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  • Frustrations with Jalen Hurts? Quarterback says he holds himself accountable.

    Frustrations with Jalen Hurts? Quarterback says he holds himself accountable.

    According to Jalen Hurts, scrutiny comes with the territory of being the franchise quarterback.

    Hurts isn’t lacking in scrutiny, especially as the Eagles offense is still trying to establish an identity despite being more than halfway through the season. Longtime Eagles reporter Derrick Gunn said on former Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner’s postgame show Sunday night that “there’s a lot of people in that organization that are frustrated with the quarterback situation right now.”

    Kevin Patullo frustrated with offense’s negative plays vs. Lions

    He likened it to “Carson Wentz Part 2,” referring to the 2021 trade when the Eagles dealt the former franchise quarterback to the Indianapolis Colts and took on a $33.8 million dead salary-cap hit — the largest in league history at the time. While Gunn said the Eagles are “not going to eat this kind of money yet” with Hurts, he also asserted that “the quarterback understands he has them over a barrel.” Hurts signed a five-year, $255 million contract extension in April 2023, and his cap figures for 2026 and 2027 total more than $73 million.

    When asked for his reaction to the report, Hurts responded that he’s just going to work every day and continue to try to do his best. He also acknowledged that it’s his responsibility to handle criticism as the franchise quarterback.

    “I guess I get a lot of attention when things are going well and when things are not going so well,” Hurts said. “So I never run away from holding myself accountable and I think that’s exactly what I’ve taken the approach of doing. Even when I look at this last game, I take great pride in what we do on offense. I take great pride in how we go out there and play as a team and what our flow is.

    “So we obviously got work to do, and I think that obviously starts with me. That’s always my approach. That’s always me looking internally first in everything that we do. And in due time, rising above.”

    A.J. Brown (11) is among those who have expressed frustrations with the offense, but has not directed complaints to Jalen Hurts, the quarterback said.

    Hurts also said that the reported locker room frustrations haven’t been brought to him directly by anyone within the organization. When asked if he would be open to teammates or coaches coming to him with those concerns, he expressed that he didn’t want to entertain a hypothetical situation.

    “Ultimately, it’s about coming in here, working, and leading,” Hurts said. ”And bringing good energy and going out there and showing it by how you work. At the end of the day, we are here to play as a team and to play together and go out there and find ways to win. That’s where we all have our focus at.”

    Hurts and the Eagles offense will attempt to refocus on the heels of a shaky two-week span. Despite winning their last two games following the bye week, the unit has scored just 26 points, the second-fewest among teams that have played two games in that stretch (and the lowest among teams with two wins).

    The Eagles quarterback had his lowest completion percentage of the season against the Lions (50%), although 14.8% of his passes were dropped, according to Pro Football Reference.

    The offense showed flashes of potential during the two-week stretch before the bye that included wins over the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants. Hurts had a perfect passer rating (158.3) against the Vikings and came close to matching that effort against the Giants (141.5).

    Week 12 NFL power rankings roundup: ESPN drops Eagles from top spot after win

    Still, the offense’s overall numbers reflect a lack of consistency from week to week. The group ranks 16th in points and 25th in yards. While the efficiency of the passing game isn’t much different from the 2024 Super Bowl season (6.3 net yards per pass attempt in 2025 compared to 6.5 in 2024), the running game has seen a serious drop-off (3.9 yards per rush in 2025; 4.9 in 2024).

    “I think a lot of the things are internal wounds a bit,” Hurts said of the offense’s woes. “It’s about correcting those things. It’s a lot of opportunities out there for us. We’ve just got to take advantage of them. I’ve spoken on particulars in what we do, just having alignment in that, having a vision, and then going out there and establishing an identity and committing to it.

    “I think over the course of the year, we’ve gone out there and played different styles of games in almost all of the games. It’s about sitting in something, committing to it, and then going out there and saying, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ And push forward. You watch the course of the season, I watch the course of the season, and I don’t think it’s a capability thing. It’s a matter of having great focus and ultimately pursuing the same thing as an offensive unit and from a bigger perspective as a team.”

    Jalen Hurts, head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo have been actively trying to overcome the offense’s inconsistency.

    Despite Gunn’s report pointing at internal frustration with Hurts, Nick Sirianni emphasized Tuesday during an appearance on 94 WIP’s morning show that he isn’t among those with concerns.

