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  • Sizing up Temple’s most impactful departures and arrivals in football’s transfer portal

    Sizing up Temple’s most impactful departures and arrivals in football’s transfer portal

    As college football has evolved with Name, Image, and Likeness, the transfer portal has moved to the forefront of the offseason for teams. It allows teams to rebuild rosters quickly by filling needs for college players who are looking for a fresh start.

    Temple has taken advantage of the portal to refresh its team in recent years, rostering at least 30 transfers in each of the last three seasons. Some of those transfers gained significant roles and became critical players.

    However, the transfer portal also gave former Owls the chance to leave the program and play elsewhere. Temple lost important transfers, including a few who turned into NFL players.

    Let’s break down some of the most impactful players to transfer in and out of Temple in the last few years.

    Transferred in

    Evan Simon
    Temple quarterback Evan Simon moves out of the pocket against Navy on Oct. 11, 2025.

    Simon spent the last two seasons at quarterback and helped lead the Owls to their best season in half a decade.

    The Lancaster County native spent the first four years of his career at Rutgers, where he threw five touchdowns and seven interceptions. Simon entered the transfer portal after the 2023 season and landed at Temple to compete for the starting job.

    Simon lost the job to Forrest Brock out of training camp, but he took over in Week 3 of the 2024 season and never looked back. He started the final nine games and passed for 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Simon chose to return to Temple in 2025 and put together an even better season.

    Evan Simon became a true starting QB in his final year of college, and it’s a year he won’t forget.

    After beating out Oregon State transfer Gevani McCoy in training camp, Simon led Temple to a 5-7 record, its most wins since 2019. He passed for 2,097 yards and 25 touchdowns, the most in a season in Temple history, and had two interceptions. He also tied the program record for passing touchdowns in a game with six against UMass on Aug. 30.

    Simon leaves the Owls eighth in passing yards in program history with 4,129, and tied for fifth in career touchdowns with 40.

    Rock Ya-Sin
    Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown attempts to catch the ball against coverage by Detroit’s Rock Ya-Sin on Nov. 16.

    Ya-Sin joined Temple as a transfer cornerback in 2018 before NIL changed how players and programs view the portal.

    He spent his first three years at FCS Presbyterian College in South Carolina but chose to transfer after the program announced it would move down to Division II. Ya-Sin played one season at Temple, but he made his mark.

    Ya-Sin earned a prestigious single-digit jersey number before the season. He racked up 47 tackles, two interceptions, and a team-high 12 pass breakups as the Owls finished 8-4.

    Rock Ya-Sin showed Temple that he could hit the ground running

    The Indianapolis Colts selected him 34th overall in the 2019 NFL draft. Ya-Sin has played for five teams in seven seasons in the NFL, most recently with the Detroit Lions in 2025, when he had 47 tackles and nine passes defended.

    Maddux Trujillo
    Temple kicker Maddux Trujillo during the Owls’ pro day on March 27, 2025.

    While few positives emerged from Temple’s 2024 season, in which Stan Drayton was fired, Trujillo was one of the bright spots.

    Trujillo spent three years at FCS Austin Peay, where he made 38 field goals. He transferred to Temple and took over as its main placekicker.

    He made 16 of his 22 field goal attempts and converted all 21 point-after attempts. Trujillo made headlines in Temple’s 45-29 win against Utah State on Sept. 21, 2024, when he made a 64-yard field, the longest ever at Lincoln Financial Field. He made five field goals from 50 yards or longer.

    Here’s how Temple kicker Maddux Trujillo is watching his boyhood dreams play out in real time

    Trujillo went undrafted in 2025 but latched on with the Colts to compete for their starting kicker spot. He lost the job to Spencer Shrader and was later cut from the team.

    He spent the 2025 season as a free agent and most recently signed a reserve/futures contract with the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 6.

    Dante Wright
    Temple receiver Dante Wright against Army on Sept. 26, 2024.

    Wright was a productive wide receiver from 2019-22 at Colorado State before transferring to Temple for the 2023 season. He became an impactful weapon in the passing game during his two years with the Owls.

    He had 39 catches for 507 yards and four touchdowns during his first year with the program in 2023, then became the go-to receiver in 2024.

    Wright hauled in 61 catches for 792 yards and six touchdowns. He went undrafted in 2025 but earned an invitation to the Kansas City Chiefs’ rookie minicamp. Wright did not stick with the Chiefs and was a free agent this season.

    Transferred out

    Ray Davis
    Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis runs the ball against the New England Patriots.

    Davis joined Temple as a running back out of Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., and showed immediate promise as a freshman in 2019. Then known as Re’Mahn Davis, he rushed for 936 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 181 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He had more than 100 rushing yards in three games and appeared to be a building block for the Owls.

    However, he played just four games in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, when he rushed for 323 yards on 78 carries. Davis entered the transfer portal following the season and joined Vanderbilt.

    Davis played three games in 2021 before truly breaking out for the Commodores in 2022. He had 1,042 rushing yards and five touchdowns, adding three more on receptions. Davis entered the portal again after the 2022 season and went to Kentucky for his final year.

    Former Temple running back Ray Davis hopes to grow into a larger role with the Buffalo Bills

    He had his best season with the Wildcats, compiling 1,129 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, and seven receiving touchdowns. His 21 total touchdowns were the most in a season in Kentucky history and he earned first-team All-SEC honors.

    The Bills selected Davis in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. He earned a first-team All-Pro selection this season as a kick returner.

    Arnold Ebiketie
    Atlanta Falcons linebacker Arnold Ebiketie sacks Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett on Dec. 21.

    Ebiketie played defensive end for Temple from 2017-20, serving as a rotational player for his first three seasons before breaking out in 2020.

