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  • A Guide to the 2026 Philadelphia Mummers Parade

    A Guide to the 2026 Philadelphia Mummers Parade

    This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Philadelphia Mummers Parade, that colorful, boisterous procession that has come to define New Year’s Day in the city.

    The festivities kick off at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1, as more than 10,000 performers take to the streets for a daylong celebration USA Today readers recently hailed as the nation’s best holiday parade.

    From parking to road closures to how to go about watching, here’s everything you need to know ahead of time.

    Kasey McCullough kisses her son Finn, 5, after his appearance with Bill McIntyre’s Shooting Stars during their performance in the Fancy Brigade Finale at the Convention Center Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, part of the Philadelphia Mummers New Year’s Day parade. Their theme is “Legends of the Secret Scrolls.” Finn’s dad, Jim McCullough also performed, his 40th year with the Mummers. They are from Washington Twp.Washington Township, N.J.

    Mummers Parade route

    The mile-and-a-half route begins at City Hall, before heading south down Broad Street to Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia.

    How to watch the 2026 Mummers Parade

    Watch the Mummers Parade in person

    The parade is free to attend. Those hoping for a more intimate experience, however, have a few options:

    • Reserved bleacher seats located near the judging stand just west of City Hall are available for $25 at visitphilly.com.
    • Additionally, tickets to the Fancy Brigade Finale — held at 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. inside the Convention Center — range from $28 to $43. Tickets are available at visitphilly.com or during business hours at the Independence Visitor Center.

    Watch the Mummers Parade from home

    The parade will be broadcast from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on:

    Members of the Saints wench brigade step to the judges’ stand during the 124th Mummers Parade on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

    What is the Mummers Parade?

    In short, it’s the longest continuously running folk parade in the country. Some 10,000 elaborately dressed performers take part in the celebration each year, part of dozens of groups spread across several divisions.

    • Fancies: Painted faces and elaborate costumes.
    • Comics: Satirical comedy skits aimed at public figures, institutions, and current events.
    • Wench Brigades: Known for traditional Mummers costumes, including dresses, bloomers, and bonnets.
    • Fancy Brigades: Theatrical performances. (The Fancy Brigade Finale takes place on New Year’s Day with a pair of ticketed performances at the Convention Center at 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.)
    • String Bands: Marching musicians playing an assortment of string and reed instruments.

    Mummers Parade performers

    Fancy Division

    • Golden Sunrise

    Wench Brigade Division

    • Froggy Carr
    • Pirates
    • Americans
    • Cara Liom
    • MGK
    • O’Malley
    • Oregon
    • Saints
    • Riverfront
    • Bryson
    • Comic Division

    Mother Club: Landi Comics NYA

    • Philadelphia Pranking Authority
    • Mayfair Mummers
    • Barrels Brigade
    • The Jacks

    Mother Club: Rich Porco’s Murray Comic Club

    • Holy Rollers NYB
    • Vaudevillains NYB
    • Trama NYB
    • Wild Rovers NYB
    • Mollywoppers NYB
    • Merry Makers NYB
    • Misfits NYB
    • Fitzwater NYB
    • Funny Bonez NYB
    • Top Hat NYB
    • Fiasco NYB
    • Golden Slipper NYB
    • B. Love Strutters
    • Madhatters NYB
    • Tankie’s Angels NYB
    • The Leftovers NYB
    • Finnegan NYB

    Mother Club: Goodtimers NYA

    • SouthSide Shooters NYA
    • Jokers Wild NYB
    • Hog Island NYA
    • Pinelands Mummers NYB
    • Happy Tappers NYB
    • Two Street Stompers NYB
    • Gormley NYB
    • Jesters NYB
    • Lobster Club NYB
    • South Philly Strutters NYB
    • Jolly Jolly Comics NYB

    String Band Division

    • Duffy String Band
    • Durning String Band
    • Quaker City String Band
    • Fralinger String Band
    • Uptown String Band
    • Avalon String Band
    • South Philadelphia String Band
    • Aqua String Band
    • Greater Kensington String Band
    • Woodland String Band
    • Polish American String Band
    • Ferko String Band
    • Hegeman String Band
    • Jersey String Band
    Members of Froggy Carr chant as they strut to Market Street during the 124th Philadelphia Mummers Parade on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

    Mummers Parade-day hacks

    Navigating the heavily attended event can require a bit of planning, with entire Reddit threads devoted to parade-day tips — including the best places to park and how to access elusive public restrooms throughout the day.

    A few things to keep in mind: The parade is accessible through SEPTA Regional Rail, bus, subway, and trolley lines. And though parking is free because of the holiday, it’s expected to be scarce.

    While the heart of the action takes place near City Hall and Dilworth Park, performance areas will also be located along the parade route — at Broad Street at Sansom, Pine, and Carpenter Streets.

    Starting at 11 a.m., meanwhile, parade attendees can gather at the staging area for the string bands to watch the performers prepare. (The staging areas are located at Market Street between 17th and 21st Streets and JFK Boulevard between 17th and 20th Streets.)

    Also good to remember? Dress warm, bring a lawn chair (they’re permitted), and pace yourself — it has the potential to be a very long day.

