A chorus of nurses called Muthoni Nduthu to service one last time Saturday at her funeral.
“Nurse Muthoni, please report to duty,” the nurses repeatedly cried out, each time punctuated by a chime from a triangle. “You faithfully served your profession with dignity, compassion, and integrity. … Your fellow nurses will take over from here.”
Nduthu — who was killed when an explosion just before Christmas razed the Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Lower Bucks County — was laid to rest Saturday, memorialized by family, friends from the tight-knit Kenyan community in the area, and a 50-person nurse honor guard as an exemplary healthcare professional, a doting and spirited mother, and a pillar of her community.
“She was our anchor, our prayer warrior, and our safe place,” the oldest of her three sons, Clinton Ndegwa, wrote in a tribute read by a relative. “Though her absence leaves a space that cannot be filled, her love remains rooted in us. We carry her faith, her strength and her lessons forward.”
During the funeral service at St. Ephrem Catholic Church in Bensalem, where Nduthu, 52, was a longtime member, she was remembered for her warmth and natural humor; her perseverance as an immigrant who went back to school for nursing while working full-time; her quiet, but constant, sacrifices for her family; and her cooking.
The night before her Dec. 23 shift at the Bristol facility, formerly known as Silver Lake Healthcare Center, Nduthu prepared spiced chicken for her husband and sons to share on Christmas. The next day, she was working when a blast flattened a section of the nursing home just after 2 p.m., trapping dozens, hurling debris, and rocking nearby homes. Resident Ann Reddy was also killed, and about 20 others were injured. Earlier this month, another resident, identified as Patricia Mero, succumbed to injuries.
Investigators work the scene at Bristol Health & Rehab Center on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Bristol Township, Pa.
The nursing home; its operator, Saber Healthcare Group; Peco; and others are facing lawsuits from survivors and their loved ones who say the explosion was the result of negligence. NBC10 reported that Nduthu’s husband, David Ndegwa, has also filed a lawsuit.
The National Transportation Safety Board and a spokesperson for Saber said Friday that the investigation into what caused the explosion is ongoing.
Nduthu and her family emigrated from Kenya to the Philadelphia area more than two decades ago, David Ndegwa wrote in a tribute. Once stateside, Nduthu pursued a nursing degree, “guided by her compassion and desire to serve others,” her eulogy read. She believed deeply in the power of education and hard work, her sons said.
She “touched many lives through her kindness, generosity, and genuine care for others,” David Ndegwa wrote. “Her legacy lives on in our sons, in the friendships she nurtured, and in the strong foundation of family she built.”
No, FOX Sports reporter Erin Andrews’ jacket was not made of any Philadelphia Zoo animals.
Andrews’ sideline look — an extravagantly fluffy, cream and black, fur-like jacket — was quickly meme-ified during Sunday’s matchup between the Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
“I also want to hear about that coat,” play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt said early in the second half. “It’s terrific.”
Legions of suburbanites decried federal ICE actions on Sunday in a series of vigils and protests across the Philadelphia area, signaling the breadth of opposition to a central part of President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Expressions of anger, sadness, and resistance poured out into the streets of major cities nationwide this weekend in response to the killing of 37-year-old Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minnesota. But that dysphoria also spilled into small towns — including in places like Gloucester County, New Jersey, where voters favored Trump in 2024.
“I’ve been quiet and timid my whole life, and now I’m just trying to speak up,” said Cristen Beukers, one of more than 100 people who attended a demonstration in Gloucester’s county seat, Woodbury, a city of about 10,000. Gathered along North Broad Street, near the Gloucester County Courthouse, participants’ signs, whistles, and bullhorn-led protest chants were met with beeping car horns and the supportive shouts of drivers.
Beukers, 40, of nearby Paulsboro, called for a proper investigation into the shooting death of Good, a mother and poet, on Wednesday.
Mi Casa Woodbury and Cooper River Indivisible hold a “roadside rally” in downtown Woodbury, N.J., in support of immigrants and to protest ICE on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, as protests against Trump administration actions spread in the suburbs.
Thousands of ICE agents and federal troops have swarmed blue American cities as part of Trump’s unprecedented campaign to arrest and deport millions of immigrants. Good was shot three times in the driver’s seat of her SUV after a brief confrontation with ICE agents on a residential Minneapolis street. Trump administration officials insist ICE agent Jonathan Ross fired out of self-defense; video footage appears to show he was not in the vehicle’s path when he fired.
