Arts and Culture journalism and criticism is thriving in Philly thanks in part to the Broad Street Review - which just received a citation from the Philadelphia City Council in honor of its 20 year anniversary. Two of the people responsible for this publication’s success join me today. Alaina Johns has been editor-in-chief of Broad Street Review since 2018. She is a Philadelphia-based journalist and cultural critic covering our region since 2007. Associate Editor Kyle Hiller is born and raised in West Philadelphia. He practices Restorative Yoga, is a hobbyist DJ, and is the author of the 2016 novel The Recital. They talk about their work and the critical role of arts journalism in today's society.

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ALSO LISTEN TO:

• Reading George Orwell in Trump’s America, With Laura Beers
• The Normalization of Book Banning in the United States, With PEN America’s Sabrina Baêta
• Solidarity Journalism Can Help the Mainstream Media Restore Public Trust and Strengthen Democracy, with Dr. Anita Varma

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Tracy Hunt is a husband, father, hardworking attorney, a Business Law Professor at DelVal University, and a Democratic candidate for Congress in PA-01. He joins The Signal to talk about why he recently left the Republican Party, his views on a wide range of policies, and why he believes he can bring pragmatic and effective representation to Washington at a time when it is sorely lacking.

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READ:

• Tracy Hunt: Democracy Is for All of Us, Not Just the Party Insiders

ALSO LISTEN TO:

• What Did Sheriff-Elect Danny Ceisler’s Victory and Bucks County Democrats’ Blue Wave on Election Day Teach Us?
• Could Progressive Congressional Candidate Lucia Simonelli Shock PA-01 With a Victory in the May Democratic Primary?
• Rob Strickler Wants to Challenge the Status Quo in His Run for Congress in PA-01

Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music.

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Lucia Simonelli is an Italian-American whose upbringing instilled a great appreciation for public services such as public education, public transportation, public parks, and more. Born in Landsdale, she has lived, travelled and worked around the globe, before settling down in Quakertown. Politically, she has worked to make change both inside and outside of government, from serving as a scientific advisor in the United States Senate, working on energy and climate policy, to organizing with the Upper Bucks United Indivisible Chapter. Now, she is running in the Democratic congressional primary in May for a chance to unseat incumbent Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. Could Lucia be PA-01’s AOC?

I’ll be speaking to each of the candidates on this podcast to give listeners a chance to get to know them better.

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READ:

• Political ‘Outsider’ Rob Strickler Announces Congressional Run in PA-01

ALSO LISTEN TO:

• What Did Sheriff-Elect Danny Ceisler’s Victory and Bucks County Democrats’ Blue Wave on Election Day Teach Us?

Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music.

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On this episode of the signal I welcome Rob Strickler. Rob is a political outsider who is running in the Democratic Party congressional primary in May for a chance to unseat incumbent Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. We discuss his blue-collar upbringing in Levittown, his political awakening, and why he thinks he is the best person to represent Pennsylvania’s first congressional district.

I’ll be speaking to each of the candidates on this podcast to give listeners a chance to get to know them better.

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READ:

• Political ‘Outsider’ Rob Strickler Announces Congressional Run in PA-01

ALSO LISTEN TO:

• What Did Sheriff-Elect Danny Ceisler’s Victory and Bucks County Democrats’ Blue Wave on Election Day Teach Us?

Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music.

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Back in December I read an article Laura Beers published in The Conversation where she compared White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s press conference on the so-called truth about the good news of the state of the economy under President Trump’s stewardship to the repeated pronouncements of the Ministry of Plenty in George Orwell’s ‘1984.’ This led me to pick up and read her book Orwell's Ghosts: Wisdom and Warnings for the Twenty-First Century. Beers is a professor of British history at American University whose writing has appeared in the New Republic, Washington Post, CNN, among other publications. She joined me today to speak about her book and the enduring value of Orwell's insights for modern society, especially under this new Trump Regime.

