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  • Letters to the Editor | Jan. 28, 2026

    Letters to the Editor | Jan. 28, 2026

    Whitewashing slavery

    Authoritarians try to rewrite history, fashioning a story that reflects well on them. That’s why the Trump regime ordered the removal of the President’s House exhibits that tell the story of the people George and Martha Washington enslaved. Donald Trump denounced any public interpretation of our history that “inappropriately disparages” the United States.

    But it’s not the historians and community activists who insult the white founders. They did that themselves, fighting for their own freedom while enslaving, raping, and torturing others. Washington continually rotated the people he enslaved out of Philadelphia, so as to evade the city’s six-month limit on owning other people. He went so far as to try multiple times to kidnap and re-enslave Ona Judge after she liberated herself in 1796.

    This is Black history, but it is also white history. It is American history. I myself am descended from Virginia enslavers. I know the knots my people tied themselves in, trying to soften and justify what they did. But there it is in my great-great-grandfather’s diary, after he describes the weather: “This day my overseer beats my negro Shadrick for sleeping in.” My ancestors and other enslavers committed a grave crime against humanity. Only by telling this truth and facing it can we hope to even begin to redress the consequences of their crimes.

    Sarah Browning, Philadelphia

    . . .

    As longtime educators (35 years) in Philadelphia, we are outraged and saddened that references to slavery at Independence National Historical Park have been removed. We cannot change history, but we can learn from it. Can we come together as people in Philadelphia to find a private location close to Independence Park to display these panels with the help of grants from foundations, such as the William Penn Foundation? Can we show visitors that we are proud citizens of a city that values brotherly and sisterly love? America was and is great. Let’s celebrate our Semiquincentennial while addressing the reality of our treatment of enslaved people and Native Americans.

    Joseph T. and Barbara R. Devlin, Telford

    . . .

    The Trump administration’s removal of educational slavery exhibits from the President’s House site at Independence National Historical Park was apparently done on the basis that they “inappropriately disparage Americans, past or living.” Generations of Americans have learned of our history through such exhibits at national parks all around the country. This move to censor our true history serves no “Americans, past or living.”

    Mark Baum Baicker, Carversville

    . . .

    After the National Park Service dismantled all of the displays memorializing the enslaved people at the President’s House, a call went out to Philly artists to contribute creative work to the now dismantled memorial.

    As I headed out to the site with some artwork, I learned that federal officers had killed a protester in Minneapolis, Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse.

    Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, Marco Rubio, Russell Vought, et al. can’t find another country to invade that won’t bring down the condemnation of the international community. Instead, with the help of the U.S. Supreme Court, the GOP, and a handful of billionaires, they are waging war on the United States of America. We are on the receiving end of a deliberate form of cultural erasure, disappearing references about the brutality of slavery at the same time that the good people of this country are being abducted, beaten, incarcerated, and now, killed.

    Cindy Maguire, Merion Station

    . . .

    I am outraged that the National Park Service removed the exhibits documenting slavery at the President’s House. Erasing those parts of our history that make us uncomfortable does not make “America Great Again.” What can make America great is the acknowledgment of its failures (past and present) with a firm commitment to righting those wrongs and making life better for everyone who lives here, regardless of where they come from, what color they are, whether they are rich or poor, or whether they are citizens or not. We seem to be drifting further and further away from any semblance of what makes a country great, from being an example for others to emulate. I wonder how future exhibits of this period in our nation’s history will be depicted — or if they will also be erased.

    Kathleen Coyne, Wallingford

    . . .

    I am writing to urge that references to slavery not be removed from our national parks and historic sites. These places exist to tell the full American story, not a sanitized version of it.

    Slavery is a painful and shameful part of our history, but it is also central to understanding who we are and how far we have come. Erasing or softening that history does not honor the past; it diminishes it. When visitors encounter honest accounts of slavery, they also encounter the reality of progress — the long struggle toward freedom, equality, and justice, and the fact that our nation ultimately rejected slavery as incompatible with its ideals.

    National parks are uniquely positioned to educate. They should present history in context, with care and accuracy, showing both the wrongs that were committed and the moral courage it took to overcome them. Facing difficult truths helps us appreciate the progress that was made and reminds us why it mattered.

    Preserving these references is not about assigning guilt to the present, but about understanding the past. An honest history strengthens our national character and ensures that the lessons of slavery — and the achievement of overcoming it — are not forgotten.

    Martha Weinar, Cherry Hill

    . . .

