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  • Eagles must be wary of old friend Marcus Mariota, whose legs pose a threat they have struggled with

    Eagles must be wary of old friend Marcus Mariota, whose legs pose a threat they have struggled with

    The biggest obstacle standing between the Eagles and clinching another NFC East championship on Saturday was probably going to exist whether Jayden Daniels played or not.

    Daniels was shut down for the rest of the season Monday by the 4-10 Commanders. Washington’s season is basically over. A trip to the NFC championship game last season was followed up with a miserable 2025 campaign that featured injuries and a regression to the mean by the oldest team in the NFL.

    But Daniels being out doesn’t change what is arguably the biggest challenge facing the Eagles defense on Saturday: the quarterback running game. Sure, Daniels is more fleet of foot than Marcus Mariota, who will continue to start with Daniels done for the season. But Mariota is an effective runner.

    The Eagles know that well. Mariota was in the building in 2023 and has been in the league since 2015. The running and scrambling abilities have always been a big part of his game.

    What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 16 vs. the Commanders

    That should worry Vic Fangio as the Eagles prepare for a Commanders team that is coming off a 29-21 victory over the Giants on Sunday, Washington’s first victory since Oct. 5. Mariota was just 10-for-19 through the air, but he racked up 211 passing yards because he went 7-for-11 for 181 yards and a touchdown on throws greater than 10 air yards, according to Next Gen Stats. Couple that with his 10-carry, 43-yard performance when carrying the ball and the Eagles have plenty to worry about.

    This isn’t Kenny Pickett, another backup, leading a woeful Raiders offense. The Commanders are where they are in the standings in large part because they are second in yards allowed per game and give up nearly 27 points per game on defense — only six teams allow more points per game.

    Eagles quarterbacks Jalen Hurts (1) and Marcus Mariota before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 22, 2023.

    Mariota has started seven games for Washington this season as Daniels has dealt with multiple injuries. The Commanders are 2-5 in those games, but Mariota has had some solid individual performances. In his last start before Sunday, a 27-26 overtime loss to a Broncos team that now has 12 wins and sits atop the AFC standings, the 32-year-old went 28-for-50 for 294 yards through the air — with two touchdowns and one interception — and rushed 10 times for 55 yards.

    “Marcus obviously had played a lot of football and he’s been in this league for a long time,” Nick Sirianni said Tuesday. “I have so much respect for Marcus — the person, first and foremost, the player, the teammate. Marcus was just a great pro.”

    Great pros tend to know how to play their position and when to do certain things. Example A is Justin Herbert, who was under duress for most of the game vs. the Eagles in Week 14 but found a way to move his team down the field by utilizing his legs. Herbert, who rushed 10 times for 66 yards, was just the latest quarterback to hurt the Eagles in the scramble game or with designed runs.

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

    Patrick Mahomes amassed 66 yards on seven carries in Week 2. Jaxson Dart rushed 13 times for 58 yards in Week 6, although the Eagles schemed a way to stop him two weeks later. Other opposing quarterbacks haven’t reached that type of yardage, but some of them have had impactful scrambles. Dak Prescott’s game-tying 8-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of Week 12 was a scramble. Carson Wentz kept a Minnesota drive alive with a 16-yard scramble on a fourth-quarter third-and-10 near midfield in Week 7.

    The Eagles, according to Pro Football Reference, have allowed 329 total rushing yards this season to opposing quarterbacks. Only one team, the Giants, has allowed more (357).

    The Eagles are allowing more than 5 yards per carry to quarterbacks. Mariota, meanwhile, is picking up 6.1 yards per carry on his 49 rushes so far in 2025.

    His legs will have an impact Saturday one way or another. Either he successfully extends drives and keeps the Commanders in the game, or the Eagles contain him.

  • Zelensky says proposals to end the war in Ukraine could be presented to Russia within days

    Zelensky says proposals to end the war in Ukraine could be presented to Russia within days

    KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says proposals being negotiated with U.S. officials for a deal to end the fighting in Russia’s nearly four-year-old invasion of his country could be finalized within days, after which American envoys will present them to the Kremlin before possible further meetings in the U.S. next weekend.

    A draft peace plan discussed with the U.S. during talks in Berlin on Monday is “not perfect” but is “very workable,” Zelensky told reporters hours after the discussions. He cautioned, however, that some key issues — notably what happens to Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces — remain unresolved.

    U.S.-led peace efforts appear to be picking up momentum. But as the spotlight shifts to Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin may balk at some of the proposals thrashed out by officials from Washington, Kyiv, and Western Europe, including postwar security guarantees for Ukraine.

