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  • Turning Point USA’s Erika Kirk backs Vice President JD Vance’s potential 2028 presidential bid

    Turning Point USA’s Erika Kirk backs Vice President JD Vance’s potential 2028 presidential bid

    PHOENIX — Erika Kirk, widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and the organization’s new leader, endorsed a potential presidential bid by Vice President JD Vance on the opening night of the conservative youth group’s annual conference.

    After telling the cheering crowd that Turning Point would help keep Congress in Republican hands next year, she said, “We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible.”

    Vance would be the 48th president if he takes office after President Donald Trump.

    Kirk’s statement on Thursday is the most explicit backing of Vance’s possible candidacy by a woman who has been positioned as a steward to her late husband’s legacy. Charlie Kirk had become a powerbroker and bridge builder within the conservative movement before he was assassinated in September.

    Vance was close with Charlie Kirk, whose backing helped enable his rapid political rise. After the assassination, Vance and his wife joined Erika Kirk in Utah to fly her husband’s remains home to Arizona aboard Air Force Two.

    Vance is set to speak to Turning Point on Sunday, the conference’s last day. The convention has featured the usual spectacle and energy that have characterized the organization’s events, but the proceedings have also been marred by intense infighting among conservative commentators and estranged allies who have turned on each other in the wake of Kirk’s death.

    As Trump’s vice president, Vance is well-positioned to inherit the movement that remade the Republican Party and twice sent Trump to the White House. But it would be no small task for him to hold together the Trump coalition, which is built around personal loyalty to him more than shared political goals.

    Various wings of the conservative movement already are positioning to steer the party after Trump’s presidency, a skirmish that’s becoming increasingly public and pointed.

    Turning Point, with its thousands of young volunteers, would provide a major boost for Vance in a fractious primary. Now 41, Vance would be the first Millennial president if elected, a natural fit for the organization built around mobilizing youth.

    Trump has repeatedly mused about running for a third term despite a constitutional prohibition. However, he’s also speculated about a 2028 ticket featuring Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

    Although Rubio previously ran for president in 2016, he has said he would support Vance as Trump’s successor.

  • Putin says Europe out of step with an increasingly Moscow-friendly U.S.

    Putin says Europe out of step with an increasingly Moscow-friendly U.S.

    MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin told Europe it was out of step with the new priorities of the United States and painted a picture of the world in which America was closer to Russia than its traditional Western allies, during his marathon year-end call-in show Friday.

    Over the course of several hours, Putin answered questions from journalists and the public, playing up the economy, expressing confidence on the Ukraine war and denying responsibility for the massive human casualties taking place. He also blamed the West for the invasion.

    He ridiculed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s warning this month that Russia could attack a NATO country in the next five years by saying such sentiment contradicted the new U.S. National Security Strategy, which does not identify Russia as an adversary to the U.S. and instead seeks “strategic stability.”

    “The United States is the creator of NATO, its main sponsor. All the main resources come from the U.S. — money, military technology, weapons, ammunition, everything,” Putin said. “And in the new U.S. National Security Strategy, Russia is not named as an enemy or a target. Yet the NATO secretary general is preparing for war with us. What is that? Can’t you read?”

    The Kremlin said earlier this month that the security document, which alarmed U.S. allies in Europe, was “largely consistent” with Russia’s vision.

    Putin said that the conflict between U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders was because “European political elites openly supported the Democratic Party” and its 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and said these same elites were hoping Republican losses in the midterm elections would put pressure on Trump.

    The combined-format event, blending a large news conference with a “Direct Line” call-in from citizens that often runs for four hours, marks Putin’s most significant public address this year and one of his rare moments of engagement with the public. He skipped the traditional state-of-the-nation speech, normally held in the spring.

    While Putin did say he was ready for peace with Ukraine and would compromise to end the conflict, he still repeated his well-worn lines blaming Kyiv for refusing to end the war — although it was Russia that invaded Ukraine. He also said Ukrainian forces were retreating “in all directions.”

    Putin, who has taken a hard line on peace negotiations in recent days, said that Russia was ready for peace — on terms suitable to Moscow that eliminated what the Kremlin calls “the root causes” of the conflict, which would see a Ukraine subservient to its Russian neighbor.

    Putin denied responsibility for human casualties in the war, “as we did not start that war.”

    He said that he had told Trump that Russia was willing to compromise in peace talks when he met him in Alaska in August, although the Russian leader this week insisted that Russia would take more Ukrainian territory — which he called Russia’s “historical lands” — through military force if it failed to gain these through negotiations.

    “When I arrived in Anchorage, I said these would not be easy decisions for us. But we agree to the compromises being proposed,” Putin said, adding that “to say that we reject anything is absolutely incorrect and has no basis.”

    “The ball is entirely in the court of our opponents, so to speak, and, first and foremost, the leaders of the Kyiv regime and their, in this case, and above all, European sponsors,” Putin said.

    Asked by the BBC whether there would in future be new “special military operations,” the Kremlin’s euphemism for the war — Putin said: “Western leaders created this situation themselves and continue fanning the flames by saying they are preparing for war with Russia,” adding it was “nonsense” that Russia wanted to go to war with Europe.

    During the conference questions from Russians flashed up on screens in the hall, including one that suggested that Russian elections were “a fiction” and another that asked why ordinary Russians lived so badly.

