Regional Roundup – December 20th

It’s been 10 months since New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill legalizing recreational cannabis, and applications are finally rolling in. But who stands to benefit, and what’s next for the Garden State?

Guests: Susan Livio, NJ Advance Media reporter. Chirali Patel, cannabis attorney & founder of Blaze Responsibly.

Foster youth in Philly might be owed millions in social security benefits thanks to a controversial law that lets the Department of Human Services collect the checks into the City’s general fund.

Guests: Steve Volk & Julie Christie, Resolve Philly journalists. Vaughn Jackson, Philadelphia foster parent.

Outdoor dining is here to stay after City Council unanimously passed legislation making so-called ‘streeteries’ permanent, but some restaurants are worried about the future of their businesses.

Guest: Allan Domb, Philadelphia City Councilmember At-Large.

We Recommend:

WHYY: Philly Council passes bill to legalize ‘streeteries’ permanently in some areas “Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration has previously said it supports creating a permanent outdoor dining program — with limitations regarding structures related to public safety and accessibility.”

NJ.com: N.J. just began accepting applications to grow recreational marijuana. Hundreds started the process. “One of the goals behind legalizing the sale and possession of weed is to lessen the harm on Black and brown people, who have been more than three times more likely to face arrest and conviction than white people, even though usage rates are the same.”

Resolve Philly for the Inquirer: Philly took $5 million in foster children’s Social Security payments without telling them “The agency took in nearly $5 million in children’s Social Security benefits between fiscal years 2016 and 2020 that belonged to hundreds of youth in foster care.”

This week’s episode is hosted by Malcolm Burnley.