The sports memorabilia world can be transactional, but Carl Henderson navigated it with warmth and integrity.
Henderson opened Carl’s Cards in 1995, and it has since become a staple in the Havertown community. He was a lifelong fan of the area’s sports teams, and that passion showed in his work.
Carl’s Cards has something for everyone — and his daughter, Lauren Henderson-Pignetti, is determined to keep it that way.
On the morning of Jan. 31, Carl Henderson died unexpectedly in his sleep. He was 69 when he passed. He was a beloved figure at his shop and beyond.
About 400 people gathered together during a memorial service last week in Bryn Mawr. Former Phillies pitcher Dickie Noles read a passage from the Old Testament. Members of the Broad Street Bullies sat among the crowd.
His shop looks a little different now. There’s sympathy cards pinned along the walls and a sign sits in the front window to commemorate the longtime owner. But the character remains the same.
Henderson-Pignetti sees Carl’s Cards as a way to honor her late father, because, “He spent 31 years building this place. He would have wanted everything to stay the way it was.”
Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm is eligible for free agency after the season.
Rob Thomson hasn’t settled on the order but wants Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper to bat in the first inning.
Alec Bohm was the Phillies’ most frequent cleanup hitter over the last two seasons and is the leading candidate to reprise the role in his last year before free agency. He said that his game was “down last year,” but is confident that his ability to “put the ball in play” will be an asset in the cleanup spot.
And José Alvarado is starting to ramp up after an 80-game suspension and a forearm injury limited him to 28 appearances last season.
What we’re …
🤼 Preparing: Major League Wrestling will return to Philadelphia to host two nights of action at the 2300 Arena this summer.
The NFL world will descend on Indianapolis again next week for the NFL Scouting Combine.
Next week, 319 college football prospects will descend on Indianapolis for the annual NFL scouting combine. The Eagles’ needs are well-known, but how do they match up with the available talent in this draft?
Here is how we’re ranking the combine position groups from strongest to weakest — and how they could help the Eagles address some roster needs.
Red-hot Travis Konecny has made it clear that the Flyers still believe they can push and make the playoffs with 26 games remaining.
After 11 days, the Flyers were back on the ice Tuesday in Voorhees. The common theme: the playoffs are still within reach.
With 26 games left on the schedule, and just five until the trade deadline, time is ticking on the season. Will the Flyers be buyers, sellers, or somewhere in between? A lot will be determined by their first five games.
Carver Engineering and Science head boys’ basketball coach Dustin Hardy-Moore (left) talks with his players outside courtroom 275 on Tuesday.
Carver Engineering & Science’s buzzer-beating attempt to overturn a ban from the Public League boys’ basketball playoffs was swatted away on Tuesday.
A judge denied the team’s plea for an emergency injunction to stop Tuesday night’s semifinal game between Constitution High School and Imhotep Charter. This comes after the Engineers were disqualified from the Public League playoffs following a skirmish in the quarterfinals with Constitution. The student athletes of E&S are “disappointed” in the decision.
Sports snapshot
Members of Archbishop Carroll celebrate after beating Archbishop Wood in the Catholic League girls’ basketball semifinals at Villanova on Monday.
Sister duo: Alexis and Kayla Eberz combined for 36 points and guided Archbishop Carroll back to the Palestra for their third straight Catholic League appearance.
Sweet redemption: The Patriots will face Cardinal O’Hara in the PCL final, after the Lions beat Neumann Goretti, behind Megan Rullo’s 22 points.
Ready to battle: Villanova women are riding a six-game winning streak into its showdown against top-ranked UConn. How have the Wildcats been preparing?
🧠 Trivia time answer
Who was the last Sixer to win the MVP award in the NBA All-Star Game?
A) Allen Iverson in 2005.
What you’re saying about Phillies’ outfield
We asked: How will the Phillies’ outfield stack up to last year’s version? Among your responses:
Let’s see now! The Phillies just let the best centerfielder they’ve had since the Flyin’ Hawaiian just walk away. To top that off they also let one of best pitchers in baseball just walk away. Just to prove they’ve totally lost their mind, why not just cut the right fielder and give him a $19,250,000 bonus? The Mets got better. The Braves got better. The Marlins got better. The Nationals got better and our fightins got worse. — Ronald R.
Why the Phillies would risk a World Series run with such a questionable outfield is beyond amazing to me. I like Marsh alot but he has proven that he seriously struggles against lefties. I love giving young players a chance but with this team’s roster and playoff expectations this seems to be a tremendous amount of pressure to put on Crawford. And Garcia … I’m sorry but I just can’t get excited about a .227 batting average. Letting Bader go is baffling considering the expectations for this team. I believe there will be an outfield shakeup early in the season unless Phillies Management is quietly trying to rebuild the team and is willing to miss the playoffs. Letting Ranger Suarez go as well as Bader makes me suspicious this is the case. — Bob A.
Three question marks! Marsh did rebound in 2025 but was platooned. Crawford is a rookie and Garcia is a low risk, high potential project. Otto Kemp (one of the best names in baseball!), if healthy, could provide much needed punch to the offense – but can he field?? — Bob C.
Brandon Marsh warms-up during spring training workouts on Feb. 12.
Lots of questions re the outfield. Can Ott handle the role of right handed hitting left fielder? Can Crawford hit MLB pitching and cover CF as well as Bader who never should have been let go. And although Garcia will be an improvement over Nick, will he be good enough to carry this group. We will certainly not be seeing Delahanty, Thompson, & Hamilton out there, nor Burrell, Victorino, and Werth, but let’s hope for the best. Guarded optimism at best. — Everett S.
Adolis Garcia is a career .237 hitter, averaging 30 HRs and 97 RBIs for his 7-year career.That is not substantially different than who he replaces, Castellanos, except for his superior defense.Crawford has more upside than Bader and Rojas in center field.Combined, they offer more offensive and defensive potential than last year’s outfield.With that upgrade, and an improved bullpen, the Phillies should be a stronger contender in 2026. — John W.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Alex Coffey, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Devin Jackson, Matt Breen, Jackie Spiegel, Ariel Simpson, Gabriela Carroll, Ellen Dunkel, Brooke Ackerman, and Katie Lewis.
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.
As always, thanks for reading. Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday. Kerith will catch back up with you in Thursday’s newsletter. — Bella
I was cranking out the newsletter in Tuesday’s predawn darkness when we learned that the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., who’d been our greatest living bridge to the civil rights heroics of the 1960s and ‘70s, had died at age 84. Covering his groundbreaking 1984 campaign as a cub reporter at the Birmingham News is still a career highlight four-decades-plus later — a memory that was reinforced recently listening to Abby Phillip’s excellent new book on Jackson. He leaves us right when his victories for African Americans in arenas such as corporate hiring and college admissions are under attack, and it challenges us to fight to preserve them. RIP to an American original.