    Zelensky said that after the Berlin talks, “we are very close to [a deal on] strong security guarantees.”

    The security proposal will be based on Western help in keeping the Ukrainian army strong, an official from a NATO nation said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

    “Europeans will lead a multinational and multi-domain force to strengthen those troops and to secure Ukraine from the land, sea, and air, and the U.S. will lead a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism, with international participation,” the official said.

    Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov repeated Tuesday that Russia wants a comprehensive peace deal, not a temporary truce.

    If Ukraine seeks “momentary, unsustainable solutions, we are unlikely to be ready to participate,” he said.

    “We want peace — we don’t want a truce that would give Ukraine a respite and prepare for the continuation of the war,” he told reporters. “We want to stop this war, achieve our goals, secure our interests, and guarantee peace in Europe for the future.”

    American officials said Monday there is consensus from Ukraine and Europe on about 90% of the U.S.-authored peace plan. President Donald Trump said: “I think we’re closer now than we have been, ever,” to a peace settlement.

    Plenty of potential pitfalls remain, notably the land issue.

    Zelensky reiterated that Kyiv rules out recognizing Moscow’s control over any part of the Donbas, an economically important region in eastern Ukraine made up of Luhansk and Donetsk. Russia’s army does not fully control either, but Trump has previously indicated that Ukraine will have to cede territory.

    “The Americans are trying to find a compromise,” Zelensky said before visiting the Netherlands on Tuesday. “They are proposing a ‘free economic zone’ [in the Donbas]. And I want to stress once again: A ‘free economic zone’ does not mean under the control of the Russian Federation.”

    Putin wants all the areas in four key regions that his forces have seized, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, to be recognized as Russian territory.

    Zelensky warned that if Putin rejects diplomatic efforts, Ukraine expects increased Western pressure on Moscow, including tougher sanctions and additional military support for defense, such as enhanced air defense systems and long-range weapons.

    Zelensky said that what is driving Kyiv officials in the negotiations is for Russia to be “held accountable for what it has done — for this war, for all the killings, for all the suffering.”

    Ukraine and the U.S. are preparing up to five documents related to the peace framework, several of them focused on security, Zelensky said.

    He was upbeat about the progress in the Berlin talks.

    “Overall, there was a demonstration of unity,” Zelensky said. “It was truly positive in the sense that it reflected the unity of the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine.”

  • FIFA slashes price of some World Cup tickets to $60 after fan backlash

    FIFA slashes price of some World Cup tickets to $60 after fan backlash

    MIAMI — FIFA slashed the price of some World Cup tickets for teams’ most loyal fans following a global backlash and some will get $60 seats for the final instead of being asked to pay $4,185.

    FIFA said Tuesday that $60 tickets will be made available for every game at the tournament in North America, going to the national federations whose teams are playing. Those federations decide how to distribute them to loyal fans who have attended previous games at home and on the road.

    Among the 72 World Cup group stage matches scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer, five will take place at Lincoln Financial Field, with the Ivory Coast and Ecuador kicking off Philly’s slate of matches on June 14.

    Here’s what ticket prices are looking like for World Cup games in Philly following FIFA’s latest presale

    The number of $60 tickets for each game is likely to be in the hundreds, rather than thousands, in what FIFA is now calling a “Supporter Entry Tier” price category.

    FIFA did not specify exactly why it so dramatically changed strategy, but said the lower prices are “designed to further support traveling fans following their national teams across the tournament.”

    The World Cup in North America will be the first edition that features 48 teams — up from 32 — and is expected to earn FIFA at least $10 billion in revenue. But fans worldwide reacted with shock and anger last week on seeing FIFA’s ticketing plans that gave participating teams no tickets in the lowest-priced category.

    Dan Mayk, 27, of South Philadelphia, wearing a FIFA Philadelphia 2026 scarf at the FIFA World Cup drawing at Stateside Live! on Dec. 5.

    The cheapest prices ranged from $120 to $265 for group-stage games that did not involve the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

    FIFA had set those prices despite the co-hosts having pledged eight years ago — when they were bidding for the tournament — that hundreds of thousands of $21 tickets would be made available.

    Criticism from fans, especially in Europe, had been increasing for several months over plans for “dynamic pricing” plus extra fees on a FIFA-run resale platform — both features that are common in the U.S. entertainment industry but not to soccer fans worldwide.