    He recorded 42 tackles, 8½ tackles for losses, four sacks, and three forced fumbles. Ebiketie earned second-team all-American Athletic Conference honors and decided to enter the portal for his redshirt senior season.

    Ebiketie had a standout year at Penn State, racking up 17 tackles for losses and 9½ sacks. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media. The Atlanta Falcons drafted him in the second round in 2022 and he has recorded 16½ sacks in four NFL seasons.

    Kobe Wilson
    SMU linebacker Kobe Wilson makes a tackle against Temple, his former team, on Oct. 20, 2023.

    Wilson joined Temple in 2020 as a linebacker out of Parkview High School in Georgia, and he spent three seasons with the Owls.

    Wilson became a regular contributor on defense, totaling 124 tackles and 11½ tackles for losses. He entered the portal after the 2022 season and landed at Southern Methodist, Temple’s conference foe at the time.

    He turned into one of the Mustangs’ top players over two seasons. In 2023, Wilson had 80 tackles and an interception. He had 117 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions in the next season. He earned second-team All-AAC honors in 2024 for an SMU team that appeared in the College Football Playoff. Wilson did not receive an NFL opportunity in 2025.

    Christian Braswell
    Jaguars cornerback Christian Braswell tackles Detroit’s Trinity Benson during a preseason game on Aug. 19, 2023.

    Braswell was a rotational cornerback from 2018-20 at Temple, where he recorded 61 tackles, three interceptions, and 16 passes defended. The Washington native entered the portal after the 2020 season and committed to Rutgers.

    He did not see game action in 2021, but the next season, Braswell had five starts and recorded three interceptions and 37 passes defended, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors from Pro Football Focus.

    The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Braswell in the sixth round of the 2023 draft and he played in all 17 games this season.

  • It’s time to address ICE activity at the Philly courthouse, elected and community leaders say

    It’s time to address ICE activity at the Philly courthouse, elected and community leaders say

    Some elected city officials and community leaders called for ICE to get out of Philadelphia on Wednesday, saying agents had become a threat to safety and to the orderly administration of justice.

    They asked the court system to establish rules and protections for immigrants seeking to attend proceedings at the Criminal Justice Center ― which advocates say has been allowed to become an ICE “hunting ground.”

    They asked for state court administrators to meet with the district attorney, the sheriff, the chief public defender, City Council members and others, and suggested that in the meantime, court staff must be better trained to understand the difference between court- and ICE-issued orders, that they do not carry equal weight nor require equal obedience.

    “People should be able to come to court without fear,” said Keisha Hudson, chief defender of the Defender Association of Philadelphia. “Without fear that doing what the law requires will put them at risk.”

    District Attorney Larry Krasner ― whose office led the news conference, and who reiterated his pledge to prosecute ICE agents who commit crimes ― said victims and witnesses are not showing up for cases. And community leaders said residents’ lives were being diminished.

    “Across Philadelphia, the increase in ICE raids is tearing the fabric of our community,” said Thi Lam, deputy director of the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition, which serves refugees and immigrants, leaving people afraid to go to work, to seek medical care, and to take their children to school.

    “As Philadelphians, we demand policies that protect due process,” he said. “We object to the violent way that this immigrant process has turned. We invite all Philadelphians to speak up. Speak up, Philadelphians!”

    ICE officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

    The news conference at the Salt and Light Church in Southwest Philadelphia came as protests and confrontations continue in Minnesota and other cities over the fatal ICE shooting of a Minneapolis wife and mother, Renee Good. Daily ICE activity and arrests in Philadelphia and surrounding towns continue to rile and frighten immigrant communities and those who support them.

    Krasner called the shooting of Good “murder,” and said “that collection of people who left their Klan hoods in the closet” to become ICE agents will face prosecution for any crimes committed in Philadelphia.

    Meanwhile, in Atlantic City on Wednesday, Mayor Marty Small and other officials gathered to support local immigrant communities, and to assert their willingness to ensure that ICE agents “continue to do the job under the legal letter of the law.

    “Some of the footage that we’ve seen has been horrifying, and I understand, and I empathize with that community. And as your mayor, this city has your back,” Small said, flanked by Atlantic City Police Chief Jim Sarkos, Director of Public Safety Sean Riggin, and Cristian Moreno-Rodriguez from the immigrant advocacy organization El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City.

    Atlantic City police, they noted, do not assist ICE in immigration enforcement. Under the 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive, New Jersey state and local police agencies are limited in how they can cooperate with ICE.

    Riggin clarified, however, that local police will assist ICE in cases where agents are in danger or a crime is being committed.

    “We will respond, we’re going to assess the situation, and we’re going to act accordingly in compliance with that directive,” Riggin said. “So, just because somebody sees us with ICE does not mean we’re doing immigration enforcement.”

    In Philadelphia, immigrant advocates have made the courthouse and Sheriff Rochele Bilal a target of protest, insisting that ICE has wrongly been given free roam of the property.

    The group No ICE Philly has castigated Bilal, saying that by not barring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the courthouse — as judges and lawmakers in some other jurisdictions have done — she has helped enable the arrest of at least 90 immigrants who were trailed from the building and arrested on the sidewalk.

    That group and others say ICE agents have been allowed to essentially hang out at the Center City courthouse, waiting in the lobby or scouring the hallways, then making arrests outside, a pattern they say has been repeated dozens of times since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025.

    Many people who go to the courthouse are not criminal defendants ― they are witnesses, crime victims, family members, and others already in diversionary programs.

