INDIANAPOLIS — Mike Vrabel’s recent comments about A.J. Brown may not qualify as tampering, but they are reflective of a certain preoccupation those associated with the Eagles have had with the wide receiver’s future at the scouting combine this week.
And, to some degree, the rest of the league shares that preoccupation — elite receivers still in the prime of their careers rarely are available.
Vrabel didn’t bring up Brown on his own. The Patriots coach first was asked about his relationship with his former player during a news conference on Wednesday and then about possibly trading for him during an interview session with New England-area reporters shortly afterward.
“I think that we’ll look at everything that we can possibly look at to add to our roster,” Vrabel said in answering the second question. “There’s a lot of back-and-forth. Taking on compensation. And so, I’m sure there’ll be a lot of opportunities for us to talk about trades, not only this week, but as we prepare and get closer to the draft.”
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has expressed his affection for A.J. Brown, but how that translates to a potential deal remains unknown.
It was a rather innocuous response, and Vrabel made sure not to mention Brown by name, as that could be considered tampering with a player under contract with another team. But the former Titans coach, who drafted the receiver in 2019 and coached him for three seasons, didn’t avoid going into detail about how close he remains to Brown.
“I think the relationship with players — and, specifically, you asked about A.J. — has meant a lot,” Vrabel said earlier from the combine media center podium. “I watched him grow. I watched him mature. I’m proud of him, proud of the father that he is. I’m proud of the husband. And that has nothing to do with where he plays or where he played.
“So those are the things that are important. We reach out, text each other during the things that happen good to each other. And sometimes things don’t go so well for the people that you’re close with and you text those, as well. So it’s been a two-way street of support and reminders of what got us to where we are here today.”
There’s little wrong with what Vrabel said, as it’s been consistent with his comments about Brown since the Titans traded him to Philly almost four years ago. Just last January, after he was hired in New England and as the Eagles were in the middle of their Super Bowl run, Vrabel said the following about Brown on Boston radio:
“I love him to death and I have a very, very close relationship with him.”
A lot has changed around Brown’s Eagles and Vrabel’s Patriots a year later. And with Eagles general manager Howie Roseman unwilling to shut the door on Brown being obtainable for the right price, Vrabel’s openness about his communication with the 28-year old could be characterized as flirtatious.
Not that Roseman should take any issue with his remarks, as they could help spur activity and give the general manager the type of leverage he would need to receive compensation for an All-Pro-caliber receiver whose exit would leave a giant hole on offense and trigger significant salary cap repercussions.
A.J. Brown (left) eventually warmed to Mike Vrabel’s coaching in Tennessee, though it was Vrabel’s Titans who ultimately dealt Brown.
And that is why a decision on Brown seemingly will be made sooner — as in the next 10 days ahead of the official start of the “legal tampering” period on March 9 — rather than later. At least that’s the sense sources close to several Eagles with uncertain futures have gotten from their conversations with the team this week.
Roseman should be compelled to make a decision in the immediate future. Moving or keeping Brown impacts almost every other personnel decision he will make this offseason in terms of free agency, contract extensions, and the draft. It’s not an imperative, but waiting would make putting the roster puzzle together more difficult.
Roseman’s messaging has been consistent since the end of the season.
“It’s really hard to find great players,” Roseman said last week to Eagles beat reporters. “I think A.J. is a great player. I think that, from my perspective, we’re looking to improve in all areas, and you don’t do that by subtracting.”
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni tweaked his initial response to questions about Brown after he said he couldn’t “guarantee” the receiver’s return — based on the notion that nothing in life is guaranteed — during his media rounds at the combine on Tuesday. Sirianni avoided the phrasing and said he expects and wants Brown back.
But Roseman will make the final call and he will be the one entertaining offers. And that’s exactly what he has made obvious to interested teams every time he’s been asked about Brown: We’re open for business. Give us your best shot.
“I think you go into the league year listening to offers for everything and anything,” Roseman said last week. “I don’t think that you can go into any conversation with anyone and just shoot things down without hearing what they have to say, because you never know.”
What Roseman is doing here is creating momentum and building a market that would draw in competing offers. All he needs is two interested teams to create leverage. Three teams could get him closer to the finish line, depending upon the value he has assigned to Brown.
Roseman’s tactics are renowned. He’ll set the cost much higher than prevailing wisdom says it should be. One NFL executive said he heard the Eagles were seeking a return that included a first- and second-round draft pick. Whether accurate or not, the price tag is already being floated within league circles.
Teams will check in, some with more interest than others, but Roseman will get a sense of who is serious by their initial offers. He’ll then whittle down their counter-arguments until he grinds out what he views as suitable compensation.
If he doesn’t get that compensation, he won’t trade Brown, even if the receiver has told the Eagles he wants out of Philly. The cap hit — about $45 million — is just too steep. And even if the teams have a handshake deal to wait until June 1 so the Eagles can spread the charge over two years, Roseman probably won’t take anything less than a conditional second-rounder.
Brown may seem to be on the decline. He may have a chronic knee condition that hurt his stock as far back as the pre-draft process. He might be emotional and the occasional headache. But he’s still better than most receivers and seemingly anyone who will be available in free agency.
The draft is another animal. But teams like the Patriots, Bills, and Ravens might be only a Brown away from getting over the championship hump. All three teams have picks in each of the first two rounds. The Patriots have Nos. 31 and 63, the Bills have Nos. 26 and 60, and the Ravens have Nos. 14 and 45.
