Five
@Penn
faculty members are sitting on the intersection of 34th and Walnut streets, preventing police vans and trucks from entering campus. Shortly after this video, they were led away by police.
Follow along with
@dailypenn
:
BREAKING: An encampment has been established on College Green — making
@Penn
one of dozens of universities to have an encampment in solidarity with Palestine and demanding University divestment from Israel.
Some personal news: So excited to share that I’ll be joining
@freep
this summer as an audience engagement intern through
@DJNF
! I’m looking forward to learning more about social media, audience, and digital journalism. Can’t wait to get started!
#djnf24
After a great experience at my
@djnftemple24
training last month, today was my first day at
@freep
as an audience engagement intern! Excited to learn from the talented people and the city itself this summer.
Five years ago,
@PennSlaveryProj
was instrumental in toppling
@Penn
’s claim of “no direct university involvement with slavery.”
Since then, project affiliates say Penn has been reluctant to face its history and support the P&SP.
My latest for
@dailypenn
:
Penn community members described former
@UPennMEC
Director Harun Küçük as a “bridge-builder” and “heroic” to
@dailypenn
.
@Penn
Prof. Karen Redrobe classified the lack of a MEC director as a “real threat” to academic freedom.
My latest with Ethan Young:
I’m so excited to announce I’ve been elected the next politics desk editor at
@dailypenn
. There is no place I’d rather be in a big year for Penn in politics, with two presidential candidates and a new Philly mayor that are inextricably linked to Penn. Cheers to the 140th Board!
BREAKING: Philadelphia PD declined to immediately move in to respond to
@Penn
's request to clear the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, a City source told me.
For
@dailypenn
:
NEW: 74 members of Congress demanded the removal of
@Penn
President Liz Magill,
@Harvard
President Claudine Gay, and
@MIT
President Sally Kornbluth in a letter obtained by
@dailypenn
.
The (actual!) last print issue of the year — so proud of have been part of an incredible and thoughtful team that handled one of the toughest news cycles in collegiate journalism ever with fairness, strength, and empathy. Can’t wait to see what 2024 holds 💌
UPDATE: A Penn spokesperson wrote that the University reached out to the City, citing a need to “have the necessary resources to keep our community safe.”
BREAKING: Philadelphia PD declined to immediately move in to respond to
@Penn
's request to clear the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, a City source told me.
For
@dailypenn
:
NEW: More than a month after Marc Rowan’s letter to
@Penn
trustees, I spoke to multiple faculty members about their concerns for the future of academic freedom and freedom of speech on campus.
My latest for
@dailypenn
(& my first in 2024!):
BREAKING: 1968 Wharton graduate and former President Donald Trump is the first American president to become a felon, with the jury in his hush money case finding him guilty on all 34 counts.
Story to come in
@dailypenn
.
.
@DA_LarryKrasner
and
@CouncilmemberJG
visited Penn's Gaza Solidarity Encampment on Wednesday afternoon. Gauthier told the DP that, despite multiple attempts, her office has not been able to arrange a meeting with Interim President Jameson.
Absolute must-read from
@jasmineni_
and
@EthanMYoung_
— they’ve been working tirelessly and the final product is beyond impressive. Follow them to see more work from the summer
@dailypenn
team (and to see them continue going into the fall)!
NEW:
@Penn
's new temporary guidelines on open expression ban encampments and expand University enforcement powers -- but analysis reveals contradictions and ambiguities in the policies.
Read my latest w/
@EthanMYoung_
for
@dailypenn
:
BREAKING:
@Penn
President Liz Magill expressed regret for her statements during yesterday’s congressional hearing in a newly released video.
Read more at
@dailypenn
:
NEW:
@Penn
referred nine more members of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment for disciplinary action, bringing the total up to 12, according to an encampment spokesperson.
My latest with
@benbinday
for
@dailypenn
:
NEW: During an event on Thursday,
@GovernorShapiro
said Penn's Gaza Solidarity Encampment was "out of control" following Wednesday night's expansion, and that it was "past time" for the University to disband it.
My latest update in
@dailypenn
:
NEW:
@CouncilmemberJG
and
@RepKrajewski
— both Penn alumni representing Penn in government — released a joint statement, saying they were “disappointed” by Penn’s actions, including the decision to bring in riot police.