How ICE protest by ‘an average Joe’ from Haddon Heights went viral
“I never want to see a child run away from our own government again,” said this self-described first-time protester, Joseph Zobel from Haddon Heights, at a rally in Lindenwold, N.J., the day after children ran from a school bus stop after ICE appeared to conduct an operation in the area.
Last Friday, “an average Joe who grew up in Haddon Heights” named Joseph Zobel was at work when he saw a viral video from the nearby South Jersey town of Lindenwold that shocked the nation, and shocked him.
The clip from a Ring doorbell camera showed a gaggle of fourth and fifth graders running in a panic, screaming, “ICE! ICE!” as masked federal immigration agents had approached their morning bus stop the day before.
“I just thought, ‘How can that be happening here in the United States?’” Zobel told me Monday in his first media interview, conducted by email. When he got home from work, he saw online that the group Cooper River Indivisible was holding an “ICE Out” protest at the Lindenwold municipal building at 4 p.m.
He looked at the clock. It was 3:58.
“Something inside of me said, ‘Go up there and stand with these people,’” said Zobel, a 36-year-old school coach who said he’s never been to a protest before in his life. “I wanted to stand for what is right.” As he dashed out, Zobel also grabbed one thing — the American flag he flies in front of his house most of the time (except during football season, when an Eagles flag replaces it).
As many as 300 people were at the protest, as Indivisible organizer Amber Clemments asked the flag-bearing Zobel if he’d be willing to film a video. Zobel’s raw emotion, choking back tears as he said, “I watched fourth- and fifth-grade kids run away from our own government,” soon ignited across social media over the long Presidents Day weekend.
By Tuesday morning, the 47-second clip of Zobel had been watched an astronomical 2.9 million times on TikTok — and liked by some 709,000 viewers — even as it also went viral on Bluesky, X, Threads, and other social media platforms.
It’s not hard to understand why. Zobel, who described himself as a patriotic regular voter but never very political, instantly became the bearded, baseball hat-wearing, anguished face of a new American majority — an Everyman shocked into action by the horror of immigration raids, wondering how best to protect his neighbors.
The two South Jersey viral videos — the one depicting the raid itself and Zobel’s raw reaction — revealed how both the terrorizing tactics of masked immigration cops and the powerful reaction from often nonpolitical Americans, dubbed “neighborism,” are spreading far beyond the Minnesota tundra where this battle was initially met.
Indeed, local activists say Lindenwold — last stop on the heavily traveled PATCO line, just over 15 miles southeast of Philadelphia — has been under a relentless siege from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agents since last spring, not long after Donald Trump became president. The transit hub has become a magnet for immigrants in recent years, with a local school population that is just under 60% Latino.
Craig Strimel, a leader of Cooper River Indivisible, a local chapter of the group that organized the large “No Kings” protests, said activists first learned of the ICE activity when a Lindenwold immigrant couple escaped agents last year by taking refuge in the local high school, where the principal blocked the feds at the doorway. Since then, Strimel said, ICE watchers have seen frequent activity in and around a cluster of five apartment complexes with large immigrant populations, but few known arrests.
“It was becoming apparent early on that this was all about creating terror,” said Strimel of the frequent ICE sightings. Some local residents stopped leaving their apartments, he said, and a once-popular restaurant in Lindenwold just closed its doors amid rumors that the couple that owned it has returned to Mexico.
All of this set the stage for last Thursday, when masked federal agents wearing tactical gear arrived early in the morning at Lindenwold’s Woodland Village Apartments just as 44 elementary school kids were waiting for their school bus. The sighting triggered a panic that saw some kids running away and others frantically hustling onto the bus as the driver arrived. No one was apprehended or reported hurt.
On Monday, U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials said the agents went to the complex hoping to arrest a Honduran immigrant who’d once been convicted of aggravated assault. The man was not taken on Thursday and remains free.
Although some outlets reported the large protest was in response to the high-profile raid — which has been covered by the CBS Evening News, MS Now’sMorning Joe, and elsewhere — that took place just a day and a half earlier, the rally actually had been in the works for several weeks.
It had been organized by a young woman from Lindenwold named Tatiana — a 20-year-old business major at Camden County Community College who spoke with me Monday on the condition that I not use her full name — who’d been seeing the ICE activity in her hometown and felt it was time local people spoke out.
Tatiana told me that the idea behind the Lindenwold protest was “to give the community a voice — to be able to say, ‘No, we don’t stand for this.’ That’s the most important thing for me. It’s just bringing community together and deciding we’re not OK with this at all.” But she agreed the bus stop raid had given the event a boost from residents believing “that children should not be scared of federal law enforcement.”
Zobel was one of those neighbors. In the email interview, he described himself as “just your average Joe who grew up in Haddon Heights.” He did volunteer that he’s voted in every election since he turned 18, and that his first ballot was cast for Barack Obama, “and I felt proud walking out of the booth that day.”
Fittingly, Zobel sounded somewhat Obama-esque when he described his dismay over America’s bitter partisan divide. “We as a nation are so angry with one another, and that makes me so sad,” he said. Not surprisingly, he’s as stunned as anyone at the millions of views for Friday’s video, and somewhat concerned about the impact, saying, “I just hope this video does not divide people.”
But Zobel’s words and teary-eyed emotion went viral because it was such a shot of hope — that in a moment when hate is on public display in the streets of the United States, “your average Joe” who’d once stood on the sidelines is now grabbing the American flag and taking the field to fight for their neighbors. An authoritarian movement dependent on rage simply never counted on the brotherly love that sent this nonpolitical Eagles fan to his first protest.
It might not be his last. “I am always happy,” he said, “to help support humanity.”
Yo, do this!
With several inches of snow still on the ground, it might shock you to hear this, but American soccer is back! The Philadelphia Union — despite winning the 2025 Supporters Shield and boasting Major League Soccer’s best winning percentage in the 2020s — radically shook things up during the offseason. With new strikers Ezekiel Alladoh and Agustín Anello looking to amp up their attack, the Union’s quest for the CONCACAF Champions Cup begins Wednesday in Trinidad against Defence Force FC at 6 p.m. on FS2. Saturday night at 7:30 p.m., it’s back to the chillier climes of Washington for the MLS opener against DC United on Apple TV (with no need in 2026 for an additional Season Pass subscription, as in past years).