    “Shoot, I’m not frustrated with him,” Sirianni said. “He goes out there and does his job each week and does a great job of putting us in position to win games. That’s the name of the game. Particularly, for the quarterback, what are you doing to help your team win football games? And, shoot, he finds a way to help us win.

    “I love his attention to detail and I love his leadership and I love his mindset of, ‘I’m going to do everything I can do to win this game. Sometimes that means handing it off, sometimes that means me running it. And sometimes that means me throwing it where I need to throw it.’ He does a great job of leading this football team.”

  • SEPTA trolley tunnel will stay closed until next week

    SEPTA trolley tunnel will stay closed until next week

    Philadelphia’s trolley tunnel has been closed for most of the last two weeks as SEPTA contends with glitches in the connection between the overhead catenary wires and the pole that conducts electricity to the vehicle.

    The tunnel will remain closed at least until next week for repairs, and city trolleys will operate from West Philadelphia. Riders can take the Market-Frankford El to get to and from Center City to 40th and Market Streets.

    At issue is a U-shaped brass part called a slider that carries carbon, which coats the copper wires above that carry electricity.

    “There’s a lot of friction and heat. The carbon acts as a lubricant,” said John Frisoli, deputy chief engineer for SEPTA.

    A 3-inch slider (left) and a 4-inch slider, which coats electric-powered wires with carbon to reduce friction. When they fail, trolleys are stranded.

    Earlier in the fall, SEPTA replaced 3-inch sliders with 4-inch models in an effort to reduce maintenance costs, but the carbon in the longer units wore out sooner than they should have, causing metal-on-metal contact between the trolley and the copper wires.

    Soon after, there were two major incidents when trolleys were stranded in the tunnels. On Oct. 14, 150 passengers were evacuated from one vehicle and 300 were evacuated from a stalled trolley on Oct. 21.

    SEPTA went back to the 3-inch sliders.

    On Nov. 7, SEPTA shut down the tunnel to deal with the issue, which had cropped up again, then reopened it on the morning of Nov. 13, thinking it was solved. But it discovered further damage to the catenary system and the tunnel was closed at the end of the day.

    “It’s just unfortunate that we’re dealing with the damage that decision caused,” said Kate O’Connor, assistant general manager for engineering, maintenance, and construction.

    The transit agency is running test trolleys and has found minimal wear of the wires rather than the extensive wear earlier, O’Connor said. Her department is working on a plan to replace wires by sections and will continue test runs until it’s determined the tunnel is safe for passenger traffic again, she said.

    “We have far more traffic in the tunnel than on the street — all five routes use it — and the overhead system there is more rigid,” O’Connor said.

    Trolleys have been unaffected traveling on the street. Jason Tarlecki, acting chief deputy engineer for power, said that the wires have “a lot more upward flexibility to absorb the shock,” he said, leading to less friction.

    The Federal Transit Administration on Oct. 31 ordered SEPTA to inspect the overhead catenary system along all its trolley routes.

    The directive came in response to four failures of the catenary system in September and October, including the tunnel evacuations.

  • Trump administration tells Dems it has no timeline for confining immigrants at South Jersey base

    Trump administration tells Dems it has no timeline for confining immigrants at South Jersey base

    It doesn’t look like the Trump administration will begin holding undocumented immigrants at a South Jersey military base anytime soon.

    Democratic elected officials said Wednesday that they received a letter from the administration saying there is currently no approved construction plan, nor a timeline, for confining people at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

    The administration previously announced plans to include the base among the military sites it wants to use as immigration detention centers, as it presses its arrest-and-deportation agenda.

    Estimates are that the base, which spans parts of Burlington and Ocean Counties, could hold 1,000 to 3,000 detainees. Specifics surrounding the when, where, and how of that undertaking remain unknown.

    New Jersey U.S. Reps. Donald Norcross and Herb Conaway, Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee, announced that they received a response earlier this week from the Department of Homeland Security after requesting more information about the administration’s plans.

    “The Trump Administration’s ongoing disregard for due process and humane treatment of undocumented immigrants has required us to press repeatedly for answers and fulfill our congressional oversight responsibilities,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “While we acknowledge that the Department of Homeland Security has finally responded to our questions, we will continue to monitor for any further developments.”