    Ferko String Band tenor sax players Renee Duffy of Deptford (left) and Tom Garrity of Berlin take a break from the parade as they ride in the bands truck on South Broad Street during the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

    Mummers Parade road closures and parking restrictions

    Friday, Dec. 26, 2025

    No parking from 6 p.m. on Dec. 26 through 6 p.m. on Jan. 2, on the east curb lane of 15th Street from JFK Boulevard to South Penn Square.

    Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025

    No parking from 6 p.m. on Dec. 27 through 7 a.m. on Jan. 2, on the west side of 15th Street from Arch Street to Ranstead Street. Street and sidewalk vendors will also not be permitted to park in this area.

    Monday, Dec. 29, 2025

    15th Street will be closed to southbound traffic at JFK Boulevard. Closure begins at 8 a.m. on Dec. 29 and runs through 7 a.m. Jan. 2.

    Market Street eastbound will be closed to traffic at 16th Street from 8 a.m. on Dec. 29 through 7 a.m. on Jan. 2.

    Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025

    No parking on the following streets from 4 a.m. on Dec. 30 through 6 p.m. on Jan. 1:

    •  Market Street from 15th Street to 21st Street (both sides)
    • JFK Boulevard from Juniper Street to 20th Street (both sides)

    15th Street will be closed to southbound traffic at JFK Boulevard. Closure begins at 7 a.m. on Dec. 30 and runs through 7 a.m. Jan. 2.

    Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025

    Market Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from 15th Street to 21st Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 31. Market Street will reopen at 3 p.m. and traffic will be permitted to travel eastbound on Market Street to 15th Street and continue southbound on 15th Street.

    Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026

    The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic beginning at 3 a.m. on Jan. 1 through the parade’s conclusion:

    • 15th Street from Arch Street to Chestnut Street
    • Market Street from 15th Street to 21st Street

    These streets will be closed to vehicle traffic beginning at 6 a.m. on Jan. 1 through the conclusion of the parade:

    • Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 16th Street to 20th Street
    • North Broad Street from Cherry Street to JFK Boulevard
    • 16th Street from Chestnut Street to Race Street
    • 17th Street from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Ludlow Street
    • 18th Street from Ludlow Street to Race Street
    • 19th Street from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Chestnut Street
    • 1500 block of Ranstead Street
    • 1300 block of Carpenter Street
    • 1000 block of South 13th Street
    • Chestnut Street from 15th Street to 18th Street (north side)
    • Cherry Street from 15th Street to 17th Street
    • Arch Street from 15th Street to 17th Street
    • Washington Avenue from 12th Street to 18th Street

    Broad Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from South Penn Square to Washington Avenue on Thursday, Jan. 1, beginning at 7 a.m. through the conclusion of the parade.

    Vehicle traffic will not be permitted to cross Broad Street during the parade.

    Additional Parking Restrictions

    No parking from 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1 (on both sides of street unless otherwise noted):

    • Broad Street from Cherry Street to Ellsworth Street
    • Juniper Street from JFK Boulevard to East Penn Square
    • South/East Penn Square from 15th Street to Juniper Street
    • Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 16th Street to 20th Street
    • Logan Circle (north side)
    • 16th Street from Chestnut Street to Race Street
    • 17th Street from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Ludlow Street
    • 18th Street from Ludlow Street to Race Street
    • 19th Street from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Chestnut Street
    • 1500 block of Ranstead Street
    • 1300 block of Carpenter Street
    • 1000 block of South 13th Street
    • Chestnut Street from 15th Street to 18th Street (north side)
    • Cherry Street from 15th Street to 17th Street
    • Arch Street from 15th Street to 17th Street
    • Washington Avenue from 12th Street to 18th Street

    SEPTA detours

    SEPTA hasn’t updated their schedule for the parade yet, but bus detours, alerts, and information can be found on SEPTA’s website.

    A brief history of the Mummers Parade

    What began in 1901 as a way to corral the city’s annual New Year’s debauchery has transformed into one of its most beloved traditions.

    Inspired by traditions brought to Philly by Swedish, Finnish, Irish, German, English, and African immigrants, the annual event has grown to feature thousands of costumed performers competing in a colorful, unique, and family-friendly daylong affair.

    Despite past funding issues and occasional controversy, the Mummers Parade today stands as one of the city’s quintessential events, celebrated by locals and embraced by Philly royalty; former Eagle Jason Kelce memorably donned a traditional Mummers outfit for the team’s Super Bowl parade in 2018, and actor Kevin Bacon, along with brother Michael, has helped fundraise for the event.

  • Matvei Michkov is playing less than many of the Flyers’ other forwards. Here’s why.

    Matvei Michkov is playing less than many of the Flyers’ other forwards. Here’s why.

    BUFFALO ― Flyers coach Rick Tocchet likes his pairs.

    Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak have been attached at the hip since almost the start of the season. Noah Cates and Bobby Brink have been a duo dating back to the John Tortorella era, as have Matvei Michkov and Sean Couturier.

    But Michkov was recently switched to the left wing with Cates and Brink — and it paid off with a Brink goal in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

    “Bobby and Noah have been together last year and this year, and they have a little chemistry. I just wanted to switch, get a little juice,” Tocchet explained on Thursday before the Flyers take on the Buffalo Sabres (7:30 p.m., ESPN+, Hulu).

    The Flyers are playing well for the first time in what seems like forever. Let’s enjoy them and stop complaining.

