May 18, 2025 (Around the Block)

Around the Block is a community news program from the Block by Block team at WPPM-LP 106.5 FM. On this program we explore issues in the Philadelphia region with voices from the community – with reports from our team of community journalists and live in-studio interviews.

This episode features a story about the annual Queen of the Park skateboarding competition for women and LGBTQ skaters at FDR Park in South Philly, and a live interview with Julie Platt of Better Civics about the May 20th primary election in Philadelphia.

Better Civics aims to help increase civic engagement and voter participation by helping ensure that people understand how government and elections work. She’s also a political strategist who has worked on campaigns for politicians, unions, and non-profits in the region and Julie teaches classes on public health policy and advocacy at Thomas Jefferson University.

On this episode, she helps break down what voters need to know about races for District Attorney and City Controller as well as the importance of judicial elections and ballot questions.

K. Michelle Watson and Crystal Herrera hosted this episode, and Thomas Hagen was board operator.

Brad Linder is Radio News Managing Editor for WPPM. Peta Liu is Radio Operations Manager. And Allison Durham is WPPM’s Radio Program Manager.