The Eagles have eight projected picks with one first-rounder (No. 23), one second-rounder (No. 54), and two third-rounders (No. 68 and a No. 98 projected). It’s possible Roseman would accept a 2027 first-rounder in return for Brown.
Howie Roseman acknowledged that nothing is off the table when it comes to trade talks. But he has a history to suggest he won’t be fleeced.
But it seems inconceivable that the Eagles would take anything less than what the Seahawks got for receiver DK Metcalf last offseason — essentially a second-rounder — or the Bills got for receiver Stefon Diggs — essentially second- and fifth-rounders — two offseasons ago.
A trade partner would have to be willing to take on the remaining amount of the three-year, $92 million extension Brown signed two offseasons ago — at about $25 million per over the next two seasons. But that isn’t a backbreaking commitment for a player who turns 29 in June.
The Patriots have a need at the position, even if Diggs reached 1,000 yards receiving in his first season in New England. It was clear in Super Bowl LX that quarterback Drake Maye, despite his deficiencies, was lacking a true No. 1 target.
Brown was rooting for the Patriots, having been a fan since he was young. He went on the Dudes on Dudes podcast hosted by former Patriots Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski before the title game and spoke about his affinity for the team and for Vrabel, the coach he said he didn’t initially like in Tennessee.
The Patriots, of course, lost to the Seahawks. The podcast did not air until Feb. 18, however, so Brown’s chumminess with an enemy team might have come off as brash to some Eagles fans. Edelman ended the show by saying, “Just remember, we’re all Patriots. You know that, right?”
Brown winked, as if to suggest that he would become a Patriot, but quickly rebounded and said, “No, no, no. I’m trolling.”
The constant media attention on a potential Brown trade may seem like trolling to Eagles fans reluctant to see the star receiver leave after four dominant seasons. But the prospects are real. Whether it happens or not, the answer could come in a matter of days.
Think you know your news? There’s only one way to find out. Welcome back to our weekly News Quiz — a quick way to see if your reading habits are sinking in and to put your local news knowledge to the test.
Question 1 of 10
The city got its biggest snowfall in a decade during a storm that officially dumped this much powder at Philadelphia International Airport Sunday into Monday:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Although the 14 inches measured officially at Philadelphia International Airport dwarfed the 9.3 inches of snow and sleet that accumulated in January’s storm, fears that the snowfall would reach what the National Weather Service called “potentially historic” levels didn’t quite materialize.
Question 2 of 10
According to recently released U.S. Census Bureau data, which county in the Philadelphia area was home to six of the 10 wealthiest towns in the region for the five-year period that ended in 2024?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Chester County towns held six of the top 10 spots, including the top four — Pocopson Township, West Pikeland, Birmingham, and Easttown. Pocopson, in fact, is in a rarified zone for wealth, with an annual median household income of $230,000.
story continues after advertisement
Question 3 of 10
When Team USA beat out Canada for the men's hockey gold medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics, how did they honor late New Jersey native Johnny Gaudreau?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, and Zach Werenski carried Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey as they glided across the ice. And two players, Dylan Larkin and Werenski, scooped up Gaudreau's two oldest kids — Noa and Johnny Jr. — and carried them back out to the ice for a team photo.
Question 4 of 10
Veteran publicans, including Fergus Carey and Jim McNamara, will soon open Monto, a Celtic bar in the former Mac's Tavern in Old City. This Philly restaurateur will oversee the kitchen:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Poe, the proprietor of Poe’s Sandwich Joint and Poe’s Side Piece, plans to blend his South Philadelphia sensibility with Irish pub fare — a mashup he calls the “Poe-gues” menu. His existing lineup of cutlet sandwiches, cheesesteaks, and burgers will serve as the backbone of Monto's food offerings.
Question 5 of 10
Why did Saladine Sharad, a 34-year-old handyman from North Philly, recently go viral?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Sharad remembers one driver shouting at him “out of concern” as he rode his scooter. He let them know he was OK with a nod, and they drove off. But unbeknownst to Sharad, the driver had filmed him and uploaded the video to Instagram. “WHO MANS IS THIS??? Only in Philly. [an] electric scooter seen driving on Lincoln Drive,” the caption read.
Subscribe to The Philadelphia Inquirer
Our reporting is directly supported by reader subscriptions. If you want more journalism like this story, please subscribe today.
A Gettysburg theme park is closing and everything must go — including this type of animal, of which 30 will be available for auction:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Sparkle, Pumpernickel, Russel’s Majestic Princess Gingerbread, Summer Wish, Shortcake and the other miniature horses will head for greener pastures at the Saturday morning auction, which will mark the end of the 55-year-old Land of Little Horses. Cameo, an 11-year-old chocolate mare with a bald face is expected to be the most popular and collect the highest bid.
Question 7 of 10
From national champions to top-50 contenders, a tight-knit club in Delco has quietly built one of America’s most competitive scenes to meet up and play this game on a weekly basis:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The Delco Scrabble Club is a weekly gathering with some of the best players out there. Soon, it’ll draw national attention when two of the club’s members compete on CW’s Scrabble game show, hosted by comedian and former late-night show host Craig Ferguson.
Question 8 of 10
This Doylestown native has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The city’s biggest pop star, Pink, is among the 17 nominees in the running to be inducted later this year. Along with the Doylestown-born “Get the Party Started” singer, the list of potential inductees includes another artist with Philly ties in Lauryn Hill.
