SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL 🍻
#4 | This Week in Review - July 5th, 2025, 7:00pm
Hey! It’s been a while. Also, happy Fourth of July 🎆
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PHILADELPHIA NAMED AMERICA’S “MOST WALKABLE CITY” FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW
UPENN CIVIL RIGHTS CASE ENDS IN DEFEAT FOR TRANSGENDER ADVOCATES
GOV. SHAPIRO WARNS OF CONSEQUENCES OF LOOMING CUTS TO SNAP, MEDICAID
MAC’S TAVERN FROM “IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY” SET TO CLOSE AFTER 15 YEARS
SEPTA MOVES FORWARD WITH DOOMSDAY BUDGET
The SEPTA Board approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget on June 26, 2025, choosing to address a $213 million deficit exactly as they said they would - by cutting services by 45%. The cuts will cancel 32 bus routes, reduce rail services (starting August 24th), and raise fares by 21.5% (starting September 1st). The base fare will also now start at $2.90. Deeper cuts, including five Regional Rail lines and a 9:00 PM rail curfew, will begin January 1, 2026. These measures, motivated by pessimism regarding stalled legislative action to fund the organization, are estimated to save SEPTA money; but without new state funding, the cuts could end up functionally gutting SEPTA, with long-lasting economic and social impacts not just for the Greater Philadelphia area, but for the state as a whole.
PHILADELPHIA NAMED AMERICA’S “MOST WALKABLE CITY” FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW
Philadelphia has been named America’s most walkable city for the third consecutive year by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards, surpassing cities like New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston. The city’s walkability has been attributed to historical sources like William Penn’s 17th-century grid design as well as an emphasis on public squares and green spaces. Such a design is bolstered by the many cultural attractions the city has to offer, historic sites, and a vibrant tradition of street art, according to commentators. Spanning just over two miles between the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, Center City’s pedestrian-friendly layout draws nearly 27 million visitors annually for good reason, and is supported by new infrastructure like the Schuylkill River Trail bridge.
DC-33 STRIKE GETS PHYSICAL
On July 2, 2025, the second day of a major strike by nearly 10,000 Philadelphia municipal workers from AFSCME District Council 33 (DC-33), dozens of union members defied a court order by picketing at the locked Northwest Sanitation Convenience Center in Manayunk, creating tensions between strikers and local police. The strike, the first since 1986, has halted trash collection and other services after contract talks with the Mayor’s office fell through, with the union demanding 8% annual raises and better benefits. Residents, caught between supporting the strikers and needing to dispose of trash, faced confusion as strikers blocked entrances to the dump. Some, like Yvette Everett, sought police permission to drop off garbage outside the facility, despite posted “No Dumping” signs. “I had to ask a cop if it was OK because I didn’t know if we were supposed to be doing this or not,” said Everett, according to PBS-WHHY. Court order limited picketers to groups of eight and prohibited intimidating behavior, but strikers, chanting “DC-33” and “no pay, no peace,” clashed verbally with law enforcement on site.
PARKER DEFENDS AGAINST ACCUSATIONS OF CRONYISM
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker refuted claims by striking AFSCME District Council 33 workers that she gave herself a 9% pay raise, clarifying that her 2024 salary of $269,708 reflects a 3.1% cost-of-living adjustment from former Mayor Jim Kenney’s $261,497. However, news outlets noted that Parker had approved significant raises for her aides, with her 2024 budget increasing mayoral office spending by 150%, including a 16% average staff pay hike and up to 32% for key roles like Managing Director Adam Thiel, now earning $310,000. By comparison, the striking union, representing workers averaging $46,000, have demanded only an 8% increase.
SPAT OF ROBBERIES TARGET ASIAN RESIDENTS, POLICE SAY
Philadelphia police are searching for two suspects involved in at least three violent robberies in or near Center City parking lots between June 14-16, attacking a 62-year-old man on the 900 block of Cherry Street, a 27-year-old man on the 800 block of Arch Street, and a 16-year-old boy on the 100 block of N. 9th Street, stealing their wallets and cash after brutal assaults. Surveillance images of the suspects have been released to aid in their capture. "It would appear that these offenders were specifically targeting males of Asian descent, which would make this a hate crime. When we catch these individuals, they will also be charged with ethnic intimidation, along with robbery and related offenses," said Capt. Jason Smith. Anyone with information is urged to contact Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or submit an anonymous tip online.
