Author: The Inquirer Editorial Board

Delaware Avenue used to be Philadelphia’s party district. During the 1990s, when nightclub culture was in full swing, people flocked to riverfront venues like Egypt and Maui. While patrons enjoyed the riverfront’s dance era, many of the people living nearby did not.

With the assistance of their district councilperson, Frank DiCicco, neighbors in Northern Liberties and Fishtown instituted restrictions in 2002 on what kind of businesses could operate in the area. This meant new bars and restaurants adjacent to the nightclub zone would have to go to the city’s zoning board for approval.

These days, club culture has faded. Young people are staying home, drinking less, and dancing is done on TikTok. Yet, the restrictive zoning rules remain — out of step with the neighborhood’s current needs and realities.

Take the new bar and restaurant proposed by the Slider Co. for a building at 2043 Frankford Ave. in Fishtown. Since the restriction affects any establishment that serves food or drinks, the business has been mired in red tape that has so far cost owners more than $40,000 in fees and six months in delays, according to reporting by The Inquirer’s Jake Blumgart.

Even after prevailing recently at the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the eatery could still face further delays — and more legal fees — if an appeal is filed.

These obstacles are a self-imposed limit on prosperity for Philadelphia.

The city’s onerous wage and business taxes are often cited as a reason for the lack of economic growth, paucity of businesses, and stagnant job market. Having these zoning restrictions on the books contributes to these problems — without even the benefit of helping to fund city services. Instead, the tens of thousands in legal fees and rent payments go directly to local law firms and landlords.

It is also inherently unfair. With no objective standards, entrepreneurs are forced to defend themselves against vague arguments. A potential neighbor of the Slider Co. argued to the zoning board that a bar and restaurant would be out of character for the corridor. Never mind that the area is already home to LeoFigs, a winery and restaurant, St. Oner’s restaurant, and Brewery ARS. This incongruity led some neighbors to allege that opposition may be based on race. The Slider Co.’s owners are Black, and most of Fishtown is not.

Over time, maintaining these kinds of zoning restrictions incentivizes the growth of the kind of national franchises that can afford to go through the process, as opposed to the scrappy local options that lack the resources needed to wait out the delays. This board has long opposed the proliferation of these types of limits, as well as the tradition of councilmanic prerogative that makes them possible.

Given City Council is unlikely to give up prerogative — the tradition of allowing district Council members to control land use in their districts — or to stop adopting zoning restrictions anytime soon, one way they can mitigate some of the resulting bureaucratic entanglement for future Philadelphians is to enact a sunset provision.

Attaching an expiration date to zoning restrictions would change the conversation.

Instead of asking why a zoning overlay should be repealed, policymakers would ask why it should be extended. In some cases, antiquated restrictions may simply disappear. After all, the nightclub restriction along Delaware Avenue is not the only one that could use a refresh.

In much of South Philadelphia, residents are prohibited from adding a third story to their homes without including an 8-foot setback. Beyond making for some truly ugly streetscapes, the requirement also makes the high cost of adding a floor futile by eliminating a sizable chunk of the new square footage. This restriction was passed with the aim of preventing gentrification, but instead, it just makes it harder for families to rightsize their homes for the remote work era.

Creating a sunset clause doesn’t stop Council members from protecting their communities from unwanted changes; it just allows Philadelphia the chance to evolve with the times.

It says a lot about the state of affairs when a Puerto Rican singer and rapper does more to unify the country in about 13 minutes than the president of the United States has done in the past 13 months.

Bad Bunny’s halftime performance at Super Bowl XL was all about love, while Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office is focused on hate.

Bad Bunny’s joyful celebration of unity, diversity, and togetherness was a needed respite from Trump’s cruelty, retribution, and division.

Even though many of the more than 135 million viewers may not have understood the words Bad Bunny sang in Spanish, just about everyone could feel the positive vibe and communal celebration that showcased dancing, hard work, urban street life, family — and a wedding.

Bad Bunny’s ode to Puerto Rico was a reminder that we are neighbors, not enemies. More broadly, the United States is part of the American continent that includes Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and Greenland.

