With the Flyers nearing the midway point and the World Junior Championship around the corner on Dec. 26, it’s time for our annual midseason prospect check-in with assistant general manager and scouting chief Brent Flahr. In Part 1 of a two-part series, we asked Flahr about the team’s prospects that are playing NCAA or Canadian junior hockey, headlined by Porter Martone at Michigan State.
Flahr believes Porter Martone, who is averaging 1.25 points per game, which is third among freshmen, has improved his pace in the faster college game. Flahr believes Martone is on track to challenge for an NHL opening-night roster spot next season.
Flahr name-checked Jack Berglund, Heikki Ruohonen, and Max Westergård as less-talked-about prospects who have impressed him over the past few months.
While Flahr said Jett Luchanko wasn’t unhappy in Guelph, he thinks the move to Brantford is in the best interest of both Luchanko and the organization, as the center will play alongside better players and should benefit from not having to be “the guy” all the time.
Disclaimer: This interview, which was conducted on Dec. 10, has been edited for clarity and length.
More Details
With the Flyers nearing the midway point and the World Junior Championship around the corner on Dec. 26, it’s time for our annual midseason prospect check-in with assistant general manager and scouting chief Brent Flahr. In Part 1 of a two-part series, we asked Flahr about the team’s prospects that are playing NCAA or Canadian junior hockey, headlined by Porter Martone at Michigan State.
Disclaimer: This interview, which was conducted on Dec. 10, has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: We are heading into the midway point of the season. How would you assess the Flyers’ prospect pool right now?
A: It’s pretty good. Obviously, we had a lot of picks last year. We’ve had some guys emerging from previous drafts that have played well and are trending in the right direction. So overall, pretty excited.
Q: Is there anyone who has stood out to you thus far?
A: I think Porter Martone gets a lot of the attention because of where he was picked and whatnot, and he’s had a terrific start at a good program. I think [among] the lesser talked about guys, Jack Berglund and Heikki Ruohonen. Those two guys in the summer at the World Junior Showcase in Minnesota were both really good. Max Westergård played well. So I think those guys overseas have done their part to be big parts of their teams going to the World Juniors, which would be fun to see. And then obviously with Jack Nesbitt, Shane Vansaghi, a number of the guys we drafted last year, they’re big parts of their really good teams, and it’s been exciting for them.
Q: We’ll start with Martone because he is the one everyone talks about. What have you seen from this year with Michigan State, and how do you think it’s helping him prepare for the NHL?
A: His biggest challenge, and what we’ve talked about, is his pace. He was a really good junior [player], obviously, but he could slow things down all the time and kind of do what he wanted. In the college game, he’s playing against older kids, bigger, stronger, faster, and the way they practice, the way they play games, it’s all out and all full speed. So I think it’s forcing him to move his feet. Obviously, you can’t teach the brain he has, the skill set he has, and the size and whatnot. I think even he’s the first one to tell you, he’s in better shape. He’s playing faster. And I think it’ll really help him adjust to the pro game faster.
Flyers top prospect Porter Martone has 11 goals and 20 points in 16 games for the third-ranked Michigan State Spartans.
Q: Outside of Martone, Nesbitt is probably the most important player from the 2025 draft class. What have you made of his start in the OHL this season?
A: Yeah, I’ve seen him a number of times. He plays his game. The biggest thing with him is we’re going to have to be a little patient. He’s just a tall drink of water right now, and he’s got to get put on weight. He’s got to get stronger, which we’re well aware of that. But he is a competitive kid. He’s got skill, and he’s very sound defensively.
He plays with an edge — he’s been suspended a couple times already — but he plays to the identity of a Flyer, what we think of a Flyer. I think he’s going to be a very well-rounded centerman when he gets here. His details are good, good net-front on the power play, and he’s a good penalty killer. But the thing with him, I think the strength and skating is what you can wear down, so that’s a big focus with him. He’s got a good program there, where they have the trainer, and he’s drinking as many shakes as he can and doing all the things he needs to do.
But it’s going to take some time. His offseason is going to be critical this year and next, but he’s shown that he’s willing to put in the work. But so far so good, really positive, and hopefully next year he’ll get his chance at World Juniors. He’s part of a really good team there in Windsor, and they have a chance, I think, with a few additions to go on a pretty good run there this year as well.
Flyers center Jett Luchanko was recently traded from Guelp to OHL favorites Brantford. Brent Flahr believes that move will serve his development well.
Q: What have you seen from Jett Luchanko, and how important was the trade to Brantford for his development?
A: I don’t think he was unhappy in Guelph; he had friends there, guys he played with and played a ton. But I think his lack of offseason — he had injuries he was dealing with — so he wasn’t able to train and do his thing. So I think out of the gates, he was slow here in camp. He was fine, but really didn’t knock the door down. His details are good enough, skates good enough, where our coaches were like, we would like to give this guy a chance. But for us, long-term, we felt the necessity [for him] to go back to junior.
I think going to Brantford now, he’s not the guy. He’s one of many guys there, and I don’t know if there’s a better team in Canada. They have a really good coaching staff there, and he has a chance to just play and be a big part of the team there. Jett doesn’t get too high or low ever. He’s always going to take care of the defensive side of things, but I think playing with some good offensive players there and in a lot of situations is only going to help him be confident.
The one thing with him is, he’s unselfish to a fault. He can really make plays, but at the same time, he passes up opportunities to shoot it, which is what Riley Armstrong and Johnny LeClair, and Patrick Sharp want to get him going and shooting the puck more, being a little more selfish and taking more chances. But he’s in a good spot, good spot mentally, and I think he’s finally feeling back to normal again.