    Fan anger intensified last week when it became clear loyal supporters would have no access to the cheapest category tickets and that fans who wanted to reserve a ticket for all of their team’s potential games — through the final — would not get refunded until after the tournament.

    In another change Tuesday, FIFA said it would waive its administrative fees when refunds are made after the July 19 final.

  • Montco school in shadow of toxic landfill finds PFAS in its water

    Montco school in shadow of toxic landfill finds PFAS in its water

    Residential waste, construction and demolition debris, as well as sewage treatment plant sludge, were dumped for decades at the 30-acre Boyertown Sanitary Landfill in northern Montgomery County until it was capped in 1987.

    As state and federal officials mull whether to add the landfill to the national Superfund list, a well used by nearby Gilbertsville Elementary School has tested positive for human-made polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS.

    The school is about 3,000 feet from the landfill property border and is within the Boyertown Area School District. Minister Creek passes through the property, and two residential neighborhoods are nearby.

    Scott Davidheiser, the district’s superintendent, sent a letter to staff and students’ families Monday alerting them to the test results, which were made known during a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) public information session on the landfill on Dec. 10.

    Gilbertsville Elementary tested at an annual average of 6.7 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFAS. That falls under acceptable limits by current state standards of 14 ppt.

    However, it would exceed federal maximum contaminant level standards of 4 ppt set to go into effect in 2031 if not addressed.

    Davidheiser’s letter said the district “remains committed to safety in all areas, including water safety.” The district has hired Suburban Water Technology Inc. to develop a water safety plan to lower annual average PFAS levels to within federal standards.

    District officials plan in January to discuss a plan to lower the levels.

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    What are PFAS?

    PFAS are a group of chemicals manufactured by industry for use in consumer products since the 1940s. There are thousands of different PFAS, some of which have been more widely used and studied than others.

    Exposure to them has been shown to impact the health of humans and lab animals, but the extent is still being studied.

    Standards for maximum acceptable levels of the compounds in drinking water have created confusion in recent years.

    The EPA was slow to set standards, so states began setting their own. Pennsylvania set different levels to start in 2024 for various types of PFAS: 14 ppt for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 18 ppt for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS).

    However, the EPA, under the Biden administration, then set the first federal standards, which would supersede state standards. The rule said that PFOA and PFOS can’t exceed 4 ppt. And, it set standards for other compounds within the PFAS family. The regulations were set to go into effect in 2027.

    However, the EPA, under the Trump administration, rolled back some provisions by announcing it would keep the standards for PFOA and PFOS, but delay enforcement until 2031. And, it said it would reconsider the limits on the other compounds.

    As a result, the PFAS level at Gilbertsville Elementary School’s current level would exceed the federal level if not brought down by 2031.

    What’s the Boyertown Landfill?

    Officials with the state Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have been deciding since 2023 whether the Boyertown Landfill, in Douglass Township, should be named a Superfund site after test samples showed PFAS in nearby private wells.

    The landfill and surrounding property are owned by the Boyertown Sanitary Disposal Co. It is set on a wider 60-acre parcel at 300 Merkel Road in Gilbertsville. The property contains raw and pretreated leachate storage lagoons, buildings housing leachate pretreatment facilities, and stormwater management basins and swales.

    The unlined landfill stopped accepting solid waste in 1985. It had accepted municipal waste, office trash, and construction debris. It took in significant amounts of municipal sewage treatment plant sludge and industrial waste.

    In last week’s informational session, the DEP said water sampling around the area of the landfill in 2024 and 2025 showed multiple locations containing various PFAS compounds.

    State officials said they have installed carbon-activated filtration systems in residential wells within a half-mile of the landfill that tested above 4 ppt, according to an account of the meeting in Pottstown’s local newspaper, The Mercury.

    The newspaper reported that the DEP, however, will not provide similar assistance to Gilbertsville Elementary School because it is part of a small public water system and is required to remediate contamination.

  • Joe Ely, a Texas songwriter whose legacy touched rock and punk, dies at 78

    Joe Ely, a Texas songwriter whose legacy touched rock and punk, dies at 78

    AUSTIN, Texas — Joe Ely, 78, the influential Texas-born singer-songwriter whose blend of honky-tonk, rock, and roadhouse blues made him a favorite among other musicians and led to collaborations with Bruce Springsteen and the Clash, has died.

    Mr. Ely died in Taos, N.M., of complications from Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia, with his wife and daughter by his side, according to a post on his Facebook account Monday night and later confirmed by his representatives.

    Mr. Ely was considered a key figure in the progressive country music movement as a founder of the influential country-rock band the Flatlanders with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and later as a solo artist.