For
@dailypenn
:
Amid a wave of elite US universities cracking down on pro-Palestinian protests and organizations,
@Penn
is no exception — revoking Penn Against the Occupation’s student group status as of yesterday.
@benbinday
has the latest for
@dailypenn
:
BREAKING: Penn revokes student group registration of Penn Against the Occupation, a pro-Palestinian organization.
The PAO statement in response to the decision cited ongoing events at Columbia as the impetus.
My latest:
Read about how
@dailypenn
EIC
@jmitovich
and other EICs from across the country (some of whom I've admired for a long time!) perceive pro-Palestine protests on college campuses — including the Gaza Solidarity Encampment that the DP's been covering for the past nine days.
14 student journalists. 13 schools. 12 states.
Hear from them — in their own words — about the campus protests, the antisemitism debate, and the emotional toll of covering these events:
Amid heightened scrutiny from Congress on
@Penn
,
@dailypenn
crunched the numbers on Penn’s presence on the Hill. Among the findings: Penn alumni and affiliates have served in every Congress in U.S. history.
New from Nicholas Maharaj &
@ShaikhSina
:
Nearly 30% of Democratic voters on
@Penn
’s campus wrote in a presidential candidate in yesterday’s primaries, amid a national movement to vote “uncommitted” in protest of Biden’s Gaza policy.
@dailypenn
has the details on how Penn voted on Election Day:
Küçük will retain his role as a Penn faculty member, he confirmed in a statement to
@dailypenn
. He is currently an associate professor in the History and Sociology of Science department.
Read my latest with Ethan Young:
BREAKING: Penn Middle East Center director Harun Küçük submitted his resignation on Nov. 28, according to the Penn chapter of the American Association of University Professors.
On all accounts, it seems that Columbia University President and former Penn professor Minouche Shafik avoided the fate of former Penn President Liz Magill during Wednesday’s
@EdWorkforceCmte
hearing on antisemitism.
New from Jasmine Ni in
@dailypenn
:
Amazing work by
@neema_baddam
, who is one of
@dailypenn
’s summer news editors this year. Neema,
@EthanMYoung_
, and Nicholas Maharaj are going to do great work leading the charge for the next couple of months — follow them! (and
@emily_scol
who’s going to be their EIC!)
The
@dailypenn
compiled a timeline of the last 24 hours, starting with the attempted take-over of Fisher-Bennett Hall and extending through the subsequent arrests and protests around campus.
Read my latest:
BREAKING: Pro-Palestine protestors shouting “Endowment transparency now, divest from genocide” interrupted the
@Penn
Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, forcing the meeting to adjourn within less than 10 minutes.
With
@EthanMYoung_
for
@dailypenn
:
NEW: Pa. state Republican reps. formed an "envoy" to combat antisemitism at
@Penn
after the state withheld Penn Vet's $31 million in funding,
@RepBryanCutler
wrote in a letter to the University.
My last for
@dailypenn
(& the DP's last overall!) in 2023:
very different from my usual content, but i loved writing this Word on the Street for
@34ST
’s dining guide about homesickness, food, and Asian supermarkets. i hope you enjoy reading it (online or in print!) just as much.
.
@dailypenn
is in DC covering
@JudiciaryGOP
's hearing of former Special Counsel Robert Hur, who declined to prosecute President Joe Biden over intentionally retained classified documents — some of which were found at
@PennBiden
.
Qiyam Ansari, a member of Valley Clean Air Now, is presenting at the town hall. He notes that US Steel was fined more than $10 million in the span of the past four years — but that more accountability is needed.
some of the best reporting i have read in awhile. ethnic studies programs esp in indigenous studies are so so important especially when every single university ceremony starts off with a land acknowledgement
Penn’s only Indigenous tenured professor and longtime Indigenous Studies coordinator retired in June. Students say they received no communication from the school about the program’s future despite dwindling course offerings and a lack of professors. Read:
The Monterey Park mass shooting was down the block from the hospital where I was born, in a city that is my first & forever home. On its first anniversary, I desperately hope this tragedy that so deeply shook my community won’t be forgotten.
Brandon Tsay wrestled a firearm away from the hands of a mass gunman at his family’s dance hall in Monterey Park last year.
On the first anniversary of the shooting on Jan. 21, Tsay is calling for more reforms to gun legislation.
Good morning from day two of Penn's Gaza Solidarity Encampment, which began peacefully. As people start to wake up, they're bringing in more food and supplies, and programming has been announced for later today.
