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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Philadelphia. Written by local reporters.

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Philly man fought nearly 5 decades to overturn murder conviction

Michael White's conviction was overturned twice, most recently in 2022.

News

Rocky Balboa is back for another round

Sylvester Stallone's visit coincides with Philadelphia's official declaration of Rocky Day.

How Philadelphia's holiday tree gets to City Hall

Getting the city's long-time tradition ready is a feat of logistics and willpower.

Pennsylvania simplifies mail-in voting

Officials say the changes were needed in a state where elections are won by slim margins.

Philadelphia heads to the polls for Election Day

Voters will decide who runs Philly over the next four years.

It&#x27;s Election Day and there&#x27;s a lot on the ballot.Why it matters: Voters will decide who runs Philadelphia over the next four years, affecting the city&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$6 billion budget, property taxes," data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/06/23/city-budget-2024-property-taxes" data-vars-content-id="fcec98bd-e02d-44e1-878b-2ccdd08feb27" data-vars-headline="Philadelphia heads to the polls for Election Day" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/06/23/city-budget-2024-property-taxes" target="_self">$6 billion budget, property taxes,</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="schools" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/09/11/public-schools-teacher-resignations-retirements-data" data-vars-content-id="fcec98bd-e02d-44e1-878b-2ccdd08feb27" data-vars-headline="Philadelphia heads to the polls for Election Day" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/09/11/public-schools-teacher-resignations-retirements-data" target="_self">schools</a> and more.

Illustration of Philadelphia city hall over a divided red and blue background with elements of ballots.

Philadelphia City Council candidate Q&A: Meet Drew Murray

Read our candidate Q&A about what supermarket he shops at, how he feels about savesies and more.

Politics

Drew Murray is a Republican running for an at-large City Council seat. The candidate: Murray lives in Logan Square and works as a sales manager for a storage-system firm.

Philadelphia City Council candidate Q&A: Meet Jim Hasher

What supermarket he shops at, how he feels about savesies and more.

Jim Hasher is a Republican running for an at-large City Council seat.The candidate: Hasher, who lives in Torresdale, is a real estate broker and owns Jimmy&#x27;s Timeout Sports Pub in his neighborhood.

Philadelphia City Council candidate Q&A: Meet Nicolas O'Rourke

Nicolas O&#x27;Rourke is a Working Families Party member running for at-large City Council.The candidate: He is a lead pastor at the Living Water United Church of Christ in Oxford Circle and a political strategist for the Working Families Party for the mid-Atlantic region. He lives in Walnut Hill.

Philadelphia City Council candidate Q&A: Meet Kendra Brooks

What supermarket she shops at, how she feels about savesies and more.

City Councilmember Kendra Brooks is a Working Families Party member running to defend her at-large City Council seat. The candidate: Brooks won her first election in 2019 and lives in Nicetown.

Philadelphia's at-large City Council race 2023: Meet the candidates

Their favorite grocery store, how they feel about Philly’s savesies tradition, and more.

Leading up to Philadelphia&#x27;s Tuesday election, we&#x27;re taking a look at a closely watched campaign for a pair of at-large City Council seats, pitting the city&#x27;s Republican Party against its progressive Working Families Party.Why it matters: The elections will offer clues about the state of Philly&#x27;s already-diminished Republican Party and about voters&#x27; support for the city&#x27;s progressive movement.

An illustration of the Liberty Bell with a check through it

Philadelphia mayoral candidates prep for "drive-time" debate

KYW hosts the debate on Thursday from 8-9am, its peak morning-drive listening hour.

Mayoral candidates Cherelle Parker and David Oh are debating each other tomorrow on KYW Newsradio for the first — and only time — before the general election.Why it matters: Philadelphians should consider themselves lucky to hear from the candidates at all given the city&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="heavily Democratic lean" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/10/10/philadelphia-mayor-election" data-vars-content-id="09e1109f-88f7-4838-a85b-902b53632dfa" data-vars-headline="Philadelphia mayoral candidates prep for &quot;drive-time&quot; debate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/10/10/philadelphia-mayor-election" target="_self">heavily Democratic lean</a>, experts tell Axios.

Photo illustration of David Oh and Cherelle Parker.

