New Jersey lawmakers passed a bill to prohibit households from being denied housing because they use public assistance.
The legislation, which lawmakers passed on Dec. 18, makes explicit that the state’s anti-discrimination law includes protections for residents based on their source of income for housing payments, including government vouchers, child support payments, and assistance from nonprofits. And the bill affirms that protections apply both to people paying rent and those paying mortgages.
State Sen. Angela V. McKnight (D., Hudson County), one of the bill’s sponsors, said the legislation will protect the rights of homeowners and tenants.
“Access to stable housing should never hinge on the source of a person’s legal income, especially for vulnerable populations like single parents, veterans, or those living with disabilities who often rely on assistance to make ends meet,” she said in a statement.
The legislation, which would take effect immediately after Gov. Phil Murphy signs it, is part of local and national efforts to prevent people from being denied housing because they use public assistance to pay for it. More than 2.3 million families use federal Housing Choice Vouchers, formerly known as Section 8 vouchers.
In September, Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman cosponsored a bill that would create federal protections for these tenants. The Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2025 would prohibit landlords from denying housing to tenants because they pay rent using Housing Choice Vouchers; Social Security benefits; payments from a trust; income from a court order, such as spousal or child support; or other legal sources of income.
It also would expand protections in the Fair Housing Act of 1968 to prohibit discrimination based on source of income or military or veteran status.
“It’s hard enough to find an affordable place to call home,” Fetterman said in a statement. “Every veteran and every family struggling to keep a roof over their head deserve dignity and our support, not discrimination based upon their service or if they use a voucher.”
Chantelle Wilkinson, vice president of strategic partnerships and campaigns at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said source of income discrimination “is far too often a main barrier for households seeking stable housing.”
“When a landlord denies a voucher holder access to housing despite meeting all other qualifications, that ‘no’ is not just about a home: it’s denial of opportunity, equity, and stability,” she said in a statement.
In Philadelphia, the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance bans rental property owners from discriminating against potential tenants based on the source of the income they will use to pay their rent. That includes housing vouchers and other public assistance.
In June 2024, City Council passed a bill to expand protections under the Fair Practices Ordinance. The legislation explicitly stated that housing providers renting or selling a property cannot advertise or communicate that they do not accept housing vouchers. It also explicitly says that Housing Choice Vouchers are an example of a protected income source.
And it makes fighting this type of housing discrimination easier for renters.
By the end of thisyear, Montgomery County will have three emergency short-term shelters with beds for 190 people in Pottstown, Lansdale, and Norristown.
In late 2024, it had zero full-time shelters, even as homelessness soared to new heightsin the county — Pennsylvania’ssecond wealthiest.
The three-member board of commissioners is currently composed of two Democrats and one Republican, but in the past year they have operated with an unusual degree of cohesion on both the challenge of homelessness and on a county budget that included a small property tax increase.
“We came in with similar goals around addressing the homeless problem throughout the county,” said Tom DiBello, the Republican commissioner. “We all heard it when we were campaigning [in 2023] and when we got elected, we felt that we needed to do something. We can’t continue doing it the way it’s always been done in the past, where people just kept talking about it.”
Although the Montgomery County commissioners have formed a united front on many issues last year, housing policy issues are more likely to divide them in 2026.
But the Democrat commissioners, Neil Makhija and Jamila Winder, have ideas about how to get around those limitations to directly fund more affordable housing and encourage local governments to allow more building.
DiBello is not excited about many of the proposals being considered by the two Democrats. He opposes creating new county-level taxes and says zoning powers should be left to localities.
Still, DiBello has further housing policy goals he would like to pursue — such asdeveloping more affordable homes for senior citizens.
As the county releases its 2026 housing blueprint, expected early this year, the first round of these debates will begin in earnest. This planning document, created by county government staff with commissioner feedback, lays out goals for the county based on a comprehensive housing policy — the first its seen in recent memory, Makhija says.
“It’s going to be the first time that the entire board has had a voice and a view on what our role is to address a crisis in the cost of housing,” said Makhija. “There are things we can do to help people.”
How the shelters got built
Making policy to address homelessness is difficult because many municipalities and community groups fight against having shelters placed in their neighborhoods.
The number of people in Montgomery County experiencing homelessnesshas grown with the cost of housing. In 2024, there were 435 people living without a roof over their heads. In 2025, the number grew to 534.
Meanwhile, Montgomery County’s last full-service homeless shelter closed in 2022.
Opposition to new shelters or affordable housing bloomed in Norristown, where officials said the rowhouse-dominated municipality was already asked to shoulder too many social services, and in Lower Providence where the local government denied a shelter application (the legal fallout is ongoing).
The county commissioners decided to get involved by courting local governments and personally attending zoning hearings about potential placements. DiBello attended meetings in Pottstown, near where he lives. Winder went to hearings in Norristown, including one that stretched past midnight, then stuck around to discuss neighbors’ concerns.
A homeless encampment near the Schuylkill River Trail and Norristown in Montgomery County.
In some parts of the county, efforts to address the issue overcame opposition.
Communities like East Norriton have established more code blue shelters, which only operate during freezing weather, and inwealthy Lower Merion, a new affordable housing complex for seniors and people with disabilities, called Ardmore House II, is under construction.
“It takes political courage in these moments,” Winder said,referring to local officials who have embraced shelters and affordable housing. “Sometimes you have loud voices in the room and just have to say, well, this is the right thing to do.”
The commissioners provided $5.3 million in county funding for the shelters. The county also provided a quarter of Ardmore House II’s $20 million budget. And as federal funding cuts loom under President Donald Trump’s administration, the commissioners have also been engaging with philanthropists and foundations.
Earlier this month, Nand Todi, president of Montgomery County-based Penn Manufacturing Industries, announced a $1 million donation to the Lansdale shelter.
Nand Todi, president of Montgomery County-based Penn Manufacturing Industries, and County Commissioner Neil Makhija at a walk-through of the completed Lansdale shelter.
Winder hopes this example of generosity is just the beginning.
“I come from the private sector, so I believe in public-private partnerships,” said Winder. “We’re home to some of the largest corporations in the southeast area. We know that companies have social responsibility goals. So how do we partner with corporations?”
What can a county government do?