    The sheriff says her office does not cooperate with ICE, does not assist in ICE operations and does not share information with ICE. Last week she garnered national headlines and condemnation for calling ICE “fake, wannabe law enforcement” and for sending a blunt warning to its officers.

    “If any [ICE agents] want to come in this city and commit a crime, you will not be able to hide, nobody will whisk you off,” Bilal said in now-viral remarks. “You don’t want this smoke, cause we will bring it to you. … The criminal in the White House would not be able to keep you from going to jail.”

    On Wednesday she said her office follows the law, and would obey orders from judges or statues from lawmakers concerning courthouse security.

    The news conference followed an announcement of the Defender Association of Philadelphia’s new initiative to help people facing immigration consequences both inside and outside the justice system.

    The agency’s Immigration Law Practice is expected to grow to up to 11 staff members, arriving as the Trump administration pursues aggressive new enforcement and even minor legal cases can put undocumented city residents at risk of detention, family separation, or deportation.

    Councilmember Jamie Gauthier told news reporters that guardrails must be set around ICE behavior at the Criminal Justice Center, and that the agency “is making us less safe by scaring away witnesses.”

    Councilmember Kendra Brooks said constituents were phoning her office, asking how to get ICE out of their neighborhoods.

    “ICE needs to get out of our city, for the safety of all of us,” Brooks said, calling on the city government and the court system to act. “Something needs to be done. … People can’t safely come to courts ― that’s a threat to all of us.”

    Councilmember Rue Landau asked people to imagine a domestic-violence case, where victims and witnesses were afraid to go near the courthouse.

    “We will not have some masked, unnamed hooligans from out of town come here and attack Philadelphians,” she said. “We are saying ICE out of Philadelphia. … Out of our courts, out of our city.”

  • Trump claims killing of Iran protesters ‘has stopped’ even as Tehran signals executions ahead

    Trump claims killing of Iran protesters ‘has stopped’ even as Tehran signals executions ahead

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he’s been told “on good authority” that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, even as Tehran has indicated fast trials and executions ahead in its crackdown on protesters.

    The president’s claims, which were made with few details, come as he’s told protesting Iranians in recent days that “help is on the way” and that his administration would “act accordingly” to respond to the Iranian government. But Trump has not offered any details about how the U.S. might respond and it wasn’t clear if his comments Wednesday indicated he would hold off on action.

    “We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping — it’s stopped — it’s stopping,” Trump said at the White House while signing executive orders and legislation. “And there’s no plan for executions, or an execution, or executions — so I’ve been told that on good authority.”

    The president on Tuesday consulted with his national security team about next steps after telling reporters he believed the killing in Iran was “significant.”

    Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and key White House National Security Council officials began meeting last Friday to develop options for Trump, ranging from a diplomatic approach to military strikes.

    The Iranian security force crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,586, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported.

    On Wednesday, Iranian officials signaled that suspects detained in nationwide protests would face fast trials and executions while the Islamic Republic promised a “decisive response” if the U.S. or Israel intervene in the domestic unrest.

    The threats emerged as some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate by Wednesday evening following Trump’s escalated warnings of potential military action over the killing of peaceful demonstrators.

    Mohammad Pakpour, commander of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, reiterated Iranian claims, without providing evidence, that the U.S. and Israel have instigated the protests and that they are the real killers of protesters and security forces who have died in the turmoil, according to Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency.

    He added that those countries will “receive the response in the appropriate time.”

    Earlier Wednesday, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, Iran’s judiciary chief, said the government must act quickly to punish more than 18,000 people who have been detained through rapid trials and executions. Mohseni-Ejei’s comments about rapid trials and executions were made in a video shared by Iranian state television online.

    “If we want to do a job, we should do it now. If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly,” he said. “If it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn’t have the same effect. If we want to do something, we have to do that fast.”

    The comments stand as a direct challenge to Trump, who warned Iran about executions in an interview with CBS aired Tuesday. “If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action,” Trump said.

    “We don’t want to see what’s happening in Iran happen. And you know, if they want to have protests, that’s one thing. When they start killing thousands of people, and now you’re telling me about hanging — we’ll see how that works out for them. It’s not going to work out good.”

    One Arab Gulf diplomat told the AP that major Mideast governments had been discouraging the Trump administration from launching a war with Iran, fearing “unprecedented consequences” for the region that could explode into a “full-blown war.” The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to journalists.

    Satellite internet service offer

    Iran’s government cut off the country from the internet and international telephone calls on Jan. 8.

    Activists said Wednesday that Starlink was offering free service in Iran. The satellite internet service has been key in getting around the internet shutdown. Iran began allowing people to call out internationally on Tuesday via mobile phones, but calls from people outside the country into Iran remain blocked.

    “We can confirm that the free subscription for Starlink terminals is fully functional,” said Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based activist who has helped get the units into Iran. “We tested it using a newly activated Starlink terminal inside Iran.”

    Starlink itself did not immediately acknowledge the decision.

    Security service personnel apparently were searching for Starlink dishes, as people in northern Tehran reported authorities raiding apartment buildings with satellite dishes. While satellite television dishes are illegal, many in the capital have them in homes, and officials broadly gave up on enforcing the law in recent years.

    Death toll continues to rise

    The Human Rights Activists News Agency said 2,417 of the dead were protesters and 147 were government-affiliated. Twelve children were killed, along with 10 civilians it said were not taking part in protests.

    More than 18,400 people have been detained, the group said.

    Gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult, and the AP has been unable to independently assess the toll given the communications being disrupted in the country.

  • What the Saks bankruptcy means for Philly-area shoppers

    What the Saks bankruptcy means for Philly-area shoppers

    Saks Global, which operates Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, has filed for bankruptcy.

