Headlines of Yore
Stealing Royal Paulownia trees used to be a thing people got arrested for in Fairmount Park
Those thefts don’t happen much anymore, officials say, but people do sneak in and take fruit or edible plants.
The large Paulownia in Cloverly Park is renowned throughout Pa.
Scott Wade / Monumental Trees
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With large flowers that come in varying shades, the Paulownia tomentosa is not native to the Eastern United States, but it grows all over the place.
Also known as a foxglove or royal empress tree, the species is originally from China. In that nation, its hardwood is prized — to the point where the sale price is high enough to incentivize theft.
Here’s the story of how often it happened in Fairmount Park.
Harriet Tubman is Philadelphia’s first monument to a historical Black woman…but it’s only temporary
You can count the city's statues of women in history on one hand.
VIDEO: Martin Luther King Jr. at Girard College in Philadelphia, 1965
The civil rights leader spoke to a crowd protesting segregation at Girard Collge.
Police, fire, and streets departments lag behind as Philly extends vaccine mandate for city employees
About 81% of the municipal workforce is fully vaccinated against COVID.
Nearly 100 years ago, Pa.’s Senate race was jolted by allegations of election fraud in Philadelphia
The ostensible winner of the 1926 contest, Republican William S. Vare, was never seated as senator.
Betty White birthday celebrations in Philly, and local animal shelters to support in her honor
How to toast the late, great actress, who died just before her 100th birthday.
New mutual aid fund at the school near the Fairmount fire aims to help families — and combat student inequity
Bache-Martin Elementary is located in a well-off neighborhood, but the district considers 90% of its enrollment economically disadvantaged.
Philly colleges are starting to require boosters and double-masking for the spring semester
Most COVID regulations apply to students, faculty and staff, but specifics vary by school.
Penn swimmer Lia Thomas and the overblown frenzy over her participation in college sports
The science behind why she's allowed to compete with women.
Jim Gardner’s final 11 o’clock broadcast on Action News, and his wish for the next year: ‘To see the pandemic retire before I do’
The TV veteran will continue on the 6 p.m. newscast, and be replaced on late-night by Rick Williams.
Some Philly restaurant workers feel like they can’t call out — much less ask for sick pay — as omicron causes staff shortages
“There’s not a lot of people in service work that have a safety net,” said the manager at one Center City spot.
A hard look at the numbers behind 2021’s record gun violence in Philly, and an overview of what’s being done
People of color and young adults bore the brunt of city shootings.
125 years after women founded The Plastic Club to break into a men-only scene, the arts group is thriving
With headquarters in Center City and a popular exhibit on Instagram, the club is recruiting new members.
The Pasta Lab is turning out amazing noodles in a Kensington warehouse
It’s all made with Pennsylvania wheat and Lancaster dairy.
1990s battle over Mt. Airy AIDS hospice center shows the power of grassroots opposition — and the limits of NIMBYism
After much controversy, Betak eventually opened, but it would not last long.
PHA owns thousands of other rowhomes like the one that burned in Fairmount
The housing authority has a huge portfolio of so-called “scatter sites,” which were long neglected.
How to help survivors of the devastating and tragic Fairmount house fire
The blaze tore through a home owned by PHA, taking 12 lives — eight of them children.
What’s the deal with the rogue COVID testing sites in Philly? Here’s everything we know
How to spot them, and why they’re so problematic.
Philly’s unique and successful Way Home program is helping LGBTQ people find housing
Originally dependent on CARES Act funding, advocates are working to make it last.
What new FDA abortion pill guidelines mean for Philly and Pa.: More access, and maybe lower costs
Planned Parenthood now offers mail-order medication, but state-run health insurance still won’t cover it.
Photos from the 2022 Mummers Parade, back on Broad Street after a year off
The Philly-only tradition has a reputation for controversy.