    President Donald Trump and his administration, including the National Park Service, are wrong and foolish to remove the true story of slavery from the President’s House at Independence National Historical Park.

    The President’s House is historic because it shares with only the White House in Washington, D.C., the distinction of being the official residence of two or more presidents. The President’s House was also at the center of America’s original sin of slavery, as George Washington lived there with enslaved people, and John Adams, an abolitionist, lived there without captives.

    Trump and his followers are wrong to try to whitewash our national history. We must acknowledge our past, warts and all, and resolve to do better. And Trump is foolish. His censorship only draws more attention to what he is trying to deny. Americans are smarter than he is.

    As another president famously said, you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

    Joseph Hoeffel, current volunteer ranger, Independence National Historical Park

    The writer is a former member of Congress.

    . . .

    My grandmother, Margaret Washington, descendant of George Washington, and my grandfather, George Robins, descendant of Bishop William White, are probably rolling in their graves in the Christ Church graveyard over the removal of the signage at the President’s House nearby.

    As a retired public schoolteacher and a Washington and White family descendant, I’m appalled at the removal of the exhibit signs about the people Washington enslaved. Included was one sign with images of the Rev. Absalom Jones and the Rev. Richard Allen.

    Bishop White ordained Absalom Jones as our first African American Episcopal minister of St. Thomas Church.

    I supported the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition’s work to bring the exhibits to the President’s House 20 years ago, and we need to continue to do so today.

    Teaching the truth and supporting ongoing public education have been long-held values in our democracy as it progresses through time. We cannot erase historic harms. My grandchildren are the seventh generation of their family’s Philly ancestry, and we need to work now to stand up for the truth and our democracy for our unborn citizens in seven generations to come. We the People need to demand the return of the signs now and stand in truth together, protecting the birthplace of our democracy in our nation’s 250th anniversary year.

    Peggy Hartzell, Glenmoore

    . . .

    Regarding the removal of the slavery exhibits at the President’s House, could the displays be recreated by either the city of Philadelphia or even a private organization with a GoFundMe page? Surely somebody must have photographs of those panels that were taken down. Set them up on public, private, or city-owned property nearby so they can still be seen, and the information contained therein is not removed from the public domain.

    Doug Smithman, Dresher

    Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.

  • Horoscopes: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’ve been around hard people and known the cold pain of emotional indifference. Your capacity for kindness has been earned with firsthand experience of emotionally barren situations. Now your warmth changes everything for someone.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Questions arise. What’s the cost of attention, approval and affection? It’s different in different relationships. Sometimes it seems much more expensive than it’s worth. Often the currencies are subtle. Does the trade itself negate the presence of real love?

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Don’t waste time where red flags are flying. There are so many people of stellar character you haven’t met yet. Keep moving. You deserve to be around people who support, uplift and inspire your trust on every front.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). There’s a common belief that focusing on personal goals leads to happiness, yet shared effort and contribution often produce deeper, longer-lasting joy. Helping or collaborating with others will uplift you in the moment, and the good feelings linger.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You like someone. Your goal isn’t just to understand the piece of them you interact with. You already know their work role or public persona. You’re more interested in what motivates them. One thoughtful question can start that deeper connection.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’re doing well, but it’s OK to want to be doing even better. People who have your best interest at heart are fine with this. A transformation is happening now, albeit slowly. Keep focusing on what you want.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The vague restlessness of the day has you up and out, looking for somewhere to apply your energy that will keep you engaged, responsible and involved. Meaningful tasks will quiet an uneasy feeling and put you back on course.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Power and efficiency go hand-in-hand. Today sees you doing less but doing it well and creating a greater effect than overcomplicating or overextending yourself. Minimalism makes your world simply beautiful and keeps you from getting bogged down.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your internal weather produces states that come and go on their own. To argue with a feeling or force a mood only drains energy without changing much. You conserve energy just watching emotions drift like clouds across your sky inside.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You don’t always stop when you feel tired, because you know you have reserves that will kick in after you’ve spent everything in the tank. When it’s important enough, you can push through, and you’ll be met on the other side.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It clicks in. The plan comes together. You love the feeling of finally understanding a complex situation or making sense of the unknown. Your whole being lights up and you feel swept into the wholeness of life itself.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The contrast between curiosity and conviction is sharp today. Self-righteousness signals psychological danger. Certainty can harden positions. The most reasonable and accurate arguments are aware of their own ignorance. Stay open.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 28). Welcome to your Year of Lasting Support. You assemble a network that strengthens every part of your life, giving you more practical help, emotional understanding and an enduring source of mutual encouragement. More highlights: thriving projects, special connections with people of different generations and lifestyle upgrades that favorably affect your day-to-day. Libra and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 14, 21, 32, 6 and 41.

