ARIES (March 21-April 19). Something new has your full attention, and it feels good to be lit up again. Just remember to look up from your project now and then. The people who love you most want to share in your excitement, too.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Someone’s pattern of letting you down has begun to weigh on you. Instead of holding it in, bring gentle honesty to the situation. If things don’t change, you’ll know it’s time to seek the care and consistency you deserve.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Relationships don’t stay strong by accident. It depends on how they are grown and protected. They thrive when people nurture trust, honesty, curiosity and time together. Neglect makes love brittle; care makes it resilient.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’ve taken on a job and figured out how to do it in your own very specific way. Someone gets what you’re doing and respects your approach. Their recognition will benefit you in more ways than one today.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Today you’re like an actor with the good lines. With dialogue this sharp, you don’t need to perform much; just say the words that come to you and make your exit. Brevity is always welcome because most people are in it for the action scenes.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ll feel a surge of creativity after you tidy up. Clean surfaces brighten your thoughts and signal to your subconscious (and anyone who drops by) that all is well and ready for beauty to unfold.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Minding your own business is a challenge with so many wanting you to mind theirs. Attention-grabs abound, but you have a talent for tuning it out today so you can focus on solving problems and creating your own success.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). When something doesn’t work out, you don’t take it personally — any more than a puzzle piece would resent not fitting every shape. You trust that the right connection will click naturally, and that trust is your peace.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Instead of imagining what others see when they look at you, you make it your job to know. You practice in a mirror; you self-tape; you ask. You’ll enjoy this process of discovery, since what others are seeing today is validating.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’ve been trying so hard to time things perfectly and say all the right words. It’s exhausting! Don’t quit, just pause. Take a breath, loosen your grip, and let your mind wander. Clarity comes when pressure lifts.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Some people are just harder to understand. That’s why you feel proud to finally be able to accurately read and predict a person — not only what they say, but the silences, too. Those pauses will reveal much today.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Privacy is precious to you because it allows you room to delve into your feelings authentically, especially the “hotter” ones you might be tempted to tap down. “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” — Carl Jung
TODAY’SBIRTHDAY (Nov. 28). Welcome to your Year of the Visionary Leap. Not only do you see a different world than the one around you; you have the tremendous courage to create it. Your determination attracts support, including friends and allies willing to put their time and money into your projects. More highlights: Financial stability through wise choices, a refined aesthetic that draws admiration, and a home with loving relationships that make you feel like your truest self. Pisces and Capricorn adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 21, 50, 5, 39 and 14.
DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 38 years. We have three adult children and four grandchildren. I have always wondered whether I have stayed in the marriage out of obligation and/or because I got a young woman pregnant. I have on many occasions asked myself if I should have ended it and continued on with my life after the first child was born. I have tolerated the lifestyle I created and would like some advice from someone who has heard about a lot of circumstances.
— UNSETTLED IN NEW JERSEY
DEAR UNSETTLED: A divorce at this point will disrupt the family unit you created and have nurtured all these years. Would it be worth the pain and expense involved? Once you have your “freedom,” what do you plan to do with it? Some discussions with a licensed counselor may help you gain perspective. Compiling a list of reasons why you should stay married and all of your reasons for wanting out would be helpful, too. Set it aside for a few days, review it and it may give you some insights. No one’s life is perfect, but if you are truly unhappy, it should never be too late to make a change.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I hope you can shed some light on my problem. I swear — a lot. It’s been this way off and on most of my life. I was raised in a household in which swearing was common. Through the years, I managed to curb myself around children, but I find as I age that it’s getting worse. I conditioned myself to use other words in the past, but now that I’m in a new community, it has returned full blast. What, if anything, can be done to eliminate this from my speech? Hypnosis? I’m willing to learn anything that would help.
— CURSED IN MICHIGAN
DEAR CURSED: It might help if you try to zero in on the underlying conditions that have made your old habit return. Could the move to the new community with all the adjustments involved be the cause? People sometimes swear when they are upset or in a situation that makes them nervous. If that’s true in your case, learning to lower your stress level could help you manage your problem.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for almost four months. Recently, we have been talking about trying to tell my mom about it. The problem is, back when we were in grade school, he said something hurtful to me and she found out. Because of it, she started to hate him. My friends and I have all seen that he’s changed and that he is trying. What should I do?
— MORE GROWN UP IN MISSOURI
DEAR MORE GROWN UP: What you should do is take it slowly. Do not suddenly announce to your mother that this boy is your boyfriend. Start by casually mentioning the difference you and your friends have noticed in him, that he seems to be trying to be a better person and how much he has changed for the better. Because people usually socialize in groups, it shouldn’t surprise her that he has become part of the group. Save the announcement about a relationship for a month or two, and it may be less of a shock for her.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump said that one of the two West Virginia National Guard members shot by an Afghan national near the White House had died, calling the shooter who had worked with the CIA in his native country a “savage monster.”
