SEPTA police officers on strike: an explainer
The roughly 170 members of Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge #109 walked off the job this week and if history is any guide, commuters can expect the strike to last at least several days as the FOTP and SEPTA management hammer out a deal over proposed pay increases for officers.
What are the issues at stake and what’s next? BP investigative reporter Meir Rinde explains the history of how we got here and what to expect going forward. Continue reading…
Eagles Christmas animated special: Behind the scenes
Like many other elements of the Eagles players’ (second!) Christmas album, the seven-minute stop-motion holiday video was made by and for Philadelphians: Peter Heacock and Marie Hart of unPOP Animations shot the special over four-and-a-half months in their Mt. Airy garage using puppets created in their basement.
BP reporter Asha Prihar takes you behind the scenes with unPOP’s journey, from making Vine videos in 2013 to producing arguably the biggest Philly Christmas video of the year. Continue reading…
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
• The resignation of Democratic Rep. John Galloway of Bucks County leaves the Pa. House with a 101-101 partisan split — and another fight for control of the chamber in a special election next year. [WHYY]
• Pa. joins eight other states in making porch pirating a felony. There are now specific penalties for mail theft, including the theft of a package, bag, or letter. [6ABC]
• Philadelphia is the first U.S. city to make medical deportations illegal after a 14-1 Council vote passing a bill that makes it unlawful for hospitals to deport a patient without consent. [CBS3]
• The DEI director of Germantown’s Greene Street Friends School resigned from her other role as Upper Dublin School Board member after accusations of antisemitism for sharing a webinar that described violence on Palestinians “genocide.” [Inquirer$]
• 55 years after the infamous Eagles Santa snowball incident, eyewitnesses and Philly sports writers reflect on what happened and how they say it was misrepresented in the national media. [WHYY]
MAYOR WATCH
Mayor Kenney joins the Philadelphia Housing Authority to cut the ribbon on 58 new rental townhomes and community center in Sharswood. (11 a.m.)
ON THE CALENDAR
🎶 Fans of Frank Sinatra can listen to ol’ blue eyes’ Christmas classics at Craft Hall. $40 per person. (6 and 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15)
🍬 Join Clara for the third annual “The Nutcracker Dipped in Chocolate” featuring the Chocolate Ballerina Company. $40 tickets. (1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17)
🛍️ Holiday markets abound across the Philly region. Check out our updated guide with the season’s latest offerings. Next up: Punk Rock Flea Market on Friday, Dec. 15, Sisterly Love Holiday Market on Saturday, Dec. 16, and Art Star Holiday Procrastinator Market Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 16-17.
🚎 Ride the Jolly Trolley to catch the holiday lights, sounds, and food smells along Manayunk’s Main Street. (5 to 10 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through Dec. 23)
Catch up on the previous week
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