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.

tanenbaum@phillyvoice.com

January 11, 2023

Transportation

Computer failure delays flights nationwide, including dozens at Philly airport

by Michael Tanenbaum

All domestic flights in the United States, including those from Philadelphia International Airport, resumed Wednesday morning after the FAA halted most air travel due to computer problems overnight with the Notice to Air Missions system. At least 7,000 U.S. flights were delayed and more than 700 were canceled. Dozens scheduled to leave the Philadelphia airport were affected.

January 11, 2023

Investigations

Former corrections officer pleads guilty to beating inmate at Curran-Fromhold; four others could still face charges

by Michael Tanenbaum

A former correctional officer pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from an assault on an inmate during a strip search at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Northeast Philadelphia in October 2020, prosecutors said. Department of Prisons Sgt. Ronald C. Granville, 42, was allegedly among five officers who physically attacked the inmate in his cell, causing injuries to the man's face, ribs and scrotum that required emergency surgery. The officers allegedly falsified documents related to the incident, prosecutors said. The investigation remains ongoing.

January 10, 2023

Food & Drink

For Eagles playoff run, Dietz & Watson truck will give out free 'Bird Dogs' in green buns

by Michael Tanenbaum

Dietz & Watson and the Philadelphia Eagles have teamed up on a new "Bird Dogs" promotion that will bring free hot dogs and other gear to various locations in the city during the team's playoff run over the coming weeks. The truck has stops planned in University City, at the Comcast Center and at an Acme in South Philly. Bird Dogs are beef franks served on green, food dye-colored buns and topped with diced long hots, provolone and crunchy onions, with a spicy cheddar option for fans who want something different.

January 10, 2023

Transportation

MLK Drive Bridge repairs, to start in February, will close span until 2025

by Michael Tanenbaum

The Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Bridge is expected to close in February for a long-planned rehabilitation project that will shut the span down for all users until summer 2025. MLK Drive will be closed to everyone from the bridge to Sweetbriar Drive. The Schuylkill River Trail underpass also will be closed. When the bridge reopens, it will be wider and more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly.

January 10, 2023

Development

Chinatown neighborhood groups form coalition to oppose Sixers' Center City arena plans

by Michael Tanenbaum

The Chinatown Coalition to Oppose the Arena formed on Monday with 41 organizations joining against the Philadelphia 76ers plan to construct a new arena in Center City. The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national law firm, is among the groups that met Monday to plan a coordinated effort to shoot down the $1.3 billion proposal for a site on Market Street between 10th and 11th streets at the existing Fashion District Philadelphia mall.

January 10, 2023

Investigations

Hundreds of tips received, but no trace of missing mom from Montgomery County, D.A. says

by Michael Tanenbaum

Jennifer Brown, the 43-year-old Limerick Township mother reported missing last week, still has not been found despite hundreds of tips submitted by the public, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said. Brown was last seen by a friend and business associate on Jan. 3. The next day, she didn't show up to pick up her son at his bus stop. Her car was found outside her home with her keys, wallet and work cellphone. The investigation remains active and ongoing, District Attorney Kevin Steele said Wednesday.

January 9, 2023

Education

Meek Mill, Kevin Hart, Michael Rubin to donate another $7 million to Philly private and parochial schools

by Michael Tanenbaum

Comedian Kevin Hart, rapper Meek Mill and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin will donate $7 million in scholarship funds to support low-income students at 60 private and parochial schools in the Philadelphia area, primarily in North Philly and South Philly. The funds also will provide at-home technology such as laptops, tablets and WiFi connections. The donation does not support students in the School District of Philadelphia, which continues to face longstanding funding challenges.

January 9, 2023

Fitness

Broad Street Run moves to April in 2023, with more runners welcome

by Michael Tanenbaum

The Blue Cross Broad Street Run will be held Sunday, April 30, 2023, with a start time of 8 a.m. Registration for the Broad Street Run, the largest 10-mile race in the United States, will open on Feb. 1 and close on Feb. 15. This year's event will conclude at Lincoln Financial Field instead of the Navy Yard. With COVID-19 protocols relaxed, it will revert to 40,000 runners and allow spectators to cheer. No vaccine confirmations or masks will be required.

January 6, 2023

Food & Drink

Memphis Taproom, the Olde Richmond pub once visited by Guy Fieri, to close

by Michael Tanenbaum

Memphis Taproom, a longtime restaurant and beer garden in the Olde Richmond section of Philadelphia's River Wards, will close at the end of January. The gastropub, which once was featured on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," will be sold to people who plan to open another business at its location on Memphis and Cumberland streets. The owners cited the difficulties of maintaining an independent restaurant as the reason for the pending closure.

January 6, 2023

Celebrities

'Stranger Things' star Noah Schnapp comes out as gay

by Michael Tanenbaum

Noah Schnapp, the 18-year-old actor who plays Will Byers on Netflix's hit series "Stranger Things," came out as gay in a video he shared Thursday on TikTok. Schnapp's character on the show was revealed to be gay during season four, which was released last summer. Schnapp is a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania and a native of New York. "I guess I’m more similar to Will than I thought," Schnapp captioned the TikTok.