Flyers Asst. GM Brent Flahr is excited about the progress of many of the team’s top prospects.
Everything
With the Flyers nearing the midway point and the World Junior Championship around the corner on Dec. 26, it’s time for our annual midseason prospect check-in with assistant general manager and scouting chief Brent Flahr. In Part 1 of a two-part series, we asked Flahr about the team’s prospects that are playing NCAA or Canadian junior hockey, headlined by Porter Martone at Michigan State.
Disclaimer: This interview, which was conducted on Dec. 10, has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: We are heading into the midway point of the season. How would you assess the Flyers’ prospect pool right now?
A: It’s pretty good. Obviously, we had a lot of picks last year. We’ve had some guys emerging from previous drafts that have played well and are trending in the right direction. So overall, pretty excited.
Q: Is there anyone who has stood out to you thus far?
A: I think Porter Martone gets a lot of the attention because of where he was picked and whatnot, and he’s had a terrific start at a good program. I think [among] the lesser talked about [guys], Jack Berglund and Heikki Ruohonen. Those two guys in the summer at the World Junior Showcase in Minnesota were both really good. Max Westergård played well. So I think those guys overseas have done their part to be big parts of their teams going to the World Juniors, which would be fun to see. And then obviously with Jack Nesbitt, Shane Vansaghi, a number of the guys we drafted last year, they’re big parts of their really good teams, and it’s been exciting for them.
Flyers top prospect Porter Martone has 11 goals and 20 points in 16 games for the third-ranked Michigan State Spartans.
Q: We’ll start with Martone because he is the one everyone talks about. What have you seen from this year with Michigan State, and how do you think it’s helping him prepare for the NHL?
A: His biggest challenge, and what we’ve talked about, is his pace. He was a really good junior, obviously, but he could slow things down all the time and kind of do what he wanted. In the college game, he’s playing against older kids, bigger, stronger, faster, and the way they practice, the way they play games, it’s all out and all full speed. So I think it’s forcing him to move his feet. Obviously, you can’t teach the brain he has, the skill set he has, and the size and whatnot. I think even he’s the first one to tell you, he’s in better shape. He’s playing faster. And I think it’ll really help him adjust to the pro game faster.
Q: Aside from his pace of play, is there anything else that you want to see him work on? And what do you see as his strengths already?
A: Just the pace of play is the biggest thing for me. His food speed, working on that. His conditioning, and being able to play hard and not coasting like you can get away with in juniors. In college and especially in the NHL, he’s not going to be able to get away with that. But he’s a quick study. He’s a really smart player and skilled. His ability to go to the right spots, and he knows where to be on the ice. He has the ability to process the game at the level that a lot of guys can’t. So whether it’s scoring goals or making plays. Defensive side of things, he’s being forced to work harder at stuff like that, which just helps him when he gets here.
Q: Do you foresee him pushing for an NHL spot next year?
A: I think so. But at the same time, we don’t get too far ahead. I don’t even like talking about it. I just want him focusing on his season there and not getting ahead of things. He’s got a good group, and he has a chance to do something special; they’re one of the top teams, and hopefully win it all. And I don’t want him focusing on the end of the season or next year. I just told him, go there with the right attitude and work, and earn your spot, and he has. And, obviously, he’s had success. So I think he gets it, but I want to make sure he makes the most of it and has a chance to have a real special year with World Juniors, and potentially, if you win a national championship and things like that, that really helps build a player going into their pro career.
Q: Martone will play for Canada at World Juniors. How important is that for him, or any player really, to get that experience?
A: Well, it can be great. It’s not a be-all, end-all. Especially in Canada, it gets so blown up on the stage, people get crazed if guys don’t make it or make it. But the thing that fans don’t understand is that the coaches of those teams and management have different goals than what we have. We have players that we envision in the NHL in a couple of years — and there’s been lots of great players who have been cut that go on to have great careers — but they’re building a team to win a 10-day tournament in January this year. So they look at it a little differently. But if you are a part of it and you win, just the experience, I think, is great. Especially when it’s in Canada or in a full building, and to play it’s exciting and usually, a lot of times, it translates.
Flyers Asst. GM Brent Flahr is excited about the progress of many of the team’s top prospects.
Q: Vansaghi is teammates with Martone on the Spartans and will play for the U.S. at World Juniors. He’s not someone who is talked about as much, but maybe he should be?
A: You go to a game at Michigan State, you understand what he brings and how he impacts games. He’s a tank. He’s physically engaged. He wins every battle, but his details are really good. And more importantly, off the ice, the way he conducts his business is extremely mature for a young player. It’s contagious to the people around him with how hard he works and the intensity he works. So, you know, he’s a guy that it’s different roles, probably, when they get here, but he could be a very valuable piece to a good team we hope.
Q: Outside of Martone, Nesbitt is probably the most important player from that draft class. What have you made of his start in the OHL this season?
A: Yeah, I’ve seen him a number of times. He plays his game. The biggest thing with him is we’re going to have to be a little patient. He’s just a tall drink of water right now, and he’s got to get put on weight. He’s got to get stronger, which we’re well aware of that. But he is a competitive kid. He’s got skill, and he’s very sound defensively.
He plays with an edge — he’s been suspended a couple times already — but he plays to the identity of a Flyer, what we think of a Flyer. I think he’s going to be a very well-rounded centerman when he gets here. His details are good, good net-front on the power play, and he’s a good penalty killer. But the thing with him, I think the strength and skating is what you can wear down, so that’s a big focus with him. He’s got a good program there, where they have the trainer, and he’s drinking as many shakes as he can and doing all the things he needs to do.