As part of his Thanksgiving call to U.S. troops, Trump said that he had just learned that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was “fighting for his life.”
“She’s just passed away,” Trump said. “She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her.”
The president called Beckstrom an “incredible person, outstanding in every single way.”
Trump used the announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” as he criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the United States. The president has deployed National Guard members in part to assist in his administration’s mass deportation efforts.
Trump suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable after the war and departure from Afghanistan.
“He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” the president said. “It happens too often with these people.”
Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe and Specialist Sarah Beckstrom.
The shooter worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan
The suspect charged with the shooting is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. The suspect had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan, according to two sources who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, and #AfghanEvac, a group that helps resettle Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the two-decade war.
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s brazen act of violence which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Webster Springs, where Beckstrom is from, will hold three prayer vigils Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, according to a Facebook post from the Webster County Veterans Auxiliary.
Pirro said that the suspect, Lakanwal, launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that “it’s too soon to say” what the suspect’s motives were.
The charges could be upgraded, Pirro said, adding: “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.”
The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the eve of Thanksgiving, comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.
Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops. The order expired a month later. But the troops have remained in the city, where nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned, according to the government’s latest update.
The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events. The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following Wednesday’s shooting.
The suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Shooting raises questions about legacy of Afghanistan War
A resident of the eastern Afghan province of Khost who identified himself as Lakanwal’s cousin said Lakanwal was originally from the province and that he and his brother had worked in a special Afghan Army unit known as Zero Units in the southern province of Kandahar. A former official from the unit, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Lakanwal was a team leader and his brother was a platoon leader.
The cousin spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. He said Lakanwal had started out working as a security guard for the unit in 2012, and was later promoted to become a team leader and a GPS specialist.
Kandahar is in the Taliban heartland of the country. It saw fierce fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 following the al-Qaeda attacks on Sept. 11. The CIA relied on Afghan staff for translation, administrative and front-line fighting with their own paramilitary officers in the war.
Zero Units were paramilitary units manned by Afghans but backed by the CIA and also served in front-line fighting with CIA paramilitary officers. Activists had attributed abuses to the units. They played a key role in the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country, providing security around Kabul International Airport as the Americans and withdrew from the country.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement that Lakanwal’s relationship with the U.S. government “ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation” of U.S. service members from Afghanistan.
Lakanwal, 29, entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.
The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and others over allegations of gaps in the vetting process, even as advocates say there was extensive vetting and the program offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.
The Philadelphia region played a crucial role in supporting the largest resettlement effort since the end of the Vietnam War, as the United States evacuated thousands of allies from Afghanistan as Kabul fell to the Taliban.
Philadelphia International Airport served as the nation’s main arrival point for more than 25,000 evacuees, about 1,500 of whom needed immediate medical attention for everything from diabetes to gunshot wounds. The flights to Philadelphia came from first-stop, emergency evacuation centers in Germany, Bahrain, Qatar, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and elsewhere.
Most arrivals to Philadelphia were bused from the airport to temporary living quarters at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in South Jersey. Others went to seven other military installations being used as “safe havens,” from where they were resettled in communities across the country.
At one point more than 11,000 Afghans were living in a tent city, christened “Liberty Village,” on the South Jersey base. The Trump administration recently designated the base as one of two military sites where it intends to hold immigration detainees.
Ultimately at least 600 evacuees were resettled in the Philadelphia area, many of them living in the Northeast, which already had a significant Afghan population.
Almost everyone who came to Philadelphia and to this country served the United States in a military, diplomatic, or development capacity, or was the family member of someone who did. Others worked in media, women’s organizations, or humanitarian groups that faced Taliban retaliation.
Lakanwal has been living in Bellingham, Wash., about 79 miles north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman.
The director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said in a social media post Thursday that Trump directed him to review the green cards of people from countries “of concern.”
Edlow didn’t name the countries. But in June, the administration banned travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns. Green card holders and Afghans who worked for the U.S. government or its allies in Afghanistan were listed as exempt.
Attack being investigated as terrorist act
FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism. Agents have served a series of search warrants, with Patel calling it a “coast-to-coast investigation.”
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has previously questioned the effectiveness of using the National Guard to enforce city laws. Last week, a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment there, but the judge also paused her order for 21 days to allow the administration to remove the troops or appeal.
On Thursday, Bowser interpreted the shooting as a direct assault on America itself, rather than specifically on Trump’s policies.
“Somebody drove across the country and came to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” Bowser said. “That person will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Staff writer Jeff Gammage contributed to this article.
A banged-up Eagles team got some good injury news Thursday.