    “Noah and Bobby play a little bit more north,” he added. “They’ve got some speed, so that could help Matvei and his game.”

    Michkov’s season started slowly, but his game has certainly picked up as the schedule builds. After leading all rookies in goals last season with 26, he had just one tally, along with five assists, in the first 13 games this season. Since then, he has seven goals and 12 points in 19 games.

    Tocchet has seen an improvement in the young Russian’s game.

    “Well, he’s obviously making less turnovers,” he said of Michkov, who has seen his giveaways drop from almost two a game (22 in the first 13 games) to one a game (19 in the last 19).

    “He’s trying to understand. He’s getting his shifts. He’s doing 30-second shifts, which is fine. I have no problem with it. I know he’s coming off early sometimes, and I think there’s a number of reasons why, but I don’t mind the progression when it comes to that. We’ll work on the other stuff, and he’s still building his game.”

    Although Michkov’s ice time has been a point of contention with fans, he is often the one opting to skate a short shift, as he goes to the bench with his linemates still on the ice.

    According to Natural Stat Trick, he is tied with Cates and defenseman Nick Seeler for the second shortest average shift length at 41 seconds; only Garnet Hathaway and Noah Juulsen average fewer seconds per shift (39). And while the 21-year-old winger ranks ninth in average time on ice among Flyers forwards at 14:40, there are several factors leading to it, like the fact that he leads the team with 32 penalty minutes in 32 games.

    Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet and Matvei Michkov (middle) are still trying to come to an understanding of what the Russian needs to do to earn more ice.

    Among the forwards, he ranks eighth with 555 shifts, trailing Travis Konecny (623), Tippett (593), Christian Dvorak (591), Cates (582), and Couturier (573), who all serve on the penalty kill and have all played on the power play too at some point this season. The only two players above him who do not kill penalties, but are on the power play, are Trevor Zegras (589) — who leads the team in goals (14) and points (33) — and Brink, who has only just six more shifts than Michkov.

    “I do like short shifts, but there’s sometimes you’ve been out there for 30, but you still got juice. You can still stay out there. It’s time and place. It’s a lot of different things,” Tocchet said, speaking in a general sense about short shifts.

    “Shift lengths are anywhere from 30 to 40, 45 seconds, and you get up a minute, 55 seconds, it can happen. Sometimes when you have the puck, and you’re just moving around, and you’re not really tired, stay out there and try to score. But I think for the most part, every coach preaches short shifts. I mean, that’s how you drive play.”

    Flyers place defenseman Egor Zamula on waivers

    The Flyers need Michkov to drive play, and thus far, he has looked better as he gets back into shape and builds his game. Although he doesn’t have a goal in December, he does have four assists in eight games — along with 10 penalty minutes.

    And while he is one of five forwards who have played at least half the games this season with a negative plus-minus (minus-2), he has an even rating in December. That was helped by setting up Brink on Monday during his 20 five-on-five shifts and 14:06 of ice time, which was one more shift than Brink and one fewer than Konecny, who played 16:08 and 17:50, respectively.

    “He’s got that skill and that vision,” Cates said before the game in Montreal. “I think, just for me, to get him in good spots, get him the puck with time and space … [and] going to the net or getting open, because, you know, he’s special, and he’ll find you.

    “So obviously just got to talk with him and work with him a little bit with some things, but just the kind of special skills that he has, you know, we’ve got to try to take advantage of.”

    Breakaways

    Sam Ersson will start in goal against the Sabres. He is 4-1-0 against with a 1.87 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage against Buffalo for his career. Ersson’s first career shutout came in Western New York, when he made 28 saves on Jan. 9, 2023. … Tocchet said there are game-time decisions, but forward Nikita Grebenkin and defensemen Juulsen and Egor Zamula were the only ones on the ice for the optional morning skate. The Flyers later placed Zamula on waivers Thursday.

    Rasmus Ristolainen’s return gives Flyers an edge: ‘He likes the physical part of the game’
  • Quarterbacks have been avoiding Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. Will the Commanders take their chances?

    Quarterbacks have been avoiding Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. Will the Commanders take their chances?

    When Quinyon Mitchell played the Washington Commanders for the first time in 2024, the then-rookie cornerback officially put himself on the map.

    In that 26-18 Eagles win over the Commanders last Nov. 14, wide receiver Terry McLaurin might as well have been wearing Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak. On the 20 routes McLaurin ran when matched up against Mitchell, the two-time Pro Bowl receiver was never targeted, according to Next Gen Stats.

    Mitchell’s 2025 season to date has been one long continuation of that contest. Whether he’s traveling with opponents’ top receivers or lining up on the boundary (the short side of the field that tends to garner less safety help), Mitchell has managed to lock down his side. That accomplishment doesn’t come as a surprise to Vic Fangio.

    “He’s a guy that works very, very hard at it, hasn’t deviated from his process, still goes through the same extra meetings that he did as a rookie,” Fangio said. “Still doing them now. That’s why he is a good player.”

    The numbers back up the eye test when it comes to Mitchell’s success in Year 2. He has allowed a 42.7% completion rate on his targets, which is the lowest among cornerbacks with at least 400 coverage snaps this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

    Jordan Davis found his voice and helped stabilize the Eagles defensive line

    Targeting Mitchell is bad business for most quarterbacks. They have a 56.3 quarterback rating when throwing the ball his way, which is the second-worst among that same group of cornerbacks.

