Good morning, and welcome to Broad + Liberty's Wednesday Weekly Reads!

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1. Looking back at a landmark year for Broad + Liberty

From the Editors 

It’s been a remarkable year at Broad +Liberty. 

We published over 900 original pieces covering wide-ranging topics from scandals in the Shapiro administration, county politics, education, culture and healthcare.

Our investigative reporting by Todd Shepherd garnered state and national attention. The Pennsylvania News Media Association awarded Shepherd the “Best in Investigative Journalism” for his work exposing incompetence and poor management at the Delaware County prison. 

Nationally, the Atlantic cited Shepherd’s work in its lengthy piece on Governor Josh Shapiro. Broad + Liberty broke the news about a sexual harassment scandal involving one of Shapiro’s top aides back in 2023. Shepherd continues to uncover more concerning facts around the incident including deleted email accounts that run contrary to the state’s own policy.

Why It Matters.  From the founding of our republic, the health of our civic life has rested upon a simple but profound truth: a free and independent press is not merely a feature of democracy — it is one of its chief guarantors. As the only industry explicitly contemplated in the Constitution, the framers understood that liberty is not self-perpetuating; it must be renewed through informed citizens, accountable institutions, and a shared commitment to truth that transcends partisan preferences.

As 2025 comes to a close, Broad + Liberty is excited for what 2026 has in store. Our team is ready to break the stories, report the news, and help our readers make sense of what is happening locally, across the state, and in the country.

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2. Give up the food, and other South Philly stories 

By Paul Davis

Over the years that I’ve covered the crime beat in Philadelphia, I’ve gone out on many a ride along all over the city with Philadelphia police officers, but it seems that the most interesting and amusing occurrences all occurred in South Philadelphia where I grew up and continue to live.

I recall some years ago while riding with a 3rd District patrol officer, we came upon a man who had chased away a would-be car break-in thief. From his house front window, the potential victim saw the young thief attempting to break into his car. The man ran out of his house with a baseball bat, and the thief took off so fast, he ran right out of his untied sneakers. 

The police officer took down the information for his report from the victim and the victim picked up the discarded sneakers and brought them into his house.  Afterwards the cop had a good laugh as we sat in his patrol car. 

The cop told me that the sneakers the thief had left behind on the sidewalk were expensive — much more valuable than anything he could have stolen from the parked car.

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3. Lightning round

4. What we're reading.