We have news about the Phillies fortifying their bullpen and the Flyers losing a key player for the season, but letâs start todayâs Sports Daily with something completely different.
Billy Gordon was a basketball fanatic who connected with John Chaney when the Hall of Fame coach was at Cheyney State. Gordon had a deep love for the sport, and from 1986 to 2024 he recorded thousands of college basketball, NBA, and WNBA games on VHS tapes in his home.
After Gordon died in May, his uncle, Ron Hall, marveled at the collection in Gordonâs Cobbs Creek bedroom. âThe magnitude of what was here really hit me,â Hall said. âI was in disbelief that he had accumulated so much. That he had taken the time to collect so many things.â
The question is what to do with the VHS collection now. Hall wants to find a buyer who will share the passion his nephew had for decades. Someone who will honor his hobby and preserve it. Alex Coffey has the story.
Brad Keller gives manager Rob Thomson another proven veteran arm in the Phillies bullpen.
As recently as Tuesday, Phillies president Dave Dombrowski sounded like a man who didnât feel much of a sense of urgency with regard to his bullpen.
It was encouraging, then, when news leaked Wednesday that the Phillies were closing in on a two-year, $22 million contract for former Cubs setup man Brad Keller. Set aside the question of who Keller is and whether Rob Thomson can count on a repeat of the veteran rightyâs breakout 2025 campaign. The mere fact that the Phillies saw a pressing enough need to spend this sort of money on another reliever is commendable.
Flyers right wing Tyson Foerster leaves the ice after being injured on Dec. 1.
Wednesday brought a sobering blow to the Flyers, as the team announced that winger Tyson Foerster will miss the next five months after arm surgery, which will likely rule him out for the rest of the season.
The 23-year-old, who was leading the team with 10 goals at the time of his injury on Dec. 1, was initially expected to avoid surgery and miss two to three months of action.
In a positive for the Flyers, Rasmus Ristolainen came out of his first game action since March unscathed. The hulking defenseman said he felt good Tuesday night in his 19-plus minutes of action, while his physicality caught the eye of coach Rick Tocchet.
Jordan Davis has stabilized the Eagles’ defensive line, especially with Jalen Carter out.
Jordan Davis, who turns 26 next month, is having his best season with the Eagles. The defensive tackleâs weight loss and body change â Davis fell in love with Peloton workouts and lost 26 pounds in the offseason â has been well documented, but Davis also has found his voice as a positive force in the locker room.
âIâve always been happy-go-lucky, always been jovial,â he says. âItâs just now everyone is seeing it because Iâm so confident in the person I am.â
Also on the Eagles beat as they prepare to face the 4-10 Commanders:
Jalen Hurts is on the upswing, but the Eagles quarterback has faced a fair share of criticism this season. Hurts says he has not noticed at all.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, who was out with an illness, liked what he saw from his team as he watched it play two games without him.
In the midst of an All-Star-caliber season, Tyrese Maxey missed two games this weekend because of an illness. He watched the Sixersâ win over the Pacers and loss against the Hawks from home, posting enthusiastically on social media from his couch. Maxey returned to practice Wednesday and said he was pleased with the teamâs performance during his absence.
âWhen I said [before the season that] I wanted stuff to look the same,â Maxey said, âI just wanted us to go out there and compete every single night. I donât want it to look like, âOh, this guyâs out. That guyâs out. So weâre just going to lay down, and the other teamâs going to beat us.â
âI think weâve kind of created that standard and done a good job of it. Itâs kind of coming to light, and now weâve got to keep doing it.â
Sports snapshot
Tyreek Chappell is a redshirt senior cornerback for the Texas A&M Aggies.
Dallas Goedert, A.J. Brown and the Eagles have suffered their share of frustrations in 2025, but there’s also been plenty of joy.
Contrary to much of the commentary and punditry, the Eagles are nearing the end of a very good season. Saquon Barkley isnât going to break rushing records this season, and the passing game hasnât equaled its pedigree, and the defense wonât finish ranked No. 1, but none of that matters. What matters is who they beat, who they lost to, and where they stand.
Theyâve beaten the Rams, Packers, and Buccaneers, all playoff teams. The Eaglesâ results through 15 weeks present a team that can become just the eighth franchise to win consecutive Lombardi Trophies, Marcus Hayes writes.
Join us before kickoff
Gameday Central: Eagles at Commanders
Live from Northwest Stadium:Beat writers Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner will preview the Eagles game against the Washington Commanders at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Tune in to Gameday Central.
What youâre saying about Adolis GarcĂa
We asked: What are your thoughts on the Philliesâ new outfielder? Among your responses:
Meh. We need Bader. This guy ainât Bader. â Tony R.
Iâll give him a chance, but it looks like replacing a guy on the downside of his career with a guy on the downside of his career, albeit a better fielder. â Joel G.
Another right fielder that doesnât hit consistently. Go for the gusto and not bandaids. â Tom G.
I was hoping for a more powerful right-handed hitter, but they are probably in great demand and maybe beyond Mr. Middletonâs present budget. Adolis Garcia has had some really good years in the past so letâs hope for the best. I am really disappointed thus far to see that we have not re-signed Bader. â Everett S.
Donât quite understand why the Phillies donât think that power hitting outfielders are a priority, since they really only have 2 power hitters in their lineup. â Bill M.
Yawn. â Doug R.
Nick Castellanos, left, and Adolis GarcĂa
At $10 million, he may be a better bet than the late blooming Max Kepler or the moping Nick Castellanos. With Justin Crawford slated to start in center, looks like the Phillies are no longer interested in Harrison Bader, who is looking for a rich multi-year deal. I like the move, if Adolis return to form, the Phillies may be the âbash brothersâ of 2026! â Bob C.
… Meanwhile, back at the farm, Harrison Bader remains unsigned. The best center fielder weâve had since the flyinâ Hawaiian. The good news is Jordan Romano is now a member of the Angels. Robbed the bank of $2 million. What great agents these players have. â Ronald R.
In spite of all of the modern metrics Iâm still a strong believer in batting average being a huge indicator of a playerâs offensive success and .227 is very concerning. So… if Crawford isnât expected to hit as well as he did in the minors and Marsh not yet proven to be a .300 hitter I would say that the outfield offensive production is going to be weak. â Bob A.
We compiled todayâs newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Alex Coffey, Devin Jackson, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane, Scott Lauber, David Murphy, Gina Mizell, Jackie Spiegel, Gustav Elvin, Dylan Johnson, and Sean McKeown.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirerâs Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thank you for reading Sports Daily. Bella will bring you the newsletter on Friday. â Jim
đ Note that this is the last âLetâs Eatâ newsletter of 2025. Iâll be back in your inbox Jan. 7.
Also in this edition:
New restaurants: Chefs Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp, of My Loup and Her Place Supper Club fame, have just opened the more casual Pine Street Grill. Iâll also tell you about chef Greg Vernickâs next restaurant: Emilia will open soon in Kensington.
Kombucha for your face: Olga Sorzano has found a new use for her kombucha.
