🚗 Key fob cloning makes auto thefts easier

🚘 New Car Theft Trend Is Hitting Philly

About 90% of new cars use keyless technology, but this convenient method of unlocking vehicles is making it easier for thieves to steal cars. Perpetrators are copying signals produced by the fobs to unlock and start parked vehicles. [🔒 The Inquirer]

💵 How Much Are We Supposed to Tip?

Do you consider yourself a good tipper? The rest of Philly may not be paying the same amount as you do. How much you tip, how you tip, and who you’re tipping have evolved, leaving customers confused. (And yes, we get into those flip screens at the coffee shop.) [🎧 City Cast Philly]

• Related: Pay equity isn’t just an issue when it comes to tipping. Wage theft also harms Philly workers. [🎧 City Cast Philly]

🚯 Can This Program Stop Illegal Dumping?

The nonprofit North10 is offering would-be dumpers vouchers for free disposal of up to 2,000 pounds of waste at a North Philly recycling center. Dropping off construction waste is banned at the city’s sanitation centers, and anti-dumping advocates say disposal fees at private disposal centers are a contributing factor to illegal dumping. [WHYY]

• Related: Tires are common items that get illegally dumped by these haulers. [🎧 City Cast Philly]

🌸 Philadelphia Flower Show Looks Back on Legacy

Next year’s theme takes us back in time with time with “Rooted: The Origins of American Gardening.” Aligning with the country’s 250th birthday, the theme focuses on the heritage traditions that helped shape gardening as we know it today. [Axios]

• Related: The Philadelphia Flower Show turns 200 in 2027. Here’s how it came to be and how it’s evolved. [📝 City Cast Philly]

🏳️‍🌈 Gayborhood To Debut New Pride Center

To be more welcoming to LGBTQ+ visitors next year, the new Philly Pride Visitor Center will connect tourists to queer-friendly businesses and institutions. The center also honor Philly’s role in LGBTQ+ history. [Philadelphia Gay News]

• Related: Speaking of inclusivity, the city is working on making 2026 festivities more accessible, but disability advocates say Philly has a long way to go. [Philly Voice]

Watching movies is easier now than ever in the age of streaming, but watching new releases on your laptop can be an isolating experience.

An antidote to that is the Philadelphia Film Festival, which is back on Thursday and runs until Oct. 26, giving audiences the chance to find a community to nerd out with, share thoughts on a deeper level, and support independent filmmakers so they can keep making their work.

The celebration of movies doesn’t have to end when the festival does. Whether you’re a casual moviegoer or an absolute enthusiast, check out these local film clubs and what they have to offer. ⤵️

Girls Like Horror

You don’t have to wait until it’s Halloween for a scary movie marathon. Girls Like Horror highlights the contributions of women in the horror genre and the complexities of their stories. Whether you’re into the classics or newer releases, the club covers them all and is open to all genders.

🎧 Listen to our conversation with its founder Christina Acevedo.

Philadelphia Film Society

The Philadelphia Film Society has been my go-to resource to watch the latest releases while supporting local theaters (and if you go on a Monday, tickets are only $7.50).

PFS stays busy across its three local theaters with programming like Spring Fest, Philadelphia Film Festival, curated film series, and free community screenings.

If you become an official member, perks include presale access to festivals, discounted rates on tickets and concessions, and free tickets to curated screenings. If you’re between the ages of 21 and 40, you can join PFS’s Young Friends Film Club to make friends with fellow enthusiasts and attend its PFS Young Friends Film Festival, Home Alone Pizza & Pajama Party, and special screenings.

BlackStar Film Festival

Every summer the BlackStar Film Festival celebrates work from Black, brown, and Indigenous storytellers. The organization also runs programming year-round, including a filmmaker lab, screenings, exhibitions, and parties.

There are three membership tiers to select from to support the work, with benefits including invites to members-only events, discounted festival passes, voting privileges for the festival, and priority access to a filmmaker seminar.