Question 9 of 10
Tired Hands Brewing’s Ardmore brewpub location is limbo as its owner navigates the future of the beer company. For now, it’s serving as this:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
While the Ardmore Fermenteria location remains open, the brewpub has pivoted to a private event space. The owner said the decision to shift to private events was born out of a number of factors: having two Tired Hands locations in Ardmore was confusing for customers; ongoing construction in Ardmore created a “prohibitive environment” for doing business; and the changing landscape of brewing has prompted Tired Hands to begin reimagining parts of its business model.
Question 10 of 10
Kylie Kelce attended the Winter Olympics for work, but Jason Kelce was just along for the ride, enjoying his time as a spectator. A CBS tweet identifying the couple as “Kylie Kelce and her husband” went viral. Jason said he had no problem with it, but would’ve preferred if they referred to him as this instead:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
“I really was just there to have fun and enjoy the Olympics,” Kelce said on the latest episode of New Heights. “So, I was 100% — [her husband] was the correct way to say it. I wanted to tell them I prefer ‘ball and chain.’”
Your Results
You have skipped .
You scored XX out of 10.
The average reader scored XX out of 10
Seems like you’ve been skimming more than reading there, buddy. There’s always next week.
You’ve read some articles (or made some educated guesses) but we wouldn’t come to you first for our local news recaps. Better luck next week!
Do you work here? You’re a local news stan with the latest updates on Philly happenings. Your friends definitely ask you for summaries on what’s going on and it shows.
The nonpartisan Economy League of Greater Philadelphia issued an immigration analysis this week that on the surface might look like a boatload of numbers, but in fact offers fresh insight and a warning about the future.
The organization looked at immigration not just as the coming and going of people but also as a key part of the city’s economic infrastructure.
Immigrants comprise nearly one in five workers and contribute $7.4 billion in consumer spending, filling critical roles in everything from research labs to restaurant kitchens.
Still, the analysis said, without ever mentioning President Donald Trump by name, “the federal policy pressures continue to mount,” and that puts some local gains at risk.
How crucial are immigrants to the city’s population growth?
“It is the only reason we’ve grown,” said league executive director Jeff Hornstein. “It’s the only reason we don’t have population decline.”
The analysis said that without foreign-born residents, Philadelphia would be shrinking.
As of 2024, immigrants comprised 16% of the city population, about 251,000 residents, the primary engine of net population growth since 2000. The arrival of newcomers has been enough to offset the loss in native-born residents, which dropped by about 59,700 between 2010 and 2020.
“Philadelphia’s 21st-century demographic stabilization,” the analysis said, “is an immigration story.”
window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}});
How much do immigrants contribute?
A lot. In Philadelphia, immigrants comprised nearly 20% of the workforce in 2024. That’s double the rate of Pennsylvania as a whole, where immigrants were 9% of the workforce. The city’s institutional anchors — its universities and hospitals — as well as established ethnic communities, serve as draws.
That year the city’s foreign-born residents, both documented and undocumented, spent an estimated $7.4 billion on goods and services and paid $2.3 billion in taxes ― including federal income taxes, payroll taxes, state income taxes, sales taxes, and property taxes.
Do some industries depend on immigrants more than others?
Yes. Local healthcare services rely not just on doctors, the analysis showed, but also on immigrants across different jobs and skill levels. About 26% of all Pennsylvania physicians are foreign-born, and nationally the same is true for nearly 40% of nursing aides and home health aides.
In the Philadelphia region, foreign students earn 40% of doctoral degrees, the report said, and research institutions depend heavily on that talent. Traditionally these students transition from F-1 visas, to Optional Practical Training, then compete for H-1B visas that enable long-term employment.
That’s where things have gotten rough for immigrants, as in December the Trump administration halted processing for several groups of people and categories of applications, including those for anyone from any of the 19 countries covered in the spring travel ban.
The administration has also raised the possibility of reopening cases that were already approved by the government.
The city’s hospitality and restaurant trades also depend on foreign-born workers. Immigrants make up 25% to 30% of restaurant workers and 30% to 35% of hotel staff. At some restaurants the foreign-born staff can exceed 40%.
Don’t many immigrants opt to work for themselves, starting their own businesses?
In Philadelphia, foreign-born entrepreneurs own roughly 30% of small businesses ― nearly twice their representation in the population. Those 47,800 businesses include everything from corner stores to tech startups.
So what’s the bad news?
It’s more like a warning. At 16%, Philadelphia’s foreign-born population exceeds the national average, which hovers around 13%. But traditional gateway cities like New York, Houston, Miami, and San Francisco maintain foreign-born populations as high as 35%.
Philadelphia, the analysis said, is “no longer an immigration laggard,” but it’s not yet competing with top-tier global cities for international talent.
Moreover, without sustained immigration, Philadelphia faces the prospect of renewed population decline. Native-born residents are aging, fertility remains below replacement levels, and U.S. domestic migration favors metro areas in the Sunbelt.
“Immigration provides the only plausible mechanism for population stability,” the study said, but federal policies that reduce legal immigration, slow visa processing, and intensify enforcement risk causing the opposite.
The question isn’t whether Philadelphia needs immigration ― the demographic math makes that undeniable, the study said. The question is whether policymakers will embrace supportive policies and investments.
“Given the stakes,” it said, “getting immigration policy right isn’t optional ― it’s existential.”
Good morning and happy Friday. We at Sports Daily don’t like to push the panic button, but we also know a potentially worrisome situation when we see one.
Aidan Miller has yet to play in a Grapefruit League game for the Phillies, who are being abundantly careful with their 2023 first-round pick. At 21, he has been bothered by a sore lower back. Bryce Harper even brought up the injury in a televised interview.