    “When you will return the ‘normal internet?’ It’s impossible to even send a question to the president!” one asked. Another asked, “Are you going to nominate yourself to run for president in 2030?”

    When the Levada Center independent polling agency asked Russians last month what questions they had for Putin, 21% wanted to know when the war would end, and 16% wanted to ask when pensions and benefits would increase.

    Putin adopted a triumphalist tone, boasting that Russia would have new military successes before year’s end. “I have no doubt that you and I will witness new successes of our armed forces, our troops on the contact line before the end of this year. That’s the plan.”

    Putin also rolled out a list of statistics to show the economy was doing well, including an unemployment rate of just 2.2% and a national debt that he boasted is among the lowest of developed countries. While growth this past year was only 1%, he maintained it was deliberate.

    “This was done in the course of targeting inflation,” he said. Inflation has dropped from nearly 10 percent down to 5.7%, he said. He added that an increase in sales tax on Jan. 1 from 20% to 22% was needed to balance the budget and would not be permanent.

    But in a sign that Western sanctions are taking a real toll on Russia’s economy, questions addressed high prices of chicken and other essential items, as well as a shortage of fish.

    “Stop price increases!” said a message from one Russian displayed on the screens in the hall.

    “There really isn’t enough fish on people’s tables. We’re not meeting the standard here,” Putin admitted.

    A question from a child was read out asking, “Why the pastries in the cafeteria rise but my parents salary does not?”

    The press marathon comes amid a burst of diplomatic activity as Trump pushes for a deal to settle the conflict in Ukraine. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected in Miami this weekend for talks with Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s key investment envoy and a central figure in back-channel discussions, Axios and Politico reported.

    On Thursday, the Kremlin confirmed Russia is preparing for American contacts to clarify details from recent U.S. consultations with Ukraine and Europeans held in Berlin earlier this week.

    Putin’s address comes after European leaders agreed Friday to give Kyiv nearly $105 billion in a loan backed by the bloc’s budget, after the failure of a last-ditch effort to tap Russia’s $246 billion in frozen assets to finance Ukraine’s state and army. Putin called the attempt to tap the assets “open robbery” during the event.

    Moscow had stepped up anti-European rhetoric and vowed retaliation against any seizure, warning that without fresh funding, Kyiv’s resources could dry up within months.

    The Kremlin said about 3 million questions had been received by Friday, according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Putin’s approval rating remains steady at 84%, according to a Levada poll in October and November published last month.

    But as the Ukraine war — planned by the Kremlin to last just a few days — approaches its fourth year, war fatigue has set in, with casualties skyrocketing as Russia presses on with limited territorial gains.

    More than 65% of people surveyed by Levada in mid-November believed it was time for peace talks instead of continued military action, a four-percentage-point increase over the previous month. Tellingly, 55% in a separate Levada poll the previous month said they would not want a family member to sign a military contract to fight in Ukraine, 14% higher than in May 2023.

    According to the recent Levada poll, 65% of Russians believe the country is heading in the right direction, down from 74% in March, while 21% feel Russia is on the wrong path, compared with 16% in March.

    With Russia’s economy under intense pressure amid sanctions, declining oil prices and high interest rates, dozens of Russian companies have laid off workers or cut wages, while residents grapple with inflation and a rising cost of living. According to the poll, 25% said their life had gotten worse in the past year.

    In the lead-up to Putin’s question session, residents in villages and towns across Russia recorded videos complaining of local issues: a lack of heating in their homes; terrible roads; public transport failures; odorous smoke from local landfills; and other matters that will probably be featured during the event.

    Dixon reported from Riga, Latvia. Natalia Abbakumova in Riga, Latvia contributed to this report.

  • Mayor Parker touted her accomplishments and outlined a plan for homelessness during her State of the City speech

    Mayor Parker touted her accomplishments and outlined a plan for homelessness during her State of the City speech

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker marked the halfway point of her term as mayor Friday by portraying the city as safer and more stable than when she took office two years ago, pointing to metrics like the plummeting homicide rate and cleaner streets.

    During her second end-of-year State of the City speech, Parker also briefly acknowledged challenges she faced this past year, including the eight-day city worker strike and a spat with City Council over her signature housing plan.

    And she outlined a plan to address rising street homelessness heading into 2026, when the city will host several major events expected to draw more than a million visitors.

    Parker outlined a plan to address rising street homelessness heading into 2026, when the city will host several major events expected to draw millions of visitors, during her end-of-year speech at Temple University Friday.

    “I am here today to proudly report to all of you,” she said, “that the state of our city is strong and good, and we are moving in the right direction.”

    Parker’s announcement to add 1,000 shelter slots to the city’s system was a stark reminder that — despite progress on public safety and a coming year ripe with opportunity for tourism and growth — some of the city’s longest-term challenges remain unresolved.

    Even as Philadelphia this year shed its long-held title as the “poorest big city in America,” the number of unsheltered people increased by 20% compared to last. While shootings have reached 50-year lows, the open-air drug market that has long plagued Kensington persists.

    And after the mayor this year unveiled a long-awaited plan to build thousands of units of housing in the city, she hit roadblocks in City Council, where members rejected her vision to bolster the middle class in favor of a plan that prioritizes the poorest Philadelphians.

    Still, Parker and members of her administration struck an optimistic tone Friday. During the highly produced event, top officials repeatedly proclaimed that the “state of the city” is strong, and they thanked municipal employees in attendance, like police officers and sanitation workers.

