Citizencast

"The more time one spends living in a distressed neighborhood during childhood, the worse are the chances of achieving economic stability." At our Ideas We Should Steal Festival, Carol Coletta of Memphis River Parks Partnership took the stage with a novel idea for bringing diverse communities together.

Two years ago a cultural revolution was sparked in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini. MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi explains how and why the fruits of that revolution have been rolled back.

The Citizen is partnering with the original rad girl, Leah Kauffman, to bring back her annual celebration of kick-ass Philadelphia women. This week, Roxanne caught up with Kauffman to talk all things rad.

Hope Chicago ensures family scholarships for graduates of five public high schools. Elaine Maimon suggests we invest in Philadelphia families the same way.

Author, radio host and public intellectual, Michael Eric Dyson, contends this rap battle is really about race, identity and Black/Jewish relations.

Balancing free speech rights with public safety and order requires a deft touch. On our latest episode of "How to Really Run a City," Mayors Nutter and Reed are joined by one of their protégés: Richmond, Virginia Mayor Levar Stoney. From protests to economic growth to Mayor Stoney's history-making removal of Confederate monuments, we dig into the successes and challenges Richmond has recently faced.  True leadership is a lonely venture, Nutter says. But Mayor Stoney is leading with joy, Reed reminds us, and that may be the secret sauce to really running a city.

DA Larry Krasner just won his second historic conviction of an on-duty police officer. Here’s why House Republicans are using that against him.

A new cohort of Spanish-speaking peer mental health specialists is ready to provide real-time support for the Philadelphia population who most needs it

"Jesus would be ashamed," wrote one critic of Lois Lowry's seminal work of children's literature, "The Giver." MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi invites Lowry onto the show to discuss her opinions about the flood of negative (and positive) reactions to her 1993 YA novel.

Ali Velshi's "Small Acts of Courage," just released at a launch party in Philadelphia. Join Roxanne Patel Shepelavy for an insightful and moving interview with Ali about his family's journey as immigrants and the true meaning of being an American. 

During this panel from our most recent Ideas We Should Steal Festival, MSNBC host and IWSS moderator Ali Velshi sits down with co-founder of The Welcome Party, Lauren Harper, former Republican congressman Charlie Dent, and State Senator Nikil Saval for an enlightening discussion about the true state of politics today

...made Ali Velshi a true American. Here, an excerpt from MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi's new book "Small Acts of Courage."

Roxanne Patel Shepelavy chats with Ethan Young, a former Citizen intern and current photojournalist at The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn's student-run newspaper. "What has the general media gotten wrong with their coverage of the protests?" Roxanne asks. Young's answer might surprise you. 

MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi looks back at his parents' homeland and puts the struggle against South African apartheid in modern context

Does the support of pro-Palestinian protestors by local professors and pols turn a moral blind eye to what's really happening?

The Citizen's J.P. Romney sits down with Nick Hand, current technologist and former director of Rebecca Rhynhart's Finance, Policy and Data Unit to discuss Mayor Parker's budget proposal and how her first year will change from Mayor Kenney's last.

Killing puppies? Linking Native American tribes to Mexican cartels? MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi explains why South Dakota governor Kristi Noem is banned from entering one-fifth of her own state.

It seems counterintuitive, but a C+ public school works for students, teachers, and communities, and strengthens those schools over time

Some schoolboards in the country are banning this iconic Newberry-award-winning children's novel on charges that it deals with death and glorifies foul language and witchcraft. MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi sits down to discuss this acclaimed book with its author, Katherine Paterson. 

On this episode, we look at the per-resident cost of Mayor Parker’s proposed budget—and how it’s changed from last year. Let's explore five overlooked, but important shifts.