Pine Street Grill is on a former site of a Dmitriâs restaurant. In tribute, the couple is serving a riff on Dmitri Chimesâ popular shrimp pil pil appetizer.
âOur skin is alive,â says Olga Sorzana, founder of Phoenixvilleâs popular Babaâs Brew. Sheâs infusing her kombucha into a line of skincare products.
Beatrice Forman says she went to Bucket Listersâ Emo Christmas bar in search of whimsy and holiday cheer â but âI left $139 poorer and feeling like a poser.â Bah, humbug.
On our plate this week: Tagliatelle at Alice, plus a burrata-topped brunch dish at the Love and our first bites of a PopUp bagelbefore the hyped chain comes to town.
Greg Vernick has a fourth restaurant on the way, and heâs headed to Frankford Avenue in bustling Kensington. Emilia will feature the Italian stylings of longtime Vernick Food & Drink chef de cuisine Meredith Medoway in an unfussy setting.
If you had your ear to the ground, youâd know that the bar set to replace Roxboroughâs former Tavern on Ridge will be called Hop Lil Bunny. Prospective owner says itâs just a hare early to discuss specifics.
La Maison Jaune. Zahra Saeedâs cozy, new French-style cafe near Fitler Square combines her two passions: delicious food and beautiful design. She plans to expand, which would send her line of pastries, including macarons de Nancy, financiers, and madeleines, all around the city.
Among the openings on tap: Side Eye, the neighborhood bar coming to the former Bistrot La Minette space at 623 S. Sixth St. in Queen Village, and Bikini Burger at 44 Rittenhouse Place in Ardmore.
Briefly noted
Nine categories, four nominees in each: Itâs the 2026 edition of the Tasties, the Philly restaurant awards handed out by the âDelicious Cityâ podcast. The gala will be Feb. 1 at Live Casino, and the nominees are here.
Mannyâs Restaurantâseight-year run in Hollandâs Gateway Center will end Jan. 4 as the partners focus on their smaller deli at Willow Grove Pointe Shopping Center in Horsham.
Zsaâs Ice Cream marks its finale Sunday after 14 years in Mount Airy. A year ago, Danielle Jowdy announced the shopâs âgrand closingâ as she sought to find a buyer. Final hours will be 3 to 9 p.m. through Friday, and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Hunger-relief group Sharing Excess estimates that one truckload of food costs $1,290 to deliver and can feed 80 families for a month. For each $1,290 sponsorship, Sharing Express gives the donor a branded toy truck (like those Hess trucks). Details are here.
âPop quiz
The Pennsylvania Farm Show will have a special feature when it starts in early January. What is it?
Is 333 Belrose in Radnor ever coming back? â Marty P.
Opened in 1999, this bar and grill tucked off King of Prussia Road has been closed since June as owners majorly remodel not only the interior but the menu. Reopening is targeted for mid-January. Iâll have more info on this and dozens of other openings in my âwhatâs coming in 2026âł feature just after New Yearâs.
đź Have a question about food in Philly? Email your questions to me at mklein@inquirer.com for a chance to be featured in my newsletter.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirerâs Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
A Philly school principal told The Inquirer theyâre experiencing what they call âthe season when we get charter kids.â Todayâs main storydigs into a practice that several administrators claim drives troubled students from charters to district institutions.
Itâs not unusual for students to switch schools after the school year begins. However, some Philly principals point to one âconcerningâ trend behind a bump in transfers from charters.
The Inquirer spoke with a dozen current and former district administrators who say some pupils with behavior problems are pushed by charters out to Philadelphia School District schools. Charter leaders dispute claims that kids are sent to district schools over disciplinary issues.
Charter-to-district data: Over the past three years, the number of charter students transferring to district schools increases every month throughout the school year. âItâs not talked about, but in the schools, itâs no secret,â said one principal about the increase.
Deep frustration: The bar is much higher fordistrict administrators to remove students; they âcanât turn kids away,â another principal said. Making matters more difficult is a lack of additional funding to attend to more students.
Notable quote: âItâs just not fair,â said a third principal. âWeâre not getting their best kids.â
đ€ Now Iâm passing the mic to columnist Stephanie Farr.
Emma Zielinski wasnât sure how her business selling unclaimed mystery mail would fare at the Christmas Village in Philadelphia this year, or if sheâd even be accepted into the holiday market at all.
âI didnât think theyâd take us because weâre not handmade, but when I picked up my vendor badge they were like, âWeâve been waiting for you to apply!ââ she said.
As it turns out, thousands of people from across the region have also been waiting for the chance to buy orphaned packages that never found their way home and nobody went to look for â the contents of which remain shrouded to both Zielinski and the buyers until after they are purchased.
âThe Christmas Village has really turned my business upside down,â she told me. âI donât think anyone realized this was going to happen.â â Stephanie Farr
The 10-year-old boy who was severely burned in the Northeast Philly plane crash was headed home on Tuesday after spending nearly a year in the hospital. âItâs the best thing ever that heâll be home for the holidays,â his grandmother said.
Hundreds gathered Wednesday morning to bid farewell to Andy Chan, the Philadelphia police officer who died six years after a motorcycle crash.
A 63-year-old woman riding as a passenger in an Uber vehicle was killed Monday morning when a man allegedly fleeing a warrant crashed a car into the Uber in North Philadelphia, police said.
The woman who was captured on video rage pooping on a car during a Delco roadway dispute in April entered into a first-time offender program.
Chester County is rolling out a fleet of propane public buses, with plans to build its own fueling station to reduce costs and as part of a climate action plan.
Sports apparel store Rally House plans to open its first Center City location. Its new spot would bring continued momentum to the retail corridor around Rittenhouse Square.
đ§ Trivia time
In December of 2022, Jalen Hurts gave diehard Eagles fan Paul Hamilton a historic touchdown ball at MetLife Stadium.
What happened next, according to a lawsuit?
A) Hamilton tried to sell it on eBay for $1 billion
B) Security officials accosted and detained Hamilton
Cheers to Tracey Slobotkin, who solved Tuesdayâs anagram: Adolis GarcĂa. The Phillies signed the free-agent outfielder to a one-year contract, which major league sources said is for $10 million. Here are five things to know about the newest Phillie.
Saquon Barkley takes a photo with Emmanuel Nyanue (left), holding 3-month-old Salim Davis at Barkley’s toy drive at Chickieâs & Peteâs in South Philadelphia on Monday.
Have a good one, and Iâll catch up with you again tomorrow.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirerâs Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Nearly 30 employees have left Chester County’s election office since 2021.
Several former Chester County election office workers have raised concerns over what they say is a hostile workplace, with one filing a grievance against its director. Another former employee believes sheâs suffered from PTSD after working in the office.
As of November, 29 employees had left the office since Karen Barsoum took over as voter services director in 2021, reports The Inquirerâs Katie Bernard. Barsoum said employees left for a number of reasons, and while she noted the departures were a challenge for the office, she helped to train staff on various positions.
Itâs unclear if the culture or turnover impacted last monthâs general election, in which independent voters were omitted from county poll books.
Turnover in election offices has gone up in recent years due to election denialism and threats, but Chescoâs departure rate is nearly twice that of Delaware and Montgomery Counties.
