To listen to what he had to go through this offseason just to get back on the mound, it’s possible no Philly athlete has gone through more than Phillies ace Zack Wheeler.
Oh, you thought we forgot about Joel Embiid with that last statement? Come on now, you know we track his every move.
But today, we’re talking about Wheeler, who underwent thoracic outlet decompression surgery, which is as complex as it sounds, and for Wheeler wasn’t without complication.
However, he’s back, throwing, and although being on the mound for opening day looks unlikely, he says he’s not worried about the surgery or the setback it has caused in his return. In part because this isn’t his first rodeo with injuries derailing his time on the mound.
It’s what we’re leading off (pun intended) your Wednesday with, courtesy of our Phillies beat writer Scott Lauber.
Speaking of today, we might get some of this snow to melt a bit with temperatures expected to reach into the 40s across the region under partly cloudy skies.
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is coming off a strong season, but there’s an opportunity for him to truly raise his profile in 2026.
As headlines continue to swirl around Sean Mannion’s plans for the offense and whether A.J. Brown fits in any of it, news around fellow Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith has been relatively obscure this offseason.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t grand plans for the team’s other star receiver. Now five seasons into his time as an Eagle, Smith might be ready to take it up another notch.
“I think he continually gets better,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “I think you saw him have a great year this year. And even when a guy appears not to have as good a year, you’re always looking at it like, ‘Is his arrow on the rise? Is his arrow on the fall?’ And even if a guy doesn’t have his best year, he still can be on the rise. Well, I think we saw DeVonta have a great year, and I think you just continue to see him play better and better. ”
Inquirer writer Olivia Reiner dives into the intangibles that surround Smith and what the plans for him look like heading into this season.
What we’re …
🏐 Introducing: Meet Casey Burford, the new head coach of Rowan’s volleyball team, a program still reeling from the passing of previous coach Deana Jespersen, who died from breast cancer last year.
🎧 Listening: The latest Inquirer unCovering the Birds podcast, which teed up what to expect heading into this week’s scouting combine.
⚽ Sharing: The lessons learned by Delran native Carli Lloyd as she gets set for her second time as a lead studio analyst for Fox’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup later this summer.
🤔 Wondering: What’s the move for hosting FIFA playoff matches and games of the World Cup in Mexico, with civil unrest now unfolding?
Joel Embiid returned to the Sixers lineup last night for the first time in five games after sitting out with shin soreness.
We brought up Joel Embiid earlier, and it was partly due to the fact that he returned to the floor for last night’s game against the Pacers in Indianapolis.
It was the star center’s return after missing five games with shin soreness, coupled with continued management of his right knee. He was a noticeable loss, considering that, preinjury, he averaged 30 points on 52.7% shooting, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists over his last 20 games from Dec. 23 through Feb. 7.
So how’d he do last night? Embiid scored 27 points in a Sixers blowout win over the Pacers to close out a three-game road trip.
Next up for Embiid and the Sixers are the Miami Heat at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP), followed by a road test against Boston on Sunday (8 p.m., NBCSP).
Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov says he feels “light on the ice” after taking in two-a-day training sessions during the Olympic break.
The NHL season reconvenes for the Flyers tonight in Washington, with one player ready to see whether all the work he put in during the Olympic break will pay off against the Capitals (7 p.m., ESPN).
On Tuesday, Matvei Michkov was adamant that the break wasn’t spent off the ice but on it, with two-a-day personal practices featuring strength and conditioning training coinciding with his ice time. But it wasn’t a Rocky IV training montage as some of that training took place in the Dominican Republic.
“I was training every day. Was not resting,” the winger said through team translator Slava Kuznetsov about how he spent his Olympic break.
Flyers writer Jackie Spiegel has more on Michkov and his plans for the second half of the season in a push for the playoffs.
Villanova guard Tyler Perkins, seen here against UConn, will be a major player for the Wildcats down the stretch in a run to March Madness.
Right now, Villanova is in pretty solid shape.
Despite a weekend loss to now-No. 6 Connecticut, the Wildcats are 21-6, 12-4 in the Big East. Barring the unforeseen, they have all but ensured themselves the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament, which begins in two weeks at Madison Square Garden.
Just four regular-season games remain until then, and coupled with a strong showing in the Big East tournament, Villanova could find a return to the Big Dance for the first time since 2022. But these next few weeks are crucial, and Inquirer writer Jeff Neiburg examines five key things the Wildcats need to do to ensure they’ll be a part of the Madness this time next month.
It all gets started tonight as Villanova hosts Butler (15-13, 6-11) at the Finneran Pavilion (7 p.m., FS1).
On this date
Feb. 25, 1972: The Phillies benefited from a salary dispute between pitcher Steve Carlton and the St. Louis Cardinals, who traded Carlton to Philly for pitcher Rick Wise.
The Phillies continue to work closely with top prospect Aidan Miller during spring training in Clearwater.
“Two weeks into spring training, the Phillies aren’t going out of their way to disguise their hopes for their top prospect. The whole organization seems to understand that a certain degree of aggression is required in order to overtake the Dodgers in the National League and survive the Mets and Braves in the NL East.” — The latest from Inquirer columnist David Murphy takes a look at why the Phillies aren’t wasting time getting top prospect Aidan Miller up to speed.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
LABE REKLDR
Which Phillies hurler said he’s come to grips with being a reliever, but one who’s ready to prove he isn’t a just one-year wonder? Think you know? Take a guess and click here to see if you’re correct.
🧠 Trivia time answer
We asked: Who was the first Phillie to homer from both sides of the plate in a game?
Answer: C: Steve “Jet” Jeltz was the first among the lot. And kudos to reader Carol B. for being the first to provide the answer.
What you’re saying about the Phillies
We asked: Which rookie will have the best season for the Phillies?
I think and hope Justin Crawford will be the most successful of our rookies. Center field has been an up-and-down position for quite a few years, with Marsh, Rojas, Bader, and others not quite looking like the next Richie Ashburn, Gary Maddox, or Victorino. And of course, look to Painter and maybe later in the season, Miller becoming a strong contributor. — Everett S.
Justin Crawford is well-positioned to shine in 2026. He anchors the outfield in center and has an opportunity to climb the batting order. His power was on display in the opening spring training game, going 2-for-3. His speed will energize the bottom portion of the lineup. — Bob C.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from David Murphy, Kerith Gabriel, Owen Hewitt, Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Jackie Spiegel, and Scott Lauber.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thanks for allowing me to get your day started. Jim picks up the ball tomorrow to get your Thursday off to a running start.— Kerith
Does Donald Trump have to ruin everything? The answer is obviously yes, but this one was heartbreaking. Sunday’s overtime thriller over Canada, which gave U.S. men’s hockey its first gold medal since this senior citizen was a college junior, was a howl of joy in what’s been a dire year for America. But then (taxpayer-)Ka$h Patel showed up to party, and soon Trump was on the phone, egging on the boys with misogynistic trash talk about their gold medal compatriots, the women’s hockey team. Now the men are invited to Trump’s State of the Union address, the women “had other plans,” and I almost wish our Canadian friends had won the game.
