Gun Violence Awareness Month: Philly leaders discuss violence after triple shooting in Tacony
PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia officials are marking Gun Violence Awareness Month in the city as gunshots echo in the Tacony neighborhood overnight, wounding three.
What we know
Police canvassed the 6300 of Torresdale Avenue, handing out information to neighbors who awoke Tuesday to the pop, pop of gunfire.
Gary Jauss has lived on the block for 20 years and raised his daughter here.
"I just heard a lot of gunfire. I was scared I didn't want to come out," he said.
Investigators said it was after 1 a.m. Tuesday when a 21-year-old was behind the wheel of this light-colored sports vehicle when it was struck by a wave of 13 bullets. The driver was hit in the shoulder.
Two other men, 24 and 48 years old, seated together on a porch, were also struck. Police say the 48-year-old is in critical condition.
A resident, fearing retribution for speaking, asked FOX 29 not use his name. "I was shocked I said on Torresdale? I was stunned and lost for words- -to know there's a school right here," he said.
What they're saying
Across the city, on the second floor of City Hall, officials gather to mark the beginning of Gun Violence Awareness Month, in a city where gunplay seems ever-present.
Adam Geer is Philadelphia's Chief Public Safety Director. "There are going to be some bad moments as we move forward as we continue towards this promised day we all want," said Geer.
Pointing to falling homicides, Mayor Parker argues the city is on the right track.
"Whenever we lose a life, it's not just a statistic that's a loved one, that's somebody's child, somebody's loved one, so we can't take our foot off the gas," said Mayor Parker.
Back in Tacony, neighbors gathered in small groups to talk and hope for a summer of peace.
"I just pray it gets better. I just pray for citizens- -hoping everybody makes it home peacefully and crime stops somewhere, somehow," a resident said.
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Chicago Tribune
3 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago ended 2024 with a $161M deficit
Mayor Brandon Johnson's already gaping budget hole will be even tougher to fill heading into next year as City Hall officials on Monday closed the book on the 2024 fiscal year, showing the city's general fund was $161 million underwater. Major sources of revenues in the city's general fund came in far lower than anticipated, most notably a $175 million pension payment that City Hall wanted Chicago Public Schools to pay back but didn't, and a $165 million drop in personal property replacement taxes from the state. In all, general fund revenues in the $16.77 billion budget were $378 million lower than the city expected. Those hits essentially drained the city's 'unassigned fund balance' — a slice of reserves that have helped deflect some big budget hits. The city's overall reserve balance at the end of 2024 stood at more than $1 billion, down from a high of $1.94 billion at the end of 2022 when the city was flush with federal pandemic relief dollars. 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Politico
5 hours ago
- Politico
They tried to squash him. Now they want to be with him.
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Kirsten Gillibrand that Mamdani made 'references to global jihad' on the campaign trail. 'No one should be subjected to any comments that slur their ethnicity, their religious beliefs, and we condemn that anywhere it rears its head in the state of New York,' the governor said today after a reporter asked her to comment on 'the racism [Mamdani] is already facing, including from NY's own Kirsten Gillibrand?' Hochul's response did not name Gillibrand or directly address her comments. Evan Lukaske, a spokesperson for Gillibrand said the senator 'misspoke' when she used the term 'global jihad' during a Thursday interview with WNYC's Brian Lehrer. Lukaske said Gillibrand was intending to reference Mamdani's refusal to condemn the phrase 'Globalize the Intifada.' 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Like any legislative body, the Assembly is a place that values longevity and the likely Democratic mayoral nominee wasn't there long enough to build up many wins beyond several bills. The speaker and the New York City Democratic Socialists of America have had plenty of run-ins in recent years. Heastie's comments today, though, are a signal key Democrats acknowledge the scale of what Mamdani has accomplished — and an indication of what the future might hold. — Nick Reisman DITTO FOR THIS KEY HOUSE MEMBER: Rep. Ritchie Torres was one of Cuomo's first endorsers in Congress — and part of the batch of electeds who backed him this year despite calling for his resignation in 2021. But the Bronx Democrat said today that the former governor doesn't have his support for an independent general election bid. 'My endorsement of the governor only applies to the Democratic primary,' Torres told 'CNN News Central.' Like Heastie and many other Democratic Party leaders, Torres isn't endorsing Mamdani quite yet either. Torres and Mamdani have talked as part of the presumptive Democratic nominee's outreach, the House member said. 'I think we have profound differences of opinion,' said Torres, a fierce defender of Israel, referencing Mamdani's refusal to denounce the phrase 'globalize the intifada.' 'But again, if he becomes mayor — and he's likely to become mayor — the mayor needs the New York City congressional delegation, the New York City congressional delegation needs the mayor. And so, it's in the interest of both sides to have a working relationship.' — Emily Ngo IN OTHER NEWS — MAMDANI SOFTENS STANCE: Mamdani initially supported calls to ban the admissions test for specialized NYC high schools, but has since pledged not to modify it. (POLITICO Pro) — UFT PREZ OUSTS CRITICS: Critics of city teachers union president Michael Mulgrew say they were taken off the payroll. (New York Post) — ASIAN VOTERS PLAYED BIG ROLE: A wave of Asian voters came out to vote for Mamdani, propelling his primary win. (THE CITY) Missed this morning's New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Convicted Councilor Fernandes Anderson attends final meeting before resignation