DeVonta Smith, who missed team workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday with chest and shoulder injuries, plus an illness that was noted on Wednesday, was listed as a full participant in Thursday’s walk-through. Smith does not have a game designation entering the team’s Black Friday game vs. the Chicago Bears and is available to play.
The Eagles ruled out three players: Xavier Gipson (shoulder), Myles Hinton (back), and Lane Johnson (foot). Drew Mukuba also is out, but since he was placed on injured reserve Wednesday after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured right ankle, he’s no longer on the 53-man roster and is not listed on injury reports.
With Gipson out, Britain Covey was signed to the active roster Wednesday to take Mukuba’s place. Covey may be back in his role as a return specialist. The Eagles also elevated edge rusher Patrick Johnson and safety Andre’ Sam from the practice squad for Friday’s game. Johnson is a core special teamer and Sam will be active for safety depth.
Saquon Barkley (groin), Reed Blankenship (thigh), Landon Dickerson (knee), and Brandon Graham (groin), all of whom were listed as limited on Wednesday, were full participants Thursday.
Smith likely suffered his shoulder and chest injuries after his acrobatic sideline catch vs. Dallas.
“It was just this spectacular play,” Nick Sirianni said Wednesday. “It looked so easy … the way he just adjusted to it effortlessly and caught it.”
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith warms up before a Nov. 17 game against the Lions.
While the Eagles’ offense has been maligned for its inconsistency, Smith is having a strong 2025 season. He has 55 catches on 78 targets for 754 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games.
Smith and the Eagles’ offense should have an opportunity to get rolling against a Bears team that is missing multiple starters on defense.
The Bears ruled out linebackers T.J. Edwards (hand/hamstring), Ruben Hyppolite II (shoulder), and Noah Sewell (elbow), as well as defensive end Dominique Robinson (concussion) and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (hip). The corner opposite Stevenson, Jaylon Johnson, is questionable with a groin injury.
Backup guard Luke Newman also is out.
While the Eagles ruled Hinton, a rookie tackle, out for Friday’s game, he was a full participant with his back injury. The Eagles opened his 21-day practice window on Nov. 19 after the sixth-round pick started the season on injured reserve. They would not have to add him to the active roster until after they play their Week 14 game at the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 8.
At the last minute on Thanksgiving morning, Chontai Diggs and her daughter decided to leave their Mount Airy home.
Diggs, 35, had always watched Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day parade on TV, despite being born and raised in the city. But this year, her 9-year old, Zaria Roscoe, wanted to see the towering inflatable floats up close. She grinned as the minutes ticked away, squinting as sun drenched the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Once it was finished, mom and daughter needed to get back home to cook some dishes for their Thanksgiving meal, they said. Zaria was looking forward to eating “ham and mashed potatoes and cornbread and pumpkin pie.”
On a brisk morning when floats threatened to break free in the wind, but for their determined handlers, many families lined the route of the 106th 6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade, the nation’s oldest.
Large floats present a towering start to this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia.
Kamila Bond, 29, and Alex Vaz, 32, were thankful they even got a chance to see the parade. The two University of Pennsylvania medical residents said they’re usually working on Turkey Day but were happy to see some communal joy, a welcome respite from what they normally see inside the hospital.
They were grateful for their own health this year and said they were excited to finally spend some time with friends and family on the holiday.
“And sleeping,” Vaz said, coffee in hand.
Thanks after a hard year
Philly’s parade has been running since 1920, when Ellis Gimbel of the once prominent Gimbel Brothers department store on the 800 block of Market Street came up with the idea to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Until 1986, the parade ended with Santa Claus climbing into an eighth-floor store window, but now finishes with a procession up the Parkway to the Art Museum. Today’s parade might be much larger and influenced by its sponsors, but it still holds a distinct Philly flair.
“Go Birds! Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble gobble!” said a parade participant in a clown costume, dressed like the original Gimbel employees.
Sharina Sims, of Center City, and her kids were bundled up for the parade.
Little brought as much joy to the crowd as when float carriers relented to chants of “spin it!” and turned their displays around in a 360-degree circle. Second in popularity were the free pink Dunkin’ beanies handed out by the parade sponsor.
Missing from the celebration was the Temple University marching band. The 200-member ensemble was one of only 11 selected to participate in the 99th edition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, and the only band from Pennsylvania.
It was Temple’s first time performing in the New York parade, a fitting year-end celebration for the band, which marked its own 100th anniversary this year. High school bands from as far as Alabama and Indiana filled their place with their own perfectly polished silver tubas.
Anna Reynolds, 16, an 11th grader, is keeping warm with her fellow color guard members before the start of the wind-chilled Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia. The parade started at 20th Street and JFK Boulevard, traveled east to 16th Street and then north to the Parkway, with the procession ending on Eakins Oval at the Art Museum.