    The high-end clothing retailer announced the move on Wednesday, saying in a statement that the Chapter 11 filing will “facilitate its ongoing transformation.”

    In the Philadelphia region, Saks Global has long operated an expansive Saks Fifth Avenue store off City Avenue in Bala Cynwyd. The company also has a Neiman Marcus at the King of Prussia Mall, as well as Saks Off 5th discount outlets at the Franklin Mall in Northeast Philadelphia and at the Metroplex shopping center in Plymouth Meeting.

    Both local Saks Off 5th locations are slated to close soon, as was reported this fall by several news outlets, including the Philadelphia Business Journal.

    Here’s what the bankruptcy filing means for local Saks shopper.

    Is Saks Fifth Avenue in Bala Cynwyd closing?

    Saks Fifth Avenue has been a retail success along City Avenue in Bala Cynwyd, as shown in April 2024.

    No. At least not in the immediate future.

    Saks has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which means the company intends to reorganize financially and stay in business. That’s opposed to Chapter 7 bankruptcy — as is the Iron Hill Brewery case — through which businesses liquidate all their assets and close locations.

    “To be clear, a Chapter 11 filing does not mean that Saks Global is going out of business,” Saks wrote in a bankruptcy FAQ on its website.

    But when companies reorganize through bankruptcy, they sometimes do close stores, particularly underperforming ones.

    Saks executives alluded to the possibility of this in its statement, which read in part: “As part of the Chapter 11 process, the company is evaluating its operational footprint to invest resources where it has the greatest long-term potential. This approach reflects an effort to focus the business in areas where the company’s luxury retail brands are best positioned for sustainable growth.”

    The Saks Fifth Avenue opened in Bala Cynwyd decades ago. It is now the retailer’s only location in the Philadelphia region and is called “Saks Philadelphia” on the company’s website.

    City Avenue in Lower Merion set to triple its apartment count, transforming the office and retail hub

    The Inquirer reported in 2024 that business at the store was strong and that the chain had resisted offers to move to King of Prussia, according to the City Ave District.

    In response to questions from The Inquirer about the future of Philadelphia-area stores, Saks Global said: “Our footprint evaluation is underway, and we have already begun to work collaboratively with our real estate partners to find future-facing solutions, where possible, to achieve a stable and sustainable business model and optimized portfolio on the other side of this process.”

    Is Neiman Marcus in King of Prussia closing?

    The Neiman Marcus store in King of Prussia, as shown in May 2020.

    Also not in the immediate future.

    King of Prussia Mall has long been a go-to spot for retailers. Even after the challenges of the pandemic, and amid competition from online retailers, the center remains among the region’s thriving shopping destinations.

    In 2024, Saks Global bought Neiman Marcus in a $2.65 billion deal after Neiman Marcus filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy during the pandemic.

    Are Saks credit cards or gift cards impacted by the bankruptcy?

    No, the company says.

    “There are no changes to our credit card programs and rewards, with customers continuing to shop, earn and redeem benefits as usual,“ the company wrote in the FAQ. ”We continue to accept payments as usual, including credit cards and gift cards, with no changes to how customers transact with us.”

    Are Saks’ return policies impacted by the bankruptcy?

    No, according to the company.

    “Our refund and exchange policy is expected to remain unchanged, with refunds and exchanges being accepted and issued as usual,” the company wrote.

    I am waiting on a package from Saks. Will my order still arrive?

    Yes, all current and future orders will be delivered as usual, the company said.

    What’s next for Saks?

    In New York, Saks Fifth Avenue’s holiday light show and window was revealed in November.

    The company says it is not going anywhere.

    “Saks Global is firmly focused on the future, and we look forward to continuing to serve customers and deliver for our stakeholders,” the company wrote in the FAQ.

    As of Wednesday, Saks was waiting for court approval of a $1.75 billion financing deal that would come with an immediate $1 billion debtor-in-possession loan from an investor group.

    If approved, the deal “will provide ample liquidity to fund Saks Global’s operations and turnaround initiatives,” the company said in a statement.

    Saks estimates its assets and liabilities at between $1 billion and $10 billion, according to court documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston. Saks has between 10,001 and 25,000 creditors, including luxury brands like Chanel, to which Saks owes $136 million, according to the documents.

    To lead the company during this transition, Saks also announced a new chief executive, with former Neiman Marcus CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck replacing Richard Baker.

    Saks said it hopes to emerge from bankruptcy later this year.

    The company said in its FAQ: “With new capital and a stronger financial foundation on the other side of this process, we are confident that we can play a central role in shaping the future of the luxury retail industry while delivering the elevated shopping experience our customers expect from our dedicated team.”

  • Reports: Ex-Phillie Ranger Suárez agrees to $130 million contract with Red Sox

    Reports: Ex-Phillie Ranger Suárez agrees to $130 million contract with Red Sox

    For the first time since he was a teenager, Ranger Suárez is not a Phillie.

    The left-hander agreed to a five-year, $130 million contract with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, according to multiple reports, including the New York Post.

    The Phillies signed Suárez out of Venezuela as a 16-year-old, and he developed into an All-Star and key member of their starting rotation, known for his unflappable nature on the mound. In 2022, he threw the pitch that clinched the Phillies’ National League pennant. Suárez, 30, owns a 1.48 career postseason ERA.

    What’s the Phillies’ plan if J.T. Realmuto moves on? Here are some options.

    Despite a fastball that averaged just 90.5 mph in 2025, Suárez was extremely effective at limiting hard contact, with just a 5.5% barrel rate and a 31.3% hard-hit rate.

    However, with Andrew Painter expected to compete for a rotation spot in 2026 and Suárez primed for a payday as one of the top lefties on the market, a reunion with the Phillies always seemed unlikely.