Thisyear, the commissioners want to continue to tackle housing issues.
But county-level politicians do not have large budgets at their command, and unlike their municipal-level counterparts, they do not set zoning policy.
Makhija and Winder wantto push those limits.
For example, the county dispenses infrastructure grants, and Makhija says the rules around that funding could be rewritten to incentivize municipalities to reform their zoning codes, perhaps using model ordinances established by the county.
Such ordinances could, for example, allow more transit-oriented development. Or they could legalize accessory dwelling units — small living spaces such as a garage apartment or in-law suite that can be rented out.
“If you have a grant program and it says these are the requirements, then people are going to prioritize getting those things done,” said Makhija, though, he said, he still has to make the case to his colleagues.
He also noted that county planning staff can help implement new municipality policies.
DiBello is skeptical of the county getting involved in local zoning policy.
“The governing structure in Pennsylvania is that municipalities are autonomous to county and state when it comes to zoning,” said DiBello. “It’s up to the communities.”
The Democrats would also like to find revenue sources to pay for more housing projects without increasing the property tax, which would cut against their goal of affordability.
“There are opportunities for us to advocate to the state legislature, to give counties like ours other means to generate revenue,” said Winder. “It’s not sustainable to continue to burden taxpayers by increasing property taxes, and we can’t fund these programs unless we have the money to do so.”
DiBello is also opposed to creating new taxes (if Harrisburg allows it), and doesn’t want to see more property tax increases either. But he still wants to see proactive housing investments by county government.
These debates will unfold next year as the housing blueprint dominates the commissioners’ agenda.
“We’re the second wealthiest county in Pennsylvania, and people struggling to find housing can be quite invisible in these communities,” said Winder. “We’ve got an embarrassment of riches, but there are people that are struggling and so we’re trying to be on the ground helping to solve these issues.”
Irene Blair was expected to have another six to eight months to live in June, after her pancreatic cancer rapidly advanced to stage 4 less than a year after her initial diagnosis.
A new drug being tested in clinical trials around the world, including at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, was the 59-year-old grandmother from Newark, Del.’s best hope for more time.
The drug belongs to a class of pharmaceuticals long considered the holy grail of cancer research. It is a KRAS inhibitor, capable of blocking a protein that fuels an especially deadly cancer. Only 13% of pancreatic cancer patients are still alive five years after their diagnosis, the highest mortality rate of all cancers.
Called daraxonrasib, the drug is not considered a cure. But the results emerging from clinical trials point to the first major advancement in decades for a devastating cancer usually caught in late stages. Former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse last week disclosed in a blunt social media post that he was recently diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer and is “gonna die.”
In recent months, the federal government has sped up the review timeline for the drug made by California-based company Revolution Medicines, Inc., based on early clinical trial results.
Across 38 patients in a phase 1 trial, the drug appeared to double the survival time for at least half of patients compared to standard chemotherapy, from roughly seven months to 15.6 months.
“In pancreatic cancer, for too long, we haven’t had effective therapies beyond just chemotherapy,” said Mark O’Hara, Blair’s oncologist who leads multiple clinical trials testing KRAS inhibitors at Penn.
Blair started the therapy through a phase 3 trial in July. Within three weeks, her cancer-associated pain went away.
In October, her tumors looked stable or decreasing on scans. Her most recent December scan showed her cancer had not progressed.
Aside from occasional facial rashes, she feels normal. It’s a big improvement from how she felt previously on chemotherapy, which caused her to lose 35 pounds and become so weak she couldn’t walk.
The question now is how long the therapy can remain effective. Blair seeksextra time to “start living life.”
She officially retired from her job in real estate in May and wants to travel, with trips planned to see family in California and Florida.
Holidays have been especially hard for her.
“You just wonder, ‘Will I be here next year?’” she said.
Irene Blair and her husband, Charles, at a beach in Delaware.
How does the therapy work?
Cancer researchers have worked to design a drug targeting KRAS, a protein that acts like a “gas pedal” for cancer growth when mutated, since its discovery in 1982.
The mutant protein is like a pedal stuck in the down position, driving uncontrolled proliferation — which tumors thrive on. These mutations are found in a quarter of human cancers, mostly aggressive cancers of the pancreas, lung, and colon.
Scientists finally succeeded in 2021, when the first drugs capable of blocking KRAS were approved by the FDA for lung cancer. Dozens of KRAS inhibitors are now invarious stages of development.
Daraxonrasib is one of the first tested for pancreatic cancer, a tumor type where nearly 90% of cases have these mutations. Also called a ‘pan-RAS inhibitor,’ it not only targets KRAS, but two other related proteins that drive cancer when mutated, HRAS and NRAS.
More than 90% of the 83 patients in a phase 1 trial saw their pancreatic cancer stall during treatment, and roughly 30% saw shrinkage.
While taking the drug, at least half of patients gained more than eight monthsbefore the cancer started progressing again.
The drug comes in pill form.
The drug comes in the form of three pills, taken daily at home.
The most prevalent side effect is a rash — 91% of patients in a phase 1 trial experienced this symptom, with 8% having severe cases. It often shows up on the face or scalp and is similar to acne, O’Hara said.
Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and mouth sores are other common symptoms.
O’Hara said these are manageable with medications for most patients and still allow them to have a better quality of life than chemotherapy.
“I want to be able to give KRAS inhibitors to all my patients right now,” he said.
Irene Blair of Newark, Del., meets with her doctor, Mark O’Hara, at her December appointment.
Looking forward
O’Hara runs multiple trials of KRAS inhibitors at Penn.
Some of them are testing the inhibitor as a treatment for patients with metastatic cancer after other options have stopped working.Another is evaluating its use in combination with chemotherapy as an initial approach.
“I’m looking for more tools to put in that toolbox, and I think this provides a new tool,” O’Hara said.
Ben Stanger, a gastroenterologist and scientist at Penn, has led experiments in mice that showed combining a KRAS inhibitor with immunotherapy may be more effective than using the former alone.
If this approach makes it into clinical trials as well, it could still take years to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the combination.
He believes KRAS inhibitors could be “a game-changer” for pancreatic cancer if approved, particularly if paired with other anti-cancer drugs.