We are all stronger when we work together than when we are at each other’s throats.

Bad Bunny’s positive message stood in stark contrast to the president’s relentless serving of hate that is dividing and weakening the country.

Just last week, Trump posted a racist video on his social media account that depicted former president and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.

In case anyone needed a reminder that Trump has been a stone-cold racist throughout his life, he refused to apologize for the vile meme.

Eventually, he removed the post after several — but not many — GOP officials called out the blatant racism. The bipartisan backlash is a reminder that it will only take a few good Republican men and women to stop Trump’s attack on America’s institutions and its people.

Trump’s racist meme about the Obamas came on the heels of a racist and misleading move by the White House that posted a digitally altered image of a Black woman who was arrested while demonstrating against the unlawful actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis.

The image released darkened Nekima Levy Armstrong’s skin and showed her sobbing, though the real picture depicted her as composed. Such detestable propaganda is how the Trump administration spends your tax dollars.

Trump is not a serious president.

As much of the country remained in a deep freeze, he spent his 20th weekend at his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., since returning to office last year.

He played golf with lackey Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), and fired off more than 50 social media posts whining about rigged elections (still), the halftime show, and a U.S. Olympic skier he called a “loser” after the athlete expressed “mixed emotions” about representing the country amid Trump’s politics of upheaval.

The only thing Trump is serious about is enriching himself while many Americans struggle to make ends meet.

An updated accounting by the New Yorker magazine found Trump and his family leveraged his return to the White House to increase their wealth by $4 billion.

Lost in all the recent outrages from the Jeffrey Epstein files to Greenland to shooting citizens in Minneapolis was a Wall Street Journal story that detailed how a member of the United Arab Emirates royal family known as the “spy sheikh” invested $500 million to buy 49% of a crypto start-up founded by the Trump family.

The crypto deal came together as the Trump administration agreed to give the Emirati government hundreds of thousands of advanced computer chips to power artificial intelligence technology — a deal the Biden administration rejected out of national security concerns that the chips could be shared to help China advance its military weapons systems.

About 70% of Americans believe the country is “out of control” under Trump.

Many are fed up with his mismanagement of the economy that has resulted in higher prices and fewer jobs — in addition to defying courts, prosecuting political opponents, arresting citizens, deporting immigrants, and stifling free speech.

The landslide special election victory of a Democrat in a deep-red district in Texas shows voters are putting community before party.

Then along came Bad Bunny to remind America that love trumps hate.

The recent state Supreme Court ruling that a receiver can’t unilaterally sell the Chester Water Authority to a for-profit company was a big win for its customers. But it complicated a plan to use the sale to bail out the city of Chester.

While the court ruling is the final word on the sale, there is more to be done to safeguard utility customers across the commonwealth and help the residents of Chester.

The best way to protect all utility customers in Pennsylvania would be for the General Assembly to repeal Act 12. The misguided legislation, spearheaded by lobbyists, opened the door in 2016 for the sale of municipal water and sewer systems.

The law was supposed to help distressed utility systems. Instead, for-profit companies have largely purchased well-run systems and massively and routinely increased the rates that customers pay.

Since Aqua Pennsylvania purchased the sewer system in New Garden Township in Chester County in 2020, for example, residents have seen their rates increase 200%, according to a consumer group fighting the sales. Other cities and towns have seen their bills go up by 100% or more.

In short, Act 12 has failed to accomplish what it was allegedly designed to do.

To his credit, State Sen. John Kane, a Democrat who represents parts of Chester and Delaware Counties, has proposed repealing Act 12, but few lawmakers in Harrisburg are brave enough to stand up to the influential for-profit water companies.

Short of a repeal, lawmakers must reform Act 12. At the very least, the law should be amended to require that the sale of any public utility be put to a vote. The residents who pay for the utility should decide whether to sell it, not the local politicians. If residents approve a sale, the utility should be put out to a public bid and not negotiated in private.

Such reforms, while not perfect, would give residents some protection from local elected officials selling off public utilities for short-term gains without their input.