In the quest for what’s new in American popular culture, sometimes we take for granted the established jewels in our midst. I’ve long felt that MS Now’s 9 p.m. (now just on Monday nights) host Rachel Maddow is our best TV commentator because of the way she weaves the historical past into the headlines of America’s tortured present. But since last summer, she has upped her game. Maddow’s coverage of two stories underreported in most of the mainstream media — grassroots resistance to the Trump regime, and now the push for a nationwide network of warehouse concentration camps — has created appointment television every Monday.
Ask me anything
Question: What is your take on the latest CBS censoring of [Stephen] Colbert? — @bcooper82.bsky.social via Bluesky
Answer: Another Tuesday morning breaking story on deadline: The CBS overseers of Late Night with Stephen Colbert — the top-rated talk show that’s nevertheless ending this year in what critics see as genuflecting to the Trump regime that the program frequently mocks — would not air a recorded interview with Texas state lawmaker and Democratic Senate primary candidate James Talarico. The backstory here is that the Federal Communications Commission has long exempted late-night talk shows from its equal time rule about political candidates on licensed broadcast outlets, but last month, FCC chair Brendan Carr — a pro-Trump MAGA pit bull — said this is changing. That apparently was enough for CBS’s new Trump-friendly management, which would not broadcast the interview (available on YouTube, now certain to get more views than if it hadn’t been censored). This new flap just highlights what a perilous moment this is for the First Amendment and American democracy writ large. Government limits on what viewpoints you can see or hear are a sign of dictatorship, full stop.
What you’re saying about …
Last week’s question about a winning Democratic strategy for the 2026 midterms drew a robust response, and almost all of the replies were thoughtful and nuanced. If there was a consensus, it was that Democrats should tailor their candidates to the divergent views of the congressional districts they hope to win. As Naomi Miller stated, “I think progressive candidates should run in progressive districts, and mainstream democrats in mainstream, purple, and red districts.” Still, a number of you think America’s bad experience with MAGA extremism means a sharp left turn is warranted in response. “I’d like for the Democrats to become more progressive and combative toward Trump than they already are,” wrote Benjamin Spohn, voicing an opinion many share these days.
📮 This week’s question: Tuesday’s passing of the Rev. Jesse Jackson is one more reminder that many icons of America’s tumultuous 20th century are disappearing. So who do you think is the current greatest living American, and why? Please email me your answer and put the exact phrase “greatest living American” in the subject line.
Backstory on the main reason the media is not trusted
Exterior images of CNN headquarters in Atlanta and the New York Times Building in Manhattan.
It’s rare these days to write something that everyone can agree on, but here goes: Public trust in the media has never been lower than it is today. How low? A Gallup poll last fall found that public trust in the ability of newspapers, TV, and radio to fairly and accurately report the news had plunged to 28%, the lowest ever recorded. Why? It’s complicated. The people’s faith in every major institution has declined in the 21st century, after all. And it’s clear that in a deeply divided America, rage against the media machine looks different from the left than it does from the right.
This weekend, in a New York Times piece largely about the broken promises of one media-mogul billionaire — Washington Post owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — columnist Lydia Polgreen put forth an explanation for sinking media trust that jibes with a lot of what I’ve witnessed since graduating into full-time journalism back in 1981. I believe it’s not the only reason — but the biggest, and maybe the most misunderstood.
Polgreen noted that the common theory for the public turning against Big Media — that journalists grew more partisan and biased after the tumult of the 1960s and ‘70s — doesn’t comport with the bigger reality. The era that peaked with the publication of the Pentagon Papers and the Watergate scandal launched a decades-long golden era of profitable news organizations spending big on investigative and accountability journalism — exactly what viewers and readers claimed they wanted.
Yet, trust declined as that happened. Polgreen cited a study in the late 1990s that compared then-contemporary media to 1960s newspapers and found the earlier times were “naïvely trusting of government, shamelessly boosterish, unembarrassedly hokey and obliging.” Polgreen wrote that moving “away from deferential stenography and toward fearless investigation … led to declining trust in the news media. Aggressive, probing and accountability-oriented journalism held up a mirror to American society — and many Americans didn’t like what they saw.”
I think this explanation is spot on, but before readers jump all over me, let me quickly add a couple of caveats. Starting way back in Ronald Reagan’s 1980s, there was also a response to the growing backlash — especially in elite, Beltway journalism — that resulted in too much groveling to authority, and thus stenography around government lies like the 2003 Iraq War. This has only gotten worse with the current wave of billionaire owners like the Post’s Bezos. This means many liberals now also distrust the media, but not for the same reasons as conservatives, who’ve long loathed journalism for probing America’s inequities around race or gender.
The explanation offered by Polgreen jumped out at me because it fit with what I explored in my 2022 book, After the Ivory Tower Falls, which looked at Americans losing trust in another large institution: colleges and universities. The liberal ideas that were nurtured on campuses in the postwar college enrollment boom — including the civil rights movement — triggered the same grievance-filled, largely white working-class backlash as did journalism about social injustice. Today, the only road back for the media is to hold the powerful to account — and understand that not everyone is going to like it.
What I wrote on this date in 2022
People can’t say they didn’t see America’s current crisis coming. On this date four years ago, I expressed my shock and amazement that little more than one year beyond Donald Trump’s attempted coup to stay in power, the right-wing’s creation of a political fantasy world was spiraling out of control, with lies about Hillary Clinton spying on Trump’s 2016 campaign and Joe Biden giving out free crack pipes (?!!). I wrote, “[Historian Ruth] Ben-Ghiat told me that the failure of the Jan. 6 insurrection only forced the GOP to double-down on embracing alternate realities, because ‘they have to reckon with the fact that [Trump] lost, that he’s no longer the leader.’”
There’s been no rest on themass deportation beat. In my Sunday column, I looked at the out-of-control lying from the Trump regime, with unbelievable fictions about everything from shootings and rampant brutality by masked immigration officers to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s whoppers about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. I argued that government lying is fundamentally unconstitutional and that the perpetrators need to be punished, including prison time. Over the weekend, I wrote about how, while Minneapolis was a victory for the forces resisting American authoritarianism, that won’t stop Homeland Security from putting thousands of new officers on the street and expanding its concentration camps. The fight for the soul of the nation has only just begun.
