Happy Wednesday, Philly. After a run of cloudy days, we’ll be treated to sun and high temps in the low 50s today.
That’s a stark difference from 1996, when 2.5 feet of snow fell upon the region on Jan. 7 and 8. On the 30th anniversary of our biggest blizzard on record, see whether the atmosphere this year is expected to bring a good ol’ fashioned snowstorm.
But first: The results are in from the Philadelphia School District’s facilities planning survey. Read on to learn what parents and teachers said they want, including smaller classes and no school closures.
What do Philly parents, teachers, students, and community members want to happen to their neighborhood school buildings? For one, they want them to remain.
The city’s school district surveyed stakeholders on what they hope to see come of its slow-moving facilities master planning process, which is expected to yield big decisions this year about school closings and reconfigurations.
Some themes emerged, many of which will be tough for the cash-strapped district to balance:
✏️ No school closures, and instead, more investment in existing facilities
✏️ Smaller class sizes
✏️ More magnets to attract high-performing students
✏️ Upgraded resources, such as vocational programs, technology, and AP courses
Thirty years ago, nearly 31 inches of snow fell on the region over two days — the largest blizzard in Philadelphia history. Millennials have never stopped romanticizing it.
But more than two feet of snow to a kid? As Inquirer editorial writer Daniel Pearson noted in his ode to the Philly snow day, that’s magical.
As for this year, it’s tough to say whether we’ll get a big storm later on, but no flakes are expected in the short term. Friday may even hit 60 degrees.
Five years after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Gov. Josh Shapiro and other Pennsylvania Democrats marked the Jan. 6 attack’s anniversary by sharply criticizing President Donald Trump.
Long under fire for his behavior in office, Jack Tompkins has resigned as mayor of Pemberton Township in South Jersey. A new mayor will be selected Wednesday.
The Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters plans to relocate its headquarters and two training centers to the Navy Yard.
The trolley tunnel that connects Center City and West Philadelphia is still closed as SEPTA tests repairs — but is “pretty close” to reopening, a spokesperson said Tuesday.
Bucks County’s Trump Store is closing after six years. The shop thrived during the Biden administration, but Trump’s return to the White House has been bad for business, its owner said.
Quote of the day
El Carnaval de Puebla, one of the biggest yearly celebrations of Mexican culture in Philadelphia and on the East Coast, will not return in 2026 amid concerns over federal immigration activity.
🧠Trivia time
Signage from which iconic shuttered Philadelphia eatery is now available for sale on Facebook Marketplace?
Cheers to Colby Tecklin, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Haddon. The company that owns P.J. Whelihan’s, which is headquartered in the Camden County township, may be moving into a former Iron Hill Brewery in Bucks County.
Photo of the day
Peter Chang plays basketball during a mild winter afternoon at Charles T. Mitchell Jr. Park.
Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday, even if it feels like this post-holiday week should already be long over. See ya back here tomorrow.
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.
Faridah Ismaila launched nonprofit A Paint-full of Promise to connect younger students with free monthly art classes.
A Great Valley High School sophomore will soon be bringing her passion for art to young students in the district.
Inspired by the phrase “Do what makes you happy,” Faridah Ismaila recently launched nonprofit A Paint-full of Promise to provide free monthly art classes for kindergarteners through sixth graders, The Inquirer’s Brooke Schultz reports.
The program is slated to kick off this month with a winter wonderland-themed class. Ismaila is working with district educators to offer the workshops where students can learn new skills and express themselves.
A person on a trail on Warwick Furnace Road in Warwick Township was recently injured by a coyote, prompting the Chester County Health Department to look for the animal. It’s unknown if the coyote is rabid.
The community is mourning the death of photographer, filmmaker, and Kennett Square resident Robert Caputo, who died Dec. 18 at a voluntary assisted dying center in Switzerland. Throughout his career, Mr. Caputo traveled the world, producing stories, films, and photographs for National Geographic magazine, Time, PBS, and TNT. The 76-year-old was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease last year.
A Malvern office building at 52 Swedesford Rd. is poised for demolition to make way for a mixed-use development with 250 apartments and retail space, including a market and cafe. (Philadelphia Business Journal)
The 33,000-square-foot Acme-anchored shopping center at 785 Starr St. in Phoenixville recently sold for nearly $7.4 million. The sale didn’t include Acme’s space.
The state’s Department of Environmental Protection is expected to evaluate surface and well water at the Bishop Tube HSCA Site in East Whiteland Township this month for contaminants such as PFAS, volatile organic compounds, and inorganics, as well as fluoride.
The Paoli Memorial Association in Malvern has been awarded a $325,000 grant, which will help fund construction of the Paoli-Malvern Heritage Center. The center, which will be adjacent to the Paoli Battlefield, will preserve an 1817 obelisk and offer interpretive exhibits.
Several Chester County communities have received funding from the state’s Green Light-Go Program aimed at improving traffic safety and mobility. Upper Uwchlan Township has been awarded over $920,000 to upgrade detection and controller equipment at Route 100 and Graphite Mine Road. West Whiteland Township is getting nearly $390,000 to upgrade multiple intersections along Route 100 and Commerce Drive. And East Whiteland Township will get almost $192,000 to modernize Lancaster Avenue and Conestoga Road.
Heads up for drivers: Asplundh will be pruning trees along Goshen Road between Pottstown Pike and Hillside Drive in West Chester throughout the first quarter of 2026.
Paoli Hospital is among Forbes Top Hospitals for 2026 and is the sole Chester County institution on the list.
Looking to dispose of your Christmas tree? Upper Uwchlan will collect trees curbside on Jan. 15; Spring City residents can place trees curbside daily through Jan. 30 for pickup; East Pikeland residents can place trees curbside on Wednesdays in January or drop them off at the township yard waste recycling facility; West Vincent residents can drop them off at the township building through Jan. 23; and Phoenixville residents can place them curbside with trash through Feb. 28. Trees can also be dropped off at the compost site at 18 S. 2nd Ave.
It’s the last chance for residents in Easttown (through Jan. 12) and Upper Uwchlan (through Jan. 15) to recycle old holiday lights.
🏫 Schools Briefing
Tredyffrin/Easttown School District is hosting its elementary new student registration window for next school year from Jan. 20-26. Learn more here.
West Chester Area School District has an opening on its school board following Alex Christy’s resignation ahead of his term’s expiration next December. Applications to fill the vacancy are open until noon on Jan. 21.