The court was right to rule that the city of Chester could not sell the water authority. After all, the authority serves roughly 200,000 people in more than 30 municipalities across Chester and Delaware Counties.

It is understandable that the city wanted to sell the water authority. The City of Chester, which has about 34,000 residents, filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy in 2022.

Aqua offered to buy the water authority in 2017 for $320 million. Two years later, the for-profit company increased its offer to $410 million.

The board that oversees the water authority unanimously rejected the offer, but the city council in Chester viewed the sale as a way out of its financial problems.

But any short-term gain for the city would likely have resulted in a sharp increase in water bills for customers. This would have put more financial stress on residents in Chester, which has a poverty rate of 30%, making it one of the poorest municipalities in the state.

Residents in Chester and Delaware Counties would have also seen steep increases in their water bills. The water authority is already well run, so there is little to be gained by a sale.

However, the court’s ruling leaves the city of Chester in a bind. There is a vehicle in place to help Chester. Act 47, known as the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act, supplies funding to help municipalities in financial distress.

The city of Harrisburg, the city of Chester, and the borough of Newville are already part of the Act 47 program. State lawmakers should increase funding for Act 47 to help the commonwealth’s distressed municipalities.

That is the best solution to a thorny problem. It also avoids the sale of public utilities that will only result in bigger bills coming due for ratepayers.

Just ask the residents in New Garden and other towns whose local elected officials sold them out to for-profit companies.

The killings, assaults, and gaslighting by the Trump administration in Minneapolis have been heart-wrenching and appalling.

But the costly chaos has also raised a difficult question: Is Philadelphia prepared if Donald Trump launches an immigration crackdown here?

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has largely remained mum on all things Trump. She believes non-provocation is the best way to keep the peace. Given the president’s erratic approach to governing, that strategy may work until something as inane as a Fox News segment sets him off.

That’s why two progressive City Council members, Kendra Brooks and Rue Landau, want the city to do more. They proposed a package of bills designed to make it harder for Trump’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to operate in Philadelphia.

If approved, the measures would codify into law the existing practices that limit cooperation with immigration enforcement agents, which are currently in place through executive orders by previous mayors. Those orders prohibit city officials from holding undocumented immigrants in custody without a judicial warrant, among other things.

The Council bills would go further by barring ICE agents from wearing masks, using city-owned property for staging raids, or accessing city databases.

The measures seem well-intended, but Parker administration officials doubt they will withstand legal challenges. Nor does Parker welcome anything that may irk Trump.

“Our strategy is working, and it’s keeping Philadelphia safe from all this nonsense,” an administration official who asked not to be identified told the Editorial Board.

Some argue the mayor’s silence signals complicity, and is cold comfort for the city’s estimated 76,000 undocumented immigrants, or the many others who have legal status but still fear harassment — a perfectly rational concern given how ICE under the Trump administration has conducted itself so far.

Beyond the murders of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, everyone has watched federal agents act with violent impunity in the name of purportedly going after the “worst of the worst” undocumented immigrants.

Armed ICE agents entered a U.S. citizen’s home without a warrant and took him away in his underwear. Masked agents dragged a woman from her car and detained innocent children.

More than 170 U.S. citizens have been detained by ICE, including one man with a Real ID who was arrested twice during immigration raids at construction sites in Alabama.

More than 30 immigrants have died in ICE custody. The causes of death include homicide, seizure, and suicide.

Hundreds of thousands more have been deported, often without due process enshrined in the Fifth and 14th Amendments. Meanwhile, protesters have been shot, assaulted, and pepper-sprayed in violation of their First Amendment rights.

Given the stakes, Philadelphia would best be served if the mayor and Council put aside political differences and figured out how to marshal a unified plan that protects all residents from Trump’s overreach.

It would be even better if state and city leaders developed a plan together in case Trump sends the National Guard or ICE agents to Philadelphia.

The Shapiro administration has engaged in “tabletop exercises” to simulate what a federal incursion would look like, a spokesperson told the Editorial Board, adding that the governor speaks often with the mayor.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has sued the Trump administration 19 times to protect federal funding for critical programs and other issues, including stopping the unlawful deployment of the National Guard into cities.