Editor's note: This story was updated at 4 p.m. on June 25 to add information from Councilor Julia Mejia. Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson attended her final Council meeting while in office on Wednesday before resigning due to her conviction on federal corruption charges. Fernandes Anderson gave a presentation at the beginning of Wednesday's meeting to thank her staff for their work and their support. She said everything they had done while in office was meant to help the residents of her district. 'When we came into District 7, we looked at the work, and we wanted to tie it directly to the data. We wanted the policies to be best practice-informed, and we wanted it to be data-informed,' she said. 'We went to work, we collaborated with universities and [the] community, we created a district council and built partnerships from the ground up, and we listened and allowed people to have power and lead us.' She also recognized that the 'climate got tough' near the end of her time in office, without acknowledging her arrest, and thanked her staff for their professionalism and for keeping their 'head up high.' Fernandes Anderson was arrested in December on charges that she ran a kickback scheme with a family member whom she employed in her City Hall office, using public funds to help with her own financial struggles. She pleaded guilty in May to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft involving federal funds. The councilor, who was first elected in 2021, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29. Earlier this month, Fernandes Anderson said she would be resigning effective July 4. In a letter to her colleagues, she wrote that it had been a 'great honor' to serve on the council. 'I am deeply proud of the work we've established together,' she wrote. 'As I transition into the next chapter, I carry with me an enduring love for this city and a steadfast commitment to its people. I look forward to continuing to serve our community in new and meaningful ways.' The councilor did not let her last meeting pass by without some final efforts to shape the city. The meeting's agenda included 11 resolutions she had filed, including one to support parents' right to bring their infant children to work, one encouraging city and state collaboration to build housing for young adults aging out of Department of Children and Families care and another calling for a 'comprehensive transportation study' to evaluate the city's infrastructure. City Council resolutions are nonbinding but allow the council to declare an official position on a topic. While discussing a resolution she filed to recognize her 'District 7 Workbook,' a document intended to help residents of the district and her successor to transition to new leadership and navigate city government, Fernandes Anderson said she wanted to 'put power in the hands of the people' and set a precedent for other district councilors to do the same for their constituents. 'I had originally stated that there was too much turnover in District 7, and District 7 deserves to build continuity and have a tool that they can continue to build on,' she said. She also wished good luck to the next councilor to take her seat, who will be elected in the fall during the citywide election. Though the District 7 Workbook resolution failed to pass, the other resolutions she filed were adopted. Councilor Julia Mejia praised Fernandes Anderson's dedication to listening to the community while in office. 'You have outdone yourself and everyone else here on the council when it comes to creating real, meaningful engagement for real, everyday decisions,' Mejia said. 'Every single thing that you have done has been for and with the people that you serve.' Another resolution Fernandes Anderson filed before Wednesday's meeting asked the council to formalize their 'commitment to public education regarding the duties, functions and authority of councilors,' including modernization measures such as public data dashboards to increase transparency in city government. 'While our city has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to racial equity, transparency and data-informed governance, the tools available to measure progress, particularly public-facing dashboards, remain fragmented, inconsistent, and in many cases, entirely absent,' she wrote in a letter to the council. 'This lack of centralized, real-time and disaggregated data undermines both accountability and community trust, and limits our collective ability to drive equitable results across neighborhoods.' Boston Councilor Fernandes Anderson resigns after pleading guilty to fraud charges District 7 candidates debate land use, White Stadium at Boston forum Boston City Councilors renew calls for Fernandes Anderson to resign Boston City Councilor pleads guilty to fraud, corruption charges Read the original article on MassLive.