Perhaps for the good of the festive mood, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman was not in attendance. Though 6abc advertised his appearance alongside Monday Night Football broadcast partner Joe Buck, the pair merely gave a taped message that aired during the parade’s television broadcast.
This turkey was not the edible kind, but one that nonetheless entertained parade onlookers on 16th Street near LOVE Park. The parade started at 20th Street and JFK Boulevard, traveled east to 16th and then north to the Parkway, with the procession ending on Eakins Oval at the Art Museum.
For reasons that are unclear, Aikman shouted out the Philadelphia Professional Football Cheerleader Alumni group, a collection of former Eagles cheerleaders who strutted down the Parkway wearing jackets displaying what appeared to be the years they last cheered for the team.
When they reflected back on 2025, some attendees conceded that it had been a difficult year for them and the country. Sarah LaBruce, 46, from Fishtown, said she was hopeful that things would be better going forward — and already had her bright-red Christmas leggings on.
(From left to right) Dawn Simons, of Lawnside, camden County; Ann Marie Laun, of Northeast Philadelphia; and Lori Aument, of Oreland, Montgomery County, take a photo with the Mandalorian with the 501st Legion before the parade got underway.
James Govan, 64, is already eyeing his retirement next year, when he plans to leave Philadelphia. He’s a federal worker, and has been able to hold onto his job during all of the recent tumult in the government.
But until then, the Northeast resident said he was thankful for the everyday parts of life, including the plate of greens with smoked turkey and macaroni and cheese he had prepared for the day. He figured that he would swing by the parade this year, he said, because you never know when it could be your last chance to experience it.
“Let me see this Santa Claus guy,” he joked, before turning a bit more serious, a walking cane in his right hand.
WASHINGTON – The FBI searched multiple properties in Washington state and San Diego on Thursday in what officials said was a terrorism probe into an Afghan national suspected of shooting two National Guard members, who remained in critical condition.
Investigators seized numerous electronic devices from the suspect’s house in Washington state, including cellphones, laptops, and iPads, and interviewed the suspect’s relatives, FBI Director Kash Patel told a news conference in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro identified the two wounded Guard members as Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24.
Pirro said the suspect ambushed the Guard members while they were patrolling near the White House on Wednesday afternoon. Armed with a powerful revolver, a .357 Magnum, he shot one member who fell and then shot again before firing multiple times at the second member.
Suspect worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan
Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News the U.S. government planned to bring terrorism charges against the gunman and seek a sentence of life in prison “at a minimum.”
At her briefing, Pirro said the gunman faces three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and a charge of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
He could be charged with murder in the first degree if either of the Guard members does not survive their injuries, she said.
Patel described the shootings as a “heinous act of terrorism,” but neither he nor Pirro offered a possible motive.
The assailant appeared to have acted alone, said Jeff Carroll, executive assistant chief of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department.
The suspect has been identified by authorities as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who lived in Washington state with his wife and five children.
Lakanwal, who was wounded in an exchange of gunfire before he was arrested, had been involved with U.S. partner forces during the war in Afghanistan, Patel said.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News and the New York Times that Lakanwal had worked with CIA-backed local units in Afghanistan.
“He drove his vehicle cross-country from the state of Washington with the intended target of coming to our nation’s capital,” Pirro told the news conference.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program to resettle thousands of Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the Afghanistan war and feared reprisals from Taliban forces who seized control after the U.S. withdrawal there.
President Donald Trump, who was at his Florida resort at the time of the attack, released a video statement late on Wednesday calling the shooting “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror.”
It was unclear if the shooting would lead to changes to how the Guard operates in cities. Members typically patrol in small groups, including on foot, mostly armed with pistols.
Lakanwal approved for U.S. asylum this year
Trump said his administration would “re-examine” all Afghans who came to the U.S. during Joe Biden’s presidency.
Pirro and Patel blamed the Biden administration for improperly vetting Lakanwal, although they offered no evidence to support this assertion.
A Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Lakanwal applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved on April 23 this year, three months after Trump took office. Lakanwal, who resided in Washington state, had no known criminal history, the official said.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said on Wednesday it had halted processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals indefinitely, “pending further review of security and vetting protocols.”
FBI Director Kash Patel, center, and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, left, speak after two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Vance defends immigration policy
Vice President JD Vance, who was in Kentucky on Wednesday, said on social media that the shooting proved the Trump administration’s immigration policy was justified.
“We must redouble our efforts to deport people with no right to be in our country,” he said.
Critics of the administration’s immigration policy say it has employed harsh and illegal tactics and swept up immigrants indiscriminately, including many with no criminal history and others in the U.S. legally.
