In case you missed it: This week’s best reads from Pa. cities

The election is over, but we still must discuss politics. 

That post-election hangover

More than a week after the victory of President-elect Donald Trump, pollsters in Pennsylvania are still trying to figure out how the prediction models got it so wrong. 

Cities are trying to figure out what a Trump presidency will mean for them. Philly.com and Billy Penn take a look at Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto addressed the issue during his budget address. 

There have been reports of post-election racist backlash from a school in York and the University of Pennsylvania, among other places around the state. 

The statehouse is feeling the effects of the election as well. The Pennsylvania GOP is celebrating a ‘historic’ majority in the house, while Democratic lawmakers are struggling with their “deep minority” status.  

A lot of people got very involved in this election, but there are plenty of opportunities even after the voting is over. Take a look at some Pennsylvanians who stay civically engaged year-round.  

That immigration question

Towards the end of the campaign, in Gettysburg, Trump laid out his plan for the first 100 days of his presidency, and it includes a crackdown on illegal immigration. One target: sanctuary cities, like Philadelphia. A sanctuary city is a place that doesn’t hold suspected illegal immigrants on behalf of the federal government.

Mayor Jim Kenney said Philadelphia plans to remain a sanctuary city. He joins mayors from a number of major cities across the country, including Chicago and Los Angeles. 

It may be a race to the ban, though: the Pennsylvania legislature is expecting a bill that would financially punish sanctuary cities to be re-proposed in the next session. 

A hotly-debated Berks County immigration detention facility is under fire once more for detaining children longer than the maximum limit of 20 days.  

The recent election pitted anti-immigrant rhetoric against a growing Latino electorate. In episode 12 of Grapple, journalist Maria Hinojosa and Penn political scientist Dan Hopkins discuss these competing forces.  

Moving on and moving up

Episode 11 of Grapple goes to Millbourne, a Philly suburb that used to be known for it’s Sears store, and now, local leaders fear, is defined by the vacant lot where that Sears used to sit. But there’s momentum to get back on track and rewrite the future of the tiny borough. 

For ex-convicts, applying for jobs and apartments can be a harrowing experience. Recently, Pennsylvania decided to seal the records of individuals convicted of certain misdemeanors, as long as time has been served and costs paid off. Law enforcement will still have access to the records, but landlords and employers won’t, allowing for a fresh start. 

All this progress can endanger the past. For one, historic cemeteries have a hard time holding on when modernization and revitalization take hold. They’re not always entitled to the same protections as historic buildings and sites. 

Two must-see videos 

A group of Pittsburgh residents are dancing their way to pedestrian protection, advocating for “complete streets.” 

And a cross country runner in the Lehigh Valley got treated to a very #fallinPA experience when a herd of deer ran through the line of runners, knocking him to the ground. As the owner of the video said on Facebook, “Who says cross country isn’t a contact sport?”