Tuesday, July 8, 2025
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A View From the Ground
News and information about politics, government, civic participation and engagement from URL Media's network of Black and Brown publishers.
Good evening. The Pennsylvania 3rd Congressional District will soon be up for grabs as five-term Rep. Dwight Evans says he will step down a year after undergoing rehabilitation for a stroke. Also a new state senate bill in California would require ICE agents to get rid of masks and wear a uniform.
Plus, we’re bringing you the latest updates at url-media.com as events unfold.
Credit: Dwight Evans for Mayor
Deep Dive: Perhaps marking a continued changing of the guard among members of Congress, Rep. Dwight Evans, a Democrat, has announced that he would not be seeking reelection in 2026, opening the door for multiple competitors to run for the solid blue legislative seat.
“After some discussions this weekend and thoughtful reflection, I have decided that the time is right to announce that I will not be seeking re-election in 2026,” said Evans, 71, according to the Pennsylvania Capital Star. “Serving the people of Philadelphia has been the honor of my life. I am deeply proud of what I have been able to accomplish over my 45 years in elected office — from revitalizing neighborhoods block by block to fighting for justice, economic opportunity, investments in infrastructure and education.”
Currently in his fifth term and a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Evans defeated Rep. Chaka Fattah, who at the time was under federal indictment, in 2016. Before that, he served 36 years in the Pennsylvania state House and became the first Black chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
In 2024, he said that he was recovering from a minor stroke, according to the Associated Press, and had been recovering in a rehabilitation facility. He was reelected to another term during the November election.
With Evans’ impending exit, the Philadelphia district he represents is now open for a number of potential political rivals to pursue the seat. State Sen. Sharif Street announced July 3 that he would be running for the open seat, Penn Live reported.
“People are getting screwed by the Republicans in Washington, who are more focused on helping their billionaire friends pay less taxes than delivering for the people they represent,” Street said in his announcement video. “That’s not what leadership should be about. What’s missing is someone who knows our communities and puts us first. Someone who understands what it means to live here and fight for real results.”
State Rep. Chris Rabb, State Rep. Morgan Cephas and others have also hinted they may form exploratory committees to consider running.
Weekly Roundup:
A new state senate bill in California would prohibit ICE agents from covering their faces with masks as they attempt to round up and detain people during operations. The “No Secret Police Act” was introduced in June and would require agents to wear uniforms or another identifier. “The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror. If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state,” said Senator Scott Wiener, a co-author of the bill.– Black Voice News
New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Investigations Committee Chair Gale Brewer are asking the city’s Department of Investigation to look into the possibility that the NYPD violated sanctuary city regulations, which are intended to prohibit the police from participating in federal immigration enforcement actions. “We are concerned by recent reports that information provided to federal agencies by the NYPD is now being used in civil immigration proceedings in ways that may violate New York City’s laws and New Yorkers’ Constitutional rights,” they wrote in a letter to the department. – Documented
Infrastructure, streetlights, flooding, and housing were all topics debated by four candidates for mayor of Detroit at a recent forum. Fred Durhal III, Saunteel Jenkins, Todd Perkins and Mary Sheffield each discussed their plans for dealing with these and other pressing issues facing the city. “We will have to build more resiliency into everything we do, and that will require community input, said Jenkins. Meanwhile, Sheffield said she’d invest in more single-family homes.
Durhal wanted to focus on blight, saying, “We are going to get aggressive on blight here. So we are going to charge you 25 times what the property tax millage is if you’re a contributor to blight here in the city of Detroit.” Perkins told the audience he wanted a “Detroiters first” agenda. “That’s not only contracting, but employment, and good employment and making sure that we retool our society,” he said. – Outlier Media
Quote of the Week:
"It's not the type of leadership that this country needs right now. But that's what we're getting Chaos. Cruelty. And corruption," – Hakeem Jeffries, after an 8.5 hour speech pushing against Donald Trump’s domestic agenda bill.
Recommended Reading:
North Carolina governor vetoes anti-DEI and transgender rights bills, calling them ‘mean-spirited’ - Associated Press
Intern for Rep. Ron Estes killed in Northwest D.C. shooting - Roll Call_________
Have a question? Write to us at [email protected].
Trump-era order hinders California’s wildfire response amid peak season - Black Voice News
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