The search is on for someone to take over the former Iron Hill Brewery in West Chester. Over the holidays, building owner John Barry acquired the liquor license and all assets inside the space, which he said will help him “to get a better tenant in there.”
In case you missed it, The Inquirer’s Michael Klein reflected on the most notable restaurant openings of 2025. They include Bao Nine in Malvern, The Borough in Downingtown, Jolene’s in West Chester, L’Olivo Trattoria in Exton, The Local in Phoenixville,and Stubborn Goat Brewing in West Grove. See the full list here. The Borough also made Klein’s roundup of the best new pizza restaurants to open in the region last year.
As for the best things Inquirer food writers ate last year, the Caramelia at Longwood Gardens’ 1906 restaurant was up there. Paying homage to Kennett Square’s mushroom industry, the red-topped mushroom-shaped dessert features chocolate mousse with espresso and caramel flavors.
🎳 Things to Do
🎨 An Ancestral Journey: Moore College of Art grad Roe Murray’s works will be on display for the next few weeks. She will also participate in an artist talk on Jan. 28. ⏰ Thursday, Jan. 8-Thursday, Jan. 29, times vary 💵 Free 📍 Chester County Art Association West Chester Galleries
🎶 A Grand Night For Singing: This rendition will celebrate the wide-ranging works of Rodgers & Hammerstein with singing, dancing, and a live orchestra. ⏰ Friday, Jan. 9-Sunday, Jan. 18, select days and times 💵 $31.60-$36.70 📍 SALT Performing Arts, Chester Springs
🧁 Pinkalicious the Musical: The musical adaptation of the book follows a pink-loving heroine who inadvertently turns herself into her favorite color by eating too many cupcakes. ⏰ Friday, Jan. 9-Sunday, Jan. 18, select days and times 💵 $21-$30 📍 Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, West Chester
The carriage home has a two-car garage and a screened-in porch that leads to a deck.
Located in the Villages at Northridge, this Kennett Square carriage home is just a few years old. The great room, which has a fireplace, opens to the kitchen, where there’s two-toned cabinetry, an island with a farmhouse sink, a pantry, and a dining area with a built-in beverage station complete with a bar refrigerator and ice maker. The great room also has access to the screened-in porch, which leads to the deck. There are three bedrooms upstairs, including a primary suite with a walk-in closet and a bathroom with a double sink vanity. The finished lower level walk-out has another bedroom, a full bathroom, and a living room.
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.
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 Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
The Matlack Family Cemetery is located at 535 Balsam Rd.
The residential street of Balsam Road in Woodcrest is an unlikely spot for a gravesite, but tucked among the houses and sassafras trees, there’s a small cemetery that dates back nearly 300 years.
The siteis the final resting place for the Matlacks, one of South Jersey’s first colonial families, as well as an unknown number of servants and enslaved people.
A township resident, curious about how the gravesite came to be, posed his question to Curious Cherry Hill. The Inquirer’s Denali Sagner set out to learn more about the family and its patriarch, who moved to New Jersey in 1677 from England as an indentured servant and ultimately began one of the largest colonial-era families in the region.
There was a 3.9% shift among Cherry Hill voters to Democrats in 2024-25, with about 68% voting for Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill in November’s election. The Inquirer recently analyzed Sherrill’s path to victory, finding that the largest shift within Cherry Hill took place in District 10, encompassing Brookfield, where there was a 10.3% shift, followed by District 8 (9.4%), which includes Kenilworth, and District 2 (8.2%), which spans Cooper Park Village, Kingsway Village, and Waterford Park. See a map of how districts shifted.
The Eagles are heading into the NFC Wild Card playoffs as the No. 3 seed, taking on the 49ers at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. As the team gears up for the postseason, the Road to Victory Bus Tour is stopping in town Thursday, where you can shop for gear and enter for a chance to score playoff game tickets. It’ll be at the P.J. Whelihan’s on Marlton Pike from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Work is still underway to overhaul the H Mart on Route 70. The popular chain Asian grocery store closed in July for renovations, including an expansion of the second floor and the addition of an open-concept food court. The Cherry Hill location, which was expected to reopen in October, remains closed as work on the entire complex continues. (42 Freeway)
Some retail shakeups are happening around town. The New Balance at Tuscany Marketplace closed its doors indefinitely on Dec. 27. At the mall, plus-size women’s apparel brand Torrid is closing on Jan. 19, athleisure brand Lululemon Athletica is relocating to a larger space, and jeweler Pandora is expanding next door. And on Route 70, Appliances Outlet will be taking over the space occupied by Whole Hog Cafe and part of Wine Legend. (A View From Evesham)
Fox29’s Bob Kelly recently dropped by D&Q Skate, Snow, and Surf shop in Cherry Hill to chat about trending gear for those heading to the slopes. Catch the segment here starting around the 5-minute mark.
Teachers in Cherry Hill Public Schools made a median salary of $102,148 last school year, according to an NJ.com analysis. It is one of 30 districts statewide with a median salary greater than $100,000. The district’s median salary last year marked a 4.1% increase over the previous year and was nearly $20,000 higher than the statewide median.
🍽️ On our Plate
In case you missed it, The Inquirer’s Michael Klein reflected on the most notable restaurant openings of 2025. In Cherry Hill, that includes the return of iconic fast food chain Roy Rogers and the debut of Heng Seng Noodles. See the full list here.
😂 All Laughs, No Hate: Latin comedy and culture take center stage during this comedy night. ⏰ Friday, Jan. 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m. 💵 $36.09 📍Vera
🌱 Winter Sowing: This workshop will teach you how to get a jump on your spring gardening. ⏰ Saturday, Jan. 10, 10 a.m.-noon 💵 $15 📍Camden County Environmental Center
💡 Panoply: Test your knowledge of pop culture, sports, music, history, and more in this out-of-the-box game night. The event is 21 and older. ⏰ Saturday, Jan. 10, 7-9:45 p.m. 💵 $36 📍Katz JCC
🍷 January Wine Down Wednesday: Sip five, two-ounce pours and enjoy appetizers at this event. ⏰ Wednesday, Jan. 14, reservations available from 6 to 8 p.m. 💵 $25 📍Randall’s Restaurant
The home has an open-concept living and dining room.
This Woodcrest ranch was recently remodeled to give its interior and exterior a modern makeover. It features an open-concept dining and living room, a sunroom, and an eat-in kitchen with quartz countertops and a gray-and-white herringbone backsplash. It has five bedrooms and three bathrooms, including a primary suite with a walk-in closet and its own bathroom. There’s also a finished basement.