At 6-foot-5, Jack Nesbitt’s skill popped at this year’s offseason camps.
But it’s going to take some time. His offseason is going to be critical this year and next, but he’s shown that he’s willing to put in the work. But so far so good, really positive, and hopefully next year he’ll get his chance at World Juniors. He’s part of a really good team there in Windsor, and they have a chance, I think, with a few additions to go on a pretty good run there this year as well.
Q: What have you seen from Jett Luchanko, and how important was the trade to Brantford for his development?
A: I don’t think he was unhappy in Guelph; he had friends there, guys he played with and played a ton. But I think his lack of offseason — he had injuries he was dealing with — so he wasn’t able to train and do his thing. So I think out of the gates, he was slow here in camp. He was fine, but really didn’t knock the door down. His details are good enough, skates good enough, where our coaches were like, we would like to give this guy a chance. But for us, long-term, we felt the necessity [for him] to go back to junior.
I think going to Brantford now, he’s not the guy. He’s one of many guys there, and I don’t know if there’s a better team in Canada. They have a really good coaching staff there, and he has a chance to just play and be a big part of the team there. Jett doesn’t get too high or low ever. He’s always going to take care of the defensive side of things, but I think playing with some good offensive players there and in a lot of situations is only going to help him be confident.
Flyers center Jett Luchanko was recently traded from Guelp to OHL favorites Brantford. Brent Flahr believes that move will serve his development well.
The one thing with him is, he’s unselfish to a fault. He can really make plays, but at the same time, he passes up opportunities to shoot it, which is what Riley Armstrong and Johnny LeClair, and Patrick Sharp want to get him going and shooting the puck more, being a little more selfish and taking more chances. But he’s in a good spot, good spot mentally, and I think he’s finally feeling back to normal again.
Q: You also have a trio at Boston University in Jack Murtagh, Owen McLaughlin, and Carter Amico. What have you seen from them?
A: They’re finding their way. McLaughlin is actually having a pretty good year.
Amico is coming off the knee injury, so he’s just finding his way. Saw him there the other night, and he’s a huge kid. He’s going to hopefully get more and more as we go along here.
And Murtagh, he’s a freshman; they don’t get put into top offensive roles right away, so he’s going to have to earn it. I think the things that he needs to work on, he’s going to have to figure out there, which is good. With the U.S. program, he was the goal scorer. Now he’s learning the details of the game, not only defensively, but where to be on the ice, and whether it’s forechecking, playing within the system, and it’s not just about him, but his attitude is great, and he works hard.
For two decades, Scott Franzke’s voice has been the soundtrack of the summer for Phillies fans. And his radio calls of some of the best moments in franchise history are legendary — from Jimmy Rollins’ walkoff double in the 2009 NLCS to Bryce Harper’s “Bedlam at the Bank” homer in 2022. The longtime play-by-play announcer joined Phillies Extra to talk about the team’s offseason and much more. Watch here.
Locally filmed crime shows were everywhere, theaters opened but didn’t (thankfully) close, and Colman Domingo was (rightfully) ubiquitous. All that and more, in our roundup of movies in Philadelphia in 2025.
The year was lighter on Hollywood movie productions shooting in town, but among them was a basketball movie with Mark Wahlberg, at various times given the titles Cheesesteak and Weekend Warriors.I Play Rocky, a movie about the making of the original 1976 Rocky, also filmed in the city.
In Peacock’s “Long Bright River,” Allentown native Amanda Seyfried plays Michaela “Mickey” Fitzpatrick, a Kensington patrol police officer who discovers a string of murders in the neighborhood’s drug market.
Gearing up for Rocky 50
It wouldn’t be a year in Philly film without Rocky making its way in.
I Play Rocky is expected to arrive in theaters in 2026, in what will likely serve as one of many commemorations of the 50th anniversary of Rocky.
Also, Rocky was among the many movies and area film institutions included in Films Shaped by a City, a new mural by Marian Bailey, that debuted in October on Sansom Street, on the back of the Film Society Center. Mural Arts Philadelphia, BlackStar Projects, and the Philadelphia Film Society had worked on the project for more than two years.
Outside the filming of “Eraserhead” by David Lynch at the Film Society Center, in Philadelphia, Oct. 5, 2025.
The Film Society’s big year
The new mural on the back of its building was part of an eventful year for the Philadelphia Film Society, which completed a big new entrance and lobby renovation of the Film Society Center.
The Philadelphia Film Festival, in October, welcomed 33,000 attendees, which PFS calls its highest turnout ever, while the three theaters welcomed 200,000 customers throughout the year, also a record.
Colman Domingo attends the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition on Monday, May 5, 2025, in New York.
The very busy Colman Domingo
It was another eventful year for the Temple alum and West Philly native, who was nominated for the best actor Oscar for the second straight year, for last year’s Sing Sing. In 2025, he was in four movies — Dead Man’s Wire, The Running Man, and voice roles in The Electric State and Wicked: For Good. He also appeared in the TV series The Four Seasons — created by and costarring Upper Darby’s Tina Fey — and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. He even guest-judged on RuPaul’s Drag Race and cochaired the Met Gala.
In 2026, Domingo is set to appear in both the Michael Jackson biopic Michael and Steven Spielberg’s new sci-fi film, Disclosure Day. He’s also at work on his feature directorial debut, Scandalous!, and said at PFF that he hopes to finish the film in time to bring it to next year’s festival.