    “Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

    “But his true measure came through in the dynamic intensity of his powerhouse live performances, where he could stand his ground aside fellow zealots Bruce Springsteen, who recorded duets with Ely, and the [Rolling] Stones and the Clash, who took Ely on tour as an opening act,” Young said.

    After signing with MCA, Mr. Ely released his first solo album in 1977. He would release more than 20 albums over his career, including Love and Freedom earlier this year.

    Born in Amarillo, Texas, Mr. Ely stayed connected to his Texas roots through decades of recording and performing that lacked a mainstream breakthrough but made him a favorite of other artists.

    “Every time I start a new album I head up to West Texas and drive around, you know, drive on those old cotton roads and in the wide-open spaces, and every once in a while I’ll come across a place where I’ve spent some time,” Mr. Ely told Texas Monthly in 2011.

    It was a soundcheck for a show in London that led to the collaboration with British punk band the Clash. Mr. Ely would later open for the Clash at several shows and sang backup vocals for their hit song “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”

  • Week 16 NFL power rankings roundup: Eagles barely move after win over Raiders

    Week 16 NFL power rankings roundup: Eagles barely move after win over Raiders

    Sunday marked the end of a three-game skid for the Eagles, who earned a much-needed 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in the team’s first shutout since 2018.

    Despite a dominant performance against a Kenny Pickett-led Raiders team, the Eagles have barely made a move in national power rankings. As the Birds prepare to head back on the road to face the Washington Commanders on Saturday, here’s where they stand in the latest batch of rankings …

    Yahoo! Sports: Seventh

    Although the team came out victorious on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagles have remained in the No. 7 spot at Yahoo! Sports. A win over the 2-12 Raiders just wasn’t enough to show what this team could be capable of.

    “It’s hard to even know what Sunday’s 31-0 win meant because it came against a Raiders team that doesn’t even resemble a professional operation lately,“ Frank Schwab wrote. ”But Philly’s defense does get credit for allowing only 75 yards, the fewest allowed in any game this NFL season. The offense had its best game in a long time. The Eagles will have to repeat that against an actual professional team, but at least the win wasn’t in doubt.”

    The Eagles trail the No. 5 Chicago Bears and the No. 6 Houston Texans. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams top Yahoo’s list.

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

    ESPN: Eighth

    The Eagles moved up one spot from last week’s ESPN power rankings, behind the Buffalo Bills (No. 5), the Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 6), and the San Francisco 49ers (No. 7). ESPN also picked a player from each roster who might earn a contract extension in the offseason, and for Howie Roseman that could be one of his newest additions.

    “Acquired from the Dolphins for a 2026 third-round pick in November, [Jaelan] Phillips has fortified a defensive front that looks championship-caliber in the fifth and final year of his rookie deal,” Tim McManus wrote. “Phillips has played for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio at two different stops and is a clear fit for his scheme. He is just 26 and plays a premium position, making him precisely the type of player Philadelphia’s front office would commit to long term.”

    The Rams continue to hold the top spot. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks (No. 2) and the Denver Broncos (No. 3) moved up one spot.

    What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 16 vs. the Commanders
    The Eagles beat the Las Vegas Raiders, 31-0, Sunday to snap their three-game losing streak.

    The Ringer: Eighth

    After 14 consecutive weeks as one of the top six teams, the Eagles continue to fall in power rankings — falling one spot from last week’s No. 7 ranking despite their 31-point victory. This week’s summary: “Everybody looks good against the Raiders.”

    “While it wouldn’t make a difference in the race to the Super Bowl, I wish that more teams would put up style points against the Raiders,” Diante Lee wrote. “Just like Denver last week, Philadelphia was relaxed and offensively methodical against Las Vegas, shrinking the game and letting the rushing attack lead the way.

    “The shutout wasn’t pretty — and I wouldn’t say that this offense is close to fixing its problems yet — but quarterback Jalen Hurts was efficient in a way that’s been missing from the offense lately. For that alone, I can begrudgingly give the Eagles a passing grade for the week.”

    The Eagles follow the No. 6 New England Patriots and the No. 7 Detroit Lions. The Rams (No. 1), Broncos (No. 2), and Seahawks (No. 3) top the Ringer’s rankings.