What was I saying higher up in this newsletter about accountability journalism? Ever since Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society push in the mid-1960s, community nonprofits have been a valuable source of urban renewal, yet aresometimes dragged down by waste, fraud, and abuse. It’s a problem that sadly persists, as shown last week by a major Inquirer investigation into Philadelphia’s NOMO Foundation, one of the best-funded nonprofits attacking youth violence and crime. Ace reporters Ryan W. Briggs and Samantha Melamed found that the foundation has received more than $6 million in public funds in recent years, but faced an IRS lien and eviction lawsuits while it was forced to close its housing program. This is why we have a First Amendment, so that a free press can report on the problems a corrupt or inept government refuses to deal with. Subscribing to The Inquirer gives you access to this type of essential journalism, and you’ll also feel good about supporting this vital work.
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.
So-called AI deepfakes — pictures of a real person manipulated with technology, sometimes with “nudify” features that can turn clothed images pornographic — are prompting concern among parents in the Philly region.
📱 Deepfake incidents have been reported in recent months in the Main Line’s Radnor Township School District and in Bucks County’s Council Rock School District. Both led to criminal charges against students who made sexually explicit videos of their classmates.
📱 Schools say they are limited in their ability to police students off campus, and that they have no role in criminal investigations. But parents want them to do more to protect students who are targeted.
📱 Notable quote: “They kept saying, ‘This is off campus,’” the parent of a deepfake victim told The Inquirer. But “my daughter could not walk around without crying and feeling ashamed.”
At 275 years old, Pennsylvania Hospital’s Pine Building is the United States’ oldest charteredhospital — and older than the country itself.
The building at Eighth and Pine Streets is still in active use as a medical facility. Come this spring, its long history will be honored with a museum, too.
The Pennsylvania Hospital Museum will feature a restored medical library, surgical amphitheater, and apothecary, as well as archival objects describing the history of the hospital and the care it delivered.
Among the items on display: a “tonsil guillotine,” anatomical casts once used in place of cadavers, and a preserved tumor from 1805.
In other cultural news: The Circle Theatre in Frankford, built in 1929 for what was once the largest movie theater chain in the country, is now officially recognized as historic.
What you should know today
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore the slavery exhibits that the National Park Service removed from the President’s House last month.
Police on Monday released images of a distinctive vehicle that left a 9-year-old boy injured in a hit-and-run that happened over the weekend in Southwest Philly.
The Philadelphia School District released details about $2.8 billion in modernization projects proposed for schools in each City Council district. Plus, the city’s teachers union has significant concerns with the district’s sweeping facilities plan, and has taken them to a Council committee.
La Salle University’s loyal baseball community restored the program after it was cut in 2021. Now they say it’s time to get the Explorers “back on the map.”
Frederick Wiseman, the documentarian behind the controversial, 1968 Northeast High-filmed High School, has died at 96.
The Phillies have changed things up in their outfield now that Nick Castellanos and Harrison Bader are gone. Rookie Justin Crawford and free-agent signee Adolis García (who batted .227 last season) are in, leading some critics to believe this outfield will be among the worst in the majors.
Which brings us to Brandon Marsh, who is suddenly the Phillies’ longest-tenured outfielder. He still can’t hit left-handed pitching, which means he’s likely to be a platoon player, but he is putting a positive face on things. After all, Marsh went 0-for-29 last April and still salvaged his season, finishing with a .280 batting average.
“I’m glad that bad stretch happened because it showed just to myself what I could crawl out of,” said Marsh, 28, who has two seasons before he reaches free agency. “I have that self-confidence now of feeling like you’re a dude, like you’re supposed to be here. That’s kind of where I’m at.”
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey helped lead his team to victory in a surprisingly competitive All-Star Game.
Tyrese Maxey admitted that he was nervous as a first-time All-Star in 2024. He said he didn’t know “when to talk, when not to talk.” But two years later he was a veteran among peers at the three-point contest and All-Star Game, and the leading American vote-getter ahead of legends like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. He was recognized all over Los Angeles, appeared on a billboard alongside San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, and was assigned to a formal news conference room reserved for the most in-demand players.
Maxey is long beloved in Philly, but the weekend served as a reminder that he has arrived as a national star.
Phillies shortstop Trea Turner won the National League batting title last season with a .304 average.
The last time they played the World Baseball Classic, in 2023, Trea Turner smacked five home runs. This time around, the Phillies shortstop did not get an invitation to play for Team USA. Turner says he’s OK with that. It gives him more time to prepare this spring for a season when he hopes to stay healthy. He missed time each of the last two years with hamstring strains.
This spring also will give the Phillies time to fine-tune how they’ll handle the automated ball-strike challenge system, which goes into effect this season.
Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell (tackling SMU’s Jordan Hudson) is a player who has been linked to the Eagles in multiple mock drafts.
The NFL scouting combine returns to Indianapolis next week, giving the Eagles a chance to kick the tires on several top prospects for the draft. They’re likely to take a hard look at offensive linemen, tight ends, and defensive backs, three areas of need. Olivia Reiner examines how the Eagles are likely to handle their wish list at the combine.
The Union paid a team record $4.5 million to sign Ezekiel Alladoh.
The Union will begin their season Wednesday in the Concacaf Champions Cup at Defence Force FC of Trinidad & Tobago (6 p.m., FS2, TUDN). Here’s a look at every player who will stock their roster.
Sports snapshot
Figure skater Isabeau Levito is competing in her first Olympics at age 18.
We asked: What kind of season do you expect out of Bryce Harper this year? Among your responses:
Harper should have a very good year. He is capable of anything. I believe the team is unhappy with its performance in the last two playoff seasons and will come out battling to prove they can do it. Should be fun. — Gerard B.
Staying healthy and having protection in the order should yield a typical .285, 30 HRs and 90 RBI season line. The past couple of years he has been chasing pitches outside the strike zone and simply forcing the issue. Hopefully Harper will focus, relax and stay healthy. — Bob C.
Bryce Harper practices during the Phillies’ first full-squad workout of spring training Monday in Clearwater, Fla.
Hopefully better than last year — Bill M.
Above-avg OPS, but not elite. Dombrowski was right. — Tom M.
If healthy I think Bryce will have an outstanding season. … I think Dombrowski was right to say it was not an elite season because it was not. Bryce went from 145 games played to 132 and his batting average, RBIs, and home runs were all down from 2024. And in 4 playoff games he hit .200 with no home runs and no RBIs. I think the “not elite” comment should drive him to have one of his best years ever and hopefully lead the Phillies back to the top. — Everett S.
Harper is planning for the rest of his career, he wants to be a club general manager. I do not believe that he is fully motivated for the upcoming season. — John M.