    Suárez also has past injury concerns. His 157⅓ innings in 2025 were a career high after he started the season on the injured list with back stiffness.

    Jesús Luzardo ‘really interested’ in a contract extension with the Phillies

    Now he’ll head to the American League East. The Red Sox pivoted to improving their rotation after third baseman Alex Bregman signed a five-year deal with the Chicago Cubs.

    Since Suárez declined the Phillies’ qualifying offer, they will receive a compensatory draft pick after the fourth round in the 2026 draft.

    Fellow left-hander Jesús Luzardo is entering his final year of team control in 2026. During an appearance this week on Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast, Luzardo said he would be “really interested in” a contract extension with the Phillies.

  • Danish official says there’s a “fundamental disagreement” with Trump over Greenland

    Danish official says there’s a “fundamental disagreement” with Trump over Greenland

    WASHINGTON — A top Danish official said Wednesday that a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland remains with President Donald Trump after talks in Washington with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

    The two sides, however, agreed to create a working group to discuss ways to work through differences as Trump continues to call for a U.S. takeover of the Denmark’s Arctic territory of Greenland.

    “The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told reporters after joining Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, for the talks.

    Trump is trying to make the case that NATO should help the U.S. acquire the world’s largest island and says anything less than it being under American control is unacceptable.

    Denmark has announced plans to boost the country’s military presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic as Trump tries to justify his calls for a U.S. takeover of the vast territory by repeatedly claiming that China and Russia have their designs on Greenland.

    Vance and Rubio met with Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt for roughly an hour to discuss Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.

    But a few hours before the officials sat down, Trump reiterated on his social media site that the U.S. “needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security.” He added that “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it” and that otherwise Russia or China would — “AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!”

    “NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”

    Løkke Rasmussen told reporters that it remains “clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland.”

    “And we made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of the kingdom,” he said after the meeting, citing a “fundamental disagreement” with the Trump administration but willing to keep talking.

    Both Løkke Rasmussen and Motzfeldt offered measured hope that the talks were beginning a conversation that would lead to Trump dropping his demand of acquiring the territory and create a path for tighter cooperation with the U.S.

    “We have shown where our limits are and from there, I think that it will be very good to look forward,” Motzfeldt said.

    Denmark bolstering presence in Arctic

    In Copenhagen, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen announced an increase in Denmark’s “military presence and exercise activity” in the Arctic and the North Atlantic, “in close cooperation with our allies”.

    Poulsen said at a news conference the stepped-up military presence was necessary in a security environment in which “no one can predict what will happen tomorrow.”

    “This means that from today and in the coming time there will be an increased military presence in and around Greenland of aircraft, ships and soldiers, including from other NATO allies,” Poulsen said.

    Other NATO allies were arriving in Greenland along with Danish personnel, he said. Poulsen declined to name the other countries contributing to increased Arctic presence, saying that it is up to the allies to announce their own participation.

    Earlier, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X that “some officers from the Swedish Armed Forces are arriving in Greenland today” as part of a group from several allied countries. “Together, they will prepare events within the framework of the Danish exercise Operation Arctic Endurance,” Kristersson said. Two Norwegian military personnel also will be sent to Greenland to map out further cooperation with allies, the country’s Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik told newspaper VG.

    Greenlanders want the U.S. to back off

    Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said Tuesday that “if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU.”

    Asked about those comments, Trump replied: “I disagree with him. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know anything about him. But, that’s going to be a big problem for him.”

    Greenland is strategically important because, as climate change causes the ice to melt, it opens up the possibility of shorter trade routes to Asia. That also could make it easier to extract and transport untapped deposits of critical minerals which are needed for computers and phones.

    Trump says Greenland is also “vital” to the United States’ Golden Dome missile defense program. He also has said he wants the island to expand America’s security and has repeatedly cited what he says is the threat from Russian and Chinese ships as a reason to control it.

    But experts and Greenlanders question that claim.

    “The only Chinese I see is when I go to the fast food market,” heating engineer Lars Vintner said. He said he frequently goes sailing and hunting and has never seen Russian or Chinese ships.

    His friend, Hans Nørgaard, agreed, adding “what has come out of the mouth of Donald Trump about all these ships is just fantasy.”

    Denmark has said the U.S, which already has a military presence, can boost its bases on Greenland. The U.S. is party to a 1951 treaty that gives it broad rights to set up military bases there with the consent of Denmark and Greenland.

    For that reason, “security is just a cover,” Vintner said, suggesting Trump actually wants to own the island to make money from its untapped natural resources.

    Mikaelsen, the student, said Greenlanders benefit from being part of Denmark, which provides free health care, education and payments during study, and “I don’t want the U.S. to take that away from us.”

    Løkke Rasmussen and Motzfeldt, along with Denmark’s ambassador to the U.S., met Wednesday with senators from the Arctic Caucus, a bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers is also heading to Copenhagen this week to see Danish and Greenlandic officials.

  • Women in tight uniforms and maggots in the soft serve: Two ex-employees sue Trump’s N.J. golf club

    Women in tight uniforms and maggots in the soft serve: Two ex-employees sue Trump’s N.J. golf club

    Women working at Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey were required to wear tight uniforms that were too small and told to “smile more,” as they endured “sexist remarks about their bodies and menstruation,” according to two lawsuits by former employees.

    Both complaints describe a similar pattern: A female employee at the Bedminster club, working in a culture hostile to women, reported safety issues and was penalized for doing so.