    Their priority, the lawmakers said, is to uphold standards of human rights to ensure that plans to detain immigrants do not interfere with military readiness.

    The administration’s response said the government’s need for more detention space “reflects the Trump administration’s commitment to restoring the rule of law and ending the catch-and-release policies of prior years that jeopardized American communities.”

    Trump administration officials earlier named the base as one of two sites in the country now certified to assist in the president’s plan to remove millions of immigrants. The other is Camp Atterbury in Indiana.

  • Larry Summers takes leave from teaching at Harvard after release of Epstein emails

    Larry Summers takes leave from teaching at Harvard after release of Epstein emails

    Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers abruptly went on leave Wednesday from teaching at Harvard University, where he once served as president, over recently released emails showing he maintained a friendly relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, Summers’ spokesperson said.

    Summers had canceled his public commitments amid the fallout of the emails being made public and earlier Wednesday severed ties with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. Harvard had reopened an investigation into connections between him and Epstein, but Summers had said he would continue teaching economics classes at the school.

    Trump signs bill to release Jeffrey Epstein case files after fighting it for months

    That changed Wednesday evening with the news that he will step away from teaching classes as well as his position as director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government with the Harvard Kennedy School.

    “Mr. Summers has decided it’s in the best interest of the Center for him to go on leave from his role as Director as Harvard undertakes its review,” Summers spokesperson Steven Goldberg said, adding that his co-teachers would finish the classes.

    Summers has not been scheduled to teach next semester, according to Goldberg.

    Takeaways from the newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents

    A Harvard spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press that Summers had let the university know about his decision. Summers decision to go on leave was first reported by The Harvard Crimson.

    Harvard did not mention Summers by name in its decision to restart an investigation, but the move follows the release of emails showing that he was friendly with Epstein long after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in 2008.

    By Wednesday, the once highly regarded economics expert had been facing increased scrutiny over choosing to stay in the teaching role. Some students even filmed his appearance in shock as he appeared before a class of undergraduates on Tuesday while stressing he thought it was important to continue teaching.

    Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, said in a social media post on Wednesday night that Summers “cozied up to the rich and powerful — including a convicted sex offender. He cannot be trusted in positions of influence.”

    Messages appear to seek advice about romantic relationship

    The emails include messages in which Summers appeared to be getting advice from Epstein about pursuing a romantic relationship with someone who viewed him as an “economic mentor.”

    “im a pretty good wing man , no?” Epstein wrote on Nov. 30, 2018.

    The next day, Summers told Epstein he had texted the woman, telling her he “had something brief to say to her.”

    “Am I thanking her or being sorry re my being married. I think the former,” he wrote.

    Summers’ wife, Elisa New, also emailed Epstein multiple times, including a 2015 message in which she thanked him for arranging financial support for a poetry project she directs. The gift he arranged “changed everything for me,” she wrote.

    “It really means a lot to me, all financial help aside, Jeffrey, that you are rooting for me and thinking about me,” she wrote.

    New, an English professor emerita at Harvard, did not respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday.

    An earlier review completed in 2020 found that Epstein visited Harvard’s campus more than 40 times after his 2008 sex-crimes conviction and was given his own office and unfettered access to a research center he helped establish. The professor who provided the office was later barred from starting new research or advising students for at least two years.

    Summers appears before Harvard class

    On Tuesday, Summers appeared before his class at Harvard, where he teaches “The Political Economy of Globalization” to undergraduates with Robert Lawrence, a professor with the Harvard Kennedy School.

    “Some of you will have seen my statement of regret expressing my shame with respect to what I did in communication with Mr. Epstein and that I’ve said that I’m going to step back from public activities for a while. But I think it’s very important to fulfill my teaching obligations,” he said.

    Summers’ remarks were captured on video by several students, but no one appeared to publicly respond to his comments.

    Epstein, who authorities said died by suicide in 2019, was a convicted sex offender infamous for his connections to wealthy and powerful people, making him a fixture of outrage and conspiracy theories about wrongdoing among American elites.

    Summers served as treasury secretary from 1999 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He was Harvard’s president for five years from 2001 to 2006. When asked about the emails last week, Summers issued a statement saying he has “great regrets in my life” and that his association with Epstein was a “major error in judgement.”