The shortstop said he woke up with a “super tight” back one day last week and the feeling did not go away after treatment. Miller said that nothing specific on the field caused the soreness. He also said he felt it last season.
He was not likely to make the opening-day roster anyway, but Miller is one of the top prospects in the organization. The team has a lot riding on that back. Scott Lauber reports on the young player’s frustration.
A.J. Brown playing against the 49ers in their playoff game on Jan. 11. Was that Brown’s last game for the Eagles?
Will the Eagles trade A.J. Brown? The wide receiver’s name has come up among the media and NFL officials this week at the scouting combine, and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has expressed his affection for Brown. (Vrabel coached him with the Titans.) If Howie Roseman can get enough interest from teams for the star receiver, he might work out a deal.
At any rate, Jeff McLane writes, the Eagles are likely to decide whether to trade or retain Brown within a matter of days.
Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler is working his way back from a blood clot near his right shoulder that cut his 2025 season short.
Zack Wheeler toed the rubber on a mound Thursday for the first time in more than six months.
The 21 pitches — all four-seams and sinkers — Wheeler threw at the Phillies’ Carpenter Complex marked the next major step in his journey back from Sept. 23 thoracic outlet decompression surgery.
Could Wheeler conceivably be ready to pitch in major league games in six weeks’ time?
Taijuan Walker looked to be in regular-season form when he picked off a Nationals runner and then used his WBC tune-up to work on two of his pitches.
Next: The Phillies will split up today, with one group hosting the Marlins in Clearwater and the other headed to Lakeland, Fla., to play the Tigers (1:05 p.m., NBCSP+). Aaron Nola is scheduled to start against Miami and Jean Cabrera will start against Detroit.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey drives to the basket past Miami’s Bam Adebayo.
Tyrese Maxey is in his sixth season with the Sixers, but already he has surpassed a franchise record held by Allen Iverson, who spent 12 seasons here. Maxey became the team’s all-time leader in made three-pointers on Thursday, surpassing Iverson’s record of 885.
Now at 887 three-pointers made, he hit five threes in the first quarter alone, finishing with a team high 28 points in the Sixers’ 124-117 win over Miami last night.
Bill Koch helps cut down the net after Father Judge beat Neumann-Goretti for the Catholic League boys’ basketball title.
Bill Koch has been a fixture at Father Judge High as an assistant football and basketball coach since the 1970s. Now 76, Koch shows no signs of slowing down.
“He’s a lifer,” says basketball coach Chris Roantree. “People associate Mr. Koch with Father Judge and Father Judge with Mr. Koch. He’s been a part of Father Judge for 50-plus years. He’s the ultimate Judge Guy in my eyes in terms of everything he’s done for kids.” Now Koch is celebrating a Catholic League title and Matt Breen tells his story.
Sports snapshot
Cavan Sullivan celebrates one of his two goals late in the second half of the Union vs. Defence Force FC, Concacaf Champions Cup round of 32 game at Subaru Park on Thursday.
Michkov magic: Flyers winger Matvei Michkov scored the game-winner in overtime, one of his two against the New York Rangers last night.
Young gun: Two goals for Union wunderkind Cavan Sullivan aided in a 7-0 thrashing of Trinidad’s Defence Force F.C. in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Junior Zaahir Muhammad-Gray was named most valuable player after Imhotep won its sixth straight Public League basketball title on Sunday.
Each Friday, Inquirer photo editors will pick our best shots from the last seven days and share them with you, our readers. This week, photos focus on Public and Catholic League basketball finals, the Phillies at spring training and more.
What you’re saying about Joel Embiid
We asked: Do you think Joel Embiid can help the Sixers make a playoff run this season? Among your responses:
When available, Embiid is still a dominant force on both ends of the court. Can he play on an every-other-day schedule? We hope so, but history tells us not to get our hopes up. — Bob C.
Of course Embiid would certainly help the 76ers in a playoff run. But he has to play. —Tom G.
Absolutely the 76ers would make a serious run in the East if Embiid can stay healthy during the NBA playoffs this year. Embiid, unfortunately, is this generation’s Bill Walton. A Hall of Fame talent with a body that continues to betray him. A healthy Embiid should get the Sixers to the Eastern Conference Finals. Book it! — John F.
Sure if he can play every other game. If he can only play every 5th game, forgetaboutit. — Bill M.
Sixers center Joel Embiid took averages of 26.6 points and 7.4 rebounds into Thursday’s game against the Heat.
I don’t think Embiid will ever bring Philly a championship. This has been going on too long with the so-called development, the Process, and now getting used to him playing every 5th game. Enough is enough with this process, it’s time to move on. The fans have had enough, work out a trade or just end this, you’re hurting the Maxey and the rest of the lineup. It’s a fast game and he’s in his own world with his pace of play. Enough! — Dick F.
I think he’s wasting his talent. Sixers probably don’t need him when one game he plays well but then he’s out. He’s just not a strong enough person to give 100 percent. I say trade him and complete the team to compete. — Jim E.