The two Guard members from West Virginia were part of a militarized law enforcement mission ordered by Trump in August and challenged in court by Washington, D.C., officials. Trump ordered 500 more troops to be deployed in the capital in the wake of the shooting, joining about 2,200 already in the city as part of the president’s immigration and crime crackdown targeting Democratic-led cities.
Trump, a Republican, has suggested repeatedly that crime has disappeared from the capital as a result of the deployment, an assertion at odds with the police department’s official crime statistics. (Reporting by Leah Douglas, Jana Winter, Phil Stewart, Ted Hesson, Lucia Mutikani, Jasper Ward and Tim Reid; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali, Jeff Mason, Steve Gorman; Writing by Julia Harte and Rod Nickel; Editing by Ross Colvin and Deepa Babington)
Philadelphia role in Afghan resettlements
The Philadelphia region played a crucial role in supporting the largest resettlement effort since the end of the Vietnam War.
Philadelphia International Airport served as the nation’s main arrival point for more than 25,000 evacuees, about 1,500 of whom needed immediate medical attention for everything from diabetes to gunshot wounds. The flights to Philadelphia came from first-stop, emergency evacuation centers in Germany, Bahrain, Qatar, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and elsewhere.
Most arrivals to Philadelphia were bused from the airport to temporary living quarters at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in South Jersey.
At one point more than 11,000 Afghans were living in a tent city, christened “Liberty Village,” on the South Jersey base. The Trump administration recently designated the base as one of two military sites where it intends to holds immigration detainees.
Ultimately at least 600 evacuees were resettled in the Philadelphia area, many of them living in the Northeast, which already had a significant Afghan population.
Almost everyone who came to Philadelphia and to this country served the United States in a military, diplomatic, or development capacity, or was the family member of someone who did. Others worked in media, women’s organizations, or humanitarian groups that faced Taliban retaliation.
Inquirer staff writer Jeff Gammage contributed to this article.
For the third consecutive year and the fourth time in the last five years, Villanova will open the FCS playoffs at Villanova Stadium, where it has not lost since Sept. 24, 2022.
The Wildcats have won 22 straight home games, including the playoffs. They have won their last three playoff games at Villanova Stadium by an average of nine points, including last year’s five-point win over Eastern Kentucky.
This season, Villanova’s opening-round matchup will be against the Ivy League’s Harvard on Saturday (noon, ESPN+). The Crimson (9-1, 6-1 Ivy) lost to rival Yale to end the regular season, but both teams earned playoff berths and will be on opposite sides of the bracket. The Ivy League is competing in the FCS playoffs for the first time this season.
Harvard is led by its passing game. Quarterback Jaden Craig is tied for the 12th most touchdown passes in the FCS (24) and ranks 16th in passing yards (2,722). His 272.2 yards passing per game ranks fifth in the FCS, while Villanova is middle of the pack in defending the pass (213.8 yards, 61st).
Yale’s Brandon Webster (7) recovers a fumble by Harvard’s Dean Boyd. The two Ivy League schools made the FCS playoffs this season.
Harvard’s defense, meanwhile, ranks seventh in rushing yards allowed (105.5 yards) and has surrendered just nine rushing touchdowns, tied for the second-fewest in the FCS. Villanova’s offense ranks 29th in rushing yards per game (178.6). Sophomore running back Ja’briel Mace has come on strong since starting running back David Avit’s injury, gaining 524 of his 600 total rushing yards in the last three games, including a school-record 291 in a win over Towson on Nov. 8.
Experience is on the Wildcats’ side. They’ve been here before under Mark Ferrante and have a quarterback in Pat McQuaide who takes care of the football (19 touchdowns to two interceptions.
If the Wildcats win, No. 5 seeded Lehigh (12-0) awaits them. Ferrante has led Villanova to at least the FCS quarterfinal in two of its last three trips to the playoffs.
North Texas wide receiver Wyatt Young (10) has the fourth-most receiving yards in the FBS.
The BIG number
1,076: That’s the number of receiving yards North Texas wide receiver Wyatt Young has this season, the fourth-most of any player in the FBS. Young, whose Mean Green face Temple on Friday, has 56 receptions and 10 touchdowns on the year.
One more chance to go bowling
Penn State and Temple will be playing for the right to continue their seasons this weekend. Both teams enter the final week of the regular season at 5-6, and each team is going in very different directions.
The Owls have lost three straight games and now are in danger of failing to end their six-year bowl eligibility drought with North Texas (10-1, 6-1 American Conference) up next on Friday (3:30 p.m., ESPN) in Denton, Texas. The Mean Green, though, learned earlier this week that head coach Eric Morris will take the Oklahoma State job at the conclusion of their season, which could end with a College Football Playoff berth. Temple and K.C. Keeler will be hoping to play spoiler.