How Indiana University won a football crown and lost the plot
Indiana University’s victory flag flies over Memorial Stadium in January in Bloomington, Ind.
Even in a state where the sports miracles, from Rudy and The Knute Rockne Story to Hoosiers, are so big they tend to make it to Hollywood, there’s never been a feel-good script quite like Indiana University — with the most losses in college football history until this season, when it went 16-0 and won the national championship.
“The energy is just absolutely insane,” Katie Shin, a recent Indiana alumna, told the Athletic as thousands of fans went wild on the Bloomington campus that night, saluting Heisman Trophy quarterback Fernando Mendoza and their unsmiling genius head coach Curt Cignetti. “The whole state is just rallying around IU.”
But there’s a huge irony for anyone who’s a big fan of America’s colleges for more than just what happens on the gridiron. In the same season Indiana was slowly climbing to the top of the football polls, the flagship public university was also ranked dead last in the nation.
For something arguably more important: free speech.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), the national campus speech group based here in Philadelphia, last fall ranked IU 255th on its 2026 ranking of universities over freedom of expression — the lowest-rated public institution in America, and only higher than the controversy-wracked private sister schools, Columbia University and Barnard College.
Interestingly, the FIRE low-ranking came after a slew of campus controversies in which the silenced speakers or protesters were all over the map ideologically — a canceled Jewish speaker and a shout down of right-wing speakers, but also draconian moves against pro-Palestinian protesters, including harsh penalties for a 2024 encampment. Last month, a federal court ruled that IU’s punishments of the Gaza campers and its anti-protest policies were unconstitutional.
FIRE’s lambasting of IU’s free speech transgressions was reported upon last Sept. 9 in the student paper, the Indiana Daily Student. The following month, school administrators ousted the faculty adviser to the IDS and told the student journalists they could no longer print the paper, and that news could only be published online. The university’s insistence that this was purely an economic move was a surprise to the ex-adviser, who sued and said he was fired “after he refused to censor the students’ work.”
It ought to go without saying that curbing the free exchange of ideas is antithetical to the most sacred values of American higher education. But the free speech mess at IU is but one controversy at an iconic heartland university that has become a poster child for the moral crisis of U.S. universities, even as it celebrates football glory.
Clearly, the leadership at IU — and this includes its board of trustees, with three new conservative, pro-MAGA members that GOP Gov. Mike Braun named in June under a law that also allowed him to boot three trustees elected by IU’s alumni — is eager to keep its pigskin prowess as the main thing America knows about the university.
The school just signed its field general, Cignetti, to a contract extension that will pay him $13.2 million a year through 2033, making him one of the three highest-paid coaches in the nation. But his new deal flabbergasted a growing number of critics, who note the big raise came as IU — just days after the new conservative trustees were named — either eliminated or made deep cuts in nearly 250 academic programs such as French, art history, geography, and East Asian studies.
Meanwhile, Cignetti isn’t the only high-profile figure at IU to see a big raise. Also this weekend, the trustees gave Whitten a $100,000 pay hike, to an even $1 million a year — citing her willingness to work with industry.
At least 250 IU alums, joined by current faculty and students, have signed on so far to an open letter and donation freeze demanding that, instead, Whitten step down. They also want the university to restore both its diversity programs and robust free speech protections, as well as the reinstatement of the three alumni trustee positions. But they are swimming against a red tide of conservatism that’s polluted the public college universe in Indiana.
Cross-state public rival Purdue University is reeling from a recent report in its hometown newspaper that the school, under pressure from conservative lawmakers, has informally banned the admission of international students from China and a slew of other countries. Students and faculty have complained of an unwritten “soft ban” on many overseas applicants, although Purdue has denied that such a policy exists.
Meanwhile, the regional campus of IU Indianapolis caused a stir and triggered a protest when it abruptly canceled the 57-year tradition of an annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dinner — a move that was undertaken not long after the school removed campus signs that read “Black Lives Matter” and “Discrimination has no place here.”
Indiana is hardly alone. The 2025-26 academic year has been marked by similar outrages against unfettered speech and racial inclusion, especially in the most pro-Trump red states. To cite just one of many examples, the University of Texas System just adopted a new policy aimed at limiting discussion of “controversial topics” in the classroom. Isn’t that the whole point of the college experience?
The erosion of freedom at the American university has happened gradually and then suddenly, and it needs to be getting a lot more attention. That’s hard when the president is sending aircraft carriers to threaten Iran, imposing steep taxes for no reason, and generally acting and talking like the mad king he is.
Yet, nothing is more important for MAGA’s authoritarian project than what is happening at Indiana University and other college campuses right now. As I wrote in my 2022 book, After the Ivory Tower Falls, higher ed is the fulcrum of America’s political divide, now more than ever.
Every tactic — murdering the humanities and the social sciences, making campuses more white, ensuring our future elites aren’t exposed to “controversial topics” while entertaining them with the beer and circuses (a phrase, ironically, coined by an IU English professor) of big-time football — is another step toward MAGA’s strategic goal of an American electorate that cannot think critically.
The fight for the soul of Indiana University is the fight for the soul of the United States, and it’s not what’s happening inside Memorial Stadium against Ohio State or Michigan.
“We know that IU alums are smart enough to celebrate the success of the Football Hoosiers and condemn what Pamela Whitten is doing to degrade the prestige of our degrees,” the university dissidents write in their open letter. “Please help us take a stand against the debasement of our university and restore the glory of old IU.”
Yo, do this!
You might have noticed that the late Jeffrey Epstein and his randy U.K. royal pal, the artist formerly known as Prince Andrew, have been in the news a lot lately. But did you know there’s an excellent 2024 Netflix movie called Scoop about the drama behind the disastrous 2019 BBC interview that started the long downfall of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, now arrested and under a British police investigation? I watched Scoop over the weekend, and it’s both an entertaining and highly relevant journalism thriller.
Since this space is devoted to my weird entertainment choices, and not what normal people are doing, I have to share that I’ve been escaping today’s banality of evil with a deep dive into the musical world of … mass murderer Charles Manson. My all-time favorite podcast, Andrew Hickey’s A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, did a remarkable four-parter a couple of years ago about Manson and his shockingly close ties to the Beach Boys (and others like, sigh, Neil Young) that resulted in the murder mastermind’s uncredited cowriting of their 1968 song, “Never Learn Not to Love.” There’s also a compelling detour into the life of Black music pioneer Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, and a book recommendation that sounds equally incredible: Bring Judgment Day: Reclaiming Lead Belly’s Truth from Jim Crow’s Lies by Sheila Curran Bernard.
