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On May 9, 1970, a bouncing baby boy came into this world to bring joy to his parents, Rev. Dr. Robert Collier Sr. and Rev. Dr. Maxcine Selby Collier. Affectionately known as “Bobby,” he was the elder of two children that his parents were blessed with from the Lord. He enjoyed a close relationship with…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Valerie Martinez at the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, which has implemented some of the strictest policies for protecting victims of domestic violence anywhere in the country.PHOTO: Annie Flanagan for The Trace Police officer Valerie Martinez put her small department at the vanguard. Her inventive policies are spreading. This article is a reprint from…

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ABOVE PHOTO: HARRISBURG, Pa. — A proposal to ban the purchase, sale, and production of untraceable gun parts passed the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives last Wednesday, with Democrats in the House using their majority to propel gun control after years of stagnation in a divided state government. ASSOCIATED PRESS The legislation passed the House…

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ABOVE PHOTO: State Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, stands of the floor of Pennsylvania House of Representatives at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Thursday, June 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) By Marc LevyASSOCIATED PRESS HARRISBURG, Pa. — Republican state lawmakers are pushing Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration to do more to investigate the deaths of older…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Department of Prisons Commissioner Blanche Carney, right, updates news media outside the Philadelphia Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center Monday, May 8, 2023, on the recent escape of two prisoners as Mayor Jim Kenney is in rear, and Xavier Beaufort, left, Deputy Prisons Commissioner holds photos of the two escapees. Ameen Hurst, 18, and Nasir…

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Through the City Commissioner’s new satellite offices, Philadelphia’s voters will be able to get everything they need to exercise their franchise without having to leave their neighborhoods. By Denise Clay-Murray Next month, Pennsylvanians will head to the polls to cast their ballots in the April 23 primary election. Because voter turnout in Philadelphia often determines…

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Salima Suswell views politics from a local, national, and international level, and thinks you should too. By Denise Clay-Murray From the streets of our nation’s capital to Philadelphia’s City Hall, the conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to protests that have bled into the 2024 presidential election. For example, members of the Muslim community…

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Thanks to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, a rule of Philadelphia City Council that’s hardly used got used on Thursday. By Denise Clay-Murray I write a lot about public comment because I think it’s one of the most interesting and important parts of any Philadelphia City Council meeting. While the councilmembers themselves are the…

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ABOVE PHOTO: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge (second from right) and White House Domestic Adviser Susan Rice (third from right) came to Philly on October 26, 2022 to tour several PHA sites and to meet residents impacted by the community transformations. Asia Coney, a resident leader, community activist and PHA…

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One (ambitious) Philly budgetMayor Cherelle Parker unveiled her Fiscal Year 2025 budget, and it has a little — or a big — something for everyone. ABOVE PHOTO: Councilmember Isaiah Thomas (l) and Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson (r) flank Mayor Cherelle Parker (c) as she becomes the first woman to give the Mayor’s budget…

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