“Goal number one would be to make pancreas cancer, instead of a death sentence, into a more ‘chronic’ disease that is treated over time,” he said.
In October, the drug was also one of the first selected for a new program that aims to accelerate review times for drugs from one year to as short as a month, potentially putting it on a faster path to approval.
Daraxonrasib, also known as RMC-6236, earned Breakthrough Therapy and Orphan Drug designations in 2025.
Limited options
When Blair first started having back pain around May 2024, she thought it was a pulled muscle from kickboxing.
She put a heating pad on the back of her chair and went on with life.
Afterher father had a stroke that July, she got it checked out at the hospital where he was admitted.
A day later, she was diagnosed with stage 2B pancreatic cancer.
“My first thought is, ‘I’m dying,’” she said.
Had she been diagnosed earlier, she would have retired early, instead of worrying about saving money.
Instead, she spent her final working year undergoing surgery to remove partof her pancreas, spleen, and several lymph nodes, followed by 12 difficultsessions of chemotherapy.
When she finished her last session in March, Blair’s scans showed no evidence of the cancer. But by late April, her back pain returned.
Two months later, more scans showed that the cancer was now considered stage 4, as it had metastasized to her liver, forming 10 to 15 new tumors.
Her best option was to enter a clinical trial of daraxonrasib at Penn.
Much to her relief, she was chosento receive the drug in July upon enrolling in a study in which half of patients are randomized to receive chemotherapy.
“It’s enabled me to start living again,” she said, but knows eventually the therapy will likely stop working.
In that case, doctors may try the standard chemotherapy — which usually works for three to four months — or test a different therapy based on her cancer’s genomic profile, O’Hara said.
For now, she described herself as “living scan to scan,” seeking as much time as possible with her son, grandchildren, and husband.
Irene Blair and her husband Charles, son Tom, daughter-in-law Kelsey, and two of her three grandchildren, Aidan and Madilynn.
Blair’s next evaluation is in February. She hopes it shows her disease remains stable, and she can stay in the trial.
Over the last five years, American grocery costs have soared.
In 2022, prices for food prepared at home jumped by a historic 11.8% from the year before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index survey. While prices didn’t drop in 2025, the rate of inflation for groceries has for the most part slowed. In July, costs for groceries were 2.2% higher than the year before.
The nonprofit Consumers’ Checkbook’s latest evaluations of Delaware Valley grocery stores found most shoppers can save by choosing low-cost stores. Checkbook researchers shopped stores using a 150-item list to compare prices.
To evaluate stores on quality of products and service, we surveyed our members. Here’s what we found.
Wegmans is still a winner
Wegmans now has 11 stores in the Delaware Valley area. Since opening its first area location in 2003, the Rochester, N.Y.-based chain has consistently earned high ratings from its customers for quality. In our latest survey, 85% of its customers judged it “superior” on each of our survey questions on produce, meat, and overall quality.
Although Wegmans’ prices aren’t among the lowest in the region, it remains competitive. Its prices were about 2% lower than average prices at Giant and ShopRite, 4% lower than Redner’s, about 12% lower than Acme and McCaffrey’s, and 25% lower than Whole Foods.
McCaffrey’s gets raves but isn’t low-cost
The locally owned small chain ranked among the area’s best grocery options for quality, with 87% of its surveyed customers judging it “superior” overall, 90% rating it “superior” for produce, and 88% rating it tops for meat.
But McCaffrey’s prices were about 12% higher than the all-store average.
Aldi and Lidl offer the biggest savings
Germany-based discounters Aldi and Lidl continue to expand their U.S. footprints. These chains focus on low costs, and our survey found them quite inexpensive: For our shopping list, Aldi’s prices were 35% lower than the all-store average, and Lidl’s were 26% lower. Aldi’s per-unit prices were even lower than wholesale clubs BJ’s, Costco, and Sam’s Club.
These savings are partly explained by Aldi’s and Lidl’s smaller-format stores, which have much lower overhead costs than conventional supermarkets. Shoppers at quirky Aldi and Lidl don’t expect wide choices of brands or sizes. Instead, they’re offered comparable house-brand products in exchange for big savings.
Other price standouts: Amazon Fresh, Food Lion, Grocery Outlet, and Walmart
Amazon Fresh’s prices were about 16% lower than the all-store average, Walmart’s were 10% lower, and Food Lion’s 7% lower.
Grocery Outlet, which offers a somewhat odd assortment of steeply discounted surplus national-brand products, offered prices that were about 12% lower than average.
Amazon Fresh opened its first Delaware Valley area location in 2022, and the region now has five. These small-format stores focus on low costs and convenience. The company’s app keeps track of what you remove from shelves; when finished, you simply exit without scanning items.
For a family that spends $300 per week at the supermarket, a 16% price difference totals savings of $2,496 per year; a 10% price difference totals $1,560 a year.
Trader Joe’s remains popular
Among survey respondents, 83% rated the funky-and-fun chain “superior” for “overall quality.”
Although not a price leader in the area, TJ’s prices were about 3% lower than the all-store average and about 14% lower than Acme.
Whole Foods remains an expensive choice
Whole Foods built a loyal following by offering high-quality produce, meat, prepared foods, and generic staples. It continues to receive high marks in our consumer surveys, especially for produce and meat quality.
But our price survey found that Whole Foods remains among the most expensive stores we shopped: Its overall prices were about 32% higher than the average prices at all stores we surveyed, or about 33% higher than top-rated Wegmans, 18% higher than McCaffrey’s, and 57% higher than Amazon Fresh, its corporate sibling.
Most other large chains receive dreadful ratings from their customers for quality
When it came to quality, Target scored lowest; Acme, Food Lion, the Fresh Grocer, Walmart, and Weis also received abysmal scores.
Target was rated “superior” overall by only 18% of its surveyed customers; the other chains mentioned above were each rated “superior” overall by fewer than 40%.
Although Redner’s and ShopRite did not receive stellar ratings for quality, they did get considerably higher scores than many other conventional supermarkets. Among Redner’s customers, 54% rated the store “superior” overall; ShopRite’s score was 52%.
Within the largest chains, there is relatively little store-to-store price variation
Prices at the Acme, Giant, and ShopRite locations we surveyed were about the same from store to store.
