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  • Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California dies, reducing GOP’s narrow control of the House to 218-213

    Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California dies, reducing GOP’s narrow control of the House to 218-213

    WASHINGTON — Republican Doug LaMalfa, a seven-term U.S. representative from California and a reliable vote on President Donald Trump’s agenda, has died, reducing the GOP’s narrow control of the House. He was 65.

    A former state lawmaker and rice farmer, LaMalfa had more than a dozen years in Congress, where he regularly helped GOP leaders open the House floor and frequently gave speeches. His death, confirmed by Majority Whip Tom Emmer and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson, trims the Republicans’ margin of control of the House to 218 seats to Democrats’ 213.

    “I was really saddened by his passing,” Trump said.

    The president said he considered not giving the speech to honor LaMalfa but decided to go ahead with it “because he would have wanted it that way.”

    Trump said the late congressman “wasn’t a 3 o’clock in the morning person” like other lawmakers he would call in the wee hours to lobby for their votes.

    “He voted with me 100% of the time,” Trump said. “With Doug, I never had to call.”

    Details surrounding LaMalfa’s death were unclear.

    David Reade, a former chief of staff of LaMalfa’s from the state legislature, became emotional remembering LaMalfa, who he said was committed to his district and proud of his family and Christian faith.

    “One of my great memories of Doug is that, you know, he would show up at the smallest events that were important in people’s lives in this district,” Reade said in a phone interview. “Whether it was a birthday, it was, you, know, a family gathering, it was the smallest organization in his district, and he would drive literally hundreds and hundreds of miles to be there.”

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, must call a special election to replace LaMalfa, his office said. The election could happen as late as June, when California will hold its primary for the 2026 midterm.

    Hudson, the NRCC chairman, called LaMalfa “a principled conservative and a tireless advocate for the people of Northern California.”

    “He was never afraid to fight for rural communities, farmers, and working families,” Hudson said. “Doug brought grit, authenticity, and conviction to everything he did in public service.”

    First elected to Congress in 2012, he was a regular presence on the House floor, helping GOP leadership open the chamber and offer his view local and national affairs.

    C-SPAN in a recent compilation said he gave at least one set of remarks for the record on 81 days in 2025. Only two other lawmakers spoke on the House floor more frequently.

  • The fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection brings fresh division to the Capitol

    The fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection brings fresh division to the Capitol

    WASHINGTON — Five years ago outside the White House, outgoing President Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters to head to the Capitol — “and I’ll be there with you” — in protest as Congress was affirming the 2020 election victory for Democrat Joe Biden.

    A short time later, the world watched as the seat of U.S. power descended into chaos, and democracy hung in the balance.

    On the fifth anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021, there is no official event to memorialize what happened that day, when the mob made its way down Pennsylvania Avenue, battled police at the Capitol barricades and stormed inside, as lawmakers fled. The political parties refuse to agree to a shared history of the events, which were broadcast around the globe. And the official plaque honoring the police who defended the Capitol has never been hung.

    Instead, the day displayed the divisions that still define Washington, and the country, and the White House itself issued a glossy new report with its own revised history of what happened.

    Trump, during a lengthy morning speech to House Republicans convening away from the Capitol at the rebranded Kennedy Center now carrying his own name, shifted blame for Jan. 6 onto the rioters themselves.

    The president said he had intended only for his supporters to go “peacefully and patriotically” to confront Congress as it certified Biden’s win. He blamed the media for focusing on other parts of his speech that day.

    At the same time, Democrats held their own morning meeting at the Capitol, reconvening members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack for a panel discussion. Recalling the history of the day is important, they said, in order to prevent what Rep. Jamie Raskin (D., Md.) warned was the GOP’s “Orwellian project of forgetting.”

    And the former leader of the militant Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, summoned people for a midday march retracing the rioters’ steps from the White House to the Capitol, this time to honor Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt and others who died in the Jan. 6 siege and its aftermath. More than 100 people gathered, including Babbitt’s mother.

    Tarrio and others are putting pressure on the Trump administration to punish officials who investigated and prosecuted the Jan. 6 rioters. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy for orchestrating the Jan. 6 attack, and he is among more than 1,500 defendants who saw their charges dropped when Trump issued a sweeping pardon on his return to the White House last year.

    “They should be fired and prosecuted,” Tarrio told the crowd before they arrived at the Capitol, confronted along the way by counterprotesters, and sang the national anthem.

    The White House in its new report highlighted the work the president has already done to free those charged and turned the blame on Democrats for certifying Biden’s election victory.

    Echoes of 5 years ago

    This milestone anniversary carried echoes of the differences that erupted that day.

    But it unfolds while attention is focused elsewhere, particularly after the U.S. military’s stunning capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and Trump’s plans to take over the country and prop up its vast oil industry, a striking new era of American expansionism.

    “These people in the administration, they want to lecture the world about democracy when they’re undermining the rule of law at home, as we all will be powerfully reminded,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said on the eve of the anniversary.

    House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, responding to requests for comment about the delay in hanging the plaque honoring the police at the Capitol, as required by law, said in a statement on the eve of the anniversary that the statute “is not implementable,” and proposed alternatives “also do not comply with the statute.”

    Democrats revive an old committee, Republicans lead a new one

    At the morning hearing at the Capitol, lawmakers heard from a range of witnesses and others — including former U.S. Capitol Police officer Winston Pingeon, who said as a kid he always dreamed of being a cop. But on that day, he thought he was going to die in the mayhem on the steps of the Capitol.

    “I implore America to not forget what happened,” he said, “I believe the vast majority of Americans have so much more in common than what separates us.”

    Also testifying was Pamela Hemphill, a rioter who refused Trump’s pardon, blamed the president for the violence and silenced the room as she apologized to the officer sitting alongside her at the witness table, stifling tears.

    “I can’t allow them not be recognized, to be lied about,” Hemphill said about the police who she said also saved her life as she fell and was trampled on by the mob. “Until I can see that plaque get up there, I’m not done.”

    Among those testifying were former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who along with former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming were the two Republicans on the panel that investigated Trump’s efforts to overturn Biden’s win. Cheney, who lost her own reelection bid to a Trump-backed challenger, did not appear. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi urged the country to turn away from a culture of lies and violence that she said sends the wrong message about democracy.

    Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia, who has been tapped by Johnson to lead a new committee to probe other theories about what happened on Jan. 6, rejected Tuesday’s session as a “partisan exercise” designed to hurt Trump and his allies.

    Many Republicans reject the narrative that Trump sparked the Jan. 6 attack, and Johnson, before he became the House speaker, had led challenges to the 2020 election. He was among some 130 GOP lawmakers voting that day to reject the presidential results from some states.

    Instead, they have focused on security lapses at the Capitol — from the time it took for the National Guard to arrive on the scene to the failure of the police canine units to discover the pipe bombs found that day outside Republican and Democratic party headquarters. The FBI arrested a Virginia man suspected of placing the pipe bombs, and he told investigators last month he believed someone needed to speak up for those who believed the 2020 election was stolen, authorities say.

    “The Capitol Complex is no more secure today than it was on Jan. 6,” Loudermilk said in a social media post. “My Select Subcommittee remains committed to transparency and accountability and ensuring the security failures that occurred on Jan. 6 and the partisan investigation that followed never happens again.”

    The aftermath of Jan. 6

    At least five people died in the Capitol siege and its aftermath, including Babbitt, who was shot and killed by police while trying to climb through the window of a door near the House chamber, and Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died later after battling the mob. Several law enforcement personnel died later, some by suicide.

    The Justice Department indicted Trump on four counts in a conspiracy to defraud voters with his claims of a rigged election in the run-up to the Jan. 6 attack.

    Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers last month that the riot at the Capitol “does not happen” without Trump. He ended up abandoning the case once Trump was reelected president, adhering to department guidelines against prosecuting a sitting president.

    Trump, who never made it to the Capitol that day as he hunkered down at the White House, was impeached by the House on the sole charge of having incited the insurrection. The Senate acquitted him after top GOP senators said they believed the matter was best left to the courts.

    Ahead of the 2024 election, the Supreme Court ruled ex-presidents have broad immunity from prosecution.

  • As Tyrese Maxey ascends, his shotmaking in ‘clutch’ scenarios is still a work in progress

    As Tyrese Maxey ascends, his shotmaking in ‘clutch’ scenarios is still a work in progress

    An onlooker could have determined that Tyrese Maxey simply lost his dribble at the end of regulation Monday in a loss to the Denver Nuggets, forcing him into a rushed, fading three-point attempt.

    But the 76ers’ star point guard already recognized that he wished he had gotten an earlier screen from teammate VJ Edgecombe. That would have given him more time to determine whether he should pass the ball if he drew multiple defenders or attack the basket with his explosiveness.

    “Once I came off the screen, there was like four or five seconds left,” Maxey said postgame. “They were kind of faking the double[-team] at me, and that was a little difficult for me.”

    Sixers takeaways: Inexcusable effort, costly turnovers, and more from an overtime loss to the Nuggets

    The Sixers never should have been in a last-possession situation against the depleted Nuggets, who played their 125-124 overtime victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena without their top seven players, including MVP front-runner Nikola Jokić. But Maxey had the ball in his hands at the end of regulation and the extra frame and missed two potential game-winning shots.

    That developing responsibility comes with the 25-year-old’s continued ascent that includes being named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, being ranked second in the East in fan voting in the first All-Star returns, and earning legitimate MVP buzz for the surprising 19-15 Sixers.

    “I’m just learning what [actions] I want to get into, how I want to play, where I want guys,” said Maxey, who totaled 28 points, six rebounds, six assists, and four steals against Denver. “… I could have done a better job of explaining what I wanted and what I wanted to happen.”

    Tyrese Maxey had 28 points, six rebounds, six assists, and four steals against Denver on Monday.

    Maxey also misfired at the end of overtime on an attempt he described as a “good look” but that coach Nick Nurse called “OK.” Maxey took the inbounds pass with less than five seconds remaining and turned the right corner around the defender, but tripped over his foot and, while falling, lofted a floater that bounced off the rim.

    “Got a little off-balance,” Nurse said, “and probably wasn’t as clean a look as he wanted to get.”

    Maxey and the Sixers are no strangers to matchups going down to the wire this season. They entered Tuesday tied for second in the NBA with 23 “clutch” games played, when the scoring margin is five points or fewer with five minutes remaining in regulation. They are 13-10 in such situations and are tied for ninth in the league in winning percentage (.565) and are sixth in net rating (plus-1.4).

    The Sixers’ success is dependent on Joel Embiid’s ability to make others better

    Maxey has played in 21 of those games, and ranks 10th in the league in scoring average in those minutes (four points) among players with at least 10 clutch appearances. Maxey is shooting 39.7% from the floor, including 22.7% from three-point range in those minutes, significant dips from his overall shooting numbers (47.5% from the field, 40.5% from long range) while sitting third in the NBA in scoring at 31 points per game.

    The defense — and pressure — increases down the stretch of tight games, of course. But this season, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder is shooting 49.2% from the floor in clutch situations, while averaging 7.4 points. Last season, NBA Clutch Player of the Year Jalen Brunson connected on 51.1% of his attempts and averaged 5.6 points in those minutes for a New York Knicks team that advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. Entering Tuesday, Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham, and Devin Booker are shooting 50% or better in at least 12 clutch games played this season.

    Tyrese Maxey has become a focal point in big moments as Sixers stars including Joel Embiid have become less available.

    They headline the elite guard group that Maxey, in many ways, has already cracked. Yet he spoke last season about experiencing a variety of new defensive coverages while becoming the Sixers’ clear top offensive option, while former MVP Joel Embiid and perennial All-Star Paul George mostly were sidelined with injuries. Consider these clutch demands — which were a rarity during a woeful 24-58 season in 2024-25 — the next layer.

    Long before Monday’s waning seconds of regulation and overtime, Nurse said the Sixers lost “strictly a shooting percentage game” by allowing the shorthanded Nuggets to get comfortable from the floor (53.1%) and beyond the arc (18-for-37). Embiid, meanwhile, called the Sixers’ offensive spacing “kind of terrible,” and said the basketball IQ required to counter the smaller Nuggets’ double teams of him was “high school stuff.” Denver gained its final lead in overtime via a goaltending call on Embiid, who acknowledged that he mistimed his jump to challenge a Bruce Brown transition layup.

    VJ Edgecombe’s short career is full of milestones. The Sixers think there are more to come.

    In November, Maxey fervently clapped when asked about the crunch-time games the Sixers had already compiled. He said then that he was proud of his team’s resilience, and that the experience should hold long-term benefits. On his own, Maxey had already rewatched the Sixers’ first two matchups against the Boston Celtics (a one-point win and one-point defeat, respectively), along with their 136-124 victory against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 27 and their dreadful 113-111 loss at the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 4.

    “There were a couple times I just got in the paint, kicked it out, got some open threes,” Maxey said then. “I think that’s the biggest thing. And then, sometimes, I’m going to have to shoot some tough shots — and make some tough shots. I can live on that hill.”

    Sixers coach Nick Nurse described Tyrese Maxey’s final look against the Nuggets as “OK.”

    Since then, Maxey has connected on timely fourth-quarter shots at Madison Square Garden to keep the Sixers out of clutch territory in Saturday’s victory over the Knicks. And he covered the ground for an highlight-worthy chase-down block on former teammate De’Anthony Melton to preserve a Dec. 4 home victory against the Golden State Warriors. And he dished to Edgecombe for an overtime game-winner at the Memphis Grizzlies last week.

    That play featured the screen timing from Edgecombe that Maxey desired Monday, when he got going too late before bobbling the ball. By the time Maxey hit the podium for his postgame news conference, he had vocalized that to his rookie teammate.

    That is part of Maxey’s development — and responsibility — as a clutch player. And Embiid, who has plenty of experience in those final-possession scenarios, believes in his star point guard.

    “You have the ball, the whole defense is looking at you,” Embiid said. “… You don’t necessarily have to take that last shot. The double comes, you invite it, and then you make the right plays.

    “I think [Maxey] has the right mindset to make those plays, and we’re still going to trust him to make those plays.”

  • 🏈 Vic Fangio, hometown hero | Morning Newsletter

    🏈 Vic Fangio, hometown hero | Morning Newsletter

    Good morning, Philly.

    Vic Fangio’s journey to becoming one of football’s most revered defensive minds began as a high school coach in a small town 120 miles from Philadelphia. Ahead of the Eagles’ playoff run, get to know Dunmore’s hometown hero.

    And after federal health officials on Monday announced sweeping changes to the United States’ childhood vaccine schedule, we spoke to a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia expert about the implications.

    — Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Local legend

    Those who knew Vic Fangio around the 1970s say he’s always been like this — stern, focused, and endearingly gruff.

    🏈 The lifelong Philly sports fan grew up near Scranton in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He coached the football team at Dunmore High School, his alma mater, gaining a reputation among players for his love of film and attention to detail when developing plays.

    🏈 Now the Eagles’ well-regarded defensive coordinator, Fangio has a Super Bowl win and citywide fame under his belt. But locals still see the same understated guy, who they say maintains firm ties to the place where it all started.

    🏈 Fangio’s former players even see traces of their high school coach in Philadelphia’s defense: “When we watch the Eagles now, we’re like, ‘Hey, we recognize that,’” one told The Inquirer.

    Sports reporter Alex Coffey visited Dunmore for this deep dive on the famously reserved coach.

    Childhood vaccine schedule changes

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its childhood vaccine schedule this week, decreasing the number of universally recommended shots for children from 17 to 11. Among those no longer recommended are immunizations for hepatitis B, the flu, RSV, and the gastrointestinal illness rotavirus.

    The move was widely criticized by pediatricians and infectious disease experts, including Paul Offit, a CHOP physician and nationally renowned vaccine expert who co-invented a vaccine for rotavirus.

    Notable quote: “I think the goal of [Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.] is to make vaccines optional,” Offit said Monday. The health and human services secretary and longtime anti-vaccine activist, he said, “is doing everything he can to make vaccines less available, less affordable, and more feared.”

    Reporter Aubrey Whelan has more on the announcement’s potential impact.

    In other health news: University of Pennsylvania researchers recently won a $25 million grant to see if they can fight heart disease with a game that promotes a healthy behavior — walking.

    What you should know today

    🧠 Trivia time

    A decade after teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and being taken over by its home state, which city just signaled that it had found its financial footing by earning an investment grade rating by Moody’s Ratings?

    A) Wilmington

    B) Trenton

    C) Atlantic City

    D) Philadelphia

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What we’re …

    🥚 Mapping: Philly’s best flaky, custardy, and barely sweet egg tarts.

    🛒 Noting: Changes to how Giant handles online orders.

    🐧 Picking: A name for the new baby African penguin at Camden’s Adventure Aquarium.

    🍖 Learning about: The lawsuit over the ingredients in the McDonald’s McRib.

    🫴 Considering: Pennsylvania’s hidden human trafficking problem.

    🧩 Unscramble the anagram

    Hint: _ Township in Camden County

    DAD HON

    Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

    Cheers to Rosie Ladeau, who solved Monday’s anagram: West Bradford. The Chester County township is lowering property taxes this year — a rarity that other towns may not be able to copy.

    P.S. Want more Chester County news? Sign up to get your free weekly guide to the news and events shaping life in your community.

    Photo of the day

    Artist Rinal Parikh poses for a portrait in her studio with a few of her paintings framed on the wall in her home in Media.

    🎨 One last artistic thing: Media-based painter Rinal Parikh is redefining Indian folk art with contemporary themes and local imagery. “What inspires me is my surroundings, and I’m blessed with an amazing backyard,” the biochemist-turned-artist said. “That is my main inspiration.”

    Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. See you back here tomorrow.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

  • Media-based painter Rinal Parikh is redefining Indian folk art with contemporary themes and local imagery

    Media-based painter Rinal Parikh is redefining Indian folk art with contemporary themes and local imagery

    As a blanket of snow and sleet melted into the grass and an early winter fog hung over the Delaware Valley last month, Rinal Parikh’s art studio was a tranquil portal to the outside world.

    In her studio, lofty windows look out onto a sprawling backyard. The walls are adorned with Parikh’s paintings, both completed and in progress, and its shelves are stacked with art supplies and mementos.

    “What inspires me is my surroundings, and I’m blessed with an amazing backyard,” Parikh said, looking out the window. “That is my main inspiration.”

    Parikh is a Media-based painter and biochemist by trade whose art blends traditional Indian folk styles with contemporary themes. Her art, rich in texture, color, and meaning, uses a collection of materials, from sand and fabric to glass, beads, and stucco. She paints with acrylic and watercolors, and creates detailed drawings with thin brushes. Her work fuse her upbringing in India with her current life in Media, an amalgamation of past and present, of here and there.

    Rinal Parikh, 43, Media-based artist, talking about her art work in her home in Media, Pa., on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.

    Parikh, 43, took a circuitous route to becoming an artist. She moved to Philly in 2005 from Gujarat, India, to follow her husband, Bhavin, who had immigrated a few years earlier (the day of our interview was the 20th anniversary, to the date, of her arrival in the U.S.). She enrolled in a masters in molecular biology program at Drexel University, a step toward her Ph.D., and got a job in a lab at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

    A few years after her move, Parikh’s first son was born with health complications. With no family close by, Parikh quit her job to focus on taking care of her son. He’s now a healthy teenager, she notes.

    Seeing that Parikh was missing out on work, her husband made a suggestion: Why not paint something for their new house? That first painting, “Krishna-leela,” now hangs in the Parikhs’ living room, an eye-catching depiction of the Hindu deity Krishna.

    Rinal Parikh’s painting “Krishna-leela” is displayed at home in her formal living room in Media, Pa., on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.

    When her son was 9 months old, Parikh stopped by an art fair at the Creative Living Room, a community arts center in Swarthmore. She struck up a conversation with some of the women there. A few days later, they called with a question: Would she like to do a solo show?

    “I didn’t even know what that means,” she said.

    Nonetheless, she agreed. She worked tirelessly for three months to make 20 pieces. She didn’t know where to buy art supplies, so she imported them from India (someone would later point her toward the now-closed Pearl Art & Craft Supplies on South Street). In fall 2009, she displayed her paintings for the first time as a professional artist — and sold her first painting, too. The rest, she said, is history.

    Parikh melds together three types of Indian folk art — Warli, Madhubani, and Kalamkari. Warli is a tribal art that depicts day-to-day life in a mural-like format. Madhubani uses geometric patterns and typically reflects celebrations of life. Kalamkari, Parikh said, is “very refined,” a style of art that uses a fine brush to create delicate and detailed line drawings. All three art forms have traditionally been practiced by women.

    Parikh feels like she speaks “a global language.”

    Though her paintings take inspiration from the traditional Indian folk style, the scenes depicted are not just of India. They’re often of the Philly area, and of the flora and fauna in her backyard.

    “I still practice Indian folk art, but the subject matters are very ‘now,’” Parikh said. “The language is still very traditional, but the conceptualization, the visualization, is much more contemporary.”

    A painting called “Home” painted by Rinal Parikh, 43, displayed in the family room of her home in Media, Pa., on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.

    In her family room hangs “Home,” a 2021 Warli painting of a tree. The background is complex in both texture and color, with blues, browns, and purples peeking out. Hanging from the tree are monkeys, which Parikh said captures the energy of having two boys, now 17 and 12, in the house. (They’re very good kids, she clarifies.)

    “I observe my surroundings, I experiment with styles, I do a lot of repetitive patterns, and I tell my story,” she said.

    Since jumpstarting her art career, Parikh has become involved in the region’s growing art community. She’s the marketing chair for the Rittenhouse Square Fine Arts Show and is involved with the Community Arts Center of Wallingford.

    She said she understands the anxieties of young artists and wants to support the organizations that nurture their careers.

    “I was supported by the community, and I want to do the same thing.”

    Parikh’s art can be found on her website and her Instagram page.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Philly’s Carnaval de Puebla canceled again amid ICE concerns

    Philly’s Carnaval de Puebla canceled again amid ICE concerns

    El Carnaval de Puebla, one of the biggest yearly celebrations of Mexican culture in Philadelphia and on the East Coast, is not returning in 2026.

    For the second year in a row, the current immigration policies have overshadowed the festival that commemorates the Battle of Puebla traditionally celebrated on May 5, but not for the reasons one might expect.

    “We are not scared of ICE; it is not fear that drives us,” said Edgar Ramirez, founder of Philatinos Radio and a committee member for San Mateo Carnavalero. “Many of the people who attend the carnival are second or third generation, but we are living at a time where the feeling of rejection is palpable, and it is not a suitable environment.”

    A group of children dress up for the 2019 Carnaval de Puebla.

    El Carnaval de Puebla has been a long-standing tradition for the city since 2005, stopping only during the pandemic, the first year of Donald Trump’s presidency in 2017, and last year following his reelection, as concerns for attracting immigration enforcement actions arose.

    Since Trump’s reelection, the number of immigrants in federal detention facilities has increased beyond 65,000, a two-thirds increase since he took office last January.

    South Philadelphia has been particularly affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Most recently, five men were arrested in a South Philly Park in September, when they stopped for a drink in celebration of Mexico’s Independence Day before going to work.

    Such uncertainty over when ICE might strike puts festival attendees at risk, making it harder to find sponsors and generate enough revenue to pay for city permits and requirements to hold the event, said committee member Olga Renteria.

    “It’s hard to ask people to invest when there is no certainty that the carnival will be able to drive the success of previous years,” said Renteria, who noted that over 15,000 people attended the carnival in 2024. “The carnival is about family, sharing, drinking, enjoying yourself, and right now, any excuse is good enough to arrest someone; one incident is enough.”

    For the community, this feels like a loss of space, both literally and figuratively.

    A group of Carnavaleros march on Broad Street during the 2019 Carnaval de Puebla.

    Longtime carnival attendee Alma Romero looked forward to seeing people in traditional attire, dancing and parading on Washington Avenue, triggering memories of her home in Puebla once a year.

    “The carnival would have been good to lift our spirits, just as the Day of the Dead celebrations did,” Romero said, referring to the Ninth Street Corridor festivities in November that commemorate loved ones who passed away. “Without it, it feels like a sense of pride and unity is missing; now we just carry it in our hearts.”

    After having attended the parade at all 19 past El Carnaval de Puebla events in Philly, Karina Sanchez, too, feels that sense of loss.

    “I understand it’s important for the community to feel safe, but it’s sad to see us shrinking ourselves,” Sanchez said. “When that sentiment grows, it is not a loss just for us, but for Philadelphia as a whole.”

    Currently, there are no plans to replace El Carnaval de Puebla, but there is hope among many for a return.

    “We have to come back,” Ramirez said. “We must because we are part of this city too, and things have to get better at some point.”

    The parade that included horses arrives at the 18th annual El Carnaval de Puebla at Sacks Playground on Washington Avenue on April 30, 2023. El Carnaval de Puebla falls on Mexico’s “Day of the Children” and is one of the city’s biggest celebrations of Mexican culture. The celebration featured a parade, traditional games, food, live music and dancing.
  • With Villanova knocking on the top 25 door, is it NCAA Tournament or bust in Year 1 of the Kevin Willard era?

    With Villanova knocking on the top 25 door, is it NCAA Tournament or bust in Year 1 of the Kevin Willard era?

    After victories over DePaul and Butler last week moved Villanova to 12-2 this season with a perfect 3-0 start to Big East play, it was fair to wonder whether the Wildcats would see their name in the Associated Press top 25 rankings Monday for the first time since November 2023.

    If only they ranked 26 teams.

    Villanova was just outside the rankings released Monday afternoon. The Wildcats fell just five ballot points shy of 25th-ranked Central Florida for the final spot.

    Relatively meaningless rankings release aside, Villanova is playing really good basketball right now. The Wildcats have won five consecutive games. They were a slight road underdog at Butler on Saturday and won by 18. They flipped the script in the second half one game earlier and beat DePaul on New Year’s Eve. They controlled the second half and won comfortably at Seton Hall before the holiday break. And they rallied in overtime to beat Wisconsin in a neutral-site game in Milwaukee on Dec. 19 that was effectively a road game.

    “We’re battle-tested,” first-year Villanova coach Kevin Willard said after the road win at Seton Hall, his old stomping grounds. His team spent its next two outings proving his words wise.

    Villanova’s Acaden Lewis chasing a loose ball against DePaul. He is averaging 12 points a game.

    Villanova entered Monday rated 17th in the NCAA’s NET rankings and 21st in the KenPom metrics. Further, ESPN bracket guru Joe Lunardi had the Wildcats slotted in as a No. 6 seed in his latest Bracketology out Tuesday morning. Villanova is comfortably a tournament team through 14 games.

    A season with limited expectations, in Willard’s first year after taking over for Kyle Neptune, has gone about as well as one could reasonably hope. The Wildcats have two losses to teams ranked in the top 10 in the country. They are 2-2 in Quad 1 games and 10-0 in the rest.

    With 17 games to go — all of them Big East contests — has what some would have considered a rebuilding year turned into NCAA Tournament or bust?

    Defying the expectations

    It’s worth starting with the idea that preseason expectations in this new college hoops landscape are a bit unserious. The amount of player turnover that happens on a year-to-year basis make projecting records a bit like throwing darts after being over-served at the local dive.

    KenPom metrics had Villanova rated 50th before the season started. Lunardi had the Wildcats on the bubble in his preseason Bracketology. Villanova rising 29 spots at KenPom has the Wildcats among the biggest climbers from preseason expectations to current performance.

    But while the outsiders were unsure about Villanova, Willard himself was assertive about where he thought the 2025-26 season could go.

    “We got to win,” Willard told The Inquirer in June. “From my perspective, laying the groundwork for the future and what we’re doing is extremely important. That’s more important than winning.

    “But we got to win. I expect to win. We spent a good number on this roster. I think we have a really good roster.”

    Coach Kevin Willard has Villanova off to a 12-2 start, including 3-0 in Big East play.

    Missing the tournament while rebuilding for the future was “not my plan,” Willard said.

    “There’s difficulties [in] taking over and really starting over and doing all that, but this is where my ego comes in a little bit,” he said. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job in years past of doing that and I think we’ve done a really good job of putting together a good roster that I expect us to win games, yeah.

    “I don’t look at Year 1 anymore like you have a two-year grace period. I think that’s [BS] nowadays. I didn’t take this job and say, ‘I now get two years where I don’t have to work.’ We’ve got to produce.”

    So far, so good.

    How they’re doing it

    The roster Willard put together has been better than many expected. The Wildcats start a freshman, a redshirt freshman, a redshirt sophomore, a junior, and a senior. That’s a pretty young roster in the modern college basketball world. KenPom metrics have Villanova ninth among the 11 Big East teams in experience. The Wildcats rank 256th in KenPom’s minutes continuity metric.

    Point guard Acaden Lewis has excelled in his freshman season and is up to 12 points, 4.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game against just 1.6 turnovers. Redshirt sophomore Bryce Lindsay, a James Madison transfer, leads Villanova with 16.9 points per game and is shooting 44.7% from three-point range. Senior big man Duke Brennan, a Grand Canyon transfer, is at 12 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He’s the fifth-best rebounder in the country.

    Bryce Lindsay leads Villanova with 16.9 points per game.

    Junior Tyler Perkins (10.9 points, 5.1 rebounds), the lone returner to the roster with game experience, has played well at both ends. And redshirt freshman forward Matt Hodge rounds out a starting five that all average double figures with 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds.

    Willard talked before the season about a deep roster and how he wanted to play as many as 10 guys. But injuries and slower development have led to a shortening of the bench. Villanova played just eight players Saturday vs. Butler.

    Forged in Baltimore, Bryce Lindsay has overcome his share of adversity. Now he’s Villanova’s leading scorer.

    Willard has also adjusted his own coaching preferences. Villanova shoots a three-pointer on 46.4% of its shot attempts, which ranks 48th in the country, far more than any other team Willard has coached (this is his 19th season as a head coach). The next closest was 41.7% by his 2012-13 Seton Hall team. Last year’s Maryland team, by comparison, took a three-pointer on 35.3% of its shots. (The Terrapins had a star big man, Derik Queen.)

    A shorter-than-expected bench has also forced Willard to play a little slower than he usually likes. The Wildcats are 352nd out of 365 Division I teams in KenPom’s adjusted tempo metric. Maryland, meanwhile, was 66th last season.

    Willard has also been working wonders in the second half of games. Villanova outscored Butler, 43-34, in the second half on Saturday. The Wildcats have been outscored in a second half just once this season, their overtime victory over Wisconsin.

    Tournament talk

    So, back to the question at hand: NCAA Tournament or bust? The analytics site Torvik had Villanova’s NCAA Tournament chances at 96.9% on Monday. Missing the dance at this point would be a disappointment and would require a major collapse.

    While Villanova’s marquee wins are over Seton Hall (41 NET), Butler (46), and Wisconsin (63), getting through the nonconference slate without a hiccup against a lesser opponent was a big deal.

    Villanova’s bench reacts after a three-point play against DePaul on Dec. 31.

    A 3-0 start in Big East play, including two wins on the road, makes it pretty hard to imagine Villanova slipping up to a degree that would bump the Wildcats out of the tournament field — even if there are still four games to go against No. 4 UConn and a St. John’s team that is underperforming but will still provide a big challenge.

    Up next is a home game Wednesday vs. Creighton. The Bluejays were 44th at KenPom and 52nd in the NET rankings on Monday. It’s a Quad 2 game, and after that is a Quad 3 game on the road at Marquette.

    Slip-ups in one or both would change the math a little bit. But right now, all roads seem to lead from the Main Line to meaningful basketball in March.

    Editor’s note: Jeff Neiburg is an AP top 25 men’s basketball voter. He had Villanova ranked 21st on his ballot this week.

  • 🦅 Rev up that offense | Sports Daily Newsletter

    🦅 Rev up that offense | Sports Daily Newsletter

    If the Eagles are ever going to get their offense going, this is their chance. The San Francisco 49ers have arguably the most porous defense of any playoff team, and they just lost another linebacker, Tatum Bethune, to a groin injury.

    The Eagles, meanwhile, are as healthy as can be expected after they rested most starters in the season finale, as we are all abundantly aware. Lane Johnson could return for Sunday’s wild-card game. Nakobe Dean, too.

    Meanwhile, San Francisco remains without star Fred Warner (ankle), and two other linebackers, Dee Winters and Luke Gifford, are nursing injuries. The Eagles could be facing a hodgepodge of Niners linebackers.

    San Francisco’s pass rush is practically nonexistent. The 49ers rank second-to-last in the NFL in quarterback pressure rate (26.7%), and they have been shaky against the run, too. They gave up a season-high 180 rushing yards Saturday in a loss to the Seahawks. This looks like the perfect time to get Saquon Barkley and the running game in gear.

    Of course, the Eagles offense has not been firing on all cylinders for quite some time, and coordinator Kevin Patullo looked like anything but a master mechanic again on Sunday, Jeff McLane writes.

    Maybe that’s why the Eagles aren’t bigger favorites for the playoff opener at the Linc. Sportsbooks gave them a slight edge in the opening odds.

    — Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    ❓Which Eagle do you expect to come up big against the 49ers? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

    Donnie Baseball is a Phil

    Don Mattingly was the bench coach for the Blue Jays since 2023.

    There was a point last season when Don Mattingly was planning on calling it a career.

    He went into 2025, his third year as the bench coach with the Blue Jays, expecting it to be his last in the sport. Mattingly, now 64, thought he had accomplished what he had set out to do in Toronto, helping a younger manager in John Schneider become established.

    But it was his 11-year-old son, Louis, who helped change his mind. Now he’s joining the Phillies to help “lighten the load” for manager Rob Thomson as their new bench coach.

    The pride of Dunmore

    A lifelong Philly sports fan, Vic Fangio grew up near Scranton.

    Those who knew Vic Fangio in the 1970s say he’s always been like this — stern, focused, and endearingly gruff. He coached the football team at his alma mater, Dunmore High School near Scranton, and built a reputation as a stickler when it came to the details of the game.

    Now he’s directing the defense as the Eagles begin another Super Bowl run, but those who knew him back then say he’s still the same understated guy. Alex Coffey tells the story.

    Maxey’s latest honor

    Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey averaged 34.7 points on 61.2% shooting along with 8.7 assists, 6.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks in three games last week.

    Tyrese Maxey has had a charmed season, becoming the franchise player for the 76ers and landing at second in the first returns of All-Star fan voting. On Monday he added to the list, being named Eastern Conference player of the week after leading the Sixers to three straight road victories. This is the second time Maxey has received the honor, with the first coming as he put the NBA on notice during opening week.

    The Sixers suffered a bad loss to an undermanned Nuggets team in overtime, 125-124. The positive momentum the Sixers had built over the last few games has vanished, Keith Pompey writes in his takeaways.

    Deal for Dvorak

    Christian Dvorak is sticking around after inking a five-year contract extension with the Flyers on Monday.

    The Flyers took care of some big business on Monday night, as the team announced a five-year, 25.75 million contract extension with center Christian Dvorak.

    Dvorak, who turns 30 next month, is on pace for career highs of 18 goals and 51 points while playing alongside Trevor Zegras. But is five years too long for a player who will be 35 at contract’s end and has never tallied more than 38 points? Jackie Spiegel breaks down the deal.

    The news wasn’t as good for Matvei Michkov, though. Coach Rick Tocchet said the young winger was being evaluated after he took a puck off his foot.

    Finally, Prospect Aleksei Kolosov was named AHL player of the week. The goalie is 9-8-1 with a .910 save percentage in 18 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

    Sports snapshot

    Jonathan Gannon went 15-36 as Arizona’s head coach before the Cardinals fired him.

    Mike Sielski’s take

    Eagles coach Nick Sirianni decided to rest his starters on Sunday and missed out on clinching the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

    Do the Eagles have a harder road back to the Super Bowl now? Maybe, but not necessarily. They got some rest and eliminated any risk that they’d be short-handed to a significant degree next Sunday. The defending champs let everything play out, and now they really get to take their chances, to show that being healthy and healed up is a bigger advantage than anything they might have gained from treating Sunday’s game like their season depended on it. More from Mike Sielski.

    🧠 Trivia time

    Which Eagle had the most career Pro Bowl selections with eight? First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.

    A) Jason Kelce

    B) Chuck Bednarik

    C) Brian Dawkins

    D) Jason Peters

    Who said it?

    Nick Sirianni’s Eagles will enter the playoffs as the NFC’s No. 3 seed after a loss to the Washington Commanders in the season finale.

    The Eagles are a confident bunch heading into the playoffs. Think you know which player said this? Check your answer here.

    What you’re saying about the Eagles

    We asked: Which NFC team is the biggest threat for the Eagles? Among your responses:

    The 49ers will wipe us out! The Seahawks will destroy us. Hope it was a restful day because not playing to win yesterday cost us any chance of advancing in the playoff’s. That’s what happens when your EGO gets so big, you have to walk through the doorway sideways. I also blame ownership for not overriding the HC and insisting we play to win that game. Washington was insulted thinking our scrubs could beat them! Plus most of us just knew the Lions were going to beat the Bears! Playing the Packers vs. the 49ers and having a divisional home game against flying across the country is just plain common sense. — Ronald R.

    Your team is always your worst enemy. This is the NFL, the top of the mountain. You can bask in the sun or you can get down to business. Whoever shows up to play usually wins. Prepare for the other team because they are always better than you until you prepare to stop them. — Mark W.

    Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts bundles up as he watches Sunday’s game against the Commanders.

    While there are no “super teams” in the NFC, we do have to be concerned with the Bears, who beat the Eagles at home, and the Seahawks, who won 14 games with Sam Darnold leading the offense. Both are beatable, however the Eagles biggest obstacle may be themselves. The offense has to be more consistent by eliminating the all too often 3-and-outs! — Bob C.

    The biggest threat and obstacle standing in the way of the Eagles returning to the SB is obviously the top-seeded Seahawks. I think the Eagles defense can contain the Bears, Packers, Rams, or Panthers, but the Eagles have lost their last four games played in Seattle and have always struggled there. — Everett S.

    The Eagles are the biggest threat to themselves if they miss the NFC championship game and the Super Bowl! Why? Because the teams in the playoffs have so little experience in the last two to three seasons! … For one the 49ers have to beat the Eagles starters at home. Two, the Rams have known the Birds have their number, losing the last three games to the Eagles. — Miles

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, Mike Sielski, Lochlahn March, Keith Pompey, Jackie Spiegel, Gustav Elvin, Ryan Mack, Katie Lewis, Rob Tornoe, and Ariel Simpson.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    Thanks for reading Sports Daily. Bella will bring you the newsletter on Tuesday. — Jim

  • Can Don Mattingly save Phillies skipper Rob Thomson from himself?

    Can Don Mattingly save Phillies skipper Rob Thomson from himself?

    David Robertson, 40 and unemployed until July, put out a fire in the sixth inning of the Phillies’ first playoff game of 2025, but he hadn’t pitched an “up-down” all season — ending one inning and beginning another. With a one-run lead, Rob Thomson sent him back out for the seventh. Robertson hit one batter and another singled. Thomson then brought in Matt Strahm, who hadn’t inherited a runner in six weeks. Strahm got two outs, then gave up a three-run homer. The Phillies lost Game 1 of the NLDS to the Dodgers.

    Two nights later, with a slow runner on second base and nobody out in the ninth inning of a one-run game, Thomson directed Bryson Stott to bunt. Twice. The Dodgers ran a “wheel” play and nailed the runner at third. The Phillies lost Game 2 of the NLDS.

    Phillies hire Don Mattingly as bench coach: ‘This is the perfect guy’

    These are the latest blemishes on Thomson’s thin resumé. He was elevated from longtime major league bench coach to first-time manager in June 2022, and the Phillies have at least played to the level of their payroll ever since, but they’ve faltered in the fall. Fairly or not, from pulling Zack Wheeler early in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series to not pinch-hitting early for Johan Rojas in Game 7 of the 2023 NLCS, the popularity of the affable, accountable skipper has steadily waned.

    Enter Donnie Baseball.

    After an intense, two-month recruiting effort, the Phillies on Monday hired Yankees legend Don Mattingly, 64, to replace Mike Calitri as bench coach. Immediately after the four-game NLDS loss to the Dodgers, the Phillies reassigned Calitri to the post of major league field coordinator, which means he’ll retain his myriad administrative duties as they pertain to scheduling and number-crunching. But he no longer will be Thomson’s chief lieutenant; no longer the voice of reason in tight situations.

    Phillies manager Rob Thomson will have an experienced bench coach in the dugout with him in 2026 with the addition of Don Mattingly.

    That louder, deeper voice will belong to Mattingly.

    Thomson was asked Monday if some of his playoff missteps might have been averted had Mattingly been on the bench, protesting.

    “Possibly,” Thomson replied. “Possibly. You never know.”

    “Missteps” might be unfair, but Thomson has addressed each one with honest reevaluation. His authenticity and his absence of ego are part of his charisma.

    Charisma doesn’t win World Series.

    Anyway, the dugout’s charisma just grew by a factor of 10.

    For a decade, Mattingly was the face of the Yankees, then the biggest sports franchise in America. His .307 career average, .830 OPS, and nine Gold Glove awards make him a logical Hall of Fame candidate who has been cursed by a largely illogical voting bloc. With a husky build, full mustache, and thick, full head of dark hair, he was an archetype of a baseball player for a generation. Even today, as the cleft in his chin grows deeper with age, he looks like a movie-star version of a once-great athlete.

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Don Mattingly on why he walked away from baseball ‘to be with my boys,’ including Preston

    He managed the Dodgers to the playoffs three times and the Marlins once, in 2020, when he was National League Manager of the Year. He has coached for the Yankees, Dodgers, and, for the last three seasons, for the Blue Jays, who lost the World Series to the Dodgers in seven games. Mattingly expected Game 7 to be the last of his career.

    But Phillies president Dave Dombrowski was on the phone the next day, and the day after that, and so forth. Finally, Mattingly agreed.

    From now on, every decision — who pitches the eighth inning, who sits for a defensive replacement, who steals and who sacrifices — will go through a man with credentials Thomson simply doesn’t have.

    Don Mattingly managed the Marlins for seven seasons after leading the Dodgers for five.

    “We can now blame Don for it,” Thomson joked.

    Mattingly might have agreed to support Thomson for the next two seasons, but he agreed to much more than just making sure that Topper doesn’t bunt again in the ninth with nobody out.

    Superstar Don

    Mattingly immediately validates a coaching room full of excellent, but anonymous, teachers of the game. With a roster that includes Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Wheeler, in a game in which nothing carries more weight than having withstood the brightest lights yourself, this cannot be overstated.

    “He’s a great sounding board for our stars because he’s been there and done all these things,” Thomson said. “The rest of us really can’t [say] that.”

    Sheriff Don

    One of the most important services a bench coach provides is as a buffer between a manager and the players or as an enforcer who snuffs sparks before they become fires. It’s doubtful that Nick Castellanos’ insubordination or Strahm’s frequent criticisms would have proliferated if Mattingly had been around the clubhouse.

    Manager Don

    Asked if he ever wanted to wear the skipper hat again, Mattingly was steadfast and insistent in his reply.

    “I feel like those days have passed me by; I don’t have any aspirations to manage,” Mattingly said. “I don’t think I have the energy for that anymore.”

    ‘Not elite’ Bryce Harper could use better lineup protection. Here are the Phillies’ options.

    Well, then, he took the wrong job.

    If the Phillies stumble early in 2026, or if, heaven forbid, something incapacitates Thomson, Mattingly will be the obvious choice to replace him. You simply don’t take a job as bench coach without the understanding that you will manage the team in case of dismissal or emergency. Also …

    Preston Mattingly (right) with Dave Dombrowski, is going into his second season as Phillies general manager.

    Daddy Don? Spy Don?

    The Phillies and Mattingly want us to believe that the presence of Preston Mattingly as the Phillies’ general manager is almost entirely coincidental to their pursuit of him and of him delaying retirement. Mattingly swore that, even though Press is his son, he never would betray the sanctity of the dugout and clubhouse to the front office.

    “I’m not a voice running upstairs to talk about anything and everything,” Don said, clearly aware that some organizations are run in exactly that manner. “I came from a different era where that is not something that happens.”

    Preston Mattingly felt helpless as his mother battled alcoholism. Here’s how they discovered her ‘second life’ together.

    That said, after more than four decades of playing and working in the majors, Mattingly admitted that he has envisioned the sweetness of winning the first World Series with his son as his boss.

    “To be able to do that with him would be incredible,” Don said.

    Incredibly difficult.

    In fact, even chiming in on Thomson’s occasional cockeyed decisions, and even riding herd over a roster full of coddled princelings, maintaining a normal father-son relationship while balancing a strictly professional GM-bench coach relationship will be the hardest part of old Don Mattingly’s new job.

  • Side-gig advice from people who make money on Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb in the Philadelphia area

    Side-gig advice from people who make money on Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb in the Philadelphia area

    The number of people doing gig work has increased significantly over the past few years. It was more than 76 million people in the U.S. last year, according to recent reports.

    And the work can pay well. Almost 5 million freelancers are earning more than $100,000 per year, according to freelancer site Upwork. These side gigs can include everything from driving an Uber and running an Airbnb to managing websites, tutoring, or even walking a dog.

    Benefits to this kind of work include flexibility, control, independence, variety, and the ability to make extra money outside a day job.

    But having a successful side gig isn’t easy.

    Marketing yourself and getting work is a topic for a different day. But before you get to that — and yes, you will need to — here are a few things you should know.

    It’s a business

    Your side gig is a business, so make sure you’re treating it like one. You are an independent contractor and the company owner.

    You will need to track your costs and revenues separately from your personal life. You should probably have a separate bank account so funds aren’t intermingled.

    You may need insurance. This not only gives your business credibility, but it also makes it easier for companies to hire you as an independent contractor rather than classifying you as an employee.

    A proper contractor is “really someone already running their own business — they provide the service to a number of other companies,” said Sarah Holmes, a small-business attorney based in Ardmore.

    It helps to set up a corporation or limited liability company, said Jeff Burke, a partner at law firm McElroy Harvey in West Chester.

    “If you set up a corporation or an LLC and you’re doing a business-to-business contract, you are way more likely to pass muster,” Burke said. “A freelancer should have some written proof — business cards, advertisements, websites — that shows you’re actually out in the marketplace.”

    No matter what the business, you always have to remember that “you’re the owner,” Uber and Lyft driver Joseph Casasanto told me.

    “As drivers, we are independent business contractors,” he says. “So that means everything is our responsibility, like gas, oil changes, alignments, tires, repairs, miles, depreciation, etc.”

    Don’t ignore the paperwork

    As a business, you’ll need to make sure you’ve filed the right paperwork and take your taxes seriously. This means either reporting your income and expenses on the Schedule C to your individual tax return or setting up your business separately as an LLC, corporation, or other entity recognized for both federal and state purposes.

    Because your customers don’t withhold taxes like an employer does, you’ll need to pay in estimated taxes to avoid penalties and interest for underpaying throughout the year.

    Experienced freelancers, like part-time Uber driver Jason Napolitan, are scrupulous about tracking their expenses separately and keeping good tax records.

    “My expenses are not only the obvious ones like gas and insurance but also tires and wear and tear on my vehicle.” he said. “For example, I always make sure to track my mileage for the IRS allowance given on my taxes.”

    As a freelancer, you should have an agreement in writing that stipulates the services provided and is clear about your role, so that you’re in compliance with federal and state worker classification rules.

    Guidance around independent contractor rules has been shifting, said Josh Ganz, a labor and employment attorney at Duffy North in Hatboro. But there is a baseline to follow.

    Important questions to consider, he said, are: “Is your client or customer controlling your entire day? Do they tell you where to be and provide the tools for you?”

    Set boundaries

    Having a side gig should never affect your primary job. Make sure you have clear boundaries and there are no conflicts so you don’t get into trouble with your primary employer.

    Running a side gig means you’ll have a lot to juggle between your personal life, your job, and your business. So it’s important to create a schedule. Your customers will want to know when you’re available and so will your family.

    It’s important to set goals as to how much you want to earn and stick to those parameters. It’s easy to get caught up in doing the extra work but it can also quickly take up your time.

    “If you want to do this full time, you have to set goals,” Lyft driver Kendra Brigman said. “You have to have a good attitude when you’re doing your side gig and provide great service. But your availability is also very important.”

    Be smart about pricing

    If you’re doing freelance work for an established company like Uber or Lyft, those rates are usually set for you. Others, like Airbnb, can suggest rates based on your local market. But the rest will be up to you.

    Setting a price too low may set a precedent that becomes unprofitable over the long term. Charging too much may turn off potential customers. You’ll need to research the competition and make a few mistakes over time to learn the right balance.

    It’s also important to know your limitations.

    For example, Airbnb host Julie Seda said, “We are always up-front to prospective guests that our house is not suitable for people with mobility restraints.”

    Lyft driver Brigman said knowing your pricing and comparing it with what you’re being asked to do can make a big difference, and it’s important to figure out what’s worth your time.

    “Sometimes the miles requested doesn’t equate with the amount of money I would like to earn,” she said. “I’ve learned to turn down those jobs.”