Ask me anything
Question: Update us on what is and what should be happening in Quakertown [please]. — @marco2751.bsky.social via Bluesky
Answer: Thanks for this, Marco, because if readers aren’t up to speed on what’s been happening in Quakertown, an exurb nearly an hour’s drive north of Philadelphia, then they need to learn. Quick version: A peaceful Friday walkout by Quakertown High School students protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids turned shockingly violent, highlighted by a grown man placing a teen girl in what appeared on video to be a dangerous choke hold. It turned out this man was the Quakertown police chief and interim borough manager, Scott McElree. Adding insult to injury, five students were arrested and spent the entire weekend in jail before they could see a judge. What should be done? Quakertown can’t fire McElree quickly enough. The right to peacefully assemble and protest the government is the heart of the First Amendment, and what makes America a democracy. A police chief who can’t honor the U.S. Constitution should not have a job.
What you’re saying about …
Last week’s take-a-step-back-from-the-madness question about who is the greatest living American (inspired by the passing of the Rev. Jesse Jackson) didn’t get a large response, but brought some compelling arguments. Two men were named twice: Pope Leo XIV, the Villanova alum who has shone as an advocate for immigrants and for peace on the world’s stage since last summer, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has never wavered in fighting for progressive values. Other suggestions included Bob Dylan, Edward Snowden, Barack Obama, and — in a show of respect for science under siege — the health experts Anthony Fauci and Peter Hotez, who, wrote Pat Eisenberg, “is trying to improve the health of Americans despite all the things the Trump administration is doing to ruin our health.”
📮 This week’s question: I’m hopefully going to be writing soon about the scourge of prediction markets like Kalshi, and more broadly, the problem of sports betting. Should these forms of gambling be banned, or at least more strictly regulated? Please email me your answer and put the exact phrase “Betting bans” in the subject line.
Backstory on what pundits don’t get about ‘28
This photo combo shows Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, left, speaking during the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner, April 27, 2025, in Manchester, N.H., and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) speaking during a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour event at Arizona State University, March 20, 2025, in Tempe, Ariz.
Get 13 Democratic and left-leaning independent voters together in the same chat — as the New York Times did with a recent focus group, the latest in its running series — and you’d surely hear some harsh words about Donald Trump and the GOP. But ask them what they think about the Democratic Party, and you might want to cover your ears.
“Spineless.” “More complacent than I thought they would be.” “Paralyzed.” “Afraid.” “Incompetent.” “I guess suffocated, or given up …” “Sold out.” I’m not leaving out the positive responses, because there weren’t any. You also won’t be surprised that these 13 Democratic or aligned voters — very diverse across racial, class, and age lines — want more radical leaders who will take the party, and hopefully the nation, in a bold new direction. There was positive buzz for the likes of new New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett — anyone with fresh ideas and a willingness to mix it up with Trump. Said a 36-year-old independent woman from Washington state: “I still don’t agree with everything she’s doing, but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a well-known name and seems to be fighting against Trump.”
I thought a lot about the Times’ focus group last week as I heard or read two veteran pundits try, at this relatively early date, to handicap the 2028 presidential race. Mark Halperin (who’s somehow still around despite this) went on POTUS radio with Michael Smerconish to defend his picks: He included ex-Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, a center-right figure who is passionately hated by any real Democrat I’ve ever spoken with, and also overrated Kamala Harris (floating on the fumes of her name ID), as well as his No. 1 pick, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro at No. 2. He said he included AOC and upgraded Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker only because his “sources” told him to — because his sources understand the Democrats while the clueless Halperin does not.
Ditto Nate Silver, who has magically reappeared in the Times, which first made him a star in 2012. Although Silver did place AOC in second, behind Newsom, he also — much like Halperin — uprated tired conventional wisdom candidates like Shapiro (No. 6) and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (No. 4, despite being invisible recently), and grossly downrated progressive favorites like Pritzker (14) and Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy (18), as well as more interesting and unorthodox names like Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly (12) and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (15). He sees Newsom as the darling of “Resistance Libs,” the Trump-hating MS Now watchers who controversially get tagged as heavily “wine moms.” Said Silver of Newsom: “They want a fighter. And Newsom plays expertly into that.”
True, but I expect Newsom’s standing among Democratic primary voters will crumble once voters learn more about his ties to Silicon Valley billionaires, or his verbal sellouts of the transgender community, or his “meh” popularity among the Californians who know him best. Readers of this newsletter were unanimous earlier this month in not wanting Shapiro to run. I’m not going to do a numerical ranking, but I would place Pritzker, who’s made all the right moves against Trump without Newsom’s train car of baggage, and AOC, who’s making all the right enemies, including the worst Beltway journalists, as my top two. I’ve covered presidential races since 1984, and I’ve learned the only thing that matters two years out is to listen to the people. The pundits know nothing right now.
What I wrote on this date in 2019
It’s impossible to top this anniversary: The day I appeared in the Epstein files. In February 2019, with the walls closing in, Epstein’s close adviser and quasi-journalist friend, Michael Wolff, wanted to make sure he saw my Feb. 24, 2019, column about elite male impunity that mentioned him and two billionaires in his orbit: Donald Trump and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. What did Epstein read, assuming he clicked on it? I wrote that “this isn’t really ‘a sex scandal.’ The real scandal here is the gross imbalance of power involving women who were held in a form of human bondage to serve as objects of gratification for powerful men intoxicated by their belief they can get away with anything.”
I took a short break from the relentless anti-Trump, anti-ICE beat last week to write about the other threat to the American way of life: artificial intelligence. Rapid advances in AI technology make it clear that robots and chatbots and the like are going to upend the economy — most importantly, the job market — sooner rather than later. Can wary voters find politicians who are willing to regulate AI and its threats to employment, education, and the environment, or will pols continue to prefer Silicon Valley’s campaign donations? Over the weekend, I highlighted the recently leaked ICE blueprint for an American concentration camp in Georgia, and what that document tells us about the moral depravity of mass deportation.
