Philly journalist charged after viral confrontation with conservative influencer

A former journalism intern is charged with pepper-spraying a conservative Philadelphia influencer during a heated, viral altercation on a SEPTA bus, per court records obtained by Axios.

The big picture: Paulina Reyes, a 22-year-old former WHYY intern, drew national attention after a video showed her calling Surge Philly founder Frank Scales a "fascist," attempting to grab his phone and spraying him in the face, allegedly with pepper spray.

The clip — filmed by one of Scales' colleagues — racked up millions of views and fueled backlash across conservative media, prompting a response from Elon Musk, who said Reyes had "violence issues."