Bryce will be fine & bounce back to the player we love to see come to bat in the big moments. Even Hall of Famers have an off year. Dombrowski’s comments aside, he is still driven to bring more championships to the Phillies. Sometimes maybe too much. Last year he often looked like he had to hit a HR each AB. Maybe he needs to add some relaxation & mind control techniques to his game.
My one concern. … What he can’t control is every year he seems to get hit, causing lost time. Maybe the Phils could do more to protect him? Any of our pitchers know how to pitch inside? — Janice M.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Gina Mizell, DeAntae Prince, Olivia Reiner, Rob Tornoe, Jonathan Tannenwald, Matt Breen, and Colin Schofield.
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.
Thank you for reading our newsletter. Bella will be at the controls tomorrow. — Jim
Welcome to Monday, Philly. If the weekend’s warmer temps had you craving summer, just pretend you’re in Clearwater, Fla., where spring training continues for the Phillies under palm trees and blue skies.
And days after the arrest of Iriana DeJesus’ alleged killer, family and friends gathered in Hunting Park to honor her memory, 25 years after the 5-year-old’s death.
Back in 2013, West Philadelphia’s Robeson High narrowly avoided a shutdown after its community pushed back against the district’s plan to move its students into William L. Sayre High, two miles away.
🎤 Now I’m passing the mic to reporter Michelle Myers.
Lizasuain DeJesus, 65, had received many calls from Philadelphia homicide Detective Joseph Bamberski since her daughter Iriana disappeared in 2000. But Thursday’s call was different: He was calling to tell her that the police had made an arrest in Iriana’s case.
DeJesus called her daughter Iyanna Vazques, 34, to deliver the news. “It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders,” Vazques said. She was 8 years old when her little sister disappeared, the week of her birthday.
“I lost my best friend and I remember it like it was yesterday,” Vazques said. She could recall what her sister was wearing and how her hair was done the day she disappeared. An arrest in the case felt “like a dream,” she added. — Michelle Myers
The University of Pennsylvania soon may be off-limits to Army officers and other military service members who are seeking tuition aid to further their educations amid a push from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A Trenton man was sentenced to up to 60 years in Pennsylvania state prison for fatally shooting a bystander at a Morrisville strip club in 2024.
After Absolom Jones’ history was removed from the President’s House Site, a church service honoring him took on new meaning this year.
ArchWell Health opened its first three of eight planned primary care centers for Philadelphians with Medicare Advantage. Five of its clinics will be in former Rite Aid stores.
Two university-run science summer camps that have each served Philly kids for more than two decades will not run this summer due to budget limitations.
After a Philadelphia cancer patient ran out of options, a novel T-cell therapy at Rutgers University has kept her alive and looking forward to future milestones.
The 800th episode of The Simpsons was set in Philly and full of local references. That’s thanks to writer Christine Nangle, who grew up in Oxford Circle.
Meet the Pennsylvania 6-year-old who has sold 100,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies — and is now aiming to crush the lifetime sales record.
Quote of the day
The new bakery opened this weekend at Fifth and Dickinson Streets. Offerings include chewy Bavarians and big-bellied Swabians, which are fat enough to stuff. Just look at the long hot-provolone pretzel.
🧠Trivia time
Shane Gillis’ hit Netflix series Tires received $6 million in tax credits from the state to film its third season in the Philly area. Where is the show set and filmed?
Cheers to Joanne Walsh, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Mel Greenberg. The Inquirer staffer’s poll brought cohesiveness to women’s college basketball and created a platform for household names today.
Photo of the day
The weekend’s near-balmy weather left Philly’s streets littered with artifacts from a bygone era — January — including Wawa cups, parking tickets, and a truly unfortunate amount of dog poop. See what else is left behind as the city thaws.
📬 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 Jasmine Chiu, who describes a comfortingly familiar neighborhood scene:
I live in the Fairmount/Center City area and without fail, every Thursday night, I see a big group of guys playing basketball right outside my window. It could be sub-Arctic temperatures, like we’ve experienced these last few weeks, or it could be pouring rain — these guys are STILL out there playing ball. When it’s nice and warm out, I see them set up some chairs in the parking lot and sit in a circle and share a cold one together.
I haven’t had a moment to introduce myself or learn more about this weekly tradition, but I have so much respect for how they show up week after week for each other. There’s something heartwarming about a bunch of dudes committing to their community and making time to play a sport and keep up with each other’s lives (or at least that’s how I imagine it peering from my window).
Wishing you a week full of connections to your own community. Thanks for starting it with 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.
Yes, Bryce Harper says, he was irked in October when Dave Dombrowski said this about him: “He didn’t have an elite season like he has had in the past. And I guess we only find out if he becomes elite [again], or if he continues to be good.”
You might recall that the Phillies first baseman wore a wore a T-shirt that said “Not elite,” an image that went viral on social media over the holidays. That indicated that Harper was indeed affected by the Phillies president’s comments.
On Sunday in Clearwater, Fla., Harper got a chance to address the issue ahead of the Phillies’ first full-squad workout of spring training today. “For Dave to come out and say those things, it’s kind of wild to me still,” Harper said.
“The big thing for me was, when we first met with this organization [in 2019] it was, ‘Hey, we’re always going to keep things in-house, and we expect you to do the same thing,’” he added. “So, when that didn’t happen, it kind of took me for a run a little bit. I don’t know.”
You don’t air your dirty laundry in public, right? So might Harper use Dombrowski’s critique as motivation? He says he’s plenty motivated on his own, but don’t be surprised if Harper channels all of this into an MVP-worthy season. Here’s more from Scott Lauber.
Harper also weighed in on the criticism these days of the Dodgers and their record-setting payroll. He points out that Los Angeles is doing plenty more right than just buying players — “they draft, they develop, they do it the right way.” In addition, he talked about the “juggernaut” that is the NL East, expectations for a few Phillies rookies, and more.
Released by the Phillies, outfielder Nick Castellanos signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres.
Did Nick Castellanos take a swipe at Rob Thomson? You decide.
Released last week, Castellanos signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres, but the Phillies will be paying the bulk of his $20 million salary.
Reporters talked to the outfielder Sunday at Padres camp in Peoria, Ariz., and Castellanos was effusive in his praise of new San Diego manager Craig Stammen, a 13-year veteran of the major leagues. “He’s a player. He’s done it,” Castellanos said. “He’s put on spikes. He’s grinded. He’s felt the feeling of success, and he’s also felt the feeling of when the game doesn’t go your way. There’s a lot of respect in that.”
The long and short of it: Tyrese Maxey is guarded by Victor Wembanyama of the World team during the NBA All-Star Game.