    Other organizations that confirmed the end of their affiliations with Summers included the Center for American Progress, the Center for Global Development and the Budget Lab at Yale University. Bloomberg TV said Summers’ withdrawal from public commitments included his role as a paid contributor, and the New York Times said it will not renew his contract as a contributing opinion writer.

  • American Airlines flight attendant dies after police say he may have been attacked inside his South Philadelphia home

    American Airlines flight attendant dies after police say he may have been attacked inside his South Philadelphia home

    Philadelphia police are seeking to question two men in connection with the death of an American Airlines flight attendant who investigators believe was attacked inside his South Philadelphia home last week, then fell — or was thrown — out of his third-floor window.

    Amadou Thiam, 50, was found lying naked on the pavement behind his home, on the 2400 block of Federal Street, with severe injuries to his face, neck, and body on the night of Nov. 10, police said. He was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries, they said.

    The medical examiner has not yet determined the cause or manner of Thiam’s death, but homicide detectives are investigating, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore. Vanore stopped short of saying Thiam was attacked, pending the coroner’s decision, but law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation said Thiam’s injuries, coupled with witness interviews and evidence recovered inside his home, suggest he was assaulted.

    Residents of the Grays Ferry block this week recalled the harrowing moments when they found Thiam — and the chilling departing words of the men police are now looking to question.

    Two neighbors, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal, said they heard loud noises coming from Thiam’s condo around 6:30 p.m. last Monday but assumed he was having guests over.

    Then, they said, they heard a loud crash behind the building.

    Shortly after, they said, they saw two men walk out of Thiam’s home.

    “Is everything OK?” one neighbor recalled asking the men. “They just kind of chuckled and said, ‘We hope so.’”

    Amadou Thiam lived on the 2400 block of Federal Street. This image shows the third-story window, second from left, from which neighbors say Amadou Thiam fell on Nov. 10.

    The neighbors said they approached Thiam’s door, which was left cracked open, and found blood smeared across his kitchen and third-floor bedroom. Thinking Thiam was not home, they called the police to report a burglary.

    As the couple waited for police, they said, they noticed a stream of blood on the sidewalk outside. And then, they said, they saw Thiam’s body on the pavement.

    Vanore said it was not clear how Thiam ended up on the ground, but police believe he went through a third-story window.

    “We still don’t know if he fell or was thrown,” he said.

    Thiam suffered injuries throughout his body, including fractures to his face, ribs, and skull, Vanore said.

    Detectives have recovered video from the block showing two men — one older, one younger — in the area around the time Thiam’s body was found, he said.

    Vanore described one of the men as a thin Black male wearing a black leather jacket over a red hoodie and jeans and carrying a bag. The second man, he said, was older, bald, and wearing a gray jacket.

    Philadelphia police are seeking to question two men who they believe could be connected to the death of Amadou Thiam in South Philadelphia last week.

    “We’re looking to talk to them to see if they had anything to do with this,” he said.

    Law enforcement sources, who asked not to be identified to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the men appeared to be carrying clothes out of the building. There were no signs of forced entry into Thiam’s home, the sources said.

    Relatives of Thiam, who was originally from Côte d’Ivoire, could not be immediately reached.

    His Instagram account showed a man who enjoyed exploring the world: standing before Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and eating in Key West, Fla., and Las Vegas.

    His death has shocked many who knew him, including his colleagues at American Airlines.

    A spokesperson for the airline did not respond to a request for comment. But in a memo shared online, an operations manager for the Philadelphia region said Thiam had worked as a flight attendant with the airline since 2011 and, as a French speaker, he frequented international flights to Paris and Zurich.

    “His presence and natural charisma was always something felt throughout a room,” the employee wrote. “He was a loyal friend whose kindness, positive attitude, and radiant smile touched everyone around him.”

    John Stanley, a fellow American Airlines flight attendant, said that every July, there is a benefit for flight attendants at Voyeur, a nightclub in the Gayborhood, with dancers and drag performers. He recalled how one year, Thiam dressed up as Glinda from Wicked and performed for the crowd.

    “He was as well-liked a flight attendant in Philadelphia as I know exist,” Stanley said.

    Thiam’s neighbors also said he was exceptionally friendly, and loved to dress in eccentric clothing. He was also a dog lover, a passion that neighbor Nicole Colamesta said they bonded over.