    But Mitchell, the 22nd-overall pick out of Toledo last year, hasn’t been cocky about his success. When asked to assess his own play this season, Mitchell responded unassumingly.

    “I think it’s going smooth,” he said. “I could be better. So each and every week, I’m just trying to harp on the small details. Just trying to get better with my technique.”

    How can a cornerback improve when quarterbacks aren’t throwing the ball his way? In the last two games, Mitchell has been targeted just four times, conceding one catch for seven yards.

    “I’ve just got to stay ready,” Mitchell said. “I always expect every play, every down, that the ball’s going to come my way. So just staying ready and staying locked in.”

    Terry McLaurin makes a 36-yard touchdown reception during the second quarter of the NFC championship game on Jan. 26.

    McLaurin is Mitchell’s next challenge. It has been an unprecedented season for the 30-year-old receiver, who has missed seven games this season due to a quadriceps injury. Prior to this year, McLaurin had missed just three games in six seasons.

    Still, McLaurin has been the Commanders’ top target, averaging a team-high 58.4 receiving yards per game. That clip is a career low, a reflection of the struggles the Commanders offense has had this season with quarterback Jayden Daniels missing time due to various injuries.

    The impending games against the Commanders this year, beginning with Saturday’s contest, won’t have the same drama as last season. The 4-10 Commanders are out of the playoffs and down key players on offense such as Daniels, tight end Zach Ertz and left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

    With a chance to clinch the NFC East on the line, Mitchell isn’t taking the matchup lightly, nor should he. Quarterback Marcus Mariota is capable of extending plays with his legs and hitting his receivers deep. Last week against the New York Giants, Mariota connected with McLaurin on a 51-yard touchdown pass down the seam that helped seal the Commanders’ first win in more than two months.

    Eagles’ shift to passing more in the red zone has led to more successful trips: ‘You can be creative’

    “We feel like they’re going to come out and play their game,” Mitchell said. “They have a very good football team. So we expect them to come out and be aggressive and be physical.”

    Just like he has been all season, Mitchell will be aggressive and physical, too. The Eagles will play their third game in 13 days on Saturday, a circumstance Mitchell is used to. He played on plenty of short weeks given the number of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday games in the Mid-American Conference.

    While Mitchell has improved on the field in his second season, he says his mindset remains the same. This time last year, he wasn’t thinking about his chances at winning the league’s defensive rookie of the year award. Now, he isn’t thinking about his chances of being voted to the Pro Bowl.

    He won’t entertain questions of whether he’s the best cornerback in the league, either.

    “That’s up to y’all to decide,” Mitchell said. “I know how I feel, but I’ll keep it to myself.”

    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.

  • A state board has plans to improve college affordability and increase the number of people who complete degrees

    A state board has plans to improve college affordability and increase the number of people who complete degrees

    Pennsylvania’s fledgling State Board of Higher Education on Thursday rolled out its first strategic plan, setting goals addressing affordability, increased degree attainment, the state’s workforce and economic development needs, and the fiscal health of colleges.

    The board voted unanimously to post the 10-year plan for public comment. It will consider adoption in February.

    “The plan will strengthen partnerships, break down silos, and enable effective reinvestment in the sector,” Cynthia Shapira, chair of the board, said in a statement introducing the plan.

    The new state board for higher education is getting started as colleges face challenges and scrutiny

    It comes as the sector faces perhaps its greatest challenge in decades. Both private and public universities have been losing enrollment as the number of high school graduates falls — with another dip beginning next year and a 12% decline expected in Pennsylvania by 2037. Public trust in colleges has faltered, while concerns about cost and student debt have mounted.

    They are also facing scrutiny from President Donald Trump’s administration and a forecasted gap in workers who require a postsecondary credential in essential areas, such as healthcare, teaching, and advanced manufacturing.

    The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which oversees the state’s 10 universities, endorsed the plan’s emphasis on collaboration across private and public colleges and universities.

    “Within our own system, we have learned that when universities work together, they can innovate, overcome challenges and better serve students and the Commonwealth,” the system said in a statement. Shapira is also the chair of PASSHE’s board.

    New Pa. higher ed board zeroes in on how to make college more affordable and better coordinate among colleges at hearing

    What is the board and what’s in its plan?

    The 21-member higher education board includes college presidents, administrators, legislators, and students. It was formed in 2024 by the governor and General Assembly to help public and private colleges work more cohesively and better serve students and the state’s workforce needs. The plan rollout follows public hearings that drew comments from more than 1,200 people, the board said.

    The plan outlines the challenges facing the higher education sector including another coming decline in the high school population, financial constraints, and the lack of coordination among institutions. Student debt averages more than $40,000 per student in Pennsylvania, the plan notes.

    “Multiple comparative state-level analyses … place Pennsylvania at or near the bottom in terms of affordability, attainment, and state investment per capita,” the report stated. “Adding to these challenges are a large and growing postsecondary workforce credential gap, and a range of closures and mergers that threaten to reduce access to postsecondary education.”