    Parker’s State of the City address last year was Philadelphia’s first. Traditionally, the mayor’s March budget address to Council was seen as the city’s version of the presidential State of the Union speech in Congress. Parker plans to make the December event an annual tradition as well.

    Here are three takeaways from Parker’s speech Friday in North Philadelphia:

    A homelessness plan is in the works for 2026

    In the middle of her speech, Parker signed an executive order on stage, directing city departments to add 1,000 new beds to the existing shelter system by Jan. 31. That would represent a 35% increase in the number of beds citywide.

    The move comes as city data shows homelessness in the city is rising. There were 1,178 unsheltered people in Philadelphia this year, a 20% increase over last year and the highest number recorded since at least 2018, according to city data.

    In total, 5,516 people were considered homeless, a number that includes people who live in emergency shelters, are couch surfing, or otherwise lack an adequate nighttime residence. That number is up slightly from 5,191 last year.

    Parker’s executive order directs city agencies to increase outreach efforts to people living on the streets and to collaborate with the Philadelphia Housing Authority to move people from shelters to more stable housing.

    “We are seeking long-term solutions,” she said, “Solutions that will not only provide an expanded quality shelter system, but with more beds in safe, clean, and welcoming environments.”

    Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker holds up executive order ending street homelessness.

    30,000-unit housing plan swells to 50,000

    The mayor’s second year in office was in part defined by her plan to build, repair, or preserve 30,000 units of housing. In March, she unveiled her Housing Opportunities Made Easy, or H.O.M.E., plan, funded by $800 million in bonds.

    Parker made clear that her plan would be aimed at uplifting the middle class and often vowed never to pit “the have-nots against the have-a-little-bits.” But City Council this month advanced its own version of the proposal, rejecting Parker’s vision and directing more resources to the poorest Philadelphians.

    It was the most significant break between Parker and the legislative branch of her tenure. But the mayor on Friday defended her strategy, saying the middle class should not be asked to wait for access to housing programs.

    “You want me to tell you why we shouldn’t tell them to wait?” she said. “Because when I knocked on their doors and asked for their votes — and we’re running for reelection — we don’t ask them to wait.”

    Of Council’s 17 members, just four attended Parker’s speech Friday: Anthony Phillips, a close ally, as well as Rue Landau, Jamie Gauthier, and Nicolas O’Rourke — three progressives who led the effort to amend her housing plan. They sat in the front row.

    Parker struck a conciliatory tone, saying: “We will work together to press forward together, and we won’t let petty politics get in the way of us moving Philadelphia forward.”

    The mayor also made clear Friday that her 30,000-unit benchmark is separate from a plan being advanced by the Philadelphia Housing Authority, which is pursuing an ambitious expansion plan that Parker said would add an additional 20,000 units of affordable housing.

    “When you add our H.O.M.E. goal of 30,000 units with that 20,000, those are 50,000 units of housing,” Parker said, “and we shouldn’t have to leave any neighborhood behind.”

    Parker acknowledges city worker strike

    The most dramatic moment of Parker’s second year was undoubtedly the eight-day-and-four-hour city worker strike, Philadelphia’s first major municipal work stoppage in four decades.

    On Friday, Parker touted her administration’s work negotiating new contracts this year for almost all of the city’s major municipal unions. She acknowledged, but didn’t dwell on, the strike by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33.

    “We did have to endure an eight-day work stoppage,” she said. “But guess what we did? In true Philadelphia fashion … we got through it. It wasn’t easy, but we persevered together, and we found common ground, and we reached a fair and fiscally responsible agreement with both District Council 33 and District Council 47.”

    DC 33, the largest and lowest-paid union for city workers, called the strike when their previous contract expired at 12:01 a.m. July 1, the first minute the union was legally allowed to walk off the job. Union president Greg Boulware promised his members wouldn’t return to work unless they won raises of 5% per year.

    Over the next week, “Parker piles” of trash mounted across the city, and tensions mounted at picket lines. But Parker refused to budge.

    Boulware eventually called off the strike and accepted a contract with raises of 3% per year, which is close to Parker’s last offer before the strike. The deal also included $1,500 onetime bonuses for the union’s roughly 9,000 members and the addition of a fifth step in the DC 33 pay scale, a benefit for veteran employees.

    Parker also defended the city’s treatment of DC 33 under her tenure. Repeating an administration talking point from the strike, Parker noted that the union’s accumulated pay increases — combining raises the union won in a one-year contract during Parker’s first year with the increases included in the new three-year deal — will be higher in her first term than under any other mayoral term since the 1990s.

    “Just for the record, I also need to affirm — because sometimes people [create] revisionist history — I want to be clear that they were historic pay increases for our city workers,” Parker said. “It’s the largest in one term from any Philadelphia mayor over 30 years.”

  • Motive still unknown after suspect in the Brown attack and MIT professor’s killing is found dead

    Motive still unknown after suspect in the Brown attack and MIT professor’s killing is found dead

    A frantic search for the suspect in last weekend’s mass shooting at Brown University ended at a New Hampshire storage facility where authorities discovered the man dead inside and then revealed he also was suspected of killing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor.

    Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a former Brown student and Portuguese national, was found dead Thursday night from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said Col. Oscar Perez, the Providence police chief.