Parker becomes first woman mayor in Philadelphia history

Her victory signals a likely shift toward tough-on-crime policies.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Democrat Cherelle Parker" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/04/03/philadelphia-mayor-primary-election-2023-cherelle-parker" data-vars-content-id="1215c165-7a6c-4aa0-a83a-aec8f738d1ab" data-vars-headline="Parker becomes first woman mayor in Philadelphia history" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/04/03/philadelphia-mayor-primary-election-2023-cherelle-parker" target="_self">Democrat Cherelle Parker</a> defeated <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Republican David Oh" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/10/10/mayor-election-2023-republican-david-oh" data-vars-content-id="1215c165-7a6c-4aa0-a83a-aec8f738d1ab" data-vars-headline="Parker becomes first woman mayor in Philadelphia history" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/10/10/mayor-election-2023-republican-david-oh" target="_self">Republican David Oh</a> Tuesday in Philadelphia&#x27;s mayoral race, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="per AP" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-election-mayor-district-attorney-169b5783547fae96440b71cff3876b50" data-vars-content-id="1215c165-7a6c-4aa0-a83a-aec8f738d1ab" data-vars-headline="Parker becomes first woman mayor in Philadelphia history" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-election-mayor-district-attorney-169b5783547fae96440b71cff3876b50" target="_blank">per AP</a>.Why it matters: Parker will become the first woman to lead Philly in city history and her victory signals a likely shift toward tough-on-crime policies.

Working Families Party gains ground on Philadelphia City Council

Republicans will likely have difficulty gaining a foothold in city politics outside of the Northeast going forward.

Philadelphia&#x27;s progressive movement made unprecedented inroads in City Council in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tuesday&#x27;s election" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/11/08/philadelphia-election-results-city-council-sheriff-city-controller-judges" data-vars-content-id="65cfc9b7-ecfb-4325-a829-f94e30fccd16" data-vars-headline="Working Families Party gains ground on Philadelphia City Council" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/11/08/philadelphia-election-results-city-council-sheriff-city-controller-judges" target="_self">Tuesday&#x27;s election</a>.Why it matters: Republicans were shut out from at-large City Council seats for the first time in more than half a century, further diminishing their influence in Philly politics.

Focus groups: Pa. swing voters view Shapiro as Dems' next darling

Some say they'd like to see the rookie governor run for president in 2024 over President Biden.

Some Pennsylvania swing voters believe Gov. Josh Shapiro could become the Democrats&#x27; next rising star sooner rather than later, according to our latest <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Engagious/Sago" data-vars-click-url="http://www.swingvoterproject.com/" data-vars-content-id="3b9d700d-b706-4cef-9f4c-366e19c7cbd3" data-vars-headline="Focus groups: Pa. swing voters view Shapiro as Dems&#x27; next darling" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://www.swingvoterproject.com/" target="_blank">Engagious/Sago</a> focus groups.Driving the news: More than a third of Pennsylvania swing voters in two online focus groups conducted last week said they&#x27;d like to see Shapiro run for president in 2024 over President Joe Biden.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro looks on as President Biden delivers remarks during an I-95 briefing.

Defining moments of Jim Kenney's two terms as Philly mayor

The soda tax, regaining control of the school district and the heavy-handed police response to 2020 protests.

As Mayor Jim Kenney <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="focuses on his final year" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/01/12/philadelphia-mayor-jim-kenney-final-year-priority" data-vars-content-id="5344220b-3d23-4df6-8bb1-27aba1dfb15a" data-vars-headline="Defining moments of Jim Kenney&#x27;s two terms as Philly mayor" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/01/12/philadelphia-mayor-jim-kenney-final-year-priority" target="_self">focuses on his final year</a> in office, we are looking back at the highs and lows of his two terms so far. <h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">Highs </h2>Soda tax: Philly became the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="first large U.S. city" data-vars-click-url="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-beverages-philadelphia-sodatax/philadelphia-passes-soda-tax-after-mayor-rewrites-playbook-idUSKCN0Z22G3" data-vars-content-id="5344220b-3d23-4df6-8bb1-27aba1dfb15a" data-vars-headline="Defining moments of Jim Kenney&#x27;s two terms as Philly mayor" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-beverages-philadelphia-sodatax/philadelphia-passes-soda-tax-after-mayor-rewrites-playbook-idUSKCN0Z22G3" target="_blank">first large U.S. city</a> to put in place a tax on sugary drinks in 2016, defeating a multimillion-dollar campaign from the soda industry to squash the proposal.

Mayoral candidates clash on crime, Sixers arena

Cherelle Parker and David Oh remained cordial even when they disagreed with each other.

Mayoral candidates Cherelle Parker and David Oh remained cordial even when they disagreed with each other during their first — and likely only — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="debate" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/10/25/first-mayoral-debate-cherelle-parker-david-oh-kyw" data-vars-content-id="81247eb8-0b48-43d0-b592-531cffb0e79a" data-vars-headline="Mayoral candidates clash on crime, Sixers arena" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/10/25/first-mayoral-debate-cherelle-parker-david-oh-kyw" target="_self">debate</a> Thursday on KYW Newsradio.Driving the news: The candidates, both considered moderates within their respective parties, agreed public safety is a pressing issue but disagreed over how best to tackle it.

Politics 🇺🇸