“It’s an S.O.S.,” said Alex Baji, 31, of Woodbury, who said he’s a former IRS auditor laid off last year by the Department of Government Efficiency, overseen by billionaire Elon Musk. “Masked goons murdering U.S. citizens — and the vice president says it’s perfectly justified.”
The turnout in Woodbury suggested a new level of urgency for the tight-knit suburban community, said Kaitlin Rattigan. Rattigan is a community organizer with Mi Casa Woodbury, a group that formed in response to ICE activity in their neighborhoods. Mi Casa has held a demonstration every Sunday since mid-November, even if just a few people attended.
“I think it’s a turning point for many people — and frankly for white people,” Rattigan, who is white, said.
According to a recent poll conducted by Pew Research Center, 50% of American adults surveyed in October disapproved of the Trump administration’s approach to immigration, while 39% approve. (Some participants responded “neither.”) While 53% of respondents said the country is doing “too much” when it comes to immigration enforcement, a large majority continue to say at least some people living in the United States should be deported.
Trump has derided and propagandized protesters as “paid insurrectionists,” “domestic terrorists,” or radical leftists — people who are not representative of mainstream Americans, Steve McGovern, a political science professor at Haverford College, said in an interview. Anti-ICE rhetoric in the suburbs threatens Trump’s narrative, according to McGovern. Trump’s 2024 win was fueled by key gains in Philadelphia’s suburbs, an Inquirer analysis found.
“The popular image of suburbia continues to be a place where lots of middle-class, mainstream people live and work,” he said. “If suburbanites take to the streets and in large numbers, that would send — I think — a powerful message that a strong majority of the country is increasingly fed up with the outrageous, lawless, and even murderous behavior of ICE agents.”
At least one Republican observer was skeptical. Guy Ciarrocchi, a GOP analyst, said in a statement these protests no longer influence independent voters, nor intimidate Republicans.
“Unfortunately, these ‘rallies’ are political theatre — plug [and] play crowds with professional signs for any ‘cause.’ Tools to rally extremist Democrat voters,” he said. “Ms. Good’s death was a tragedy. And, ICE’s work is important and necessary. No ‘rent a rally’ will change either of those truths.”
Outside the Delaware County Courthouse in Media, hundreds shouted into the bitter wind: “United we stand, divided we fall.” The voices came from attendees of all ages — older people in wheelchairs, young parents pushing babies in strollers, and children holding crayon-drawn signs etched with messages like “ICE Cream, not ICE” and “NO ICE because it’s cruel.”
“The entire nation is watching Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, a Delaware County Democrat. “We can reject Trumpism at the state and federal levels this year. … We will not be bullied out of the future that we and all our children deserve.”
Area residents hold what organizers called a “vigil for peace on our communities” on Jan. 11, 2026, in Media, Pa.
In the increasingly blue suburban county — that not long ago was solidly red — the vocal opposition to Trump has grown louder in recent years, said Cathy Spahr, coleader of Delco Indivisible, which organized Sunday’s vigil for Good.
“We didn’t have this during the first [Trump] administration,” she said of the event’s turnout. Spahr said she was especially heartened by the attendance given that the vigil was announced only days before — and ended an hour before the Eagles’ first playoff game of the year.
But Spahr and several attendees said there’s something special about coming together closer to home. And logistically, it’s easier.
Corinne Fiore, 75, of Media, and her 4-year-old Doberman, Laser, cherish the opportunity to be involved in the anti-Trump movement in Delaware County.
Corinne Fiore, 75, of Media, poses with her 4-year-old Doberman, Laser, who wears a “Defend Democracy” vest to local rallies and events, on Jan. 11, 2026, outside of the Delaware County Courthouse in Media, Pa.
“I just can’t get in a car and go for 10 hours somewhere,” she said. She’s thankful she doesn’t have to. “Delaware County has a lot of responsible people in it. They’re good and kind people. Patriotic people.”
For families with young children, the Media vigil also presented a convenient opportunity to teach their children the importance of standing up for their neighbors.
“I want to show them it’s important to stand up to a bully,” said Candice Carbone Bainbridge, 42, of Wallingford. Nearby, her 8-year-old daughter, Cora, held a sign with pink and purple lettering that read: “Be a good human. It’s not that hard!”