North Texas’ offense ranks first nationally in scoring (46.3 points) and total offense (503.3) with Drew Mestemaker (3,469 yards, 26 touchdowns) under center. But if the Owls are to pull off the upset, they’ll need running back Jay Ducker to have a monster game against the North Texas’ fifth-worst rushing defense nationally (211.2 rushing yards allowed per game) and keep the Mean Green offense at bay.
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen rushed for 69 yards and two scores against Rutgers in 2023.
Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions are looking to punctuate a lost season with a fifth straight bowl appearance and their 11th trip over the last 12 seasons. The offense has found its groove behind Kaytron Allen, who became the program’s all-time leading rusher last weekend, and Nick Singleton, who tied Saquon Barkley for the most all-purpose touchdowns in school history.
On Saturday Penn State will play Rutgers (3:30 p.m. BTN), which hasn’t beat the Nittany Lions since 1988.
Considering the Nittany Lions’ run-heavy approach, Rutgers (5-6, 2-6 Big Ten) will have to prove it can stop the ground game. The Scarlet Knights’ defense ranks 127th in rushing yards allowed (201.7) and gives up 31.1 points per game, which ranks in near the bottom nationally. With Penn State riding a two-game winning streak and plenty of momentum heading into Piscataway, N.J., it could be a long day for Rutgers, which also is fighting for bowl eligibility.
Eastern University quarterback Brett Nabb (left) will lead the Eagles against Franklin and Marshall in the Division III playoffs on Saturday.
Three questions
🏈 What’s Penn looking for in a new head coach now that Ray Priore is stepping down? Priore has been with the Quakers for nearly 40 years, his last 11 as head coach. Whomever comes in next will be looking to kickstart a program that has fallen in recent seasons, but the Quakers won 12 Ivy League titles with Priore in the building, including consecutive titles in 2015 and 2016 with him as head coach.
🏈 How will Eastern look after having a week off to prepare for Saturday’s Division III playoff game against Franklin and Marshall College (noon, watch live)? If we’re looking at history, just fine. Following a 39-37 nail-biter against King’s College on Sept. 27, the Eagles had a bye week and then dropped 37 points on Delaware Valley College on Oct. 11, which perennially is one of the better teams in the Middle Atlantic Conference.
🏈 How big or (not) will the transfer-portal exodus be starting next week after Penn State’s regular-season finale? The word is that players are fond of interim coach Terry Smith, but is it enough to play in whatever bowl a six-win Big Ten team would compete in after such a tumultuous season? Not to rip off a Band-Aid, but this was the No. 2 team in the nation at one point. Wild.
Michigan defensive end Derrick Moore (8) and the Wolverines will be out to upend No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday.
Game of the week
No. 1 Ohio State at No. 15 Michigan (noon Saturday, Fox29)
One of the most storied rivalries in all of college football, the Wolverines are 9.5-point underdogs at home against the 10-0 Buckeyes. There’s nothing Michigan would love to do more than beat Ohio State, and if it can, that could be just enough to clinch a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in three decades has highlighted its risky use of flammable bamboo scaffolding and mesh for building work in a tradition dating back centuries to mainland China. Authorities have not determined the cause of the blaze, but images from the scene showed the fire spreading rapidly across green netting covering the scaffolding erected around the housing complex.
Some of the bamboo lattices crashed to the ground in flames. For decades in the skyscraper-strewn former British colony, bamboo has been the material of choice for scaffolding – cheap, abundant and flexible – bound together with nylon cords.
The craft originated on mainland China where bamboo, viewed as symbolizing grace and moral fortitude, has since ancient times been a cornerstone of architecture, even reputedly used for scaffolding and tools in the building of the Great Wall.
Now, though, it has largely been phased out in Mainland China for sturdier metal scaffolding and clamps. But Hong Kong, despite its modernity, still has around 2,500 registered bamboo scaffolding masters, according to official figures.
The number of metal scaffolders is around triple that. Small teams of scaffolders scrambling up vertiginous gleaming facades to sheathe a building in a matter of weeks is a familiar sight in the global financial hub.
The bamboo lattices are also often used alongside green construction mesh to prevent debris from injuring passers-by, as was the case in the tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district.
Scaffolding checks promised
The fire that began Wednesday afternoon killed at least 55 people with nearly 300 missing. Hong Kong police said on Thursday that “the building’s exterior walls had protective nets, membranes, waterproof tarpaulins, and plastic sheets suspected of not meeting fire safety standards.”
The city’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said it had launched an investigation, while Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee said a task force had been set up to investigate the cause of the blaze. He said the government would check whether scaffolding mesh materials meet fire retardant standards and other safety standards on other projects.
Police arrested two directors of the contractor responsible for the renovation of the building and a consultant on manslaughter charges after finding materials were used in construction that did not meet safety standards.
The company, Prestige Construction & Engineering, did not answer repeated requests for comment.