In a city as large and as history-bound as Philadelphia, all big stories are inevitably local. That was never truer than at the Winter Olympics in northern Italy, especially for the most-watched event on these shores: the U.S. men’s hockey’s thrilling overtime victory over Canada. The on-ice celebration blended with copious tears as Team USA teammates went into the stands and skated back with Johnny Jr. and Noa Gaudreau, the young children of late South Jersey NHL hockey icon Johnny Gaudreau. Their dad and their uncle Matty were killed by an alleged drunk driver while cycling on a South Jersey road in August 2024, as Gaudreau was training to hopefully make this Olympic squad. The players centered the Gaudreau family and his No. 13 jersey during the gold-medal celebration, and The Inquirer’s Alex Coffey captured the whole emotional story — one you won’t read anywhere else. “This is a history book [moment] that there will be a movie about,“ sister Katie Gaudreau told Coffey. ”And in that movie, Noa and Johnny will be on the ice.” You get the big, moving stories like this, and allow us to keep covering them, when you subscribe to The Inquirer.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
The NFL has converged on Indianapolis for the scouting combine, when teams will get to kick the tires on the top prospects before the draft begins April 23 in Pittsburgh. For the Eagles, it is the next step as they try to reinvent themselves, especially on offense.
Before we get knee-deep in combine coverage this week, let’s take a look at where the Birds stand so far in their bid to become serious contenders again. It starts with the new offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion, and Jeff McLane offers an in-depth examination of how the Eagles landed on the 33-year-old coach. McLane provides 10 takeaways from the evolving offense so far.
While Mannion and other assistants entered, of course, the venerated Jeff Stoutland exited. How will the Eagles’ offensive line start anew after losing one of the most respected assistant coaches in the NFL? Jeff Neiburg reports on Stoutland’s replacement, Chris Kuper, the new offensive scheme, and the team’s immediate need for reinforcements on the line.
What are Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni saying about A.J. Brown’s future in the new offense? Olivia Reiner reports on that, along with the possibility of contract extensions for star defensive players, a new direction for the team’s tight ends, and more.
Yes, it is Feb. 24, but the Eagles news cycle never shuts down for long. The new league year is just over two weeks away, meaning free agency and trades are almost here.
Phillies rookie pitcher Andrew Painter is a strong candidate to break camp with a spot in the starting rotation.
Before he reported to his first major league spring training camp in 2023, Andrew Painter met with his agent. “Ideally,” Scott Boras said, “I would love it if you didn’t throw your first pitch in the big leagues until you’re 22.”
Sure thing, Painter thought. One problem: He was 19, and the Phillies were dangling a spot in the season-opening starting rotation.
A torn ligament in his right elbow, two missed seasons, and three years later, Painter finds the whole thing to be oddly prophetic. Because if, as expected, he breaks camp with the Phillies, he will be 22 — a few days shy of his 23rd birthday on April 10 — when he makes his major league debut.
Guard Quentin Grimes wants to stay aggressive regardless of which players the Sixers put on the floor.
The 76ers have received mixed results from Quentin Grimes during his time in Philly. During a down season last year, Grimes stepped up and served as the focal point of the offense.
Even with the Sixers at full strength, Grimes emerged as a potential Sixth Man of the Year to start this season. He then slowly slipped into an inconsistent space, having nights when he went cold or didn’t shoot at all. Grimes has started to turn the corner lately, playing well before the All-Star break and dropping 19 points and seven assists in a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. For his part, Grimes has vowed to stay in “attack mode.”
Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen could be in demand at the trade deadline given his combination of size, skating, and physicality.
With the Olympics over, all eyes will quickly turn to the sprint to the NHL trade deadline on March 6.
While Flyers general manager Danny Brière recently said he expects a quiet deadline for his team, that could be him trying to throw up a smoke screen. Rasmus Ristolainen’s strong Olympics should only help his trade value, while the Flyers have other pieces they could move for the right price.
Team USA star Matthew Tkachuk carries the late Johnny Gaudreau’s daughter Noa onto the ice in a touching scene after the gold medal victory at the Olympics.
Johnny Gaudreau’s family says that the NHL star yearned to play in the Olympics and that he was training with that goal in mind when he and his brother Matty were killed by alleged drunk driver in August 2024. So the decision to attend the Olympic hockey tournament in Milan was a bittersweet one for the South Jersey family.
The scene after the U.S. team beat Canada for the gold medal wound up touching the hearts of the Gaudreaus deeply. During the celebration, Johnny’s USA jersey was carried onto the ice in tribute, as were his two oldest children, Johnny Jr. and Noa.
“Every time I think, ‘All right, now it’s time to move on, we’re not going to have all this support’ — they don’t [move] on,” said Katie Gaudreau, the sister of Johnny and Matty. “This is a history book [moment] that there will be a movie about.” Alex Coffey has the story.
Sports snapshot
There hasn’t been a proposal to ban the Eagles’ Tush Push this offseason.
This wasn’t the first time Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has spoken about his own struggles.
In the wake of the untimely deaths of three young NFL players, A.J. Brown on Monday posted a 9-minute, 8-second testimonial on Instagram encouraging NFL athletes struggling with mental health issues to seek counseling and God rather than taking their own lives. It was poignant and it was beautiful.
We asked: What is your favorite Olympic moment, Summer or Winter Games? Among your responses:
Favorite moment! I was present at the Miracle On Ice in Lake Placid in 1980. I am presently 95 and love the Olympics for what it represents. — Pegg E.
For me the Olympics is all about track and field, but nothing ever has or probably ever will top the U.S. 4-3 win over the highly favored Soviet Union team at Lake Placid in 1980. “The Miracle on Ice,” how can you top it? My Philly friend Mike Pantalione was recently elected to the Jr. College Hall of Fame along with Jim Craig, who was the outstanding goalie of that team. I include myself among probably thousands who have forgotten that we still had to beat Finland to win the gold medal. — Everett S.
When Bob Beamon collapsed to his knees, overwhelmed by emotion while burying his face with his hands, after learning he broke the world record in the long jump by [almost two] feet at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. — Mike P.
For me, I’d tab the two latest great moments, similar ones, when the top-seeded women’s hockey team snatched victory from those jaws and tied the gold medal game with 2 minutes left and a goalie pulled to tie Canada and then to win in thrilling overtime. The NHL would consider that way of breaking ties. That was then equaled by the USA hockey men, who somehow held on to a tie in regulation when being dominated in play for almost all the game, and then winning with an overtime goal, also against Canada. Somehow, the joy of winning a tight hockey game stands out for me over other Olympic triumphs. — John W.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Scott Lauber, Gina Mizell, Jackie Spiegel, Marcus Hayes, Alex Coffey, Ariel Simpson, Matt Breen, and Conor Smith.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thanks for reading. Here’s hoping you’re counting the days till spring right along with me. Kerith will join you for Wednesday’s newsletter. — Jim
This storm likely won’t have the staying power of last month’s — and nature will help with the cleanup. Next up: Light snow is possible this week.
Fourteen inches fell at Philadelphia International Airport, Langhorne got 22, and parts of the Jersey Shore were hit with a whopping two feet. Compare more snow totals in the region.
Philly schools buildings will opt for another day of virtual learning. Other Pennsylvania and New Jersey districts will have the day off, virtual instruction, or operate on delays.