    Financially Fragile

    In the Philadelphia region, Cabrini University and the University of the Arts closed in 2024 and Rosemont College announced earlier this year that it would cease operations in 2028 and that Villanova University would purchase its campus. Salus University was merged into Drexel University. Six of Pennsylvania’s state universities were merged into two entities in 2022, and St. Joseph’s University absorbed the University of the Sciences the same year.

    Other local colleges have struggled with enrollment declines and deficits. Temple University, for example, has gone from more than 40,000 students in 2017 to less than 30,000 this year.

    What are the specific goals in the plan?

    The new plan set six goals:

    1. Increase postsecondary attainment.
    2. Ensure affordable pathways to postsecondary credentials.
    3. Support the economic development needs of the state.
    4. Support the workforce development needs of the state.
    5. Ensure accountability and efficient use of state funds.
    6. Strengthen the fiscal health and stability of the higher education sector.

    How will the board work toward those goals?

    To meet the goals, the board proposes a “strategic communications plan” that touts the benefits of postsecondary education and how it impacts employment outcomes.

    It also emphasizes expanding funding for dual credit programs and enrollment in those programs to streamline the path from high school to college and allow students to accumulate more credits before they graduate high school. In addition, the plan proposes studying how to improve retention rates and focusing on reenrolling adults who started college but didn’t finish; there are more than 1.1 million Pennsylvanians with some college experience.

    Among its plans for addressing affordability are support of policies that “expand financial aid and forgive debt for in-demand, high-quality credentials,” take advantage of new federal Pell grants for workforce programs, and boost access to “open educational resources” to reduce the cost of course materials.

    The report also discusses the intent to “maximize the impact of research universities,” recruit out-of-state students to broaden the talent pool, and increase access to paid work experiences for students.

    To promote fiscal health, the plan recommends identifying and promoting best practices for fiscal efficiency and cost savings, and developing resources and an advisory group to help financially struggling colleges.

    “If institutions decide to close or merge, tools and expertise to assist in this process will help maximize savings, retain access to critical academic programming, and mitigate negative effects on students and communities,” the plan states.

    Another advisory group is recommended to help communities where colleges close maintain access to postsecondary education.

    What comes next?

    After the public comment period and the plan’s final adoption, the board intends to report annually on progress toward the goals and to consider revisions to the plan every five years.

  • Commanders expect to ‘have their hands full’ against the Eagles on Saturday

    Commanders expect to ‘have their hands full’ against the Eagles on Saturday

    The Eagles (9-5) will travel to Northwest Stadium on Saturday to face the Washington Commanders in a Week 16 matchup, their first of two contests between the teams in the next three weeks. The teams have not met since the Eagles eliminated the Commanders in last year’s NFC championship game, won by the Eagles, 55-23, at Lincoln Financial Field.

    With a win on Saturday, the Eagles will clinch the NFC East — becoming the division’s first repeat champion since 2004. With the division up for grabs, they enter this week as 6.5-point favorites. Meanwhile, the Commanders are coming off their first win in eight weeks, a 29-21 victory over the New York Giants.

    Let’s stop acting like the Eagles haven’t had a great season. An NFC East title would make it a rousing success.

    As both teams prepare for Saturday, here’s everything the Commanders are saying about the Eagles:

    ‘This is a really complete team’

    Last year both teams became very familiar with each other, playing three times between the regular season and playoffs. Of course, the Eagles came out victorious in two of three contests — splitting their regular season matchups and defeating Washington when it mattered most to secure their spot in the Super Bowl.

    Commanders coach Dan Quinn praised the Eagles.

    “This is a really complete team,” Quinn told reporters. “Both special teams, ours and theirs, this is going to be a physical game on the team side of things, the way they can cover kicks, the way we can. That field position in this game is going to be big. I thought some playmakers in all spots along the defense. Both linebackers are very good blitzers and active, got an excellent defensive line. I’ve certainly been impressed by the young corners. They’re able to challenge and be aggressive right from the start. So, those are some things, defensively, that I’ve been impressed with.

    The Eagles defeated the Commanders in two of their three meetings last season.

    “Playing against us last year in the three games, they were exceptional at taking the ball away. 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.”

    ‘A tough matchup’

    Vic Fangio’s Eagles defense continues to be dominant. In last week’s 31-0 win over the Raiders, the defense sacked Kenny Pickett four times and held the offense to 75 total yards. Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury understands the challenge.

    “It’s certainly a tough matchup,” Kingsbury told reporters. “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.”

    Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s group has been dominant this season.

    The Eagles are competing against another backup quarterback who formerly spent time in Philadelphia: Marcus Mariota. With Jayden Daniels ruled out for the rest of the season, Mariota will be under center for Washington’s last three games.

    Mariota played in Philly for one season (2023) as a backup to Jalen Hurts and appeared in three games. Now he’s looking forward to seeing some familiar faces in a divisional matchup against one of his former teams.

    “[They have] a great defense, Vic [Fangio] got them playing really well,” Mariota told reporters. “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.”

  • House Democrats release more photos from Epstein’s estate

    House Democrats release more photos from Epstein’s estate

    WASHINGTON — House Democrats released several dozen more photos Thursday from the estate of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, showing his associations with the rich and famous, as the Department of Justice faces a deadline to release many of its case files on the late financier by the end of the week.