Chester County saw plenty of snow during last weekendâs storm. Exton and Malvern reported 8.2 inches each â the largest recorded totals in the county. They were followed by Berwyn (8 inches), Atglen (7.8) and Glenmoore (7.5). Check out this map of snowfall totals to see how much your town got.
Chester County Hospital is among the quietest hospitals in the region at night, according to newly released federal data. Patients from October 2023 to September 2024 reported the hospital as being âalways quietâ overnight 62% of the time, âusually quietâ 30% of the time, and âsometimes or never quietâ 8% of the time. See how it compares to other regional hospitals.
Phoenixville Hospital will close its 14-bed post-acute rehabilitation center on Jan. 6 as its parent company, Tower Health, faces financial pressures. The unit helps patients with neurological disorders, orthopedic issues, or who have suffered a stroke. Its closure is expected to displace 55 employees. (Philadelphia Business Journal)
Two individuals died in separate incidents last week. A 48-year-old pedestrian died after being struck by a driver last Tuesday night while attempting to cross Route 202 near the Shoppes at Dilworthtown Crossing in Birmingham Township. And on Saturday, a man was found dead in an Easttown Township basement after a fire broke out in the home. Neither victim has been publicly identified. (Daily Local News)
Two Chester County crop farms â the 21-acre Primitive Hall Foundation in West Marlborough Township and the 59-acre Samuel and Barbara E. Townsend in West Nantmeal Township â will be preserved forever thanks to easements approved by the State Agricultural Land Preservation Board.
Two Coatesville organizations scored grants recently. The Coatesville Bureau of Fire is getting a $58,700 state grant that will go toward buying CPR and other equipment, and The Creative Club of Chester County plans to implement its Future Innovators project with the $47,500 it was awarded in T-Mobileâs latest Hometown Grants.
The owner and brewer behind popular Phoenixville kombucha brand Babaâs Brew has launched a new skincare line. A Culture Factoryâs toners, masks, scrubs, and serums are made with surplus scoby, the mother culture used to start kombucha, which Olga Sorzano says are full of enzymes.
Heads up for drivers: Pottstown Pike will continue to have a lane closure at the Park Road intersection in Upper Uwchlan Township through Friday as PennDot repairs the inlet. The closures are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Refuse fees are set to rise next year in Downingtown from $240 to $360. The increase is due to higher costs from the boroughâs contracted hauler.
Santa will join the Phoenixville Fire Department on Saturday as he ventures around the borough starting at 8 a.m. And Liberty Fire Company has pushed its ride with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and Rudolph around Spring City and East Vincent Township to this weekend. Theyâll now visit on Sunday at 11 a.m.
The Devon Senior Living at 445 N. Valley Forge Rd. has been renamed Juniper Village at Devon after a recent acquisition. The nearly 91,000-square-foot facility has 65 personal care apartments and 13 secured memory care apartments.
đ« Schools Briefing
Last week, Coatesville Area School Districtâs school board approved a new map that it says redraws its geographic regions to better keep communities together and maintain ethnic and socio-economic balance. The approval of the four new regions comes ahead of the closure of Caln and East Fallowfield Elementary Schools at the end of this school year and the opening of the new Doe Run Elementary School.
đ Tinsel on the Town: The family-friendly event includes train rides, street vendors, hot chocolate, mulled wine, and visits with Santa. â° Thursday, Dec. 18, 5-8 p.m. đ” Pay as you go đ State Street, Kennett Square
đ Christmas Village: Fitzwater Station is hosting the final weekend of its first Christmas Village, which includes local vendors, food, drinks, and bonfires. Santa will make an appearance both days and be joined by Mrs. Claus on Sunday. â° Saturday, Dec. 20 and Sunday, Dec. 21, 3-7 p.m. đ” Pay as you go đ Fitzwater Station, Phoenixville
â Wits and Pieces Workshop: Paint a festive ornament while sipping wines. Registration is required. â° Sunday, Dec. 21, 1 p.m. đ” $40 đ Harvest Ridge Winery, Toughkenamon
The inside of the farmhouse is a mix of modern and historic elements.
Built in 1770 and since expanded, this Colonial farmhouse blends modern and historic elements like stainless steel appliances with stone walls and exposed beams. The four-bedroom home has a finished walkout basement with a full bathroom, an above-ground saltwater pool, a deck, and a two-story treehouse. The 7.6-acre property is split into two parcels, which can accommodate another house. The property has a chicken coop, paddocks, and a five-stall barn.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirerâs Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirerâs high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Rabbi Mendel Mangel spoke Sunday during at an event celebrating the first night of Hanukkah.
The lighting of the menorah at Barclay Farms Shopping Center on Sunday was full of symbolism, not only for the holiday, but as Jewish people came together in the wake of a deadly attack on Australians celebrating the first night of Hanukkah.
âLight in the face of darkness is a lot of what Judaism is about,â one attendee said at the 32nd annual Hanukkah event, organized by Chabad Lubavitch of Camden County.
Roughly 100 people gathered on the snowy evening to show their support for those injured and killed earlier that day, while leaders, including Mayor David Fleisher, called for resilience.
âIn a day like today, when thereâs so much darkness, in the last year, too, and the pain and the suffering, evil, and cruelty â the message is that light can dispel all of that,” said Chabad Rabbi Mendel Mangel.
Santa has been making his way through the township, accompanied by the Cherry Hill Fire Department, and even snow and freezing temperatures couldnât keep residents from running out of their homes to greet him or pose for photos. âSanta brings the spirit,â one said. The Inquirerâs Denali Sagner joined the big man recently for the beloved tradition.
The township has been awarded an $800,000 grant from the stateâs Safe Streets to Transit Program for fiscal 2026. The funds, awarded last week by Gov. Phil Murphy, will support pedestrian improvements along Brace and Kresson Roads. The township isalready working on other roadway improvements for pedestrians. Last month, the county broke ground on a $7.5 million improvement project along Kresson Road between Browning Lane to Cropwell Road that includes upgrades to traffic signals, adding sidewalks and ADA curb ramps, and the installation of dedicated bike lanes.
Cherry Hill-based nonprofit Bancroft, which provides services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has named its next president and CEO. Gregory Passanante, who has held roles at Shriners Childrenâs Hospital Philadelphia and Wills Eye Hospital, will starton Jan. 7.
Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital is among New Jerseyâs 2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, according to a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report released last week.
đ« Schools Briefing
Science scores statewide in last yearâs New Jersey Student Learning Assessments rose above pre-pandemic levels for the first time, according to an NJ.com analysis. In math and English language arts, however, scores remained below pre-pandemic testing levels. At both East and West, students scored below the state average in Algebra I. In Algebra II and Geometry, East students scored above state averages, while West students scored below. Most of the districtâs elementary schools scored at or above state averages in two math categories. (NJ.com)
The Courier Post has identified two Cherry Hill East boys basketball players to watch this season: Chris Abreu, the âheart and soul of the Cougars,â and Jamieson Young, who made a splash during his inaugural season last year.
Reminder for families: Winter break begins next week with an early dismissal on Tuesday. Schools are then closed until Jan. 5. See the districtâs full calendar here.
