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

May 26, 2022

Media

6ABC reporter Dann Cuellar to retire from Action News after 34 years

by Michael Tanenbaum

Longtime Action News reporter Dann Cuellar is retiring from 6ABC after 34 years at the Philadelphia news station. Cuellar is the latest big name at 6ABC to announce his departure from the region's most-watched TV news station, including anchor Jim Gardner, who will retire at the end of 2022. Cuellar plans to travel and hopes to teach journalism at a local university.

May 25, 2022

Investigations

Body found at auto shop owned by missing Delaware County man

by Michael Tanenbaum

George Hughes, 57, was reported missing by his family on May 16. Hughes is the owner of Broomall Auto Body, where authorities in Marple Township reported the discovery of a dead body on the property on Wednesday. An autopsy has been scheduled to confirm the identify of the victim. Hughes' family said he had been struggling prior to his disappearance, which prompted a community volunteer search on Sunday.

May 25, 2022

Investigations

Off-duty Philly police officer killed in motorcycle crash on Broad Street

by Michael Tanenbaum

Philadelphia police officer Thomas Munz Jr., 27, was killed in a motorcycle crash along Broad Street in South Philadelphia on Tuesday evening. Munz was off-duty at the time of the crash. Munz was one of two PPD officers involved in the fatal shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. in West Philadelphia in Oct. 2020, an incident that garnered national attention and led to widespread protests in Philadelphia.

May 25, 2022

Investigations

Teen charged with stabbing student at Coatesville Area Senior High School

by Michael Tanenbaum

A student at Coatesville Area Senior High School was stabbed nine times during a fight with another student Tuesday morning, prompting the school to be dismissed. Police in Caln Township have arrested 16-year-old Oddell Cannon, who allegedly stabbed 16-year-old Micky Rayner Jr. Rayner was taken to Paoli Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the Chester County District Attorney's Office said.

May 25, 2022

2022 Election

Oz, McCormick go to automatic recount in Pa. Republican primary for U.S. Senate

by Michael Tanenbaum

Pennsylvania's Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate will go to an automatic recount between Mehmet Oz and David McCormick, who were separated by less than 0.5% of the vote. Oz holds a lead in the unofficial results. The outcome of the election may not be known until June 8, the date set for the state department to certify result from the recount. A legal battle over undated mail-in and absentee ballots could be a decisive factor.

May 25, 2022

Business

Insomnia Cookies moving HQ to former Super Walgreen's in Center City

by Michael Tanenbaum

Insomnia Cookies will relocate its headquarters to the building formerly occupied by Walgreens at the corner of Broad and Chestnut streets in Center City, the company announced. The new spaces will include offices, a test kitchen and a ground floor retail storefront. Insomnia Cookies was founded in Philadelphia in 2003 by then-University of Pennsylvania student Seth Berkowitz, whose concept has since expanded to 200 locations in the United States.

May 24, 2022

Food & Drink

Ocean City's iconic pink Chatterbox restaurant purchased by owners of Philly's Green Eggs Café

by Michael Tanenbaum

The Chatterbox restaurant, at Ninth Street and Central Avenue in Ocean City, New Jersey, has been purchased by the owners of Green Eggs Cafe, the Philadelphia restaurants know for their brunches. The Chatterbox's pink building was constructed in 1937 and designed by architect Vivian Smith, an Ocean City native who also designed City Hall, the historic Flanders Hotel and the Music Pier on the Boardwalk. Details about plans for the space have yet to be announced.

May 24, 2022

Food & Drink

Wildwood boardwalk's vintage Route 66 restaurant listed for sale

by Michael Tanenbaum

Route 66 restaurant, a doo-wop style business on the Wildwood boardwalk, has been listed for sale for $180,000. The listing is for the business and the equipment inside only, not the real estate. The owner of the 1950's-themed restaurant is looking to retire and is advertising the pizzeria as a turn key operation for the right buyer. Route 66 is known for its neon signage and Hot Rod car on the roof, along with other fifties memorabilia and decor inside.

May 23, 2022

Crime

Fentanyl seizures surge in Pennsylvania as the synthetic opioid displaces heroin, A.G. report says

by Michael Tanenbaum

Seizures of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl have dramatically increased in Pennsylvania in 2022, further displacing heroin as the dominant illicit substance in the state's drug supply. More fentanyl was seized in Pennsylvania during the first three months of 2022 than during the entirety of last year, according to a new report from the state attorney general's office. Law enforcement and public health officials are especially concerned about the presence of fentanyl in counterfeit prescription drugs, which have led to continued increases in overdoses.

May 23, 2022

Environment

Schuylkill River dredging to resume this summer near Boathouse Row

by Michael Tanenbaum

The dredging of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia will resume in July 2022 with $13 million in funding, including federal infrastructure spending and money from a previous fundraiser for the project. The Schuylkill River is home to some of the region's most high-profile regattas and supports a strong rowing community. Efforts to dredge the waterway during the pandemic ran into complications, but a new contractor has been selected and plans are set to move forward over the summer.