MOM’s Organic Market received raves
MOM’s, which sells only organic products, was the highest scoring chain for produce quality and overall quality.
We’ve found that its prices are competitive with other local stores when we look only at organics.
Warehouse clubs will save you money — if you shop there often
The three warehouse chains all offer most shoppers significant savings. Sam’s Club, for example, beat Acme’s prices by 35%. And compared to Acme, the savings were about 33% at Costco and 32% at BJ’s.
In addition to having low prices, Costco received high customer ratings for meat quality and overall quality. (BJ’s and Sam’s Club’s ratings were considerably lower than Costco’s.)
While the warehouse clubs offered significant savings compared to prices offered at grocery stores, that might not justify paying their annual membership fees if you don’t visit often.
For example, BJ’s prices were only about 14% lower than Walmart’s; you’d have to spend $429 at BJ’s on products you could buy at Walmart before breaking even on BJ’s $60 annual fee.
Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. It is supported by consumers and takes no money from the service providers it evaluates. Until Feb. 5, Inquirer readers can access Checkbook’s ratings of local grocery stores and delivery services free at Checkbook.org/Inquirer/Groceries.
But even so, Sunday’s game at Lincoln Financial Field presents the potential for the Eagles to move up a spot and into the No. 2 seed in the NFC if they win and Detroit is able to pull off a road win at Chicago.
Will the Eagles’ backups do their part? Or will Washington end a miserable season on a high note? Here’s what our writers think:
And, really, is there anything near as interesting as the Eagles’ backup quarterback on Sunday? Sure, there are some young players whose progress and development will be on display, but this wacky season deserves nothing more than a phony quarterback controversy to start the postseason run.
In all seriousness, Tanner McKee and whichever amalgamation of offensive players take the field for the Eagles’ first series Sunday still have a very real chance at winning the game and putting the fate of the playoff seeding in the hands of the Bears.
We can expect to see a similar McKee that we saw in Week 18 last season. He’s a capable passer who can operate the offense at a pretty high level. And Washington’s defense is really bad.
The Commanders, meanwhile, are expected to start third-stringer Josh Johnson at quarterback. His cross-field throw into the waiting hands of Cooper DeJean in Week 16 is all you really need to know about the Commanders’ offense with Johnson playing quarterback. Jacory Croskey-Merritt got free for a 72-yard touchdown last Thursday, but otherwise he had 10 carries for 33 yards.
The Eagles don’t typically stack the box, but if their backups are able to stop the run with success, it may be tough for Johnson to beat them with his arm. The Eagles will have some capable players on the field on defense. Imagine how long Josh Uche has been waiting to rush the quarterback in a game?
Games like this are really hard to predict. Who plays? And for how long? But the Eagles have the advantage at quarterback, and they’re the team with more football to play beyond Week 18. I’ll take that combination in this one.
Will there actually be a quarterback controversy? McKee will probably play well enough that the sports radio callers will engage in the absurdity. Happy New Year.
The million-dollar question this week: Can the Eagles backups beat the Commanders?
McKee will certainly give them a chance. Whenever he has been called upon, both in the preseason and the regular season, the 2023 sixth-rounder out of Stanford has risen to the occasion. In his last start, he led the Eagles to a 2024 Week 18 victory against the New York Giants.
But McKee isn’t throwing the ball to himself, blocking for himself, nor trying to stop the Johnson-led Commanders offense. Is this Eagles team as deep as they were last season at every other position?
That’s up for debate. The players adding secondary depth were more experienced in Week 18 of last year, with players such as Avonte Maddox and Isaiah Rodgers starting at safety and cornerback, respectively. Kelee Ringo and Jakorian Bennett are likely to get the nod at cornerback, while Sydney Brown will likely start at safety.
On the offensive line, Drew Kendall could earn his first start at center. Last year, it was sixth-year veteran Nick Gates in that role.
Still, the Eagles can’t rest all of the starters. Perhaps a few such as Jihaad Campbell see some playing time on Sunday.
The Commanders aren’t exactly operating at full strength. Center Tyler Biadasz went on injured reserve this week and left tackle Laremy Tunsil isn’t expected to play, either.
While the Eagles will be motivated to win, the banged-up Commanders have more experience playing together this season. Plus, they may still have a bad taste in their mouths given the scrum that occurred late in the Week 16 game at Northwest Stadium.
Growing up in South Jersey, my siblings and I were often reminded by our mother to seek a college education to better our chances of landing a good job.
My sister Andrea and I heeded her advice and obtained bachelor’s degrees with honors a few years after high school, and began working in our professional fields.
It took my brother, William, the oldest, nearly 50 years to believe he could do it, too. We always knew he had the smarts and the grit. He had to believe it.
After a circuitous journey, he proved it by graduating in December from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock at 67. His extended family could not have been more proud.
‘I don’t want to give up’
He attended three colleges and took classes part time for eight years. He enrolled in remedial math, reading, and writing courses, had tutors, and took algebra four times until he finally passed after two years. He missed a semester after a major health scare in 2022, which interrupted his studies.
“I didn’t want to give up. I was the only one in the family who didn’t have a college degree,” he said. “For me, it was the sky is the limit, and you can do it.”
An increasing number of learners like Will, 35 and older, are joining younger students in college classrooms. More than four million were enrolled in postsecondary education in 2023, according to an Inside Higher Education report.
Some older learners, like my brother, are retired and want to pursue a lifelong dream to obtain a college degree. Others want to change careers or increase their earning potential.
Affectionately called “Willie Will,” my brother dropped out of Bordentown Regional High School his senior year in 1976 to enlist in the U.S. Army. Because he was just 17, our mother, Eva, had to give permission.
William Burney dropped out of Bordentown Regional High School his senior year in 1976 to join the U.S. Army. He obtained a GED while serving in the military.
Bored with school and failing most classes, Will decided the military would give him a new start and ease the financial burden on our single mother. During his three-year military stint, he became a medic in the Army and obtained his GED.
Despite not having a degree, Will always landed good-paying jobs in a variety of fields. He has been a psychiatric technician, a nursing assistant, a retail store manager, a longshoreman on the Camden waterfront, a truck driver, and a corrections officer.
Along the way, he battled demons and a drug addiction that made him not always make good choices. He eventually sought treatment and has been sober for nearly three decades.