  • Dear Abby | Woman prefers a wipe-down and dry shaving to a shower

    DEAR ABBY: I am a longtime divorcee and a retiree with grown kids. What is troubling me is I’ve always had an issue with taking a shower and all the oil and dirt flowing down my body. I think it’s gross, so I usually wash my hair in the kitchen sink. I also don’t get in the shower to wash my body. I hate getting out of the shower and feeling cold, or trying to get dressed partially wet.

    When I’ve been in relationships, I force myself to shower or wipe down with hospital-type wipes. (I still wash up this way, just not regularly, and I know it’s gross.) I dry shave my legs and underarms when needed, but this is really an issue for me. I brush my teeth twice a day. I use a light perfume and often get compliments, but I know from reading your advice that seniors lose their sense of smell and I could be ripe.

    I don’t know how to overcome this, and, for obvious reasons, I don’t have a friend I can float this by. I’m healthy and, like everyone, struggle with depression, but I don’t feel it’s bad enough to seek professional help. I’m on a fixed income.

    Just curious as to what your thoughts are on this. It’s been a good six weeks since I’ve had a proper shower, and I find no justification for it other than I don’t enjoy it.

    — UNSHOWERED IN ILLINOIS

    DEAR UNSHOWERED: If I thought your quirk could be solved as easily as buying a portable heater for your bathroom, I would suggest it. You state that you suffer from depression “like everyone else.” From the mail I receive, people do have problems interacting with interpersonal relationships, workplace issues, etc., but they do NOT “all” suffer from depression.

    Although you live on a fixed income, you could benefit from discussing your issue with a licensed psychotherapist. Help is available on a sliding financial scale through your county’s department of mental health or your local university with a department of psychology. While medication might help you overcome your depression, getting to the root of your shower avoidance will likely happen once you start talking.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: My question is about dating among older adults. I have been on a dating website for a while now. Most of the profiles are fake. I finally encountered a legitimate profile of a nice-looking man, and we are now talking. After one week, we are finally going to meet for dinner. I’m thrilled, but he stated that he has “baggage.” When I asked him what kind, he replied, “It’s physical.” What does that MEAN?

    We have discussed being intimate and, at our age, we are no longer virgins. I intend to go on the date and be gracious and kind, but I am more than a little confused. What are your thoughts? I thought we clicked or I wouldn’t be going on a date with him. What did I miss?

    — PERPLEXED IN FLORIDA

    DEAR PERPLEXED: The nice-looking man who has made a date with you could have been alluding to any number of physical problems. He might be missing a limb or need assistance getting around, or he may be impotent. Because he didn’t give you the laundry list he included in his “baggage,” you are just going to have to find out for yourself and take this a step at a time.

  • Russia offers cash bonuses, frees prisoners, and lures foreigners to replenish its troops in Ukraine

    Russia offers cash bonuses, frees prisoners, and lures foreigners to replenish its troops in Ukraine

    For average wage earners in Russia, it’s a big payday. For criminals seeking to escape the harsh conditions and abuse in prison, it’s a chance at freedom. For immigrants hoping for a better life, it’s a simplified path to citizenship.

    All they have to do is sign a contract to fight in Ukraine.

    As Russia seeks to replenish its forces in nearly four years of war — and avoid an unpopular nationwide mobilization — it’s pulling out all the stops to find new troops to send into the battlefield.

    Some come from abroad to fight in what has become a bloody war of attrition. After signing a mutual defense treaty with Moscow in 2024, North Korea sent thousands of soldiers to help Russia defend its Kursk region from a Ukrainian incursion.

    Men from South Asian countries, including India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, complain of being duped into signing up to fight by recruiters promising jobs. Officials in Kenya, South Africa, and Iraq say the same has happened to citizens from their countries.

    Russian numbers in Ukraine

    President Vladimir Putin told his annual news conference in December that 700,000 Russian troops are fighting in Ukraine. He gave the same number in 2024, and a slightly lower figure — 617,000 — in December 2023. It’s unclear if those numbers are accurate.

    Still hidden are the numbers of military casualties, with Moscow having released limited official figures. The British Defense Ministry said last summer that more than 1 million Russian troops may have been killed or wounded.