In March, the government said 50% of new public works contracts would be required to use metal scaffolding going forward.
But the emphasis appeared to be more on worker safety rather than fire risks. There were 22 deaths involving bamboo scaffolders between 2019 and 2024, according to official figures.
A firefighter works to extinguish the blaze that broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong.
Lee told reporters on Thursday that Hong Kong’s government was considering mandating the use of metal scaffolding in the future and had met with industry to discuss a phase-out of bamboo. In October, a massive bamboo scaffolding caught fire at the Chinachem Tower in the Central business district. Fire consumed construction netting and bamboo poles, leaving windows burnt out and external walls badly seared.
The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims in Hong Kong said in a Facebook post that there had been at least two other fires involving bamboo scaffolding this year.
Protective nets, screens and tarpaulins or plastic sheeting installed on the face of scaffolding “should have appropriate fire retardant properties in compliance with a recognized standard,” says the Hong Kong Labour Department’s Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety.
Whistle-blower points to risks in other housing blocks
Jason Poon, a whistle-blower who has previously exposed shoddy construction work in Hong Kong, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that fire hazard risks existed in scaffolding at many housing complexes.
He said he had reached out to various government departments last year concerning the lack of fire retardant in scaffolding nets at another complex, but he was ignored.
Firefighters work to extinguish the fire at Wang Fuk Court on Wednesday.
Hong Kong’s fire and building safety regulators did not respond to a request to comment.
“Of course, in terms of material, metal scaffolding is less flammable. That’s a fact,” said Chau Sze Kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union. But he said the fire risk for bamboo scaffolding could be limited if a construction management team takes the right steps.
“Fires on scaffolding usually happen because construction debris accumulates on it – things like paper, towels, clothing, or other flammable materials,” he told Reuters. “Poor management leads to these incidents.”
HONG KONG/BEIJING – A huge fire still burning in a Hong Kong high-rise apartment complex that has killed at least 55 people with almost 300 missing poses the biggest test of Beijing’s grip on the city it has transformed since the mass pro-democracy protests of 2019.
Under sweeping legislative changes, pro-democracy voices and other critics have been silenced and elections limited to “patriotic” candidates, with the next legislative council poll set for December 7.
The fire struck as Hong Kong braces for the sentencing of media tycoon Jimmy Lai – the most prominent of hundreds of pro-democracy figures and activists facing lengthy jail terms under national security and protest-related charges.
“I think Beijing is attaching great importance to two issues – number one, how will the government handle this tragedy? And secondly, will we see a changing perception of the citizens on the Hong Kong government,” said Sonny Lo, a political scientist who has written several books on Hong Kong politics.
“The government has done well on national security, but national security includes a human security dimension.”
The leadership of both the Hong Kong government and China’s Communist Party moved quickly to show they attached utmost importance to the tragedy, with police targetting the construction company in charge of the renovations.
Hong Kong’s sky-high property prices have long been a trigger for discontent and the tragedy could stoke resentment towards authorities despite their efforts to tighten political and national security control, analysts said.
From faulty fire alarms to workers smoking cigarettes and the risks of traditional bamboo scaffolding, many residents questioned whether risks were ignored and safety systems installed and operational.
As they huddled in shelters, some criticized what they saw as negligence and cost-cutting as a cause of the fire, echoing similar sentiments online.
Around 10 p.m. on Wednesday night – with flames still shooting out of windows – Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing urged an “all-out effort” to extinguish the fire and to minimize casualties and losses, according to state media reports.
Xi “expressed sympathy to the families of the victims and those affected by the disaster” and “attached great importance to the accident and immediately sought updates on the rescue efforts and casualties.”
Four hours later, Hong Kong leader John Lee held a news conference after touring shelters for survivors of the blaze.
Some 4,600 people live in the complex’s eight towers, seven of which caught fire.
“The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue the residents who are trapped,” Lee said. “The second is to support the injured. The third is to support and recover. Then, we’ll launch a thorough investigation.”
But at 5:54 a.m., only three hours after Lee’s news conference and before the fire was fully under control, police announced the cause of its spread and said three officials from the construction company had been arrested.
As well as the towers being covered with sheets of protective mesh and plastic that may not meet fire standards, some windows on one unaffected building were sealed with a foam material that had been installed by a construction company carrying out maintenance work, police said.
“We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties,” said Eileen Chung, a Hong Kong police superintendent.
Three men from the construction company, two directors and one engineering consultant, had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the fire, she added.
Questions of accountability
While protests are relatively tightly controlled in Hong Kong, a full range of online forums remain accessible and are likely to offer an early barometer of the public mood.
Analysts say public anger and concern may spread beyond the construction firms to the government’s fire safety and building regulators and pressure is likely to build for extensive and open investigations into what happened.