    Investigators believe he is responsible for fatally shooting two students and wounding nine other people in a Brown lecture hall last Saturday, then killing MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro two days later at his home in the Boston suburbs, nearly 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Providence. Perez said as far as investigators know, Neves Valente acted alone.

    Portugal’s top diplomat said Friday that the government was taken aback by revelations that a Portuguese man is the main suspect in the mass shooting at Brown and the killing of an MIT professor who was of the same nationality. Police said they were contacted by U.S. authorities Thursday once Neves Valente was named.

    Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said Portugal has provided “very broad cooperation” in the case. He said in comments to the national news agency Lusa that “the investigation is far from over.”

    Brown University President Christina Paxson said Neves Valente was enrolled there as a graduate student studying physics from the fall of 2000 to the spring of 2001.

    “He has no current affiliation with the university,” she said.

    Neves Valente and Loureiro attended the same academic program at a university in Portugal between 1995 and 2000, U.S. attorney for Massachusetts Leah B. Foley said. Loureiro graduated from the physics program at Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal’s premier engineering school, in 2000, according to his MIT faculty page. The same year, Neves Valente was let go from his temporary student support and faculty liaison position at the Lisbon university, according to an archive of a termination notice from the school’s then-president in February 2000.

    Neves Valente, who was born in Torres Novas, Portugal, about 75 miles (121 kilometers) north of Lisbon, had come to Brown on a student visa. He eventually obtained legal permanent resident status in September 2017, Foley said. It wasn’t immediately clear where he was between taking a leave of absence from the school in 2001 and getting the visa in 2017. His last known residence was in Miami.

    After officials revealed the suspect’s identity, President Donald Trump suspended the green card lottery program that allowed Neves Valente to stay in the United States.

    There are still “a lot of unknowns” in regard to motive, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said. “We don’t know why now, why Brown, why these students and why this classroom,” he said.

    Tip helps investigators connect the dots

    The FBI previously said it knew of no links between the Rhode Island and Massachusetts shootings.

    Police credited a person who had several encounters with Neves Valente for providing a crucial tip that led authorities to him.

    After police shared security video of a person of interest, the witness — known only as “John” in a Providence police affidavit — recognized him and posted his suspicions on the social media forum Reddit. Reddit users urged him to tell the FBI, and John said he did.

    John said he encountered Neves Valente about two hours before the attack in a bathroom in the engineering building, which was where the shooting occurred, and noticed he was wearing inappropriate clothing for the weather, according to the affidavit. Still before the attack, he again bumped into Neves Valente a couple blocks away and saw him suddenly turn away from a Nissan sedan when he saw John.

    “When you do crack it, you crack it. And that person led us to the car, which led us to the name,” Neronha said.

    His tip pointed investigators to a Nissan Sentra with Florida plates. That enabled Providence police to tap into a network of more than 70 street cameras operated around the city by surveillance company Flock Safety. Those cameras track license plates and other vehicle details.

    After leaving Rhode Island, Providence officials said Neves Valente stuck a Maine license plate over his rental car’s plate to help conceal his identity.

    Investigators found footage of Neves Valente entering an apartment building near Loureiro’s in a Boston suburb. About an hour later, Neves Valente was seen entering the Salem, New Hampshire, storage facility where he was found dead, Foley said. He had with him a satchel and two firearms, Neronha said.

    Victims include renowned physicist, political organizer and aspiring doctor

    Loureiro, a 47-year-old physicist and fusion scientist, joined MIT in 2016 and was named last year to lead the school’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, one of its largest laboratories. The scientist from Viseu, Portugal, had been working to explain the physics behind astronomical phenomena such as solar flares.

    In Lisbon, he was remembered as a highly regarded researcher and instructor for “all the contributions he gave and what he could still have given, all the equations left unwritten,” said Professor Bruno Gonçalves, head of the Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion at Instituto Superior Técnico.

    Gonçalves added, “It is difficult to imagine in what context someone would want to harm someone that works in this field.”

    The two Brown students killed during a study session for final exams were 19-year-old sophomore Ella Cook and 18-year-old freshman MukhammadAziz Umurzokov. Cook was active in her Alabama church and served as vice president of the Brown College Republicans. Umurzokov’s family immigrated to the U.S. from Uzbekistan when he was a child, and he aspired to be a doctor.

    As for the wounded, three had been discharged and six were in stable condition Thursday, officials said.

    Although Brown officials say there are 1,200 cameras on campus, the attack happened in an older part of the engineering building that has few, if any, cameras. And investigators believe the shooter entered and left through a door that faces a residential street bordering campus, which might explain why the cameras Brown does have didn’t capture footage of the person.

    ___

    Associated Press reporters Barry Hatton and Helena Alves in Lisbon, Portugal, Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, Hallie Golden in Seattle and Matt O’Brien in Providence contributed.

  • Eagles vs. Commanders: Playoff scenarios, predictions, injury reports, and what everyone is talking about

    Eagles vs. Commanders: Playoff scenarios, predictions, injury reports, and what everyone is talking about

    It’s a short(-ish) week for the Eagles, who are set for the NFL’s first Saturday slate of the year, and with another NFC East title on the line.

    Here’s everything you need to know about the Eagles-Commanders game…

    How to watch

    The game will kick off on Fox from Northwest Stadium at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Joe Davis and Greg Olsen will call the game from the booth, with Pam Oliver on the sideline.