    Independent Russian news site Mediazona, together with the BBC and a team of volunteers, scoured news reports, social media and government websites, and collected the names of over 160,000 troops killed. More than 550 of those were foreigners from over two dozen countries.

    How Russia gets new soldiers

    Unlike Ukraine, where martial law and nationwide mobilization has been in place since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Putin has resisted ordering a broad call-up.

    When a limited mobilization of 300,000 men was tried later that year, tens of thousands of people fled abroad. The effort stopped after a few weeks when the target was met, but a Putin decree left the door open for another call-up. It also made all military contracts effectively open-ended and barred soldiers from quitting service or being discharged, unless they reached certain age limits or were incapacitated by injuries.

    Since then, Moscow has largely relied on what it describes as voluntary enlistment.

    The flow of voluntary enlistees signing military contracts has remained strong, topping 400,000 last year, Putin said in December. It was not possible to independently verify the claim. Similar numbers were announced in 2024 and 2023.

    Activists say these contracts often stipulate a fixed term of service, such as one year, leading some potential enlistees to believe the commitment is temporary. But contracts are automatically extended indefinitely, they say.

    The incentives

    The government offers high pay and extensive benefits to enlistees. Regional authorities offer various enlistment bonuses, sometimes amounting to tens of thousands of dollars.

    In the Khanty-Mansi region of central Russia, for example, an enlistee would get about $50,000 in various bonuses, according to the local government. That’s more than twice the average annual income in the region, where monthly salaries in the first 10 months of 2025 were reported to be just over $1,600.

    There also are tax breaks, debt relief, and other perks.

    Despite Kremlin claims of relying on voluntary enlistment, media reports and rights groups say conscripts — men aged 18-30 performing fixed-term mandatory military service and exempted from being sent to Ukraine — are often coerced by superiors into signing contracts that send them into battle.

    Recruitment also extends to prisoners and those in pretrial detention centers, a practice led early in the war by the late mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and adopted by the Defense Ministry. Laws now allow recruitment of both convicts and suspects in criminal cases.

    Targeting foreigners

    Foreigners also are recruiting targets, both inside Russia and abroad.

    Laws were adopted offering accelerated Russian citizenship for enlistees. Russian media and activists also report that raids in areas where migrants typically live or work lead to them being pressuring into military service, with new citizens sent to enlistment offices to determine if they’re eligible for mandatory service.

    In November, Putin decreed that military service was mandatory for certain foreigners seeking permanent residency.

    Some reportedly are lured to Russia by trafficking rings promising jobs, then duping them into signing military contracts. Cuban authorities in 2023 identified and sought to dismantle one such ring operating from Russia.

    Nepal’s Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud told the Associated Press in 2024 that his country asked Russia to return hundreds of Nepali nationals who were recruited to fight in Ukraine, as well as to repatriate the remains of those killed in the war. Nepal has since barred citizens from traveling to Russia or Ukraine for work, citing recruitment efforts.

    Also in 2024, India’s federal investigation agency said it broke up a network that lured at least 35 of its citizens to Russia under the pretext of employment. The men were trained for combat and deployed to Ukraine against their will, with some “grievously injured,” the agency said.

    When Putin hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talks in 2024, New Delhi said its nationals who were “misled” into joining the Russian army would be discharged.

    Iraqi officials say about 5,000 of its citizens have joined the Russian military along with an unspecified number who are fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. Officials in Baghdad cracked down on such recruiting networks, with one man convicted last year of human trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.

    An unknown number of Iraqis have been killed or gone missing while fighting in Ukraine. Some families have reported that relatives were lured to Russia under false pretenses and forced to enlist; in other cases, Iraqis have joined voluntarily for the salary and Russian citizenship.

    Foreigners duped into fighting are especially vulnerable because they don’t speak Russian, have no military experience and are deemed “dispensable, to put it bluntly,” by military commanders, said Anton Gorbatsevich of the activist group Idite Lesom, or “Get Lost,” which helps men desert from the army.

    A drain on a slowing economy

    This month, a Ukrainian agency for the treatment of prisoners of war said over 18,000 foreign nationals had fought or are fighting on the Russian side. Almost 3,400 have been killed, and hundreds of citizens of 40 countries are held in Ukraine as POWs.

    If true, that represents a fraction of the 700,000 troops that Putin said are fighting for Russia in Ukraine.