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.
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 Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Medford’s Brenden Aaronson joined Leeds United in 2022. His time with the club hasn’t always been greeted with a warm welcome, especially when he went on a season-long loan to Germany’s Union Berlin after the Peacocks were relegated from the Premier League in 2023.
Aaronson is chased by criticism from U.S. men’s national team fans, too: He doesn’t score enough goals as an attacking midfielder. Lately, though, the tides on both sides of the Atlantic have turned back in Aaronson’s favor.
In Leeds, he has become a key contributor as the club went seven games unbeaten from Dec. 3 through New Year’s Day. Then came this past Sunday, and perhaps the most famous game of all.
Aaronson scored a big goal against Manchester United in a 1-1 draw. Leeds might not be as big of a club in Philadelphia as United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool, but children can grow up now wanting to emulate the 25-year-old whom Union fans once called “the Medford Messi.”
No other local product has Aaronson’s trifecta of Premier League, Champions League, and World Cup experience, either. If he makes this year’s World Cup squad, it will be his second — a feat other area soccer greats Peter Vermes, Bobby Convey, and Chris Albright did not achieve.
For now, he’s got his hands full as Leeds tries to avoid relegation from the Premier League again. He’s also enjoying each minute on the pitch, since it’s not easy getting to Europe, but he’s proving that Americans can play in the best leagues, too.
Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean has made an impact when available amid an injury-plagued 2025 season.
Nakobe Dean is expected to return in the Eagles’ wild-card game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The linebacker has been inactive for the last two weeks while recovering from a hamstring injury. With the stakes higher entering the postseason, the Eagles could certainly use Dean against a strong 49ers offense.
Dean will be tasked with helping keep George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey in check. Vic Fangio acknowledged what it means to have Dean back in a critical matchup: “You play an offense this good and this diverse, all 11 got to be cooking.”
This is the second time in four seasons that the Eagles and 49ers will meet at Lincoln Financial Field in the playoffs. While some things have changed since that NFC championship game won by the Eagles in January 2023, other things remain the same. Here are the numbers and trends that could be the difference maker on Sunday.
Flyers’ Trevor Zegras celebrates his second goal of the game Tuesday night against the Ducks.
In a matchup against his former team, Trevor Zegras scored twice in the Flyers’ 5-2 win over the Ducks. Former Flyer Cutter Gauthier opened the scoring for Anaheim.
Gauthier played his second game in Philadelphia since being traded nearly two years ago to Anaheim. Fans still don’t like their former prospect and let him hear it with boos, but Zegras’ emergence has helped eased the pain.
Speaking of offseason signings, goalie Dan Vladař has been a godsend for the Flyers. On Tuesday, his breakout season earned him a spot on Czechia’s Olympic team.
Tyrese Maxey has received increased scrutiny as the Sixers’ go-to option in clutch situations.
Tyrese Maxey’s NBA ascension has known no bounds in recent years, with the 25-year-old swiftly jumping from reserve to starter to star. That rise has been on display more than ever this season, with Maxey landing among the league’s top scorers and receiving the fifth-most All-Star votes in the most recent fan returns.
But Maxey still needs to smooth out a few rough edges, including his ability to close out games as the Sixers franchise player and focal point in the clutch. Maxey missed shots at the end of regulation and overtime of the Sixers’ 125-124 loss to the depleted Nuggets.
That’s been true across the 2025-26 season as Maxey’s shotmaking in the clutch remains a work in progress. Maxey is shooting 39.7% from the floor, including 22.7% from three-point range in those minutes, significant dips from his overall shooting numbers (47.5% from the field, 40.5% from long range).
Sports snapshot
Isabeau Levito performs her free skate in the Grand Prix of France in October in Angers.
Olympic dreams: South Jersey figure skater Isabeau Levito looks to vault onto the Olympic team, and this year Games are especially meaningful.
Seeking redemption: Penn came up short to longtime rival Princeton in the Ivy League opener. It’s a loss the Quakers might be wishing they got back.
Sudden departure: Villanova announced that forward Tafara Gapare is no longer with the program. The senior played under Kevin Willard at Maryland last season.
‘Progressing positively’: Brewers pitching prospect Frank Cairone, a Gloucester County native, remained in the hospital as of Tuesday after a serious car accident.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan (left) and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni are revered in the NFL for different reasons.
When it comes to NFL coaches, this is the era of the great play-caller, the great play-designer, the great scheme-creator, the brilliant and beautiful brain. The matchup between the Eagles and 49ers is really Nick Sirianni vs. Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan is a terrific coach in just about every regard, having guided the 49ers to two Super Bowls and two other appearances in the NFC championship game. Sirianni and Kevin Patullo are not considered the same kinds of coaches that Shanahan is. But Shanahan has yet to win a Super Bowl. What Sirianni does well sometimes isn’t so easy to see. Come Sunday, may the best savant win, writes columnist Mike Sielski.
🧠 Trivia time answer
Which Eagle had the most career Pro Bowl selections with eight?
B) Chuck Bednarik
What you’re saying about Eagles’ contributors
We asked: Which Eagle do you expect to come up big against the 49ers? Among your responses:
It’s now or never to show us what you’ve got left in the tank. Looking for Cooooooper DeJean to have 2 INTs and 8 tackles with BG having 2½ sacks. On the other side of the ball, Barkley rushing for 100+ yards and AJ playing out of his mind with 7 receptions and 2 TDs. Hurts will pay no mind to the play calling and call his own plays. The impossible just takes a little longer to figure out! — Ronald R.
I think Dallas Goedert will come up big against the 49ers. Earlier in the season I wrote on SD that the Eagles really needed to use him more and soon after they did and he was very effective. Dallas ended up with 60 receptions 3rd behind Smith and Brown and lead the team in TD’s with 11 and was tied for 2nd with most tight end TD receptions in the NFL. — Everett S.
Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert celebrates his touchdown with quarterback Jalen Hurts on Dec. 20.
It’s playoff time, so I’m looking for Jalen Hurts to come up big and do what he needs to do to win. Eagles win and Jake Elliott is the man in the final seconds of the game, but Hurts put them in that position. — Tom G.