He will never be available enough for the Sixers to be a factor even if they make the playoffs. Josh Harris doesn’t give a hoot about the Sixers. All he cares about now is the Washington Commanders. — James
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Matt Breen, Jeff McLane, Gina Mizell, Jonathan Tannenwald, Jackie Spiegel, Jeff Neiburg, Ryan Mack, Gabriela Carroll, and Mel Greenberg.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thank you for reading and have a great weekend. Sports Daily will return to your inbox on Monday. — Jim
It is clear by now that Donald Trump does not consider himself to be the president for all Americans, but only for his MAGA supporters. He has sown division, not unity, which serves only to make our country weaker. Some Democrats have criticized U.S. Sen. John Fetterman for not always voting along party lines. However, the senator recognizes that Pennsylvania is a purple state, and his charge is to represent the interests of all Pennsylvanians, not just those who voted for him. In contrast, U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, who won the 2024 election by less than 0.5%, votes according to the MAGA agenda, ignoring the preferences of the 48% of Pennsylvanians who voted for his opponent.
Joseph Micucci, Philadelphia
Memory keeping
For Jews, Feb. 27 is Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath of Remembrance. On that day, we are commanded to remember how the tribe of Amalek mercilessly attacked the most vulnerable Israelites following their exodus from Egypt thousands of years ago. Memory is central to Jewish identity. During the first year of the Trump administration, we are witnesses to a relentless assault on memory.
Perhaps the most egregious example is the White House webpage on Jan. 6, 2021, which proudly hails the president’s decision to grant a sweeping pardon to some 1,600 rioters. The people who battered law enforcement officers and took over the U.S. Capitol by force that dark day are described as peaceful and patriotic Americans rightfully protesting a stolen election.
Donald Trump’s lies about the results of the 2020 election, which fueled the tragic events of Jan. 6, continue unabated. The brazen historical revisionism of what Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick called an “attempted coup,” sadly, is deceiving more and more Republicans. As America approaches its 250th anniversary, we all have a sacred obligation to remember the reality of Jan. 6 that we saw with our own eyes, only a little over five years ago. Zachor.
Martin J. Raffel,Langhorne
Plan for success
If Mayor Cherelle L. Parker wants to succeed, and not merely “hope to boost new business and job creation” by offering “white glove treatment to companies who need help navigating the city’s regulatory labyrinth,” as she claimed in her recent Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia speech, there are several fundamentals that need to change.
1) Let the minimum wage float. This allows entry-level employees to learn on the job, then earn a raise, vs. not even being offered a job. 2) Require that every job and contract, especially those supported with taxes, be bid between union and nonunion suppliers. This boosts confidence for all new businesses and creates great competitive jobs. 3) On the first day of kindergarten, start inculcating a Philadelphia school culture that instills good behavior, manners, language, and respect for classmates, adults, and teachers. For the separate $4.6 billion in taxpayer money, our mayor must declare as her mission that 100% of our students will graduate as very well prepared for whatever the next step is in their lives. 4) Do not add yet another committee, which would simply add more employees to the 100-plus existing city departments, agencies, and committees, half of which are obsolete, meander in circles, and waste taxes. Eliminate the half-dragging anchor against the great progress our mayor wants, without adding yet another one.
These are the fundamentals we must change for our city’s improvement and for Parker to succeed. And, yes, we want our mayor to succeed beyond her wildest dreams.
Gardner A. Cadwalader,Philadelphia
ICE whistleblower
On Feb. 23, Ryan Schwank, a former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyer, testified as a whistleblower before a Senate Democratic forum about the egregious lack of required training for all new ICE agents. He testified that Homeland Security has eliminated the most important policing training in the use of firearms, use of force, the proper arrest and detention techniques, the limits on an agent’s authority, and the Constitution — including that they could violate the Fourth Amendment to enter a home without a judicial warrant. Schwank stated that the training curriculum has been reduced from 584 hours by nearly half to fulfill Donald Trump’s order to get an additional 12,000 agents on the streets of America by year’s end. He testified that DHS lied when it asserted that no critical instruction had been eliminated. Is it any wonder people have been, and will be, murdered, beaten, and illegally detained? This testimony must be given before the whole Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as a more public airing.
Morrie Wiener, Cherry Hill
History as guide
The recent report regarding U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement’s plan to warehouse detained immigrants is another bellwether in Donald Trump’s assault on human decency. ICE’s plans should be viewed in the context of the Holocaust Memorial Museum’s key facts about Nazi concentration camps: “Officials established the first concentration camp in Dachau … for political prisoners. It was later used as a model for an expanded and centralized concentration camp system. What distinguishes a concentration camp system from a prison (in the modern sense) is that it functions outside of a judicial system. The prisoners are not indicted or convicted of any crime by a judicial process.” The museum’s website further notes that such camps are ones in which “people are detained … usually under harsh conditions and without regard to legal norms of arrest and imprisonment that are acceptable in a constitutional democracy.”
The majority of detained immigrants have not been indicted for or convicted of a criminal offense. Most were employed at the time of their seizure, paying their way. Many of their jobs then went unfilled. Rather than being productive, they are confined in squalid conditions where healthcare is frequently insufficient. Spending an additional $45 billion to expand detention centers, with additional staffing costs, in pursuit of an inhumane policy that is being inhumanely implemented, will no more make America great than the town’s eponymous camp made Dachau great.
Stewart Speck,Wynnewood, speckstewart@gmail.com
Missed importance
I respectfully object to the front-page headline on Saturday’s Inquirer (“Trump slams Supreme Court after stinging defeat on tariffs”). Learning Resources v. Trump is a case of constitutional and historic significance, yet the headline highlights Donald Trump’s reaction. If the U.S. Supreme Court had affirmed the Trump tariffs despite clear language in the Constitution that only Congress can impose a tax, then who knows what other presidential powers would be exercised at the expense of Congress. The media has largely ignored the case’s significance. A reader could infer that Trump’s reaction is more important than the court’s decision. Democrats have said that if they take control of the House and Senate, then they will initiate impeachment proceedings against the president. If there is an impeachment trial, the presiding officer will be Chief Justice John Roberts (who wrote the court’s majority opinion).
