🤨 Stuff that’s weirdly illegal in PA

🏀 Sixers Update Arena Proposal

The newest plan for 76 Place at Market East includes modified traffic closure plans and more year-round retail, food, and beverage options. Opponents of the plan still take issue with the planned location. [NBC10]

• How are people feeling about the arena plans these days? Axios Philadelphia’s Mike D’Onofrio talked with us about this last week. [City Cast Philly 🎧]

👀 Eyes on PHLHousing+ Program

The Philadelphia Housing Development Corp. has been piloting a program that offers cash to 300 randomly-selected people who have children and are on the waiting list for housing vouchers. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has been watching how it’s been going and encouraging other cities to follow suit. [NPR]

🏫 Developer Bringing Maker Spaces to Nicetown

In an estimated $12 million project, Ken Weinstein is hoping to convert an old industrial and office building on Germantown Avenue into 115 “flex spaces” for startups, artists, small businesses, and more — similar to South Philly’s Bok Building. [Inquirer 🔒]

🚇 SEPTA Ditches AI Gun Detection Pilot

Officials ended a contract with the AI-based gun-detection platform ZeroEyes in December, The Trace learned, without using a $5 million state grant meant for implementing it. Both ZeroEyes and SEPTA say the gun detection tech wasn’t compatible with the transit system’s mostly analog security cameras. [The Trace]

If a few of our state laws feel like they were written for another time, that’s because many of them were. While many aren’t enforced, they’re still technically the law because repealing them can be time consuming and expensive. Reporter Harrison Cann at City & State PA joined City Cast Philly and City Cast Pittsburgh last summer to break down some of the weirdest rules still on the books.

🔮 Fortune Telling for Profit

Reading cards and crystal balls, casting spells, and making potions — it’s all illegal to do for personal gain in Pennsylvania.

🌊 Hunting Swimming Critters

Whether it’s big or small, you can’t hunt and kill animals who are treading water. You’re not allowed to send your dog after one either.

🐟 Hooking Fish for Bait

Anglers can’t use goldfish, comets, koi, or common carp as bait. It’s also illegal to fish with your bare hands.

🚽 A Hike to the Bathroom

Your bedroom can’t be more than 200 feet from your bathtub, shower, or toilet. Bad for cohabitating couples, good for preventing “accidents.”

🗓️ Fun on Sundays

Sure, we have separation of church and state, but old laws were often made with Christianity in mind. State blue laws or “Sunday Laws” stopped activities on the holy day. Laws prohibiting sports, musical, and theater performances before 1 p.m. on Sundays didn’t hold up. Can you imagine?? In Philly???

Expert's Guide to the Perfect Philly Cheesesteak

Today’s guests weigh in on an evergreen Philly debate: What makes a cheesesteak authentic? What’s the right way to order one? City Cast Philly podcast host Trenae Nuri talks with Dave Wez, City Cast Philly’s food contributor and creator of Feeding Time TV, and Carolyn Wyman, author of “The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book.” They discuss their top cheesesteak spots, which places are overrated, and the essential structure of a cheesesteak.