đœïž On our Plate
Chef Greg Vernick is teaming up with fellow Cherry Hill native Meredith Medoway to open his latest restaurant, this one in Kensington. The restaurateur behind Vernick Food & Drink, where Medoway is chef de cuisine, and Vernick Fish is planning to open Emilia in early 2026. The neighborhood trattoria will have a seasonal menu that includes house-made pasta and live-fire cooking.
Several Cherry Hill steakhouses are among the best South Jersey spots to find a great steak, according to the Courier Post. The outlet noted that The Capital Grille is a âclassy, upscaleâ option, as is fellow mall restaurant Eddie Vâs Prime Seafood. Steak 38 and The Pub in Pennsauken also made the list.
Voorhees-based Saddlehill Winery recently opened a pop-up kiosk at the Cherry Hill Mall, where it has what director of wine operations and sales Julie Pierre calls a âsecondary tasting room.â It will remain open for about three more weeks. (Patch)
đł Things to Do
đ° Estates Roadshow Buying Event: Have unwanted goods you think might be valuable? Buyers will assess your goods and make offers on the spot during this five-day event. â° Through Friday, Dec. 19, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. đ” Free đDoubleTree by Hilton Cherry Hill Philadelphia
đ Teen Winter Lock-In: Kids in sixth through 12th grade can hang out at the library after hours, reading, playing games, and eating pizza. Registration is required. â° Friday, Dec. 19, 4:30-6:30 p.m. đ” Free đCherry Hill Public Library
đïž Curate Noir Holiday Market Pop-Up Expo: Snag last-minute holiday gifts at this two-day pop-up at the mall that features local small businesses. â° Saturday, Dec. 20, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 21, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. đ” Pay as you go đCherry Hill Mall
đŒ A Grinchy Christmas Skate Party: A candy cane limbo and âsteal the presentsâ relay highlight this skate party. â° Tuesday, Dec. 23, 6:30-9 p.m. đ” $2 admission, $6 skate rental đHot Wheelz
This Erlton Cape Cod-style home packs a lot into a small space. The first floor has an updated kitchen with an island and a dining area adjacent to the living room, as well as a bedroom and full bathroom. There are two bedrooms and another full bathroom upstairs, and a finished basement downstairs. Outside, the home has a patio and covered porch, and thereâs a fenced-in yard with two decks and an above-ground pool out back. Thereâs an open house Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirerâs Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirerâs high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
The Eagles have a chance to clinch the NFC East on Saturday night with a win against the Washington Commanders.
This might sound like a cakewalk. The 4-10 Commanders will be without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, whoâs being shut down for the remainder of the season, which leaves former Eagles backup Marcus Mariota to get the start.
But even with Daniels out, that doesnât change what is arguably the biggest challenge facing the Eagles defense on Saturday: the quarterback running game.
Only one team allows more quarterback rushing yards than the Eagles, and against Mariota, whose running and scrambling abilities have always been a big part of his game, Vic Fangio and Co. should be wary of their old friend.
The Eagles are certainly playing with more on the line. They could become the NFC Eastâs first repeat champ in more than 20 years, and Jalen Hurts is focused on achieving that.
Despite there being criticism of Hurts for his play over the last two games of the Eaglesâ losing streak, the fifth-year starter doesnât entertain it, because heâs been here before.
This past month was a microcosm of Hurtsâ football journey. Soon enough, the stakes will be as high as theyâve been all year, and Hurts will incur plenty more scrutiny, but he looks âforward to those momentsâ on the big stage and can handle any kind of attention that comes his way.
đ Praising: Saquon Barkley and his foundationhosted a toy drive at a Chickieâs & Peteâs in South Philly to help families in need during the holiday season.
Adolis GarcĂa slashed .227/.271/.394 with a 93 OPS+, and was non-tendered by the Rangers in November.
After the Phillies signed Adolis GarcĂa to a one-year, $10 million deal on Tuesday, the teamâs outfield picture for 2026 is âpretty well set,â according to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. GarcĂa will slot in as an everyday right fielder, with Brandon Marsh in left, and Justin Crawford will get an opportunity to be the everyday center fielder.
By committing to this configuration, the Phillies are taking a few gambles. However, itâs a familiar bet for Dombrowski, who took a similar risk on Max Kepler a year ago on another one-year, $10 million contract.
Now, the Phillies will turn their priority to catcher and bringing back free agent J.T. Realmuto.
Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen made his long-awaited season debut Tuesday in Montreal.
Rasmus Ristolainen last appeared in a Flyers game in March before undergoing right triceps tendon surgery. Itâs been a long road to recovery, but the 31-year-old blueliner finally suited up and made his season debut Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens.
Ristolainen skated alongside Nick Seeler on the third pairing. His addition helps solidify the defensive corps, with Cam York and Travis Sanheim as the top pair and Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andrae back together. He isnât part of the power-play unit yet, but Ristolainen is just looking to get his legs under him.
Justin Crawford hit .334 with a .411 on-base percentage for triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2025.
It goes like this every year, doesnât it? Opening day arrives and a month or two later the Phillies realize they could really use one more right-handed bat and another reliever or two. Maybe this will be the year that cycle breaks. Though, the biggest potential weakness in the Philliesâ approach this offseason is the extent to which they will be counting on Justin Crawford, the leading candidate to man center field. Nobody is expecting the 22-year-old to hit like he did at triple-A Lehigh Valley, but he will need to warrant that role, or else the Philliesâ outfield situation will look a lot closer to what it did during the first half of last season, writes columnist David Murphy.
đ§ Trivia time answer
The Eagles earned a shutout Sunday for the first time since they blanked Washington in 2018. Who led the Eagles with six combined tackles and posted an interception in that 24-0 victory?
B) Rasul Douglas
What youâre saying about the defense
Eagles linebacker Zack Baun celebrates his third-quarter interception against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
We asked: Who is the MVP of this Eagles defense? Among your responses:
My pick for defensive MVP thus far is Zack Baun who is at or near the top in just about every statistic including ints, tackles, solo tackles, sacks, and tackles for loss. Jalen Carter is probably the best of all the defense but with his injury he missed a few games. So sad to even think of Jerome Brownâs tragic death. Will never forget the âBringing the Heatâ team so well illustrated by Mark Bowden in his book. â Everett S.
The MVP of this defense is the guy whoâs name you rarely hear â Quinyon Mitchell. He takes the opponentâs best receiver out of action week in and week out. When the defense only has to stop 10 players instead of 11 they can operate at a much higher efficiency level. â Mike D.
Zack Baun.â Dom R.
Lately, the Eagles MVP on defense has been Nakobi Dean. Dean made it back from serious injury and has been a starter for most of the season. He keeps getter more prominent, making more big defensive plays each week now. Along with his all pro partner, Zack Baun, he has made the linebackers the strong core of the Eagles defense.Honorable mention to Quinyon Mitchell, who is seldom mentioned, mainly because other teams avoid his lock down coverage. â John W.