    “Everybody is having a really hard time processing it. This is a really quiet block. Everybody just looks out for each other here,” Colamesta said. “You can’t stop thinking about it because it’s right in our backyard.”

    Police asked anyone with information to contact homicide detectives at 215-686-3334 or to call the police tip line at 215-686-8477.

    Staff writer Maggie Prosser contributed to this article.

  • HBO releases trailer for in-season ‘Hard Knocks’ featuring the Eagles and NFC East

    HBO releases trailer for in-season ‘Hard Knocks’ featuring the Eagles and NFC East

    Ahead of the 2025 season, HBO and NFL Films announced its in-season edition of Hard Knocks would follow the NFC East, which meant behind-the-scenes access to the Eagles, as well as their division rivals — the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Commanders and the New York Giants.

    At the time, it sounded like cinema.

    Following one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, one that featured the reigning Super Bowl champions, as well as some of the biggest names in the sport — including the Eagles’ A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts, Cowboys’ Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, Commanders’ Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin, and Giants’ Russell Wilson and Malik Nabers — seemed like appointment viewing.

    However, it took a turn after a number of setbacks plagued each team. The Commanders (3-8) lost star quarterback Daniels to a dislocated elbow in Week 9. The Giants (2-9) have started three different quarterbacks and fired head coach Brian Daboll. The Cowboys (4-5-1) have battled inconsistency while adjusting under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer. Even the Eagles (8-2), who are running away with the division, are still trying to figure out their offense and drama continues to surround Brown.

    It’s not exactly the tight race fans were expecting — but there’s still likely to be plenty of drama. Fans can now get an early look at the series after HBO revealed its first trailer.

    Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East will premiere on HBO on Dec. 2 and can be streamed on HBO Max. New episodes will premiere every Tuesday throughout the end of the NFL regular season and into the playoffs.

  • Philly City Council is advancing legislation to let members keep their jobs while running for Congress

    Philly City Council is advancing legislation to let members keep their jobs while running for Congress

    Philadelphia City Council is attempting once again to change city law to allow members to keep their jobs while running for higher office, an effort that has already failed three times in the last 20 years.

    Maybe the fourth time’s really the charm?

    This attempt is a little bit different. A Council committee on Wednesday advanced legislation to change the 70-year-old resign-to-run rule that requires city officeholders to leave their jobs while campaigning for another office.

    But the legislation — which must be approved by a majority of voters through a ballot question — doesn’t repeal the rule entirely. It merely narrows it to allow members to keep their seats if they are seeking state or federal office, such as seats in Congress or the state General Assembly.

    Under the new proposal, Philadelphia’s resign-to-run rule would remain in place for members seeking a city office, like mayor or district attorney.

    What is Philly’s resign-to-run rule?

    That distinction makes the rule change more likely to become reality, said Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, who sponsored the legislation even though voters rejected attempts to eliminate the rule in 2007 and 2014.

    More than a year ago, Thomas proposed that the city try again to eliminate the rule entirely. But this week, he amended his proposal to apply only to those seeking state or federal office, calling that a compromise.

    “I personally think that you should be able to run for mayor and keep your seat in City Council,” Thomas said. “But that’s not what the majority of people who I’ve talked to feel. And I don’t think that this should be about how I feel. It should be about what’s best for the city.”

    A necessary measure or a barrier to entry?

    Thomas, a Democrat in his second term who represents the city at-large, is one of several Council members rumored to have aspirations for higher office. But there is not currently an obvious seat for him or his colleagues to seek.

    The earliest a rule change could be implemented is next year — too late for a Council member to run without resigning in the crowded and closely watched race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Philadelphia).

    Thomas said he is not currently interested in serving in Washington — he has two young children — but said he has some “amazing colleagues” who may want to run for Congress in the future.

    Councilmember Isaiah Thomas speaks during a City Council Committee on Legislative Oversight hearing held at the Museum of the American Revolution in April.

    The resign-to-run rule has been codified in the Home Rule Charter since 1951 when the charter was established. Proponents have long said that public servants should not be influencing policy while campaigning for another office.

    But others contend that the rule — which applies to Council members, row office holders, and members of the mayor’s administration — creates an unnecessary barrier for people who want to run for higher office but can’t financially withstand giving up their salary.

