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January 15, 2025

Billionaires Dunk on Mayor & Council in Sixers Arena Deal

City Cast Philly

Billionaires Dunk on Mayor & Council in Sixers Arena Deal

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In our weekly politics episode, host Trenae Nuri talks with Ernest Owens, political writer for Philadelphia Magazine, who was the first reporter to break the news that the Sixers shockingly scrapped a plan to build an arena downtown next to Chinatown. They discuss what this says about who’s in control of the city – billionaires, not elected officials – and the political implications of it all.

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