While Trump has somewhat dialed down the rhetoric in the face of broad pushback following the killing of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents, he has shown no sign of ending his misguided and unconstitutional immigration crackdown. That is even more reason why other leaders must develop a plan to stop the madness.

The governor of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago were successful in going to the U.S. Supreme Court and getting Trump to withdraw National Guard troops. While cities and states can only go to court after Trump oversteps his authority, it is never too early to prepare.

Democratic lawmakers in other states have proposed a variety of measures to limit and prevent Trump’s heavy-handed immigration tactics.

A bill in Delaware, modeled after one in New York, would prohibit airlines from receiving jet fuel tax exemptions if they transport people detained by ICE without warrants and due process.

A proposed measure in Colorado would allow individuals to sue federal law enforcement officials for civil rights violations.

In a reminder of just how divided the country remains, lawmakers in some red states have proposed measures to ensure local officials cooperate with ICE.

A bill in South Carolina would require county sheriffs enter into formal agreements to work with ICE, while a measure in Tennessee would require schools to check the immigration status of K-12 students.

It’s beyond head-spinning that any reasonable person — let alone elected officials sworn to uphold the Constitution — could watch how ICE is operating and want more.

Enough is enough. As the country prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, city and state officials here must work on a unified plan to ensure everyone is free to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

Despite widespread pushback, the Trump administration and the National Park Service removed exhibits on slavery from the President’s House, a recreation of the executive residence that once housed George Washington and John Adams.

The exhibits detailed facts about slavery in early America, including how Washington engaged in a human shell game with enslaved members of his own household. After the passage of Pennsylvania’s Gradual Emancipation Act in 1780, enslaved people were shuttled between Philadelphia and Mount Vernon every six months to obey the letter, if not the spirit, of the law.

The exhibits, part of Independence National Historical Park, also memorialized the nine people first brought into bondage to the city with our nation’s first president. It is important to note their names and their stories.

Austin was a waiter who died while traveling on one of those trips back to Virginia. Paris was a young stable hand whose tenure in the city was short. Hercules was a celebrated chef who eventually escaped from Mount Vernon. Christopher Sheels served as Washington’s valet. Richmond was the son of Hercules and worked various roles despite being just 11 years old. Giles drove Washington’s carriage. Oney Judge, a maid, famously fled bondage in Philadelphia, attracting the president’s ire. There was also Moll, a nanny, and Joe, a footman. Joe had to leave his wife and children behind in Virginia during his time working at the President’s House.

Evidence shows that the people whom Washington enslaved were well aware of the hypocrisy surrounding their situation. In a nation formed on the premise that “all men are created equal,” they found themselves bound by birth to a life of servitude, working in the household of the new republic’s first leader. Their stories once adorned the President’s House. Now, blank spaces stand in their place.

The Trump administration has cited a desire to avoid any historical marker that “inappropriately disparages Americans past or living.” Washington is one of the most admired men in U.S. history. His military leadership and willingness to cede executive power are worthy of our esteem. But Washington, like Thomas Jefferson and many other founders, fell short when it came to slavery. Removing panels cannot change that fact.

What the desecration of the President’s House does is disparage not just the enslaved members of Washington’s household, but the millions of Americans who, in the words of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, “endured a great deal of pain so that America could realize its promise.” It also insults the efforts of the Philadelphians who fought to build the exhibit and have a vital part of America’s history recognized.

Thankfully, there is a strong local effort to fight the removal.

Parker cited a 2006 agreement between the city and the National Park Service, which her administration says requires consultation before any alterations are made. The city has filed a lawsuit to restore the panels and is hosting a public hearing on Friday. Perhaps while the court fight plays out, a temporary alternative can be installed at City Hall, by the Constitution Center, or in Fairmount Park.

Parker’s outrage is also a welcome change. While the mayor has mostly refrained from picking fights with the White House, she chastised President Donald Trump and park service officials, saying: “You cannot erase our history. You will not erase our history!”