Jim McErlane, Malvern
Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.
NEW YORK — A social media content creator was arrested Thursday after New York City police said he was one of a number of people who pelted officers with snow and ice during a massive snowball fight in Washington Square Park this week.
Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, was charged with obstructing governmental administration, a misdemeanor, and harassment, a non-criminal violation.
He appeared in handcuffs and wearing an olive-green sweat suit during his arraignment Thursday evening in Manhattan criminal court. He wasn’t asked to enter a plea, and was released, pending his next court date on April 9.
Coulibaly didn’t speak during the brief hearing, which was attended by at least a dozen uniformed police officers and police union officials.
But George Vomvolakis, his attorney, told the judge that the “circumstances surrounding his arrest have been politicized.” He suggested Coulibaly was caught in the middle of a rift between the police department and City Hall.
“I don’t want to minimize what happened to the officers, but I think the police department is using this because of their dislike or disdain for the mayor,” Vomvolakis said. “I think they’re taking it out on Mr. Coulibaly. They want to pick a fight with the mayor.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat, played down the fracas earlier this week as a “snowball fight that got out of hand” and suggested he did not think criminal charges were warranted.
Monday’s snowball fight, which appeared to be organized by social media content producers, caused a chaotic scene as a large crowd amassed at the popular park to wing snowballs at each other during a winter storm.
Prosecutors said in court that officers arrived at the park after a 911 call about a disorderly group, including people climbing on a roof.
Video from the incident shows a large group of people following police officers, showering them with snowballs and jeering, as they retreat to their vehicles outside the park. Videos also showed officers shoving at least two people to the ground while getting hit from all directions by snowballs.
“The notion that this was a playful snowball fight obviously is not true,” Patrick Hendry, a police union president, told reporters after the proceeding. “This was an attack on the uniform that these police officers wear so proudly every day. They came after these police officers, pelting them with ice, rocks.”
Hendry said he was disappointed prosecutors didn’t charge Coulibaly with assaulting an officer — the felony offense police originally proposed.
“It sends a horrible message to these police officers right here that the mayor is not going to have our backs,” he said, standing alongside other officers. “You’re putting a target on these police officers’ backs.”
Vomvolakis maintained there was no evidence that rocks or ice were packed into the snowballs.
“What I saw in the video didn’t look like an attack,” Vomvolakis said. ”Did it go a little past, you know, jokes and fun? Was it possibly a little disrespectful to the police? Yes.”
Assistant District Attorney Victoria Notaro said video showed Coulibaly throwing a snowball that struck Officer Nicholas Johnson in the face, but prosecutors did not find evidence showing that the officer’s injuries were caused “directly by this defendant’s conduct.”
The officer sustained injuries including redness, tenderness, and pain to his eye, head and neck, Notaro said.
“We will continue to investigate,” she added.
Vomvolakis said Coulibaly is a content creator who makes “elaborate videos” including a recent one in which he approached a stranger in a Bronx subway, acted as if he knew him and said he was owed money.
That interaction got Coulibaly arrested for attempted robbery — a charge that Vomvolakis said he was confident would be dismissed.
Coulibaly has hundreds of thousands of followers across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, and other social media platforms, where he posts under the moniker Diaper Man.
The city’s police department has released images of three other people it is seeking in connection with the snowball fight. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has called the treatment of officers at the fight “disgraceful” and “criminal.”
ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’re instinctually motivated by a primal and unconscious strategy — a knowing that has been inside you since birth. It’s the same instinct your ancestors have had for thousands of years, and you can trust your modern interpretation.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Today’s social moments are full of fast, emotional shorthand. You can catch it all when you’re relaxed. Once you get out of your head and start observing without the distraction of having to earn anyone’s approval, you’re golden.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Life will improve, yes. But don’t push or become so focused on a better tomorrow that you don’t see what’s around you now. Don’t waste the good things in this moment. Fully engage.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Emotional intelligence is your superpower today. You sense what’s needed without being told and respond with just the right mix of care and restraint. And though this kind of attunement sometimes goes unacknowledged, you will be buoyed by the evidence that you helped.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You don’t have to think absolutely everything through. Let yourself be spontaneous. Today it’s an attractive shift. Say yes to the fun option. Go where the energy is, do what feels good and enjoy the company that comes with it.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The amateur tries to squeeze out the effects of chance. The pro skillfully positions to accept chance’s graces. Go easy. If you win this, great. If you don’t, onto the next. This easy attitude attracts Lady Luck and improves your odds.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Harmony isn’t something you have to manufacture; it’s already present in the way things are naturally unfolding today, and you’ll love that you don’t even have to put your hands on the wheel, make corrections or do much at all besides being true to yourself.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You marvel at the natural world. But if everything existed in its natural state, what would creative people do with themselves? Today you’ll entreat good fortune as you honor your strong need to change, heighten and improve things.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Curiosity leads the way. A conversation, idea or invitation opens a fresh perspective that just feels fun to you. You may realize you’ve been unnecessarily constricted in some way, and now you get the chance to expand and exhale in the form of laughter.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Steady effort is paying off — really! You’re building something real, even if today’s progress seems to take place in mind or theory more than with tangible results. Those are coming. Trust that your consistency is working beautifully.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). There’s a call to action, maybe as simple as a deadline or a challenge. You don’t experience urgency as pressure or stress; rather, it’s clarity. When it’s go time, you’re already in motion, leading the team, organizing the moment so no one is alone inside it.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Along your merry way, there’s an ember of excitement gleaming under the surface of this ordinary day. It’s like you know on some level that good things are coming. You don’t know the where, when or how of it, and that’s half the fun!
