Your Daily Guide

The DSA Progressive Shifting Gears Inside Philly’s Democratic Machine

Philly’s progressive movement recently earned significant wins with State Rep. Chris Rabb’s nomination for U.S. Congress and victories for Democratic committee positions in six wards that had been controlled by the party’s establishment. Now Lauren Rinaldi, a Democratic Socialists of America member, is moving the needle further as Bob Brady’s third-in-command in the city’s Democratic Party. [🎧 City Cast Philly]

Historic Peco Strike Ends

A tentative agreement was reached between IBEW Local 614 and the energy company on Tuesday. The deal includes pay raises, 24-hour notice for mandatory overtime shifts for call center employees, and an increase in compensation for temporarily working in a higher-paying role. [WHYY]

Northeast Philly Mosque Damaged in ‘Apparent Arson’

A masked individual set fire to the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center on Sunday. No one was hurt, but there is significant damage to the worship site. CAIR-Philadelphia is offering a $2,500 award for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator, and is asking officials to investigate whether it was a hate crime. [NBC10]

District Attorney’s Office Stuck in Standoff Between Unions, Krasner

Lower-level employees are seeking raises and an improved workplace culture at the D.A.’s Office, but progress has been rocky as two local unions vie to represent them. Krasner, employees allege, has stymied their efforts. [🔒 The Inquirer]

PPD Identifies Officer in Fatal Police Shooting

Officer Azieme Lindsey is on administrative leave as the department investigates the fatal shooting of Joseph Smithers. Police responded to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children last week after receiving reports of a person with a weapon. A family member said Smithers was suicidal and experiencing a mental health crisis. [6ABC]

Where Is the State Budget?

We’re getting déjà-vu. Pennsylvania’s annual budget is once again late after lawmakers failed to pass anything by July 1. Republicans said that the weeks of talks gave them “necessary clarity on many outstanding issues,” but apparently that wasn’t enough to strike a deal before sending electeds off to vacation for the Independence Day weekend. The blaming is back, with Democratic House Speaker Joanna McClinton saying her Republican counterparts are “not finishing the job we’re all charged to do.” [Spotlight PA]

• Waiting Game: Republican Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman told caucus members to expect to come back “no sooner than Thursday” and that completing the budget would take at least three sessions. [Stephen Caruso via X]
• More Closed-Door Meetings: Those sessions will be hidden from us, as meetings in the Senate Rules Committee conference rooms are last-minute “off the floor” gatherings, unlike the livestreamed House committee meetings. Lawmakers and advocates are pushing for more transparency. [City and State PA]
• Vulnerable Communities at Risk: Services supporting homeless, disabled, and elderly Pennsylvanians that rely on state grants could be at risk of scaling back services. Last year’s three-month-long delay forced service providers to make tough calls with limited funding. [WHYY, 🎧City Cast Philly]
• New Revenue Stream Could Come With New Issues: Taxing “skill games” has been proposed as a potential way to bring in new revenue. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently ruled that the devices are considered slot machines and subject to the state’s gambling laws. But lawmakers are stalling on regulation, and the ruling could inadvertently impact arcade games like pinball and claw machines. [🎧City Cast Philly, Pennsylvania Capital-Star]
• Could Aliens Pass the Budget Faster? While we wait for state lawmakers to finally negotiate, our elected officials are busy discussing other matters. The House Communications and Technology Committee gathered on the day of the budget deadline to talk about extraterrestrials and how to track and investigate UFO sightings. And if you think that’s not relevant to our city, Philly has reported the most sightings in the state. [Penn Live, WPXI]
• Other Money Talk: The budget isn’t the only thing that’s been held up. The Senate failed to raise the hourly minimum wage to $15, keeping Pennsylvania stuck at $7.25 per hour, the same as it’s been since 2006. [CBS Pittsburgh]