Gov. Josh Shapiro has joined the city’s lawsuit. An amicus brief filed by his administration said: “There is no virtue in refusing to acknowledge certain aspects of our history because it is painful to do so. The removal of the slavery exhibit from the President’s House undermines this commitment and denies Pennsylvanians and others the opportunity to learn more about a part of our history that cannot be ignored.”

This sentiment is the right way forward.

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, Americans will undoubtedly hear much about this country’s triumphs. That includes those who fought and died — including many who had been enslaved themselves — to keep our country united and begin to address our nation’s greatest mistake.

Generations after the Civil War, Americans were a pivotal part of the coalition that defeated the forces of fascism in Europe. The United States has put people on the moon, helped vanquish diseases like polio, exported its diverse and vibrant culture, and inspired democratic reformers across the world.

Failing to acknowledge our failures can only undermine that legacy.

For generations, wealth has been regionally segregated in Southeastern Pennsylvania, with Philadelphia considered until recently the poorest big city in America, while three of its four collar counties had the lowest poverty rates in the state.

But having fewer people in poverty doesn’t mean there are none who are struggling in the suburbs. More than 180,000 people across Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties live below the poverty line, yet for too long, experts say, those communities have underserved those in need.

Recently, however, suburban leaders have been stepping up their efforts to help those with low incomes. It’s a heartening and welcome shift in attitude.

Poverty is not solely a big-city ailment. With median incomes in Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties nearly twice what they are within Philadelphia, it’s very difficult for poor and working-class people to maintain a suburban lifestyle.

That is especially true when it comes to issues of land use and transportation policy, which experts often treat as intertwined.

In the suburbs, the vast majority of developable land is zoned for detached, single-family homes on large lots, and nearby transit options are often both slow and infrequent. The result is that median housing values in Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester Counties range between $432,000 and $476,000, compared with roughly $250,000 in Philadelphia. Delaware County, which is home to both more suburban areas like Swarthmore and urbanized municipalities like Chester and Upper Darby, splits the difference at $331,000.

This so-called snob zoning doesn’t just prevent poor, working-class, and sometimes even middle-class people from moving into or remaining in many suburban areas; it also makes it harder to get around without a car, which raises the cost of living. While a monthly transit fare card costs between $1,400 and $3,000 per year, AAA estimates the average cost of car ownership is about $12,000. While roughly three-quarters of households in Philadelphia typically don’t have more than one vehicle, most suburban households have two or more. Between the cost of housing and the cost of transportation, that’s an average of more than $60,000 per year just to get by and around.

The de facto suburban gatekeeping essentially compels low-income people to choose to live in the city — a reality that has allowed past suburban leaders to lean into the widely held perception that poverty is a Philadelphia problem. In effect, economic researchers say, that’s meant the suburban poor have basically been left to fend for themselves.

Thankfully, there are signs that things are beginning to change.

In Montgomery County, Commissioners Jamila Winder, Tom DiBello, and Neil Makhija have demonstrated a strong bipartisan commitment to address housing needs.

While the county had zero full-time homeless shelters by the end of 2024 — even as the number of unhoused people grew — the commissioners have invested in an additional 190 short-term shelter beds, split between Pottstown, Norristown, and Lansdale. The commissioners should be commended for doing right by the wider community, even as they faced opposition from some constituents who did not want shelter space available.

The commissioners have also attended community meetings to lobby in favor of housing plans. Makhija has also proposed creating a new grant system that would reward municipalities that opt to allow for more construction. This would help address reasonable concerns about the infrastructure needs of new residents.

There is evidence that efforts to build more inclusive and sustainable suburbs have broadened support. Three of the five new Lower Merion Township commissioners mentioned walkability or pedestrian safety as priorities; Joi Washington — the new mayor of Media — wants to take advantage of her borough’s exceptionally strong transit connections; and Delaware County opened its first-ever health department four years ago.

Leaders from all four suburban counties have also pledged support for new sources of revenue to support public transportation in the region, and Chester County has become a leader in housing development.

If these efforts succeed, a future where poverty is no longer concentrated within Philadelphia — and the poorest can access the support they need, no matter where they live — may be within our grasp.

