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

October 25, 2022

2022 Election

How to watch the Fetterman-Oz debate in the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race

by Michael Tanenbaum

Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate candidates, Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz, will hold their lone debate at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25. The event will be broadcast in the Philadelphia area on PHL17 and Newsnation. It also will be streamed on the PHL17 website and online via other news stations carrying the broadcast. The debate will feature closed captions to accommodate Fetterman, who is recovering from a stroke suffered in May.

October 21, 2022

2022 Election

Mehmet Oz vies for broad Republican appeal in Pennsylvania race for U.S. Senate

by Michael Tanenbaum

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz is seeking to earn votes from a broad base of GOP voters in Pennsylvania in a closely watched race against Democrat John Fetterman. The heart surgeon and former TV host was endorsed by former President Donald Trump during the Republican primary season, but finds himself in a tight race that could depend heavily on moderate and independent voters in Pennsylvania.

October 20, 2022

Investigations

During Kensington drug bust, police seize ATVs and animals used for fighting

by Michael Tanenbaum

Philadelphia seized drugs, guns, illegal ATVs and dirt bikes, and 98 animals suspected to be used for fighting during a raid along the 3100 block of Weymouth Street in Kensington on Thursday, Oct. 20. The animals were turned over to the PSPCA. They included 89 chickens and hens, eight dogs and a bearded dragon lizard. It's not clear whether any arrests were made and what kind of drugs were seized.

October 20, 2022

Investigations

Pennsylvania prisoner charged with threatening to kill President Biden, U.S. Congressman

by Michael Tanenbaum

Robert Maverick Vargo, 25, of Berwick, Pennsylvania, allegedly sent a letter to the office of U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson, the chair of the House Select Committee on the Jan. 6 Attack, that included threats against President Joe Biden. Vargo is an inmate at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in Wilkes-Barre. The letter contained a white power that U.S. Capitol Police determined was not anthrax, despite Vargo's alleged references to the biological agent in his letter.

October 20, 2022

Real Estate

Main Line mansion that cost $35 million to build sells for $9.26 million

by Michael Tanenbaum

A 32-acre estate with a mansion in Gladwyne, a town on suburban Philadelphia's high-end Main Line, recently sold for $9.26 million. The property at 100 Maplehill Road was developed by Andrew Barroway, the managing partner of hedge fund Merion Investment Management and a minority owner of the NHL's Arizona Coyotes. Barroway bought the land for $12 million in 2006 and spent another $23 million to construct the 13,000-square-foot mansion.

October 19, 2022

2022 Election

John Fetterman leans into his unconventional flare in run for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania

by Michael Tanenbaum

John Fetterman, a Democrat, is running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania against Republican Mehmet Oz, the retired heart surgeon and former TV doctor. Fetterman's campaign has focused on appealing to working class voters in Pennsylvania, with a commitment to organized labor, lowering health care costs and protection access to abortions. Fetterman suffered a stroke before his Democratic primary victory, but has been recovering for months while campaigning for office.

October 19, 2022

Investigations

Body camera footage shows detective from N.J. Attorney General's Office being arrested at North Wildwood bar

by Michael Tanenbaum

Danielle Oliveira, a sergeant with the New Jersey Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, was arrested in North Wildwood last month for allegedly attempting to return to Kennan's Irish Pub multiple times after she had been asked to leave the Jersey Shore bar. Body-worn camera footage shows portions of her interaction with police on the night of Sept. 24.

October 19, 2022

Crime

Bucks County property connected to notorious 2017 murders listed for sale

by Michael Tanenbaum

A Solebury Township home connected to the 2017 murders of four young men has been listed for sale at a price of $700,000. The homicide investigation drew national attention as investigators searched for the missing victims, who had been killed and buried on a nearby farm. Cosmo DiNardo, whose parents owned the two properties, confessed to the murders and is serving life in prison. His cousin, Sean Kratz, was convicted for his role in three of the murders.

October 18, 2022

Social Media

Padres fans win prize for most cringeworthy hype video ahead of playoff series with Phillies

by Michael Tanenbaum

The Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres face off Tuesday night at Petco Park for Game 1 of the NLCS. Ahead of the game, a group of Padres fans made a hilariously bad song that they performed on "Good Morning San Diego." The Phillies and Padres faced improbable playoff odds, but now each have a chance to punch a ticket to the World Series.

October 18, 2022

Food & Drink

Yuengling will soon sell beer in three more states as expansion across U.S. continues

by Michael Tanenbaum

Yuengling is expanding its beer to Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma as part of its partnership with Molson Coors Beer Companies. With the latest expansion, the historic Pennsylvania-based brewery's footprint will soon be at 26 states. Yuengling's Traditional Lager, Light Lager, Golden Pilsner and Flight beers are expected to be available in the new states early in 2023.