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 7, 2022

Phillies

Phillies hype videos? It's been 11 years, but the Fightin's are back in the playoffs

by Michael Tanenbaum

The Philadelphia Phillies are in the playoffs for the first time since 2011. As the National League's sixth seed, they'll visit the St. Louis Cardinals for a best-of-three National League Wild Card series. The Phillies released a hype video on Friday morning to get fans ready for postseason action.

October 6, 2022

Transportation

Traffic deaths fell in Philly last year, but crashes and serious injuries rose, Vision Zero report shows

by Michael Tanenbaum

Philadelphia recorded fewer traffic deaths last year, but the number of crashes and serious injuries increased from 2021, according to the latest annual Vision Zero report. In 2017, Philly made a Vision Zero commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities. The city has focused on roadway improvements, expanded bike infrastructure and efforts to reduce speeding on dangerous corridors.

October 6, 2022

Investigations

Chester County turkey farm among Pennsylvania facilities where some workers are charged with animal abuse

by Michael Tanenbaum

Eleven former employees of farms in central and southeastern Pennsylvania, including facilities in Chester County, have been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly kicking, throwing and stomping on turkeys at facilities owned by Plainville Farms, a regional supplier for grocery stores. The alleged abuses was exposed by PETA, which sent an undercover investigator to film at Chester County farms in West Sadsbury and West Fallowfield.

October 6, 2022

Government

Philadelphia apologizes for 'deplorable' history of medical experiments on Holmesburg Prison inmates

by Michael Tanenbaum

The city of Philadelphia apologized on Thursday for the history of medical experiments done on inmates at Holmesburg Prison from 1951-1974. The experiments were led by University of Pennsylvania dermatology professor Albert Kligman who saw the predominantly Black prison population as a low-risk and plentiful pool of test subjects for a range of chemical compounds.

October 5, 2022

Investigations

Warrant issued for 16-year-old in connection with Roxborough High School shooting

by Michael Tanenbaum

Dayron Burney-Thorne, 16, is sought for murder and related offenses for the shootings that killed Roxborough High School football player Nicholas Elizalde after practice on Tuesday, Sept. 27. Investigators are looking for five shooters and sixth person who was the getaway driver.

October 5, 2022

Investigations

Police release photos of three more suspects in Roxborough High School shootings

by Michael Tanenbaum

Video and photos of three of the six suspects wanted in connected with the Sept. 27 shooting outside Roxborough High School were released by Philadelphia police on Wednesday. Nicholas Elizalde, 14, was killed by the gunfire and four other teens were injured. An arrest warrant has been issued for 16-year-old Dayron Burney-Thorne. The three masked suspects shown at a gas station in the new surveillance video have not been identified.

October 5, 2022

Children's Health

Tylenol use during pregnancy may contribute to sleep, memory problems in preschoolers

by Michael Tanenbaum

Tylenol use during pregnancy may be associated with later behavioral problems in children, such as sleep disturbance and ADHD, according to researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. The study adds to a growing consensus that women should use acetaminophen more sparingly during pregnancy.

October 5, 2022

Investigations

Trenton woman busted with 15,000 'rainbow fentanyl' pills concealed in LEGO box, DEA says

by Michael Tanenbaum

A Trenton woman was arrested in New York with 15,000 candy-colored "rainbow fentanyl" pills that she had hidden in packages inside a LEGO box, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said. The drugs were designed to mimic the appearance of 30 mg oxycodone pills, a much weaker opioid. Rainbow fentanyl has become a growing share of the drug supply brought to the U.S. by Mexican cartels. The colorful pills have fueled fears of accidental ingestion among children or increased interest among inexperienced drug users looking to experiment. Fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, has been linked to a major spike in fatal overdoses in the U.S.

October 4, 2022

Development

Philadelphia Union to build $55 million sports and recreation complex along Chester waterfront

by Michael Tanenbaum

The Philadelphia Union plan to construct the $55 million WSFS Sportsplex along the Delaware River waterfront in Chester, covering a 32-acre space between Subaru Park and the Union Power Plant office building. The project will include both indoor and outdoor facilities that will be available for use by community groups and youth organizations, including the Philadelphia Union Academy and the YSC Academy.

October 4, 2022

Courts

Johnny Bobbitt, homeless man at center of $400,000 GoFundMe scam, sentenced to probation

by Michael Tanenbaum

Johnny Bobbitt, the homeless Philadelphia man at the center of a fraudulent GoFundMe scheme that raised $400,000, was sentenced Monday to three years of probation, federal prosecutors in New Jersey announced. Bobbitt pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in the scheme, alongside Kaitlyn McClure and Mark D'Amico. The trio's "Paying It Forward" crowdfunding campaign in November 2017 used a fake story about Bobbitt giving McClure his last $20 after she ran out of gas on the shoulder of I-95 in Philadelphia.