No regrets
“I don’t have any regrets,” he said. “I could have been dead three or four times, so to make it to 67, I have made it.”
Will retired from the Arkansas Department of Corrections’ Wrightsville Unit, where he had worked as a corrections officer for three years after moving to North Little Rock with his wife, Belinda, in 2008. He suffered a light stroke at work in 2015 that left his left side weakened and affected his short-term memory.
Returning to the classroom for the first time in nearly five decades wasn’t easy. He was three times as old as his classmates. The technology was intimidating: He could barely type and had never used a laptop. He took virtual classes during the pandemic.
His wife, a retired elementary teacher, became his biggest cheerleader, and his college pursuit became a family project. She found him a tutor, reviewed his research papers, and even watched Zootopia, a Disney animation, with him for an assignment.
“I was on the journey with him,” she said with a laugh. “It was something he set his mind to, and he kept on.”
He graduated from Pulaski in 2020 with an associate degree. The family proudly watched the commencement, which was held virtually because of the pandemic. We thought that was it.
William Burney obtained an associate degree from the University of Arkansas — Pulaski Technical College in 2020. A virtual commencement was held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Motivated by his advisers, Will decided to pursue his bachelor’s with a vengeance. He rarely missed class, turned in assignments on time, and sought help from professors when needed to stay on track.
He missed the spring 2023 semester after undergoing open-heart surgery to replace an aortic valve. He was back in school the following semester.
When Will informed the family he was finally graduating, I was determined to witness his big day, traveling over 1,000 miles to get there. I wanted to stand in the gap for our mother, who died in 2014. Our sister, a healthcare administrator in Florida and unable to attend, said, “I’m incredibly proud of him and this monumental accomplishment.”
William Burney holds a portrait of his mother, Eva Moss, that he commissioned. She died in 2014.
From the moment we stepped on campus with my boyfriend, Jeff, I chronicled every moment, snapping photos and videos, much to Will’s chagrin. I was especially proud when he led his fellow criminal justice major graduates inside as the department’s student marshal.
“I knew I was real smart, but wasn’t using it,” he said. “It was just a matter of buckling down and doing it.”
Always a jokester, he couldn’t resist a sibling jab. “We all know I’m the smartest in the family. I had to go the long route to get there.”
The Burney family, from left, William Burney, Melanie Burney, mother Eva, sister Andrea Robinson, and her children, Jamil and Christopher Robinson (front).
During my whirlwind visit, we celebrated and reminisced about our childhood and lessons from our mother. I had a chance to learn more about the man my brother had become. It was bittersweet that our mother was not there to share the moment.
Siblings William and Melanie Burney at his graduation Dec. 13 from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
As we drove around Little Rock, Will pointed to the community garden he helped start in 2011 and served as the manager. He serves on the board of Jefferson Comprehensive Care Service Inc., which operates seven health clinics. He took me to King Solomon Baptist Church, where he was baptized in 2012.
Inspiring others
Will — who earned a second associate degree in addition to a bachelor’s — plans to use his experience to encourage others, especially young Black men. He’s currently weighing an offer to join the university’s faculty. He may pursue a graduate degree.
“If you get the opportunity to become a better person, learn while you can. You have to do the work.”
After taking classes for eight years, William Burney graduated in December from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He wants to encourage others to pursue their dreams.
The Republican-controlled Congress has been very good to most of corporate America this year. Foremost among the boons is a $4 trillion tax-cut package that extended and added generous breaks for businesses large and small.
But it hasn’t been all good news for U.S. companies, and some industries have benefited more than others. The legislative branch’s acquiescence to Donald Trump’s sharp tariff increases raised input costs across the economy and provoked retaliatory moves against U.S. farm exports.
The healthcare sector, renewable energy companies, and Las Vegas’ casinos have taken legislative hits while chipmakers, drug companies, and private equity fended off potentially costly congressional interventions.
Here are this year’s winners and losers.
Winners
Nvidia
America’s most valuable company beat back influential Republican China hawks’ efforts to insert provisions in legislation aimed at ensuring U.S. companies get first dibs on Nvidia’s products. Chief executive officer Jensen Huang’s visits to Congress and the White House also helped pave the way for Trump administration actions easing export restrictions so the company could sell advanced chips to Chinese customers.
Private equity
The struggle to preserve a tax break cherished by private equity proved to be one of the rare instances this year when congressional Republicans stood up to Trump, rebuffing the president’s early demands to raise taxes on carried interest. The provision would have eliminated a lower income tax rate for a key portion of private equity executives’ compensation. PE firms worked to squelch the change in tandem with venture capital and real estate partnerships, whose executives and dealmakers also benefit. Better yet, private equity also won an expanded interest expensing tax break.
Oil and gas
Energy companies secured a tax break worth more than $1 billion for oil and gas producers in the Trump tax package. The provision allows businesses subject to a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax to deduct certain drilling costs when calculating their taxable income. Companies including ConocoPhillips Co., Ovintiv Inc., and Civitas Resources Inc. lobbied in favor of it.
Crypto
Digital-assets companies achieved a breakthrough with the passage of a light-touch regulatory law for dollar-pegged stablecoins, clearing the way for broader use of the technology in everyday finance. An industry drive for a broader rewrite of securities and commodities laws to set up favorable regulation of crypto assets is moving closer to the finish line. A $263 million campaign war chest the crypto industry has amassed in super-PACs is sure to help.
Pharma
Drug companies mostly succeeded in blocking legislative efforts to control their soaring prices. While Trump talked up requiring massive price cuts from pharmaceutical companies, Republican leaders on Capitol Hill made no moves to codify such a policy. Still, the Senate’s confirmation of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. empowered a foe of vaccine makers.
Tech giants
Technology giants have stymied public pressure for federal legislation to regulate social media and other tech products amid rising concern over harm to children. Even so, the industry so far hasn’t been able to secure a federal law blocking state regulation of artificial intelligence. The Trump administration stepped in with an executive order to override state AI regulations, though that faces legal challenges.
Financial planners
The wealth management industry came out ahead when Senate Republican leader John Thune’s campaign to add a repeal of the estate tax to Trump’s tax law foundered. The tax overhaul kept in place the complex loopholes that the rich employ financial planners to navigate on their behalf.