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READ:

• Karoline Leavitt’s White House briefing doublethink is straight out of Orwell’s ‘1984’
• Philadelphia Sues Over Trump Administration’s Removal of Slavery Exhibit at Independence National Historical Park
• Pittsburgh Professors Say Research Was Weaponized in Trump’s Higher Education Fight
• AI Is the Next Frontier for Far-Right Extremists to Spread Propaganda, Incite Violence, and Recruit New Followers
• Always Watching: How ICE’s Plan to Monitor Social Media 24/7 Threatens Privacy and Civic Participation

ALSO LISTEN TO:

• The Normalization of Book Banning in the United States, With PEN America’s Sabrina Baêta
• The History of Fascism and Anti-Fascism in America, with Bill Mullen and Christopher Vials

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Welcome to the first episode of season 4 of The Signal from the Bucks County Beacon. Today, Kevin Mahoney sits down with Cyril Mychalejko, the editor-in-chief of the Bucks County Beacon, to talk about what the New Year has in store for The Beacon. We also take a look back at some of the most significant stories published in the Beacon in 2025.

We’re going to need independent, community supported progressive media in the weeks, months, and years ahead. There could not be a better time to take a moment to head over BucksCountyBeacon.com and click on the Support the Beacon button and become a supporter. You can become a monthly entry-level supporter for as little as $1/month. Or, jump right in as a regular supporter for just $5/month, or a yearly supporter for at little as $50/year. Or, you can drop a one-time donation to help keep the Beacon’s critical lens focused and sustainable. Just go to BucksCountyBeacon.com, click on the Support the Beacon button and become a supporter today.

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READ:

• The Bucks County Beacon Looks Back at 2025

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On this week’s episode of the Signal we welcome back Bucks County’s Steve Nolan. Steve spent 30 years in the military and 25 years as a mental health professional. He is the author of the 2020 book American Carnage, An Officer’s Duty to Warn, and today Steve is here to warn us again about the MAGA-fication of the military and How Pete Hegseth is running Trump’s Department of War.

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READ:

• Trump’s Pardon of Honduran Ex-President Who Conspired to Traffic Over 400 Tons of Cocaine Into US Exposes ‘War on Drugs’ Myth
• Leaked DHS Memo Shows Trump Administration Wants to Deploy Military on City Streets to Hunt Down Immigrants
• ‘Bro Culture’ on Top at the Pentagon
• Here’s What Project 2025 Has Planned for the Military
• Trump Tells Military Brass ‘We’re Under Invasion From Within’ and US Cities Should Be ‘Training Grounds for Our Military’
• Using Black Hawk Helicopters and Chemical Agents, ICE Agents Turn Chicago Into a ‘War Zone’
• How the Trump Administration Turned Immigration Courts Into Deportation Traps for ICE

ALSO LISTEN TO:

• Is Donald Trump Mentally Unfit to Be Commander in Chief? An Interview with Military Veteran and Mental Health Professional Steve Nolan
• American Carnage: An Officer’s Duty to Warn, with Steve Nolan
• Former FBI Agent Who Once Infiltrated Neo-Nazi Groups and Militias Explains Why Law Enforcement Fails to Take Far-Right Extremism Seriously
• How Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement Will Legalize and Deploy Vigilantes to Push Their Agenda, with David Noll

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Malcolm Burnley is a staff writer for The Philadelphia Citizen. He has been a journalist in Philadelphia since 2013, contributing to outlets such as Philly Mag, WHYY, and Politico Magazine. Five days before the election he published, “What a Bucks County Sheriff's Race Can Tell Us about U.S. Politics.” He joins us today to talk about that race which Democratic challenger Danny Ceisler won handily, the Blue Wave that washed away so many other Republican officeholders in Bucks County on Election Day, and what this may signal for the midterms in 2026.

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ALSO LISTEN TO:

• From Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio to Bucks County’s Fred Harran: Why ICE 287(g) Partnerships Are So Dangerous, with Jessica Pishko
• ‘A Fight Fails Without A Dream’: DNC Vice Chair Malcolm Kenyatta on How The Democratic Party Will Meet This Dangerous Trumpian Moment
• Fighting to Finally Raise the Minimum Wage in Pennsylvania: A Conversation With State Rep. Roni Green
• Kadida Kenner on Defending Democracy and Voting Rights in Pennsylvania

Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music.

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