Kristin Hunt

Kristin Hunt is a senior staff writer for PhillyVoice. A history and pop culture junkie, she spends her spare time stalking the Free Library shelves and binge watching TCM. She has previously contributed to Vulture, GQ, Mental Floss, JSTOR Daily, and The Washington Post.

kristin@phillyvoice.com

January 30, 2023

Crime

Attempted arson at North Jersey synagogue underscores statewide pattern of antisemitic violence

by Kristin Hunt

A masked man threw a lit Molotov cocktail at the Temple Ner Tamid synagogue in Bloomfield, New Jersey. on Sunday. Police are searching for the suspect, who was wearing a ski mask in security footage recorded at 3:19 a.m. The attempted arson is part of a wider pattern of antisemitic violence across the state.

January 26, 2023

Development

New Graffiti Pier park plans get boost with $2 million in federal funding

by Kristin Hunt

Graffiti Park, the unofficial street art gallery in Port Richmond, Philadelphia, will be transform into a public space. The project recently received $2 million in funding from the federal omnibus spending bill passed in December.

January 24, 2023

Movies

Where to stream the 2023 Oscar best picture nominees

by Kristin Hunt

The 2023 Oscar nominations were revealed Tuesday, with "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leading the pack. Our streaming guide explains how to watch it and the other best picture nominees: "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," "All Quiet on the Western Front," "The Banshees of Inisherin," "Elvis," "The Fabelmans," "Tár," "Triangle of Sadness" and "Women Talking."

January 23, 2023

Social Justice

How Girl Scouts Beyond Bars supports children with incarcerated mothers

by Kristin Hunt

Girl Scouts Beyond Bars has supported daughters of incarcerated mothers with twice-monthly prison visits and specialized programming since 1992. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania was an early adopter of the program, which seeks to blunt the documented impacts of parental incarceration on children.

January 20, 2023

Donations

The end of AmazonSmile removes a revenue source for many Philly charities

by Kristin Hunt

Amazon is ending its AmazonSmile program, which allowed customers to direct a small cut of their purchases to local or national charities of their choice. Enrolled Philadelphia charities reported mostly negligible amounts from Amazon, or none at all.

January 19, 2023

Wildlife

Marine experts offer explanations why humpback whales are dying at the Jersey Shore

by Kristin Hunt

Humpback whales have been dying with increasing frequency. The remains of five animals have washed ashore in New Jersey since December 2022. NOAA and BOEM scientists say the deaths are not linked to offshore wind power projects from Ørsted, which is conducting soil tests ahead of its planned construction.

January 17, 2023

Streaming

How to use Kanopy, the streaming service that comes with your Free Library card

by Kristin Hunt

Kanopy, a streaming service, is now available with a Free Library of Philadelphia card. Documentaries, classic and international films and children's shows like Sesame Street are available on the platform. The app previously was offered as a perk to cardholders between 2017 and 2021 but was cut due to budget concerns.

January 17, 2023

Books

Over 175 years ago, an enslaved couple escaped to Philadelphia through a daring disguise

by Kristin Hunt

Ilyon Woo's new book, "Master Slave Husband Wife," tells the story of William and Ellen Craft, an enslaved couple that fled Macon, Georgia and traveled all the way to freedom in Philadelphia. The Crafts made their journey on public trains, with Ellen disguised as a rich, white man afflicted with rheumatism.

January 13, 2023

Meet adoptable pups at a Dogs Night Out party at Craft Hall

by Kristin Hunt

Craft Hall is welcoming dog owners to bring their furry friends to a Dogs Night Out party to benefit Saved Me Rescue. Partygoers can also meet adoptable pups from the nonprofit shelter. The event takes place Jan. 27 from 7-10 p.m. People interested in attending are asked to RSVP.

January 13, 2023

Wildlife

'Unusual' whale deaths have been occurring at shore since 2016 – years before work began on N.J.'s wind farms

by Kristin Hunt

A dead humpback whale was found in Brigantine on Jan. 12, the fifth to wash ashore in New Jersey since last month. This prompted activists and politicians to blame New Jersey's offshore wind project, but NOAA has been investigating unusual whale deaths since 2016, years before any work on the wind farms began.