    Maria Hadley, a former banquet server who worked at the private club, owned by President Donald Trump, from February until she resigned in August, says she suffered from a retaliation campaign after she reported a manager who spiked the drink of an underage employee with vodka. And Justine Sacks, who was hired as clubhouse manager in 2023, says that she was demoted and ultimately fired in May for reporting health and safety violations, including maggots and mold in the soft-serve machine.

    The lawsuits describe a hyper-sexualized work environment, in which female staffers were expected to endure sexual harassment from workers and guests.

    Both Hadley and Sacks are represented by the New Jersey-based McOmber McOmber & Luber law firm. Their attorneys did not respond to a request for comment.

    The Bedminster club is operated by the Trump Organization, which is led by the president’s sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. Neither the club nor general manager David Schutzenhofer responded to requests for comment.

    In this July 15, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump turns to wave to the people gathered at the clubhouse as his walks to his presidential viewing stand during the U.S. Women’s Open Golf tournament at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J.

    Vodka-spiked Shirley Temple

    Hadley, a banquet server, says women were treated as “a prop” and “were expected to look pleasing, work without complaint, and stay quiet,” according to the lawsuit filed Monday in New Jersey Superior Court in Camden. Male managers and coworkers harassed their female peers, and called teenage guests “sexy.” When a guest inappropriately touched Hadley, a manager advised “they pay a lot of money to come here, just ignore it.”

    Hadley reported in June that a bartender poured vodka into the Shirley Temple of an underage employee without the employee’s consent, saying it would give her energy.

    The bartender was temporarily fired, but the club’s management launched a retaliation campaign against Hadley, the complaint says. She was denied a $1,000 bonus, isolated by her peers, and received worse hours and assignments.

    Hadley resigned via email in August, the suit says, writing to the club’s human resources representative that her employment became “unbearable.” The club accepted her resignation, which the suit calls “effectively forcing her out,” and rehired the fired bartender.

    That man went on to make sexual comments about 12-year-old guests with braces in September, according to a message Hadley sent to Eric Trump, the executive vice president of Trump National, which is included in the complaint.

    Maggots and mold

    Sacks joined Trump National in January 2023 and was told from the onset to expect “gender differences” in treatment, according to the suit, which was filed last month in Monmouth County Superior Court. She was instructed to hire women based on their looks, and received complaints from multiple direct reports about offensive, gender-based comments from male managers and peers.

    The complaints were dismissed by Schutzenhofer, who told Sacks to “vote the mean girls off the island,” the suit says.

    The club’s management slowly stripped Sacks’ authority and stopped inviting her to leadership meetings, in what the suit says was retaliation for elevating the complaints of female staffers.

    People play golf next to the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster’s clubhouse in Bedminister on Friday, June 9 , 2023, in New Jersey.

    Sacks was also retaliated against for reporting unsanitary conditions at the club’s kitchens, which included expired and unlabeled food, and the bistro operating without running water, the complaint says. There were flies all over the clubhouse in the fall of 2023, which even Donald Trump complained about, according to the lawsuit.

    Management told Sacks that she was new to working at golf clubs and was “wrapped too tight” when she complained about the sanitation conditions, as well as employees drinking and vaping on the job. But even Eric Trump asked the club’s management team to make sanitation a “huge focus” because a few health inspectors are “eager and politically motivated to try and embarrass us,” according to a copy of an email sent by the executive vice president in January 2024.

    The clubhouse’s bistro-area became more unsanitary, and by September 2024 the soft-serve machine was filled with maggots and mold, the suit says.

    Sacks was placed on a 90-day performance improvement plan in December 2024 for, among other issues, being “off-putting,” the complaint says. In April, Sacks was reassigned from clubhouse manager to managing the bistro, which the lawsuit calls a clear demotion.

    Schutzenhofer terminated Sacks in May, the lawsuit says, shortly after the club “failed miserably” a state health inspection.

  • Penn sprint football coach Jerry McConnell will not return next season

    Penn sprint football coach Jerry McConnell will not return next season

    Penn sprint football coach Jerry McConnell will not return next season, the school announced Wednesday in a release.

    McConnell served as the program’s head coach since 2019 and posted a 17-18 career record. Penn finished 2-6 this season, losing all three contests in conference play. Penn failed to win a Collegiate Sprint Football League title during McConnell’s tenure.

    In sprint football, players must weigh under 178 pounds to participate. The sport is played at nine colleges in the nation and has been at Penn since 1931.

    “We are grateful for Jerry’s nearly two decades of service and dedication to our student-athletes in the Penn sprint football program, both as head coach and offensive coordinator,” Penn athletic director Alanna Wren said in the statement.

    “This leadership change is an important step toward elevating the program’s competitive success and enhancing the overall experience for our student-athletes. We wish Jerry the very best in his next chapter.”

    McConnell joined the sprint coaching staff in 2007, serving as the team’s offensive coordinator under longtime coach Bill Wagner. Penn won two CSFL championships during McConnell’s time as offensive coordinator.

  • Jeffrey A. Woodley, internationally celebrated celebrity hairstylist, has died at 71

    Jeffrey A. Woodley, internationally celebrated celebrity hairstylist, has died at 71

    Jeffrey A. Woodley, 71, formerly of Philadelphia, internationally celebrated celebrity hairstylist, scholar, youth track and field star, mentor, and favorite uncle, died Wednesday, Dec. 10, of complications from acute respiratory distress syndrome at Mount Sinai West Hospital in Manhattan.

    Reared in West Philadelphia, Mr. Woodley knew early that he was interested and talented in hairstyling, beauty culture, and fashion. He experimented with cutting and curling on his younger sister Aminta at home, left Abington High School before his senior year to attend the old Wilfred Beauty Academy on Chestnut Street, and quickly earned a chair at Wanamakers’ popular Glemby Salon at 13th and Chestnut Streets.