    Using foreigners is only one way to meet the constant demand, said Artyom Klyga, head of the legal department at the Movement of Conscientious Objectors, noting Russian recruitment efforts appear to be stable. Most of those seeking help from the group, which assists men in avoiding military service, are Russian citizens, he said.

    Kateryna Stepanenko, a Russia researcher at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, said the Kremlin has gotten more “creative” in the last two years with attracting enlistees, including foreigners.

    But recruitment efforts are becoming “extremely expensive” for Russia, which faces a slowing economy, she added.

  • Two teens, ages 14 and 15, injured in North Philly shooting

    Two teens, ages 14 and 15, injured in North Philly shooting

    Two teenage boys, ages 14 and 15, were injured in a shooting Tuesday night in North Philadelphia, police said.

    The shooting, which happened shortly after 7 p.m. at the corner of 24th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, was captured on surveillance video, said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

    The boys were walking toward a store at the corner when they appeared to get into a verbal altercation with another male, Small said.

    The shooter fired at least two times and then ran north on 24th Street, Small said. The 14-year-old was shot in the foot and the 15-year-old was shot in the abdomen.

    The teens, who are friends, then ran to a nearby house where one of them lives on the 2400 block of Turner Street, Small said. They were then taken by police to Temple University Hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.

    Police found one spent shell casing at the shooting scene, Small said.

  • Man arrested after spraying unknown substance on Rep. Ilhan Omar at Minneapolis town hall

    Man arrested after spraying unknown substance on Rep. Ilhan Omar at Minneapolis town hall

    MINNEAPOLIS — A man sprayed an unknown substance on Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and was tackled to the ground Tuesday during a town hall in Minneapolis, where tensions over federal immigration enforcement have come to a head after agents fatally shot an intensive care nurse and a mother of three this month.

    The audience cheered as the man was pinned down and his arms were tied behind his back. In video of the incident, someone in the crowd can be heard saying, “Oh my god, he sprayed something on her.”

    Just before that Omar had called for the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment. Calls are mounting on Capitol Hill for Noem to step down after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two people who protested deportations. Few Republicans have risen to her defense.

    “ICE cannot be reformed,” Omar said, seconds before the attack.

    Minneapolis police said officers saw the man use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid at Omar. They immediately arrested him and booked him at the county jail for third-degree assault, spokesperson Trevor Folke said. Forensic scientists responded to the scene.

    Police identified the man as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak. It was not immediately clear if Kazmierczak had an attorney. The county public defenders’ office could not immediately be reached.

    Omar continued speaking for about 25 more minutes after the man was ushered out by security, saying she would not be intimidated.

    There was a strong, vinegarlike smell after the man pushed on the syringe, according to an Associated Press journalist who was there. Photos of the device, which fell to the ground when he was tackled, showed what appeared to be a light-brown liquid inside. There was no immediate word from officials on what it was.

    Minneapolis Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw said some of the substance also came into contact with her and state Sen. Bobby Joe Champion. She called it a deeply unsettling experience.

    No one in the crowd of about 100 people had a noticeable physical reaction to the substance.

    Omar says she is OK and ‘a survivor’

    Walking out afterward, Omar said she felt a little flustered but was not hurt. She was going to be screened by a medical team.

    She later posted on the social platform X: “I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win.”

    The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Tuesday night.

    President Donald Trump has frequently criticized the congresswoman and has stepped up verbal attacks on her in recent months as he turned his focus on Minneapolis. During a Cabinet meeting in December, he referred to her as “garbage.”

    Hours earlier on Tuesday, the president criticized Omar as he spoke to a crowd in Iowa, saying his administration would only let in immigrants who “can show that they love our country.”

    “They have to be proud, not like Ilhan Omar,” he said, drawing loud boos at the mention of her name.

    He added: “She comes from a country that’s a disaster. So probably, it’s considered, I think — it’s not even a country.”

    Omar is a U.S. citizen who fled her birthplace, Somalia, with her family at age 8 as a civil war tore apart the country.

    The Minneapolis-St. Paul area is home to about 84,000 people of Somali descent — nearly a third of Somalis living in the U.S.

    Officials condemn the attack

    Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz expressed gratitude that Omar was safe, adding in a post on X: “Our state has been shattered by political violence in the last year. The cruel, inflammatory, dehumanizing rhetoric by our nation’s leaders needs to stop immediately.”

    U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, also denounced the assault.

    “I am deeply disturbed to learn that Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall today” Mace said. “Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric — and I do — no elected official should face physical attacks. This is not who we are.”

    Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, called the attack “unacceptable.” He said he was relieved that Omar “is OK” and thanked police for their quick response, concluding: “This kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our city.”

    The city has been reeling from the fatal shootings of two residents by federal immigration agents this month during Trump’s massive immigration enforcement surge. Intensive care unit nurse Alex Pretti was killed Saturday, less than three weeks after Renee Good was fatally shot behind the wheel of her vehicle.

    Lawmakers face rising threats

    The attack came days after a man was arrested in Utah for allegedly punching U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, in the face during the Sundance Film Festival and saying Trump was going to deport him.

    Threats against members of Congress have increased in recent years, peaking in 2021 in the aftermath of that year’s Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, before dipping slightly only to climb again, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Capitol Police.

    Lawmakers have discussed the impact on their ability to hold town halls and public events, with some even citing the threat environment in their decisions not to seek reelection.

    Following the assault on Omar, U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement that the agency was “working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society.”

    It also released updated numbers detailing threats to members of Congress: 14,938 “concerning statements, behaviors, and communications directed against lawmakers, their families, staff and the Capitol Complex” in 2025.

    That is a sharp increase from 2024, when the number of cases was 9,474, according to USCP. It is the third year in a row that the number of threats has increased.

    Capitol Police have beefed up security measures across all fronts since Jan. 6, 2021, and the department has seen increased reporting after a new center was launched two years ago to process reports of threats.

  • Josh Shapiro backs Philadelphia’s legal fight to restore exhibits about slavery at the President’s House

    Josh Shapiro backs Philadelphia’s legal fight to restore exhibits about slavery at the President’s House

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is backing the City of Philadelphia’s federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration after exhibits about slavery were taken down from the President’s House last week.

    Shapiro said in a news release Tuesday that Trump “picked the wrong city and the wrong Commonwealth” when dismantling exhibits at the President’s House.

    “Those displays aren’t just signs — they represent our shared history, and if we want to move forward as a nation, we have to be willing to tell the full story of where we came from,” Shapiro said after his office filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit from the city seeking to restore the exhibits to the President’s House.

    The city filed a suit against the Department of Interior, the National Park Service, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron last week while the exhibits were being dismantled by the Park Service.

    “There is no virtue in refusing to acknowledge certain aspects of our history because it is painful to do so,” according to an amicus brief filed by the governor’s counsel Tuesday evening. “The removal of the slavery exhibit from the President’s House undermines this commitment and denies Pennsylvanians and others the opportunity to learn more about a part of our history that cannot be ignored.”

    Shapiro’s support comes as stakeholders across the country are voicing their outrage against the Trump administration’s efforts to sanitize United States history.

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has emphasized the importance of a 2006 cooperative agreement between the city and the federal government.

    Parker issued some of her most forceful comments yet against the Trump administration Tuesday night in a video posted to social media, saying that the federal government “breached” this cooperative agreement.

    Parker said her administration will continue “fighting” for the panels to be restored.

    “This history is a critical part of our nation’s origins, and it deserves to be seen and heard, not just by the people of Philadelphia, but by every person who comes to Philadelphia from around our nation and the world to see and learn from, especially as we celebrate our Semiquincentennial 250th birthday, I want the world to know you cannot erase our history,” Parker said.

    “Yes, it is flawed, yes it is imperfect, and yes includes the real life, lived experiences and stories of people who endured a great deal of pain so that America could realize its promise,” she added.

    The removal of content from national parks comes after Trump and Burgum issued orders that call for the review and potential removal of content at national parks that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”

    In addition to the actions in Philadelphia, signs about the mistreatment of Native Americans and climate change were removed from other parks including the Grand Canyon and Glacier National Park, according to the Washington Post.

    In Shapiro’s filing Tuesday, his counsel states that the governor wanted to step in to ensure that important parts of U.S. history are continuing to be told and that he has “a compelling interest in protecting the role of state and local governments within Pennsylvania from the abuses of federal executive power,” such as the Trump administration carrying out the removal without notifying the city.

    A hearing on the suit is expected to be held Friday morning.

    In her video Tuesday, Parker thanked the governor and other elected officials for their support.

    “Philadelphia, we are on the right side of history,” she said.

    Staff Writer Abraham Gutman contributed reporting.

  • 2 federal officers fired shots during encounter that killed Alex Pretti, DHS tells Congress

    2 federal officers fired shots during encounter that killed Alex Pretti, DHS tells Congress

    WASHINGTON — Two federal officers fired shots during an encounter that killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, a Customs and Border Protection official told Congress in a notice sent Tuesday.