I’d like to think it would be the entire roster between now and Super Bowl Sunday! Inconsistencies have marred the regular season and now is the time for professional players to show their individual talents and complete their responsibilities. — Bill B.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Olivia Reiner, Jonathan Tannenwald, Jackie Spiegel, Gabriela Carroll, Isabella DiAmore, Mike Sielski, Jeff Neiburg, Ellen Dunkel, Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, and Sean McKeown.
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. Kerith will catch back up with you on Thursday with the latest sports stories, till then! — Bella
In the beginning, God created the 12 days of Christmas and the bacchanalia of New Year’s Eve to get us through the dark and frigid endless nights of winter. That wasn’t nearly enough for us shivering and depressed humans, so God sent us the NFL playoffs. The hope is that the Eagles last long enough to get us to the balmy breezes of baseball’s spring training.
Delay, deny, distract, divert attention: Inside the Epstein Files coverup
Pages from a totally redacted New York grand jury file into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, released by the U.S. Justice Department, are photographed last month in Washington.
I want you all to stonewall it, let them plead the Fifth Amendment, cover up or anything else if it’ll save it — save the plan.
The newish word that best captures the 2020s is one that I’m not allowed to use in a family newspaper like The Inquirer. In 2022, the social critic Cory Doctorow coined this scatological term that I’m calling “en(bleep)ification” (it won’t take much imagination) to describe the way that products, but especially consumer-facing websites, gradually degrade themselves in pursuit of the bigger goal, higher profits.
For example, writer Kyle Chayka wrote a popular New Yorker essay in 2024 about what he called the, um, en(bleep)ification of the music site Spotify as it devolved, in his opinion, from a place for the songs and albums you want to hear to pushing playlists that they want you to hear.
In the political world, no product rollout had been more anticipated than the December release, forced by law upon the Donald Trump regime’s Department of Justice, of the Jeffrey Epstein Files — the investigative trail of documents about the late financier and indicted sex trafficker who also palled around with Trump in the 1990s and early 2000s.
No one with any familiarity of Trump’s modus operandi should have been shocked by what happened when the congressionally mandated deadline for release of all of this massive cache of paperwork finally arrived on Dec. 19 — or by what has happened in the two-and-a-half weeks since then.
Needless to say, the Epstein Files have not offered the seamless user experience that its readers — especially those hoping for bombshells that would expose the tawdry secrets of Trump’s friendship with a man who allegedly abused more than 1,000 young and sometimes underaged women — had anticipated. In the hands of the president’s minions at Justice, the Epstein Files have been en(bleep)ified.
How so? Here’s the diabolical part. The MAGA Gang that normally can’t shoot straight managed to hit the coverup bullseye this time, not with one dramatic act to rile people up — like Nixon during Watergate with his notorious Saturday Night Massacre — but with a blend of tactics and dodges designed to frustrate and exhaust truth-seekers.
Delay. The law, which Trump signed to avoid an embarrassing defeat on Capitol Hill, required the release of every single document — with appropriate blacked-out redactionsto protect things like the names of Epstein’s victims — by that December deadline. But suddenly the Justice Department — which once had as many as 200 staffers combing the papers last spring before its original botched plan to squelch the files — lacked energy and manpower, claiming it was working as fast as it could in an initial release of just about 40,000 pages, which would seem to be a tiny fraction of more than 5 million pages believed to exist.
The DOJ’s small-batch cooking came in two small servings right before Christmas, when most Americans consume the least news, and information about any new releases in the new year has suddenly dried up, with maybe 99% of the files still outstanding.
Deny. The papers that have been released have included major redactions — including the completely blacked-out pages of Manhattan grand jury testimony pictured above — that violate the spirit if not the letter of the law, which demanded that any hidden passages only protect victims and not Epstein’s powerful associates and clients.
Stunningly, DOJ actually took back and attempted to bury some 16 files from the first release, including a photo of a photo that included Trump, before a public outcry led to that file’s republishing. Meanwhile, the department also claimed that 1 million additional Epstein files were discovered in New York after the legal deadline — an incredible claim that was immediately punctured by experts.
Deflect. The initial batch was also larded with photos of Epstein with celebrities like Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Walter Cronkite as well as several of a Trump predecessor and longtime enemy, Bill Clinton. The pictures were dumped without any explanation and seemed to prove only that there’s a good reason the government normally doesn’t release raw investigatory files, especially about those not charged with any crime.
The second batch also included a lurid and bizarre apparent letter from Epstein to a fellow famed accused sex offender, the gymnastic coach Larry Nassar, penned right around the time of his August 2019 jail-cell death. It seemed unbelievable, and just hours later the FBI said: Oh yeah, we looked at this and it’s a fake. The not-subtle subtext was essentially: “We don’t know what to believe in these files, and neither should you.”
Nearly 53 years ago, Nixon’s plan to cover up Watergate with a mix of denials, delays, purchased silence and outright lies didn’t work. But Team Trump’s efforts to “save it — save the plan” by stonewalling the Epstein files is going just swell so far.
If this moment feels familiar, it is very much like 2018 and the long-awaited Robert Mueller report on Russian influence in the 2016 presidential campaign and potential links to Moscow’s preferred candidate, Trump. There was a Mueller Report — much like there has been a “release” of the Epstein Files — that contained damning evidence, especially about potential obstruction of justice. But the information was dribbled out, downplayed, denied, and ultimately went nowhere.
The Epstein Files have been destined to fail from Day One. It was always what Trump himself might call a “rigged deal” — with the papers in the possession of those with the most to lose, with many ways to make sure the worst stuff stays buried until at least 2029, if it hasn’t already been shredded. But the biggest truth has already been revealed.
The outright defiance of the law demanding full release of the Epstein Files has exposed the utter brokenness of our democracy.
The reason that Nixon’s coverup plan failed is because America had institutions stronger than his lies, including a Congress that cared more about its strength and independence than party ID, newspapers that were not just widely read but believed, and Supreme Court justices with an allegiance to the law and not the man who appointed them.
Trump and his DOJ are daring a comatose Congress, a cowed news media, and a judiciary already in their back pocket to do something, but so far there is no indication that the en(bleep)ification of the Epstein Files can be undone. For now, they are more like the X Files, because the truth about Trump and his Palm Beach pal is out there…but beyond our weakened grasp.
Yo, do this!