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows David Corenswet in a scene from “Superman.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
Local actors and filmmakers shine
The Philadelphia-born Penn alum David Corenswet debuted as Superman this summer, a film that also featured a small appearance by Jenkintown’s Bradley Cooper. Cooper directed and played a supporting role in In This Thing On?
Mount Airy native and Temple alum Da’Vine Joy Randolph followed up her Oscar win by appearing in three movies, Shadow Force, Bride Hard, and Eternity — the latter of which also starred Downingtown’s Miles Teller — and continuing on Only Murders in the Building.
Willow Grove’s Dan Trachtenberg directed not one but two films in the Predator franchise, the animated Predator: Killer of Killers and the live-action Predator: Badlands. Penn alum Gavin O’Connor directed The Accountant 2. In addition to creating Task, Berwyn’s Brad Ingelsby wrote the movies Echo Valley and The Lost Bus, both for Apple TV.
West Philadelphia’s Quinta Brunson continued to star in Abbott Elementary, which had her filming in Citizens Bank Park the night of Kyle Schwarber’s historic four home runs. She also played a voice role in Zootopia 2.
Exterior entrance to Netflix House, King of Prussia Mall, Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
No theater loss
Philadelphia, in a rarity, did not lose any movie screens in 2025.
Then, in August, it was announced that the Riverview movie theater on Columbus Boulevard, which has sat empty since 2020, would reopen in 2026 under the auspices of Apple Cinemas, with the city’s only IMAX screen. However, recently it didn’t appear that any construction work had begun there yet, and the Riverview’s impending return had also been announced in 2024.
In February, an effort was announced to revive the Anthony Wayne Theater in Wayne. Ishana Night Shyamalan, the film director and daughter of M. Night, is a member of the board seeking to bring the theater back.
In November, the first-ever Netflix House “fan destination” opened in King of Prussia, and it includes a theater that will feature such special events as Netflix’s NFL games on Christmas Day and the Stranger Things series finale on New Year’s Day.
And about two hours north of the city, in the town of Wind Gap, the Gap Theatre reopened in March after it was closed for five years. The theater shows more than 50 films a month, mostly sourced from the collection of Exhumed Films.
A still from Mike Macera’s “Alice-Heart,” part of the 2025 Philadelphia Film Festival’s “Filmadelphia” section.
Indie-delphia
It was also an eventful year for local independent film.
Delco: The Movie, which was in the works for several years, had its premiere in January. Two other films, both of which premiered at the 2022 Philadelphia Film Festival, finally saw their release this year: The Golden Voice, directed by Brandon Eric Kamin, and Not For Nothing, from Tim Dowlin and Frank Tartaglia, who died in 2022.
Mike Macera’s Alice-Heart, featuring a cast and crew full of Drexel and Temple alumni, premiered at PFF and won the Filmadelphia Best Local Feature Film Award.
To mark the 40th anniversary of the 1985 death of Flyers goalie Pelle Lindbergh, the documentary “The Swede of Philadelphia” opened in area theaters in November.
Documenting sports stars
There were, once again, several prominent sports documentaries about Philadelphia athletes of the past and present. CNN aired Kobe: The Making of a Legend, about Lower Merion’s Kobe Bryant, to coincide with the fifth anniversary of his death. To mark the 40th anniversary of the 1985 death of Flyers goalie Pelle Lindbergh, the documentaryThe Swede of Philadelphia opened in area theaters in November.
Amazon’s Prime Video premiered Saquon, which followed the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley for several years, in October. This year’s Eagles team is featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks for the first time as part of the currently-airing Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East.
David Lynch appears at the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Oct. 27, 2019.
Remembering David Lynch
The January death of David Lynch, who lived in Philadelphia as a young art student and was inspired by the city in his work, was commemorated locally with everything from a new mural in the “Eraserhood” to showings of his movies at most area theaters that feature repertory fare.
When the Film Society Center reopened after the renovation, the first showing was a 35mm screening of Lynch’s Callowhill-inspired Eraserhead.
BRUSSELS — The gasoline-powered car is outlasting the policies that had aimed to banish it.
The latest example of the combustion engine’s staying power came Tuesday, when the European Union said it would back away from a landmark pledge to ban emissions from new vehicles in 2035. That announcement came one day after Ford said it would scale back electric vehicle production plans, joining a long list of American and European automakers to rethink climate strategies.
Those retreats, taken together, show that the full-on electric transition is far less certain than it might have looked several years ago — and that polluting cars and trucks could remain on roads across Europe and America for decades to come. The moves also sharpen the contrast between the West and China, which has developed a massive and lucrative EV market supplied by state-backed automakers.
In the United States, where President Donald Trump has portrayed electric cars as an expensive “scam,” the White House has cut EV incentives and this month announced plans to weaken fuel efficiency standards for new cars and trucks.
European officials say they favor a future that is mostly electric, and many countries still have EV incentives in place. But Brussels faced intense pressure from the continent’s automakers to dilute the 2035 ban. Those legacy carmakers, with huge workforces and factories built around combustion engines, have struggled to compete with China’s low-cost, high-quality EVs.
The revised proposal will force carmakers to meet 90% fleetwide emissions reductions compared with 2021 levels. That means most vehicles will be fully electric. But it also leaves room for hybrids — including those with a plug-in option — and gas-powered vehicles.
Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, the director of the Center Automotive Research in Bochum, Germany, said he sees the world’s auto industry splitting into three parts — one in the United States, fully supportive of gas cars; one in China, all in on EVs; and another in Europe, where policies are now muddled. He said Chinese automakers are likely to benefit most from that dynamic because the Chinese market dwarfs those in the U.S. and Europe and looks to keep growing — and electrifying.
American and European markets have had a hard time splitting from the gas-powered vehicles because combustion engines have higher profit margins. But that strategy leaves them in a long-term bind.
“In the future, China will define the rules of the car industry,” Dudenhöffer said.
With a license to keep producing gas vehicles, he said, Western manufacturers “earn some kind of short-term windfall. But in the long term, they lose a lot. The advantages of the Chinese carmakers will be larger and larger.”
Ford, in its announcement, said it was seeking out “higher-return opportunities” by expanding gas and hybrid options. It said it would produce a gas-powered pickup truck at a Tennessee plant while putting a hold on production of its flagship EV, the F-150 Lightning.
Carmakers such as Volvo and Porsche have also pulled back from more ambitious EV plans. Earlier this year, Stellantis, which includes the Jeep and Fiat brands, shifted away from plans to be fully electric in Europe by 2030.
The gas vehicle ban had been a core component of Europe’s much-heralded climate plan, introduced four years ago as officials cited the “generational task” of saving the planet. At the time, E.U. leaders said they had put the continent’s car industry — which accounts for 7% of Europe’s gross domestic product — at the forefront of innovation by creating a clear future target.
But large automakers — including Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and BMW — have seen their market values nosedive. In a strategic error, the EVs they produced tended to be high-end, not for the mass market. In the meantime, leaders in Germany and Italy described the 2035 target as a danger to European jobs.
“Such a hard cutoff in 2035 will not take place, if I have anything to do with it,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had said.
This week’s Shackamaxon goes to the Pennsylvania Society dinner in Manhattan, explores more Council shenanigans, and extolls an example of positive preservation.
We’re all pals here
I made a rookie mistake while attending my first Pennsylvania Society retreat in New York City last week: I arrived far too late. Instead of attending the various parties hosted by lobbyists and law firms, which is where the real political news is found, I covered the signature gala at the recently reopened Waldorf Astoria.
Former Ed Rendell right-hand man, Comcast executive, and onetime Canadian ambassador, David L. Cohen, was honored with the nonprofit organization’s Gold Medal. Both Cohen and Gov. Josh Shapiro gave speeches praising the value of bipartisanship. In fact, bipartisanship seemed to dominate the air at the event — despite the rising division in just about every other aspect of political life.
Where was this bipartisan love over the summer, as Pennsylvanians waited for months for a state budget? Where was the political collegiality when local governments and school districts were forced to shutter services or take out loans, and transit riders faced brutal service cuts?
Apparently Champagne, cigars, cocktails, and filet mignon are a necessary component to talking productively with the other side.
Lacking these amenities in the General Assembly, Harrisburg politicians chose vitriol over working together. Beyond the infamous Joe Pittman speech where the Senate majority leader showed how much he resents the southeastern part of the commonwealth he’s supposed to help lead, our local politicians also engaged in a blatantly partisan strategy to secure sustainable transit funding, one that ultimately failed.
In one of the most boneheaded political moves I’ve ever seen, Pennsylvania Democrats openly bragged they hoped the brutal SEPTA cuts would help them make political gains. While they succeeded in forcing local Republican senators like Joe Picozzi, Frank Farry, and Tracy Pennycuick into making a bad vote to divert transit funding to roads in other parts of the state, this strategy only inflamed partisan tensions, making a deal less likely.
A closed off entrance to the Feinstein Building at Hahnemann University Hospital in 2019.
At it again
I really try to avoid having Jeffrey “Jay” Young, the City Council member representing North Philadelphia’s 5th District, make a weekly appearance in this column, but he makes that very difficult. His latest bad idea is to ban housing on and around the campus of what had been Hahnemann University Hospital.
To be clear, the loss of Hahnemann is an absolute tragedy. My eldest was born there, and the attentive care she and my wife received was excellent. Yet the hospital is closed, and it has been closed for more than five years at this point. There are no plans to reopen it. In fact, the property was sold earlier this year to Dwight City Group. The developer told my colleague Jake Blumgart they were avoiding high-end apartments.
With a location right next to a subway station, midmarket housing is an ideal way to ensure the property does not become a source of blight over time. The former hospital’s neighbors include the Convention Center, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, a couple of highway ramps, and a ton of parking lots.
Young claims his bill is meant to “promote job creation.” Maybe for zoning lawyers, but not for anyone else.
St. John’s Baptist Church, at 13th and Tasker Streets, is being transformed into apartments.
Preservation done right
St. John’s Baptist Church at 13th and Tasker Streets has an interesting story that follows the demographic shifts of its neighborhood over the 132 years it housed a congregation. Thanks to a pragmatic local preservation law, the building should avoid demolition and remain standing for years to come.
In the late 1800s, immigrants from Europe, in particular from Roman Catholic Italy, were flocking to South Philadelphia for work and opportunity. Some viewed this trend with consternation. They saw Protestant Christianity as integral to being an American, and they sought to convert the new residents.
This process was called “Christian Americanization.” A cross-denominational effort led to the establishment of “missions” to reach these groups. St. Thomas, built in an Italianate style, was a part of this movement.