    If you’d rather listen to Merrill Reese and Mike Quick call the game, the radio broadcast can be found on 94.1 WIP, and if you want to watch the game with your fellow Birds fans, here are a few spots to check out.

    Final Week 16 injury report

    The Eagles ruled out Lane Johnson (foot) and Jalen Carter (shoulders) for Saturday’s game against the Commanders. Neither player practiced all week.

    Tight end Cam Latu (stinger) and offensive tackle Cameron Williams (shoulder; injured reserve) are listed as questionable to play.

    The battered Commanders, meanwhile, issued a lengthy injury report on Thursday.

    Eagles vs. Commanders odds

    The Eagles are 6.5-point favorites at DraftKings and FanDuel, with the total set at 44.5 points at both sportsbooks. For more betting props, check out our betting guide here.

    It could help the Eagles in the seeding picture if the Packers overtake the Bears in the NFC North.

    Eagles playoff picture

    The Birds can clinch a playoff berth with a win or Cowboys loss this week. The Eagles have the NFC East nearly locked up — in order to lose the division to the Cowboys, the team would need to lose all three remaining games, and the Cowboys would need to win all three.

    In the conference standings, the Birds are in third, one game back of the Chicago Bears and 2½ games back of the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks (12-3) overtook the Rams (11-4) with a win over L.A. on Thursday night. The Eagles and Packers both have nine wins, but the Packers have one tie on their record. If the Packers manage to overtake the Bears, the Eagles do own the tiebreaker against them.

    Story lines to watch

    Can the Eagles continue to cruise against a bad team?

    The Commanders haven’t followed up their NFC Championship game appearance the way they hoped. Jayden Daniels is shut down for the year because of injury, and the Commanders sit at a dismal 4-10. It’s the second game in a row where the Birds will face one of their former backups, with Marcus Mariota set to start for Washington.

    The Eagles took care of business against the Raiders, shutting out Las Vegas in the second-shortest game in recorded NFL history. Going for the record this week?

    More story lines to watch:

    One number to know

    1: The Eagles’ magic number to clinch a playoff berth

    Our Eagles vs. Commanders predictions

    Here’s how our beat writers are predicting Saturday’s game:

    Jeff McLane: “[Marcus] Mariota has three lost fumbles and the running backs collectively have four. I think the Eagles will take the ball away a few times. And as long as they win the turnover battle, I see a victory. It might not be the cakewalk some have predicted, but despite all the outside dissatisfaction about the team this season, the Eagles exit Northwest Stadium with a second straight division crown. Eagles 30, Commanders 20

    Olivia Reiner: “The big question facing the Eagles offense going forward: Can it sustain the success it established in the win over the Raiders? The Eagles ought to have a good chance of doing so against the Commanders in two of their final three games. Even with Dan Quinn taking over the defensive coordinator duties, Washington still has struggled against the pass and the run.” Eagles 28, Commanders 20.

    Jeff Neiburg: But the Eagles should be ready to pounce Saturday. They’re facing another team starting a backup quarterback. They’re facing an even worse defense than the one they beat up on Sunday. And they can clinch the NFC East with a victory. It’s hard to envision that not happening Saturday night. Eagles 27, Commanders 13.

    National media predictions

    Here’s how the national media is predicting Saturday’s game.

    What we’re saying about the Eagles

    Here’s a look at the latest from our columnists, starting with Mike Sielski, who broke down why the Eagles are about to win the NFC East again.

    Sielski: Whatever crises the Eagles might be undergoing are framed through a different lens from any other team in the division. They judge themselves and are judged by the answer to one question: Are we good enough to win the Super Bowl? Their divisional foes’ standard has not been quite as high: Are we good enough to keep from embarrassing ourselves again?

    Marcus Hayes: “Which brings us to the 9-5 Eagles, who, contrary to much of the commentary and punditry, are nearing the end of a very good season. Saquon Barkley isn’t going to break rushing records this season, and the passing game hasn’t equaled its pedigree, and the defense won’t finish ranked No. 1, but none of that matters. What matters is who they beat, who they lost to, and where they stand.”

    What the Commanders are saying about the Eagles

    This year’s Commanders team has been struggling mightily compared to last year, which made the NFC Championship game. But coach Dan Quinn is still taking things away from their three matchups last year.

    “Playing against us last year in the three games, they were exceptional at taking the ball away,” Quinn said. “I thought that was the biggest deal for us. … And offensively, I thought from a line standpoint, the size, the movement, the pulling, Jeff Stoutland is one of the best there is in the offensive line spot. … I think it’s a good balance of what they have from the run game and the shots down the field with Jalen [Hurts]. Those are kind of the yin and yang of a good offense.”

    Here’s more from what they’re saying…

    Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury: “It’s certainly a tough matchup. They’ve been playing at a super high level, defensively. I think they gave up less than 90 yards last week against Las Vegas. So, it’s going to be a great challenge. They can roll in five, six guys deep that all play at a pretty high level. They can rush the passer, can stop the run. So, you got to be creative in how you attack them and we’ll have our hands full, there’s no doubt.”

    Quarterback Marcus Mariota: “[They have] a great defense, Vic [Fangio] got them playing really well. You can talk about every single player on that front and on the back end. They’re great players. Being there for a year and being around those guys, it’ll be fun to play against some of those old friends. I’m looking forward to it. It’s always a great atmosphere to play Philly. It’ll be a fun game on Saturday.”