Want to escape the snowglobe-like conditions? Head to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where starting this weekend you’ll find mulch, flowers, and floor-to-ceiling horticultural masterpieces.
Yes, the annual Philadelphia Flower Show has returned — despite Mother Nature’s best efforts at delaying setup.
It’s far from the first time inclement weather has threatened the nearly 200-year-old show, which is typically held in late winter or early spring.
Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity will be a guest at Tuesday night’s State of the Union address. Some Democrats are boycotting or bringing their own guests to send a message.
Pennsylvania leaders want to avoid another lengthy state budget impasse. But a $4.3 billion budget shortfall is expected, as is disagreement over how to fix it.
The Quakertown Community School District is planning to offer counseling and has requested a police presence this week after a student walkout Friday to protest federal immigration enforcement ended in a clash with police and multiple student arrests.
The former Chester County detective who served as a technical adviser for the HBO crime drama Mare of Easttown is suing her past employer and supervisor over alleged sex discrimination.
The Chinatown Stitch, which would cap the Vine Street Expressway, is in limbo after the Trump administration yanked funds. Planners are looking for ways to keep the project alive.
Students would transition from a closing North Philadelphia elementary school in a “very high risk” neighborhood to worse-performing ones, if the district’s plan is approved.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech” wouldn’t be the same without North Philly’s Clarence B. Jones. He’s now the subject of Steph Curry’s directorial debut coming soon to Netflix.
Quote of the day
Two weeks after the last big snowstorm, Saladine Sharad’s car was towed, and SEPTA was still unreliable. But the handyman had a job to get to in Roxborough. So, he bought an electric scooter and began traveling on Google Maps’ prescribed bike route. But after hitting a closed path, he ended up on one of the city’s most dangerous roads — and soon after, on social media.
🧠Trivia time
The former Mac’s Tavern in Old City will become a Celtic bar called the Monto in April. Two of its owners, Fergus Carey and Jim McNamara, also own which other Philly establishment?
Cheers to Harry Escarge, who solved Monday’s anagram: Tom Shirley. The longtime Thomas Jefferson women’s basketball coach will be inducted into Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame this year.
Photo of the day
A snowman stands along Martin Lane in Wallingford on Monday.
Stay cozy — or if you need to go outside, try to make some friends like the smiley guy above. I’ll be back with more news tomorrow morning.
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❄️ Trash and recycling collection in Philly has been suspended Monday and Tuesday. A two-day delay will remain through the week.
❄️ SEPTA, PATCO, NJ Transit, and Amtrak have all planned service disruptions or suspensions. Hundreds of flights were canceled at Philadelphia International Airport for Sunday and Monday.
❄️ The city’s Code Blue designation, set to last until 9 a.m. Tuesday, means additional shelter beds are available. The city also opened several warming centers, including at Prevention Point in Kensington and Hub of Hope in Suburban Station.
Despite President Donald Trump’s administration moving to end union contracts and cut positions for federal workers, union membership remained fairly steady across the United States in the last year.
Union rates over time: The percentage of U.S. workers who belong to unions has halved since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started collecting this data in 1983, from 20.1% to 10% in 2025.
Local membership: Workers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are slightly more likely to be unionized compared to the national rate, at 14.7% and 10.9%, respectively. Still, both states saw a decline of around one percentage point from 2024.
Recent labor action: Philly-area labor moves in the past year have included an eight-day municipal workers strike, a threatened SEPTA strike, and a Whole Foods unionization.
More union news: University of Pennsylvania’s graduate student workers last week reached a tentative agreement on a first union contract, averting a strike.
What you should know today
Petitioners are calling for the longtime Quakertown Borough police chief to resign, days after videos emerged that appear to show him barreling into a crowd of teenagers, sustaining a barrage of punches, and grappling with a girl on the ground.
Lincoln University announced new safety plans for large events after the on-campus shooting at homecoming last October that left one dead and six others shot.
Of the 20 schools the Philadelphia School District has recommended closing, six are middle schools — though others will stay open, or even grow. The district says it’s “an efficiency issue.”
A Penn OB-GYN who studied antidepressant use during pregnancy saw that patients often get mixed messaging from providers. Here’s what her research found.
Jessica Chopin Roney will take over the Library Company of Philadelphia after it merges with Temple University. She has ties to both institutions and will be the first woman to lead the group in 295 years.
Team USA men’s hockey team honored Johnny Gaudreau, the late hockey star from Salem County, after winning Olympic gold in Milan on Sunday. South Jersey fans were “proud they remembered him for how great he was.”
Quote of the day
As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity has picked up nationally and in the Philadelphia region, volunteers such as Hernández aim to help undocumented people afraid to leave home.
In other ICE news: Philadelphia’s federal courthouse is managing hundreds of lawsuits filed by undocumented immigrants challenging the government’s attempts to detain them, an Inquirer review found. That includes 168 filed in the first six weeks of 2026 alone, compared to eight total from 2020 through 2024.
🧠Trivia time
Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper has previously donned cleats that give a nod to Wawa and the Phanatic. What do his latest themed spikes represent?
Cheers to Aaron Thomas, who solved Sunday anagram: Colman Domingo. The West Philly native and Temple alum is up for three NAACP Image Awards, including the President’s Award.
Photo of the day
The sun sets over Wayne United Methodist Church in Wayne, Pa. on Feb. 10, 2026.
📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story
Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.
This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Deb Olsen, who recalls how her love of a certain annual event bloomed:
I attended Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences in the late ‘70s. As a horticulture major, I was chosen among a dozen other students to help out in the set up of the Philadelphia Flower Show for each of my high school years. This was a great honor because we got to take off two weeks of school and see how all the exhibits were put together.
About three days before the show opened, we worked a late night when a giant tractor trailer pulled in with a hundred flats of flowering bulbs. We had to unload them and place them around the showroom floors. The first year I did this, it seemed a monumental task. There were no hand trucks or trolleys. We just all lined up on the loading dock and formed a chain into the building, passing heavy wood flats filled with soil and fragrant hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils into the Convention Center, one after the other.
It took four hours. Our arm muscles were screaming; we were cold and covered in dirt. But when it was done, the place looked fantastic.
It really is a wonder to see a huge hall converted into a garden wonderland in the middle of winter. I hope everyone plans to come and enjoy it. Stop by Saul High School’s exhibit. The kids worked hard to design and put it together. Show them your appreciation.
🌱 Want to plant your own roots of appreciation? Before the 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show begins on Saturday, check out our guide for info on the schedule, tickets, exhibits on display, and more.
Thanks for starting your week with The Inquirer. See you back here tomorrow.
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While the players on the U.S. hockey team captured the gold medal at the Olympics for the first time in 46 years, they took time to honor someone who should have been with them: South Jersey’s Johnny Gaudreau.
Goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves Sunday in the 2-1 overtime victory against Canada to bring the Milan-Cortina Games to a thrilling climax. Then the players paid tribute to Gaudreau, a regular on the U.S. team who was killed, along with his brother Matthew, by an alleged drunk driver in August 2024.
Amid the celebration, U.S. captain Auston Matthews and close friends Matthew Tkachuk and Zach Werenski skated around the ice holding up Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 Team USA jersey. The American players later brought two of the late NHL star’s children, Noa and Johnny Jr., onto the ice to sit in for the team picture alongside their father’s jersey.
“I was so proud they remembered him for how great he was,” said Bob Nark, Gaudreau’s chemistry teacher at Gloucester Catholic High. “Today brought back a lot of memories, seeing them march his jersey around the ice.”
It was a touching end to a compelling Olympic Games, Mike Sielski writes: That entire postgame sequence sent a quiver across a region that the Gaudreau family turned into a hockey hotbed years ago. Guy Gaudreau, Johnny’s father, had helped to form the program at Gloucester Catholic, forging it into a powerhouse before Matt eventually coached there, too. All the while, Johnny was the example that every youth coach could hold up to every youngster who was wobbling on skates but dreaming big dreams.
Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hits a solo home run in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
On his first at-bat of spring training, Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run to right field off Pirates righty Braxton Ashcraft, clocked at an exit velocity of 108.7 mph off the bat.
“Just trying to simplify, first at-bat, and just happened to get a good piece of it,” Schwarber said. When he gets a good piece of the ball, it usually sails out of the park. All news was not good in the Phillies’ first home game of the spring, though. Shortstop prospect Aidan Miller sat out again, and Lochlahn March has the details.
Before the game in Clearwater, Fla., many Phillies players were glued to the big screen at BayCare Ballpark, watching the gold medal hockey game. Schwarber and Bryce Harper are hoping MLB players will get to experience the Olympics themselves when baseball returns to the Games in 2028.
The Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. (left) and Tyrese Maxey argue a call during their loss to the Pelicans on Saturday in New Orleans.
A troubling road loss to the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday left the Sixers with their fourth straight defeat. Sure, Joel Embiid was out of the lineup once again, but the team could not compensate for his loss and showed little fight, according to veteran Kelly Oubre Jr.
“I don’t think anything’s funny right now. I don’t think anything is fun,” said Oubre, who scored 25 points in the loss. “I just hope that we get mad. I think we’ll play better if we’re mad. We’ll play better if we’re desperate.”
Imhotep’s players celebrate after winning the Public League title again by beating West Philadelphia.
The Public and Catholic Leagues crowned their champions in boys’ and girls’ basketball on Sunday. Imhotep Charter’s boys have made this a habit. Zaahir Muhammad-Gray scored 15 points as the Panthers captured their sixth PPL title in a row with a 39-35 victory over West Philadelphia at La Salle’s John E. Glaser Arena.
On the girls’ side, 22 points from Nasiaah Russell helped Audenried earn its fourth straight crown in a 64-50 win over Imhotep.
Sisters Alexis, Kayla, and Kelsey Eberz combined to score 29 points for Archbishop Carroll, which topped Cardinal O’Hara for the Catholic League championship.
Julius Erving’s transformational career with the Sixers remains beloved here.
Arguably the most legendary 76er of all, Julius Erving turned 76 years old on Sunday. “I want to put my focus on keeping the carrot out in front,” the Hall of Famer says, “and tomorrow being the best day of my life.”
In an excerpt from his book, Magic in the Air: The Myth, the Mystery, and the Soul of the Slam Dunk, Mike Sielski explores Erving’s heyday: the 1976 ABA slam dunk contest.
Sports snapshot
Villanova guard Tyler Perkins has UConn’s Jayden Ross hanging onto his arm on Saturday.
Feb. 23, 2005: The Sixers traded for All-Star forward Chris Webber and two reserves, sending Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas, and Corliss Williamson to the Sacramento Kings. Webber was a disappointment with the Sixers, averaging 17.9 points before he was waived in 2007.
Marcus Hayes’ take
Tackle Lane Johnson celebrates the Eagles’ 2022 NFC championship with Nick Sirianni.
You never know how Jeffrey Lurie sees his team, but, after two Super Bowl trips and two post-Super Bowl disasters, it feels more than ever like there’s a one-year window in which Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts can save their jobs in Philadelphia. Their chances got a lot better Thursday.
That’s when The Inquirer reported that right tackle Lane Johnson, arguably the greatest Eagle ever and inarguably the greatest Eagles offensive lineman, would return for a 14th season. Left guard Landon Dickerson, a three-time Pro Bowl player, will return as well.
Replacing either of them would have been difficult. Replacing both would have been catastrophic. More from Marcus Hayes.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Sielski, Marcus Hayes, Gustav Elvin, Stephen Wyno, Lochlahn March, Scott Lauber, Gina Mizell, Ryan Mack, Colin Schofield, Dylan Johnson, Owen Hewitt, Jeff Neiburg, Katie Lewis, Jackie Spiegel, and Jonathan Tannenwald.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Happy Monday and good luck shoveling or slow blowing! I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim
In today’s main read: We join restaurant critic Craig LaBan in Japan with superstar chef Jesse Ito and his father, Matt. They touch on a challenging family history, balancing success, and the culture and cuisine that inspired their craft at Philadelphia’s Royal Sushi & Izakaya.
Jesse and Matt Ito may have worked together for over two decades, but the two rarely interact. For Matt, a trip to his home village was an unexpected gift. The journey to his homeland was the first in a quarter-century.
🎤 Let’s turn the mic over to Craig LaBan for this father-son trip dispatch.
You have to wake up early in the morning to catch the world’s largest fish market at its peak. You also need to keep your head on a swivel.
“Careful here! These drivers can be crazy!” said our market escort, yanking me back from a warehouse lane wet with fish blood and water as several electric forklifts zoomed past. Piled high with styrofoam boxes bearing some of the most coveted seafood on the planet, these silent-but-speedy carts were designed for Toyosu Fish Market, a state-of-the-art facility built in 2018 on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay.
The massive refrigerated halls were already humming with activity before dawn on a November morning as Philadelphia chefs Jesse Ito and his father, Masaharu “Matt” Ito, walked through vast aisles of whole fish on ice toward the live-seafood hall, where an acre of ocean creatures bobbed in gurgling tanks flanked by an ike jime station. Thrashing madai red snappers there were deftly dispatched with two strokes of a knife and a wire spike to the brain — a swift death considered both humane and, from a culinary perspective, optimal.
“It instantly disables the nervous system from producing chemicals that degrade the fish and keeps the meat fresh,” said Jesse, of Royal Sushi & Izakaya, whose industry contacts had lent us official hats and white rubber boots to accompany them to areas of this seafood paradise where tourists are not permitted.
