Philadelphia

June 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC- U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee today spoke with U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding the Philadelphia universal feeding pilot program. Following the call, Senator Casey sent the attached letter to Secretary Vilsack on their plans to work together to develop a national plan based on the Philadelphia program.    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- May 24, 2009 -- Today, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) wrote President Barack Obama urging him to clarify the decision made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to terminate the Philadelphia School District’s Universal Feeding pilot program.

“While I appreciate the administration’s offers of assistance to the Philadelphia School District as it transitions out of the pilot program, the unacceptable result of the transition to paper applications will be children missing meals,” Senator Specter wrote. “If your administration does, in fact, intend to end the program this school year, I would appreciate a clear statement to that effect, so that I and others can introduce immediate legislation to extend the program.”    » read more »

May 18, 2009 -- On May 19, 2009, the Justice Department will monitor the election in the city of Philadelphia to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws.

Justice Department staff members will monitor polling place activities in Philadelphia. A Civil Rights Division attorney will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials. In April 2007, the Justice Department reached a settlement agreement with Philadelphia related to allegations that the city had violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act.    » read more »

February 25th, 2009 -- Washington, DC – The Middle Class Task Force, led by Vice President Joe Biden, will hold its first official meeting on FRIDAY February 27th at 12:30 PM EDT at the William B. Irvine Auditorium on the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia. The focus of this meeting is on green jobs as a pathway to a strong middle class.

The Vice President will be joined by several cabinet members and members of the Task Force including:

* Secretary of the Department of Energy Steven Chu;
* Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood;
* Secretary of Education Arne Duncan;
* Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack;
* Secretary of Department of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan;    » read more »

Philadelphia, PA - 02/25/2009 - Despite all the attention the current financial woes of city government are getting, residents see crime as the top problem facing Philadelphia. In a poll conducted last month, respondents took every opportunity to express their concern for public safety and to indicate that they consider crime the major downside of living here.

These findings are from a wide-ranging poll of 1,600 city residents commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Philadelphia Research Initiative and conducted by Abt SRBI Public Affairs, working with Rutgers Professor Cliff Zukin.    » read more »

Amendments Follow Specter’s Field Hearing on Philadelphia International Airport

May 5, 2008 -- U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) filed two amendments to the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act which is currently being considered by the Senate.

Rocking chairs at Philadelphia International Airport: Photo by Jon Protas (CC)

The amendments seek to reduce overflights over Delaware County and delays caused by flight over-scheduling at Philadelphia International Airport. Senator Specter investigated both of these issues at a field hearing he convened in Philadelphia on Friday, April 25th.    » read more »

3/26/2008 -- Following a campaign coverage strategy of creating mini-bureaus in key political battleground states, CNN has parked the CNN Election Express in Philadelphia this week to create a full-time reporting presence for the April 22 Pennsylvania primary.

In the weeks leading up to the primary, the Election Express will serve as CNN’s production and newsgathering center, providing a newsroom for up to 20 journalists as well as a studio for interviews and satellite transmission equipment. By stationing the mobile news bureau in Philadelphia, the network positions itself to offer its signature and unmatched political coverage. The Election Express is currently parked at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.    » read more »

Letter sent to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

March 14, 2008 - U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) today sent a letter to Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) urging him to extend Philadelphia’s Moving-To-Work (MTW) agreement for one year. Moving-To-Work has allowed innovative approaches to provide housing to low-income families. The current program is set to expire on March 31, 2008.    » read more »

Requests meeting after HUD refuses to answer questions

March 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC-Following up on his questioning of HUD Secretary Alfonso Jackson at today’s Senate Banking Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) sent a letter to Secretary Jackson requesting a meeting and answers to the questions that Secretary Jackson dodged at today’s hearing. Secretary Jackson refused to answer Senator Casey’s questions concerning emails sent by high-ranking HUD officials that suggest retaliation against the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA).    » read more »

National Constitution Center to host Baseball as America from Cooperstown's National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum

12 Charged In "Operation Pill Hill"

October 31, 2007 -- PHILADELPHIA - A $2.6 million prescription drug distribution ring was broken-up today by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation (BNI) resulting in the arrest of five out of 12 suspected drug dealers operating in and around Philadelphia.

Attorney General Tom Corbett said the investigation, known as "Operation Pill Hill" focused on the illegal distribution and use of Oxycontin in Philadelphia, Chester, Montgomery, Delaware and Bucks Counties.Operation Pill Hill    » read more »

October 9, 2007, Philadelphia, PA – Diego Ramos of Q012’s Booker Show was recently highlighted as one of “The 75 Greatest Living Philadelphians” in an article written by Stu Bykovsky, columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. The list was created over the summer as Dunkin’ Donuts and the Philadelphia Eagles solicited nominations to tie in with the celebration of the Eagle’s 75th anniversary. Hundreds were nominated for the article and those chosen were selected based on their ability to “motivate, inspire and improve those around them.”    » read more »

The Lineup: OctoberPhest Phillies Postseason Party: Noon - 3 p.m., Citizens Bank Way.

September 13, 2007 -- PHILADELPHIA - The owners of a Philadelphia security business were arrested on Thursday on charges that they failed to carry workers' compensation insurance - as required by Pennsylvania law.

Attorney General Tom Corbett identified the defendants as Michael Kennedy, 35, of Ferndale St., Philadelphia, and Bryan McGraw, 37, of East Vernon St., Philadelphia. The two men owned Pro Guard Security, Inc. 8333 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, which specialized in providing armed security guards to various clients.    » read more »

09/05/2007, The local Tri-State Toyota Dealers will join the efforts of the Phillies and Goya Foods, Inc. in collecting food for Philabundance during the Goya Latino Family Celebration on Friday Sept. 7, at Citizens Bank Park. The event, which pays tribute to Hispanic Heritage Month, will feature a fan food drive of Goya food products with donations given to needed areas in the Latino community.    » read more »