⛰️ The best hikes near Philly

⛺ Protest/Encampment Updates

Following a march through Center City into West Philly, some pro-Palestinian demonstrators set up an encampment at Drexel University on Saturday. [Associated Press]

• On Friday night at the University of Pennsylvania, police arrested 19 people who tried to occupy an academic building. [The Daily Pennsylvanian]
• On Sunday evening, three Penn students who’d been placed on mandatory leave because of their involvement with the pro-Palestinian encampment on their campus weren’t allowed to enter their graduation ceremony. [Inquirer 🔒]

📊 Philly Population Rankings

New U.S. Census Bureau estimates show Philly keeping its spot as the sixth most populated city in the country, but the city population may have shrunk by around 16,000 residents between 2022 and 2023. No. 7 San Antonio, which has apparently been gaining residents, is creeping up on us. [WHYY]

💰 State Budget Talks Start

Just five months after the Pennsylvania General Assembly managed to finalize the current budget, state lawmakers are ramping up negotiations for the next one. Top issues up for deliberation in the divided legislature include a potential school funding overhaul, restructuring state-run higher education, tax cuts, lowering energy costs, raising the minimum wage, and public transit spending. [Spotlight PA]

• What’s on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget wishlist? Listen to a breakdown. [City Cast Philly 🎧]
• Related: Our state legislature stands apart from many others in that it meets year-round. But why? [Hey Philly]

🖼️ Art Museum Settles Longevity Pay Dispute

The Philadelphia Museum of Art will make two lump-sum payments to AFSCME Local 397, which per union officials, will provide $500 bonuses to museum workers for every five years they’d worked there up to July 1 of last year. The settlement arose out of a contract interpretation dispute between workers and the museum. [Inquirer 🔒]

The Philadelphia area — including the city itself — certainly does not have a shortage of opportunities to get outside and enjoy a day (or multiple) out and about in nature. Here’s a sampling of the best hikes about two hours or less from Philly.

⛰️ H/T City Cast Philly producer Abby Fritz and Jim Cheney of the blog Uncovering PA for providing the recommendations for this segment. Hear them talk about even more Pennsylvania hikes on the City Cast Philly podcast, including some that are further-flung … but absolutely breathtaking.

For Birding: John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

Southwest Philly

Along the Delaware River near the edge of the city you can observe over 300 bird species along 10+ miles of trails. This spot is good for family-friendly walks and less experienced hikers, and one of the trails is wheelchair accessible. You can even loan binoculars and fishing rods for free!

For an … Interactive Experience: Ringing Rocks County Park

Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania (~1.5 hours from Philly)

This one’s a little quirky. The trails in this park in northern Bucks County are pretty short, Cheney says, but the landscape is unique: If you strike some of the rocks in the park’s boulder field with a hammer, they’ll ring out like a bell. You can also see Bucks County’s largest waterfall.

For a Strenuous but Rewarding Journey: Mt. Tammany

Knowlton Township, New Jersey (~2 hours from Philly)

This 3.5-mile rocky, steep climb is a popular hike in New Jersey and will offer you a view of the Delaware Water Gap.

With the June 30 state budget deadline looming, Pennsylvania’s state legislature is approaching its busiest time of year.

The state budget doesn’t mark the end of their work, though — our General Assembly is expected to work year-round (mostly), as Pennsylvania is one of just 10 U.S. states that’s considered to have a full-time legislature.

What Does It Mean for Our Legislature To Be ‘Full-Time’?

Our state legislators — 253 of them, across the House and Senate — meet in Harrisburg nearly every month of the year (during 10 or 11 of them, usually).

That said, the General Assembly may go on weeks-long recesses, and actual voting only occurs a few times a month — totaling to around 50 or so session days per year in recent years, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Some legislative committees meet on non-voting days, though, and legislators may spend other time meeting with constituents or attending events back in their districts.

Why Does the General Assembly Meet Year-Round?

That’s how it’s written in the state constitution: “The General Assembly shall be a continuing body during the term for which its Representatives are elected.”

It hasn’t always been like that, though. According to Spotlight PA, that language was set in the 1960s. Immediately before that, the legislature only met to handle the budget during even-numbered years, and to do other lawmaking in odd years. And between 1873 and 1959, the General Assembly met just once every two years for a three-month session.

How Are We Different from Other States?

Every state’s legislature is structured differently, and Pennsylvania’s stands out.

Why UC’s Affordable Housing Project Is in Limbo

The Philadelphia Housing Authority wants to build 70 affordable housing units on the former site of the University City Townhomes in West Philly. The problem: the housing agency needs funding from the city to make this happen, and the project wasn’t listed in Mayor Cherelle Parker’s first budget proposal. City Cast Philly podcast host Trenae Nuri speaks with Aaron Moselle, housing reporter at WHYY’s PlanPhilly, about the future of this project.