Traditionally, the Hong Kong government has staged open inquiries into large-scale tragedies, often headed by an independent judge.
One comparison raised by experts is a commission of inquiry into a fire in a Kowloon commercial building that killed 41 people in 1996, a year before the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China.
That inquiry sparked new building and fire safety laws and regulations. But it may no longer be enough.
“I believe we need to seriously review fire safety and site safety management across the entire industry, including government oversight,” said Chau Sze Kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union.
Whether you’re staying put in Philly for the holiday or recovering from the drive or flight back home, chances are your mind is already on candied yams, mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, and turkey. And sure, Thanksgiving brings days of glorious leftovers — but don’t let the long weekend begin and end at the dining room table.
There’s plenty happening in the city to make time with your family actually feel like time well spent. And just like your plate of holiday favorites, I’ve got the ingredients to make your weekend even better.
The carousel on the North Broad Street side of City Hall, where an illuminated carousel sits during Center City’s annual Christmas Village celebrations, from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas Eve.
The best Philly-area holiday markets and Christmas villages to visit this season
Once the turkey’s carved and the leftovers are officially in rotation, the holiday season kicks into high gear — and Philly does not ease into it. Christmas arrives practically overnight, bringing twinkling lights, hot cocoa, and an entire region’s worth of festive markets ready to help you shop, sip, and stroll your way into December.
From Center City’s Christmas Village and Dilworth Park’s Made in Philadelphia market to Bucks County’s storybook Peddler’s Village and Bethlehem’s iconic Christkindlmarkt, these holiday markets are some of the quickest ways to flip your internal switch from Thanksgiving mode to full-on winter cheer.
⛄ Winterfest is back: RiverRink Winterfest at Penn’s Landing returns with an array of amusement rides, games, cozy drinks, and thousands of holiday lights for a festive day or night along the waterfront.
♦️ Everyone loves diamonds and pearls: The Wine Garden Christmas pop-up returns for a second year at Suburban Station. This elegant party offers a menu of holiday cocktails, savory bites, and extravagant photo ops. Before you go, consider adding diamonds and pearls to your outfit.
🎄 Enjoy the light show: Before the Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village undergo a two-year hiatus due to renovations, experience the magic of this Center City attraction starting Friday.
🏀 The Sixers take on the Atlanta Hawks: The Sixers are coming off a loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, but hopefully the hometown crowd for Sunday’s matchup against the Trae Young-led Hawks will spark momentum for the hometown team.
📅 My calendar picks this week: Black Powder Friday at Fort Mifflin, holiday cocktails and the Eagles on Friday.
Christmas is back at Craftsman Row Saloon, which is slinging decadent milkshakes like the Mint to Be Merry through mid-January, 2026.
The thing of the week: The city’s buzziest holiday pop-up bars
Before a slice of Thanksgiving turkey has been served, Philadelphia-area bars have decked the halls with holiday decor and rolled out their novelty cocktails.
From minigolf courses with greased North Poles to private cabins and a Christmas tree cocktail towers, the season of holiday pop-up bars is in full swing.
Regardless of the holiday bar you choose from the dozens sprawled throughout the region, plan ahead and snag a reservation.
🎸 “Not Just” Rock: Start your Black Friday shopping with something for you and your fellow music fans. The 39th Annual “Not Just” Rock Record and CD Show will be here from Friday to Saturday at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.
🎁 Winter Makers Market is here: Shop local at Linvilla Orchards all holiday season. The weekend pop-up will feature 20 vendors of seasonal treats, handmade crafts, and gifts for you and your family to enjoy on Christmas Day.
🍸 A new Tinsel pop-up: One of the city’s most popular holiday pop-ups is back for another go. Experience holiday magic at Tinsel’s Christmas-themed shindig, which is glimmering with holiday lights and decor in all corners.
🎅 Carnival of Lights: Through the rest of the year, Pottstown has a treat for lovers of holiday lights, food, games, and visits from Santa. The Carnival of Lights in Pottstown will display over half a million lights for an explorative walk through the Montgomery County town.
Staff picks
There aren’t many concerts on Thanksgiving weekend. you know, because of the holiday and all. But here are a few shows worth carving out time for.
🎸 Friday: Long-standing rock band Blue October will take the stage at the Fillmore for back-to-back shows at the Fishtown music venue from Friday to Saturday.
🎤 Sunday: Nikki Lopez will be rocking with a matinee lineup featuring Monkeyfellow, C4, Fightback, Dead on Your Feet, and Down To The Wire.
🎤 Sunday: Skrilla, arguably Philly’s hottest new artist and the creator of the “6,7″ social media craze, is taking the stage at the Fillmore on Sunday.
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Now that you have a list of holiday events, I’ll leave you to enjoy a weekend of festivities with your family. Before you go, I want you to know I’m incredibly grateful for your readership and support.