    The photos released Thursday were among more than 95,000 that the House Oversight Committee has received after issuing a subpoena for the photos that Epstein had in his possession before he died in a New York jail cell in 2019. Congress has also passed, and President Donald Trump has signed, a law requiring the Justice Department to release its case files on Epstein, and his longtime girlfriend and confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, by Friday. Anticipation about what those files will show is running high after they have been the subject of conspiracy theories and speculation about his friendships with Trump, former President Bill Clinton, the former Prince Andrew, and others.

    House Democrats have already released dozens of photos from Epstein’s estate showing Trump, Clinton and Andrew, who lost his royal title and privileges this year amid scrutiny of his relationship with the wealthy financier. The photos released Thursday showed Epstein cooking with Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, an Emirati businessman. The photos also include the billionaire Bill Gates and images of a 2011 dinner of notable people and wealthy philanthropists hosted by a nonprofit group. The committee made no accusations of wrongdoing by the men in the photos.

    There were also images of passports, visas and identification cards from Russia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, South Africa, and Lithuania with personally identifying information redacted, as well as photos of Epstein with women or girls whose faces were blacked out. The committee has said it is redacting information from the photos that may lead to the identity of victims being revealed.

    Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight panel, said in a statement that the “new images raise more questions about what exactly the Department of Justice has in its possession. We must end this White House cover-up, and the DOJ must release the Epstein files now.”

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  • A 2-year-old girl was beaten to death in South Philadelphia, police say. Her mother’s boyfriend is under arrest.

    A 2-year-old girl was beaten to death in South Philadelphia, police say. Her mother’s boyfriend is under arrest.

    A 2-year-old girl was beaten to death in South Philadelphia last week, authorities say, and three people have been charged in connection with the crime.

    The girl, Key’Monnie Bean, may have been subjected to abuse before the fatal beating on Dec. 8, Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said at a news conference Thursday.

    “There are indications this was an ongoing situation this little girl had to endure,” she said.

    That night, police were called to a home in the 2100 block of South Beechwood Street for a report of an unresponsive child. When officers arrived, they found the girl lying on the floor of the basement, police said. She was not breathing, and bruises covered her body, Toczylowski said.

    Efforts to revive the child were unsuccessful, said Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore. She was pronounced dead shortly before 10 p.m. at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

    Prosecutors are still awaiting a medical examiner’s report, Toczylowski said, but preliminary evidence suggests the child may have been beaten with objects and her airway restricted, causing suffocation. Her death has been ruled a homicide.

    Sean Hernandez, also known as Raafi Gorham, the boyfriend of the toddler’s mother, was arrested Wednesday and charged with murder, police said. Gorham, 21, lives at the house where the girl was found, Toczylowski said.

    Gorham’s cousin, Anthony Lowrie, 21, and Alycia McNeill, 20, were also arrested Wednesday and charged with obstruction and lying to police, Toczylowski said. Lowrie is additionally charged with giving police a fake identification. Toczylowski said the two provided conflicting and false accounts of what occurred that evening. Both live in West Passyunk.

    “Everyone in that house was very reluctant” to speak with police, she said, though someone in the house had called 911.

    Key’Monnie’s mother was home at the time of the alleged beating, Toczylowski said, but has not been charged in the incident.

    The girl’s father, TaShaun Walls, declined to comment Thursday, citing his grief.

    In a public Facebook post, Walls wrote: “I love you so much [and] miss you so much already just wish I would has been there faster but I’ll never forget you.”

  • Two Philly men accused of ‘fraud tourism’ in a Minnesota scandal that has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump

    Two Philly men accused of ‘fraud tourism’ in a Minnesota scandal that has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump

    Two Philadelphia men are facing federal charges in Minnesota after authorities said the men had learned of the state’s lax controls around a government-funded housing program, then traveled there to learn how to exploit it — the latest development in a long-running fraud scandal that has enveloped Minnesota and drawn the ire of President Donald Trump.

    Anthony Waddell Jefferson, 37, and Lester Brown, 53, were accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $3.5 million in government proceeds — funds that should have gone to Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services Program, prosecutors said, but were instead diverted to two companies the men oversaw in Philadelphia.

    Jefferson and Brown “came [to Minnesota] not to enjoy our lakes, our beautiful summers, or our warm people,” Joseph H. Thompson, Minnesota’s first assistant U.S. attorney, said Thursday. “They came here because they knew and understood that Minnesota was a place where taxpayer money could be taken with little risk and few consequences.”

    Jefferson and Brown each face one count of wire fraud and were charged by information, prosecutors said, which typically means a defendant intends to plead guilty.

    Court records for their cases were not immediately available, and it was not clear if either man had retained an attorney.

    Thompson cast their case as a novel twist in a scandal that he said was “swamping Minnesota” and had likely bilked taxpayers out of hundreds of millions of dollars intended for daycares, hunger programs, autism support, and other endeavors.

    The state had become such a magnet for fraudsters, Thompson said, that Jefferson and Brown had effectively performed “fraud tourism,” visiting the state purely to learn how to take advantage of its reputation for having programs that were ripe for abuse.

    The broader issues over the state’s lax disbursements have burst into national view in recent months as Trump and other Republicans have taken interest in the situation. Trump on social media called Minnesota a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” and, because many of those charged have ties to Minneapolis’ Somali community, said “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great state.”