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 27). It’s your Year of Creative Courage when inspiration, skill and resources converge. Your efforts bloom into tangible accomplishments, recognition and financial rewards. More highlights: A special relationship takes you to new places both close to home and far away. A new income stream requires little work. A festive friend group meets periodically. Virgo and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 12, 2, 4, 39 and 15.
DEAR ABBY: I’m a senior man who has been married and divorced twice. For the last eight years, I have been in a relationship with an amazing woman. She has always had some control issues, but because of the love we share, I was able to look past them.
I’ve always been the one who paid for everything. I recently had some heart issues and was unable to work my part-time job, so my income was reduced. I was no longer able to continue to do the things she was used to. She recently retired and wants to do more traveling, which, at this time, I can’t afford. This has caused friction.
Two years ago, I put a ring on her finger, which she accepted with reservation, telling me she never wanted to get married or live together. She likes things the way they are. She recently told me she’s no longer in love with me the way she had been.
I don’t want to think badly of her, but I think it’s because of my health and financial issues. This hurts so bad. For some reason, I still love her and can’t move on. I’m a hopeless romantic and a true gentleman. I’m gun-shy about trying again at 70, but I hate being alone and depressed. What do you suggest?
— DISILLUSIONED IN NEW JERSEY
DEAR DISILLUSIONED: I am sorry you are depressed and hurting. From what you have written, I can only conclude that when you were paying for everything, your ladylove liked the ride she was on. Now that things have changed financially, she has jumped off, so to speak. You may not believe this right now, but you are lucky she has shown her true colors.
You do not have to stay alone and depressed. You also do not have to participate in relationships that are all give and no take. With this in mind, look for women who are independent and willing to share some of the financial costs of a relationship. You may be surprised to find that there are many out there.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: My wealthy uphill neighbor and I share a retaining wall, which has been damaged by her reckless irrigation practices. Since the damage can be seen only from my side, she’s not concerned.
An inspector recommended excavating on her side to allow waterproofing the wall and installing a drainpipe. I wanted to bring in a wall contractor to get an estimate, but she would not allow it. Evidently, she doesn’t want any of the plants in her backyard disturbed.
Two weeks ago, she notified me by certified mail that she would no longer communicate with me. The city says it doesn’t get involved in beefs between neighbors. I’m at my wits’ end. Any advice?
— HOG-TIED IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR HOG-TIED: Because water causes erosion, it is only a matter of time before your property is affected by your neighbor’s drainage. She may have sent you that certified letter on advice from her lawyer. This is why you now need to engage legal counsel of your own. She’s a difficult person, and you need to protect yourself and your property.
Frustration and anguish spilled over Thursday night as Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. presented his sweeping, $2.8 billion facilities plan to the school board at a heated, lengthy meeting.
Watlington revised the plan to include 18, not 20 school closings — saving Conwell Middle School and Motivation High — and still wants to modernize 159 schools over a decade. He pitched it as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to drive academic improvement.
But the community did not seem impressed — at an anti-school-closure rally prior to the meeting, and at the public session itself, which stretched on for more than eight hours, into the early hours of Friday morning.
Tony B. Watlington Sr., superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, presents his facilities plan during Thursday’s board meeting.
“Dr. Watlington, you’re breaking my heart,” said Amanda Chandler, a teacher at Harding Middle School, one of the schools on the chopping block.
The district’s plan “isn’t an opportunity — it’s calculated abandonment,” said Beth Cole, a teacher at Stetson Middle School, which is also slated to close.
Watlington first unveiled the facilities plan, which was years in the making, in January. After weeks of community meetings, the superintendent formally presented the blueprint — with some tweaks — to the school board Thursday. The board has not yet said when it will vote on the plan, but has scheduled a March 12 town hall to hear more public feedback.
‘Massive upheaval’
The district has 70,000 empty seats in schools citywide. For example: Watlington said he recently watched a recording of a 1969 Overbrook High graduation. The school educated 5,000 students then. Now, it has fewer than 500.
And while some schools are underenrolled, some are overfull, particularly those in the Northeast. Inequities are widespread, also. For instance, only half of city students have access to Algebra 1 in eighth grade, barring them from admission to Masterman, a top city magnet that requires algebra for admission.
The board must address all those issues, said Reginald Streater, school board president.
School board president Reginald Streater said the board must deal with 70,000 empty seats in city schools.
“We have chronic underfunding, coupled with enrollment shifts that have materially created structural challenges that no district board can simply absorb without consequence to the district,” Streater said. “These realities have materially affected our ability to accelerate our fight against systemic chronic underachievement within the School District of Philadelphia.”
Streater did not weigh in on the details of the plan, but some other board members did, indicating there may be some pushback when it comes time to vote.
Board memberCrystal Cubbage said she wanted a “bolder plan” including more new buildings. (Watlington’s version proposed a single new building in the lower Northeast for the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush.)
“I’m struggling to reconcile this massive upheaval, and the $2.8 billion price tag, with the fact the plan is not explicitly designed to produce better outcomes for all of our children,” Cubbage said.
Audience members in the packed board room cheered as board member Wanda Novales voiced criticisms of the plan.