Defense and aerospace
The defense industry thwarted efforts by Elon Musk’s DOGE team to cut military spending and scored big increases in the Pentagon budget. Trump’s massive tax and spending package included $150 billion in new defense spending. A defense policy bill Congress just passed came in $8 billion above the White House request. Notable beneficiaries include Anduril Industries Inc., Palantir Technologies Inc., and Boeing Co. with the new F-47 fighter. A provision to allow the Pentagon to repair weapons systems without paying contractors to do so was defeated.
Domestic car dealers
Car dealers won a tax break for loan interest on purchases of new U.S.-built automobiles.
Large corporations
The $4 trillion Trump tax cut bill extended a bevy of 2017 tax breaks that had expired. Manufacturers won bonus depreciation for the cost of production upgrades and a research and development tax break. Attempts to pay for these by scaling back the corporate state and local tax deduction and to increase the stock buyback tax were beaten back by a heavy lobbying effort.
Small businesses
The 2017 law that allowed pass-through businesses to deduct up to 20% of their qualified business income from their taxable income was permanently extended.
Losers
Hospitals
A $50 billion bailout for rural hospitals included in Trump’s tax cut plan won’t offset the loss of funding from Medicaid cuts in the law. Millions of Americans will lose health insurance in the coming years, according to forecasts, leading to a surge in uncompensated care in emergency rooms.
Health insurers
Big insurers are in line to lose millions of customers with the expiration of enhanced Obamacare premium tax credits at the end of December. Fewer healthy people signing up for policies also could further harm insurers’ bottom lines. While a bipartisan group of moderates in both parties are trying to renew the credits in January, they face an uphill battle against Republican congressional leaders, who oppose the effort.
Green energy
The Trump tax bill ended Joe Biden’s signature tax credits for solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources, and curtailed the $7,500 consumer electric vehicle tax credit for cars made by such companies as Tesla Inc., Rivian Automotive Inc., and General Motors Co. Renewable energy companies Sunnova Energy International Inc., Solar Mosaic Inc., and Pine Gate Renewables LLC all filed for bankruptcy protection this year in part due to the ending of tax incentives.
Banks
Crypto bros’ gain is bankers’ loss as the stablecoin legislation Congress passed this year threatens the banking sector’s long and profitable dominance of the payments system. Still, bankers’ congressional allies blocked votes on credit card competition legislation, which would cut into the nearly $190 billion in swipe fees retailers pay annually to banks, Visa Inc., and Mastercard Inc. Congress also repealed a Biden-era regulation limiting bank overdraft fees.
Casinos
Under the tax bill, professional gamblers would only be able to deduct 90% of their losses against their winnings, leading to a situation where they could still owe income tax if they break even over a year or lose money overall. Major casino companies are pushing to repeal the provision, fearing a drop-off in business from their best customers.
Airlines
Airlines lost hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket revenue during the longest government shutdown in history as the Trump administration moved to curtail flights during the congressional impasse. Delta Air Lines Inc. alone estimated it took a $200 million hit from the shutdown.
Importers
Retailers and other importers stung by Trump’s tariffs got little help from lawmakers this year, as Republicans largely sat back while the president claimed broad authority to rewrite the world’s trading order. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a close Trump ally, has so far managed to delay a looming floor fight over the legality of the tariffs until at least the end of January.
Stravinsky’s Petrushka is beloved in the orchestral world, a landmark in the dance community, and for all audiences, one of the most peculiarly passionate ballet stories ever told.
Seedy carnival puppets come to life, fall in love, die bitterly, and haunt adversaries mercilessly. But will that music/theater package thrive when dramatically transformed by BalletX — in its latest collaboration with Philadelphia Chamber Music Society?
Sight unseen, anticipation runs so high that the Jan. 8 and 9 performances at the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater are sold out (but with waitlists). The program, including Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G Minor, promises much to be seen — far from the 1911 Paris premiere by the world-changing Ballets Russes.
Ashley Simpson, Itzkan Barbosa, Minori Sakita, and Lanie Jackson of BalletX Company rehearse “Petrushka” choreographed by Amy Hall Garner at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre
For the story full of loneliness and jealousy, with a street-theater puppet show, the setting is Shrovetide Tuesday during what is now called Mardi Gras season. In this new version, the time setting for the traveling troupe is updated to the Great Depression. Petrushka — a role once performed by the legendary dancer Vaslav Nijinsky — becomes Pete.
“We’ve changed it up quite a bit,” said BalletX resident choreographer Amy Hall Garner, who has also worked with the Joffrey Ballet. “The beauty of Stravinsky’s music is that the ballet can take different routes and still support the story.”
BalletX Company rehearse “Petrushka”
choreographed by Amy Hall Garner at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre
The ballet was never meant to be cute. The primary point of reference for many modern audiences was a production by the sophisticated puppeteer Basil Twist — which has been seen in several venues since 2001, sometimes with two-piano accompaniment. The challenge, outlined at that time in a video interview by Twist, is projecting intense feelings among characters that “are supposed to be puppets, not supposed to be people.”
In Garner’s version, dancers will be humans at some turns, puppets in others.
The murderous Moor of the original has his plot functions replaced by, among others, a circus Strong Man and a magician known as the Charlatan. Such extrapolations are relatively respectful in light of how Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring has been turned from a ballet about pagan sacrifice to a modern gangster story by the much-admired choreographer Paul Taylor.
BalletX members rehearse “Petrushka,” choreographed by Amy Hall Garner.
The foundation of any Petrushka is the score. In contrast to many dance companies that use prerecorded music, the lavishly orchestrated Stravinsky original has been transcribed for piano quintet (piano and strings) by the ensemble 132, a collective of musicians in their 20s and 30s, formed in 2019, many having graduated from the Curtis Institute, their name drawn from one of Beethoven’s revolutionary opus numbers. They will not only be in the 500-seat Perelman Theater, but will be seen onstage.
Ensemble 132 is a collective of musicians in their 20s and 30s, formed in 2019, many having graduated from the Curtis Institute.
“There’s no hiding them,” said Garner. “Dance and music are like brother and sister — with all those heartbeats onstage. It’s a special connection that we don’t get to experience all of the time in the arts. It’s an unseen dialogue with the musicians integrated into the story.”