Now that Tyrese Maxwey knows what it takes to win the three-point shooting contest during NBA All-Star Weekend, the Sixers point guard says he’d like to try again. Maxey was eliminated after the first round Saturday night as Portland’s Damian Lillard captured the title.
Maxey had better luck in the All-Star Game, which actually was a three-team tournament. Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was named MVP of the Stars team, which included Maxey and cruised to the championship.
Isabeau Levito is preparing to take Olympic ice for the first time.
Isabeau Levito’s Olympic chance is here at last and the 18-year-old skater from South Jersey says she wants to enjoy every minute at the Milan and Cortina Winter Games. “And obviously skating my best,” she says, “but I can already feel like I will. So that’s really what I’m really striving for.” Ellen Dunkel profiles Levito as she prepares for the short program on Tuesday.
The lights at Subaru Park will be on once again as the Union embark on the 2026 season beginning Wednesday. The club’s first home game will arrive in Concacaf Champions Cup play on Feb. 26.
The Union are set to begin their 2026 season on Wednesday with a Concacaf Champions Cup match at Defence Force F.C. in Port of Spain, Trinidad (6 p.m., FS2).
Goalkeeper Andre Blake is beginning his 13th season with the Union. He has to be wondering whether he’ll ever win a title here or make the World Cup with Jamaica.
The Union showed off their “world-class facility” in Chester last week in a tournament featuring some top soccer academies from Europe.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (left) and A.J. Brown talk in 2024, happier times.
NFL sources say the Eagles are considering trading receiver A.J. Brown, even though such a trade would carry severe salary-cap ramifications; about $16 million, minimum.
Trading him would be crazy.
The Eagles should not even entertain offers for Brown. He is 28. He is driven. He is dedicated. He is irreplaceable. He’s spent the last four years making quarterback Jalen Hurts look good. That’s got to count for something. More from Marcus Hayes.
Sports snapshot
Temple Owls guard Jordan Mason looks for a call from an official during a loss Sunday at home.
The late Joe Frazier at his gym on North Broad Street.
Feb. 16, 1970: Smokin’ Joe Frazier won the world heavyweight title with a fifth-round knockout of Jimmy Ellis at Madison Square Garden in New York.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Gina Mizell, Ellen Dunkel, Marcus Hayes, Jonathan Tannenwald, Owen Hewitt, Ryan Mack, and Matt Breen.
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 Sports Daily. I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim
We’re promised a sunny Saturday with a high near 44.
The snow, which is melting at a historically slow pace, has reached a 65-year milestone in Philadelphia for the length of time spent with at least three inches still on the ground.
A Philadelphia jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $250,000 to the family of a York County woman after finding the company’s baby powder product caused her fatal cancer.
Children ran from a Lindenwold bus stop in a panic on Thursday when an ICE operation was carried out nearby. About 60% of the district’s students are Hispanic. Also, in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Gov. Josh Shapiro said he plans to fight the development of warehouses into ICE detention centers.
In recent years, a string of iconic diners in New Jersey have shuttered their doors. New state legislation aims to keep the lights on at those still in business.
The daughter of man who prosecutors say ran a human trafficking ring in Northeast Philly pleaded guilty to helping manage the finances of the criminal organization.
A Pennsylvania company has pleaded guilty to a crime stemming from its work installing hundreds of illegal video gambling devices across the state — but charges will be dropped against the owners.
Two Jersey brothers discovered their ancestors came to the U.S. on a schooner that was illegally transporting enslaved people. A new film tells their story.
Philadelphians are annoying, but we have the best sandwiches and iconic branding, according to a new analysis into ChatGPT’s views. Here’s how it ranks us and other cities.
In our latest advice chat, we’re chatting about a carpool conundrum.
Consider the following problem, presented to us by a reader:
A friend and I were waiting for Regional Rail for Center City when the announcement came that the train was canceled. It being freezing weather, I asked other passengers what their transit apps were saying, and what their plans were. A man said he was planning to drive to Center City, and his car was parked in the lot. Before I could stop myself, I asked for a ride. His wife did not like the idea, giving a wide-eyed look, but the man agreed after hesitating.
The husband was very nice, as was the car, but the wife was irritated the whole way into the city — she never said hi or introduced herself and when we tried to include her in the conversation, she sat silent.
Was it weird for me to ask for a ride or was it weird for her to treat us like a nuisance?
For this tricky situation, Inquirer editor Evan Weiss recruited features columnist Stephanie Farr and food and dining reporter Beatrice Forman. They hit several key points: the kindness of strangers, Philly’s helping spirit, and the importance of reading the room. To them, it sounds like all parties involved left the wife out in the cold.
“My 2026 resolution was to be less of a hater and I do fear this question has set me back,” Beatrice said.
As more fare-evasion-resistant gates pop up at SEPTA stations, some riders look to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s efforts to make bus fares free, and wonder why Philadelphia can’t do the same with its transit.
In this week’s Shackamaxon, Inquirer columnist Daniel Pearson considers the suggestion: “While that all sounds exciting, it isn’t a good idea. Especially not here,” Pearson writes.
Get Pearson’s take on the cost of free rides, along with his thoughts on the city school district’s facilities plan “going the way of SEPTA’s Bus Revolution.”
📍 Find the location
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 Valentine’s Day. Good luck!
Think you know where this cherry blossom-filled kiss took place? Our weekly game puts your knowledge of Philly places to the test. Check your answer.
Cheers to Jan Dalina, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Limerick. Sheetz opened its first Philly-area store in the Montgomery County township — right across from a Wawa. The rivalry rages on. Or, as reader Gerry Frank put it, “Bad for Wawa but good for customers.”
💡 We were there
Staff photojournalist Monica Herndon captured these ice sculptures made by artist Emily D. Stewart in Narbeth. Their days are numbered as temperatures rise, making them an “ephemeral” art form.
Stewart said she was inspired to craft them after reading about Swedish lanterns.
“I love working with snow in my yard or other public places because it is inherently social,” Stewart said. “As I work, people walk by, cars pull over. I get to have conversations with neighbors and meet new friends.”
Somewhere on the internet in Philly
It seems like it was just yesterday that we shared theories of what Nick Castellanos might have said or done to get benched. Now, Phillies fans are bidding him adieu. “This feels like the new Jersey Shore note,” commented Q102 Philly radio host @rach_ontheradio.
