The Philly Four: Protesters demand city addresses poor conditions in prisons

Sam Britt/ News Break

Hospitals face rising labor costs

• Hospitals across the country are struggling to deal with labor costs that surged over the course of the pandemic. Between 2019 and March 2022, labor costs rose by 37% per patient. The largest driver behind this increase was the cost of traveling nurses, who earn three times as much as staff nurses. On top of those costs, worker shortages in every aspect at hospitals has compounded the problem.

Man sentenced for stalking, shooting at Montco Democrat HQ

• A man was sentenced to more than three years in prison for shooting at the Montgomery County Democratic Party office. Francis Nero began cyberstalking the office, sending threatening messages about how it needed to beef up security and be ready for random acts of violence. Nero followed through on his threat and fired three shots into the window of the office on January 2021. Nero's gripes with the party involved the COVID-19 shutdown and the election.

Protesters demand action on condition of city's detention centers

• As the Philadelphia City Council met to hear testimony from the prison commissioner, protesters outside of city hall made their voices heard and demanded action to make the city's prisons safer. Protesters pointed to the unsanitary conditions, describing rats and roaches running through the buildings, and how the city's jails have a mortality rate 77% higher than the national average.

Sixers season comes to an end

• The Philadelphia 76ers were knocked out of the NBA Playoffs on Thursday night, losing Game 6 to the Miami Heat 99-90. The main storylines of the loss were the futures of both James Harden and Doc Rivers. Rivers spoke cryptically about his future during his postgame press conference, stating that the team actually had no expectations when he arrived. Harden disappointed in the second half, only attempting two shots and making neither of them. Former Sixer and current Heat star Jimmy Butler rubbed salt in the wound, mocking Philadelphia's decision to keep Tobias Harris over him during the postgame celebration.