Originally a Reformed Episcopal Church, the building was later transferred to a Baptist denomination. The Baptists had bilingual Italian clergy and were thought to be better suited to evangelizing the new residents. In the 1950s, the church diversified. It became known as a house of prayer for all people, and welcomed its new, non-Italian neighbors to its pews — in particular, Burmese and Indonesian immigrants, many of whom came to America specifically to practice their faith.
The congregation’s last pastor was Tony Campolo, an evangelical leader who eschewed a megachurch pulpit and televised program in favor of the itinerant preaching popular among earlier leaders in that tradition. He exhorted his fellow Christians to set aside conservative politics in favor of social justice.
Campolo died last year, not long after the church closed its doors. A fuller history of the congregation can be found in its historic nomination.
While many houses of worship end up demolished after years of plans and negotiations fail to come to fruition, St. John’s will not join their ranks. That’s because of a 2019 law passed by City Council, which makes it easier to reuse historically protected buildings, like churches. While the project of turning a place of worship into apartments may seem daunting, other conversions in the city have worked out well.
If the purpose of preservation is to deepen the link between past and present, this pragmatic approach is the right way forward.
Think you know your news? There’s only one way to find out. Welcome back to our weekly News Quiz — a quick way to see if your reading habits are sinking in and to put your local news knowledge to the test.
Question 1 of 10
In Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film, Disclosure Day, which filmed in parts of New Jersey earlier this year, Emily Blunt’s character has this occupation:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The trailer shows Blunt as a meteorologist who shudders as she experiences some sort of encounter live on air. It includes all the other good stuff: crop circles, deer who are absolutely shook by whatever extraterrestrial activity they’re dealing with, car chases, you know the deal.
Question 2 of 10
A performance artist from Baltimore stood nearly naked, in socks and boxers, outside the Liberty Bell last week with a sign that said:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The man, who goes by Ham, said he’s been doing the underwear in cold cities routine for about two years and recently added the sign, “engagement ring savings fund,” as a way to combat people repeatedly asking him his motives.
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During her first interview on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show, Taylor Swift referenced a photo from 2001, at age 11, performing at this local spot:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
“You know when you are like 11 and you have that one outfit that you just know … goes so hard … when you just put this on and it’s like I’m sorry. I’m unstoppable today,” the Berks County native said about her American flag Limited Too shirt and red duster. She rocked that outfit while performing the National Anthem at a Sixers game.
Question 4 of 10
A new South Philly crime drama, Not for Nothing, recently debuted on the big screen and Amazon Prime. The brothers who conceptualized and wrote the show owned a music venue on Ninth Street called:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Back in 2006, when they first opened a live music venue on Ninth Street, Connie’s Ric Rac, Frankie and Joe Tartaglia — and their best friend and business partner, Peter Pelullo — would sit for hours after closing, spitballing script ideas. The brothers wanted to tell a South Philly story that captured the neighborhood they knew and that could make their dreams real.
Question 5 of 10
Late actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner got his start in this Pennsylvania theater as an apprentice at age 17:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Reiner apprenticed at the Bucks County Playhouse in 1964, the same year Liza Minelli appeared at the Playhouse and Arthur Godfrey was in Our Town.
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Question 6 of 10
An Eagles fan went viral after his self-defeating joke on Facebook prompted a police wellness check. Where does the fan live?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Jake Beckman is an Eagles fan living in St. Louis. When the Eagles won the Super Bowl last season, he and his wife made the 14-hour drive to attend the parade.
Question 7 of 10
Which book was the most checked-out print title of the year across all of Philly’s library branches?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The most checked-out print book of the year across all Philly’s library branches — in any genre — was Liz Moore’s 2024 The God of the Woods, a propulsive thriller about a girl who goes missing from a summer camp in 1975, eerily mirroring the disappearance of her brother from the same place 14 years earlier. Moore is based in South Philly.
Question 8 of 10
South Philly author Liz Moore’s “The God of the Woods” has been ordered for a TV series adaptation by which streamer?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Netflix announced it has ordered a series adaptation of “The God of the Woods,” a multigenerational mystery drama set in the Adirondacks. Moore will serve as a co-showrunner, writer, and executive producer, Netflix said. It marks the author’s second book that has been adapted for TV.
Question 9 of 10
Comedian Jake Shane said he had the best meal of his life at this Philly spot:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
“The best meal I’ve ever had in my life at Her Place in Philly,” Shane told his TikTok fans. Her Place earned one Michelin star this year.
Question 10 of 10
Why did this former Eagles fan sue the team?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Jalen Hurts gave diehard Eagles fan Paul Hamilton a touchdown ball in MetLife Stadium in December 2022. Then team, NFL, and security officials accosted the Eagles fan, according to a lawsuit.
Your Results
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You scored XX out of 10.
The average reader scored XX out of 10
Seems like you’ve been skimming more than reading there, buddy. There’s always next week.
You’ve read some articles (or made some educated guesses) but we wouldn’t come to you first for our local news recaps. Better luck next week!
Do you work here? You’re a local news stan with the latest updates on Philly happenings. Your friends definitely ask you for summaries on what’s going on and it shows.
Deputies from the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office appear to have made serious tactical errors while attempting to apprehend a wanted man at his workplace in North Philadelphia on Monday morning, which enabled him to speed away in his car,according to experts in fugitive apprehension.
Moments later, Joseph Cini, while fleeing the deputies in his Nissan Maxima, plowed into a Jeep Patriot at Ninth Street and Girard Avenue, police say, killing an Uber passenger and seriously injuring her driver.
Cini, 35, ran from the scene but turned himself in to police Tuesday night. He is facing a slew of new charges, including homicide by vehicle.