    The notice said one Border Patrol officer fired his Glock and a CBP officer fired his, according to a notification to Congress obtained by The Associated Press.

    Investigators from CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the analysis based on a review of body-worn camera footage and agency documentation, the notice said. The agency is required to report in-custody and certain other deaths involving its agents and officers to Congress.

    A Customs and Border Protection official said in the notice that officers tried to take Pretti into custody and he resisted, leading to a struggle. During the struggle, a Border Patrol agent yelled, “He’s got a gun!” multiple times, the official said.

  • Allen Iverson criticized for ‘disgusting’ behavior at children’s cancer charity meet-and-greet in Australia

    Allen Iverson criticized for ‘disgusting’ behavior at children’s cancer charity meet-and-greet in Australia

    Allen Iverson is being criticized for an allegedly disrespectful visit with a children’s cancer charity in Australia, after a viral Reddit post called out the former Sixer for “absolutely disgusting” conduct at the hospital.

    Challenge, a Melbourne-based charity supporting children with cancer, has hosted NBA players such as Shaquille O’Neal, Cameron Johnson, Josh Giddey, Seth Curry, and Carmelo Anthony for visits in the past.

    Challenge chief executive officer David Rogers told The Inquirer in a statement on Tuesday that Iverson spent almost two hours engaging with media, executives, and high-profile sports figures, but “in stark contrast,” described the Hall of Famer’s conduct with the children and families as “unacceptable.”

    Iverson was set to do a 45-minute meet-and-greet with children and families supported by Challenge. Iverson was more than 90 minutes late, and according to the Reddit post, decided not to sign anything or speak to anyone, adding that his security said he was “having a bad day.”

    “My little brother who is 12 years old and is currently receiving chemotherapy for ALCL lymphoma, was so excited to meet one of his idols,” the Reddit post reads. “He came out to be extremely disgusted and disappointed in Allen Iversons[’] [behavior], and so were the other [families].”

    Iverson took one group photo and then ended the visit. The poster did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    “Challenge was deeply disappointed with the meet and greet involving Allen Iverson,” Rogers said in the statement. “There was nothing further we could have done as an organization to improve the experience and, despite working diligently on the day to manage a challenging and at times disrespectful approach from his management team, we believe Allen Iverson ultimately let down the children and families who came to meet him.”

    Iverson and his management team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The incident was one of a number of reportedly bad events on Iverson’s recent tour of Australia. Former NBL player Chris Anstey posted on Instagram that Iverson skipped a scheduled free guest-speaking experience with CreativeCubes.Co in Melbourne, canceling two hours after the event was set to begin.

    Another former NBL player, Jason Cadee, said on a podcast that Iverson was invited to HoopsFest in Perth, and he spoke for just a few minutes on stage before skipping his scheduled meet-and-greet.

    “Iverson comes across and he speaks,” Cadee said. “He walks in the room and he speaks, he spoke pretty well for about seven minutes or eight minutes, gives the mic up and just leaves, that’s it. Apparently there was supposed to be photos, supposed to be some time to mingle, [but he was] out. That was it.”

  • Many Philly side streets remain full of snow and ice days after Sunday’s storm

    Many Philly side streets remain full of snow and ice days after Sunday’s storm

    It is a sentiment long held by residents across Philadelphia, especially those living on side streets, dating back to when snowfall was a more frequent occurrence than it has been in recent years: Don’t expect the city to do a thorough plowing job.

    That belief is one that Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has said she is trying to shake with action.

    Two days before a storm that whacked the city with 9.3 inches of snow and sleet, Parker, surrounded by the leaders of various agencies, including the Philadelphia Streets Department, vowed to buck precedent on the plowing issue.

    “We will make every effort to get to every primary, secondary, and tertiary street in the city of Philadelphia, and that is our standard,” she said, adding it would take “as long as it takes,” citing worker safety.

    “But know that we won’t leave any neighborhood, any block, or any community behind.”

    Still, residents across the city Tuesday said they were losing patience as side streets and even some secondary streets remained packed with several inches of snow and ice, locking cars in and making navigating intersections impossible.

    Fishtown resident Rohan Khadka, 22, was hoping plowing might happen overnight. Instead he woke up Tuesday to streets that were hard for him to cross even with the proper footwear.

    “A lot of our roads down here look exactly the same,” he said. “Most of the cleanup that has happened, to my knowledge, has either been by other residents or just cars happening to clean it because they’re using those roads.”

