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A Philadelphia newspaper has apologized for publishing a 'highly insensitive' cartoon criticizing Israel's response to the Hamas terrorist attack. The Philadelphia Inquirer admitted that the illustration by Monte Wolverton contained 'anti-Semitic tropes' and 'should never have been published'. The inflammatory image feature a black military boot branded with a Star of David to represent the state of Israel about to step down on a crowd of Palestinians.

The Philadelphia Inquirer endorsed Rep. Conor Lamb (Pa.) in the state’s Democratic Senate primary race on Sunday, arguing that his time in Congress combined with his history of winning tough elections makes him a better choice than his top rival, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman. “Pennsylvanians deserve a senator who is more than just a plus-one vote for the Democratic caucus in the Senate; it’s crucial that voters elect a candidate who would add value by representing the commonwealth,” the newspaper’s editorial board wrote.

Imagine this: It’s a gray, chilly day in Washington, D.C., in March of 2023. A handful of protesters from left-leaning groups like Indivisible are huddled outside against the icy Potomac winds, but mostly there’s a climate of disbelief in the nation’s capitol as the GOP-dominated House of Representatives wraps up debate over the impeachment of Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., 46th president of the United States. It was little more than five months since the Republicans gained 43 House seats in the 2022 midterms, many in newly gerrymandered seats, and since the incoming chair of House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jim Jordan...

President Donald Trump on Wednesday summoned Republican members of the Pennsylvania legislature to the White House after a GOP hearing in Gettysburg in which Trump phoned in to reassert his false claim that he “won Pennsylvania by a lot.” But on Thursday, no one wanted to talk about the meeting. The White House did not issue a public statement about the visit, and lawmakers who made the trip to Washington were silent. President-elect Joe Biden won Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes by 80,555 votes, according to the results Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar certified Tuesday. The former vice...

Journalists at The Philadelphia Inquirer staged a partial walkout Thursday in outrage at a headline over the George Floyd protests that twisted the name of the group Black Lives Matter to read, “Buildings Matter, Too.” “On June 4, we’re calling in sick and tired,” stated a letter signed by at least 44 “Journalists of Color of The Philadelphia Inquirer.” “Sick and tired of pretending things are OK,” added the letter, tweeted by many of those stating they were staying home in protest. “The carelessness of our leadership makes it harder to do our jobs, and at worst puts our lives...

The South Jersey Democrat leader George Norcross and a group of businessman announced today they will buy Philadelphia's two major daily newspapers, The Inquirer and the Daily News, and the website philly.com for $55 million. The purchase of Philadelphia Media Network Inc. from a group of hedge funds underscored the growing influence of Norcross, 56, a wealthy insurance executive and arguably the most powerful Democrat in New Jersey. (snip) "I don't think George is buying this paper because he's a big believer in the first amdendment or because he wants to hold the powerful accountable," Paul Davies, a former deputy...

Announcement of sale of newspapers, website expected MondayBy Mike Armstrong, Inquirer Staff WriterThe sale of The Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com will likely be announced Monday, according to several sources. A local investor group has spent much of the last two months negotiating to acquire PMN from its hedge-fund owners in a transaction valued at $55 million to $60 million, according to multiple reports. With paperwork still to be signed, delays are always possible at the 11th hour. The buyers of Philadelphia Media Network Inc. are a group of local investors, led by George E. Norcross III, executive...

Webster’s defines greed as “a selfish and excessive desire for more of something than is needed.” But there should be another entry: Teamsters Local 628. You see, these are the guys who destroyed months of work by those trying to resurrect the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News papers. The Teamsters were the ONLY union out of 16 who chose not to negotiate in good faith (READ: common sense) with the papers’ prospective new owners. In doing so, they have jeopardized thousands of jobs. The deal is off, and the papers are going back on the auction block. Worse still, former...

Thursday, August 20, 2009 Local investors bid to own Philly newspapers A group of local investors led by real estate executive Bruce Toll is offering a plan valued at $92 million to purchase the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News and philly.com, and lead the organization out of bankruptcy. According to a release, the new ownership group would include the Carpenters’ Union Pension Fund and Penn Matrix Investments. “Today, Philadelphians once again stepped up in a big way. The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and philly.com filed a reorganization plan that will allow the company to emerge successfully from bankruptcy while...

Philadelphia Newspapers, the company that publishes the Philadelphia Inquirer, admitted in court filings last week that if it does not get a proposed loan, it would have to cease publication. "Absent the proposed DIP facility and the use of the cash collateral, the debtors likely will be unable to pay their ordinary business expenses, including employee wages," said the filing. "In that event, all operations will cease -- employees will be terminated, the Philadelphia Inquirer will no longer be published, and all assets on which the prepetition senior lenders assert a lien will be liquidated." The filing did not give...