The project is part of a continuing collaboration between BalletX and PCMS that included a 2022 event with the Calidore Quartet — brokered in part by a mutual board member of the two organizations, Vince Tseng.
Mathis Joubert lifts Eli Alford during a rehearsal for “Petrushka.”
It’s also driven by the companies wanting to expand their respective audiences, both sides of which are open to such artistic cross-pollination when presented to them in their regular concert-going flight patterns.
For PCMS, much of the attraction comes out of fascination with BalletX. “We don’t usually get involved with a brand new work like this,” said PCMS artistic director Miles Cohen. “It’s impossible not to love what they do.”
What came first in this case was the Petrushka chamber-size version that was created a few years ago by and for ensemble 132.
Reducing Petrushka’s many details and colors might seem daunting. But because Stravinsky was a piano-based composer, tracing his thoughts back to their sound source isn’t impossible. “My focus was to present the gesture and the mood,” said ensemble member Sahun Sam Hong, co-artistic director and pianist of ensemble 132. “It’s music about characters but I don’t attempt to make value judgments on those characters.”
BalletX members rehearse “Petrushka” choreographed by Amy Hall Garner.
Still, psychological questions can’t help but arise for the musicians. Since the Petrushka character has a history of being a mere puppet, ensemble 132 member Zachary Mowitz speculates, “he’s going through adult matters and isn’t prepared to handle it.”
“Where does Petrushka belong?” asks Hong. “That’s a story to be told.”
Such answers fall to Garner, who treats the matter both philosophically and literally: “We put him in an environment where you could see promise. It’s an open field that this traveling show comes to. It’s gritty, it’s haunting, it’s gorgeous.”
BalletX and ensemble 132 perform “Petrushka,” Jan. 8, 9, 7.30 p.m., Perelman Theater, 300 S. Broad St. Tickets are sold out but there is a waitlist. boxoffice@pcmsconcerts.org, 215-569-8080, pcmsconcerts.org
It’s the first week in January, which means the gym is packed and the health food section at the grocery store is more picked over than usual, as many of our friends and neighbors vow to start the new year off on a healthier foot.
Around 3 in 10 Americans made New Year’s resolutions in 2024, according to the Pew Research Center. At the top of the resolutions list were aspirations related to diet and exercise, finances, relationships, and hobbies. The percentage of resolution makerswas even higher amongyoung adults (ages 18 to 29), around half of whom committed to dropping, or picking up, a habit when the clock struck Jan. 1.
Here’s how to get started on a New Year’s resolution in Lower Merion. If you haven’t picked a resolution yet, take this as some inspiration to get going.
Try a new workout (for free)
“Exercise more” is often at the top of New Year’s resolution lists. While a walk around the block or a visit to the gym is a reliable way to get back into the swing of things, fitness studios across the Main Line are offering free trials, from Tai Chi to yoga sculpt.
Get your first class free at Pure Barre in Wayne, a workout studio chain that fuses yoga, Pilates, and ballet to strengthen and tone. Try your hand at Tai Chi at the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. or on Zoom. Your first Tai Chi class is free. BodyX Kitchen & Fitness Studio, a boutique studio in Bryn Mawr with group fitness classes, personal training, and healthy cooking classes, offers a free week of fitness classes to all new participants. If you’re interested in CrossFit, Ardmore’s CrossFit Main Line offers a free trial for new participants. The gym also has locations in Wayne and Plymouth Meeting. And if you want something more personalized, Train and Nourish, a women’s-only personal training studio in Ardmore, offers free consults for new clients.
As John Romani, owner of Sales by Helen, a Philly-based estate sale giant, told The Inquirer early last year, the Main Line abounds with great secondhand shops. Romani recommends Bryn Mawr Hospital Thrift, a top spot for furniture, high-end clothing, art, and collectibles, and Ardmore’s Pennywise Thrift Shop, which has a rotating inventory, low prices, and some luxury brands. Romani also has high praise for thrift stores in Wayne and Berwyn, including the Berwyn Goodwill and Neighborhood League in Wayne.
Romani’s tips? Use your phone to look up items, seek out high quality, and be assertive.
The Main Line Art Center in Haverford offers art classes and workshops for adults. Take tapestry weaving or portrait painting, learn to make jewelry, or try your hand at pottery.
Looking for a book club? Ardmore’s Mavey Books has book clubs for adults and teens. The Lower Merion Library System also hosts book clubs across its locations, including in Ardmore, Belmont Hills, and Penn Wynne. Ludington Library has a book club dedicated specifically to LGBTQ+ stories.
The Lower Merion Library System also hosts board game cafés, family puzzle nights, film discussions, and art events (you can see their full calendar here).
Declutter your house by donating
After all holiday presents are unwrapped and the last Christmas cookies are eaten, it’s customary to look around and think: “How did I accumulate so much stuff?“ If you’re looking to declutter, nonprofits in and around Lower Merion are accepting gently used clothing, furniture, kitchen tools, and other items.
Our Closet In Your Neighborhood (OCIYN), a program of Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia, accepts casual clothing and shoes for men, women, and children of all sizes. OCIYN is a free mobile program that provides Philly-area residents with food, clothing, and access to services and benefits. Those looking to donate clothes to OCIYN can contact Skylar Fox, program manager, at 267-273-5537 or sfox@jfcsphilly.org.
Cradles to Crayons is a national nonprofit with a Philadelphia-area presence that provides clothing, shoes, books, school supplies, and hygiene items to kids in need. The nonprofit has a small collection site at Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr and a larger site at the Haverford YMCA. Cradles to Crayons accepts new youth socks and underwear, new arts and school supplies, new hygiene items, unopened diapers, pull-ups, and diaper wipes, and new or gently used clothes and shoes in youth and adult sizes. See the full list of collection sites here and donation guidelines here.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
I applaud The Inquirer for last Sunday’s Opinion section, which was made up entirely of an editorial documenting the damage done by Donald Trump over the past 11 months. In 2025, we learned once again how important a free press is to inform our citizens about the path Trump’s administration is taking. The most recent episode of CBS News’ Sunday Morning disappointed me. In its year in review, no mention was made of the three large protests: “Hands Off” (three million people), “No Kings I” (five million people), and “No Kings II” (seven million people). Why were these peaceful demonstrations not mentioned? I believe CBS fears retribution by Trump. A free, informative, fact-based news media is so important to maintain our democracy. Shame on CBS for its cowardly bowing to Trump — first in suppressing the 60 Minutes report on the inhumane treatment in an El Salvadoran detention center, and then by not mentioning our peaceful protests.