    What else we’re reading (and watching)

    🎁 Saquon Barkley’s foundation hosts toy drive for local children

    🏈 Jalen Hurts gave a fan a touchdown ball. What happened next led to a lawsuit.

    🚨 ‘I’m fine. The Eagles lost’: Fan’s Facebook post about the Birds sparks police welfare check

    📜 The Eagles’ success has been riding on the defense this year. The 1991 team remembers what that’s like.

  • California biotech BioMarin will pay $4.8 billion for Amicus Therapeutics, a rare-disease company with a presence in Philadelphia

    California biotech BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. will pay $4.8 billion in cash for Amicus Therapeutics, a Princeton rare-disease company with a presence in Philadelphia, the two publicly traded companies announced Friday.

    The acquisition of Amicus, expected to be completed in the second quarter of next year, will give BioMarin treatments for rare genetic diseases that generated $599 million in revenue over the last 12 months, according to BioMarin, which is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

    Why Philadelphia loses promising biotech firms to Boston, San Francisco, and San Diego

    Amicus has a treatment for Fabry disease, which is caused by a genetic mutation that allows fatty waste to build up in the body, damaging tissues and organs, according the BioMarin. The second treatment is for late-onset Pompe disease, which is an inherited genetic condition that causes muscle weakness that worsens over time.

    BioMarin CEO Alexander Hardy said on a webcast about the deal that both of those treatments have the potential to reach $1 billion in global sales. BioMarin had $2.85 billion in revenue last year, compared to $528 million at Amicus.

    The Philadelphia tie

    In 2019, Amicus established its Global Research and Gene Therapy Center of Excellence at 3675 Market St. in University City, saying at the time that the facility would employ 200 people eventually. The company’s website now lists the location as its Research Center of Excellence.

    Amicus now has 12 people in its Philadelphia office, a spokesperson said Friday.

    The company laid off 35 people working in research and development in 2022 after terminating plans for a gene therapy spinoff, according to Fierce Biotech.

    The University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Center under researcher Jim Wilson drew Amicus to Philadelphia from central New Jersey, where the company was then based in Cranbury. Penn has since spun out Wilson’s center into two for-profit companies, Gemma Biotherapeutics and Franklin Biolabs.

    John Crowley, chief executive of Amicus at the time, liked to call Philadelphia the “Cradle of Cures,” a name that hasn’t stuck. Crowley is now president and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), a biotech trade organization in Washington.

  • Phillies free up some payroll by trading Matt Strahm to the Royals

    Phillies free up some payroll by trading Matt Strahm to the Royals

    Matt Strahm ranked among the most effective lefty relievers in baseball over the last three seasons.

    Yet, to the Phillies, he was expendable.

    In a move that saved nearly $7 million to help address other needs (re-signing J.T. Realmuto?) — and may have been spurred by an increasingly strained relationship between the team and pitcher — the Phillies traded Strahm to the Royals on Friday for right-handed reliever Jonathan Bowlan.

    The Phillies are sticking with a veteran core in 2026. But this time the kids have to play too.

    “Matt’s done a nice, solid job for us,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “He’s been a good part of our ballclub. We’re in a spot though, with three left-handers, we didn’t necessarily think we needed all three.”

    Indeed, with José Alvarado’s return from an 80-game drug suspension and the emergence this year of late-blooming Tanner Banks, the Phillies have two late-inning lefties to pair with star closer Jhoan Duran, newly signed Brad Keller, and Orion Kerkering from the right side.

    (They also traded for sidearming lefty Kyle Backhus from the Diamondbacks on Friday for minor league outfielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu. Backhus has minor league options and represents bullpen depth.)

    The Phillies acquired righty reliever Jonathan Bowlan from the Royals on Friday.

    So, although Strahm had a 2.71 ERA in 188 appearances since 2023, including a 2.74 mark in 66 games this year, the Phillies were comfortable with reapportioning $7.5 million salary for 2026, especially after signing Keller this week to a two-year, $22 million deal. Bowlan, 29, will make slightly more than the $780,000 major league minimum.

    The Phillies began getting calls on all three lefty relievers early in the offseason, according to a major league source. They were most willing to listen on Strahm.

    J.T. Realmuto will be 35, but he remains as valuable as ever to the Phillies

    Because while Strahm was durable and versatile (10 starts in 2023), he faltered in each of the last two postseasons. He allowed four runs in two innings over three games against the Mets in the 2024 divisional round, then allowed Teoscar Hernández’s go-ahead three-run homer in Game 1 this year against the Dodgers.

    Strahm was a veteran leader in the bullpen. But there were hints that the outspoken 34-year-old might have begun to overstep. For example, after Kerkering’s season-ending errant throw in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium, Strahm told reporters that he wished he pushed the Phillies to put their pitchers through more rigorous fielding practice.

    Dombrowski pushed back on that idea in his end-of-season news conference.

    “We did plenty,” Dombrowski said. “Actually, as it turns out, we did do [pitcher fielding practice] in the postseason. He didn’t do them. But we did them.”

    After the trade, Dombrowski denied any issues with Strahm.

    “I can’t speak for others in our situation, but if Matt would have come back with us, we’d have felt very comfortable,” he said. “I’ve always had a good relationship with him. I loved talking to his wife and his daughter. That’s from my perspective.”