    A pedestrian walks through a snow-covered parking lot at Ninth and Arch Streets in Center City Philadelphia, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.

    Analysis of the City of Philadelphia’s PlowPHL data, which tracks the movement of plows via GPS data, showed that about a quarter of streets citywide had received no snow treatment at all — including salting or plowing — after the conclusion of the storm Sunday night.

    Some areas were worse off than others.

    In places like Overbrook and Wynnefield, the city had salted or plowed about 70% of streets by the end of Sunday morning, when the storm began. But the majority of streets in these neighborhoods received no additional plowing or salting since Sunday, according to city data.

    The same was true for about a third of streets in South Philadelphia.

    The streets department said Tuesday it was deploying over 200 vehicles and excavators as part of a so-called lifting operation. Fourteen teams were fanning across the city to scoop up snow from the narrow roads and load it into dump trucks on nearby primary streets.

    The snow hauls were then being taken to storage sites across the city.

    Director of Clean and Green Initiatives Carlton Williams drove through parts of South Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon, as dozens of the side-street-size excavators made their way through the city’s narrowest byways.

    “It is the smaller tertiary streets that are challenging,” he said. “There’s more of them. It’s difficult to navigate through those streets.”

    As Williams passed a side street with several inches of snow packed, he noted a car illegally parked on the corner, which would make it difficult for machines to get through.

    Williams said this storm came with additional challenges. Not only did the snow fall in a condensed period of time, but it was followed by sleet and frozen rain.

    “We wouldn’t have many of the challenges that we’re facing today, slowdowns, if those other weather conditions beyond our control did not exist,” he said. “But again, I want to reassure the public that we’re aware. You see us out here today. We’ll be out here tomorrow, and we’ll continue to fight this storm.”

    But for Philadelphians waiting for a plow, time is of the essence.

    311 ringing off the hook

    For Moya Ferenchak, 30, the effectiveness of the operation carries serious health implications. They started pet sitting on the 1500 block of South Capitol, a South Philly side street, for a friend last Tuesday, bringing exactly one week’s worth of food and lifesaving medication — more than they expected to need.

    Ferenchak, who lives with a disability that causes limited mobility, cannot shovel. Calling a car not only is expensive but also would require Ferenchak to travel with all their belongings to an intersection that is not blocked by snow.

    Adding to frustrations across the city were reports of inundated 311 phone lines.

    “I called first thing this morning, and there was a 50-plus-person queue,” Ferenchak said. “Then I called again, and there was like a 70-plus-person queue. I waited for like an hour or so, and then it hung up on me.”

    Alex Wiles of Philadelphia has been hustling during the recent snow, shoveling sidewalks and digging out cars. This photograph was taken along North Second Street near his home, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. He was heading to the bus for a trip to his next client.

    The processing of online 311 tickets has also been a source of confusion for residents who wonder if they are being paid attention to. Williams said the complaints are populating a map used to direct plows to avoid redundancies.

    “We’ll take that data and get it within the operation,” he said.

    Some homes feel the impact more than others

    On the 4800 block of Regent Street in West Philadelphia, Justin Rothrauff described the road as “treacherous” for the mix of families and older residents who live there.

    “One of the big problems, besides the street not being plowed, is that the plowing that they have done on some of those primary roads has blocked the secondary and tertiary roads,” the 43-year-old teacher said, adding even if he could somehow get his car out of his block, he is not sure he would make it back in.

    While Rothrauff had heard of people paying to have their roads shoveled, he feels no one should have to.

    “I refuse to pay anyone money, I pay enough taxes in the city,” he said.

    For some Philadelphians, some information could go a long way. A much-touted live map of plow operations has been reported for mistakenly listing some streets as plowed, according to the residents who live there.

    Ken Wong shovels snow on Waverly Street, in Philadelphia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026.

    Krista Dedrick-Lai, 45, a South Philly resident, hopes the city will do more to tell people about plowing statuses, and explain why their streets are still covered in snow days after the storm, even if the answers are not what they are hoping to hear.

    “Sometimes context can make everyone feel better,” she said, noting her block on Federal Street got a plow Monday and Tuesday, but the snow banks had blocked cars in.

    Fortunately, she said, she and her husband have not needed to leave their house to work or to help their child learn through third-grade virtual learning modules.

    Others, however, do not have that flexibility. Making matters worse, more snow may be on the horizon this weekend.