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 13, 2023

Food & Drink

New Louisiana Hot Sauce bottle features Eagles star Jalen Hurts

by Michael Tanenbaum

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has partnered with Louisiana Hot Sauce on a limited-edition, signature bottle. A portion of the proceeds benefit OneMindSet Foundation, an organization established by former University of Oklahoma teammate Chanse Sylvie. Hurts previously professed his love of the brand to GQ, saying people in his native Houston put the sauce on everything.

January 13, 2023

Investigations

Burglars stole $60,000 worth of equipment from East Falls construction site, police say

by Michael Tanenbaum

Two men are wanted for stealing $60,000 worth of equipment and material from a construction site at 4300 Ridge Ave. on New Year's Eve, Philadelphia police said. The suspects were captured on surveillance video from the construction site and from neighboring businesses. Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact Northwest Detectives.

January 13, 2023

Investigations

'Boy in the Box' gets new gravestone after breakthrough in Philly cold case

by Michael Tanenbaum

Joseph Augustus Zarelli, long known as the "Boy in the Box" and "America's Unknown Child," received a new headstone at Ivy Hill Cemetery in Northwest Philadelphia on Friday, marking what would have been the slain boy's 70th birthday. Zarelli's body was found in a cardboard carton in a Fox Chase field in 1957, when he was 4 years old. His identity remained unknown until last month, when police revealed the findings of a new DNA analysis. The case remains unsolved, but the investigation is still active.

January 12, 2023

Media

Al Morganti to remain at SportsRadio 94WIP after inking 5-year contract

by Michael Tanenbaum

SportsRadio 94WIP has reached a five-year contract with Al Morganti, the longtime "Morning Show" crew member. Morganti, who is also a Flyers analyst for NBC Sports Philadelphia, will move to a weekend shift and produce a new Flyers podcast after Angelo Cataldi retires at the end of the Eagles season.

January 12, 2023

Development

34-story high-rise apartment building planned in University City

by Michael Tanenbaum

Landmark Properties will construct a 34-story residential tower in University City at 3615 Chestnut St. near the campuses of the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. The Mark will have 363 fully furnished residential units and a rooftop amenity area. The building is expected to welcome its first residents in the fall of 2026.

January 12, 2023

Investigations

Philly woman freed after mistaken identity landed her in jail on Texas warrant

by Michael Tanenbaum

Julie Hudson, a 31-year-old Ph.D. student in Philadelphia, was released from jail on Thursday after seven nights behind bars due to a case of mistaken identity. Hudson was wrongly identified as a suspect in a robbery in Webster, Texas — outside Houston — last May. A warrant was issued and she was arrested in Philadelphia as a fugitive of justice after she went to local police station to clear her name. The charges against her were dropped after Hudson's family was able to prove that she was in Pennsylvania at the time of the robbery.

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

Food & Drink

Facing public blitz, Chipotle will add Philly cheesesteak quesadilla 'hack' to menu

by Michael Tanenbaum

Chipotle plans to add the viral Philly cheesesteak quesadilla "hack" to its menu after a pair of TikTok food reviewers made the concoction a viral sensation in December. The chain brought in influences Alexis Frost and Keith Lee to make the announcement on social media, saying the popular item will debut in March. The quesadilla hack consists of steak, fajita veggies, cheese and a mix of vinaigrette and sour cream sauces. Since December, some Chipotle employees have complained about the number of orders for the non-menu item and a lack of ingredients to fill those orders.

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

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.