    Bowlan has a spot in the season-opening bullpen, alongside Duran, Keller, Alvarado, Kerkering, and Banks. He posted a 3.86 ERA in 34 appearances for the Royals and held right-handed hitters to a .182 average.

    “When we look at him, not a real well-known guy, but somebody that we think can contribute to us on a strong basis from the right-hand side,” Dombrowski said. “And of course, he doesn’t have to pitch the eighth or ninth for us. We can kind of gradually work him into different situations.”

    Asked for an update on free agent J.T. Realmuto, Dave Dombrowski said the situation hasn’t “changed very much.”

    The Phillies could look at Rule 5 selection Zach McCambley and a group of optionable relievers — Backhus, Seth Johnson, Max Lazar, and newcomer Yoniel Curet — to cycle through the last two spots in the bullpen. With two vacancies on the 40-man roster, they continue to seek depth for the bullpen and starting rotation.

    But the No. 1 priority remains bringing back Realmuto. MLB.com reported that the Phillies have an offer on the table. But it’s possible Realmuto is trying to get a guaranteed third year.

    “We would love to re-sign him,” Dombrowski said. “But [the situation] really hasn’t changed very much.”

    Kyle Schwarber found his way back to the Phillies, and he hopes J.T. Realmuto does the same

    In jettisoning Strahm, the Phillies might have freed up a few extra dollars. They still have approximately $299 million in 2026 payroll commitments, as calculated for the luxury tax. They’re expected to stay within range of the 2025 payroll, which came in at roughly $312 million, over the fourth (and highest) tax threshold.

    Extra bases

    Dombrowski said the Phillies “continue to work through some details” in hiring Don Mattingly to be the bench coach. Mattingly is the leading candidate for the job, which opened after the postseason when Mike Calitri moved into a newly created role of major league field coordinator. … The Phillies intend to replace assistant general manager Ani Kilambi, hired away this week as GM of the Washington Nationals. Kilambi led the data and analytics arm of Dombrowski’s front office.

  • Flyers and 97.5 The Fanatic suspend play-by-play man Tim Saunders for two games after inappropriate comment

    Flyers and 97.5 The Fanatic suspend play-by-play man Tim Saunders for two games after inappropriate comment

    The Flyers return to the ice on Saturday against the New York Rangers (12:30 p.m.), but there will be a different voice on the call for the team’s radio broadcast on flagship station 97.5 The Fanatic.

    That’s because the Flyers and 97.5 have suspended play-by-play man Tim Saunders for two games after he made an inappropriate comment during the broadcast of Thursday’s Flyers-Sabres game. The comment, a lewd joke which was sexual in nature, was aimed at color analyst and former Flyer, Todd Fedoruk. It came during a TV timeout in the third period, when Saunders believed he was no longer live on the air but was picked up by a hot mic.

    The Flyers announced the suspension with an official statement via X on Friday morning:

    “We are aware of the inappropriate comment made during last night’s radio broadcast in the TV timeout of the Flyers-Sabres game.

    “These remarks do not reflect the standards of conduct or values we expect from anyone associated with our organization.

    “Effective immediately, the Flyers, along with our radio partners, 97.5 The Fanatic, have issued a two-game suspension while we address this matter with all parties involved.

    “We take this matter very seriously, and sincerely apologize to our listeners, fans, and all those affected by these comments.”

    Saunders released a statement on X on Friday afternoon:

    “During last night’s game in Buffalo, I made an error in judgment with my comments that were made when I thought we were in a commercial break. I recognize how offensive my remarks were, and the harm it has caused.

    “I take full responsibility and sincerely apologize to the Flyers, 97.5 The Fanatic and all those affected by my remarks.

    “To all Flyers fans and listeners of our broadcast, I promise that I will hold myself to a higher standard moving forward to ensure our broadcast is a safe and respectful place everyone can enjoy.”

    If the suspension remains at two games, Saunders, who has called the Flyers’ games on the radio since 1997, would be eligible to return to the airwaves on Tuesday for the game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

  • Philadelphia man sentenced to 38 months in federal prison for commissioning videos of tortured monkeys

    Philadelphia man sentenced to 38 months in federal prison for commissioning videos of tortured monkeys

    Thankfully, prosecutors in the case of Robert Berndt did not submit video evidence as part of their court filing.

    The Philadelphia man was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison this week for his role in a scheme to pay people in Indonesia to torture and sexually abuse monkeys on camera.

    Berndt, 43, was a part of an online chat group in which people discussed and shared videos of tortured animals, according to Department of Justice court filings. Among the chat’s participants, Berndt’s “focus on the most grotesque forms of torture was unsurpassed.”

    “Over and over again, Berndt expressed a desire for more extreme torture that resulted in more pain, experienced over a longer period of time,” prosecutors told the judge.

    Messages from the chat are included in DOJ’s sentencing memo, and show Berndt’s enthusiasm over a video of a rat burning. Despite calling the footage “awesome,” he had suggestions on how to make the torture even crueler.

    “Like I want to see them maimed and miserable,” Berndt wrote under the alias Requiem Rhythm. “Killing them is great, of course, but it puts an end to it while I want them to suffer longer.”

    When the group discussed monkeys, Berndt expressed his desire for the tormentors to inflict more pain and focus on the primates’ genitalia.

    Berndt and his chat-mates actively commissioned footage of the torture. They’d contact so-called videographers, usually in Indonesia, who would torture monkeys following specific requests — some for as little as $10 a video.