Marie Kania, Media
. . .
Thank you for your recent editorial that comprehensively details the most egregious of Donald Trump’s corruption. It was masterful, given the overwhelming volume of material that you had to sort through.
Yet, Trump is only one person. Most Senate and House Republicans have done nothing to fulfill their Oath of Office to support and defend the Constitution. There are too few Republicans willing to do the right thing. Their near total obedience to this corrupt regime — and not to the Constitution — has enabled the near collapse of our democracy. Why? Most of them seem to want to hold on to their piece of the financial pie and cling to the power they have but refuse to use.
The Constitution clearly outlines many paths to dealing with the corruption of this administration, but most Republicans continue to enable and obey MAGA Mike Johnson’s abuse of power, rules manipulation, and time wasting. Chaos enables corruption, and the majority of Republicans at the local, state, and federal levels like it. They think that if they bend the knee to Trump, they’ll be safe. They are so ensconced that even though they don’t believe the GOP rhetoric, they willingly play along and spew it to constituents.
Let’s hope the coming elections continue to reestablish the ideals of our democracy by voting out all politicians — Republican and/or Democrat — who have lost their sense of right and wrong or played along. Let’s hope a younger, idealistic generation of politicians emerges from this chaos, because the GOP has sunk so low that it protects rich pedophiles without a thought of the victims. After these heinous crimes were exposed publicly, it finally moved a few Republicans to denounce Trump’s actions, even though they had fully enabled him up to this point. Still, too few were moved, and still others who knew the details before the public disclosures but chose to look the other way.
We appreciate newspaper journalism. Other mainstream media outlets do not cover issues in depth, and many have capitulated to the current regime so much that they can no longer be trusted.
H. Tunney, Huntingdon Valley
. . .
Dec. 26 was my 67th birthday. The weather was cold and bleak, like the year had been. Unlike during Donald Trump’s first term, the major news networks, along with many of the nation’s top newspapers, had fallen to Trump’s authoritarian bullying, or had hopped onto the oligarchy bandwagon for the goodies. Universities, top law firms, and business titans paid coin to join the gravy train, or at least not to be run over by Trump’s retribution railroad. But on my birthday, The Inquirer stood tall and published “The Damage Done” online. Maybe it is weird that an in-depth piece detailing the breadth, depth, and speed at which Trump is destroying our country and the institutions that should be protecting us felt like a gift. But Philly has grit, and our paper has gravitas. The Inquirer understands there is risk in speaking out. The risk of remaining silent is greater.
Lynn Strauss,West Chester
Minimum wage increase
The Inquirer recently reported that the state of New Jersey was moving to raise its minimum wage to $15.92 per hour. A just and modest increase from $15.49 per hour.
Recently, the city of Santa Fe, N.M., moved forward with a proposal to increase its minimum wage, as well. Something that caught my eye is that the article about it in the Albuquerque Journal mentions that Santa Fe has, since 2003, mandated an automatic increase in minimum wage, which occurs every year. I personally think this would be a fantastic policy for the city of Philadelphia to investigate.
For decades, Philadelphia was the poorest big city in America (that honor now belongs to Houston, I believe). Nonetheless, as a city that is still fairly poor, Philadelphia still has a huge section of its population that holds positions that pay minimum wage, which is still $7.25 an hour in Pennsylvania. Now, one could debate what parameters go into determining the increase of that minimum wage, but I think it is beyond doubt that a policy that automatically increased minimum wage and tied it either to inflation, Consumer Price Index, or some other parameter would benefit literally tens of thousands of Philadelphians.
The “Fight for 15” movement started in 2012, and every year that goes by means inflation makes that $15 an hour worth less and less. (Thankfully, New Jersey is inching toward $16 per hour.) A great deal of time and political capital is spent fighting for or against one-time increases. If a schema for automatic increases could be agreed upon, it would save our political energy (which is pulled in so many directions these days) for figuring out other problems. Perhaps an automatic system could even be considered business-friendly, as it would allow businesses to plan for and budget for small increases over time instead of lobbying against their own workers in pursuit of preventing big wage jumps.
In New York, Zohran Mamdani was right to tap into the issue of affordability and wages as a universal problem in our great American cities. Now is the time to get creative about how to address that problem here in Philadelphia.
Alex Palma, Philadelphia
No one is safe
Nick Elizalde, my grandson, was shot and killed at his high school football game on Sept. 27, 2022. That year, 516 homicides were recorded in Philadelphia, and 51 school shootings in the U.S. In 2024, we saw 84 school shootings nationwide. The U.S is the only country in the world where the leading cause of death for children is guns.
On Dec. 13, two students were shot and killed at Brown University. Donald Trump shrugged. “Things can happen,” he said. One day later, Providence, R.I., Mayor Brett Smiley assured residents that they are safe. No, Mayor, they’re not. Americans aren’t safe. Not in Providence, Uvalde, Newtown, Blacksburg, Parkland … Not in schools, places of worship, theaters, our front porches. We’re killed at home and away. Murdered on buses. In cars. Like Trump, we shrug. We may tell ourselves, “It can’t happen here.” Friends and neighbors become statistics. By continuing to support elected officials who fail to act, we accept the carnage.
Following rare mass shootings, New Zealand, Norway, and Canada banned assault weapons. Sweden limited access to semiautomatic weapons. After the Dec. 14 murder of 15 people on Bondi Beach, Australia will strengthen its gun laws to include limiting gun ownership. Why not here?
In Delaware County this year, the council took bold action and banned untraceable ghost gun parts and machine gun conversion devices. Why not your county?
In this election year, demand more from lawmakers. Vote only for those who support commonsense solutions to gun violence. Vote all others out. It’s too late for Nick, but maybe not for the folks you love.
Marge LaRue, Aston, laruehouse@verizon.net
Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.
