CitizenCast

This special episode of How To Really Run a City was recorded live at The Philadelphia Citizen's eighth annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival presented by Comcast NBCUniversal. Our hosts were joined on stage by a return guest, five-term Rochester Hills, Michigan Mayor Bryan Barnett, a Republican. Barnett is a consummate showman, as evidenced by his increasingly elaborate State of the City addresses (full-scale musical productions). Here, Barnett and the hosts discuss the importance of leading a city with joy and finesse, and how the Democratic party is fumbling the ball — in messaging and in the recent government shutdown. As Mayor Barnett points out, there really is no Republican or Democrat way to fill a pothole. You just fill the pothole. "The moment you put your foot on the sidewalk," Nutter responded, "people are looking to see how's the mayor doing? Is the city upbeat? Is it grumpy? There's a public impact to this job." Join us as we dive back into Rochester Hills with Mayor Barnett and explore how to really run a city with style and good humor. As cities go, so goes the nation!

It's hard to serve others these days. That's why the United Way's Bill Golderer, along with former Big Brothers CEO Marcus Allen, is giving thanks this week to Philly's nonprofit leaders.

"This is, in a sentence, the authoritarian mindset," Ali Velshi says, addressing inflammatory statements made by Trump that critical members of Congress should be arrested, tried, and even executed. 

The Citizen bought storied Philadelphia magazine. Here's why.

... and the world. There's been a lot of talk about why Michelin would be bad for Philly's food scene. But it's not the existential threat you think it is. 

The Philly fave band will be back at Johnny Brenda's in December for a three-night-only fundraiser to benefit Philly schools. "It seems like a no-brainer to support educating our youth," says frontman Adam Granduciel.  Visit this story on the web for ticket information.

New York's Mayor-elect proved that affordability is a top priority for voters. Can American cities make rents lower and also build more housing?

"Housing isn't unaffordable because of low supply and high demand, it's unaffordable by design." Ali Velshi breaks down the real causes of the housing crisis.

On this episode of CitizenCast, we're bringing you an episode of The Signal, a podcast about insight, solutions and sanity produced by The Bucks County Beacon. The Citizen's own Malcolm Burnley joins host Cyril Mychalejko to discuss the Blue Wave that washed away so many Republican officeholders in Bucks County on Election Day, and what this may signal for the midterms in 2026.

A local politician lays out the reasons why it might be the right time to reconsider an old argument

Trailblazer Elaine McGuire is leading the charge to attract and train more electricians like her: Black women.  

Last week at the Weitzman Museum of Jewish History, the former Penn president and US Ambassador to Germany reminded us what it takes to repair the breach in our country today.

... especially when they tell you that you can't. Ali Velshi reflects on the importance of civic engagement, even when the chances of success are slim.

The Art Museum sacking of Sasha Suda is the latest story to raise questions about nonprofit governance in Philly

Caryn Kunkle lives in a "micro-museum" on South Broad. Legendary photographer and chef, Big Rube, caught up with this born-and-bred Philly gal who works behind the scenes to help our local art scene thrive.

Terrill Haigler, aka Ya Fav Trashman, has given North Philly residents new and easy places to put their litter. Sometimes it's the little things that make all the difference.  

On this episode of Citizen WURD, Jason Ray joins James Peterson on the show. Ray is President and CIO of Zenith Wealth Partners, who founded his company "on the vision of creating a society where race and gender don't predetermine wealth." 

"The day that the federal courts of the United States of America acquiesce to the rewriting of truth, is the day America falls." Ali Velshi explains.

Can a challenger in a Bucks County's election have the formula for how Democrats can win on public safety?

"I don't care if you live in urban America or rural America, everyone wants the same thing," Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said on the latest episode of How To Really Run A City. "They want a job they can get to in 15 minutes, they want a hospital or pharmacy within 15 minutes, they want a park or a grocery store or bars or restaurants, all within 15 minutes." Bibb went on to explain to our hosts, former Philly mayor Michael Nutter and former Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed, how he is turning his Ohio city into a convenient, accessible, bona fide 15-minute city — and what is needed to sustain that work. "People really want walkability," Bibb said. "They want safety and thriving neighborhoods and overall thriving cities. But we as mayors can't do this by ourselves. We need a federal government that's actually working. It has to be working with our governors and mayors." Bibb, a charismatic 38-year-old (and cousin to the first Black primetime newscaster in Ohio), will almost certainly be reelected next week, and both Reed and Nutter quickly picked up on his "get sh*t done" vibe. "A mayor is a reflection of their city," Reed said, "how it feels and how it will be there [for its people]."  Join us for an episode about a mayor who is laser-focused on making the lives of his constituents better in ways that anyone taking a stroll to the park can feel. As cities go, so goes the nation!