    The rule also recently led to a handful of lawmaker vacancies. In 2022, six of City Council’s 17 members — including now-Mayor Cherelle L. Parker — resigned to run for mayor, at times making it complicated for the city’s legislative body to govern.

    Ethics questions emerge

    Multiple ethics officers said they oppose the change as it’s currently proposed. Jordana Greenwald, general counsel for the city’s Board of Ethics, said the board was not involved in drafting the rule change, and has a handful of “technical” concerns about its implementation.

    “What we don’t want is for this to be passed and then it to become something where there are unintended problems or pitfalls for people who choose to take advantage,” Greenwald said.

    Thomas said there is “plenty of time” to address the board’s concerns before passage. He is hopeful the legislation can be passed in time for a question to appear on the 2026 primary election ballot in May.

    But Lauren Cristella, CEO of the good-government group Committee of Seventy, questioned the urgency and said Council should give the Board of Ethics time to do its “due diligence.”

    While the Committee of Seventy has supported past attempts to repeal resign-to-run, Cristella said she does not understand the purpose of a carveout for members seeking state or federal office.

    And she said any repeal should be paired with a three-term limit for Council members, who are currently not term limited.

    “Philadelphians deserve comprehensive, not piecemeal, reform here,” she said.

    Several Council members said they support Thomas’ legislation, pointing out that state and federal lawmakers do not need to resign from their jobs to seek higher office.

    “It’s an issue of consistency across the board,” said Councilmember Cindy Bass, a Democrat who represents parts of North and Northwest Philadelphia. “It’s crazy when everyone’s doing something different.”

  • West Philly affordable housing project could finally advance, almost 6 years after it was proposed

    West Philly affordable housing project could finally advance, almost 6 years after it was proposed

    An affordable housing project slated for a junkyard in Cedar Park took a step forward Wednesday, when a Philadelphia judge rejected a neighbor’s challenge. The courtroom victory brings the 104-unit, two-building project, which was conceived in 2020, closer to reality.

    Common Pleas Court Judge Idee Fox ruled that the new zoning of a triangular group of parcels on Warrington Avenue, which allows for buildings up to seven stories, was legal.

    Melissa Johanningsmeier, who lives next to the planned development, sued the city to stop the project in 2023, arguing that the building was inconsistent with the city’s goal of preserving single-family homes in Cedar Park.

    Johanningsmeier said in court filings she would be harmed by the parking, traffic, and loss of green space if the project were to proceed.

    The homeowner told Fox during a two-day October bench trial that there was widespread discontent with the project in the neighborhood.

    The judge seemed skeptical, as Johanningsmeier’s attorney didn’t provide witnesses or evidence to support claims of widespread backlash to the project that has been promoted by City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

    It was not for her to decide whether the project was the best idea, Fox said, but whether the zoning was constitutional.

    “If the community is unhappy with what’s being done, they have the right to express their concerns to the councilwoman at the ballot box,” Fox said.

    Junkyard controversy

    The project dates to 2020, when New York affordable housing developer Omni formulated plans to add 174 reasonably priced apartments to the West Philadelphia neighborhood.

    But the developer’s plans for the junkyard at 50th and Warrington met opposition due to the proposed buildings’ height — six stories — and parking spaces for less than a third of the units.

    Omni’s plan required permission from the Zoning Board of Adjustment to move forward, which was more likely to succeed with neighborhood support. So they compromised.

    A new design unveiled in 2021 pushed the buildings back to the edge of the site, to avoid putting neighboring homes in shadow. A surface parking lot would offer 100 spaces for the 104 affordable apartments.

    These concessions appeased almost all of the critical neighbors and community groups. Many of them supported Omni before the Zoning Board of Adjustment, which granted the project permission to move forward.

    But Johanningsmeier remained a critic. She lives on the border of the property and challenged the zoning board’s ruling in Common Pleas Court. Judge Anne Marie Coyle ruled in her favor, arguing the new building “would unequivocally tower over the surrounding family homes.”

    In the aftermath, Gauthier passed a bill to allow the project to move forward without permission from the zoning board. Johanningsmeier then sued over that legislation as well.

    Councilmember Jamie Gauthier in City Council in 2024.