One of the most respected sushi chefs in the U.S., Jesse was not buying tuna on this day in November, but taking in this time-honored ritual alongside his father.
“I’m so glad we got a chance to experience that together,” Jesse said.
Matt, 72 and Japanese-born, taught a teenage Jesse the fundamentals of making sushi at Fuji, the family’s long-running restaurant in South Jersey. He and Jesse sold it before opening Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Queen Village together with partners in 2016, when Jesse was 26. — Craig LaBan
According to recently released census data, Chester County towns are among the wealthiest in the Philadelphia area, but Bucks County has made gains over the last decade.
Here are some key findings:
💰 Six of the 10 wealthiest municipalities are in Chester County. Overall, the county has the highest median income in the state of Pennsylvania.
💰 Incomes in other counties in the region have grown. The bulk of higher incomes were west of the Delaware River.
💰 Bucks County has been gaining star power. Some of its towns may merit the label “Big Bucks County,” with seven of its municipalities making the top 20, more than any other county.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined President Donald Trump at the White House for a breakfast on Friday, following weeks of uncertainty and strife over whether any Democrats would attend the traditionally bipartisan annual event.
Parkway West High School is among the last of the Philly area’s small, specialty schools. Its size is also a reason the school district wants to close it. The Samuel Pennypacker School also faces the threat of extinction after anchoring the West Oak Lane neighborhood of Northwest Philly for nearly a century.
Philip Korshak, the poet-baker who left town after closing his cult favorite Korshak Bagels 2½ years ago, plans to return to South Philadelphia in the spring. This time, bagels aren’t on the menu.
Croft Farm was once a stop for Black people seeking freedom from slavery. Now, a fresh archaeological expedition seeks to learn more about its role in that era.
Four years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Philly area has become a hub for veterans and refugees seeking medical care and community. They express gratitude for support, and wariness of the future.
A deteriorating, privately owned house in West Goshen is at the center of a fight to spotlight under-told history and preserve open land in the county.
Carl Henderson of Carl’s Cards was a beloved figure in Havertown and beyond. He ran his shop with joy and selflessness for 31 years. After his sudden death last month, his family is keeping it alive.
Snow is a near certainty this weekend, with a winter storm watch starting early Sunday for the Philly area. Coastal flooding is possible at the Shore. Resident weather expert Tony Wood (or “AccuTony,” as we like to call him) has the forecast details.
A 260-apartment development, largely composed of one-bedroom units, is the latest residential project slated for Ridge Avenue in East Falls.
Several Quakertown High School students were taken into custody on Friday after a student walkout protesting federal immigration enforcement escalated into a confrontation that left at least one teenager bloodied and in handcuffs, according to witnesses and video footage from the scene.
Philly Bierfest and the NYC-rooted Philly Beer Fest will be held on the same date this year, and their names sound nearly identical, but the similarities mostly end there. One wants the other to stop confusing customers.
A man was arrested after he allegedly placed hidden cameras inside restrooms at a Gloucester County barbershop where he worked.
A new all-day lounge in Old City is betting on kava and kratom to pull crowds away from bars. The substances are associated with stress relief — and health risks.
Haverford College could convene a committee to review whether U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s name should remain on the campus library, following newly revealed details of the mega-donor’s ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The school has also vowed to amend its events policy after a disturbance at a talk by an Israeli journalist.
Loyal customers in the Philadelphia area love Wawa. But as the chain grows, its expansion has tested the brand. With shifting menus and quality, how does it keep people coming back? To find out, consumer reporter Erin McCarthy spoke to the experts about Wawa’s “secret sauce” and how it set a national standard for success in the convenience store industry.
And for a dose of hometown critical analysis, Inquirer editor Evan Weiss polled features columnist Stephanie Farr, programming editor Tommy Rowan, and deputy food editor Jenn Ladd. They sound off on Wawa’s transforming food quality, and whether or not it’s changed too much, for better or for worse.
In this week’s Shackamaxon, Inquirer columnist Daniel Pearson gets into the numbers of the state of crime, public transit, and the economy in Philadelphia.
“Homicides are down, SEPTA ridership is up, and the city’s job growth proves unsurprising,” Pearson writes.
Every Saturday, we’ll show you a photo taken in the Philly area, and you drop a pin where you think it was taken. Closer to the location results in a better score. This week is all about Lunar New Year of the Horse. Good luck!
Think you know where this lion is grazing? Our weekly game puts your knowledge of Philly’s streets to the test. Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: A new streaming series that tells the story of America through the lens of Philadelphia
Cheers to Kate Vengraitis, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Chris Rabb. The state representative from Northwest Philadelphia said he will not seek reelection while he runs in the Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District.
La Scala (top) in Milan, Italy, and Philadelphia’s Academy of Music (bottom).
Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, better known as La Scala, is one of the world’s most famous opera houses in the world. It’s a popular stop for Winter Olympics spectators when they’re not at a sporting venue.
If it looks familiar, it’s no coincidence. Philadelphia’s Academy of Music was designed after La Scala.
National Park Service employees began restoring the slavery exhibits to the President’s House on Thursday. See how a Black history tour kept the historic site’s story alive after the Trump administration tried to erase it.
Almost a month after abruptly dismantling exhibits about slavery from the President’s House, National Park Service employees began reinstalling the panels late Thursday morning ahead of a court-imposed deadline.
The site’s restoration comes after weeks of community pushback and legal action against President Donald Trump’s administration, which removed the panels last month because they were deemed to “inappropriately disparage” the United States.
The exhibits may face further legal scrutiny. But the groups that have rallied for them to be reinstalled are committed to keeping the stories they tell about Black history in Philadelphia alive.
Notable quote: “We’re here and you can try and erase whatever you want, as much as you want, but guess what? There are lots of us and we’re just going to keep moving and moving and moving toward truth,” said Mona Washington, a playwright and board member for Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, which fought to develop and now protect the site.
PHA last year began buying struggling private-sector apartment buildings with a goal to expand the affordable housing supply in the city. The agency plans to fillthese buildings with Section 8 voucher holders, though many still have tenants paying market-rate rents.
Tenants at its first acquisition, The Dane in Wynnefield, report a rocky transition, including lost access to a rent payment portal and delayed maintenance. A high turnover rate not seen at PHA’s other properties hints at challenges within the new model.
Still, they say, PHA is a better landlord than the company that ran the building before — and is now no longer in business.
In other housing news: A $105 million mixed-use complex with apartments is set to rise in the shadow of the Willow Grove mall.
What you should know today
Pennsylvania State Police identified the teen who died in a crash while allegedly fleeing from troopers in a stolen vehicle in Montgomery County on Saturday.
The Upper Darby Township Council passed a resolution Wednesday to restrict cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following a resident’s death in the agency’s custody.
