Michael Tanenbaum
Michael Tanenbaum is a senior staff writer for PhillyVoice.com, with interests ranging from technology and behavioral health to local community initiatives and cultural life. Michael has written for the Argentina Independent and Bespoke Magazine and previously served as a news editor for Xfinity.com before joining PhillyVoice. He received his B.A. in The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University.
July 10, 2025
Marijuana
Marijuana legalization bill in Pa. Senate is 'smart, fair and realistic,' co-sponsor says
Pennsylvania state Sens. Dan Laughlin (R) and Sharif Street (D) have introduced a bill to legalize recreational marijuana and create a Cannabis Control Board. The legislation adopts a private industry model, contrasting an earlier proposal from members of the House that had called for state-run stores to sell the majority of adult-use cannabis.July 10, 2025
Investigations
DNA match leads to murder charge in Camden cold case from 2011
Kenyar Hill, 46, of Camden, has been charged for allegedly fatally stabbing Brian Holden at an abandoned house in 2011, prosecutors said. A breakthrough in the 14-year-old cold case came when investigators matched Hill's DNA with evidence collected from Holden's girlfriend on the night of the homicide, authorities said.July 9, 2025
Government
Normal trash collection schedule to resume Monday as city workers return after strike
Philadelphia will return to a normal trash collection schedule on Monday, July 14, after the city announced a tentative contract agreement Wednesday morning to end the strike by workers with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33. The city's temporary trash drop-off sites will shut down immediately, and residents are advised to hold their trash until pick-up day next week or take it to one of six sanitation convenience centers.July 9, 2025
Investigations
Woman pleads guilty to fatally shooting her husband in front of witnesses at Bristol Wharf
Sammar Khan, 42, fatally shot her husband, 38-year-old Faisal Iqbal, at the Bristol Wharf on the Delaware River waterfront in Bucks County in May 2023. She pleaded guilty Wednesday to homicide and related offenses. Witnesses told investigators they saw Khan shoot Iqbal multiple times in a grassy area of the park between the coastline and parking lot after the couple had an argument. Kahn is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 30.July 9, 2025
Alternative Medicine
Anxiety diagnoses have fueled growth of Pennsylvania's medical marijuana program
Since Pennsylvania made clinical anxiety a qualifying condition for medical marijuana in 2019, the mental health disorder has become the leading diagnosis provided for patients seeking licenses from the state, a new study out of the University of Pittsburgh shows.July 8, 2025
Investigations
Philly man charged with stealing nude photos from phones and posting them online
Tyler Jones, 33, allegedly gained access to the phones of at least five victims or their partners to take their nude phones and post them on the internet, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General said Tuesday. Jones was convicted in 2013 of secretly filming women undressing in a bathroom in Switzerland and later uploading the videos online from his dorm room at Villanova University. Jones pleaded guilty in that case and now faces a slew of new charges.July 7, 2025
Business
Navy Yard gets $100 million investment to ramp up submarine manufacturing
Maritime manufacturer Rhoads Industries is investing $100 million to expand its facilities at the Navy Yard in South Philadelphia and ramp up its work in the production of submarines. The nearly 130-year-old company says it plans to add about 450 jobs and construct a 95,000-square-foot manufacturing facility dedicated to the U.S. Navy's submarine program.July 7, 2025
Business
Waymo is testing robotaxis in Philly on 'road trip' to refine self-driving tech
Robotaxi service Waymo will have a fleet of autonomous vehicles in Philadelphia this summer as part of the company's road trip tour to enhance its self-driving technology by exploring new areas. Waymo will not be available to the public for ride-hailing during the company's time in Philadelphia, but the visit could be a sign that the city is a target for expansion in the not-so-distant future.July 3, 2025
Courts
Supreme Court to hear cases on state bans against transgender athletes
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear cases on state laws in West Virginia and Idaho that restrict transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports. The decision will give justices a look at another conflict over transgender rights after recent rulings upholding bans on military service and gender-affirming care for minors.July 3, 2025
Politics
In first major poll for N.J. governor, Mikie Sherrill opens with big lead over Jack Ciattarelli
In the race for New Jersey governor, Democrat Mikie Sherrill had a 20-point advantage over Republican Jack Ciattarelli in a Rutgers-Eagleton poll released Wednesday. Among independent voters in the poll, 45% said they would cast a ballot for Sherrill compared with 28% for Ciattarelli, who was backed by President Donald Trump in the GOP primary election. Ciattarelli narrowly lost to Gov. Phil Murphy in the 2021 gubernatorial election.Just In
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