We compiled todayâs newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, David Murphy, Lochlahn March, Jackie Spiegel, Ariel Simpson, Sean McKeown, and Greg Finberg.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirerâs Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thanks for reading! Stay warm this week, and have a wonderful day. Weâll be back in your inbox with Thursdayâs newsletter. â Bella
Sometimes a terrible year can end with a moment of uplift. This actually happened in the last days of 1968, when Apollo 8 took the first humans in orbit around the moon and sent wonder back to a planet struggling with assassinations and riots. Alas, 2025 seems not such a year. A world already reeling from two mass shootings half a world apart learned Sunday night that Hollywood icon Rob Reiner and his wife Michele had been murdered in their home, allegedly by their own son. Boomers like me saw our own journey in that of Reiner â playing a young campus liberal, then taking down the pomposity of classic rock before both an unprecedented streak of classic movies and unparalleled social and political activism. He had more to give, and leaves a void that canât truly be filled.
Americans fear AI and loathe its billionaires. Why do both parties suck up to them?
Time’s 2025 person of the year are the architects of AI, depicted in this painting by Jason Seiler. The painting, with nods to the iconic 1932 âLunch atop a Skyscraperâ photograph, depicts tech leaders Mark Zuckerberg, Lisa Su, Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis, Dario Amodei, and Fei-Fei Li.
âThis is the West, sir. When the facts become legend, print the legend.â â journalist in the 1962 film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The top editors at Time (yes, it still exists) looked west to Silicon Valley and decided to print the legend last week when picking their Person of the Year for the tumultuous 12 months of 2025. It seemed all too fitting that its cover hailing âThe Architects of AIâ was the kind of artistic rip-off thatâs a hallmark of artificial intelligence: 1932âs iconic newspaper shot, âLunch Atop a Skyscraper,â âreimaginedâ with the billionaires â including Elon Musk and OpenAIâs Sam Altman â and lesser-known engineers behind the rapid growth of their technology in everyday life.
Timeâs writers strived to outdo the hype of AI itself, writing that these architects of artificial intelligence âreoriented government policy, altered geopolitical rivalries, and brought robots into homes. AI emerged as arguably the most consequential tool in great-power competition since the advent of nuclear weapons.â
OK, but itâs a tool thatâs clearly going to need a lot more work, or architecting, or whatever it is those folks out on the beam do. That was apparent on the same day as Timeâs celebration when it was reported that Washington Post editors got a little too close to the edge when they decided they were ready to roll out an ambitious scheme for personalized, AI-driven podcasts based on factors like your personal interests or your schedule.
The news site Semafor reported that the many gaffes ranged from minor mistakes in pronunciation to major goofs like inventing quotes â the kind of thing that would get a human journalist fired on the spot. âNever would I have imagined that the Washington Post would deliberately warp its own journalism and then push these errors out to our audience at scale,â a dismayed, unnamed editor reported.
The same-day contrast between the Tomorrowland swooning over the promise of AI and its glitchy, real-world reality felt like a metaphor for an invention that, as Time wasnât wrong in reporting, is so rapidly reshaping our world. Warts and all.
Like it or not.
And for most people (myself included), itâs mostly âor not.â The vast majority understands that itâs too late to put this 21st-century genie back in the bottle, and like any new technology there are going to be positives from AI, from performing mundane organizing tasks that free up time for actual work, to researching cures for diseases.
The most recent major Pew Research Center survey of Americans found that 50% of us are more concerned than excited about the growing presence of AI, while only 10% are more excited than concerned. Drill down and youâll see that a majority believes AI will worsen humansâ ability to think creatively, and, by a whopping 50-to-5% percent margin, also believes it will worsen our ability to form relationships rather than improve it. These, by the way, are two things that werenât going well before AI.
So naturally our political leaders are racing to see who can place the tightest curbs on artificial intelligence and thus carry out the will of the peop…ha, you did know this time that I was kidding, didnât you?
Itâs no secret that Donald Trump and his regime were in the tank from Day One for those folks out on Timeâs steel beam, and not just Musk, who â and this feels like it was seven years ago â donated a whopping $144 million to the Republicanâs 2024 campaign. Just last week, the president signed an executive order aiming to press the full weight of the federal government, including Justice Department lawsuits and regulatory actions, against any state that dares to regulate AI. He said thatâs necessary to ensure U.S. âglobal AI dominance.â
This is a problem when his constituents clearly want AI to be regulated. But itâs just as big a problem â perhaps bigger â that the opposition party isnât offering much opposition. Democrats seem just as awed by the billionaire grand poobahs of AI as Trump. Or the editors of Time.
Also last week, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul â leader of the second-largest blue state, and seeking reelection in 2026 â used her gubernatorial pen to gut the more-stringent AI regulations that were sent to her desk by state lawmakers. Watchdogs said Hochul replaced the hardest-hitting rules with language drafted by lobbyists for Big Tech.
As the American Prospect noted, Hochulâs pro-Silicon Valley maneuvers came after her campaign coffers were boosted by fundraisers held by venture capitalist Ron Conway, who has been seeking a veto, and the industry group Tech:NYC, which wants the bill watered down.
It was a similar story in the biggest blue state, California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2024 vetoed the first effort by state lawmakers to impose tough regulations on AI, and where a second measure did pass but only after substantial input from lobbyists for OpenAI and other tech firms. Silicon Valley billionaires raised $5 million to help Newsom â a 2028 White House front-runner â beat back a 2021 recall.
Like other top Democrats, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro favors some light regulation for AI but is generally a booster, insisting the new technology is a âjob enhancer, not a job replacer.â Heâs all-in on the Keystone State building massive data centers, despite their tendency to drive up electric bills and their unpopularity in the communities where they are proposed.
Money talks, democracy walks â an appalling fact of life in 2025 America. In a functioning democracy, we would have at least one political party that would fly the banner of the 53% of us who are wary of unchecked AI, and even take that idea to the next level.
A Harris Poll found that, for the first time, a majority of Americans also see billionaires â many of them fueled by the AI bubble â as a threat to democracy, with 71% supporting a wealth tax. Yet few of the Democrats hoping to retake Congress in 2027 are advocating such a levy. This is a dangerous disconnect.
Time magazine got one thing right. Just as its editors understood in 1938 that Adolf Hitler was its Man of the Year because heâd influenced the world more than anyone else, albeit for evil, history will likely look back at 2025 and agree that AI posed an even bigger threat to humanity than Trumpâs brand of fascism. The fight to save the American Experiment must be fought on both fronts.
Yo, do this!
I havenât tackled much new culture this month because Iâve been doing something I so rarely do anymore: Watching a scripted series from start to finish. That would be Apple TVâs Pluribus, the new sci-fi-but-more-than-sci-fi drama from television genius Vince Gilligan. True, one has to look past some logistical flaws in its dystopia-of-global-happiness premise, but the core narrative about the fight for individualism is truly a story of our time. The last two episodes come out on Dec. 19 and Dec. 26, so thereâs time to catch up!
The shock and sorrow of Rob Reinerâs murder at age 78 has, not surprisingly, sparked a surge of interest in his remarkable, and remarkably diverse, canon of classic movies. His much-awaited sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continuesbegan streaming on HBO Max just two days before his death. Check it out, or just re-watch the 1984 original, which is one of the funniest flicks ever made, and which is also streaming on HBO Max and can be rented on other popular sites. Crank it up to 11.
