#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY
Waterfront sentinels
(Photo by @kslouf)
Council, Parker admin spar over water bill assistance expansion
The typical water bill for a residential customer is already set to increase $7 per month in September.
A new proposal would expand eligibility for reduced water bills for households with incomes at 150% to 200% of the federal poverty level. To cover the resulting reduced payments, non-TAP customers would see an increase in their water rates. Continue reading…
First signs of Chinatown Stitch cap park arrive
The first visible evidence of the Chinatown Stitch park has arrived in the form of a modular wood-and-red-metal shelter — one of several intended to eventually grace the highway cap park.
However, it is currently parked in the 11th Street Chinatown Community Park just south of Vine Street. Continue reading…
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
• The President’s House Site at Independence National Historic Park joins 11 other sites dedicated to inclusive U.S. history that are on the 2026 “Most Endangered Places” list from the National Trust. [Hidden City]
• Philly lawmakers are pushing to reduce wait times for renters fighting unfair landlords, retaliatory evictions. [WHYY]
• With Philly’s budget vote looming, Airbnb launches an ad campaign against proposed tax hike on short-term rentals. [PhillyVoice]
• Colin Kaepernick hopes to spark Philly students’ creative storytelling with AI. The activist and former NFL quarterback’s Lumi app is part of the school district’s five-year plan to improve literacy. [Billy Penn]
• The Council for Relationships in Philly avoids closure to continue 94-year legacy of therapy and counseling services. [WHYY]
• Temple’s top public safety officer is stepping down. [NBC10]
• Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026, a Philly man hunts for beers from all 48 countries. [CBS3]
MAYOR WATCH
Mayor Parker has no public events scheduled for Thursday.
BILLY PENN GUIDES
🛝 Kid-friendly summer guide
☕ Philly coffee guide
🚶🏽♀️ Alt Philly history walking tours guide
🎭 Philly’s comedy scene
🌱 Spring in Philly guide
🎤 Philly Record Store Guide
⚽ Billy Penn’s FIFA World Cup Guide
🛍️ Thrifty in Philly guide
📚 Book lovers’ guide to Philly
🍹 Non-alcoholic Philly
😋 Dining in Philly
🏃🏽 Philly Runners Guide
ON THE CALENDAR
🗓️ For the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar, visit BillyPenn.com!
The 11th annual Sketch Comedy Film Festival (Thursday)
+ a statewide initiative to collect stories from Black Pennsylvanians (Saturday)
+ Roxborough Spring Fest (Saturday)
+ a tasty focaccia pop-up (Saturday)
and more!