    He went to New York in the mid-1970s after being recruited by famed stylist Walter Fontaine and spent the next 30 years doing hair for hundreds of actors, entertainers, models, athletes, and celebrities. He styled Diahann Carroll, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, and Tyra Banks.

    He worked with Denzel and Pauletta Washington, Eddie Murphy, Jasmine Guy, Lynn Whitfield, Pam Grier, Melba Moore, Jody Watley, and Karyn White. His hairstyles were featured in GQ, Vanity Fair, Ebony, Jet, Essence, Vibe, Vogue Italia, and other publications, and in advertising campaigns for L’Oréal and other products.

    Mr. Woodley poses with actor Lynn Whitfield.

    For years, actor Terry Burrell said, “He was the go-to hair stylist for every Black diva in New York City.” Pauletta Washington said: “He was responsible for so much of who I became as an artist and a friend.”

    Mr. Woodley worked for Zoli Illusions in New York, Europe, Africa, and elsewhere around the world, and collaborated often with noted makeup artists Reggie Wells and Eric Spearman. Model Marica Fingal called Mr. Woodley “uber talented” on Instagram and said: “He was one of the most skilled artists, creating stunning, innovative styles for models and celebs alike.”

    Friendly and curious, Mr. Woodley told Images magazine in 2000 that learning about the people in his chair was important. “A woman’s hairstyle should take into account the type of work she does, her likes, her dislikes, and her fantasies,” he said. “I’m a stylist, but I never impose hair styles on any client. When we arrive at our finished style, it’s always a collaboration.”

    His hairstyles appeared on record albums and at exhibitions at the Philadelphia Art Museum and elsewhere. He was quoted often as an expert in coiffure and a fashion forecaster. In 1989, he told a writer for North Carolina’s Charlotte Post: “Texture is the key. … Cut will still be important, but the lines will be more softened and much less severe.”

    Mr. Woodley (right) handles hair styling for singer Anita Baker while makeup artist Reggie Wells attends to her face.

    In 2000, he told Images that “low maintenance is the way of the future.” He said: “Today’s woman is going back to school. She has the corporate job. She has children that she needs to send off to school. She doesn’t have time anymore to get up and spend 35 to 40 minutes on her hair. She wants something she can get up and go with.”

    He retired in 2005 after losing his sight to glaucoma. So he earned his General Educational Development diploma, attended classes at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and studied literature, Black history, and spiritual writing.

    “The entirety of his life was inspired by an insatiable thirst for knowledge,” said his friend Khadija Kamara.

    He was working on his memoir and still taking classes when he died. “He lived life on his own terms,” Burrell said, “and my respect and admiration for his determination will forever be inspiring.”

    Mr. Woodley smiles with track stars and celebrities Jackie Joyner-Kersee (left) and Florence Griffith Joyner.

    As a youth, Mr. Woodley excelled in sprints, relays, and the high jump at St. Rose of Lima Catholic School and Abington High School, and for the Philadelphia Pioneers and other local track and field teams. He ran on Abington’s 440-yard relay team that won the PIAA District 1 championship race at the 1970 Penn Relays and helped set a meet record in the four-lap relay at a 1971 Greater Philadelphia Track and Field Coaches Association indoor meet.

    Family and friends called him authentic, generous, and proud of his Philadelphia roots. He mentored his nieces and nephews and hosted them on long visits to his home in New York.

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    “He was one of the most talented people around and always a lot of fun,” a friend said on Facebook. “A beautiful soul and spirit who made others beautiful.”

    Jeffrey Alan Woodley was born May 30, 1954, in Philadelphia. He had an older brother, Alex, and two younger sisters, Aminta and Alicia, and ran cross-country as well as track in high school.

    Mr. Woodley (left) worked with actor and musician Pauletta Washington and makeup stylist Eric Spearman.

    He was always an avid reader and loved dogs, especially his guide dog Polly. He was a foodie and longtime member of the Abyssinian Baptist Church choir in Harlem. His close family and friends called him Uncle Jeff.

    “He was a fun-loving, spirited, and passionate individual,” his brother said. “Uncle Jeff loved the Lord and poured his heart into his work as well as family.”

    When parents die, even the mundane memories comfort their children. Here are their tales, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    His sister Aminta said: “He had a wonderful spirit. He knew the Lord, lived life to the fullest, and was a joy to be with.”

    In addition to his mother, Anna, brother, and sisters, Mr. Woodley is survived by nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

    Mr. Woodley doted on his nieces and nephews.

    A celebration of his life was held Dec. 22.

    Donations in his name may be made to Abyssinian Baptist Church, 132 W. 138th St., New York, N.Y. 10030; and the Anna E. Woodley Music Appreciation Fund at Bowie State University, 14000 Jericho Park Rd., Bowie, Md. 20715.

  • Bucks County sheriff terminates controversial alliance with ICE, prohibits deputies from asking about immigration status

    Bucks County sheriff terminates controversial alliance with ICE, prohibits deputies from asking about immigration status

    Bucks County Sheriff Danny Ceisler terminated his office’s controversial partnership with ICE Wednesday, citing negative impacts on public safety and immigrants’ trust of law enforcement.

    The partnership, known as a 287(g) agreement, which enabled 16 sheriff deputies to act as immigration enforcement, was initiated by former Sheriff Fred Harran, the Trump-aligned Republican who Ceisler defeated in November.

    Ceisler said Wednesday that he signed two orders, one revoking the 287(g) partnership, and another that prohibited deputies from asking crime victims, witnesses, and court observers about their immigration status.

    “Bucks County is home to over 50,000 immigrants … those immigrants are our neighbors,” said Ceisler, a Democrat who took office last week, during a news conference outside of the Bucks County Justice Center Wednesday. “They are our friends. They are taxpayers and they deserve the protection of law enforcement in this community.”

    Ceisler’s decision to terminate 287(g) was expected, but his announcement comes amid a nationwide reckoning over federal immigration agents’ deployments to U.S. cities as ordered by the Trump administration. Protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement escalated across the country, including in Philadelphia, after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minnesota last week.

    Wednesday’s decision “has nothing to do with what’s going on in Minneapolis,” Ceisler said.

    Other officials in the region have spoken out directly in response to the Minnesota incident. Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal’s comments calling ICE “fake, wannabe law enforcement” went viral.

    Ceisler, on Wednesday, called Bilal’s comments “completely counterproductive, and said she was the “wrong messenger for them.”

    The Bucks sheriff was adamant Wednesday that his order does not make Bucks County a so-called sanctuary jurisdiction, which have been increasingly targeted by President Donald Trump.

    The president announced Wednesday morning that on Feb. 1 he would cut off federal funding to states that have cities with sanctuary policies, which prohibit local law enforcement cooperation with ICE. Ceisler’s directive prohibits sheriff deputies from acting as immigration authorities, but does not cut off the county’s cooperation with ICE.

    People and press gather at a press conference announcing the termination of Bucks County’s partnership with ICE.

    “Bucks County has not, has never been, and will never be a so-called sanctuary county,” Ceisler said. “Our county has not severed all ties with ICE, nor precluded future partnership with ICE when it comes to dangerous criminals. Instead, we are returning to a level of partnership we’ve been operating under for decades.”

    Bucks was the only county in the Philadelphia area that wasn’t named as a sanctuary jurisdiction by the Trump administration last year when it rolled out an initial list of state and local governments in danger of losing funding — which was later deleted. Officials from the other collar counties disputed the designation at the time.

    Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro downplayed concerns about Trump’s Feb. 1 funding threat during a Wednesday appearance at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.

    “We don’t pay attention to the bluster, we pay attention to what’s written in the directive,“ Shapiro told reporters. ”Pennsylvania’s not a sanctuary state. I would anticipate us not losing funding at the state level unless they wanna be punitive.”

    The sheriff said that the county Department of Corrections will continue to share information with law enforcement agencies, including ICE. Federal immigration agents will also continue to have access to county jails and honor judicial warrants to hold individuals who are incarcerated for immigration enforcement.

    The motivation for the sheriff’s orders Wednesday were in response to “heartbreaking feedback” from Bucks’ immigrant community that they were afraid to report crimes or engage with law enforcement, Ceisler said

    “To the members of our immigrant communities, you are safe to call 911, you are safe to report crime and you are safe to come into this courthouse and testify,” Ceisler said.

    Heidi Roux, an immigration advocate, said her “community is breathing a collective sigh of relief” by ending the 287(g) agreement, but noted that continuing to partner with local law enforcement is crucial to public safety.

    “I believe criminal activity can be addressed while simultaneously supporting the human rights and dignity of our residents,” Roux said.

    Heidi Roux, executive director at Immigrant Rights Action, speaks at a press conference about the termination of Bucks County’s partnership with ICE.

    The 287(g) affiliation stirred up controversy when then-Sheriff Harran announced the department’s alliance with ICE in April of last year. The agency had 455 agreements with police authorities in 38 states across the country.

    Since then the number has exploded, to 1,318 in 40 states, with 11 additional agreements pending as of Monday, according to ICE.

    ICE says the program helps protect American communities, a force-multiplier that adds strength to an agency workforce that numbers about 20,000 nationwide. Opponents, however, insist that turning local officers into immigration agents breaks community trust with the police and puts municipal taxpayers at risk of paying big legal settlements.

    In Pennsylvania, the number of participating agencies has grown from 39 in September to 52 today.

    Seven states, including New Jersey and Delaware, bar the agreements by law or policy.

    The growth in Pennsylvania and across the nation has been driven by Trump, who has pumped incentive money into the program as he pursues plans to arrest and deport millions of immigrants.

    On Trump’s first day in office in January, he directed the Department of Homeland Security to authorize local police to “perform the functions of immigration officers” to “the maximum extent permitted by law.”

    In the Philadelphia area, Harran’s decision to collaborate with ICE sparked public protests and a lawsuit – and may have cost him his job in a hard-fought November election.

    No one had yet been detained under that program, but opponents saw Ceisler’s election as the last chance to stop the Sheriff’s Department’s alliance with ICE, and the Democrat said he would act quickly to end the alliance.

    The former sheriff said his only goal was to make the community safer, that the department would not conduct random immigration checks or broad enforcement but “those who commit crimes must face the consequences regardless of immigration status.”

    The Democratic-led Bucks County Board of Commissioners warned county employees that they could be personally liable for helping ICE, passing a resolution that said the alliance was “not an appropriate use of Bucks County taxpayer resources.” Democratic Commissioners Diane Ellis-Marseglia and Bob Harvie were at Wednesday’s news conference but did not speak.

    In October, however, Bucks County Court Judge Jeffrey Trauger ruled that Harran’s cooperation with ICE was “clearly lawful under Pennsylvania jurisprudence,” and both “reasonable and necessary” in fulfilling his lawful duty to keep the citizens of Bucks County safe.

    Ceisler said that terminating the agreement is the first step to regaining trust of the county’s immigrant communities. Next, he said, comes getting out into the communities.

    “It’s about letting people know that they are safe,” he said.

    Staff writer Gillian McGoldrick contributed reporting.