    Eagles open as favorites vs. Commanders, and see their Super Bowl, NFC odds improve

    The Athletic: 12th

    While the Eagles didn’t drop in The Athletic’s rankings, they also didn’t move up from last week’s spot (12th). The Athletic’s MVP of the game went to cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

    “The offense finally got going Sunday, but this team is still led by its defense,” Josh Kendall and Chad Graff wrote. “That defense has a lot of stars, but none has played better this year than Mitchell. The cornerback does not have an interception, but Sunday was his seventh game of allowing 10 or fewer yards in coverage, according to Next Gen Stats. His 15 pass breakups rank fourth in the league.”

    The Eagles are behind the Jaguars (No. 9), the Bears (No. 10), and the Los Angeles Chargers (No. 11).

    Jalen Hurts makes a statement, the NFC is wide open for the taking, and what else they’re saying about the Eagles
    The Eagles defense posted its first shutout since 2018.

    NFL.com: 12th

    After their win, the Eagles moved up one spot in NFL.com’s power rankings — slotting below the No. 10 Texans and the No. 11 Chargers.

    “The Eagles needed a tension-breaker game, and they got exactly that,” Eric Edholm wrote. “Beating the Raiders won’t tell us whether the offense is truly fixed or if Philadelphia is suddenly any more playoff-ready, making this result comparable to the 2023 Eagles’ December win over a bad Giants team.

    “Then again, just imagine if Philly had not had its way with an even worse Las Vegas outfit. Jalen Hurts followed his five-turnover game against the Chargers with a clean, crisp performance Sunday, and that was a positive sign. The red-zone package was a little more inspired, too, and the defense turned in a near-perfect showing, even accounting for how challenged the Raiders are offensively. The Eagles will take this and try to build on it, with Sunday’s game against the 4-10 Commanders presenting a similar assignment.”

    The Eagles put up a bunch of wild numbers in their win over the Raiders

    CBS Sports: 12th

    The Eagles’ win over the Raiders wasn’t enough for the team to move up in the CBS Sports’ power rankings. Instead, the team held steady at the No. 12 spot, just below the Green Bay Packers (No. 10) and the Chargers (No. 11).

    “Nothing like the Raiders to fix an ailing team,” Pete Prisco wrote. “The Eagles looked dominant in their victory, but it is the Raiders.”

    The Broncos top the CBS list, above the Rams (No. 2) and Seahawks (No. 3).

    Brandon Graham set the Eagles’ shutout tone Sunday; NFL’s injury epidemic changes the playoff picture | Marcus Hayes

    USA Today: 12th

    USA Today moved the Eagles up one spot from last week’s No. 13 ranking. Now, the Eagles sit above the Lions (No. 13) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 14).

    “A.J. Brown’s three-game streak of 100-yard receiving games was snapped Sunday,” Nate Davis wrote. “Philly’s three-game losing streak was snapped Sunday. Hmmm.”

  • Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day,’ filmed in New Jersey, drops first trailer

    Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day,’ filmed in New Jersey, drops first trailer

    Steven Spielberg wanted New Jersey drivers this year — now they’ll get to see the fruits of their labor on the big screen.

    The first trailer for Disclosure Day, the lauded filmmaker’s new UFO movie starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and West Philly’s own Colman Domingo, is out. The production was filmed in parts of South Jersey and Middlesex County earlier this year.

    (Spielberg himself has roots in South Jersey; he spent his early years in Haddon Township.)

    The premise: “If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people. We are coming close to … Disclosure Day.”

    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.

    Steven Spielberg spotted filming in South Jersey, seeks extras for Middlesex County scene

    “They tell me the movie is primarily about UFOs and some railroad scenes and car chases,” Woodbine Mayor William Pikolycky told 6abc during filming this spring.

    The film worked under the code name Non-View while filming around Jersey. The original Spielberg sci-fi film has a screenplay penned by his longtime collaborator David Koepp (Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds).

    Disclosure Day was spotted filming scenes in multiple locations, including Tuckahoe, Woodbine, Buena Vista, and Upper Township. Some scenes took place near railroad tracks in Tuckahoe, with state troopers shutting down roads near production sites at the time. Spielberg was also spotted directing a scene with stunt doubles. Locals observed production crews setting up with a large blue screen, likely for special effects work.

    Steven Spielberg’s new UFO movie will film at the Jersey Shore this March

    Producers sought locals to work as paid extras, working as background actors in their own cars in Middlesex County in March. The production brought a reported economic boost to the area, with over 150 crew members in town, some who visited local businesses. The New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission told 6abc at the time that major film productions are increasingly choosing the state as a location, citing its diverse scenery and financial incentives.

    Just last month, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced HBO’s Task was awarded a $49.8 million tax credit for filming locally.

