When Local Reform Isn’t Enough on Guns
On Memorial Day, Fairmount Park should have been a quiet refuge. Instead, it became a crime scene.
Rotimi Adeoye
Rotimi Adeoye is a Philadelphia-based writer and columnist at The Daily Beast covering history, voting, and constitutional law. Formerly a speechwriter and Capitol Hill aide, he appears on MSNBC and writes for major publications.
Why Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” Betrays Black Families
Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” touted benefits for first-time homebuyers, but critics question its impact on working-class and Black families.
What Larry Krasner Got Right About Crime — and Democrats Still Don’t
On Tuesday night, Larry Krasner won the Democratic primary for Philadelphia district attorney, all but guaranteeing a third term in office. It wasn’t close.
Why Your Vote for Local Judges on May 20th Matters More Than You Think
On May 20th, Philadelphia voters will head to the polls to decide who sits on the city’s Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court—two judicial bodies that collectively determine what justice, crime, and public safety, looks like in everyday life.
SEPTA Isn’t Failing Because of Fare Evasion. It’s Failing Because We Are
The trains still come, mostly. But fewer riders are on them. SEPTA, the public transit agency that carries Philadelphia’s working class, students, and seniors, is heading toward a fiscal cliff.
The Fire Still Burns from the MOVE Bombing in Philadelphia
On May 13, 1985, the city of Philadelphia dropped a bomb on its own citizens. Eleven people, five of them children, died in that fire. Sixty-one homes burned to the ground. The target was MOVE, a radical Black liberation group.
SEPTA Is Collapsing. The Question Is Whether Pennsylvania Will Let It
Something consequential is happening in Philadelphia. SEPTA, the region’s public transit system, is facing a financial crisis so severe that it’s planning to eliminate nearly half of its service
Memory Is Power. That’s Why Trump Wants to Erase It.
Donald Trump has never been subtle about where he stands on history.
The Tariff Trap: How Trump's Trade War Could Gut Black-Owned Businesses
Donald Trump is betting big on tariffs.
The Disappearing Ink of Black Journalism
If a story is told but no one listens, does it matter that it was told at all?
Philadelphia’s Federal Buildings on the Chopping Block: Who Benefits?
The Trump administration, through Elon Musk’s newly minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is aggressively pushing to sell off key federal buildings in Philadelphia, promising efficiency and modern governance.
Mayor Parker’s Big Budget Is a Bold Bet as Trump’s Cuts Loom
Philadelphia stands at a precarious intersection, balancing aspirations of renewal against the harsh reality of diminishing federal support.
Trump’s Speech Was Loud. His Economic Plan Was Silent
In Philadelphia, a city where thousands live in poverty, where rents are rising. Trump's speech had nothing for them.
Philadelphia’s Future: What to Expect from Mayor Parker’s Budget Address
From public safety and housing to tax reforms and infrastructure, the budget is poised to address pressing issues that have been the focus of both city officials and residents.
Doom Scrolling, Mental Health, and This Political Moment
You wake up, check your phone, and in seconds, the day’s headlines flood your mind: another mass shooting, another Supreme Court ruling gutting fundamental rights, another climate disaster in Los Angeles.