The new Sheetz is also a big talker on our Instagram. Among the hilarious reactions on FOX 29’s Facebook: “Sheetz is just Wawa with a deep fryer.” “this was the first shot in the Gastaurant wars.” “Are you Sheeting me?” (lol)
As Pennsylvania attorney general in 2018, now-Gov. Josh Shapiro oversaw the release of a bombshell grand jury report that revealed thousands of cases of abuse by priests across the state.
The nearly 900-page report was lauded as the most comprehensive review of clergy abuse across a single state and prompted new laws clarifying penalties for failure to report and allowing survivors more time to pursue criminal or civil cases against their abusers.
But a key step in delivering justice to those survivors — establishing a two-year window for the filing of lawsuits over decades-old abuse that falls outside the statute of limitations under existing law — remains unfinished.
Nearly a dozen interviews with survivors, their family members, and advocates reveal a deep frustration with the inaction in Harrisburg. Some question whether Shapiro has done enough to use his power as governor to advocate for them.
Big-money and out-of-state donors helped the Democratic governor raise $30 million for his reelection campaign, while likely Republican challenger Stacy Garrity raised $1.5 million from grassroots donors in Pennsylvania.
Shapiro unveiled a broad plan Thursday meant to grow and preserve Pennsylvania’s housing supply as the state faces a shortage of homes residents can afford.
Shapiro said Thursday that he will not attend any White House event that excludes another governor ahead of next week’s gathering of the nation’s governors in Washington.
Haverford College is grappling with its connection to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick after his appearance in the Epstein files.
Lutnick is a 1983 graduate of the Main Line school and a mega-donor who also served as the former chairman of the university’s board. According to the files, he had contact with Jeffrey Epstein as recently as 2018, long after the financier pleaded guilty to obtaining a minor for prostitution.
The commerce secretary maintains he had limited interactions with Epstein and has not been accused of wrongdoing. Since the Epstein documents were released, Lutnick has faced bipartisan calls to resign.
In light of the documents, some students are asking the school to cut ties with Lutnick and to remove his name from the Haverford library building, to which he donated millions for upgrades. If school leadership pursues the renaming, the process could take years and would involve a review process with university stakeholders.
A Bucks County woman reported her ex-boyfriend to police after a sexual assault. Hours later, he fatally shot her, authorities said. Her family now hopes for justice.
The suspect in the rape and killing of a 5-year-old Philadelphia girl is now in custody, authorities said. He had been on the FBI’s most-wanted list for nearly 20 years.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot a gun near New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s former district. One of the candidates vying to replace her wants to abolish the agency.
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said reforms to ICE, including mask bans for agents, should be part of any funding extensions for the Department of Homeland Security.
Philadelphians continue to pay for the alleged misconduct of former Register of Wills Tracey Gordon — at a cost of more than $900,000 — two years after she left office.
Low-income Pennsylvania families and older adults have been dropping out of Affordable Care Act health plans at the greatest rates after a key financial incentive expired.
PennDot is giving Philadelphia $13 million for six traffic-safety projects across the city. The money comes from speeders caught and fined by automated enforcement cameras.
Under new leadership, the Women’s Community Revitalization Project is developing apartments on public land in Kensington.
A “Cease Operations” notice was posted on World Cafe Live’s door this week. What does that mean for the embattled venue’s future?
This week, we have an explainer from reporter Nick Vadala on a possible solution for getting rid of all this icy slush still piled in mounds. Couldn’t the city just toss it in the Delaware River or the Schuylkill?
While it’s been done in the past — including after the blizzard of ’96, when around 500 tons were dumped — the practice is now seen as an environmental hazard. Here’s the full story.
Just two blocks from Independence Hall, Carpenters Hall is where Pennsylvania declared its independence from Britain in June 1776. To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, what will be installed outside of Carpenters Hall in June?
Cheers to Luke Coulter, who solved Thursday’s anagram: P.J. Whelihan’s. The Haddon Township restaurant chain is officially moving into Newtown’s shuttered Iron Hill Brewery.
Students walk out of Motivation High School in protest on Monday, as their school in Southwest Philadelphia is one of 20 that have been tagged for closure.
🎒 One last motivated thing: Students staged a walkout this week over plans to close Southwest Philadelphia magnet school Motivation High. They have the backing of Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton.
Thanks for ending your week with The Inquirer. Paola has you covered this weekend. ’Til we meet again in your inbox, be well.
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.
By now, NBA fans know all about Tyrese Maxey, who’ll make his first start in the All-Star Game on Sunday. The Sixers’ point guard received more votes from fans than any other American player for a number of reasons. He averages 28.9 points and a league-best 38.6 minutes per game, and his boundless enthusiasm on the court is obvious.
Everybody loves Maxey. He’s the breath of fresh air Philly sports needed, Marcus Hayes writes.
Not long ago, though, it was far from a sure thing that Maxey would even land in Philadelphia. The Sixers snatched him up after the guard from Kentucky fell to the 21st pick of the 2020 NBA draft. Gina Mizell tells us how it all happened, thanks to bizarre basketball and societal circumstances.
The landing of Maxey was a long, complicated Process (sorry, couldn’t resist) dating back to Sam Hinkie’s time with the Sixers and includes a pair of fateful three-pointers by Mike Muscala. Here’s a timeline that tracks how Maxey wound up here.
Also on All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, Maxey will take part in the three-point shooting contest on Saturday and rookie teammate VJ Edgecombe will play in the Rising Stars competition tonight. Joel Embiid will be grateful for a week off as he rests his sore right knee.
The Phillies released Nick Castellanos on Thursday. They will have to pay most of his $20 million salary this year.
After getting replaced for defense late in a close game, the worst defensive outfielder in baseball since 2022 (check the metrics) brought a beer into the dugout and lectured his manager.
Brought a beer into the dugout.
Let those words wash over you. They belong, incidentally, to the player himself. The Phillies released Nick Castellanos on Thursday after trying to trade him for three months. And when the deed was finally done, the $100 million right fielder laid bare the June 16 incident in Miami that precipitated his unceremonious departure.
A sore left knee will likely delay outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. from getting into spring games until the “middle of the schedule.” Meanwhile, Otto Kemp got to work in the outfield, where he is expected to split time with Brandon Marsh.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson and Nick Castellanos, shown here in the 2023 playoffs, didn’t hug much after Thomson benched Castellanos for insubordination in June.
This is a make-or-break season for the Phillies, so they aren’t taking any chances with any clubhouse cancers. A fading talent who will be 34 in less than a month, malcontent right fielder Castellanos was released by the club on Thursday afternoon.