Sixteen miles southeast, in Bellmawr, N.J., dozens gathered along Black Horse Pike, hoisting signs, cheering on supportive honks from passing commercial trucks, and dancing to the Rascals’ 1968 anthem, “People Got to Be Free.”One poster read, “American foundations are being destroyed, no one is safe, stand up now.”
Karen Kelly, 72, who drove 40 minutes and DJed the demonstration, said she’s frustrated by apathy and disengagement.
“All the people staying home — doing nothing — have to get the heck up,” Kelly said.
Residents in the outskirts of Philadelphia expressed similar sentiments to their suburban counterparts.
“This is not law enforcement, this is brutality,” said Susan MacBride, 84, at a protest in Roxborough, which was largely attended by residents of Cathedral Village, a retirement community in Northwest Philadelphia. Tired of what she described as the Trump administration’s cruelty and disrespect, MacBride felt compelled to put a pause on her retirement and join the 160-person rally at Ridge Avenue and Cathedral Road.
“Kids need to know this isn’t normal; it’s a period of disruption, but we can’t let them get used to this,” she said.
Nearby neighbor Lorraine Webb, 73, agreed with MacBride.
“This isn’t what we are about, we need to do better,” Webb said. “We need to show up because this isn’t just a Center City issue; it’s a Philadelphia issue.”
Sheriff Rochelle Bilal has garnered national headlines and condemnation for calling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement “fake, wannabe law enforcement” and sending a blunt warning to immigration officers who commit crimes in Philadelphia.
“If any [ICE agents] want to come in this city and commit a crime, you will not be able to hide, nobody will whisk you off,” Bilal said. “You don’t want this smoke, cause we will bring it to you. … The criminal in the White House would not be able to keep you from going to jail.”
The sheriff’s office and a spokesperson for Bilal did not immediately respond to requests for comment Saturday. In an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, Bilal said “enough is enough.”
“People are tired of these people coming into the city, masked up — basically all masked up — and pulling people out and causing havoc,” Bilal told the network. “This was supposed to be helping cities out, this was supposed to be eliminating crime, but yet, you are committing them here, you are putting people in fear, you are breaking up families.”
Bilal spoke for less than four minutes at the Thursday news conference. She upbraided ICE agents for wearing masks that obscure their faces and said their actions violate “not only legal law but the moral law.”
“Law enforcement professionals around the country do their job, and we have been fighting for years to build that bridge between us and our communities,” Bilal said. “You had one negative nutcase that causes this problem and now we all have to fight again to let people know law enforcement works with communities.”
Some praised Bilal on social media. Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney, wrote on Facebook, “Sheriff Rochelle Bilal didn’t hold back. … Tragedies like this happen when agents operate in our communities with little to no oversight.”
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania GOP posted on X, “When local law enforcement stands with criminals rather than people keeping our communities safe, you know there’s a problem. … Rhetoric like this only makes this situation more dangerous for federal law enforcement and the city of Philadelphia.”
A video of Bilal’s statement was also posted by LibsofTikTok, a controversial far-right social media account. That post had more than 746,800 views and 8,500 likes as of Saturday afternoon.
U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican from Florida, responded to LibsofTikTok’s post, writing, “She should be arrested.”
The Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office does not police the city; instead, the office’s core functions are deploying deputies to the county’s courtrooms and transporting in-custody defendants to court.
In his statement, Police Commissioner Bethel distinguished the roles of the sheriff’s office and the police department, noting that the sheriff’s office does not “conduct criminal investigations, nor does it in any way direct municipal policing.” The sheriff is an elected official, while police commissioners are appointed by the mayor.
“The Philadelphia Police Department will continue to work professionally with all of our enforcement partners,” Bethel said. “But clear lines of authority — and accurate public representation of those roles — are essential to maintaining public trust and effective public safety operations.”
Fans braved the bitter cold to attend the free New Year’s Eve concert in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum and watch a midnight fireworks display kicking off the city’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The concert was headlined by LL Cool J, the two-time Grammy-winning rapper who also has had a long career in movies and TV, including as a regular cast member on the series NCIS: Los Angeles.
About 10 minutes to midnight, LL Cool J brought out Philadelphia-based rapper Freeway as a surprise guest.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker joined the stage just before 10 p.m. to welcome another headliner, DJ Jazzy Jeff, alongside radio personality Lady B.
“My mayor is a hip-hop head,” Lady B said. Parker told the crowd: “Tonight, we remind the nation, that we are one America, a united nation.”