    Republicans have also blamed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee — for allowing the situation to unfold on his watch. And right-wing groups have questioned whether some funds were being disbursed to terrorist groups in Somalia or elsewhere in Africa.

    Thompson said Thursday that he did not believe that was being done at a large scale, but that the exploitation of the programs was troubling and a phenomenon that had become uniquely common in Minnesota.

    Fraud scandals targeting government programs date back at least a decade in that state. But they received renewed attention in 2022, when the FBI raided the offices of Feeding Our Future, a food relief nonprofit that had rapidly expanded through pandemic relief efforts.

    Investigators later pointed to about $250 million in federal funding the group had received as part of the Department of Human Services’ Child Nutrition Program, some of which had allegedly been funneled into fraudulent claims for the Medicaid-backed meals program.

    Prosecutors did not have evidence to show exactly how much they said had been misspent, but said last month 78 people had been charged in connection with the scheme, which they called one of the largest pandemic-related frauds in the country.

    The Feeding Our Future investigation is just one of several schemes that have been fueling discourse over Minnesota’s government disbursements. The discussion has taken a dark turn in recent weeks, as Trump used the situation to insult Walz with a slur for people with intellectual disabilities, and to lash out at Somali immigrants, saying, “I don’t want them in our country.” During a speech in Pennsylvania this month, he called Somalia “about the worst country in the world.”

    As for the Philadelphia defendants, prosecutors said the men created two companies — Chozen Runner LLC and Retsel Real Estate LLC — in order to submit “fake and inflated bills” for housing services that were never provided. The program they ripped off was intended to create housing for people with disabilities or substance abuse issues, prosecutors said.

    Jefferson and Brown “repeatedly flew together from Philadelphia to Minneapolis,” purportedly to recruit beneficiaries for their LLCs from Section 8 housing or shelters, prosecutors said. But Jefferson and his employees created fake paperwork, sometimes listing bogus employees, to dupe insurance companies into reimbursing them.

    In all, prosecutors said, they submitted $3.5 million worth of claims for services they said they provided to 230 people.

    Thompson said the men and their companies had virtually no connections to Minnesota other than viewing the state housing funds as “easy money.”

    Jefferson, a Brewerytown resident according to voter registration data, describes himself in social media profiles and an online biography as a serial entrepreneur — selling a line of perfumes, working as a gospel musician, while also serving as the CEO of “The Housing Guys,” a group that says it provides housing stabilization services. In a photo posted to social media last summer, Jefferson was pictured being presented with an honorary citation from City Council President Kenyatta Johnson.

    Contacted Thursday by an Inquirer reporter, Jefferson hung up.

    He was pursued earlier this year in Philadelphia courts over a $103,000 federal tax lien.

    Brown formed Retsel — “Lester” spelled backward — in 2021, according to Pennsylvania corporate documents, using a mailing address in the West Oak Lane neighborhood.

    Attempts to reach Brown for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.

  • Police are investigating link between Brown shooting and killing of MIT professor, AP sources say

    Police are investigating link between Brown shooting and killing of MIT professor, AP sources say

    PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Authorities said Thursday that they’re looking into a connection between last weekend’s mass shooting at Brown University and one two days later near Boston that killed a professor at another elite school, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    That is according to three people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. Two of the people said investigators had identified a person of interest in the shootings and were actively seeking that individual.

    The attacker at Brown on Saturday killed two students and wounded nine others in a classroom in the school’s engineering building before getting away.

    About 50 miles north, MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro was gunned down in his home Monday night in the Boston suburb of Brookline. The 47-year-old physicist and fusion scientist died at a hospital the next day.

    The FBI previously said it knew of no links between the cases.

    This undated photo provided by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in December 2025 shows Nuno Loureiro.

    How is the Brown investigation going?

    It’s been nearly a week since the shooting at Brown. There have been other high-profile attacks in which it took days or longer to make an arrest or find those responsible, including in the brazen New York City sidewalk killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO last year, which took five days.

    But frustration is mounting in Providence that the person behind the attack managed to get away and that a clear image of their face has yet to emerge.

    “There’s no discouragement among people who understand that not every case can be solved quickly,” the state attorney general, Peter Neronha, said at a news conference Wednesday.

    Authorities have scoured the area for evidence and pleaded with the public to check any phone or security footage they might have from the week before the attack, believing the shooter might have cased the scene ahead of time.

    Investigators have released several videos from the hours and minutes before and after the shooting that show a person who, according to police, matches witnesses’ description of the shooter. In the clips, the person is standing, walking and even running along streets just off campus, but always with a mask on or their head turned.

    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.

    Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said Wednesday that the city is doing “everything possible” to keep residents safe. However, he acknowledged that it is “a scary time in the city” and that families likely were having tough conversations about whether to stay in town over the holidays.

    “We are doing everything we can to reassure folks, to provide comfort, and that is the best answer I can give to that difficult question,” Smiley said when asked if the city was safe.

    What can be learned from past investigations?

    Although it’s not unheard of for someone to disappear after carrying out such a high-profile shooting, it is rare.

    In such targeted and highly public attacks, the shooters typically kill themselves or are killed or arrested by police, said Katherine Schweit, a retired FBI agent and expert on mass shootings. When they do get away, searches can take time.

    “The best they can do is what they do now, which is continue to press together all of the facts they have as fast as they can,” she said. “And, really, the best hope for solutions is going to come from the public.”