As many as 85 million deaths were caused by World War II, including more than 400,000 U.S. service members. It was the largest and deadliest conflict in history, involving more than 70 countries.

Out of that horrific six-year battle, the United States, Canada, and 10 Western European nations forged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to deter Soviet aggression, prevent renewed German militarism, stop the spread of communism, and ensure European security.

For more than 75 years, NATO — backed by U.S. presidents from both parties — has maintained peace and prosperity throughout the Western world.

But in a matter of months, Donald Trump has upended that order — bombing and threatening countries while using tariffs as an economic weapon. His latest effort to take over Greenland could shatter the NATO alliance altogether.

Trump’s idea defies reason, especially since Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark — a founding member of NATO and a loyal ally of the U.S.

Seizing Greenland without congressional approval is also unconstitutional, violates international law, flouts United Nations Charter principles, and would breach NATO’s mutual defense clause.

Beyond that, it is reckless and could set off a perilous chain of events leading to more wars or economic disruptions. Some have urged Europe to fight back with a so-called trade bazooka that would essentially cut off economic ties with the U.S.

Trump dialed down the rhetoric on Wednesday, claiming the U.S. “won’t use force” to take Greenland, but insisted the territory was needed for national and international security. He also backed off his tariff threat against NATO allies, claiming a framework of a deal regarding Greenland.

But even if the latest made-up crisis is averted, Trump has already burned bridges with some of America’s closest collaborators.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said there was a “rupture” in the world order. “The rules-based order is fading,” he told leaders at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday.

Ed Davey, a member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, called Trump “an international gangster” who was threatening to “trample over the sovereignty of an ally.”

After Trump initially threatened to impose more tariffs over opposition to American control of Greenland, financial markets tumbled, and eight European countries issued a joint statement warning that transatlantic relations face a “dangerous downward spiral.”

Trump’s threats to invade or buy Greenland add to his lawless, wrecking ball approach to both foreign and domestic affairs since his tumultuous return to the White House last year.

Trump continues to enable Russia’s unfathomable atrocities in Ukraine, while abandoning another ally. He has strongly supported Israel’s ghastly assault on Gaza, and is now corruptly selling “peace seats” for $1 billion to pay for the rebuild. Both Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu are wanted on war crimes charges, but Trump stands by their side.

Trump ordered the bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran as well as military strikes in Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

He approved illegal attacks on at least 35 alleged drug boats and the invasion of a sovereign country to arrest Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.

Trump made clear the military action was not about stopping the flow of drugs or spreading democracy, but rather all about gaining control of Venezuela’s oil.

For added bluster, Trump also threatened attacks on Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, and Canada.

At home, Trump continues to wage war in the streets, as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents kill and harass — including U.S. citizens and off-duty police officers — while deporting more than 230,000 people.

He has also abused his power, upended the federal government, investigated political enemies, weakened higher education, slashed medical research, undermined the free press, and attacked law firms, all while making America less affordable.

Any efforts to combat climate change, famine, healthcare costs, human rights violations, civil rights, voting rights, worker safety, public corruption, or white-collar crime, and many other protections have essentially evaporated under Trump.

The daily chaos has served as a distraction from the unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files and Trump’s profiteering of at least $1.4 billion last year.

Through it all, Trump has acted like a petulant child, debasing the office of the president and tarnishing the global reputation of the United States.

On social media, Trump posted a manipulated photo of himself meeting with European leaders in the Oval Office with a map showing Greenland and Canada covered with a U.S. flag.

He also posted a fake photo of himself and two lackeys, JD Vance and Marco Rubio, planting a U.S. flag next to a sign that read: “Greenland — US Territory est. 2026.”

Trump shared a text exchange with Norway’s prime minister, saying he no longer felt an obligation to think about peace since he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize.

As always, everything is about Trump. The Republicans in Congress — the only ones with the power to stop him at this point — remain mostly silent as the convict in the White House mocks allies and turns the U.S. into a pariah state.

Destroying NATO has long been Putin’s goal. Trump is doing the former KGB agent’s dirty work.

Meanwhile, as the GOP sleeps, everything the Greatest Generation fought and died for is being casually discarded.