Novales said she recognized the complex challenges the board and district face, but “the standard cannot simply be operational efficiency,” Novales said. “I am struggling to see the heart …that sees the lived realities of our neighborhoods.”
Areas like Kensington and Fairhill have long been underresourced, Novales said, and the plan falls short in providing opportunities to students there.
“This conversation cannot just be about buildings. It must be about students,” Novales said.
Joyce Wilkerson, the longest-serving member of the school board, and a member of the School Reform Commission, the board’s predecessor, said the district has known it had to “rightsize” for years.
“We can’t afford to be locked in inaction,” Wilkerson said.
More pushback
Students from the affected schools spoke pointedly about the proposed changes.
Jade Colon, a student at Stetson Middle School, in Kensington, said her school’s roof has leaked for years. It’s never been properly fixed.
“We are told this plan is about equality, yet we see our neighborhood — one that has already faced decades of disinvestment — being asked to sacrifice yet again,” said Colon. “True equality isn’t found in a swing space or a longer walk to a different building across dangerous intersections like Kensington and Allegheny. True equality is found in investing in schools we already have.”
Students rally before a School District of Philadelphia board meeting Thursday outside the district’s headquarters in Philadelphia, as community members protest proposed school closures.
David Samuel, who attends Parkway Northwest, another school on the closing list, said the school is “building strong children.”
Virtually all Parkway Northwest students are on track to graduation.
“Those are lives being moved forward,” Samuel said. “Closing Parkway Northwest wouldn’t be closing a school; it would be closing my home.”
The plan drew pushback from a number of politicians who showed up to voice displeasure to the board.
“I do not have the words to describe how disappointed I am by the district’s proposal today,” City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier said, underscoring concerns about harm to Black and brown students.
Removing Motivation from the closing list is a good step, said Gauthier, who represents a West Philadelphia district. But she wants Watlington to consider removing Robeson, Blankenburg, and Parkway West, too.
The superintendent said the district has done its best to spread opportunity, but he acknowledged the difficulty of the decisions in front of the board.
“In an ideal world, I never believe in closing schools,” Watlington said, a remark met with some groans from the crowd. “I would never want my child’s school to be closed, to be frank.”
NEW YORK ― It appears all of that on-ice time during the NHL’s break for the Winter Games paid off for Matvei Michkov.
He scored not only the Flyers’ first goal of the game, but also the overtime winner, redeeming himself after taking a penalty to put the Flyers on the kill at the end of regulation in a 3-2 win over the Rangers.
“He had two big goals,” Konecny said. “First, obviously the overtime one, but I thought the one he scored for us, you know, the first one, was a timely one that helped us calm down and get us back into it. He’s playing great. He looked fast.”
The Flyers were on the second leg of a back-to-back, and they looked it in the first period. The Rangers had them on their heels, dominating puck possession and smothering the Flyers’ breakout attempts.
But Sam Ersson held down the fort early, as the Flyers’ netminder made a few point-blank saves, including a high-danger shot from Adam Fox. But Sam Carrick flung a shot from along the boards at Ersson, and it slipped right through the five-hole, to put the Rangers up 1-0.
“We told him, that’s going to happen, those goals like that,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “I don’t know what happened. Whatever happened, happened, but he dug in there.”
Hathaway tried to spark the Flyers late in the first with a fight after taking a boarding penalty on Brennan Othmann. But coming out of the break, the Rangers added to their lead with an early goal from Alexis Lafrienière, who beat Noah Cates in front of the net to bury a pass from Will Cuylle.
The Flyers got one back on the power play from Michkov, who scored his 14th of the season and third power-play goal. They outshot the Rangers in the second period, 10-5.
And out of the second intermission, the Flyers kept that momentum going. Trevor Zegras sniped one over the shoulder of Igor Shesterkin under 40 seconds into the third period to tie the game at 2-2.
“The first 10 minutes of the first period, we were kind of running around, just giving them the puck, turnovers, and [Ersson] made a ton of great saves for us,” Zegras said. “But I thought after that, we settled in, less turnovers, and just played our game.”
Cates had two point-blank opportunities in front of Shesterkin late in the third to take the lead on the power play, but couldn’t bury either chance.
Michkov’s goaltender interference penalty put the Flyers at a disadvantage to open the extra period, and the situation was made even worse after Rasmus Ristolainen lost his stick late into the penalty kill.
Ersson’s season has been up-and-down this year, but despite the early soft goal, he made 23 of 25 saves, keeping the Flyers in it while they found their legs early in the first period and delivering in overtime.
Sam Ersson made 23 saves in the Flyers’ overtime win against the New York Rangers on Thursday.
“[Ersson] was fantastic, he was fantastic,” Zegras said. “The save he made on Fox in the first four minutes, the penalty kill in overtime, he was amazing … When that first one goes in, he made so many ridiculous saves that it didn’t even matter.”
Ultimately, the Flyers still need to get as many points as possible. Still out of a playoff spot, Zegras said every game is like a playoff game for this group, and they’ll need more timely goals like the overtime winner from Michkov on the breakaway.
“The last 25, I guess yesterday 26, are all playoff-type games for us,” Zegras said. “We’ve got to do something special down the stretch to get in, and we all know that.”
Breakaways
Emil Andrae drew into the lineup for the first time since Jan. 26. He played 11 minutes and 50 seconds … The Flyers have conceded the first goal 39 times this year in 58 games.
Up next…
The Flyers return to action on Saturday against the Boston Bruins (3 p.m., 6ABC).