Sheriff Rochelle Bilal has declined to answer any questions about the botched arrest. She released a short statement offering her office’s condolences to the family of Angela Cooper, the 63-year-old woman who was killed.
The Inquirer, however, was able to partially reconstruct what happened based on statements the deputies have provided to Philadelphia police.
The six-person operation by the sheriff’s office turned deadly when deputies from its warrant unit approached Cini, who was wanted for a probation violation, while he was still behind the wheel — rather than waiting until he got out of his vehicle.
Cini then backed up and, because the deputies had failed to box him in, started barreling down Girard Avenue. One member of the warrant unit, in fact, told police that he moved his unmarked vehicle to make way for the suspect’s vehicle to get by.
Four experts consulted by The Inquirer said the deputies’ statements could serve as a road map of what not to do during an apprehension. Such high-risk tactics, according to those experts, put the deputies and the public in more danger than was necessary.
“A vehicle is like a gun, almost. It can be a two-ton weapon.” said Craig Caine, a retired inspector with the U.S. Marshals Service. “And it proved to be true in this case.”
A plan gone wrong
Before sunrise Monday morning, a team of four deputies and two sergeants from the sheriff’s warrant unit laid an ambush for Cini. They had received a tip he was working at a low-slung plumbing business next to a three-way intersection on the 900 block of Watts Street, just south of Girard.
After surveilling the business, the team learned that Cini was set to arrive around 7 a.m. A sheriff’s sergeant and a deputy were outside the plumbing business, waiting to get a positive ID as others moved to block Cini’s escape paths, according to statements they later provided to police.
But when the deputies received confirmation that Cini was approaching the business, they sprang the trap before he stepped out of the car.
One deputy told police she activated the emergency lights on her car, then she and another deputy approached Cini and told him to exit his vehicle.
A sheriff’s sergeant on the team provided a similar account, telling police that the warrant unit closed in on Cini while he was still in the Maxima.
Instead of getting out of the car, Cini threw it in reverse and headed north on Watts.
As Cini backed up, a sheriff’s sergeant quickly moved his own vehicle onto Cambridge, a cross street, to avoid a collision with Cini on Watts, he later told police.
The warrant unit regrouped and began heading after Cini, but he crashed into the Jeep only five blocks away, according to the deputies.
Stephen Thompson, 51, a pastor in Kensington who was driving the Jeep for Uber, was injured in the crash and is being treated at Temple University Hospital.
The impact pinned Cooper, a Peco employee who did homeless outreach, in the back seat of the Jeep. A deputy checked her pulse and found none. She was pronounced dead at 7:24 a.m.
Days later, debris from the crash remained in the middle of Girard Avenue.
At a news conference Thursday, District Attorney Larry Krasner described Cooper as a “remarkable person” who was active with her church and “was always sacrificing for others.”
“We want the families and surviving victim to know our office will do everything we can to get justice and hold this defendant properly accountable for this terrible act,” Krasner said.
Experts on fugitive tracking and apprehension say the crash was likely preventable.
Robert Almonte, who served as U.S. marshal for the Western District of Texas during President Obama’s administration, said it is unusual for a warrant unit to confront a wanted man while he is in a car if the officers had information on where he is going to be.
“I would have waited for him to go into work and grab him there,” Almonte said. “Or, if the boss didn’t want that to happen, I’d go to Plan B: Let him walk toward the front door and grab him. But don’t let him get back to the vehicle.”
Caine, who worked on a fugitive task force in New York and New Jersey, agreed. A foot pursuit, he said, is much less dangerous than a car chase.
“Wait for him inside. Don’t have any suspicious vehicles within eyesight,” Caine said, speaking generally about best practices. “Take him at the door, or wait until he gets deeper into the building. Usually we were at the door. He comes in, boom, he’s on the ground, in handcuffs, and we take him away, no danger.”
If you have to confront a fugitive in a car, Caine said, make sure he has nowhere to go, if at all possible.
“Surround the car. Box him in nice and tight,” he said.
Krasner said Thursday that Cini may have somehow “figured out” he was about to be arrested, and then decided to flee. The deputies’ accounts to police, however, make no mention of that.
Regardless, Chris Burbank, an adviser to the Center for Policing Equity and the former police chief in Salt Lake City, said the operation was a failure that put lives at risk.
“It’s Law Enforcement Tactics 101,” Burbank said. “There is absolutely no reason to do anything while he’s mobile. This was unnecessary.”
Why was Cini wanted?
Since Monday, Philadelphia police and the sheriff’s office have provided only vague explanations of why sheriff’s deputies were attempting to arrest Cini in the first place.
Cini has a lengthy criminal history, racking up at least 24 priors in Pennsylvania and New Jersey between 2001 and 2022, including for theft, robbery, assault, and domestic abuse, according to police records.
The sheriff’s office statement on Monday said only that “deputies were attempting to serve a lawful warrant.” A police department news release on Monday described it as a “warrant for domestic assault,” leaving the impression Cini was wanted for a crime not yet prosecuted.
But two members of the warrant unit told police that they were planning to arrest Cini for a probation violation.
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office confirmed Thursday that Cini was being sought in connection with a 2018 casein which he had already been sentenced to jail time and probation.Assistant District Attorney Bob Wainwright said Cini was “on probation at the time for a domestic violence strangulation case” and had open warrants associated with that case.
Philadelphia law enforcement agencies have been under increased scrutiny about how they handle domestic abuse cases following the October killing of Kada Scott, allegedly by a former romantic partner.