Ask me anything
Question: What news value, not advertising value, is accomplished by publicizing every one of Trumpâs insane rantings daily? â @bizbodeity.bsky.social via Bluesky
Answer: This is a great question, and the most recent and blatant example which I assume inspired it â Trumpâs stunningly heartless online attack against a critic, Hollywood icon Rob Reiner, just hours after his violent murder â proves why this is a painful dilemma for journalists. Iâd argue that Trumpâs hateful and pathologically narcissistic post was a deliberate troll for media attention, to make every national moment about him. In a perfect world, it would indeed be ignored. But it was highly newsworthy that his Truth Social post was so offensive that it drew unusual criticism from Republicans, Evangelicals, and other normal supporters. We may remember this is as a political turning point. Trumpâs outbursts demand sensitivity, but that Americans elected such a grotesque man as our president canât easily be ignored.
What youâre saying about…
Itâs been two weeks since I asked about Donald Trumpâs health, but the questions have not gone away. There was not a robust response from readers â probably because Iâd posed basically the same question once before. Several of you pointed to expert commentary that suggests the president is experiencing significant cognitive decline, perhaps suffering from frontotemporal dementia. Roberta Jacobs Meadway spoke for many when she lambasted âthe refusal if not the utter failure of the once-major news outlets to ask the questions and push for answers.â
đź This weekâs question: We are going to try an open-ended one to wrap up 2025: What is your big prediction for 2026 â could be anything from elections to impeachment to the Eagles repeating as Super Bowl champs â and why. Please email me your answer and put the exact phrase â2026 predictionâ in the subject line.
Backstory on how I covered an unforgettable year
Rick Gomez, who travelled 65 hours by bus from Phoenix, Ariz., holds an AI photo composite poster of Donald Trump, in Washington, the day before Trump took the Oath of Office to become the 47th president of the United States.
Barring the outbreak of World War III â something you always need to say these days â this is my final newsletter, or column, of 2025, as I use up my old-man plethora of vacation days. To look back on Americaâs annus horribilis, I thought Iâd revive a feature from my Attytood blogging days: a recap of the year with the five most memorable columns, not numbered in order of significance. Here goes:
A year that many of us dreaded when the votes were counted in November 2024 began for me with a sad reminder that the personal still trumps the political, when my 88-year-old father fell ill in the dead of winter and passed away on March 11. I wrote about his life, but also what his passion for science and knowledge said about a world that, at the end of his life, was slipping away: Bryan H. Bunch (1936-2025) and the vanishing American century of knowledge.
Still, Donald J. Trump could not be ignored. On Jan. 19, I put on my most comfortable shoes (it didnât really help) and traipsed around a snowy, chilly Washington, D.C. as the about-to-be 47th president made his âforgotten Americanâ supporters wait on a soggy, endless line for a nothingburger rally while the architects of AI and other rich donors partied in heated luxury, setting the tone for a year of gross inequality: American oligarchy begins as Trump makes billions while MAGA gets left out in the rain.
One of the yearâs biggest stories was Trumpâs demonizing of people of color, from calling Somali immigrants âgarbageâ to his all out war on DEI programs that encouraged racial diversity, when the truth was always far different. In February, I wrote about the American dream of a young man from Brooklyn of Puerto Rican descent and his ambition to become an airline pilot, who perished in the D.C. jet-helicopter crash. His remarkable life demolished the MAGA lie about âDEI pilots.â Read: “Short, remarkable life of D.C. pilot Jonathan Campos so much more than Trumpâs hateful words.”
If you grew up during the 1960s and â70s, as I did, then you understand the story of our lifetimes as a battle for the individual rights of every American â for people to live their best lives regardless of race or gender, or whether they might be transgender, or on the autism spectrum. I wrote in October about the Trump regimeâs consuming drive to reverse this, to make it a crime to be different: From autism to beards, the Trump regime wages war on âthe differentâ
A grim year did end on one hopeful note. Trumpâs push for an authoritarian America is faltering, thanks in good measure to the gumption of everyday people. This month, I traveled to New Orleans to chronicle the growing and increasingly brave public resistance to federal immigration raids, as citizens blow whistles, form crowds and protest efforts to deport hard-working migrants: In New Orleans and across U.S., anger over ICE raids sparks a 2nd American Revolution
What I wrote on this date in 2021
On this date four years ago, some of us were still treating Donald Trumpâs attempted Capitol Hill coup of Jan. 6, 2021 like a crime that could be solved so that the bad guys could be put away. On Dec. 16, 2021, I published my own theory of the case: that Team MAGAâs true goal was provoking a war between its supporters and left-wing counterdemonstrators, as a pretext for sending in troops and stopping Congress from finishing its certification of Joe Bidenâs victory. That didnât happen because the leftists stayed home. More than 1,000 pardons later, check out my grand argument: âA theory: How Trumpâs Jan. 6 coup plan worked, how close it came, why it failed.â
Recommended Inquirer reading
Only one column this week, as this senior citizen was still recovering from that grueling trip to New Orleans. On Sunday, I reacted with the shock and sadness of seeing a mass shooting at my alma mater, Brown University. I wrote that in a nation with 500 million guns, itâs a virtual lock that some day our families â nuclear or extended, like the close-knit Brown community â will be struck by senseless violence. And I took sharp issue with Trumpâs comment that âall you can do is pray.â There is much that can and should be done about gun safety.
Sometimes the big stories are the ones that play out over decades, not days. When I first started coming regularly to Philadelphia at the end of the 1980s, the dominant vibe was urban decline. The comeback of cities in the 21st century has altered our world, for good â but a lot of us old-timers have wondered: Just who, exactly, is moving into all these new apartments from Center City to Kensington and beyond? Last week, The Inquirerâs ace development reporter Jake Blumgart took a deep dive into exactly that â highlighting survey results that large numbers are under 45, donât own a car, and moved here from elsewhere, and telling some of their stories. Local journalism is the backbone of a local community, and you are part of something bigger when you subscribe to The Inquirer. Plus, itâs a great Christmas gift, and youâll get to read all my columns in 2026. See you then!
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirerâs Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Whatâs the best chance for the Eagles to reach the Super Bowl and repeat as champions? Given the hit-or-miss performance by the offense this season, maybe itâs time for their dominant defense to seize the moment.
In 1991, an overpowering Eagles defense did just that after Randall Cunningham was lost for the season in the first game. Led by Reggie White and Jerome Brown, the Birds put together one of the best defensive campaigns in NFL history, surrendering the fewest passing yards and rushing yards in the league that season. Not only did the Eagles want to keep opponents from scoring, the defensive players wanted to score themselves.
âWe knew that we were going to go as far as the defense could carry us,â linebacker Seth Joyner says. âAnd that just turned the intensity up.â
Joyner sees some of that great fire in Vic Fangioâs defense these days. So do former teammates Clyde Simmons and Mike Golic. The three ex-Eagles can see Fangioâs group taking charge this season the way they did under defensive coordinator Bud Carson in â91.
