| | | Philadelphia's former mayors and others are concerned that Philadelphia could face devastating funding cuts during Donald Trump's presidency. W. Wilson Goode Sr., a Democrat who became mayor in 1984, when another controversial Republican was elected to the White House, said social- and human-services programs faced deep cuts during Ronald Reagan's administration, leading Philadelphia to dig itself into a budget hole. "We were not able to deal with it," Goode said. "At the end of the administration it all caught up. ... It became a very, very challenging time then." Read more | | | | | Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway, a South Jersey native, becamse the first woman to manage a successful U.S. presidential campaign by steering Donald Trump's White House bid. Many politicos credit Conway for the win, saying she helped the real estate developer become more disciplined in the campaign's final weeks. "I saw her touch in everything that went on," said Robert Prunetti, who hired Conway as a pollster and senior adviser to his 1999 reelection campaign as Mercer County executive. "When he was on message and staying on message, it was clear to me that she was influencing him. I'd say, 'That's Kellyanne.' She was always hammering at the need to stay on message." Read more | | | | | Six people were hurt, including an off-duty police officer and his wife, in a "flash mob" attack in Center City over the weekend. A small group of juveniles began attacking people near 16th and Walnut Streets about 6 p.m. Saturday. Two 16-year-olds were arrested and police are looking for more potential suspects. Read more | | | | | The president of the Philadelphia NAACP harshly criticized Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, for creating "an atmosphere of fear, bigotry, and racial intolerance" that he said has led to recent racially charged incidents, including those affecting students at the University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University. The GOP has for years "nourished every prejudice and unfounded fear, setting a tone throughout the country," Rodney Muhammad said. Read more | | | | | Stephanie Andrewlevich, principal at Mitchell Elementary School in Kingsessing, is running the Philadelphia Marathon this weekend in an effort to raise $94,000 to buy badly needed new computers for the school. The K-8 school is located in one of the city's most distressed neighborhoods but made strides last year, Andrewlevich's first as principal. But students still struggle academically and instructors lack resources. "I shouldn't have to run a marathon to make this happen," Andrewlevich said of getting students the computers. "You shouldn't have to run to get what you need. But sometimes in life, you don't get what you deserve, and you have to fight for it, in a positive way." Read more | | | | |