    Universal will release Disclosure Day on June 12. It’ll mark Spielberg’s 37th directed film.

    Watch the trailer for Disclosure Day below:

  • Britain’s BBC is both beloved and maligned. Now it faces a $10 billion Trump lawsuit

    Britain’s BBC is both beloved and maligned. Now it faces a $10 billion Trump lawsuit

    LONDON — President Donald Trump is suing the BBC for $10 billion over a television documentary he claims was “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious.”

    Britain’s national broadcaster has apologized to Trump over the way it edited a speech in the program, but says it will defend itself against the defamation claim.

    The BBC is not the first media organization on the receiving end of a lawsuit from the president. But its position is complicated by its status as a taxpayer-funded public broadcaster and its stature as a closely scrutinized national institution.

    A pioneering broadcaster

    The BBC was founded in 1922 as a radio service to “inform, educate and entertain,” a mantra still central to its self-image.

    It launched the world’s first regularly scheduled television service in 1936, and helped make TV a mass medium when many Britons bought a TV set specifically to watch the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

    It operates 15 U.K. national and regional TV channels, several international channels, 10 national radio stations, dozens of local radio stations, the globe-spanning World Service radio and copious digital output including the iPlayer streaming service.

    As well as its news output it has a huge global viewership for entertainment shows including “Doctor Who,” “EastEnders,” “The Traitors” and “Strictly Come Dancing.”

    The BBC is funded from the public purse

    The broadcaster is funded by an annual license fee, currently set at 174.50 pounds ($230), paid by all U.K. households who watch live TV or any BBC content.

    The license fee has long had opponents, not least rival commercial broadcasters, and they have grown louder in an era of digital streaming when many people no longer have television sets or follow traditional TV schedules.

    The BBC’s governing charter, which sets the license fee, is reviewed once a decade, and the latest round of the process kicked off Tuesday. The center-left Labour government says it will ensure the BBC has “sustainable and fair” funding but has not ruled out replacing the license fee with another funding model.

    Managing the broadcaster has become a political football

    The broadcaster is bound by the terms of its charter to be impartial in its output. It is not a state broadcaster beholden to the U.K government, but is overseen by a board that includes both BBC staff and political appointees.

    It’s frequently a political football, with conservatives seeing a leftist slant in its news programs and some liberals accusing it of having a conservative bias.

    It has repeatedly battled British governments over editorial independence, from the 1926 general strike, when Cabinet minister Winston Churchill tried to seize control of the airwaves, to a battle with Tony Blair’s administration over the intelligence used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

    Recently it has been criticized for its coverage of trans issues and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. In February, the BBC removed a documentary about Gaza from its streaming service after it emerged that the child narrator was the son of an official in the Hamas-led government.

    Documentary that riled Trump

    The lawsuit stems from an edition of the BBC’s “Panorama” current affairs series titled “Trump: A Second Chance?” that was broadcast days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The film, made by a third-party production company, spliced together two sections of a speech given by Trump on Jan. 6, 2021, into what appeared to be one quote in which Trump urged supporters to march with him and “fight like hell.”

    By doing so, it made it look like Trump was giving the green light to his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol as Congress was poised to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election that Trump falsely alleged was stolen from him.

    The BBC apologized last month and two of its top executives resigned.

    Trump’s lawyers say the program falsely portrayed the president as a “violent insurrectionist,” caused “massive economic damage to his brand value” and was a “brazen attempt” to interfere in the U.S. election.

    The lawsuit, filed in a Florida court, seeks $5 billion in damages for defamation and $5 billion for unfair trade practices.

    Legal jeopardy

    The BBC said in a statement that “we will be defending this case. We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”

    Media attorney Mark Stephens said Trump and his lawyers face several hurdles. They must prove that the BBC program was shown in Florida and that people in that state thought less of him as a consequence. Trump’s lawyers argue that U.S. subscribers to BritBox and people using virtual private networks could have watched it, but they must prove it definitively, said Stephens, a consultant at the firm Howard Kennedy.

    “Allegations of libel are cheap, but proof is dear,’’ Stephens said.

    Stephens said Trump’s lawyers also have to deal with the fact that public figures have “to put up with the slings and arrows of incorrect reporting,’’ which are protected under the First Amendment.

    While many legal experts have dismissed the president’s claims against the media as having little merit, he has won some lucrative settlements against U.S. media companies and he could try to leverage the BBC mistake for a payout, potentially to a charity of his choice.

    The BBC’s position is complicated by the fact that any money it pays out in legal fees or a settlement comes from British taxpayers’ pocket.