Philadelphia Newspapers L.L.C., which owns The Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com, filed for bankruptcy protection today in a bid to restructure its $390 million in debt load. The company, bought by a group of Philadelphia-area investors for $562 million in 2006, said the voluntary Chapter 11 filing would not interrupt its daily operations.

The Bulletin and other media outlets have recently disclosed ongoing discussions between Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, D, and Philadelphia Media Holdings (PMH) Publisher and CEO Brian Tierney. A possible taxpayer bailout of the struggling media company stands at the heart of the issue. PMH bought the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News in 2006 for $562 million, and approximately $400 million remains in debt. The company defaulting because it has not made a payment on its loan since June of last year. There has been significant public opposition to a media entity seeking financial support from the government, including a Wall...

It is no secret the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News have severe financial difficulties. The parent company of both newspapers, Philadelphia Media Holdings, has missed its debt payments since June, and according to Bloomberg News, the company is in “technical default” on its loans. The papers were bought from the McClatchy Company in 2006 for $562 million. There are currently no buyers, especially given the recent volatility experienced by media entities nationwide. Making the situation even more precarious is that, even if there were a prospective buyer, obtaining financing in these market conditions is difficult, if not impossible. The Tribune...

The owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News has missed a June 1 interest payment on $85 million of loans and is in talks with lenders for relief, according to a report released Thursday by a debt ratings agency. Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC did not maintain the necessary senior debt-to-cash flow ratio -- which can happen when cash flow shrinks -- required by its senior lenders, according to Standard and Poor's Leveraged Commentary and Data unit. As a result, senior lenders blocked the company's interest payments to $85 million in junior loans held by another group of lenders. That's...

This morning’s meeting over at 400 North Broad was worse than anybody thought. Straight from a Newspaper Guild release: Tierney: We Face A Dire Situation The company held a meeting this morning with representatives of all the unions at which publisher Brian Tierney described a grim financial picture for Philadelphia Newspapers. Citing the struggling economy and PN problems meeting debt requirements, Tierney predicted “a dire situation” by summer or fall if the company cannot find ways to cut costs by 10 percent. Company executives intend to meet one-on-one with each union to discuss ways in which savings might be achieved....

From: Ferris, Kevin [mailto:kferris@phillynews.com] Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 12:19 PM To: inquirer.letters@phillynews.com Subject: Letters needed Greetings The Inquirer is putting together a few advance letters packages for the weeks during the holiday, and as a former letter writer we wanted to invite you to participate. You have four chances to write, in response to the four questions below. You’re welcome to submit replies to as many of the questions as you like, though I’ll warn you in advance that we won’t be able to publish all the replies that we receive. You’ll see that two of the questions are...

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday began a round of long-expected layoffs amid a drop in circulation and ad revenue. Several reporters at the Inquirer, Pennsylvania's largest newspaper, said they were told Tuesday morning that their jobs were being eliminated. The employees said that they were told to meet with personnel officials on Wednesday to discuss details of their severance pay and health benefits. The specific number of layoffs is still unclear because some Inquirer employees have already taken other jobs since word of the impending layoffs was announced in November. Neither company spokesman Jay Devine nor Inquirer editor...

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The largest union at Philadelphia's two biggest daily newspapers is planning to launch an online newspaper to compete with the company Web site if workers go on strike after midnight on Thursday. Employees from The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News would contribute local content that will be edited and posted online, said Stu Bykofsky, a Daily News columnist and spokesman for their union, The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia. ``It's to provide news and information for the community so they won't be deprived,'' he said. In competing with Philly.com, the union's PhilaPapers.com would sell ads and...

PHILADELPHIA -- The largest union at Philadelphia's two major daily newspapers said Monday that its members don't want another one-month contract extension and are prepared to go on strike once the current pact expires Thursday. The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia, which represents over 900 workers at The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News, met with management over the holiday weekend and made limited progress, said union President Henry Holcomb. The union is especially opposed to proposals by owner Philadelphia Media Holdings to take over the pension plan and scrap seniority. The company has proposed halting payments to the pension...

Brian Tierney, a onetime critic of the Philadelphia Inquirer who wound up buying the paper, is determined to take his new property in a different direction. "We don't need a Jerusalem bureau," he says. "What we need are more people in the South Jersey bureau." But six months after this advertising and public relations executive gained control of a once-proud newspaper that routinely ranked among the country's top 10, he is considering layoffs of as much as 30 percent of an already reduced newsroom staff. That would mean even fewer journalists covering those New Jersey suburbs and just about everywhere...