A new analysis by the online real estate brokerage company Redfin found buying a home is slightly cheaper than renting in four U.S. metro areas: Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland and Houston. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Michaelle Bond, residential real estate reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, about the pros and cons of buying or renting a home in Philly. 

Read Michaelle’s full story here. 

First time home buyers can check out the the Philly First Home Program. 

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It’s the Friday news roundup! Host Trenae Nuri is joined by City Cast Philly arts & culture contributor, Charles Tyson, Jr., and PhillyVoice staff writer Maggie Mancini. They discuss Philly Pride festivities, Temple University’s new public safety plan, and a free sunscreen program now at Pennsylvania's state parks.

Our Friday news roundups are powered by great local journalism: 

Temple University should include North Philly community in its new safety plan, proposed City Council resolution says

Philly Pride, a contentious event in recent years, is scheduled for June 4, 2023

Philly Pride March and Festival: Here's the parade route, road closures and other event details

Odunde Festival 

Philly Pride 365

Galaei.

The Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade and Festival

To prevent skin cancer, free sunscreen is available at 46 Pennsylvania state parks this summer

When all the campaign signs in Philly will come down

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One more thing... We’re doing a survey to learn more about our listeners, so we can make City Cast Philly an even better show. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey. You’ll be doing us a big favor, so anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card. Thanks so much!

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Six school buildings have closed due to asbestos this year, and the School District of Philadelphia is scrambling to inspect more before the next school year. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Dale Mezzacappa, senior reporter at Chalkbeat Philadelphia, about what the risk is for students and staff, and why this keeps happening in Philly.

Read more of Dale’s reporting here. 

And, please take our audience survey! It's at citycast.fm/survey, and only takes about five minutes to complete. You’ll be doing us a big favor, so everyone who finishes it will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card! Thank you for helping us grow.

Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter.

We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Follow us @citycastphilly.

Have a question or just want to share some thoughts with the team? Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at 215-259-8170.

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SEPTA is updating the Key system. Those are the electronic “smart cards” that replaced tokens and paper passes. But, that initial rollout took years and ran into tons of problems along the way. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Jordan Levy, general assignment reporter for Billy Penn, about what we can learn from past transit mistakes and what riders want.

Read Jordan’s full story here. 

And, please take our audience survey! It's at citycast.fm/survey, and takes about five minutes to complete. You’ll be doing us a big favor, so everyone who finishes it will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card! Thank you for helping us grow.

Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter.

We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Follow us @citycastphilly.

Have a question or just want to share some thoughts with the team? Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at 215-259-8170.

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If you grew up in Philly, you probably took a field trip to the Liberty Bell, City Hall or even the Betsy Ross house. This is American history that gets talked about a lot. But there are other important local figures you may have never heard about. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Samip Mallick, executive director of South Asian American Digital Archive, about how he documents and shares the stories of South Asian Americans who lived in Philly and changed the world. 

To learn more about the "Revolution Remix" walking tours, visit: https://www.saada.org/walkingtour

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It’s the Friday news roundup! Host Trenae Nuri is joined by Ali Mohsen, food and drink reporter at Billy Penn, and Sophia Schmidt, environment reporter at WHYY.

They discuss how the city is trying to clean up dirty air from factories, how to cool off at Philly’s 90 sprinkler parks, and where to eat this Memorial Day weekend.

Our Friday news roundups are powered by great local journalism: 

Philadelphia changed how it regulates toxic air pollution. Here are 3 things to know

90 spraygrounds open this weekend to keep Philadelphians cool

Top picks for Memorial Day weekend food and fun if you’re staying in Philly

Want some more Philly news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Philly

We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! You can find us at @citycastphilly 

Have a question or just want to share some thoughts with the team? Leave us a voicemail at 215-259-8170. 

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What do the Grays Ferry, Fairmount, and Tioga neighborhoods have in common? Taney Street, named for the author of one of the most racist U.S. Supreme Court decisions in history. Neighbors have voted to rename the street after Caroline LeCount, known as “Philly’s Rosa Parks,” for her work to integrate streetcars here in the 1860s. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Samaya Brown, a member of the Rename Taney Coalition, about the years-long fight to get the street renamed, and what's holding up the change. This episode originally aired February 6th. 

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Philly has more than 4,000 murals, and claims the title “Mural Capital of the World.” But these public art pieces are being destroyed without warning, whether it’s South Philly’s famous Isaiah Zagar mosaics or murals representing the communities they’re located in. Lead producer Laura Benshoff talks with muralist, Shira Walinsky, and Streets Dept lead contributor, Eric Dale, about why this is happening more frequently and ways Philly could change the conversation around mural ownership.

To support the work Streets Dept does, donate to patreon.com/streetsdept. To find some of Shira Walinsky’s more recent work, there’s an event on June 10 to launch a new partnership between Mural Arts, SEPTA, and local parks.

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It’s prime time to eat outdoors! During the pandemic, more than 800 Philly restaurants set up spaces to serve guests outside. Now, it’s a little harder to find a place to enjoy a meal in the sunshine. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Ben Fileccia from the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association about how city regulations closed down many of these dining patios. Plus, he shares tons of recommendations for where you can still eat and drink outside this summer.

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The remains of 50 unhoused Philadelphians will be laid to rest at Mount Peace Cemetery in North Philadelphia on Tuesday, May 23rd. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Michele Wexler, program manager of homeless services at the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, and Quibila Divine, Chief Program Officer at SELF, Inc, about providing dignity for the remains of citizens who may been neglected during their lifetimes.

Donate to the Lester Ross Memorial Fund here. 

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Have a question or just want to share some thoughts with the team? Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at 215-259-8170.

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