These days I find “vacation” is often just another word for catching up on household chores, but during my long December break I did watch a slew of movies, including some of the ones I’d recommended previously like One Battle After Another (very good, but flawed) and Eddington (meh). I ventured to an actual theater on New Year’s Eve and saw probably my favorite movie of 2025: Song Sung Blue, the bittersweet, based-on-a-true-story saga of a Neil Diamond cover band at the end of the 20th century. As the title implies, the movie is more than just a rousing feel-good pop musical, despite cathartic moments of exactly that. Kate Hudson deserves an Oscar for her Wisconsin Nice accent.
If you miss the glory days of not-formulaic-or-cartoonish movies — in the spirit of Song Sung Blue or One Battle After Another, only better — you should check out a new documentary on Netflix called Breakdown: 1975, by filmmaker Morgan Neville. The film spotlights an all-too-brief golden age of the mid-1970s with clips from the era’s classics like Taxi Driver, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network, and interviews with the likes of Martin Scorsese and Albert Brooks. They could have done much more with this, but I’d still recommend it.
Ask me anything
Question: Do you think that there is enough of a media firestorm over Grok’s nude filter to kill it? — BCooper (@bcooper82.bsky.social) via Bluesky
Answer: The recent, shocking news about the artificial-intelligence tool called Grok that was created for Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) is a classic example of an important story that so far has befuddled and fallen through the cracks of the mainstream media. In recent days, X users have been asking Grok to create partially clothed and sexualized AI photos of real, everyday people, including images of underage adolescents. And Grok has complied, in what would seem to be a violation of laws regarding child pornography, among other legal and ethical problems. Musk needs to shut down Grok immediately — arguably for good — but that is not enough for the harm that’s already been caused. In a nation that routinely prosecutes citizens for having this kind of material on their computers, Musk, his co-creators of Grok, and X as a corporation need to be hauled before a judge.
What you’re saying about…
The half-dozen or so of you who responded to December’s open-ended call for 2026 predictions had one big thing in common: Boundless pessimism. Readers of this newsletter expect the new year to bring economic collapse and a disastrous midterm election in November, either from Donald Trump stealing it to Democrats somehow blowing it in the ways that only Democrats can. Stephen R. Rourke predicted: “I believe that the American economy, and perhaps the world economy, will slide into a second Great Depression, the almost inevitable consequence of an over leveraged economy, and a lack of willingness across the board to make tough choices about how to address the American addiction to borrowed money…” Oof. Nonetheless, Kim Root stole my heart with this: “I think the Philadelphia Union will rise even with the personnel changes because they are a developer of young talent. DOOP.”
📮 This week’s question: A no-brainer: Donald Trump’s lethal assault on Venezuela and his seizure of that country’s strongman leader, in defiance of U.S. and international law, marks a turning point in American foreign policy. Are you OK with Trump’s actions because a bad guy has been removed from power, or are you alarmed by a military assault with the stated goal of pumping more oil? Please email me your answer and put the exact phrase “Venezuela attack” in the subject line.
Backstory on the growing crisis of ICE custody deaths
The Federal Detention Center in Miami.
Marie Ange Blaise, a citizen of Haiti, was 44 years old when she was arrested last February by Customs and Border Patrol officers as she attempted to board a commercial flight in Charlotte — one of the thousands swept up during 2025 amid the mass deportation drive of the Donald Trump regime.
Just 10 weeks later, Blaise died inside a federal immigration detention center in Broward County, Fla. A South Florida public radio station reported that the Haitian woman had spoken to her son, who later told the medical examiner that “she complained of having chest pains and abdominal cramps, and when she asked the detention staff to see a physician, they refused her.” Another detainee reported Blaise’s care was “severely delayed,” even as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) insisted she’d been offered blood-pressure medication but refused.
Blaise’s death was not an isolated incident. There was a sharp spike in ICE custody deaths during 2025, with the final tally of 31 fatalities nearly triple the 11 deaths posted during 2024, the last year of the Biden administration. Given the surge in immigration arrests after Trump took office last January, some increase was inevitable. Two of the 31 were killed by the gunman who fired on an ICE facility in Dallas. But immigration advocates say the crisis has been greatly exacerbated by inadequate medical care, bad food, and unsanitary conditions at detention centers.
“This is a result of the deteriorating conditions inside of ICE detention,” Setareh Ghandehari, advocacy director at Detention Watch Network, told the Guardian, which recently published a comprehensive rundown of all 31 custody deaths. Many died from heart attacks or respiratory failure, with a few apparent suicides — although, in a number of cases, family members are disputing the official account. Only a few of those who died were senior citizens.
There’s a bigger picture here. History has shown that authoritarian regimes can be hazardous to your health, and there is no American Exceptionalism. The MAGA movement’s low regard for the sanctity of human life is breaking through on multiple fronts, from the more than 100 deaths of South Americans on boats blown up by U.S. drones to the global crisis caused by the decimation of foreign aid through USAID (blamed for as many as 600,000 deaths by health experts) to the rising concern about fewer vaccinations and shrinking health insurance. A new generation is witnessing a grim reality: Dictatorship can be deadly.
What I wrote on this date in 2021
Jan. 6, much like Dec. 7 or Sept. 11, is a date which will live in infamy for most Americans. I had some health concerns five years ago that kept me from traveling to Washington to report on the insurrection — which I’ll always regret — but I did dash off an instant column before the smoke from Donald Trump’s failed coup had dissipated. I wrote, “When the future 45th president of the United States egged on the most violent thugs at his Nuremberg-style campaign rallies, when he yelled “get him the hell out of here” as white supporters roughed up a Black man in Birmingham, when he promised to pay the legal fees of brownshirts who beat up anti-Trump demonstrators, and when he said “I’d like to punch him in the face” to one rally insurrectionist, why are people still shocked when a riled-up mob takes Trump up on his own toxic words?” Read the rest: “Trump told us he would wreck America. Why didn’t we believe him the first time?”
Recommended Inquirer reading
I returned from a long Christmas break this weekend with something brand new to write about: the Trump regime’s illegal attack on Venezuela, which killed as many as 80 people, including civilians, and resulted in the capture of that nation’s strongman leader, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife. I wrote that Trump’s war without the required constitutional approval or public support, in violation of international law against unprovoked military aggression, fulfills his ambitions to rule as a dictator. And a new world order based not on the rule of law but brute force makes all of us less safe.