    In the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, it took investigators four days to catch up to the two brothers who carried it out. In a 2023 case, Army reservist Robert Card was found dead of an apparent suicide two days after he killed 18 people and wounded 13 others in Lewiston, Maine.

    The man accused of killing conservative political figure Charlie Kirk in September turned himself in about a day and a half after the attack on Utah Valley University’s campus. And Luigi Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan last year, was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa.

    Felipe Rodriguez, a retired New York police detective sergeant and adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said it’s clear that shooters are learning from others who were caught.

    “Most of the time an active shooter is going to go in, and he’s going to try to commit what we call maximum carnage, maximum damage,” Rodriguez said. “And at this point, they’re actually trying to get away. And they’re actually evading police with an effective methodology, which I haven’t seen before.”

    Investigators have described the person they are seeking as about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and stocky. The attacker’s motives remain a mystery, but authorities said Wednesday that none of the evidence suggests a specific person was being targeted.

    MIT mourns the loss of an esteemed professor

    Loureiro, who was married, joined MIT in 2016 and was named last year to lead the school’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, where he worked to advance clean energy technology and other research. The center, one of MITl’s largest labs, had more than 250 people working across seven buildings when he took the helm. He was a professor of physics and nuclear science and engineering.

    He grew up in Viseu, in central Portugal, and studied in Lisbon before earning a doctorate in London, according to MIT. He was a researcher at an institute for nuclear fusion in Lisbon before joining MIT, the university said.

    “He shone a bright light as a mentor, friend, teacher, colleague and leader, and was universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner,” Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor who previously led MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, told a campus publication.

    Loureiro had said he hoped his work would shape the future.

    “It’s not hyperbole to say MIT is where you go to find solutions to humanity’s biggest problems,” Loureiro said when he was named to lead the plasma science lab last year. “Fusion energy will change the course of human history.”

  • Flyers’ Egor Zamula cleared waivers and will be assigned to Lehigh Valley

    Flyers’ Egor Zamula cleared waivers and will be assigned to Lehigh Valley

    NEW YORK — At 11:59 p.m. on Friday, NHL rosters are frozen until 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 28.

    During this time, the Flyers are unable to waive, trade, or loan players. The lone exception is an injury that prevents them from dressing a full roster.

    With time ticking down, the Flyers made a move and waived defenseman Egor Zamula on Thursday. He cleared waivers on Friday and will be assigned to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League.

    The writing was on the wall for the Russian, who struggled to find his footing this season. Coupled with Rasmus Ristolainen finally being healthy and returning to the lineup Tuesday in Montreal, and eight defensemen on the roster, it had become clear that Zamula was the odd man out.

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    In 13 games this season, he has one assist and a plus-minus of plus-4, boosted by a plus-5 night when he returned to the lineup on Nov. 22 against the New Jersey Devils. Across 168 games with the Flyers, since being signed as an undrafted free agent in September 2018, Zamula has 41 points (eight goals, 33 assists) and is minus-12.

    A long-standing criticism, dating back to former coach John Tortorella, has been Zamula’s pace of play. Coach Rick Tocchet also said he wanted to see the 6-foot-3, 200-pound defenseman move the puck more quickly.

    “I call it awareness,” Tocchet said in October. “You’re looking where to go instead of catch it, skate, and then have awareness. And I think if he can get that in his game … [because] for him, five feet is a big difference.

    Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula will be a restricted free agent on July 1.

    “Like, skate five feet to open up options, because when you first get it, the options aren’t usually open — there’s a stick in your lane, there’s a player in your lane — but once you escape, the other team has to react off you, and that means somebody should be open.”

    Zamula will be a restricted free agent on July 1. He will get a chance to work on his game with the Phantoms and assistant coach Nick Schultz. He last played for the Phantoms in the 2022-23 season and has 54 points (five goals, 49 assists) and a minus-1 rating in 127 career AHL games.

    The move comes after Zamula was jumped in the depth chart by Emil Andrae, Noah Juulsen, and, more recently, Ty Murchison, who made his NHL debut on Dec. 9 and played well in three games.

    “He’s knocking on the door. The hard part for the guys who come up for a couple is going down. … I’ve seen it go the other way, where a guy comes up, and he goes down and doesn’t play as well,” said Tocchet in Buffalo on Thursday. At Tuesday’s morning skate in Montreal, Tocchet and Murchison spoke at length, hours before the defenseman was sent back to the Phantoms.

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    “So I kind of warned him, hey, you’ve got to be who you are. Sometimes a guy gets here, they go down, they try to hold the puck more, they try to be something they’re not. And I don’t think that’s going to be a problem with him; he knows who he is. … And he’s knocking on the door. I mean, who knows, with the [way the] NHL is, he could be up in 48 hours. That’s just the way it works. So that was my message to him.”

    Sending Zamula down also solidifies Juulsen’s spot as the team’s seventh defenseman.

    “Noah’s a pro. I had him in Vancouver. He knows the deal. He’ll be ready when his number is called upon. A popular guy in the room, that’s the culture that we’re building here,” Tocchet said in Buffalo.

    “I was actually talking to players today, there’s some guys that maybe they don’t play as much, they’re the first guys cheering guys on. So that’s how you build culture, and Noah’s one of those guys who does that.”