar Scotch-taped a sign to the area surrounding the President's House, where the Trump administration controversially replaced a slavery exhibit. She's been threatened with arrest if she does it again.

On a very special episode of How To Really Run A City, our hosts soak up the wisdom of renowned 92-year-old former California Speaker of the House and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, a player still at the top of his political game. From jelly bean power plays in front of Ronald Reagan to pressure campaigns to free Nelson Mandela to candid thoughts on how to navigate the Trumpian circus in Washington, D.C., Brown is a well of bipartisan optimism and moral clarity. "I was the guy," Brown told former Atlanta mayor and mentee Kasim Reed, "who could tell you what your bill would do if enacted. And I would support it because it was the right thing to do. And in government, you must always do what is right." "You've laid out so many different examples of doing the right thing," said former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter. "We seem to be somewhat, nationally, dysfunctional these days." "But when you think about Willie Brown," said Citizen Co-Founder Larry Platt, "you think of a happy warrior … someone who fights with a smile on their face. That's what people want." "There's no question, that is my approach," Brown said with a smile. "And besides that, I like to party. No matter where I am, if a party can happen, I'm a participant in that effort." Join us for one of the most memorable and smile-inducing episodes of the podcast, a true masterclass in the art of politics. As cities go, so goes the nation!

On this episode of Ideas We Should Steal, a partnership of organizations has made Baltimore Harbor swimmable again. Could Philly do the same with the Delaware and the Schuylkill?

"Big Rube" Reuben Harley grabbed a microphone and headed to Dough Heads Pizza on iconic 9th Street. He chatted with owners Joe Betzala and Justin Camardo about their genre-busting flavors and what its like to operate a modern classic pizza shop in the heart of cheesesteak land.

What's worse than getting your fender blown off by a distracted driver? Trying to get your car back from the company that towed it. (And, a NE Philly Senator has just pulled off a solution)

Remembering the life and activism of the artist Danny Simmons Jr. He was an advocate for creatives across Philadelphia and a voice for the underrepresented.

Across nearly half a million service requests, residents in lower-income ZIP codes wait roughly twice as long for routine 311 service. The pattern is too clear to be an accident. Find the full 311 Research Series here.

On this episode of Guest Commentary, a Southwest Philadelphia educator offers a most patriotic defense of birthright citizenship

Malcolm Burnley joined WURD host James Peterson to talk about the research and interviews that went into his recent article about why Rochelle Bilal enjoys such high levels of support in the city despite missing firearms, a no-bid contract and a slate of stalled reforms.

Former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham devolved his city to greatness, and would like to do the same for the whole U.K. Should Philly defy other U.S. cities to do the same?

Because Donald Trump was never held responsible for his attempts to illegally overturn the 2020 elections, his administration has been preparing for another attempt -- this time to alter the upcoming midterms. Is this a traitorous act against American democracy? Ali Velshi takes on the question.

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