So which member of the current Eagles D would have fit right in on Gang Green? They say itâs Jalen Carter. âI mean, put him on that line, with Jerome [Brown] in the middle, would have been ridiculous,â Golic says.
Nick Castellanos, left, is on the way out as the Philliesâ right fielder, and Adolis GarcĂa is in with a one-year deal.
Adolis GarcĂa is the new Nick Castellanos. Thatâs the simplest way to look at the Phillies agreeing to a one-year, $10 million contract with the former Rangers star on Monday. Itâs true on a lot of different levels, including some that will make you scratch your head about why Dave Dombrowski decided to go in this direction. Not only is GarcĂa likely to replace Castellanos in right field, his batting profile looks an awful lot like Castellanosâ. Uncomfortably so, writes David Murphy.
The Philliesâ agreement with GarcĂa comes 361 days after an identical one-year, $10 million free-agent deal with outfielder Max Kepler. It represents a similar bet, too.
Dan Quinn and the injury-riddled Commanders have headed in the wrong direction since facing the Eagles in the 2024 NFC championship game on Jan. 26.
At 4-10, the Washington Commanders are not as sad as the Las Vegas Raiders, but theyâre not far from the bottom of the NFLâs barrel. The Commanders ended an eight-game losing streak on Sunday thanks to a date with the even-worse New York Giants.
Good news for the Eagles, who will visit the Commanders on Saturday: Washington allows a league-worst 7.5 yards per passing attempt and a sixth-worst 4.7 yards per carry. So the offense should continue to thrive against lousy competition. Washingtonâs offense hasnât been setting the world on fire, either. Olivia Reiner has her early look at Saturdayâs matchup.
Sixers forward Paul George looks like he is returning to form after two stellar performances, including a 35-point season high in Atlanta.
Paul George was called the worst free-agent signing in franchise history. He was going to set the Sixers back a decade. He was washed up and untradable. You sure about that?
Finally healthy after a litany of injuries ruined his 2024-25 season, George appears to be finding his rhythm and changing the narrative that has surrounded his Sixers tenure. Ask the main himself and heâll tell you just how bad last season was from his own vantage point.
âOh, my God. I mean, it was rough, man,â he said of last season. âIt was brutal. And when you play for Philly, itâs brutal, man. I had an expectation coming into the year, and for me, me alone, like not even the noise outside and whatever people said, you know?â
Trevor Zegras scored for the third game running, scoring the equalizer with a few minutes left in regulation on Sunday.
The Flyers werenât at their best on Sunday evening, but they still managed to salvage a valuable point against the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes.
The Eagles defense sacked Kenny Pickett four times on Sunday.
Who said this after the Eagles pitched a shutout against the Raiders? Think you know? Check your answer here.
What youâre saying about old athletes
We asked: Whatâs the greatest performance you can remember by an âagedâ athlete? Among your responses:
Chuck Bednarikâs performance in the 1960 NFL championship game playing both linebacker and center at age 35. â Dom R.
Gene Dykes, Bala Cynwyd, ran a world best marathon time for men 70 and over. … By the age of 60 most have lost over half the muscle fibers in your legs. His accomplishment is far beyond anyone else including Brandon, Wilt, Bednarik, and Schmidt. â Harry N.
Editorâs note: Dykes set a record for his age group in 2:54:23 at the Jacksonville (Fla.) Marathon in December 2018.
Eagles Norm Van Brocklin (center) and Chuck Bednarik celebrate after they won the NFL championship in 1960.
The first thing that came to my mind regarding a performance by an aged athlete was 35-year-old Chuck Bednarik, former Penn All-American and WW2 Vet, who played the entire 1960 NFL championship game at Franklin Field. Chuck played every minute of this game while holding down the center position as well as linebacker. â Everett S.
Jurgensen to McDonald, Norm Van Brocklin and Concrete Charlie âs performance in the 1960 NFL Championship game … â Bill M.
Roger Bannisterâs mile! â Hunter L.
Editorâs note: Bannister was 25 when he broke the four-minute mile on May 6, 1954.
In my opinion, Jack Nicklaus winning the masters in 1986 at the age of 46! â William M.
We compiled todayâs newsletter using reporting from Alex Coffey, Scott Lauber, David Murphy, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane, Ariel Simpson, Jackie Spiegel, Mike Sielski, and Keith Pompey.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirerâs Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Greetings from Siberia, also known as the Philadelphia suburbs. Do your best to stay warm. Bella will bring you Sports Daily on Wednesday. â Jim
President Donald Trump makes his first stop on an “economic tour,” in Mt. Pocono, Pa., Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.
Welcome to a new week, Philly.
Some have been wondering, why hasnât President Donald Trump sent troops to Philadelphia, the city where âbad things happen?â Especially when troops are in smaller, less prominent cities. Nobody knows for sure, but The Inquirer has some theories.
And last year, SEPTA promised solar-powered screens at bus stops that would give riders real-time info. With the initiative stalled, an anonymous street sign artist is filling the void â with their own real-time tracker.
A dancing President Donald Trump after he made his first stop on an “economic tour,” in Mt. Pocono, Pa., Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.
In the last six months Trump has sent troops, immigration agents, or both to Democratic cities from coast to coast. The list includes Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, Memphis, Portland, Ore., Charlotte, N.C., New Orleans, and Minneapolis. But not Philadelphia.
The city that seemed an obvious early target, condemned by Trump as the place where âbad things happen,â has somehow escaped his wrath. At least so far.
That has sparked speculation from City Hall to Washington over why the president would ignore the staunchly Democratic city with which he has famously feuded. We offer some insight into whether thatâs likely to change.
The digital real-time bus tracker that has been installed at the Route 64 bus stop on the northeast corner of Broad Street and Washington Avenue in Philadelphia on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.
While waiting for a bus earlier this year, two Philadelphia street artists who rely on public transportation diagnosed an all-too-familiar ailment: I have no idea when the bus will be here.
Earlier this month, their brainchild â a solar-powered e-reader mounted into a street sign that provides bus arrival information â went live on the northeast corner of Broad Street and Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia, along bus Route 64.
The device pulls real-time arrival times from publicly available data (the same dataset that feeds SEPTAâs app), according to artist Make It Weird, who engineered the rig and asked to remain anonymous because their work meanders into a legal gray area.
What you should know today
As Jews around the world celebrate Hanukkah, a deadly attack in Australia has shocked Jewish communities in the Philadelphia region, leading some to increase security at services.
An upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the sweeping tariffs that President Donald Trump rolled out in April â briefly sending markets worldwide into a tailspin â could be the next test for stocks that have been flying high.
An American Airlines flight attendant who works out of the Philadelphia International Airport is suing the airline, alleging that flight attendants arenât properly paid.
When it comes to funding his presidential library, former President Joe Biden is far behind on funds, the New York Times reported.
FIFA opened the lottery for its latest ticket presale on Thursday. It showed tickets, priced in the hundreds, for all 72 group-stage matches, including the five headed to Philly.