Last June, the partially unclothed body of a young woman was discovered by police under a pallet in an overgrown lot in Philadelphia’s Frankford neighborhood. For weeks, the identity of this murder victim was unknown, which didn’t deter one determined homicide detective, the missing woman’s anguished family who’d been initially told not to file a missing-person report — or The Inquirer’s Ellie Rushing, who has written a moving account of the life and death of the woman eventually learned to be Anastasiya Sangret. This kind of essential local reporting takes time and resources, which means it needs your support. You do exactly that, and unlock all the journalism of one of America’s best newsrooms, when you start 2026 with a subscription to The Inquirer.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer‘s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Vic Fangio’s journey to becoming one of football’s most revered defensive minds began as a high school coach in a small town 120 miles from Philadelphia. Ahead of the Eagles’ playoff run, get to know Dunmore’s hometown hero.
Those who knew Vic Fangio around the 1970s say he’s always been like this — stern, focused, and endearingly gruff.
🏈 The lifelong Philly sports fan grew up near Scranton in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He coached the football team at Dunmore High School, his alma mater, gaining a reputation among players for his love of film and attention to detail when developing plays.
🏈 Now the Eagles’ well-regarded defensive coordinator, Fangio has a Super Bowl win and citywide fame under his belt. But locals still see the same understated guy, who they say maintains firm ties to the place where it all started.
🏈 Fangio’s former players even see traces of their high school coach in Philadelphia’s defense: “When we watch the Eagles now, we’re like, ‘Hey, we recognize that,’” one told The Inquirer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its childhood vaccine schedule this week, decreasing the number of universally recommended shots for children from 17 to 11. Among those no longer recommended are immunizations for hepatitis B, the flu, RSV, and the gastrointestinal illness rotavirus.
The move was widely criticized by pediatricians and infectious disease experts, including Paul Offit, a CHOP physician and nationally renowned vaccine expert who co-invented a vaccine for rotavirus.
Notable quote: “I think the goal of [Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.] is to make vaccines optional,” Offit said Monday. The health and human services secretary and longtime anti-vaccine activist, he said, “is doing everything he can to make vaccines less available, less affordable, and more feared.”
In other health news: University of Pennsylvania researchers recently won a $25 million grant to see if they can fight heart disease with a game that promotesa healthy behavior — walking.
What you should know today
The city of Camden last year reached its lowest homicide total in four decades, police said — 12, the same number recorded in 1985.
A man died Sunday after being placed in the back of a Philadelphia police cruiser that was parked in Mayfair, police said.
A new lawsuit alleges that the deadly explosion at a Bristol nursing home on Dec. 23 was the result of negligence on the part of the facility’s operator and its natural gas supplier.
Sen. John Fetterman praised Trump’s order to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, breaking with most Democrats’ messaging on the military operation.
A decade after teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and being taken over by its home state, which city just signaled that it had found its financial footing by earning an investment grade rating by Moody’s Ratings?
Cheers to Rosie Ladeau, who solved Monday’s anagram: West Bradford. The Chester County township is lowering property taxes this year — a rarity that other towns may not be able to copy.
Artist Rinal Parikh poses for a portrait in her studio with a few of her paintings framed on the wall in her home in Media.
🎨 One last artistic thing: Media-based painter Rinal Parikh is redefining Indian folk art with contemporary themes and local imagery. “What inspires me is my surroundings, and I’m blessed with an amazing backyard,” the biochemist-turned-artist said. “That is my main inspiration.”
Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. See you back here tomorrow.
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.
If the Eagles are ever going to get their offense going, this is their chance. The San Francisco 49ers have arguably the most porous defense of any playoff team, and they just lost another linebacker, Tatum Bethune, to a groin injury.
The Eagles, meanwhile, are as healthy as can be expected after they rested most starters in the season finale, as we are all abundantly aware. Lane Johnson could return for Sunday’s wild-card game. Nakobe Dean, too.
Meanwhile, San Francisco remains without star Fred Warner (ankle), and two other linebackers, Dee Winters and Luke Gifford, are nursing injuries. The Eagles could be facing a hodgepodge of Niners linebackers.
San Francisco’s pass rush is practically nonexistent. The 49ers rank second-to-last in the NFL in quarterback pressure rate (26.7%), and they have been shaky against the run, too. They gave up a season-high 180 rushing yards Saturday in a loss to the Seahawks. This looks like the perfect time to get Saquon Barkley and the running game in gear.
Of course, the Eagles offense has not been firing on all cylinders for quite some time, and coordinator Kevin Patullo looked like anything but a master mechanic again on Sunday, Jeff McLane writes.
Maybe that’s why the Eagles aren’t bigger favorites for the playoff opener at the Linc. Sportsbooks gave them a slight edge in the opening odds.
Don Mattingly was the bench coach for the Blue Jays since 2023.
There was a point last season when Don Mattingly was planning on calling it a career.
He went into 2025, his third year as the bench coach with the Blue Jays, expecting it to be his last in the sport. Mattingly, now 64, thought he had accomplished what he had set out to do in Toronto, helping a younger manager in John Schneider become established.
But it was his 11-year-old son, Louis, who helped change his mind. Now he’s joining the Phillies to help “lighten the load” for manager Rob Thomson as their new bench coach.
A lifelong Philly sports fan, Vic Fangio grew up near Scranton.
Those who knew Vic Fangio in the 1970s say he’s always been like this — stern, focused, and endearingly gruff. He coached the football team at his alma mater, Dunmore High School near Scranton, and built a reputation as a stickler when it came to the details of the game.
Now he’s directing the defense as the Eagles begin another Super Bowl run, but those who knew him back then say he’s still the same understated guy. Alex Coffey tells the story.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey averaged 34.7 points on 61.2% shooting along with 8.7 assists, 6.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks in three games last week.
Tyrese Maxey has had a charmed season, becoming the franchise player for the 76ers and landing at second in the first returns of All-Star fan voting. On Monday he added to the list, being named Eastern Conference player of the week after leading the Sixers to three straight road victories. This is the second time Maxey has received the honor, with the first coming as he put the NBA on notice during opening week.
The Sixers suffered a bad loss to an undermanned Nuggets team in overtime, 125-124. The positive momentum the Sixers had built over the last few games has vanished, Keith Pompey writes in his takeaways.
Christian Dvorak is sticking around after inking a five-year contract extension with the Flyers on Monday.
The Flyers took care of some big business on Monday night, as the team announced a five-year, 25.75 million contract extension with center Christian Dvorak.
Dvorak, who turns 30 next month, is on pace for career highs of 18 goals and 51 points while playing alongside Trevor Zegras. But is five years too long for a player who will be 35 at contract’s end and has never tallied more than 38 points? Jackie Spiegel breaks down the deal.