    Affordable housing and fruit analogies

    The issue at the heart of the case was whether a zoning change to allow for large multifamily buildings was considered spot zoning on the small parcel, which Johanningsmeier’s lawyer argued was inconsistent with the types on buildings on surrounding properties.

    Just because the “mega apartment buildings” are for residential use doesn’t make the project similar to the surrounding zoning, which mostly allows single-family homes and duplexes, Edward Hayes, a Fox Rothschild attorney representing Johanningsmeier, told Judge Fox on Wednesday.

    “A cranberry and a watermelon are fruit,” Hayes said. “They are not the same.”

    And while affordable housing is a laudable cause, the attorney said, that doesn’t mean that the city should “shove it down the throat of a community” in the form of large buildings that are out of character with the rest of the neighborhood.

    An attorney representing the developer, Evan Lechtman of Blank Rome, told the judge existing buildings of similar height are nearby, across the railroad track in Kingsessing.

    “We are transforming a blighted, dilapidated junkyard into affordable housing,” the developer’s attorney said.

    Johanningsmeier’s lawyer, Hayes, declined to comment after the ruling, which could be appealed.

    Gauthier celebrated the outcome as a victory against gentrification.

    “Lower-income neighbors belong in amenity-rich communities like this one, where they can easily access jobs, healthcare, groceries, and other necessities,” said Gauthier. ”I hope the court’s ruling puts an end to gratuitous delays.”

    Housing advocates note that the years of neighborhood meetings and lawsuits over the project are an example of why housing, and especially affordable units, has become so expensive to build in the United States.

    In the face of determined opposition from even a single foe, projects can incur millions in additional costs.

    “It’s a travesty that one deep-pocketed opponent has been able to block access to housing for over 100 families in my neighborhood for years,” said Will Tung, a neighbor of the project and a volunteer with the urbanist advocacy group 5th Square. “It’s more expensive than ever to rent or buy here, and this project would be a welcome change to its current use as a derelict warehouse.”

  • Through stories and tributes, the current Flyers are learning all about the late Bernie Parent’s legacy

    Through stories and tributes, the current Flyers are learning all about the late Bernie Parent’s legacy

    The Flyers will honor Bernie Parent, who died at age 80 in September, at 6 p.m. Friday with a public celebration of life at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Coach Rick Tocchet and the Flyers attended Parent’s funeral last month.

    Parent, whose No. 1 jersey was retired by the Flyers in 1979, was one of the Flyers’ all-time greats, backstopping the team to its only two Stanley Cup victories in 1974 and 1975 and winning back-to-back Vezina and Conn Smythe trophies in the process. But even with the Hall of Fame goalie’s legacy in Philadelphia, many of the younger members of the current team didn’t know much about Parent until his death, Tocchet said.

    “History is big with me, and the young players maybe don’t know a little bit about Bernie,” Tocchet said. “I think it’s important. He’s a foundational piece for the organization over the years. What’s good about the Flyers, he’s one of those guys, right? I think you pay respects to the team and the guys have learned a little bit too, some guys that didn’t know much about Bernie, that asked questions about him.”

    Bernie Parent was the best of the Flyers and the best of Philadelphia. RIP.

    The team is paying tribute to Parent through its postgame celebration item, a vintage goalie mask like the one Parent used to wear, which goes to the player of the game after wins. The Flyers are also donning No. 1 patches on their jerseys this season, and have painted Parent’s No. 1 on the ice behind the net they defend twice at each game at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    The Flyers are honoring the late Bernie Parent with a No. 1 jersey patch this season.

    “Bernie Parent did a lot for this organization, for this city, was involved off the ice as well, in the community,” captain Sean Couturier said after the season opener. “ … Definitely will be missed around here. We’d always see him around at games. Always had that quality of lighting everyone up, putting a smile on everyone’s face.”

    Many Flyers alumni will be returning for Friday’s ceremony, Tocchet said, including members of the 1974-75 team like Bobby Clarke, to honor their teammate. Tocchet said this is a great opportunity for the current team to see the impact that legacy Flyers have had on the organization and the fans, on and off the ice.

    Parent was a pillar in the community even after his retirement from hockey. He stayed in the Philly area and served as the Flyers’ goalie coach and in other roles within the organization.

    Her late husband coined the ‘Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent’ bumper sticker in 1974. It still resonates.