From data centers to casinos, one of Phillyâs most successful investors, Ira Lubert, says heâll give until heâs dead â and after.
Quote of the day
Former President Joe Biden supports the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Former President Joe Biden and former first lady Jill Biden touched down at the Linc for the snowy Sunday matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Las Vegas Raiders. Joe and âthat girl from Philly,â Jill, were spotted on the sidelines with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie before the 1 p.m. kickoff.
đ§ Trivia time
With roots stretching back 170 years, this nonprofit was originally founded to serve the Jewish population but has since expanded to offer a range of services to all.
Cheers to Jason Wermers, who solved Sundayâs anagram: Coatesville. The area school district will soon see a swath of changes as it prepares to shutter two elementary schools, open a new one, and realign its attendance boundaries.
A pedestrian walks along the Race Street Pier as snow falls on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025.
âïž Philadelphians awoke to the first significant snowfall of the season on Sunday, with 3 to 7 inches of snow blanketing the area.
đŹ Your âonly in Phillyâ 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 youâre not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again â 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 âonly in Phillyâ story comes from reader Joe Morris, who describes classroom shenanigans in the early days of the Community College of Philadelphia:
The Community College of Philadelphia admitted its first class in September 1965, just a year after community colleges received Pennsylvania legislative approval in 1964. The school took over the former Snellenburgâs department store in Center City.
One of the best classes was Mr. Beckâs History of Western Civilization class. Beck was the most nattily dressed of all the professors and was both captivating and unshakeable. Fifty minutes with him passed rapidly, and his lectures ended precisely as the bell rung. I bet my buddy Frank that I could rattle Beck out of his unflappable persona. During the last class of my first semester, as Beck was taking questions on the material, I asked, âMr. Beck, where do you purchase your ties?â Beck didnât flinch: âGiven the breadth of material weâve covered, Iâm disappointed that you donât have an interest in something other than my haberdasher.â
I doubled my bet with Frank, thinking I might shake him during the next semester. I sat in the back row directly underneath three very tall windows, with a small ledge on the outside. Before class, I closed the blinds on either side of the center window and opened the center blind to full height. I clutched my books and hoisted myself out onto the ledge and moved carefully behind the closed blinds. Beck entered and began his lecture. A couple of minutes in, I made my way along the ledge, prompting stares and pointing from the pedestrians below, then, once in the open center window, stepped down into the classroom and took my seat.
I believed Beck paused slightly and I whispered to Frank, âYou owe me $10.â Frank maintained that it was merely Beckâs typical pause to emphasize a fact. Atypically, Beck ended class a few seconds early, then said, âMr. Morris, might you stop by to see me after class?â
Confident that I had shaken him and expecting a reprimand for ledge lingering, I approached his desk and nonchalantly said, âMr. Beck, I believe you wanted to see me?â He replied, âYes, could you make more of an effort to be on time for class?â Frank smirked and put out his hand for the 10 bucks.
Thanks for starting your week with The Inquirer. Iâll be back with you tomorrow.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirerâs Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Hereâs how downright dominant the Eagles were Sunday at frigid Lincoln Financial Field: They held the punchless Las Vegas Raiders to 75 yards of offense. Saquon Barkley had more than that in rushing yardage by himself.
The Eagles posted their first shutout in almost seven years in a 31-0 victory. The Raiders averaged just 1.8 yards on their 42 offensive plays. They did not advance the ball past the Eaglesâ 33-yard line. Thatâs dominance.
At the center of the defensive effort, often literally, was Brandon Graham, a 37-year-old guy who was retired two months ago. Graham became the oldest Eagles player to register a sack, and he picked up another in the game for good measure. With Jalen Carter sidelined, the longtime defensive end has filled in at tackle, and Graham is starting to get to the quarterback.
The Eagles victory snapped a three-game losing streak. Granted, the blowout win came against what could be the worst team in the NFL, but the defense came up huge across all positions, from the line to the linebackers to the secondary. Jeff McLane has his grades on the game.
The performance offered a glimpse of what might yet be the Eaglesâ saving grace in their quest to win a second straight Super Bowl, Mike Sielski writes. As ragged and inconsistent as their offense has been, their defense is good enough to get them there.
Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels dunks as he is guarded by Sixers center Joel Embiid.
Tyrese Maxey missed his second game in a row with an illness Sunday as the Sixers visited the Atlanta Hawks, and the team could not make up for the loss of its star guard. Paul George scored a season-high 35 points, but Atlanta prevailed, 120-117, behind 27 points from Dyson Daniels and 20 from Onyeka Okongwu. Joel Embiid had 22 points and 14 rebounds.
âWeâre super concerned,â Sixers coach Nick Nurse said of Maxeyâs illness. âWeâre concerned because heâs sick, and he wasnât well enough to get on the floor here for a couple of games.â
They faced the same team Sunday in Raleigh, N.C., and the result was nearly identical. Andrei Svechnikov scored the winner in the shootout as Carolina prevailed, 3-2. Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras scored in regulation for the Flyers, who lost their third straight but extended their point streak to four games.
Defenseman Cam York returned to the lineup for the Flyers on Sunday after missing four games with an upper body injury. Coach Rick Tocchet said Yorkâs return goes a long way toward stabilizing the defense: âItâs huge.â
Villanova’s Ja’briel Mace rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown in an upset of Tarleton State in the FCS quarterfinals.
Villanova advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals for the first time since 2010 with a 26-21 comeback victory over Tarleton State on Saturday in Stephenville, Texas. Next up for the Wildcats is a home game this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against Illinois State.
The new coach at Penn will be former New Hampshire coach and standout quarterback Rick Santos, the Quakers announced.
Jalen Hurts is all smiles as he congratulates tight end Dallas Goedert on his first-quarter touchdown catch against the Raiders.
After Jalen Hurts had five turnovers in a Monday Night Football loss at the Chargers, Nick Sirianni was asked whether the QB should be benched if he continued to struggle. âI think thatâs ridiculous,â the Eagles coach said.
The question wasnât ridiculous. It was legitimate. It sure seems ridiculous now. Hurts rebounded from the worst game of his career with one of his best against the Raiders. He completed 12 of 15 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns.
Hurts needs to run. Saquon Barkley needs to run. Dallas Goedert needs the ball. This is a successful formula for the Eagles, and if A.J. Brown gets some looks, great. If not, live with it.
Sports snapshot
From left: Top prospects Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter, and Aidan Miller should all be contributors to the Phillies in 2026.
Dec. 15, 2010: Left-hander Cliff Lee agreed to a five-year, $120 million contract to return to the Phillies. The team had traded Lee to the Seattle Mariners one year earlier. He wound up going 48-34 with a 2.94 ERA in his two stints with the Phillies.
We compiled todayâs newsletter using reporting from Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Gabriela Carroll, Marcus Hayes, Mike Sielski, Jeff McLane, Jackie Spiegel, Keith Pompey, Scott Lauber, Jonathan Tannenwald, Katie Lewis, and Sean McKeown.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirerâs Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Hereâs hoping you have dug yourself out by now. Thank you for reading. Stay warm and Iâll see you in Tuesdayâs newsletter. â Jim