The news wasn’t as good for Matvei Michkov, though. Coach Rick Tocchet said the young winger was being evaluated after he took a puck off his foot.
Finally, Prospect Aleksei Kolosov was named AHL player of the week. The goalie is 9-8-1 with a .910 save percentage in 18 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Sports snapshot
Jonathan Gannon went 15-36 as Arizona’s head coach before the Cardinals fired him.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni decided to rest his starters on Sunday and missed out on clinching the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
Do the Eagles have a harder road back to the Super Bowl now? Maybe, but not necessarily. They got some rest and eliminated any risk that they’d be short-handed to a significant degree next Sunday. The defending champs let everything play out, and now they really get to take their chances, to show that being healthy and healed up is a bigger advantage than anything they might have gained from treating Sunday’s game like their season depended on it. More from Mike Sielski.
Nick Sirianni’s Eagles will enter the playoffs as the NFC’s No. 3 seed after a loss to the Washington Commanders in the season finale.
The Eagles are a confident bunch heading into the playoffs. Think you know which player said this? Check your answer here.
What you’re saying about the Eagles
We asked: Which NFC team is the biggest threat for the Eagles? Among your responses:
The 49ers will wipe us out! The Seahawks will destroy us. Hope it was a restful day because not playing to win yesterday cost us any chance of advancing in the playoff’s. That’s what happens when your EGO gets so big, you have to walk through the doorway sideways. I also blame ownership for not overriding the HC and insisting we play to win that game. Washington was insulted thinking our scrubs could beat them! Plus most of us just knew the Lions were going to beat the Bears! Playing the Packers vs. the 49ers and having a divisional home game against flying across the country is just plain common sense.— Ronald R.
Your team is always your worst enemy. This is the NFL, the top of the mountain. You can bask in the sun or you can get down to business. Whoever shows up to play usually wins. Prepare for the other team because they are always better than you until you prepare to stop them. — Mark W.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts bundles up as he watches Sunday’s game against the Commanders.
While there are no “super teams” in the NFC, we do have to be concerned with the Bears, who beat the Eagles at home, and the Seahawks, who won 14 games with Sam Darnold leading the offense. Both are beatable, however the Eagles biggest obstacle may be themselves. The offense has to be more consistent by eliminating the all too often 3-and-outs! — Bob C.
The biggest threat and obstacle standing in the way of the Eagles returning to the SB is obviously the top-seeded Seahawks. I think the Eagles defense can contain the Bears, Packers, Rams, or Panthers, but the Eagles have lost their last four games played in Seattle and have always struggled there. — Everett S.
The Eagles are the biggest threat to themselves if they miss the NFC championship game and the Super Bowl! Why? Because the teams in the playoffs have so little experience in the last two to three seasons! … For one the 49ers have to beat the Eagles starters at home. Two, the Rams have known the Birds have their number, losing the last three games to the Eagles. — Miles
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, Mike Sielski, Lochlahn March, Keith Pompey, Jackie Spiegel, Gustav Elvin, Ryan Mack, Katie Lewis, Rob Tornoe, and Ariel Simpson.
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. Bella will bring you the newsletter on Tuesday. — Jim
Morning, Philly. Expect a cloudy start to the first full week of 2026.
After a boutique on South Street received a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for selling breast binders for gender-affirming care, the region’s transgender community worries about the potential wider impacts.
A federal warning has sparked outrage within the Philly area’s transgender community.
The FDA sent a warning letter to South Street’s Passional Boutique & Sexploratorium, along with 11 other businesses, for selling breast binders for gender-affirming care. In the Dec. 16 letter, the agency said the store is violating regulations because it is not registered to sell the binders, which are classified as a medical device.
Agency Commissioner Martin Makary has said the businesses market the binders to minors, but Passional employees dispute that their company does. The warning letter came as President Donald Trump’s administration moved to cut off federal funding from hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to children.
Trans Philadelphians say it’s a clear and alarming attempt to restrict access to gender-affirming care for all, not just children and teens.
In their own words: “This is going to create a chilling effect for anyone who needs a breast binder,” one person told The Inquirer. “It’s all just to open the door to eventually say, ‘Trans people are not allowed to exist.’”
Dec. 23 began as a typical day at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Bucks County — besides the persistent gas smell.
More details are emerging about the circumstances surrounding the explosion that killed two people and injured 20 others at the facility last month. One former resident who spoke to The Inquirer said staffers had acknowledged a gas leak earlier in the day, but said Peco had fixed it.
But investigators still face key questions as they seek to determine the cause of the explosion and assess whether Peco, the nursing home, or both may have been negligent.
Venezuelans in Philadelphia report mixed reactions to the U.S. strike against their home country over the weekend, from elation to trepidation. Some Ukrainian Americans are feeling an uneasy sense of déjà vu, too.
Amid conflicting recommendations, Americans are now more likely to trust the American Medical Association than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when it comes to vaccine guidance, a University of Pennsylvania study found.
If she makes it on the ballot, Carlisle lawyer Karen Dalton will be Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry’s first primary opponent since 2012, the year he first won the seat.
Vandals scrawled racist and antisemitic graffiti outside Roxborough High School, prompting community members to respond Sunday by chalking positive messages onto the school sidewalk.
Montgomery County is addressing homelessness with an unusually bipartisan effort, which will result in three new, emergency short-term shelters by the end of thisyear.
Construction on the South Street Pedestrian Bridge’s footbridge expansion, planned for years alongside the capping of I-95, will begin this spring.
“Leaving a legacy” has been a catchphrase ahead of the World Cup. What will that mean for children in Philly?
Quote of the day
GM Sauer spoke to The Inquirer about SEPTA’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year, from train fires to service cuts, as well as what commuters can expect in 2026.
🧠Trivia time
The United States’ first balloon ride happened in 1793 in Philadelphia. The hydrogen-powered balloon took off from what was then the Walnut Street Prison workyard, and is now what?
Cheers to Bob LaBelle, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Nicole Michalik. For the 92.5 XTU host, a perfect day in Philly starts with coffee under the covers and ends with a Sixers win.
Photo of the day
As part of a new year cleanup Friday, city workers untangle the more than 10,000 lights that adorned the 60-foot-tall Christmas tree outside Philadelphia’s City Hall.
📬 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.
We’re in search of new “only in Philly” stories for our 2026 series, so dig into your memory bank and send ‘em over. I can’t wait to read them.
