The ruling class (continually) strikes back
No. 107 | June 22, 2026
City News
After a unified City Council blocked Mayor Parker’s attempt to tax rideshare and delivery apps, Parker retaliated by denying all Councilmembers’ budget requests, including a much needed request for additional staff at the Fair Housing Commission which enforces tenant protection.
32BJ SEIU District 1201 representing Philadelphia School District bus drivers, maintenance workers, cleaners and tradespeople is demanding higher wages as the end of their current contract approaches. The union’s lowest paid members make $30,762 annually while a rookie piglet gets double that in starting pay.
Hotel workers unionized with Unite Here Local 274 walked off the job Sunday morning after management of the Sheraton Downtown failed to meet their demands. The strike comes amid record profits for the hotel due to World Cup tourism inundating the city this summer.
The Philadelphia Board of Education has come under scrutiny for shutting down only one charter school out of two dozen that are on grounds for closure. Despite the lack of regulation, charter schools continue to claim victimhood, with five launching lawsuits against the school district, with some success.
The Trump administration is suing the City of Philadelphia over the ban on facemasks for ICE agents, which was passed as part of the “ICE-Out” legislation.
The Inquirer reports that the Trump administration’s tax breaks for the wealthy, funded by cuts to social programs such as SNAP, has caused a rise in food insecurity among our city’s most vulnerable populations.
Bob Brady was re-elected as leader of Philadelphia’s Democratic Party Monday night. Mayor Cherelle Parker was at the meeting and called herself a “progressive with a capital P.”
An appeals court ruled that the Trump administration is allowed to replace the panels of the Washington Slave Exhibit in Philly. The panels depicting George Washington’s history of slavery were previously removed, but the court ordered their restoration. The appeal court’s ruling would allow Trump free reign over the contents of the new panels, no doubt whitewashing the nation’s history.
State News
After substantial opposition, ICE will be abandoning its plans to convert local PA warehouses into detention centers.
Under pressure from parents, the Lower Merion School Board repealed their technology policy due to concerns over the efficacy of online learning, though officials say that moving away from digital learning is “not an option”.
The state supreme court ruled that so-called “skill games” must be regulated under gambling laws like slot machines.
A PA House bill for rent stabilization sponsored by Representative Jim Prokopiak remains in limbo despite its introduction over a year ago. Landlords in Bucks County are currently allowed to raise rent without limits and have a 9.42% eviction rate, usually stemming from failure to pay rent.
Trenton City Council voted to ban cooperation between ICE and their police department without a judicial warrant. The ordinance passed 4-2 and is awaiting Mayor Reed Gusciora to sign it into law.
Paid family and medical leave for workers could be coming to Pennsylvania. The State Senate passed the proposal and is now with the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.
Under socialism, there will be no paywalls...until then, use this.
The Weekly Rose
After Ecuadorian fans put their team’s jersey on the Rocky statue last week and were hit with the infamous curse, Brazilian fans were determined not to make the same mistake. They beat Haiti 3-0 on Friday.