    “I think President Trump is banking on the fact that the British public will not want to spend the money to defend the claim, nor will they want to pay any money in damages to him,’’ Stephens said. “So it allows him to continue a narrative of fake news and all of those other things at fairly little cost in the global scheme of things.”

  • Flyers’ Rasmus Ristolainen to make season debut Tuesday in Montreal

    Flyers’ Rasmus Ristolainen to make season debut Tuesday in Montreal

    MONTREAL ― It’s been 280 days since Flyers fans have had a look at Rasmus Ristolainen in a game sweater.

    It’s been more than 10 weeks since Flyers general manager Danny Brière said the defenseman would miss the first six to eight weeks of the season while recovering from triceps tendon surgery.

    It’s been exactly six weeks since Brière said, “We’re hoping next month, in about a four-to-six week range, hopefully he’s back with the team.” And it’s been eight days since Ristolainen has been a full participant in practice.

    Now on Tuesday, the big blueliner will finally suit up and make his season debut.

    “He’s a big defenseman who can skate — they’re hard to find — [and a] great shot,” coach Rick Tocchet said after morning skate at the Bell Centre. “Just from talking to people last year, he had played well for [the Flyers] before the injury. So yeah, we’re excited.”

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    The 31-year-old Finn will skate alongside Nick Seeler on the third pairing against the Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m., NBCSP). According to Natural Stat Trick, since the start of the 2022-23 season, they have played 537 minutes, 37 seconds together at five-on-five.

    Although the Flyers have a 46.82% Corsi For percentage with them manning the blue line, the team has outscored opponents (28-24) and generated more high-danger chances (101-82).

    “We’ll see if this works. I don’t know,” said Tocchet. “They both have the [same] qualities. They’re both tough. They can stop cycles. Risto’s got a great shot. Two big guys back there; it’s tough to get to the net.”

    Since being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in July 2021, Ristolainen ranks fourth in hits — first among defensemen —on the Flyers with 545 in 234 games. Seeler is right behind him with 516 in 299 games.

    “Obviously, we know Risto and how he plays. His physicality, his first touches on the puck,” said Seeler, who likes the predictability of Ristolainen’s game.

    “We’re both obviously a little bit more defensive. I think that’s totally fine. I think we feed off each other,” he added. “We want to be able to shut plays down when it’s there and be above and hopefully kill a lot of plays. So that’s kind of what we’re going to hopefully do tonight, and just get some chemistry back.”

    Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is one of the team’s most physical defensemen.

    The addition of Ristolainen helps to solidify the defensive corps with Cam York and Travis Sanheim as the top pair and Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andrae back together.

    Drysdale and Andrae were separated during the second period of Sunday’s shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, but Tocchet isn’t giving up on the duo.

    “I thought they’ve been good together. I thought Emil, in the last few games, has struggled a little bit. And that’s going to happen. He’s getting some full-time minutes, he’s been playing a lot, and sometimes you hit the wall,” Tocchet said.

    “Thought [breaking them up] really worked for us, too, when we did. It was a good in-game adjustment. But that doesn’t mean you stay with it; you go back to it and give the guy a chance again.”

    For now, it doesn’t look like Ristolainen will be on a power-play unit, although the bench boss has hinted in the past week that he wouldn’t mind seeing the 6-foot-4, 208-pound defensman with a booming shot on the point.

    But baby steps for the Finn as he gets his legs under him in his first game since March 11 after undergoing surgery on a right triceps tendon rupture 15 days later. It followed a pair of procedures in 2024, which also repaired a ruptured triceps tendon. Brière said in April 2025 that the injury was similar, although he wouldn’t confirm whether he suffered a torn tendon again.

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    “I talked to Todd about this,” said Tocchet, noting his conversation with assistant coach Todd Reirden, who is in charge of the defense.

    “You’ve got to target — is it 15, 16, 17 minutes? I mean, I’m not sure it’s smart to play him 23 minutes, that kind of minutes, but that’s the target range you’re looking for.

    “But, you know, [once] the game gets going, who knows? He’s been out nine months. I’m not sure [to] red line it the first game is the smartest thing.”

    Breakaways

    Dan Vladař (11-5-3, .908 SV%) will start in goal. He was in goal for the Flyers’ 5-4 shootout win in Montreal in early November. … Forward Nic Deslauriers, who hails from nearby LaSalle, Quebec, will return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for four games and play on the fourth line. Nikita Grebenkin will draw out for the first time since Nov. 24. … Forward Carl Grundström has been moved up from the fourth line to play alongside Sean Couturier and Owen Tippett. Matvei Michkov is now alongside Noah Cates and Bobby Brink.