Have a great week. 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.
Nick Sirianni made his decision and the Eagles will live with it as they begin their playoff quest. The coach decided to rest his starters against the lousy Washington Commanders, which seemed like an OK move until the Bears coughed up a game to the Lions. Then all the Eagles needed was to find a way to beat Washington on Sunday and move up to the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
They couldn’t do it. The subs in the secondary were especially bad in a 24-17 loss to the lowly Commanders that made the Birds’ path to another Super Bowl appearance more treacherous. Barring upsets, there is no easy road for the Eagles, David Murphy writes.
The first test will be a home game against the injury-wracked San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. (Fox29). When the Birds let the No. 2 seed slip away, though, they lost the guaranteed second home playoff game that comes with it.
Sirianni defended his decision. “One thing I could guarantee them was giving them rest. I couldn’t guarantee anything else,” he said. “And us being healthy and going into the playoffs healthy is a big deal for us. And you know, that’s served us well in the past.”
Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo is called for pass interference against Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin.
Part of the problem for the Eagles came at cornerback, where Kelee Ringo and Jakorian Bennett started on the outside with Quinyon Mitchell and Adoree’ Jackson getting a rest. Ringo and Bennett committed several penalties in coverage that even a third-string quarterback like Josh Johnson could cash in on. Jeff McLane has his grades on the game, and the cornerbacks are far from the head of the class.
One bright spot for the Eagles: DeVonta Smith surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in receiving before he was quickly pulled from the action. CBS marked the milestone in its television coverage of the game.
The 49ers will come to the Linc as a depleted group, especially on defense. The Eagles respect them nonetheless. “It’s a big game,” linebacker Zack Baun said. “It’s the postseason. It’s the playoffs, and this team definitely turns it on in the playoffs.”
More coverage from Sunday’s game and the aftermath can be found here.
Paul George appears to be healthy again after an injury-plagued first season with the Sixers.
Nick Nurse and the Sixers survived the injury purgatory that was last season and now the team is looking as if it might be for real after Saturday’s 130-119 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The 19-14 Sixers are five games over .500 for the first time this season, perhaps providing a glimpse of what this team can become. Paul George, for one, is a believer.
“It’s safe to say everybody in this locker room is starting to enjoy the game,” George says. “We’re starting to enjoy being out on that floor, playing on both ends. And I think we’re just jelling. It’s translating. Everything that we’ve been trying to connect with is translating on the court.”
Bryce Harper saw the fewest pitches in the strike zone of any hitter in baseball who qualified for the batting title last season.
Dave Dombrowski has famously challenged Bryce Harper to become “elite” again, but it would help Harper’s cause if the Phillies protected him better in the batting order.
Two-thirds of the way through the offseason, it’s fair to wonder whether Dombrowski has provided Rob Thomson with better lineup alternatives than he had last season. With five weeks until spring training, let’s look at the options for protecting Harper.
Defenseman Egor Zamula in action for the Flyers against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 28.
The Flyers traded defenseman Egor Zamula to the Penguins on New Year’s Eve, and as of Sunday, he had not reported to Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate. The Penguins have suspended the former Flyer.
Buddy Ryan was the Eagles’ head coach from 1986-90.
Jan. 5, 1991: Washington bounced Buddy Ryan’s Eagles from the playoffs with a 20-6 victory in a wild-card game at Veterans Stadium. Ryan famously benched quarterback Randall Cunningham during the game for Jim McMahon, then went back to his starter after three McMahon incompletions. The Eagles fired Ryan three days later.
Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee passed for 241 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the loss to the Commanders.
There is a faction among Eagles fans and NFL cognoscenti that hoped Tanner McKee would provide a quarterback controversy on which they could feed during the cold winter months. They hoped McKee, a sixth-round pick in 2023, might sufficiently shine in a meaningless game against a moribund team so that he might be considered a viable threat to Jalen Hurts, a two-time Pro Bowl player and the reigning Super Bowl MVP.
That didn’t happen. That was never going to happen.
Still, McKee looked good enough to win a game or two, maybe even in the playoffs. This, for the Eagles, is excellent news: They have a competent backup quarterback on whom they have expended almost no draft or salary-cap capital. More from Marcus Hayes.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Marcus Hayes, David Murphy, Scott Lauber, Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, Gabriela Carroll, Jackie Spiegel, Jonathan Tannenwald, Devin Jackson, Ryan Mack, and Dylan Johnson.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thanks for reading Sports Daily as we get the new year underway. I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim
Philly is preparing to welcome the world for the nation’s Semiquincentennial and a handful of major sports events in 2026, like the FIFA World Cup.
At the request of Stephanie Farr, readers sent in suggestions for things the city should create, destroy, or fix in advance.
Some dreams were lofty — it’s unlikely we can “turn Regional Rail into a German-style S-Bahn by next year,” as Farr noted — while others aim to turn up the fun, aesthetics, and educational entertainment.
Here’s a preview of what you came up with:
💡 On the simpler side, restaurants could offer meals for $17.76, and the William Penn statue would be illuminated atop City Hall at night;
💡 Fun activities include a tour and music festival highlighting The Sound of Philadelphia artists, or transforming Headhouse Square into a “European-style plaza”; and
💡 Off-the-wall-ideas mention an “Epcot Village” that could show off our diverse food-and-drink scene, and an official SEPTA cheesesteak joint.
The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a military operation early Saturday. They face criminal charges in connection with an indictment by the U.S. Justice Department accusing them of a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
President Donald Trump, who called the strike a success, said the U.S. would temporarily “run the country” and sell its oil abroad.
Police said a pit bull attacked three other dogs and two owners in Center City in three separate attacks in the week after Christmas.
Montgomery County’s bipartisan board of commissioners is expanding homelessness services with a plan to open three short-term shelters by the end of this year.
Steve Sweeney, who finished last in the Democratic primary for New Jersey governor in June, has landed a six-figure salary in a newly appointed role with Gloucester County.
Over Jim Donovan’s 22-year long career at CBS Philadelphia, fans sent him thousands of socks. The former anchor set a Guinness record with his collection.
❓Pop quiz
This Philly-based restaurant chain continues to expand nationally, with 71 existing locations across the country and plans for 18 more in 2026.
Cheers to Charlene M. Wiltshire who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: Wynn Thomas.Once a theater kid from West Philly, the Hollywood production designer has won an overdue Oscar at 72.
