🏫 University of Pennsylvania leaders resign

University of Pennsylvania Leaders Resign

Less than a week after her much-criticized testimony before Congress, University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill "voluntarily tendered her resignation" on Saturday. Later that day, the chair of the university's board of trustees, Scott L. Bok, also stepped down amid accusations from donors and some elected officials that the school is failing to adequately address antisemitism on campus. [NYT]

Local Christmas Tree Shortage

Some Christmas tree farms in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are closing early this year to protect the supply for future holidays. Farmers have been struggling to keep up with the demand for the evergreens for several years, owing to the 10-year delay between planting and harvesting, the lingering impact of the Great Recession, and bouts of unseasonal weather. Some farmers advise locking up a tree a-sap, but the National Christmas Tree Association insists that supplies won’t run out. [Inquirer]

Barber Gets Street Named After Him

Joe Festa, 88, has been cutting hair for so long in his Trenton, New Jersey, shop that the city renamed the street it’s on Joe Festa Way. During his 60-plus years in business, Festa has become known not only for his skills as a barber, but for the sage advice he offers customers. Trenton’s mayor said he wanted to honor Festa’s dedication to the city at a time when many shopkeepers have shuttered and left town. [WHYY]

What It Takes to Build a School Playground

One in three Philadelphia public elementary schools doesn’t have a playground, and the school district is looking to devise a 10-year plan to build them at every school. The district’s funding for capital projects is already spread thin on repairs to its aging buildings, so schools without playgrounds often seek funding from parent groups, nonprofits, or other government programs. This approach worked to build a $2.1 million state-of-the-art playground at South Philadelphia’s F. Amedee Bregy School, but there are still 56 city elementaries that don’t have play structures. [Inquirer 🔒]

The Costs of Philly’s Wrongful Convictions

$9.1 million dollars. That’s how much money the City of Philadelphia recently agreed to pay Walter Ogrod after he wrongfully spent 28 years behind bars. And he's not alone. More than 40 convictions built on bad evidence have been overturned in recent years, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. And that could mean a lot more payouts. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Joseph M. Marrone, Ogrod’s lawyer and founder of the Marrone Law Firm.