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** 1. We must not become indifferent ([link removed])
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By Guy Ciarrocchi

Charlie Kirk was assassinated. We do not yet know the murderer, but we have a strong sense of why this dad and husband was gunned down.

I was on my way to an AI discussion in Pittsburgh on how Pittsburgh and all of Pennsylvania could become a national leader in AI technology, jobs and innovation — to talk with people of various ideologies, expertise and insights, who share a common interest and common goals.

Then my wife texted me. She texted our family group chat. I texted with friends, fellow commentators, and thought leaders across our region, and nation. I prayed for his recovery. I prayed for his soul. I cried. I prayed, again.

Why It Matters. It hurts us more because we live in the world of ideas. Because we believe in the American experiment. Because we want to debate. To make our points. To hear others. To resolve problems. To advance America. This hurts not only because it’s so unfair and so extreme. It’s because it’s a blow to the American experiment. We have to look to our faith in God. And to our belief in America and push on. And hug our family.

Charlie Kirk — a dad, a husband, a thought leader — was gunned down, mostly likely because of what he loved to do: educate, debate and promote the American experiment.

We must redouble our efforts to be active, engaged citizens — and to love our families.

Continue Reading ([link removed])


** 2. Philly School District spent at least $309,000 sending staff to local union conference despite travel policy ([link removed])
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By Todd Shepherd

The School District of Philadelphia spent at least $309,000 for several hundred of its employees to attend a union conference in March, according to documents obtained via a Right to Know Law request. Many of the expenses conflict with the district’s own travel policies.

About $294,000 went to registration fees at $440–$500 per person, and roughly $14,500 covered about 40 hotel rooms, bringing the total to about $309,000 — even though the conference was located in Philadelphia.

If the district has a rationale for the expenses, or if it disputes the totals, it did not respond to a lengthy request for comment from Broad + Liberty. Nothing in the current CASAunion contract ([link removed]) would seem to require the district to directly pay for or support union-led conferences, and the district did not point to any contract provision requiring it to pay for such conferences.

Why It Matters. At a minimum, the hotel expenses would seem to conflict with part of the district’s travel policies, one of which urges employees to attend conferences by virtual means, seemingly with expenses in mind.

"Employees who seek reimbursement for conference attendance shall choose virtual conference attendance, if that is available, or choose the most local location for in-person attendance if virtual attendance is not an option,”the policy says ([link removed]) .

Yet another policy addresses the point more specifically,saying ([link removed]) , “An overnight stay is not permitted within the greater Philadelphia region unless the Superintendent or their designee grants an exception[.]”

If “exception” forms were created, they were not turned over in response to the Right to Know request.

Continue Reading ([link removed])


** 3. Lightning Round
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* Beth Ann Rosica: Teacher attrition — student behavior and school safety drive ongoing crisis ([link removed])
* Brian Wink: William Penn and the right to free speech ([link removed])
* Ben Mannes: Can the National Guard stop crime beyond D.C.? ([link removed])
* Thom Nickels: Life, death, and poetry on the Frankford El ([link removed])
* Paul Davis: Masked marauders — dealing with raccoons in the city ([link removed])
* Stew Bolno: Trump’s business experience is the secret to his success ([link removed])
* Ada Nestor: Voters will soon get their say on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court ([link removed])


** 4. What we're reading
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All we — and most anyone else — have been reading this week have been about the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk on Wednesday in Utah. But more than the analysis of the killer and his crime, we would choose to focus on the many tributes penned by those who knew Kirk well, and those whose lives were touched by him. Adam Rubenstein’s article, “The Charlie Kirk I Knew ([link removed]) ,” is one. Ben Shapiro’s “The Assassination of Charlie Kirk and the Fight for America’s Soul ([link removed]) ,” is another. We should all reflect on the man, his mission, and the hope that America can collectively pull back from this perilous precipice.


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— The Editors at Broad + Liberty
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