    The monkeys in videos reviewed by DOJ were long-tailed macaques, which are native to Southeast Asia.

    Berndt and a co-conspirator even discussed the possibility of buying a baby monkey that was advertised for sale, DOJ said in court filings. The two daydreamed about meeting up to torture the youngster together in real life.

    “Hahah you would be welcome to visit and hang out,” Berndt said in a message to his co-conspirator, according to court records. “Like watching surgical theater.”

    The baby monkey that Robert Berndt and his co-conspiracy discussed purchasing to torture.

    Prosecutors from DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division indicted Berndt in April and he pleaded guilty in May to a felony count of conspiring to create and distribute in videos depicting animal crush videos, the legal term for causing a non-human mammal serious bodily injury. Five other co-conspirators from the chat group were indicted, at least two of whom were sentenced to serve time in prison.

    Berndt’s attorney and DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Ahead of his sentencing, Berndt’s family members pleaded with the judge to not exceed the sentencing guidelines. which provide a range of 37 to 46 months of imprisonment.

    The letters and Berndt’s attorney’s sentencing memo paint a picture of a man who loved animals and was dependable whenever his loved ones needed him in the past. But Berndt changed following a sexual assault and opioid addiction, the filings say.

    Family members say that Berndt became manic and treated those who loved him as enemies. He became isolated, paranoid, and drank alcohol excessively.

    By 2021, most of Berndt’s social interactions were through online chat rooms, according to his attorney’s memo. He sought the approval of his new friends by escalating his rhetoric.

    “His acceptance and sense of validation with the group seemed to increase when he said more and more violent and troubling things,” his attorney told the judge.

    But DOJ prosecutors rebuffed the idea that Berndt was merely a follower, and note that he only stopped his engagement in the groups after he was contacted by law enforcement in 2024.

    “Berndt was personally responsible for creating some of the groups, establishing the rules of behavior within the groups, and then enforcing those rules after perceived violations,” prosecutors said in a sentencing memo.

    Judge Edmund Sargus Jr., of the Southern District of Ohio, sentenced Berndt to 38 months of imprisonment followed by three years of probation.

  • Temple holds off a late Davidson comeback to extend its winning streak to three

    Temple holds off a late Davidson comeback to extend its winning streak to three

    Temple entered halftime against Davidson on Thursday with a 13-point lead and was looking to earn its third straight win.

    Instead the Owls (7-5) went quiet, and it didn’t take long for their lead to dwindle.

    Down by four with 35 seconds remaining, Davidson (8-3) had the chance to send the game into overtime or even win it when guard Parker Friedrichsen launched a three-pointer.

    However, it ricocheted off the rim and went into the hands of forward Ian Platteeuw for the offensive rebound. Plattueew tried to give it to guard Roberts Blums, but it went over his head and into the back court. Blums corralled it and tried to call a time out with 19 seconds left. The only issue was that the Wildcats had none left.

    A technical foul was called, and Temple drilled its free throws to seal a 68-63 road win.

    Next up, Temple will host Princeton (3-10) for the second time this season in its nonconference finale on Monday (7 p.m., ESPN+).

    Showing their depth

    Temple has been without guard AJ Smith, who’s dealing with a shoulder injury and missed his third straight game. But he wasn’t the only player sidelined with an injury. The Owls were without guards Masiah Gilyard and Gavin Griffiths due to lower body injuries.

    Their absences gave freshmen Ayuba Bryant Jr. and Cam Wallace bigger roles. Bryant earned his first career start, while Wallace saw 23 minutes of action and finished with 9 points, with 8 coming in the first half.

    The Owls’ depth allowed guards Derrian Ford (23 points), Aiden Tobiason (19), and Jordan Mason (14) to lead the way in scoring.

    Turning to old habits

    Temple’s first-half success came from forcing Davidson to take low percentage shots. However, both sides of the ball started to collapse after halftime, and the Wildcats took advantage.

    Blums and Platteeuw were the main beneficiaries. The two combined for 23 points.

    Temple’s offense began to resort to old habits.

    Meet Temple guard Gavin Griffiths, who got the nickname ‘LeBron Frames.’ Here’s why.

    Instead of making an extra pass, Temple relied on hero ball and played in isolation. The Owls finished with just five assists, after compiling 48 in the past two games.

    They also shot 39.1% from the floor, and the Owls had a seven minute scoring drought in the second half, as the Wildcats went on a 13-0 run.

    Part of their struggles stemmed from not having Griffith on the floor. The guard, who is third on the team in scoring with 10.9 points, leads Temple in three-pointers. On Thursday, the Owls made six of 19 attempts from deep.

    Tobiason provides a lift

    As Davidson crawled back, Temple’s offense fizzled and relied on its free-throw shooting, where the Owls made 26 of 33 attempts.

    Ford was the main beneficiary, as his late free throws helped Temple keep Davidson at arm’s length. However, it was Tobiason who gave the offense some life.

    He made a layup to give Temple its first field goal in nearly nine minutes to push the lead to four. A few possessions later, he drilled a three-pointer to make it a six-point game. Then he swished a step back as the lead grew to 10.

    The Wildcats continued to counter, but Tobiason had a rebuttal. He got a layup in the waning seconds that all but sealed the deal. Nine of his 19 points came in the final 10 minutes.