After taking the stage, Parker told a gaggle of reporters “what you are seeing is ‘one Philly, a united city’ in action” — referencing her mayoral slogan.
“Philadelphia is the birthplace of democracy, sixth-largest city in the nation — Why wouldn’t we kick off 2026, the Semiquincentennial, the 250th birthday of our nation?” she said. “Because Philadelphia, it’s where it happened.”
When asked if the free concert will become an annual tradition, Parker quipped, “Well, the budget process.” (A final price tag on the event was not yet available.)
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and Lady B (right) dance to DJ Jazzy Jeff during Philadelphia’s free New Year’s Eve concert and fireworks display, at the Oval on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.
As for Parker’s resolutions for Philly in 2026: “To work harder, to dream bigger, and to do the impossible.
“We have a lot of challenges to address here in our city, but with our amazing team, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish together,” she said.
Taking the stage shortly after 8 p.m., multi-instrumentalist Adam Blackstone, the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts graduate and University of the Arts alum who has since performed with some of the world’s most popular musical artists, declared: “I’m home right now. They told me Philly’s the spot to be.”
Just before 11:30 p.m., attendance had grown to around 7,500 and was still growing, according to the show’s producer, Scott Mirkin, of ESM Productions. The final crowd estimate was 10,000 attendees, according to ESM.
The crowd had been modest up to around 10 p.m., but a late surge may have included people only interested in seeing LL Cool J or the fireworks display after the concert.
All were bundled in winter gear as the wind chill dipped into the 20s and even flurries made a late-night appearance.
Performers repeatedly commented on the frigid temperatures Wednesday night.
“I know it’s cold but we’re going to warm you up,” Dorothy frontwoman Dorothy Martin told concertgoers.
Martin later said: “I know you’re cold, but your heart is warm.”
The temperature made Fairmount residents Corey Fletcher, 32, and Alyza Ngbokoli, 30, hesitate, despite the draw of Cool J and Jazzy Jeff. Both were surprised by the prospect of an outdoor concert in the winter.
“It’s hard to breathe — it hurts my lungs,” Fletcher said of the cold. (Fletcher said fall is the ideal season for outdoor events; Ngbokoli said summer.)
For next year, Ngbokoli recommended organizers invest in heat lamps or warming tents. This year, concertgoers had the option of purchasing a hot meal — fried desserts, fried chicken, or lobster bisque from various food trucks — hot apple cider, hot chocolate, or $8 White Claws and other spirits.
Adam Blackstone performs during Philadelphia’s free New Year’s Eve concert and fireworks display, at the Oval on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.
Die-hard fans were undeterred by the cold.
Sarah and Mike Murray, of Wilkes-Barre, estimate they’ve seen Cool J in concert “almost double-digits.”
“He’s easy on the eyes,” Sarah, 46, said.
“You can’t argue with that,” chimed Mike, 54. “He’s LL — ladies love him.”
The Cool J enthusiasts were supposed to see him perform on the Parkway on July 4, but the “Mama Said Knock You Out” and “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” singer canceled in solidarity with striking municipal workers.
What are the Murrays looking forward to in 2026?
“See LL Cool J more,” Mike said.
Cousins Tahira and Sean Tyler came to the Ben Franklin Parkway expecting a party. It was 55-year-old Sean Tyler’s first New Year’s Eve out on the town, and both were drawn in by LL Cool J.
Sean Tyler, of Overbrook Park, said she remembered in the ‘80s listening to the then-new artist’s first single on Power 99, but had never seen him live. Both Tylers discovered newfound appreciation for LL Cool J canceling his summer concert in solidarity with striking city workers.
“It showed how many people that it affected, and how much in wages, benefits — it shows how much it affects a broad range of people,” Sean Tyler said.
Upon walking into the barricaded Parkway, Sean and Tahira said the visible Philadelphia police presence and security measures made them feel safe.
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel has said police will be out in full force, and asked concertgoers to leave weapons at home.
Tahira said the show, featuring local talents — like Blackstone and Jazzy Jeff — is the perfect way to ring in 2026, and the nation’s 250th birthday.
Tahira said: “Let’s continue to love Philly in the right kind of way — “
One person died after two helicopters collided midair Sunday in Atlantic County, according to authorities.
The Enstrom helicopters collided about 11:25 a.m. near Hammonton Municipal Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said. One helicopter was engulfed in flames near U.S. Routes 30 and 206, the Hammonton police department said in a Facebook post.