Follow along with
@dailypenn
:
BREAKING: On its 14th day, Penn’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment expanded to the other side of College Green. Simultaneously, around 40 Philadelphia PD officers entered Penn’s campus — the largest presence since the encampment started.
Follow at
@dailypenn
:
@beaformanwrites
@PhillyInquirer
As an Asian American FGLI student I’m really worried about my FGLI peers. Having diverse peers and a diverse friend group has been the cornerstone of my college experience and striking down AA means a less meaningful college experience for me and many others.
The issue of Palestine and Israel has divided campus in the past couple of months. According to my conversations with multiple Penn students, it’s also influenced the way they’ll vote for president this coming November.
My latest for
@dailypenn
:
BREAKING: Interim
@Penn
President Larry Jameson issued a statement to the Penn community, announcing greater community support amid clashes at other schools between pro-Palestine activists and university administrations.
From
@emily_scol
&
@EthanMYoung_
:
Former Special Counsel Robert Hur was grilled by
@JudiciaryGOP
&
@HouseJudiciary
yesterday about classified documents “willfully retained” by President Joe Biden — some of which were found at
@PennBiden
.
Paige Rawiszer and I report from DC for
@dailypenn
:
2016 Fels graduate and
@PhillyMayor
Cherelle Parker announced her budget proposal on Thursday. In it, she says that UPHS CEO
@kevinbmahoney
is working with the City on public health initiatives for vulnerable residents.
My latest for
@dailypenn
:
For
#DJNFTemple24
, I'll be reporting live about the
@SwpaAirQuality
Town Hall, a resident-led town hall about the air quality in Allegheny County. Follow along here:
It's day eight of Penn's Gaza Solidarity Encampment. As a protest at the Ben Franklin statue nears its fifth hour and saw clashes with counterprotesters, tensions are running high with increased police presence.
Follow along with
@dailypenn
's coverage:
NEW: Gov.
@JoshShapiroPA
proposed more than $33 million in funding for
@pennvet
and the Division of Infectious Diseases, less than two months after the Pa. House struck down the same funding for last fiscal year.
My latest for
@dailypenn
:
Fabulous and diligent reporting from
@benbinday
on an incredibly important story — so crucial in keeping organizations accountable. Read more in
@dailypenn
:
Wharton’s graduate student government has allegedly withheld $90K in funding — raised through Penn Fight Night — for
@BGCPhila
’s Literacy Initiative.
“The kids really need this money,” one source was told by the Club.
My latest with
@dailypenn
:
NEW: After this morning’s sweep of Penn’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment, multiple politicians issued statements about it — some with praise, some with deep concern.
My latest in a hectic day for
@dailypenn
:
NEW: In a statement to
@dailypenn
,
@JoshShapiroPA
spokesperson
@manuel_bonder
wrote that "University leaders must follow through" on their commitment to students' safety, as the encampment hits its 25th hour.
BREAKING: The
@EdWorkforceCmte
demanded
@Penn
produce information and documents about the University’s response to antisemitism and free speech on campus.
Read more in
@dailypenn
:
NEW: Community members gathered in surprise and shock yesterday as demolition began on the UC Townhomes. Multiple sources, including
@CouncilmemberJG
's office, told
@dailypenn
they only learned of the demolition after it began.
My &
@emily_scol
's latest:
Fantastic piece by Jasmine Ni for
@dailypenn
on the takeaways from
@GovernorShapiro
’s budget proposal, with some valuable Penn angles and perspectives:
NEW: In a report, the DOJ declined to indict President Biden over “willfully retained” classified documents — including some found at
@PennBiden
.
It also questioned the soundness of his memory, which Biden later rebuked.
My latest for
@dailypenn
:
Pennsylvania goes to the polls today, but fear not if you haven't been up to speed —
@dailypenn
has got you covered with our 2024 primary ballot guide, from polling locations to candidate profiles to a ballot measure explanation.
Jasmine Ni reports:
“[Youth voters] are going to be focused on the choice … it’s a choice between extremism and delivering for the people, whether it’s in my race or in the presidential race,” Casey told
@dailypenn
.
Fantastic event coverage by Ethan Crawford:
As Penn starts its spring semester,
@dailypenn
took a look at the federal investigations the University is facing over recent allegations of antisemitism.