At aCity Council hearing this month, Bilal said her office was prioritizing cases linked to domestic violence.
“We are no longer operating as a passive service agency,” she said. “We are now an active coordinator and a public safety partner in the city’s domestic violence response network.”
On Thursday, however, Bilal declined to discuss what went wrong in the Cini case.
“At this time, we cannot comment on the initial findings as the matter remains under active investigation,” Teresa Lundy, a department spokesperson, said in an email.
“Our office is conducting its own review,” Lundy said, “and will await the conclusion of the Philadelphia Police Department’s investigation before providing any further response.”
I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around Donald Trump’s vile comments about Rob Reiner’s death. To watch anyone, least of all the president of what was once the most envied country in the world, spew such venom about one deceased man is so far beyond my comprehension that I can only opine that this is the result of envy turned sickness.
And, as the would-be emperor fiddles, our country burns.
We can wait until the midterms and vote, but that will accomplish little.
Why don’t we take another look at the 25th Amendment, it has become obvious that our Congress is too wrapped up in politics to do its job.
Contact your Congress members, contact your representatives, contact the dog catcher if you think it helps.
Philip A. Tegtmeier Sr., Honey Brook
…
When Charlie Kirk was assassinated, the Trump administration made it a point to go after anyone who criticized Kirk after his death. People lost their jobs over their criticism of Kirk. I think the president should lose his job for criticizing Rob Reiner after the tragic death of him and his wife.
Julio Casiano Jr.,Philadelphia
…
The social media posting by the president with regard to the tragic death of Rob Reiner shows the state of mind of a man who totally lacks compassion, character, and empathy. His hatred has infected this nation and the world in ways never seen before. He’s not making America great; he’s making America hate and that’s not a good thing.
Gerard Iannelli, Haddon Heights
…
The president of the United States used social media to post a disgusting political attack on Rob Reiner in the aftermath of his killing. Yet following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, he railed against any public comments taking Kirk to task for his racist and misogynist commentary, recommending retaliation against anyone who chose a public forum to tell the truth about Kirk.
Just when you think Trump has reached a low in his absence of shame and decency, he shows us that there is no bottom.
Steven Barrer, Huntingdon Valley, sjbarrer@gmail.com
Season for giving
When disaster strikes, it often happens in the middle of the night, catching families off guard and leaving them with nothing but uncertainty. In those moments, Red Cross volunteers — neighbors from our own community — are there to provide comfort, emergency lodging, and recovery support.
Thanks to donations of money and time, this kind of care happens every eight minutes across the U.S., most often after a home fire.
Whenever it happens, we’ll be there — because of our generous donors and volunteers who help in so many ways. But our mission goes beyond disaster relief; we help patients in need of lifesaving blood, teach critical skills like first aid and CPR, and support veterans and military families navigating unique challenges.
This holiday season, please consider donating at redcross.org. Your gift ensures that when the unexpected happens, families have the support and care they need — because no one should face a disaster alone.
Jennifer Graham, CEO, American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Region
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.
We’re kicking off Sixers Extra with our first guest — Sixers play-by-play announcer Kate Scott. Watch her interview with The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell here.
DEAR ABBY: I’m a 55-year-old man who dated a very special lady, “Dawn,” for 12 years. We were both married when we met. I fell in love with her, and after we divorced our spouses, we continued being together.
I have two kids. Dawn didn’t get along with the older one. My daughter wasn’t rude, but she obviously didn’t like Dawn. I proposed to Dawn, and she accepted. Over the next few months, she became agitated and threw her engagement ring back at me. I kept it until we figured things out.
Two years later, Dawn ghosted me. I was hurt, so I gave her space. (We reconciled five months later.) Three years later, I finally trusted her enough to ask her about getting married. Then, right at Christmas, she ghosted me again. Six months later, nothing. I texted her after four months to no avail.
I am now in therapy. Abby, I don’t know how to move forward. Sometimes I get these divine messages, signs, dreams, etc. I hesitate to label anyone, but I wonder if I’m dealing with a woman who has a commitment phobia. What should I do now? I have respectfully not contacted her except once. I am heartbroken. I’m not asking if I should wait around. I’m living my life. But these divine messages and signs have me wondering.
— DESTROYED IN VIRGINIA
DEAR DESTROYED: I am pleased you are now in therapy, because it is where you belong. I don’t know what your daughter picked up on about Dawn, but perhaps you should ask her. If you do, it may give you some insight. Your therapist may be able to explain what Dawn’s problem is, but whatever it is, it is no longer your problem.
Those dreams, signs and messages you are receiving are not divine; they are proof that your subconscious still hasn’t let go of the fantasy about a future with her. If, heaven forbid, the woman contacts you again, RUN in the opposite direction!
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: Some people hint that they want to get on our social calendar, yet they expect us to be the ones to invite them. An example: “Say, when are we getting together for dinner?” is repeated often. If they invited us to dinner at a specific place and specific time, it would probably happen, but I’m uncomfortable that they put the burden on us to initiate the event.
Is there a rule of etiquette about this? Why are people like this? I can’t be sure if they are sincere about wanting to get together. Often, I’m just as happy we didn’t meet up, because we have lots of active friendships already.
— CLUELESS IN RALEIGH
DEAR CLUELESS: When someone asks, “When are we getting together for dinner?” your answer should be, “As soon as YOU CALL ME so I can make sure we are available.” If you prefer NOT to get together for dinner, all you have to say is, “Our schedule is really full right now. I’ll let you know when we are free.” (Then change the subject.)