  • NBA officials ripped NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Alaa Abdelnaby over Sixers broadcast

    NBA officials ripped NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Alaa Abdelnaby over Sixers broadcast

    Controversy from the Sixers’ loss Sunday night lingered into Tuesday thanks to a salty message from NBA officials calling out NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Alaa Abdelnaby.

    With less than two seconds left and the Atlanta Hawks clinging to a one-point lead, Nickeil Alexander-Walker inbounded a pass in the frontcourt and dribbled it into the backcourt before being fouled by 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe.

    Clearly a backcourt violation and Sixers ball with a chance to win the game, right? Abdelnaby certainly thought so.

    “His foot’s in the frontcourt! The ball’s in the frontcourt!” Abdelnaby said during NBC Sports Philadelphia’s telecast.

    The officials didn’t see it that way, despite protests from Joel Embiid and Sixers coach Nick Nurse. Their explanation for the no-call after the game was that Alexander-Walker’s “momentum” carried him into the backcourt, which “is legal in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime.”

    Former NBA referee turned ESPN analyst Steve Javie, a Philly native and Temple grad, heard complaints about the no-call from a Sixers fan during a Christmas party Monday night. But after watching the video, Javie thinks the refs made the correct call that Alexander-Walker didn’t establish himself in the frontcourt.

    “That’s an easy one. I don’t even think it’s that controversial,” Javie told The Inquirer. “That’s not the one you want to go up the mountain on.”

    So instead of it being Sixers ball trailing by just one point, Alexander-Walker made both of his foul shots and increased the Hawks’ lead to three. Quentin Grimes got up a decent shot that would have tied the score as time expired, but it bounced in and out, and the Hawks walked away with the win.

    That’s when things got interesting.

    On Monday, the National Basketball Referees Association criticized Abdelnaby on social media and defended the officials’ no-call during Sunday’s game.

    “For those calling the game, there is a responsibility to know the NBA rules and explain them correctly in order to properly educate the fans,” the association wrote, tagging Abdelnaby’s X account.

    The referees’ official X account, with more than 136,000 followers, hasn’t been historically combative and had not called out a single announcer by name this season before going after Abdelnaby.

    Why now? That remains unclear. The National Basketball Referees Association did not respond to a request for comment.

    “As a ref, you hear so much stuff [from announcers] year after year, game after game, you get kind of frustrated. Like, ‘Dude, this is not the right rule you’re talking about,’” Javie said, especially from hometown announcers openly rooting for their teams. “This is why they’re frustrated and gave him a shot, probably.”

    Abdelnaby, a former Duke standout and NBA player in his 10th season calling Sixers games, isn’t afraid to offer strong opinions about the officials during broadcasts. He did so multiple times Sunday night, including after the game from the concourse of State Farm Arena in Atlanta, where he and play-by-play announcer Kate Scott called the game.

    “Sometimes you’re told as a player on the road, you have to beat eight instead of just five,” Abdelnaby said, referring to the three officials on the court. “I thought the Sixers got a little shortchanged tonight.”

    Abdelnaby declined to comment about the NBA referees’ social media post, but he wasn’t alone in thinking the officials missed a backcourt violation.

    “It was a complete blunder by the referees tonight,” NBA Sports Philadelphia studio analyst and former NBA player Marc Jackson said following the game.

    What do the NBA rules say?

    When in doubt, go to the rule book, where there appear to be two sections invoked Sunday night.

    First, the NBA rule book clearly states that the ball “shall be awarded to the opposing team” if a ball in the frontcourt or at the midcourt line passes into the backcourt.

    But there is one exception:

    And here’s what the rule book says about determining the frontcourt or backcourt status of a player on a throw-in:

    The rule basically says a player’s position isn’t determined until he has established a “positive position” on an inbounds pass, as long as it’s under two minutes in the fourth period or in overtime.

    So what does “positive position” mean? According to Javie, it basically equates to possession and stopping with the basketball.

    “If [Alexander-Walker’s] momentum had stopped from going to the backcourt, and then he took a step into the backcourt, that would then be deemed a backcourt violation,” Javie said. “He didn’t establish position anywhere, really.”

    “I thought it was going to be less obvious than that,” Javie added, based on the complaints over the no call.

    Fans will certainly have a lot of time to debate the rules, since the Sixers won’t take the court again until Friday night against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Amazon’s Prime Video.