SECOND PHILLY UNION HOLDS STRIKE VOTE
AFSCME District Council 47, a union for Philadelphia’s white-collar city workers, has announced plans to hold a strike authorization vote. However, union leadership seemed to indicate that they were hesitant to go on strike, unlike their blue-collar colleagues AFSCME DC-33, already on the picket line. Only one of DC-47’s two municipal locals can legally strike, and while the vote, driven by member interest, wraps up by July 15, the union has extended its expired contract for two weeks to keep negotiations open. Despite a history of solidarity with DC-33, recent statements suggest that differing priorities between unions, as well as existing state regulations regarding the right to strike, could complicate a hypothetical “unified front” between the two labor unions.
UPENN CIVIL RIGHTS CASE ENDS IN DEFEAT FOR TRANSGENDER ADVOCATES
The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to ban transgender women from its women's sports teams to resolve its federal civil rights case, conceding that the school violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 by allowing transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete. The U.S. Education Department announced the agreement, requiring Penn to restore Division I swimming records and titles to female athletes who lost to Thomas, send personalized apology letters to affected swimmers, and adopt "biology-based" definitions of male and female, prohibiting biological males from competing in female athletic programs moving forward. “The Department commends UPenn for rectifying its past harms against women and girls, and we will continue to fight relentlessly to restore Title IX’s proper application and enforce it to the fullest extent of the law,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. Advocates of transgender rights widely condemned the decision.
GOV. SHAPIRO WARNS OF CONSEQUENCES OF LOOMING CUTS TO SNAP, MEDICAID
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro expressed concerns this week that Trump’s “Big, Beautiful bill” signed yesterday by the president could jeopardize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), potentially leaving 140,000 Pennsylvanians without food assistance. Nearly half a million Philadelphians rely on SNAP, and Pennsyvlania’s administrative costs to support the program without federal assistance are estimated to rise by 52% under the bill, with an additional $564 million increase to cover benefits. Opponents of the bill say it also risks cutting Medicaid access for 500,000 Pennsylvanians, threatens the viability of rural hospitals, and eliminating 26,000 energy jobs, among other consequences. President Trump has denied that the bill will significantly affect the operations of entitlement programs.
POLICE OFFICER CLEARED OF WRONGDOING IN OFF-DUTY SHOOTING
An off-duty Philadelphia homicide detective, Chris Sweeney, was cleared of wrongdoing by the district attorney’s office this week after a 10-month investigation into the fatal shooting of 54-year-old Robert Jones in October 2024. Sweeney shot Jones, a roadside assistant operator, through his car window at a Northeast Philadelphia intersection when Jones approached his vehicle for unknown reasons while stopped at a red light. No weapon was found on Jones or in his car. The decision prompted outrage from his family, who stated they plan to file a wrongful-death lawsuit. Both the District Attorney’s office and the Philadelphia Police Department have yet to comment on the decision.
LA SALLE UNIVERSITY ACCREDITATION IN JEOPARDY
La Salle University in received a warning from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education this week, stating that the school was risking its accreditation. The commission blamed the risk on La Salle’s alleged non-compliance with financial and educational standards. The university, which saw a 28% enrollment drop from 2019 to 2024, has struggled in recent years as operating losses continue to hamper the school’s financial condition. The school specifically saw a 50% decline in net tuition revenue since 2015, and has been drawing heavily on endowments to make ends meet. Despite recent enrollment gains and academic restructuring efforts, including new programs and sports, President Daniel J. Allen expressed surprise at the warning, citing a prior positive review. La Salle remains accredited at this time, and stated that it remained optimistic about the situation given 2025 enrollment projections.
MAC’S TAVERN FROM “IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY” SET TO CLOSE AFTER 15 YEARS
Mac’s Tavern in Old City, a bar opened in 2010 by “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” stars Rob McElhenney (now Rob Mac) and Kaitlin Olson, has closed after 15 years. Management blamed the closure on insurmountable challenges, including burdensome government regulations, lease-renewal issues, lingering impacts from COVID-19, and broader Philadelphia business difficulties. Management expressed deep gratitude to the community that made Mac’s possible.
