Philadelphia considers tax increases to aid schools, water department launches water management initiative

A week after the School District of Philadelphia requested millions in financial assistance from the city, the budget discussion rages on. Catch the latest at the top of our show.

 

Mayor Michael Nutter and City Council are discussion whether to increase taxes to aid the district. And if so, which taxes and by how much? Sugary drinks, parking meters and property taxes have been considered viable options for hikes. We’ll hear the latest from Ben Herold of the Public School Notebook about that and about the next step in teacher contracts since layoffs have been confirmed.

The Philadelphia Water Department’s Green City, Clean Waters initiative that officially launched today is being touted as a national leader in the effort to create a stormwater infrastructure. Carolyn Beeler talked to Natural Resources Defense Council about what this means at the local and broader levels.

Could cell phones give you cancer? The World Health Organization has classified the devices as possibly carcinogenic. We’ve got opinions from people around Philadelphia who’ve weighed in on whether the new warning means anything to them.

Daunted at the thought of potty training your toddler? Well what parent isn’t? We’ve got a first-hand account from Behavioral Health reporter Maiken Scott, who also spoke with a CHOP doctor about the infamous task.

Spinach and heirloom beets are cropping up in farmers markets. Larry Robling of WHYY’s Fit series will tell us just what we can do with these locally grown treats.

Tune in tonight at 6 p.m. on 91 FM or online. If you miss our show, you can always catch up with it later.