Michael Tanenbaum
Michael Tanenbaum is a senior staff writer for PhillyVoice.com, with interests ranging from technology and behavioral health to local community initiatives and cultural life. Michael has written for the Argentina Independent and Bespoke Magazine and previously served as a news editor for Xfinity.com before joining PhillyVoice. He received his B.A. in The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University.
December 13, 2023
Labor
SEPTA transit police go on strike as contract negotiations stall
SEPTA's transit police union voted Wednesday to go on strike after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract ahead of their deadline. The union plans to picket outside SEPTA's headquarters in Center City on Thursday. SEPTA said its contingency plan includes bringing in replacement officers from the Philadelphia Police Department, university police departments and other agencies in the region.December 13, 2023
Opioids
Fentanyl withdrawal is driving more opioid users to leave hospitals early, Penn researchers say
Fentanyl withdrawal is causing an increasing number of opioid users to leave hospitals early against medical advice, according to research by Penn Medicine. The rate of early discharges increased by more than 50% between 2016 and 2020, with patients most often citing withdrawal and pain.December 12, 2023
Investigations
Man charged with shooting 2 Philly police officers in Holmesburg
Dioul Devaughn, 40, has been charged with shooting two police officers in the Holmesburg neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia on Sunday morning. The officers, 31 and 32, are expected to recover from their injuries, and Devaughn was critically injured. The shootout happened after police say they pursued a suspect for a reported shooting in the area of Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard.December 12, 2023
Transportation
Speed limit on Kelly Drive lowered to 25 mph in hopes of reducing crashes
Kelly Drive has a new 25 mph speed limit. Philadelphia officials lowered the top speed from 35 mph as part of a program that is testing lower speed limits on six dangerous corridors. The change does not come with any new speeding enforcement, but officials hope it will encourage drivers to be more safe on the winding road that borders the Schuylkill River.December 12, 2023
Women's Health
Pregnant women who use marijuana face higher risk of birth complications, study finds
Pregnant women who use marijuana face higher risks of birth complications — including low birth weight, preterm birth and stillbirth — and hypertensive disorders, according to a new study on how cannabis affects outcomes for mothers and their babies. As a growing number of states move to legalize medical and recreational marijuana, the study, led by researchers at the University of Utah and published Tuesday in the journal of the American Medical Association, raises new questions about the drug's safety for pregnant women.December 8, 2023
Music
What is the dreidel game Howie Roseman sings about on the new Eagles' Christmas album?
Philadelphia Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman appears on 'Dreidel Song,' a new single from 'A Philly Special Christmas Special.' The song is inspired by the top-spinner game used to celebrate Hanukkah in the Jewish tradition. The game has origins that trace back centuries.December 8, 2023
Courts
Mount Laurel man gets 8 years in prison for racist, viral rant against neighbors
Edward Cagney Mathews, the white Mount Laurel man whose racist tirade against his Black neighbors went viral three summers ago, was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison. Mathews, 47, called his neighbors racist slurs in a July 2021 tirade that was caught on video at the Essex Place Condominiums. Mathews pleaded guilty to charges of bias intimidation in October.December 8, 2023
Development
New 46-acre park planned in Delco at site formerly owned by convent
A 46-acre park will be created in Aston Township, Delaware County on a property sold by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. The land includes woodlands and an open meadow that will be turned into a passive-use park with hiking trails. The property at Red Hill Road and Convent Road was acquired for $1.925 million with support from grants and funds from the township.December 7, 2023
Higher Education
Penn president Liz Magill responds to backlash after tense congressional hearing on antisemitism
University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill released a video message addressing criticism of her congressional testimony at Tuesday's hearing about antisemitism on college campuses. At the hearing, Magill gave indirect answers about whether calls for genocide against Jewish people constitute harassment based on the Ivy League school's policies.December 7, 2023
Investigations
Police investigate pair of knife attacks on Pennypack Trail in Northeast Philly
Philadelphia police are searching for a suspect who allegedly slashed two people with a knife in separate late-November incidents on the Pennypack Trail in Northeast Philadelphia. Authorities said two people reported being attacked by a man wielding a long knife and riding a black BMX-style bike on Nov. 22 and Nov. 24. A third person told investigators she experienced a similar event on Nov. 25.Just In
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