The Phillies didn’t want Castellanos showing up. Not after what he pulled last season, when he put his desires above the team. And not after the crap he pulled Thursday. In fact, nobody might want Castellanos after his latest stunt. More from Marcus Hayes.
La Salle’s players during practice at Hank De Vincent Field ahead of the opener against Maryland Eastern Shore.
La Salle eliminated its baseball program after the 2021 season, leaving many of its former players forlorn. After Ashwin Puri took over as La Salle’s athletic director in July 2023, he worked to bring the Explorers back to the diamond.
The work by Puri, alumni, and countless others is complete. David Miller has returned as head coach and reborn La Salle is scheduled to play its season opener today.
Freshman point guard Acaden Lewis is at the controls of Villanova’s offense.
Believe it or not, Villanova coach Kevin Willard is not always unhappy when the Wildcats get called for shot clock violations. He explains why in Jeff Neiburg’s Big 5 notes, which include a look at who could bring home individual awards in the City Series, the NCAA chances for each team, and more.
Ilia Malinin goes for men’s figure skating gold today in one of the most anticipated events of the Olympics.
Ilia Malinin, a 21-year-old figure skater from Fairfax, Va., is no doubt among the biggest superstars of these Winter Olympic Games. Nicknamed the “Quad God” for his unmatched ability to land quadruple jumps, Malinin takes aim at a gold medal today at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Here’s the TV schedule for today’s events.
Sports snapshot
C. Vivian Stringer (right) a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, coached Cheyney State to national prominence during the early days of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
Phillies pitchers and catchers reported to spring training this week, with full-squad workouts scheduled to start on Monday.
Each Friday, Inquirer photo editors will pick our best shots from the last seven days and share them with you, our readers. This week, photos include the start of spring training, the Sixers’ big loss to the Knicks, plenty of college hoops action, and more.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Gina Mizell, Gabriela Carroll, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Owen Hewitt, Jonathan Tannenwald, Rob Tornoe, Colin Schofield, Jeff Neiburg, Claire Smith, and Inquirer Staff Photographers.
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, as always, for reading Sports Daily. Have a great weekend and I’ll see you in Monday’s newsletter. — Jim
Love is in the air, so this week’s newsletter is for the region’s friends and lovers.
If you’re still scrambling to lock down your Valentine’s Day plans, or looking for Galentine’s Day excursions for you and your friends, I have a gift for you to unwrap this weekend.
Irene Levy Baker and Chris Mullins Jr. lead a toast at McGillin’s on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 in Philadelphia. Attendees gathered for a book talk on “Cheers to McGillin’s: Philly’s Oldest Tavern” on Tuesday.
Forget the dating apps, people. Find love at this 166-year-old bar.
McGillin’s Olde Ale House, the 166-year-old pub in Center City long owned by the same family, has mastered the art of match making.
Along with serving draft beer, wings, cheesesteaks, and an especially good french onion soup, McGillin’s is the place for future couples to meet.
This month, the bar held a reunion for couples who struck romance at the long-beloved ale house.
They came together, like alumni of the same beloved college club, wearing red and white name tags with the year their McGillin’s romantic meeting took place. They drank from frosted glasses and sat under tinsel hearts, clapping especially hard for the long married couples seated among them.
🚂 All aboard the love train: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a luxurious and romantic train ride through Bucks County’s picturesque foothills. The hourlong trip comes with savory crudités and charcuterie, plus a glass of bubbly champagne to wash it all down.
🖼️ In a Dreamworld: It’s the last weekend to catch “Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100” at the Phialdelphia Museum of Art. It’s a traveling exhibition that features 200 works that celebrate a century of the international surrealist movement.
🇺🇸 Presidents Day Weekend fun: At the Museum of the American Revolution, the extended weekend will be layered with special programing. There will be sea chest unpacking, Revolution Place playtime, and a deep dive into how Abraham Lincoln interpreted the founding document.
💞 A night for the girlies: Among all the Valentine’s Day events happening this weekend, there’s a little something for the girls, too. This Friday, Fishtown’s Evil Genius is hosting a Galentine’s Party featuring DJ Louie P, who will spin pop anthems as patrons enjoy pints of craft brew and V-Day themed cocktails.
📅 My calendar picks this week: Valentine’s Day at the Museum of Illusions, Valen-Tide’s at Adventure Aquarium, and Make Love Market at LOVE Park.
Universal Theme Parks makes world premiere at Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute hosts a world premiere exhibit this weekend that turns movie magic into hands-on discovery.
The new theme park-inspired exhibit gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at Universal’s biggest franchises. There will be immersive sets and interactive displays inspired by franchises such as Minions, The Secret Life of Pets and Sing, Super Nintendo World, Jurassic World, and more.
Tickets are now available for the world premiere on Saturday. The exhibition will be on display through Sept. 7.
Winter fun this week and beyond
🎪 The Greatest Show on Earth:The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey traveling circus will bring high-flying acrobatics and extreme cycling to Xfinity Mobile Arena starting Friday. The non-stop party in South Philly continues through Monday.
🍲 A Midtown Village eatery: The team behind Philly’s cheesesteak bar, Taste, opened a chic NYC and Miami-inspired eatery, Savú. The seasonal menu features items like Maryland crab-stuff egg rolls, jumbo crab cakes, caviar bumps, and other New American bites.
🎭 A Disney fairytale opening: The musical adaption of the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast, brings this magical fairytale to the Academy of Music. The beloved story runs through Feb. 22.
🎸 Thursday: Local songwriter Josh Owens’ dreamy indie pop band Lazyacres is playing at the South Street nightclub Nikki Lopez with Attic Posture, Bowling Alley Oop, and Dante Robinson.
🎸 Friday:The Knee-Hi’s, self-described as a “female fronted garage glam rock band existing as a living love letter to rock and roll,” will takeover Ortlieb’s alongside Ione, Star Moles, and Thank You Thank You on Friday.
🎤 Saturday: A year after releasing his latest album, The Co-Star and a holiday collection, R&B heartthrob Eric Benet will grace the City Winery stage on Saturday.
🎤 Also on Saturday: Philly cumbia klezmer punk band Mariposas Galacticas join forces with Baltimore-based cumbia ska outfit Soroche and DJ Pdrto Criolla to celebrate “radical love in all its forms” at Johnny Brenda’s.
🎸 Sunday: Closing out Valentine’s Day weekend is folk-goth guitarist Marissa Nadler, who will bring her noir-ish soundscapes that have won over folkies and metal heads to Milkboy Philly on Sunday.
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.
Alright, lovers and Galentine’s Day diners, I hope this week’s newsletters was a proper gift to you.