Only the pilots were aboard each aircraft, the FAA said; police said one person died, and another was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Their identities were not immediately made public.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, police said, and no additional details about what caused the collision were immediately available.
The crash drew responses from the state’s U.S. senators on social media.
“Reports of this morning’s fatal helicopter crash over South Jersey are horrifying and tragic,” Sen. Cory Booker wrote on X. “My heart is with those impacted and their families.”
Booker said his office was in contact with the NTSB, requesting more information on the crash.
Reports of this morning’s fatal helicopter crash over South Jersey are horrifying and tragic. My heart is with those impacted and their families. My office is in contact with the NTSB and requesting more information about the details of this tragedy.
“I’m heartbroken to learn of the fatal helicopter crash that occurred in Hammonton, NJ earlier this morning,” Sen. Andy Kim also posted to X. “I know our community will rally behind the family of the individual who lost their life as we navigate this terrible tragedy.”
Hammonton is about 30 miles northwest of Atlantic City.
The link to request plowing on Philly 311’s online portal became “inoperable and experienced technical difficulties” officials learned during Friday’s ice and sleet storm, Philadelphia Managing Director Adam Thiel said in a statement. Residents can call 311 for basic city services — from graffiti cleanup to pothole removal — on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., but the portal is available after-hours.
“Our Streets Department is on the front lines of responding to any weather event, including this one,” Thiel said, “and Streets crews, along with many other city workers, have been working 24/7 since [Friday], treating and clearing all roadways in every neighborhood. That critical work continues.”
A man died after being hit by a Trenton Line train Saturday afternoon, SEPTA officials said.
The Regional Rail train was traveling inbound about 12:30 p.m. when it struck the “trespasser” between the Croydon and Bristol stations, a SEPTA spokesperson said.
A Powerball ticket purchased in Northeast Pennsylvania netted a $1 million prize in the lottery’s Christmas Eve drawing.
The ticket — which matched all five of the white ball numbers, 04, 25, 31, 52, and 59, but not the Powerball number, 19 — was sold at Pittston Candy & Cigar Co. in Luzerne County, the Pennsylvania Lottery announced Friday in a news release.
Pittston Candy & Cigar Co. could not immediately be reached by phone Friday evening.
The lottery game’s three-month stretch ended Wednesday, after a ticket matching all six numbers was sold outside Little Rock, Ark. The $1.817 billion, or $834.9 million cash, jackpot was the second-largest in U.S. history and the largest Powerball prize of 2025, according towww.powerball.com.
Two other big-winnings tickets, worth $100,000 each, were sold in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, and Morris County, New Jersey.
Nearly 335,000 Powerball tickets purchased in the commonwealth won varying dollar amounts, and 10 New Jersey players won $50,000 prizes, according to the respective lottery commissions.
The prize followed 46 consecutive drawings in which no one matched all six numbers. Powerball’s odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins.
Another $20 million, or $9.2 million cash, will be up for grabs at Powerball’s Saturday drawing.
A New Jersey actor was indicted earlier this month on attempted murder and other charges in connection with accusations he shot a woman in the face following a traffic dispute.
Ernest W. Heinz, 46, of Port Republic, faces 31 charges, including aggravated assault and weapons infractions, stemming from the September incident in Galloway Township, court records show.
Heinz’s attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. In a statement to People, a lawyer for Heinz said, “he denies the allegations as reported and will contest them through the legal process, where the facts — not speculation or headlines — will determine the outcome.”
The statement continued: “We ask that the public and the media respect the presumption of innocence and allow this matter to proceed in court.”
Maritza Arias-Galva of Galloway Township, N.J., took this photo on her 42nd birthday, Sept. 7, four days before she was shot in what police call a road rage incident. Arias-Galva survived, and described her encounter days later.
Arias-Galva said another driver blocked her from merging, then pursued her. The driver then confronted her near Stockton University and fired at least one shot into Arias-Galva’s vehicle, NJ Advance Media reported. Prosecutors alleged at a detention hearing that Heinz told Arias-Galva, “I’m going to kill you,” according to the outlet.
Heinz has had minor roles in television and films, but it appears his acting career sputtered after 2014; his IMDB profile lists credits in the 2011 biographical drama J. Edgar,The Sopranos, and two Resident Evil video games.
He is scheduled to make another court appearance in January, records show.