    “He lived out on the Shore,” Tocchet said. “Everybody knew him. I know a couple of my buddies live in Avalon. They’d see Bernie on his boat, walking around. He’s part of the fabric of that, of the Shore down there, too. He was accessible.”

    Parent also will be honored during Saturday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, including a special puck drop from his family and tributes from former teammates and friends.

    Breakaways

    Oliver Bonk continued to skate with the Flyers in a noncontact jersey. He is recovering from an upper-body injury that kept him out of training camp. … Sam Ersson and Dan Vladař wore custom goalie masks at practice designed by two local children battling cancer. Thursday’s game against the St. Louis Blues is the team’s annual Hockey Fights Cancer night, and both goalies will wear the masks again during warmups.

  • Netflix gets Phillies’ Field of Dreams game as part of new MLB media deal

    Netflix gets Phillies’ Field of Dreams game as part of new MLB media deal

    ESPN and Major League Baseball appeared headed for an ugly separation after the network opted out of its rights deal in February.

    Nine months later, it appears to be the best thing to happen to both parties.

    ESPN has a reworked deal that includes out-of-market streaming rights while NBC and Netflix will televise games as part of a new three-year media rights agreement announced Wednesday by MLB.

    Three Nick Castellanos trades that show how little the Phillies should expect in return

    Commissioner Rob Manfred also was able to maximize rights for the Home Run Derby and wild-card series.

    NBC/Peacock will become the new home of Sunday Night Baseball and the wild-card round while Netflix will have the Home Run Derby and two additional games.

    Netflix will have MLB at Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, on Aug. 13 when the Phillies face the Minnesota Twins. It will be the first time the game has been played in Dyersville since 2022.

    Netflix also has the first game of the season on March 25 when the New York Yankees visit the San Francisco Giants. It also has the Home Run Derby and will stream an MLB special event game each year.

    The three deals will average nearly $800 million per year. ESPN will still pay $550 million while the NBC deal is worth $200 million and Netflix $50 million.

    How ESPN benefits

    ESPN, which has carried baseball since 1990, loses postseason games and the Home Run Derby but gains something more valuable for its bottom line by becoming the rights holder for MLB.TV, which will be available on the ESPN app.

    ESPN also gets the in-market streaming rights for the six teams whose games are produced by MLB — San Diego, Colorado, Arizona, Cleveland, Minnesota, and Seattle.

    Even though ESPN no longer has Sunday Night Baseball, it will have 30 games, primarily on weeknights and in the summer months.

    Baseball is the second league that has its out-of-market digital package available in the U.S. on ESPN’s platform. The NHL moved its package to ESPN in 2021.

    Welcome back, NBC

    NBC, which celebrates its 100th anniversary next year, has a long history with baseball, albeit not much recently. The network carried games from 1939 through 1989. It was part of the short-lived Baseball Network with ABC in 1994 and ’95 and then aired playoff games from 1996 through 2000.

    Its first game will be on March 26 when the defending two-time champion Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks.

    The 25 Sunday night games will air mostly on NBC with the rest on the new NBC Sports Network. All will stream on Peacock.

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    The first Sunday Night Baseball game on NBC will be April 12 with the next one in May after the NBA playoffs.

    The addition of baseball games gives NBC a year-around night of sports on Sundays. It has had NFL games on Sunday night since 2006 and will debut an NBA Sunday night slate in February.

    NBC will also have a prime-time game on Labor Day night.

    The Sunday early-afternoon games also return to Peacock, which had them in 2022 and ’23. The early-afternoon games will lead into a studio whip-around show before the Sunday night game.

    NBC/Peacock will also do the Major League Futures game during All-Star week and coverage of the first round of the MLB amateur draft.

    Don’t forget the others

    The negotiations around the other deals were complicated due to the fact that MLB was also trying not to slight two of its other rights holders. MLB receives an average of $729 million from Fox and $470 million from Turner Sports per year under deals that expire after the 2028 season.

    Fox’s Saturday nights have been mainly sports the past couple of years with a mix of baseball, college football, college basketball, and motorsports.

    Apple TV has had Friday Night Baseball since 2022.

    The deals also set up Manfred for future negotiations. He would like to see MLB take a more national approach to its rights instead of a large percentage of its games being on regional sports networks.