New from Paige Rawiszer and Ethan Crawford (and A1 of the DP's first 2024 print issue!):
Honorable mentions:
@dailypenn
has one of the best Instagram feeds of a student newspaper (completely unbiased opinion)
@washingtonpost
's TikTok is iconic — and has 1.7 million followers for good reason
NEW: In a statement to
@dailypenn
,
@Penn
said it was "closely monitoring" the encampment taking place on College Green.
A Penn spokesperson said there will be "consequences" for those who violate University policy or "disrupt University business."
LIVE: Follow along as
@dailypenn
staff anticipate a packed day ahead, with a student march at City Hall, a community listening session, and
@Penn
preparing for potential protests on campus — all as Penn Relays is taking place.
(Early) good morning from day five of the encampment. There were heightened tensions late last night with fears of arrests, but there’s a large showing of administrators and police for 8 a.m.
Follow
@dailypenn
for the latest:
A special shout out and thank you to DJNF,
@kirawangg
for her help and guidance, and to
@imrannsiddiqui
for getting me excited about Michigan (I’ve heard so much about it!)
@Lizzym03
like i cannot picture a statement more emphatically pro israel other than something like “we’re going to host an event with idf soldiers” bc genuinely idk what they want
5.
@mattxiv
's Instagram
Again, not a newspaper, but Matt Bernstein's iconic pink-to-blue gradient backgrounds and collage styles on news infographics make his branding one of the strongest in the sphere of social justice social media.
NEW: The
@WaysandMeansGOP
requested information from
@Penn
by April 4 about allegations of foreign influence and its handling of on-campus antisemitism.
The latest from Jasmine Ni in
@dailypenn
:
Ethan Young and I talked to multiple Penn community members who received threats — some violent, often harassing — after participating in pro-Palestine demonstrations over the last two weeks.
Read my latest for
@dailypenn
:
NEW:
@benbinday
and Neema Baddam look at Interim
@Penn
President Larry Jameson's journey — from Chapel Hill to College Hall — in a fabulous read (that was a pleasure to copy edit!) for
@dailypenn
:
We spoke with 22 current and former colleagues of Penn president Larry Jameson as he is tasked with stabilizing the University after Liz Magill’s resignation.
Here’s what we found, from myself and Neema Baddam at
@dailypenn
Good afternoon on day four of Penn’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment. No arrests, but the encampment is facing its largest counterdemonstration yet as over 200 pro-Israeli protesters gather outside
@AnnenbergPenn
.
Follow
@dailypenn
for live updates.
News never stops, not even for finals…
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted to stop funding Penn Vet — which it had funded for 134 years — in the wake of antisemitism concerns on campus.
New in
@dailypenn
from
@ben_binday
and Ethan Young:
Professor and former MEC Director Robert Vitalis had advised Küçük to resign, he told the DP.
“The president and the provost have lost sight of the university’s academic mission, and I am ashamed of a place that once inspired me,” Vitalis wrote.
1.
@dailytrojan
's Instagram
As an LA native, I pledge my loyalty to the Bruins, but the Trojans win this round. With a coherent theme, stark contrasts, and a good mix of photos, DT's posts are striking yet effective. I especially love this post:
Controller Corey O'Connor, the presenter of the Clean Air Fund audit on the Zoom call today, said that marginalized communities are paying the price of pollution in the area.
And so marks day one of Penn's own Gaza Solidarity Encampment in support of Palestine, where more than 20 tents remain on College Green.
@dailypenn
will be reporting bright and early tomorrow morning for day two — follow along for more:
It’s day seven of Penn’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment. An unknown person was detained today after spraying an odorous liquid, and
@CouncilmemberJG
says she still hasn’t been able to get in contact with Interim President Jameson.
Follow along at
@dailypenn
:
Good morning. It’s day three of Penn’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment. It’s quiet now, but a lot could change in the next 24 hours — with a significant counterprotest late last night and threat of arrest after
@Penn
’s message.
Follow
@dailypenn
’s reporting:
NEW: Special Counsel Robert Hur writes that "no criminal charges are warranted" for President Biden, despite finding that classified documents were intentionally retained — including at
@PennBiden
Center.
Story to come in
@dailypenn
.
NEW: Coinciding with a march that started at 2 p.m. in Center City,
@Penn
faculty members will walk out at 4 p.m. “in defense of the First Amendment and students’ right to protest.”
Follow along with live updates from
@dailypenn
: