DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel turned over the bodies of 15 Palestinians on Thursday, just days after recovering the remains of the last Israeli hostage, a Gaza Health Ministry official said.
It marks the last hostage-detainee exchange between Israel and Hamas carried out as part of the first phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire reached in October.
The Red Cross said that it helped facilitate the return of the bodies. They were taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, health ministry spokeperson Zaher al-Wahidi said.
The return of all remaining hostages, living or dead, had been a key part of the first phase in the ceasefire that paused the war.
Israel agreed to return 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage recovered, according to the ceasefire terms. It’s unclear if the bodies released Thursday were of Palestinian detainees who died in Israeli custody or bodies taken from Gaza by Israeli troops during the war.
Israel has released roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under the ceasefire deal, many of whom were seized by Israeli troops during the more than two-year war and held without being charged. It also has released the bodies of 360 Palestinians back to Gaza, where officials have struggled to identify them.
The Gaza health ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, has posted photos of the deceased for families to identify. Of the bodies handed back by Israel, about 100 have been identified by families, al-Wahidi said.
On Monday, Israel announced that it found and identified the remains of the last Israeli hostage, police officer Ran Gvili, following an extensive search at a cemetery in northern Gaza.
The attack by Hamas-led militants on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which launched the war, killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer known affectionately as “Rani,” was killed while fighting Hamas militants.
The return of his body closed a painful chapter for the country and cleared the way for the next and more challenging phase of the ceasefire, which calls for deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas, pulling back Israeli soldiers and rebuilding Gaza.
Deaths continue in Gaza
While U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff announced the launch of the second phase of the ceasefire deal earlier this month, Israeli fire and strikes continue to kill Palestinians across Gaza almost daily.
Israeli fire killed two Palestinians on Thursday in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis area, according to Nasser hospital, where the bodies were taken. Health officials said that the two men were killed in areas that aren’t Israeli-controlled.
Another Israeli strike in central Gaza killed one Palestinian and wounded others, according to Al-Aqsa martyrs hospital, where the casualties were taken.
Israel’s military said that it carried out a “precise strike” on Thursday that targeted a suspect planning to attack its troops in the southern Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Health Ministry said that 492 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire. The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures. The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.
The Israeli military has said that some of those killed in recent months were along the ceasefire line that splits Israeli-held areas and most of Gaza’s Palestinian population, and that it has targeted those posing a threat to its troops.
Rafah border crossing
For Palestinians separated from their families by the war and the tens of thousands of people outside Gaza seeking to return home, the reopening of the Rafah crossing along the border with Egypt can’t come soon enough.
The crossing is expected to reopen soon, Israeli officials have said, but how many people will be allowed to enter and leave Gaza remains unclear.
Preparations are underway to allow the departure of a limited number of medical evacuees who were wounded in the war and need to travel abroad for medical care.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that crossing won’t be open to goods for now. The crossing, Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world, has been largely closed since May 2024.
BRUSSELS — The European Union agreed Thursday to list Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization over Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests, the bloc’s top diplomat said, in a largely symbolic move that adds to international pressures on the Islamic Republic.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said foreign ministers in the 27-nation bloc unanimously agreed on the designation, which she said will put the regime “on the same footing” with al-Qaeda, Hamas and the Islamic State group.
“Those who operate through terror must be treated as terrorists,” Kallas said.
Meanwhile, Iran faces the threat of military action from President Donald Trump in response to the killing of peaceful demonstrators and over possible mass executions. The American military has moved the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers into the Mideast. It remains unclear whether Trump will decide to use force.
Activists say the crackdown has killed at least 6,443 people. “Any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own demise,” Kallas said.
For its part, Iran has said it could launch a preemptive strike or broadly target the Mideast, including American military bases in the region and Israel.
Iran issued a warning to ships at sea Thursday that it planned to run a drill next week that would include live firing in the Strait of Hormuz, potentially disrupting traffic through a waterway that sees 20% of all the world’s oil pass through it.
Other countries, including the U.S. and Canada, have designated the Guard as a terrorist organization.
Terrorist group label a ‘symbolic act’
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the designation as a “PR stunt” and said Europe would be affected if energy prices surge as a result of the sanctions.
“Several countries are presently attempting to avert the eruption of all-out war in our region. None of them are European,” he wrote on X.
France originally objected to listing the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization over fears it would endanger French citizens detained in Iran, as well as diplomatic missions, but the country reversed course. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told the Foreign Affairs Council on Thursday in Brussels that France supports more sanctions on Iran and the listing “because there can be no impunity for the crimes committed.”
“In Iran, the unbearable repression that has engulfed the peaceful revolt of the Iranian people cannot go unanswered,” he said.
Edouard Gergondet, an lawyer focused on sanctions with the firm Mayer Brown, said the Revolutionary Guard will be notified of the listing and given the opportunity to comment before the measure is formally adopted.
Kristina Kausch, a deputy director at the German Marshall Fund, said the listing is “a symbolic act” showing that for the EU “the dialogue path hasn’t led anywhere, and now it’s about isolation and containment as a priority.”
“The designation of a state military arm, of an official pillar of the Iranian state, as a terrorist organization, is one step short of cutting diplomatic ties,” she said.
The EU on Thursday also sanctioned 15 top officials and six organizations in Iran, including those involved in monitoring online content, as the country remains gripped by a three-week internet blackout by authorities.
The sanctions mean that affected officials and organizations will have their assets frozen and their travel to Europe banned, according to Barrot.
The Revolutionary Guard holds vast business interest across Iran, and sanctions could allow its assets in Europe to be seized.
Iran already struggles under the weight of multiple international sanctions from countries including the U.S. and Britain.
Iran’s rial currency fell to a record low of 1.6 million to $1 on Thursday. Economic woes sparked the protests, which broadened into a challenge to the theocracy before the crackdown.
Guard emerged from 1979 revolution
The Guard emerged from Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution as a force meant to protect its Shiite cleric-overseen government and was later enshrined in its constitution. It operated in parallel with the country’s regular armed forces, growing in prominence and power during a long and ruinous war with Iraq in the 1980s. Though it faced possible disbandment after the war, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei granted it powers to expand into private enterprise, allowing it to thrive.
The Guard’s Basij force likely was key in putting down the demonstrations, starting in earnest from Jan. 8, when authorities cut off the internet and international telephone calls for the nation of 85 million people. Videos that have come out of Iran via Starlink satellite dishes and other means show men likely belonging to its forces shooting and beating protesters.
Iranian men once reaching the age of 18 are required to do up to two years of military service, and many find themselves conscripted into the Guard despite their own politics.
Strait of Hormuz drill planned
In other developments, a notice to mariners sent Thursday by radio warned that Iran planned to conduct “naval shooting” in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and Monday. Two Pakistani security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists, also confirmed the warning had been sent.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge the drill. The hard-line Keyhan newspaper raised the specter of Tehran attempting to close the strait by force.
“Today, Iran and its allies have their finger on a trigger that, at the first enemy mistake, will sever the world’s energy artery in the Strait of Hormuz and bury the hollow prestige of billion-dollar Yankee warships in the depths of the Persian Gulf,” the newspaper said.
Such a move would likely invite U.S. military intervention. American military officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Elsewhere, Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, whose Green Movement rose to challenge Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election, again called for a constitutional referendum to change the country’s government. A previous call failed to take hold.
WHO says doctors detained, health services attacked
In other developments, at least five doctors have been detained and multiple health workers assaulted while treating injured patients in Iran since the protests began, the World Health Organization said Thursday.
The statement from WHO offered some of the first information to emerge about the country’s medical system as journalists and human rights organizations struggle to assess the toll of the crackdown.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X that a hospital in the western city of Ilam came under attack, and authorities deployed tear gas inside a hospital in Tehran. At least 50 paramedics were hurt at 10 emergency medical posts and over 200 ambulances were damaged, he said.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that the violence in Iran has killed at least 6,443 people in recent weeks, with many more feared dead. Its count included at least 6,058 protesters, 214 government-affiliated forces, 117 children and 54 civilians who were not demonstrating. More than 47,208 have been arrested, it added.
The group verifies each death and arrest with a network of activists on the ground, and it has been accurate in multiple rounds of previous unrest in Iran. The communication cutoff imposed by Iranian authorities has slowed the full scale of the crackdown from being revealed, and The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll.
Iran’s government as of Jan. 21 put the death toll at a far lower 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces and labeled the rest “terrorists.” In the past, Iran’s theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.
That death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. will not formally present the plan to the board until Feb. 26, but the topic took center stage at Thursday’s meeting as parents, educators, and other community members shared their concerns.
Here are a few takeaways:
Many people spoke out in support of Lankenau High, an environmental sciences magnet school slated to close under the plan. One parent said the closure would be a “death sentence.”
Many also spoke in support of Conwell Middle School, including its principal, who said closing it would “erase a legacy that still matters.”
Roxborough High school psychologist says the facilities proposal ‘appears to be a workaround’
Paul Brown, a school psychologist at Roxborough High School and member of Stand Up For Philly Schools, shares his thoughts about the facilities proposal.
On paper, he said, Roxborough will benefit from the plan because it will take in Lankenau High, a high-performing magnet.
“Lankenau would have to phase out their environmental science program” if it merges into Roxborough, Brown said.
“This proposal appears to be a workaround to push our students out of public education, rather than give them what they need,” Brown said.
Retired district teachers share concerns about the facilities plan, with one calling it ‘a moral failure’
Lisa Haver, a retired district teacher and founder of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public schools, calls the plan “a moral failure.”
Blankenburg Elementary, in West Philadelphia, would be closed under the plan; it sits across the street from a large charter school in a new building. This plan does not represent the public’s will, Haver said.
“None of these schools has to be closed. It’s not a budget issue,” Haver said. She taught at Harding Middle School, which is also on the closure list. “It hurts my heart.”
Barbara Dowdall, also a retired Philadelphia teacher, said: “Let us not mimic the crowbar removal of buildings, or history.”
Retired teacher says the community input process for the facilities plan was performative
Retired teacher Diane Payne says she can’t believe what the district says because she sees what it does. Community input on the facilities plan was performative, she said, and the blueprint feels top-down.
“We the people do not have buy-in with your top-down plan,” Payne said. “We do not want our public schools sold out from under us.”
Payne calls the plan “extremely flawed and disruptive.”
District parent asks board to consider what brought them to this moment
Colin Hennessy Elliott, a district parent, is speaking about the facilities plan broadly. The board must consider what brought the district to this moment, he said.
Closing Lankenau ‘would be like a death sentence,’ parent and district teacher says
Dana Williams, a Lankenau High parent and district teacher, said her son, who has autism, is thriving.
“Closing Lankenau High school would be like a death sentence to so many students’ social, emotional, and academic” lives, Williams said.
“This is the highest form of inequity,” Williams said of Lankenau’s closure. “I do not need my child going to a neighborhood high school. That was never an option.”
Williams’ son had choices of other magnet schools, she said, but he chose Lankenau. She said the closure would be a “bait and switch.”
Former student board member and Conwell graduate says Conwell is ‘one of the best pathways for student success’
Mwanasha VanWright, a 1997 Conwell graduate and former student board member, calls Conwell “one of the best pathways for student success our city has to offer.”
Conwell was key to her success, VanWright said. “I hope you reconsider closing Conwell,” VanWright said. If you do close the building, make Conwell the official middle school of Bodine, she urged the board.
VanWright is raising three fourth-generation Philadelphians. She wants them to have “strong options like Conwell,” she said.
Retired teacher questions the district’s plan to give some buildings to the city
Retired Philadelphia teacher Deborah Grill said the current facilities plan is “even worse” than the 2012 closures.
“At least those schools were given time to react and fight for their schools” before the School Reform Commission made its closure decisions, she said.
Grill asks: Why isn’t the district considering closing charter schools with empty seats?
Grill also questions the district’s plan to give some buildings to the city rather than using or selling them. “It really has nothing to do with the welfare of your students,” Grill said.
Vare-Washington Elementary principal expresses gratitude for board’s consideration of playground project
Alison Barnes, principal of Vare-Washington Elementary, said the community is thrilled the board will consider approving a playground project for Vare-Washington Thursday night. It’s nine years in the making, Barnes said.
Conwell parent asks the board to reconsider closing any middle schools
Tasha Smith, a parent of two Conwell students, opposes the closure of the school.
“I am asking for this board to require the district to reconsider closing Conwell, and to reconsider closing all middle schools. There has to be other ways to succeed,” Smith said.
Smith said that the district asking, “Do you want unnecessary transition?” in the facilities planning survey was a misleading question. It should have asked, “Do you want us to close middle schools?” because that what it’s doing. Kids need middle schools, she said.
Parent of two Conwell alums says the school is ‘a cornerstone of our community’
Priscilla Rodriguez, whose two sons attended Conwell, said the school is “a cornerstone of our community.”
It’s more than a school, she said. It offers meals and after-school support. “When a school closes, families don’t just adjust. They struggle,” Rodriguez said.
Conwell families “are already dealing with a lot,” said Rodriguez said. “You won’t make it any better by closing Conwell.”
Kensington ‘deserves investment, not abandonment,’ says former Conwell climate manager
James Washington, a former Conwell climate manager and husband of a Conwell graduate, noted the school’s 100th anniversary. “Closing Conwell is a profound loss to a community that has already endured too many disappointments,” Washington said.
Instead of celebrating the anniversary, “we are preparing to erase the legacy.”
“The Kensington community deserves investment, not abandonment,” Washington said, urging the board to “look beyond spreadsheets” and save Conwell.
Head of Philadelphia Charters for Excellence asks the board to consider charters an equal partner
Cassandra St. Vil, head of Philadelphia Charters for Excellence, raised issues, including what she said was the coercion of some schools into signing their charters.
She said charters deserve more funding to address facilities needs, and urged the school district to consider charters an equal partner.
Organizer tells the board this is only a ‘25% plan’
Katy Egan, a community member with Stand Up for Philly Schools, the coalition that organized the rally before the meeting, said this is a “25% plan” with a serious lack of information. Which schools are being modernized? When? How? How will displaced students get to new schools? What about special education students? How do you plan to keep students and staff members safe?
“It’s not a plan. We deserve more than 25%, and our students deserve everything,” Egan said.
Parent asks: If the district doesn’t get the full $2.8 billion, which schools won’t get modernized?
Afternoon dismissal at Penn Treaty Middle School on Jan. 22. The school building was built in 1927.
Lizzie Rothwell, a parent of two district students and spouse of a teacher at Penn Treaty — a school slated to be closed — is speaking against the facilities plan.
If the district doesn’t get the full $2.8 billion, 40 schools wouldn’t be modernized, Rothwell said. What are the 40 schools? (The district has not released those lists.)
“The city of Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania owe the district $8 billion in deferred maintenance,” Rothwell said.
‘Closing schools ruins families and neighborhoods,’ says Ludlow Elementary teacher
Ludlow Elementary.
Carin Bennicoff, a teacher at Ludlow Elementary, is speaking out against the school’s closure. She’s worked at Ludlow for 30 years.
“Closing schools ruins families and neighborhoods,” Bennicoff said. “A facilities dashboard can’t measure what a school means to a community.”
Generations of students attend Ludlow, Bennicoff. “Instead of closures, we need you to invest in creating safe and healthy schools” by giving us smaller classes and more resources.
“Our children deserve real, stable neighborhood schools,” Bennicoff said.
Conwell principal urges the board to save her school from closure
Conwell Middle School.
Erica Green, principal of Conwell, a school tagged for closure, is speaking now.
“Closing it would erase a legacy that still matters,” Green said. “Conwell is a cornerstone in the Kensington community.”
Philadelphia’s police commissioner was sworn in at Conwell, Green points out. “We are what the city needs,” she said. “Our building is celebrating 100 years. Bright and shiny does not mean better. Philadelphia is a city that celebrates history.”
“Do not let the almighty dollar” drive Conwell’s closure, an impassioned Green said. “Preserve the building, preserve the culture, preserve the legacy. History matters. Conwell matters.”
Proposed closures would disproportionately harm Black and low-income students, researcher says
Ryan Pfleger, a researcher, said the district’s proposed closures are disproportionately hurting Black and low-income communities.
“The burden of closure would fall roughly evenly across racial groups. This is not what the data shows.”
Black students are 1.6 times more likely to be in closing schools, he said. Fifteen of 20 schools tapped for closure are majority-Black. “This is disparate racial impact,” Pfleger said.
Perhaps it was unintentional, but Black and poor kids are more likely to be affected under this plan, he said.
“Build schools up. Don’t shut them down,” Pfleger said.
Mastery parents speak out in support of their schools
Gloria Carroll, a Mastery parent, said Mastery Clymer Elementary is an excellent school. “I love Clymer,” she said.
Ashtin Richard, a Mastery Gratz parent, loves the school and said it has helped his son have a smooth transition from a school in the Midwest.
// Timestamp 01/29/26 5:55pm
‘Take our time, be logical, be strategic,’ high school football coach urges the board
“Sending a kid from school to school can be very damaging,” said Jordan Holbert, the football coach at Vaux Big Picture High School and a North Philadelphia resident. “It’s not what’s best for the student long-term. As we’re making these difficult decisions about what to do next, I urge and beg and plead and frankly demand that we think about the kids and the long-term closure. We did this before … and we still haven’t recovered from that. Making the same type of decision is misguided and risky.”
Holbert urges the board to “take our time, be logical, be strategic,” and think about long-term effects.
District has ‘100% support’ from Philly delegation to get the funds it needs, State Rep. Tarik Khan says
State Rep. Tarik Khan speaks during the Peoples March in Philadelphia on Jan. 18, 2025.
State Rep. Tarik Khan is now addressing the school board. The district has “100% support” from the Philadelphia delegation to get the funds it needs, Khan said.
“I understand that there are difficult decisions to be made,” Khan said, and Lankenau is not the only school in his district to be planned for closure. But, he said, “there’s something special about Lankenau.”
Lankenau has 100% graduation rate. It is set in the woods. “They have unrivaled partnerships,” Khan said. “Please keep Lankenau open.”
Streater reiterates: Watlington will present the facilities master plan to the board on Feb. 26, but they will not vote that night
Board president Streater said it would not be appropriate for him to opine on Watlington’s facilities plan until it’s firmly in the board’s hand. He urges people to attend community meetings.
“Feb. 26 is just you presenting the proposal, it’s not the day of a vote, just putting that out there for the record,” Streater said.
The new student board representatives say one of the three of them will try to be at every forthcoming facilities planning meeting.
The superintendent said it’s a “once in a lifetime, significant opportunity for Philadelphia” to modernize schools, increase access to arts, music, pre-K, algebra in eighth grade, add a year-round K-8 and high school, add a new comprehensive high school in the Northeast, and a year-round indoor pool at one Philadelphia school.
School selection deadline has been extended to Friday at 5 p.m.
Watlington reiterates that the school selection deadline was extended to Friday at 5 p.m. Initial waitlist offers will be made on Feb. 1 at 5 p.m., and the deadline to accept a waitlist offer is Feb. 4 at 5 p.m.
More than 4,000 additional students completed applications for the school selection process, Watlington said.
Student attendance drops year-over-year for December, ‘the largest drop I believe I’ve seen during my tenure here,’ Watlington says
Student attendance dropped year over year for the month of December, Superintendent Tony B. Watlington shared with the school board.
Student attendance dropped year-over-year for the month of December, Watlington said.
It was 66% in 2024, and 54% in 2025, “the largest drop I believe I’ve seen during my tenure here,” Watlington said. He believes the change was due to a half day for professional development, a two-hour delay for snow, and lightly attended days prior to the winter break.
Philly builds one snow day into the calendar, and any other inclement weather days will be virtual, Watlington says
Watlington is making his monthly presentation now. He welcomes the new student board members, then pivots to the district’s inclement weather process. While in-person learning is preferred, the “absolute number one, without question” priority is safety, the superintendent said.
Philadelphia builds one snow day into its calendar; any subsequent inclement weather days will shift to virtual instruction, Watlington said.
The student said she and others are scared to lock up their phones. Hers was stolen once, and her family cannot afford to replace another phone, she said.
“Let’s not strip away the only safety tool” that some children have.
Superintendent Watlington directed one of his assistant superintendents to speak to the Frankford student.
‘To me, closing Lankenau doesn’t make sense,’ high school senior tells the board
LeeShaun Lucas, a senior at Lankenau High School, is upset the school might close. “To me, closing Lankenau doesn’t make sense,” Lucas said.
Lankenau’s campus is unique in the city — set against a wildlife preserve and a farm, a stream, and a forest.
Lucas has studied how to make the Schuylkill healthier by studying mussels, he said. He’s had the opportunity to study in a GIS class, the city’s only such high school opportunity. That shaped Lucas, he said.
“I truly believe that voting to close Lankenau Environmental would be a mistake,” Lucas said. “Please vote to save Lank so that others may benefit from the type of learning that is only possible at Lankenau Environmental.”
Cecelia Henderson, a junior at Lankenau, is also speaking against the proposed closure of her school.
“My overall experience at the school has been overwhelmingly positive,” Henderson said. “Lankenau teachers build very strong personal relationships with students. These are the things I don’t hear from my friends who attend other inner-city Philadelphia high schools.”
Lankenau gave her “structure, support and the privilege of a beautiful campus” that helped her deal with personal issues, Henderson said.
Henderson takes dual enrollment biology and GIS classes. “I strongly believe that this cannot be replicated elsewhere,” Henderson said. “Why close a school that gives real-world education and credentials to students? Why not give that school aid and support it so we can grow bigger and better?”
Conwell students urge the board not to close Conwell Middle School
Julia Spencer, an eighth grader at Conwell Middle School, is speaking now.
“When I got to Conwell, I found my fit,” Julia said. She’s involved in track and field, ballet, student government, and more.
The district has proposed closing Conwell, and that makes Julia worry about kids who won’t get the chance to attend the magnet middle school.
“They should be able to carry the Conwell name like I will, and so many other generations,” Julia said. “Keep Conwell open.”
Jebaz Spencer, another Conwell student, said: “Conwell has programs and opportunities that other schools don’t have. … My peers and I deserve Conwell.”
Conwell students have to score high on state tests. Kids deserve “to have the legendary Conwell name on our school records,” Jebaz said. “I’ve become a better person at Conwell, and an example for other students.”
“Conwell matters,” Jebaz said. “We matter.”
Under the proposed facilities plan, Conwell would close, and the building would be repurposed as a district swing space. Students would attend AMY at James Martin as a 5-8 program with a preference for Bodine High School.
The school board will hear from student speakers now, including multiple students scheduled to testify about proposed school closings.
Up first is Shereeta Jones, a student at Mastery Simon Gratz. Shereeta loves her school, and the staff who “just want to see me succeed at school and in life.”
Up now is the installation of the student representatives of the school board.
Board members Sarah-Ashley Andrews and Cheryl Harper work closest with the student reps. This year’s reps are: Brianni Carter, from Philadelphia High School for Girls; Ramisha Karim, from Northeast High; and Semira Reyes, from the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts.
Six board members are in attendance at tonight’s meeting
The board has a quorum at tonight’s meeting, but not all members are in attendance.
President Reginald Streater and vice president Sarah-Ashley Andrews are attending in person. Crystal Cubbage, ChauWing Lam, Joyce Wilkerson, and Cheryl Harper are present virtually.
Whitney Jones, Wanda Novales, and Joan Stern are absent.
District plans to host upcoming community meetings centered on the proposed facilities plan
School board president Reginald Streater acknowledges Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr.’s long-awaited facilities plan, which was made public last week. It won’t be presented to the board until next month.
Streater urges attendance at upcoming community meetings, starting next week. The meetings will center on closing schools.
“Once he [Watlington] has formally presented his recommendations to the board, we will announce additional information on how we will proceed,” Streater said.
In other words, there will be no immediate vote after the Feb. 26 Watlington presentation, and more community engagement opportunities to come.
Board honors general counsel for the district, and its senior and teacher of the month
The board is honoring Shahirah Brown, assistant general counsel for the district, who has won multiple recognitions by community and legal organizations for her work.
First school board action meeting of 2026, here we go!
Most board members are not present in person tonight — just board president Reginald Streater and vice president Sarah-Ashley Andrews are at Philadelphia School District headquarters today.
Rally begins to break up as organizers head inside for school board meeting
Grace Keiser, 27, a math teacher at Lankenau High School, holds a “Save Lank” sign during the rally on Thursday.
At the close of the rally, Krys Fannis, a 10th grader at Lankenau, spoke on the megaphone.
“I feel scared,” he said about the district’s plan, which would close the school. Fannis would have to transfer to a new school for his senior year. He said that Lankenau is more than just a building filled with classrooms. It is a community, and its focus on environmental education is essential for students like him, he said.
To those in the school district who argue his school must go?
‘It’s just an injustice,’ says president of Lankenau Home & School Association
Demonstrators rallied against school closures outside the School District of Philadelphia headquarters on Thursday.
Some of the demonstrators warned that removing children from their neighborhood schools would be traumatizing to already vulnerable kids.
“These schools are another home for these families,” said Margarita Davis-Boyer, president of the Lankenau High School Home & School Association. She said schools are a place where kids can get a meal, see a friendly face, and feel safe, especially when home may not offer the same reprieve.
“It’s just an injustice,” she said.
Annie Moss, from the Olde Kensington Neighborhood Association, said the school district’s plan threatens the future of Philadelphia.
“You cannot build a strong city… by traumatizing them,” she said.
North Philly community member protests proposed closure of Ludlow Elementary
Annie Moss, who runs after-school programs at Ludlow Elementary, rallied outside the School District of Philadelphia before their school board meeting on Thursday.
Annie Moss, a member of the Olde Kensington Neighborhood Association, braved the bitter temperatures to protest the planned closure of Ludlow Elementary in North Philadelphia. Ludlow, and the neighborhood, have finally gotten some investments.
“And now they’re talking about closing,” Moss said.
Moss said students would lose if Ludlow is closed.
“Why take them out of something that is good, and been built for them, and destroy it?” said Moss.
Hannah Loo, who works for advocacy organization 12 Plus, rallied outside the Philadelphia school district headquarters against school closures on Thursday.
Around 60 people are gathered in front of the school district headquarters, surprising organizers with their turnout given the frigid weather.
Hannah Loo, 30, braved the wintry day holding a sign that warns of crammed classrooms if the proposed schools close.
“Class Size Matters: I’m not a Sardine,” the sign read.
Loo, who works for advocacy organization 12 Plus, said that she was fighting against school closures because schools are essential parts of the neighborhoods and communities where they’re located. She believes the district’s plan will ultimately hurt graduation rates and attendance, and said she hopes the district listens to organizers doing grassroots work to advocate for schools.
Organizers set to rally against school closures outside school district headquarters
// Timestamp 01/29/26 2:45pm
Stand Up for Philly Schools, a coalition of neighborhood, parent, and educator groups, plans to rally outside the School District of Philadelphia headquarters starting at 3 p.m. Thursday, one hour before the school board’s first meeting of 2026.
The facilities plan is not on the agenda of Thursday’s meeting, but it will be the public’s first opportunity to share question and concerns with the board.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — For most of the night, it seemed as if the Flyers were still on a road outside Columbus. Despite facing a Metropolitan Division foe in the Blue Jackets, and with their playoff dreams fading away, it was too much of that Midwest way of ease.
They finally turned it up for the third period and were knocking on the door of a comeback, thanks to Travis Konecny and Dan Vladař, but then fell back into the habits that sank them earlier in the game. Within five minutes it went from a tie game to a 5-3 loss.
Just a few weeks ago, the Flyers were sitting inside the playoff picture. Now they’ve lost nine of 11.
“We just shot ourselves in the foot a few times, and they capitalized on them,” defenseman Travis Sanheim said. “And just weren’t executing the way that we need to at this level. And it cost us.”
The gas tank seemed to be low for much of the team for much of the time — except for Konecny and Vladař.
“We all know he’s our big dog, as everybody says,” Vladař said about Konecny. “We were happy that he’s going, but at the same time, it’s a team game. We just can’t rely on only two players. We cannot expect from him scoring [a] hat trick every single game.”
A painful hat trick
Konecny notched his third career hat trick as he gutted and grimaced out a performance that could have and should have gone down in Flyers lore.
His first goal tied the score at 1, settling things down momentarily after his line was on the ice for the first Columbus goal 38 seconds into the game — thanks to a turnover by Trevor Zegras. But then, at the end of the second, Konecny blocked a Damon Severson slap shot off his ankle or foot and appeared to be in so much pain that the guy who normally sticks around after the buzzer was already deep down the tunnel when it sounded.
Travis Konecny (right) leads the Flyers in goals with 20 and points with 48.
He wasn’t out there for the start of the third — missing the opening shift with his linemates, Zegras and Christian Dvorak — but he was on the bench just as the puck dropped and was back on the ice for their next rotation. The next shift after, Konecny made it 3-2, and with 4 minutes, 46 seconds remaining, he received a nifty pass from his buddy Travis Sanheim to tie it at 3.
But in the process, the Flyers may have lost Konecny for some time.
“He’s hitting the holes, and … he races inside on them and beats people, and then obviously he’s got a good shot,” coach Rick Tocchet said.
“And he took one off the foot. He’s limping around. He might not play [Thursday against the Boston Bruins]. We don’t know. He [had] a lot of guts tonight.”
Konecny is the Flyers’ leader in goals (20) and points (48), and losing him would be a big hole to fill as they try to climb back in the race. They are six points out of third place in the Metro and eight points back of a wild-card slot.
Vladař’s strong return
Although Sam Ersson battled and performed up to the task across the gauntlet through Las Vegas, Utah, and Colorado, the return of Vladař after a six-game absence was expected to be a durable shovel added to the dig-out.
Although he missed two weeks and said he didn’t “think my legs and my reads were there at the beginning,” the No. 1 goalie was up to the task. But the defense faltered in front of him again, committing turnovers and leaving Blue Jackets wide-open on the weak side.
“We’ve talked from training camp [about] the weakside goals, and lately, since Tampa, we’re just giving up too many weakside goals,” Tocchet said, referencing two straight losses to the Lightning in mid-January.
“You cannot let that weakside goal go in. Obviously, there’s a couple of guys [who] made mistakes on it. Let Vladdy have the strong side shot; he stops that all day long. But that one’s impossible for him to stop.
“I shouldn’t say impossible, because he made some great saves.”
Indeed, he did.
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar in action against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan 12. He made 26 saves Wednesday.
There’s always talk about goalies needing to make one more save in a game. Vladař did that and more. He saw the puck well, especially through traffic, and made 26 saves on 30 shots, stopping three out of five high-danger shots.
Two of those saves were highlight-reel, saves-of-the-year stops on Adam Fantilli when it was 3-1 and Boone Jenner when it was 3-2, with his glove as they waited on the weak side all alone at the right post. Sean Monahan, who scored the game-winner two shifts after Konecny notched his third goal, mentioned postgame he was happy his shot was on the stick side.
“[Sanheim] can’t be tied up with his guy, he’s got to stay loose. He’s got to stay loose because there’s a breakdown,” Tocchet said about the game-winner. “Noah [Cates] should have took back ice, but Sanny just was, he stood with his guy. He should just leave him loose, and then he takes the weak side. So, it’s a couple of things, multiple things. You want to give your goalie a chance to make the save when there’s a breakdown.”
It did seem as if the Blue Jackets were crashing the net and making a goalie returning from injury move side-to-side a lot.
“I don’t think it was intentional because of Vlad,” Sanheim said.
“I think it was some of the mistakes that we were making and coverages and allowing them to make those plays. It puts a lot of stress on your goaltender and can’t blame him, he made a heck of a save on a couple of occasions and really kept us in that game.”
There were turnovers galore, missed assignments, missed reads, and the official stat says nine giveaways. It’s been the norm lately for the Flyers as their once-promising season is charging downhill.
The question is, how many times can the Flyers break till they shatter?
Philly isn’t exactly known for barbecue. But there is a robust scene here, with players, old and new, doing it up right and keeping us full.
Local barbecue specialists smoke meats for more than a dozen hours to achieve the perfect smoke ring and Texas-trained chefs cook up exciting takes on classic barbecue dishes.
Fette Sau (German for “Fat Pig”), opened in Fishtown to eager crowds more than a decade ago and has since established itself as a mainstay in the Philly barbecue scene. The shop has three signature barbecue sauces each offering its own tangy, smoky, or spicy flavor to the pink-ringed smoked meats and meat-heavy sandwiches.
Ruth Henri, owner and chef, prepares ribs from the smoker with help from Michael Bradley at Henri’s Hotts BBQ, a roadside barbecue joint in Hammonton, N.J.
After owner Doug Henri passed away unexpectedly in 2021, his capable wife Ruthie took over the beloved roadside barbecue spot known for slow-smoked meats and homestyle soul food. Not much has changed with the family matriarch at the helm: The brisket — which smokes for 19 hours — is still moist, the St. Louis Style ribs are still cooked until the ribs bend and served fresh (never reheated), and the corn pudding still comes from Henri’s grandmother’s recipe.
Pit master Mike Strauss may have sold his namesake barbecue joint to young gun Daniel Grobman in 2023, but Strauss’ energy still courses through the kitchen thanks to a virtually unchanged menu. The spare ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and crispy pork belly remain fantastic, while the restaurant’s Korean barbecue wings have a hard to replicate smokey-yet-spicy flavor — just asked Herr’s, which made a limited-edition chip inspired by the recipe in 2023.
Hidden down an alley and around a parking lot in Westville, Gloucester County, is Big Swerve’s, a converted shipping container that churns out oversized platters of brisket and chicken with all the classic Southern fixings. Big Swerve is actually Stephen Clark, a former Free Library of Philadelphia security guard who stands 6′3″ and is fastidious about what powers his smoker ( lump charcoal, oak and cherry wood, never hickory). Big Swerve’s is best known for their brisket-stuffed egg rolls and jerk chicken sliders, plus combos that include three proteins and three sides, more than enough to share.
Rick Gray opened Rick’s Backyard Barbeque & Grill in Mizpah in the location where beloved Uncle Dewey’s BBQ operated for over two decades. Here, find a smoker as big as a school bus’s hood, plus a menu inspired by the barbecue Gray’s father, Melvin Gray Sr., cooked at backyard family cookouts, a distinctive, and perhaps elusive flavor that he captures with the touch of charcoal that he adds to regulate the heat of his oak logs. Gray’s seasonings are fairly simple, letting the meats and their slow ride through the long brick smoking pits. Try the tender spareribs or opt for the chicken, particularly when it’s taken fresh off the grill. Rick’s is closed for the season through mid-April, but is still taking catering order over the phone should a rib emergency ever strike.
Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse in Holmesburg is a reliable barbecue spot with a well-rounded menu of hickory-smoked meats, sandwiches, and sides. Meats like smoked chicken and pulled pork are available in platter, sandwich or just meat form, and smoked wings and baby back ribs round out the menu.
Owner Matt Lang smokes on a gas-fired Ole Hickory, turning out brisket, pork, turkey, and pork spare ribs, which he sells by the pound and in sandwiches. A rotating assortment of sides such as queso mac, corn pudding, potato salad, and KFC style slaw complement the selection of meats.
UNITED NATIONS — President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to sidestep the United Nations through his new Board of Peace appears to have inadvertently backfired after major world powers rejected U.S. aspirations for it to have a larger international mandate beyond the Gaza ceasefire and recommitted their support for the over 80-year-old global institution.
The board to be chaired by Trump was originally envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing his plan for Gaza’s future. But the Republican president’s ambitions have expanded to envisioning the board as a mediator of worldwide conflicts, a not very subtle attempt to eclipse the Security Council, which is charged with ensuring international peace and security.
The board’s charter also caused some dismay by stating Trump will lead it until he resigns, with veto power over its actions and membership.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio tried to ease concerns by saying the board’s focus right now is only on the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire plan.
“This is not a replacement for the U.N., but the U.N. has served very little purpose in the case of Gaza other than the food assistance,” Rubio said at a congressional hearing Wednesday.
But Trump’s promotion of a broadened mandate and his floating of an idea that the Board of Peace “might” replace the U.N. have put off major players and been dismissed by U.N. officials.
“In my opinion, the basic responsibility for international peace and security lies with U.N., lies with the Security Council,” Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Thursday. “Only the Security Council can adopt decisions binding on all, and no other body or other coalition can legally be required to have all member states to comply with decisions on peace and security.”
In Security Council statements, public speeches and behind closed doors, U.S. allies and adversaries have dismissed Trump’s latest plan to overturn the post-World War II international order with what he describes as a “bold new approach to resolving global conflict.”
“The U.S. rollout of the much broader Board of Peace charter turned the whole exercise into a liability,” according to the International Crisis Group’s Richard Gowan, a U.N. watcher and program director. “Countries that wanted to sign on to help Gaza saw the board turning into a Trump fan club. That was not appealing.”
“If Trump had kept the focus of the board solely on Gaza, more states, including some more Europeans, would have signed up,” he said.
Key Security Council members haven’t signed on
The four other veto-wielding members of the Security Council — China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom — have refused or have not indicated whether they would join Trump’s board, as have economic powers such as Japan and Germany.
Shortly after, Trump pulled a dramatic reversal on Greenland, saying he had agreed with the NATO secretary-general on a “framework of a future deal” on Arctic security.
Amid the diplomatic chaos, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who at the time had not responded to Trump’s Board of Peace invitation, met with Guterres in London and reiterated “the UK’s enduring support for the UN and the international rules-based system,” according to a statement.
Starmer emphasized the U.N.’s “pivotal role in tackling global problems which shape lives in the UK and all over the world.” The United Kingdom later declined to join the board.
France, Spain, and Slovenia declined Trump’s offer by mentioning its overlapping and potentially conflicting agenda with the U.N.
French President Emmanuel Macron said last week that the board goes beyond “the framework of Gaza and raises serious questions, in particular with respect to the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot be called into question.”
Spain would not join because the board excluded the Palestinian Authority and because the body was “outside the framework of the United Nations,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.
Some countries are urging a stronger U.N.
America’s adversaries also have shunned the board.
“No single country should dictate terms based on its power, and a winner-takes-all approach is unacceptable,” China’s U.N. ambassador, Fu Cong, said at a Security Council meeting Monday.
He called for the United Nations to be strengthened, not weakened, and said the Security Council’s status and role “are irreplaceable.”
In a clear reference to the Board of Peace, Fu said, “We shall not cherry-pick our commitments to the organization, nor shall we bypass the U.N. and create alternative mechanisms.”
So far, about 26 of some 60 invited countries have joined the board, and about nine European countries have declined. India did not attend Trump’s signing ceremony at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, last week but is reportedly still deciding what to do. Trump revoked Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s invitation.
“It’s hardly surprising that very few governments want to join Trump’s wannabe-U.N., which so far looks more like a pay-to-play club of human rights abusers and war crimes suspects than a serious international organization,” said Louis Charbonneau, U.N. director for Human Rights Watch. “Instead of handing Trump $1 billion checks to join his Board of Peace, governments should work on strengthening the U.N.”
Eight Muslim nations that agreed to join the board issued a joint statement that supported its mission in Gaza and advancement of Palestinian statehood. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates made no mention of Trump’s global peacemaking plan.
The Crisis Group’s Gowan said their focus could be a way to “get a foothold in discussions of Gaza” at the start, as Trump’s ceasefire plan has already faced several setbacks.
“I remain unconvinced that this is a real long-term threat to the U.N.,” Gowan said.
New year, same you googling repeatedly, “Is a government shutdown happening?” We see you. We get it. And the answer is: “Maybe.”
The likelihood of a partial government shutdown this weekend has ramped up following a surge in immigration enforcement and related backlash in Minnesota.
The highly publicized presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security in Minneapolis, alongside the death of Alex Pretti, the second person federal agents havefatally shot in the state, has reinvigorated efforts among Democrats to reject a bill to fund DHS.
“The appalling murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis must lead Republicans to join Democrats in overhauling ICE and CBP [Customs and Border Protection] to protect the public,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Sunday. “People should be safe from abuse by their own government.”
Schumer (D., N.Y.) said Democrats would not support keeping the government fully open if it means funding the Department of Homeland Security. Other Democratic senators have joined in calling for Senate Republicans to collaborate on advancing five other pending bills, aside from the DHS bill, and separately retooling the DHS measure.
In case you need a refresher, here is what you need to know about deadlines, what a partial government shutdown looks like, and more.
What’s a government shutdown vs. a partial government shutdown?
A full government shutdown happens when all (or most) federal agencies have not secured funding. It usually means widespread furloughs, sometimes layoffs, and any nonessential government services are put on pause.
Meanwhile, a partial government shutdown happens when Congress has funded only certain federal agencies, leaving others in limbo. In turn, some parts of the government would close while others keep operating.
When a partial shutdown happens, some federal agencies and operations, like Social Security and air traffic control, keep running as usual. But other federal employees are furloughed.
In this instance, agencies at risk of expiring funding include the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Treasury, and State; the Securities and Exchange Commission; and the federal court system, according to Reuters.
Democrats are pushing Republicans to decouple the spending bill so disagreements over DHS don’t fuel disruptions to the other agencies. But Republicans so far say they will not break up the spending bill.
When does government funding expire?
Federal funding is set to expire at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. A partial shutdown would occur if Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration do not reach an agreement by then.
Where does the DHS funding bill stand?
The House has done its part and is in recess until February. But Senate Democrats are pushing back on approvals, citing the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants. That leaves the Senate with only a few options to avoid a shutdown if it cannot pass the current measures.
Most legislation in the Senate needs 60 votes to move forward. Republicans hold 53 seats, meaning they need bipartisan support to pass the existing measure, which covers about $1.3 trillion in annual government spending, including military and social service funding.
But Democrats want new guardrails on immigration enforcement and added oversight on DHS. Some demands include requiring judicial warrants for immigration arrests, and agents to wear visible identification, Time reported.
Several Democratic senators who broke with their party last year to keep the government open say the killings of Pretti and Good at separate protests have changed their stance.
Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.), who has historically broken with the Democratic Party to avoid government shutdowns, released a lengthy statement Monday saying that he wanted to see the DHS operation in Minneapolis end but would not support a government shutdown. But on Thursday, in a surprising break, Fetterman voted against advancing the six-bill package.
His vote, along with 54 other senators who voted “no,” meant the financial package could not move forward.
It is also worth noting that DHS would continue to operate and receive funding under a government shutdown. That is because DHS agencies received major funding through Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year. In turn, ICE and other parts of the agency would continue operating under a shutdown.
Who is affected by a government shutdown?
Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are affected, since many would be expected to work but would not receive pay until after the shutdown is lifted. Employees are typically guaranteed back pay.
Many employees are also at risk of being furloughed and would not be allowed to work (but would also receive back pay thanks to legislation passed in 2019).
Some of the main groups of employees that a shutdown could affect include (but are not limited to) active members of the military, federal law enforcement, federal transportation workers (like air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents, but not SEPTA workers), scientific researchers, and the IRS.
The federal court system said it would not be able to continue full operations past Feb. 4, which could disrupt hearings and other activities, Reuters reported. Data and research activity from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Institutes of Health could also go dark.
What about tax season?
This potential partial shutdown comes during tax season.
If a shutdown happens, funding for the IRS could lapse, which would in turn mean tax processing — and refunds — could be disrupted.
During last year’s shutdown in October, the IRS approved a contingency plan that let the agency continue some activities under a shutdown. But, the agency said, refunds would be delayed aside from some direct electronic returns that could be automatically processed and direct-deposited. Taxpayers were still expected to file and pay their taxes on time.
The IRS has not yet commented on a potential shutdown. Trump previously touted larger refunds this year because of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Some experts say that emphasis could play a role in the agency remaining partially open.
When would the government shut down?
Congress and the Trump administration need to reach an agreement by midnight Friday. If they don’t, a shutdown would go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
What was the longest government shutdown?
The longest government shutdown was the most recent one, which began on Oct. 1, 2025, and lasted 43 days. It broke the record for the longest shutdown on the 36th day.
What could a government shutdown mean for Philly?
In Philadelphia, the October shutdown led to the closing of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center, to the chagrin of tourists. But that would not happen this time, because the national parks are funded by the Department of the Interior, which secured its funding through an already passed appropriations bill for the year.
SNAP benefits would also notbe affected this time.
The Department of Transportation would close during this shutdown, but air traffic controllers would be required to work without pay. Similar to the last shutdown, this could lead to flight delays and cancellations.
Other impacts could be in store as the shutdown’s implications become more clear.
MINNEAPOLIS — The number of immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota could be reduced, but only if state and local officials cooperate, President Donald Trump’s border czar said Thursday, noting he has “zero tolerance” for protesters who assault federal officers or impede the ongoing operation in the Twin Cities.
Tom Homan addressed reporters for the first time since the president sent him to Minneapolis following last weekend’s fatal shooting of protester Alex Pretti.
The news conference comes after President Donald Trump seemed to signal a willingness to ease tensions in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area after Saturday’s deadly shooting, the second this month. But Homan also emphasized that the administration isn’t backing away from its crackdown on illegal immigration.
Vowing to stay until the “problem’s gone,” he seemed to acknowledge missteps while warning protesters they could face consequences if they interfere with federal officers.
“I do not want to hear that everything that’s been done here has been perfect. Nothing’s ever perfect,” Homan said.
He added later: “But threatening law enforcement officers, engaging and impeding, and obstruction, and assault is never OK, and there will be zero tolerance.”
Homan also hinted at the prospect of drawing down many of the roughly 3,000 federal officers taking part in the operation, but he seemed to tie that to cooperation from state and local leaders and a reduction in what he cast as interference from protesters.
“When the violence decreases, we can draw down the resources,” he said. “The drawdown is going to happen based on these agreements. But the drawdown can happen even more if the hateful rhetoric and the impediment and interference will stop.”
He also said he would oversee internal changes in federal immigration law enforcement, but he gave few specifics.
“The mission is going to improve because of the changes we’re making internally,” he said. “No agency organization is perfect. And President Trump and I, along with others in the administration, have recognized that certain improvements could and should be made.”
Despite Trump softening his harsh rhetoric about Minnesota officials — he said this week they were on a “similar wavelength” — there was little sign on the ground Wednesday of any big changes in the crackdown.
Pretti, 37, was fatally shot Saturday in a scuffle with the Border Patrol. Earlier this month, 37-year-old Renee Good was shot in her vehicle by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
On Thursday, Homan doubled down on the need for jails to alert ICE to inmates who can be deported, and that transferring such inmates to the agency while they’re still in jail is safer because it would mean fewer officers having to be out on the streets looking for immigrants in the country illegally. ICE has historically relied on cooperation from local and state jails to notify the agency about such inmates.
“Give us access to illegal aliens, public safety threats in the safety and security of a jail,” he said.
Homan acknowledged that immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota haven’t been perfect, but he was also adamant that the administration isn’t surrendering its mission.
He also seemed to suggest a renewed focus on what ICE calls “targeted operations” designed to focus its efforts on apprehending immigrants who have committed crimes. He said the agency would conduct “targeted strategic enforcement operations” prioritizing “public safety threats.”
Homan’s arrival in Minnesota followed the departure of the Trump administration’s on-the-ground leader of the operation, Greg Bovino. Homan didn’t give a specific timeline for how long he would stay in Minnesota.
“I’m staying until the problem’s gone,” he said, adding that he has met elected officials and law enforcement leaders across the city and state, seeking to find common ground and suggested that he’s made some progress.
Operation Metro Surge began in December with scattered arrests, as Trump repeatedly disparaged the state’s large Somali community. But the operation ramped up dramatically after a right-wing influencer’s January report on Minnesota’s sprawling human services fraud scandal, which centers around the Somali community.
Federal officials announced thousands of immigration agents were being deployed, with FBI Director Kash Patel saying they would “dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.”
But talk of the scandals was almost immediately forgotten, with federal authorities instead focusing on immigrants in the country illegally and so-called sanctuary agreements that limit cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and jails with immigration authorities.
The layoffs are planned forthe end of April, according to a Thursday WARN Act filing with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. They include the employees of all six Philly-area Amazon Fresh locations — 205 at the Northern Liberties store, 189 in Broomall, 161 in Bensalem, 157 in Langhorne, 144 in Warrington, and 127 in Willow Grove, according to the filing.
By the end of April, Amazon also plans tolay off nearly 900 New Jersey employees, the vast majority of whom work in northern counties where there are Amazon Fresh stores, according to a WARN Act filing with New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development.
The day after announcing the Amazon Fresh closures, Amazon said 16,000 employees companywide would be losing their jobs as part of a broader reorganization.
“We’ve been working to strengthen our organization by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy,” Amazon said in a statement announcing the layoffs.
The company said most U.S. employees will have 90 days to look for a new role internally. After that, those leaving the company will receive severance pay, “outplacement services,” and health insurance benefits, as applicable, according to Amazon.
With its move to shutter the Fresh stores, Amazon has said it will “double down” on online grocery delivery and expand its Whole Foods footprint. Whole Foods, which Amazon bought in 2017, has more than a dozen locations in the Philadelphia area.
“Amazon Whole Foods, a trillion dollar entity, treats us like robots to be exploited and squeezed for maximum profits,” Jasmine Jones, a Philadelphia Whole Foods worker and member of Whole Foods Workers United, said Tuesday in a statement that noted the company’s Whole Foods expansion plans. “They are making billions of dollars off of our labor and we deserve better pay and benefits.”
If you’re hosting or attending a Super Bowl party, food is a must — lots of it.
The Philly area offers an abundance of options for trays, platters, and à la carte items. From traditional Italian fare and charcuterie boards to savory Indian, Middle Eastern, and Argentinian party foods, the variety is impressive.
Here are some excellent spots around Philly for picking up a spread for your Super Bowl party. And since the Eagles aren’t playing, the hardest part of your day will be deciding what to eat.
You can’t go wrong with a pretzel tray, especially when it’s from a Philly favorite. Get the large size rivets party tray for 20 to 25 people with three dips or the classic Philly Pretzel-style beef pretzel dogs and dips for 20 to 25 guests. The pepperoni melts — basically a pretzel pizza — are another good option for large parties. Order at any of the various locations.
From quarter trays for 10 people to full ones serving 50 people, this Center City restaurant has all the veggie samosas, tandoori chicken, and pork ribs for you and your crew. Choose from lamb, chicken, vegetarian, and seafood entrees, rice and biryani items, soups and salads, and desserts, including gulab jamun and kheer. Mango lassi is also offered.
If you’re looking for a cheese tray or charcuterie board, it’s tough to beat this Philly institution. The shop has a catering arm for premade cheese boards, charcuterie trays, sandwich trays, crudités platters, colossal shrimp cocktail, desserts, and just about anything else you can think of — all available for pickup or delivery. You can also build your perfect board from a substantial selection of cheeses, cured meats, and other specialty items with the help of Di Bruno Bros.’ expert cheesemongers.
📍930 S. Ninth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147(locations throughout Philadelphia), 📞 215-922-2876 (or 215-665-1659 for catering), 📷 @DiBrunoBros, 🌐 dibruno.com
This Philly classic, established in 1923, offers an array of sweets including cannoli, cakes, sfogliatelle, and almond horns, along with roughly a dozen types of cookies. Termini’s cookie trays showcase eight varieties, such as pignoli, coconut macaroons, imbutitti, and scumetti, and can serve up to 35 people depending on the tray size. Biscotti boxes and cannoli trays are also available for those looking for more variety, or you can opt for a prepackaged cookie tin, which is available for shipping.
📍 1523 S. Eighth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147(locations also in Packer Park Shopping Center, Reading Terminal Market, Comcast Center, and Live! Casino & Hotel), 📞 215-334-1816, 📷 @Termini_Bros, 🌐 termini.com
Yes, Campo’s has been slinging good steaks since 1947, but the deli also has other extremely Philly party trays. The pretzel tray, for example, includes enough pretzels, Peanut Chews, whiz, and mustard to serve up to 30 people, or you can go full dessert mode with a variety platter of Tastykakes that will feed up to 25.
If you’re going the sandwich route to feed a crowd, this South Street spot has a ton of options ranging from a cheesesteak made with shaved rib-eye and truffle whiz to a vegan-friendly falafel sandwich with roasted beets. Woodrow’s signature sandwich tray comes ready to serve 10 people and includes three sandwiches of your choice. Or, if you want it a little more DIY, grab a hot tray of meatballs, coffee barbecue brisket, or hot pork that can feed up to 25 people and have folks serve themselves.
This South Philly institution, a 2024 James Beard semifinalist, has been delighting customers with specialties like cannoli, rum cake, and ricotta cookies since 1904. Among its standout party offerings is the Chip and Dip tray — but forget about tortillas. This innovative take on the traditional cannoli platter comes in two sizes, serving either 12-15 (small) or 20-25 people (large), and features crispy cannoli chips paired with chocolate cream, vanilla cream, and ricotta with dark chocolate chip dips, ensuring that soggy party cannoli are a thing of the past.
This Cherry Hill restaurant offers an array of party tray and catering options perfect for any gathering. Choices include tandoori lollipop lamb chops, veggie or paneer shashlik, veggie samosas, fresh naan, and more. For dessert, indulge in kheer and chai or chocolate pot de crème — most options are designed to serve up to 20 people, depending on the size selected. If you’re looking for something to quench your thirst, consider grabbing a bottle of mango lassi, house-made chai, or mint lemonade, each bottle serving 15.
This University City spot gets its name from a traditional Lebanese flatbread made with crispy dough and vegetarian or halal meats. And, of course, you can order them for a crowd topped with beef, lamb, labneh, cheese, and more. Or you can go with other savory options like beef or chicken shawarma, platters of dips like hummus and baba ghannouj, falafel, grape leaves, and more — and finish with trays of the cafe’s famous baklava; creamy, cheesy kanafe; or basboosa (a semolina cake soaked in syrup).
Grab a savory platter from chef Jezabel Careaga, like empanadas that run the gamut from spicy beef or chicken to ham and mozzarella or vegan-friendly lentils (they come in packs of 12 or in an assorted box of eight). Or, keep it sweet and check out Jezabel’s alfajores (a kind of Argentinian cookie sandwich filled with dulce de leche), egg custard tarts or torta de ricotta.
If the occasion calls for tomato pie, Corropolese is the place to go. You can grab quarter (eight slices) or full sheets (30 slices) of its famous tomato pie from any of four Pennsylvania locations, either plain or topped with add-ons like sweet peppers, fried eggplant, or pepperoni. If you want something a little more refined, the Norristown and Limerick locations offer catering options that can serve up to 24 people, with offerings like antipasto, bruschetta, prosciutto-wrapped melon, and a variety of hot hors d’oeuvres (72 hours’ notice required, pickup only).
Located in Springfield, Delaware County, this beloved local establishment offers an extensive selection of “red gravy” Italian dishes, hoagies, wraps, and finger foods. À la carte platter options feature full sheets of pizza (24 slices) in more than a dozen varieties, massive strombolis (a large serves 70 slices), hoagie trays (up to 32 pieces), and appetizers like bruschetta and fried ravioli. For events feeding 50 or more people, consider the catering packages, which can simplify menu planning for you.
To keep your parties a little smoky, head to Willow Grove for a bevy of BBQ platters, desserts, classic sides, and, of course, meat by the pound. Streetside has everything from baby back ribs, brisket, smoked wings, and pulled pork to prime rib, beef tenderloin, and smoked Italian sausage and leg of lamb — plus sides like half pans (serves 20 to 24 people) of baked beans, collard greens, smoked veggies, and more.
Folks out in the western ‘burbs probably know this longtime favorite, seeing as it’s been a destination for gourmet Italian fare and ingredients for roughly 40 years now. Like its urban counterpart Di Bruno Bros., Carlino’s list of offerings is almost endless. If you’re after game-day eats, you’ll want to get quarter tomato pie with football stencil, and six-inchstadium cannoli cake, miniature football eclairs, and chocolate dipped football strawberries.
It’s all about grazing at this Medford shop, which focuses on “grazing boards” and boxes. Choose from a ton of custom-made boards and takeaway boxes with a wide variety of meats, cheeses, crackers, bread, dried fruits, veggies, nuts, olives, and dips (boards, meanwhile, come with flowers and herbs for style points, and you can even keep the pine board they come on). Or, for something unique, check out the charcuterie cones. Note: Grazing platters start at $180 and require a week’s notice.