In a letter to the Justice Department that was kept secret for months, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker administration’s wrote that Philly is a “welcoming city” for immigrants, but won’t stop federal enforcement.
A high-stakes fight is brewing between the Trump administration and states such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey over the regulation of prediction markets.
A three-year ban on puppy breeding in Philadelphia is likely to become law after City Council members on Thursday passed a bill to relieve overcrowded animal shelters.
Haverford College has vowed to make changes to its events policy following a disturbance by protesters at an Israeli journalist’s talk on campus.
This week, we have an explainer from reporter Nate File on where the heck all these strewn-about chicken remnants are coming from. Why does it seem like every other city block is the scene of a fowl crime?
As a dog owner who must dig a bone out of a drooly mouth on just about every walk we take through West Philly, I’m thrilled to have someone to blame. Here’s the full story.
For the 800th episode of The Simpsons, the show showcased Philadelphia and parodied National Treasure. Which Philly-tied celebrity was not featured in the episode?
Cheers to Bob Brauckmann, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Morey’s Piers. A man was arrested this week in the theft of more than $175,000 worth of metal and mechanical components from the iconic Wildwood theme park.
Photo of the day
Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola throws a live batting practice session during spring training in Clearwater, Fla. on Wednesday.
See? We’re so close to baseball season, and spring. ’Til then, be well.
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The Eagles might have gotten the best news of their offseason. Lane Johnson, a no-doubt Hall of Famer someday, told The Inquirer on Thursday that he would be back for the 2026 season, ending speculation about whether he might retire.
Eagles fans are well aware of how important the right tackle is to the offense. In Johnson’s 13 seasons, the team is 110-57-1 when he plays and 18-27 when he does not. Ask Saquon Barkley if he missed Johnson when the Pro Bowl tackle sat out seven games this season and missed parts of others.
Of course, Johnson will be 36 in the next season and he’s coming off a Lisfranc foot fracture in Week 11. He avoided surgery, though, and he has shown the ability to overcome major injuries in the past. Now the Eagles wait for the other shoe to drop: Oft-injured guard Landon Dickerson has hinted at retirement as well, and we’re waiting to see if he’ll return. Jeff McLane has the full story.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson (left) and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will have few roster decisions to make over the next four weeks.
Spring training games don’t count. But don’t tell that to Dylan Moore, the 33-year-old utility man fighting for a bench role with the Phillies.
The Phillies will play 30 spring training games, including a March 4 exhibition against Canada’s entry in the World Baseball Classic. That’s a lot of faux innings for a team that has few jobs up for grabs.
Here, then, is an attempt to answer a few roster questions entering Saturday’s opener against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., based on reporting from the first eight days of camp.
These Phillies starting pitchers are preparing for the “different feeling” that goes with competing in the World Baseball Classic.
J.T. Realmuto is back for an eighth season with the Phillies. But for a week in January, he wasn’t sure he’d return.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey drives to the basket against Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker on Thursday.
Tyrese Maxey returned from his All-Star Game appearance with a 28-point effort, but the Atlanta Hawks earned a 117-107 victory over the Sixers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Jalen Johnson, fresh off an All-Star appearance himself, led the way for the Hawks with 32 points.
Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae has not played since Jan. 26, with Rick Tocchet instead electing to play Noah Juulsen.
Flyers fans have been clamoring for Emil Andrae to play after the Swedish defenseman was benched for five straight games heading into the Olympic break. They may soon get their wish.
“He’s been really sharp in these three practices that he’s been back for,” says defense coach Todd Reirden. “I know he came back a little bit earlier and did some other skating. He’s doing everything he can to get himself in a situation where he’s fighting to be in that lineup every night.”
Andrae’s future with the team is an uncertain one with the NHL trade deadline approaching on March 6. We’ll see if he’s back in the lineup when the Flyers return to game action against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
Isabeau Levito competes in her free skate on Thursday at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
Figure skater Isabeau Levito, the 18-year-old pride of South Jersey, placed 12th at the Winter Olympics in Milan, the hometown of her mother. Levito’s teammate, friend, and fellow Blade Angel, Alysa Liu, emerged with the gold medal.
Levito had an uncharacteristic fall on her opening triple flip but otherwise skated a beautiful long program on Thursday. “I did my best,” she said afterward.
West Philadelphia’s players shower coach Adrian Burke with water after a 68-47 win against Dobbins in the Public League semifinals at John E. Glaser Arena on Tuesday.
Each Friday, Inquirer photo editors will pick our best shots from the last seven days and share them with you, our readers. This week, it’s hoop, hoop hooray: Photos include high school boys’ and girls’ basketball playoffs, college hoops as well, and plenty from the Phillies at spring training.
What you’re saying about burning questions
We asked: What’s your burning Philly sports question? Among your responses:
The fans of all Philly sports teams are passionate, but it is the Eagles who draw the most passion. Their most burning off season question is “are the Eagles trying hard to trade A.J. Brown before next season?” … Does the Eagles brass see him as a locker room cancer with more negative value to the team than the value of his performance on the field? And how confident are they that the new offensive coaching staff can turn around his mental attitude toward performing consistently at his best? There are some who believe that the same question could be applied to Jalen Hurts. — John W.
Will the Phillies have enough to repeat as Eastern Division champs? Can the Eagles adapt to a new offensive scheme and remain a legit Super Bowl contender? Is Joel Embiid done? — Bob C.
The Palestra played host to the Catholic League semifinals on Wednesday.
What, if anything, can be done to have at least one Big Five (I’m not talking to you, Drexel) doubleheader each year at the Palestra.? Streamers, banners, the whole works. Or even a doubleheader with one nationally popular team. Everyone would get totally into it. Sorry to live in the past, but those were the greatest times I ever had. Cold outside, hot, sweaty and noisy inside. And everyone celebrating Philadelphia basketball, no matter which school they were from or rooting for. — Tom L.
Two questions. Ready to spend in the 100 millions for Bo Bichette, but unwilling to spend even a small percentage of that to keep Harrison Bader, who so impressed all Phillies fans during his short time here? And is Sirianni truly the coach who can bring the Eagles back to the Super Bowl? This past season I think he failed to lead when the going was the toughest and leadership was most needed. — Everett S.
What’s wrong with the Flyers? As usual they have become irrelevant. — Bill M.
Is this still Bryce’s team, or has Schwarber overtaken him as the star of the organization? — Anthony P.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Ellen Dunkel, Gabriela Carroll, Jonathan Tannenwald, Rob Tornoe, Jeff Neiburg, Sean McKeown, Colin Schofield,Conor Smith, andDylan Johnson.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Have a great weekend. Thanks for reading, as always, and I’ll see you in Monday’s newsletter. — Jim
