Investigations that needed more than one article to land.
Between 2014-15 and 2025-26, the School District of Philadelphia's central office grew from 1,710 to 4,228 positions. The C-suite tier expanded 10.6x. Total payroll grew 27%; central admin payroll grew 171%. And the gender pay gap inverts depending on where you work. Five pieces, all grounded in numbers the District publishes — none of them editorializing about teachers or schools.
In early June, I published a standalone article on how Philly's 311 wait times vary significantly by income, pulling and analyzing over 1.3M records. Aside from statistically robust findings, what surprised me was how much inbound interest I received from reddit and reporters to dig deeper. So I did. This series is the culmination of that effort, cutting the data in lots of ways, not just to understand the income impact, but also to gain a deeper understanding of what Philly 311 is, how it functions, and how well it serves us - culminating in 5 recommendations I think are universally palitable - regardless of politics, race or location. Also, here's a tool on where you can look up 311 service levels for your zip or ward, by ticket type (e.g., potholes vs abandoned cars) and by operational department (e.g., Streets vs Police).
AI is making intelligence a commodity instead of a scarcity. Not a faster version of the old curve — a different thing. Five pieces on what that means — and why the bubble math doesn't survive contact with the technology.
Philadelphia's poorest neighborhoods pay 4x more in fees per tax dollar than the richest. A $15 demolition fee hides inside the realty transfer tax. The BIRT won't die for thirteen more years. Eight pieces on the tax machine, and what it actually does.
Six pieces on the sectors that actually employ Philadelphia — and the property tax base that no longer matches them. Plus the builder-progressive agenda that could close the gap. Read in order.
A $5 fine for street performing, written in 1897. A 1953 icebox ordinance no one repealed. Nine weird, surviving, or quietly-mutated rules from the Philadelphia Code — read the way you'd read a settlement.