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  • Trump is unredeemable. What about his enablers? | Editorial

    Trump is unredeemable. What about his enablers? | Editorial

    By now, it is beyond obvious that Donald Trump is unredeemable.

    Trump assumed the Oval Office in 2016 as the most inexperienced, untruthful, and unstable president in modern history, if not ever. He has only grown worse.

    This past year, Trump has been a one-man wrecking ball, attacking norms, institutions, public health, higher education, the rule of law, and the Constitution. Never before has a president led such a relentless assault on the United States and its allies, while cozying up to dictators.

    Trump has literally waged war at home and abroad, sending federal troops into cities, deporting thousands of immigrants without due process, and murdering alleged drug runners without providing any evidence.

    The list of corrupt and egregious abuses of power is long and growing by the day.

    But perhaps more shameful than Trump is how so many who know better have enabled him — including many top officials in Pennsylvania.

    The list includes U.S. Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman, as well as U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, and dozens of GOP representatives in Harrisburg and Washington.

    Each one has played a distinctive role in putting Trump above their constitutional oath. Many other Republican officials across the country, along with the conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court and right-wing media, have enabled and emboldened Trump’s worst instincts. The collective cowardice has damaged the United States and forever stained each individual’s place in history.

    U.S. Sen. John Fetterman speaks at the Penn Ag Democrats Luncheon at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg in January.

    Fetterman was the only Democratic senator who voted to confirm Attorney General Pam Bondi, an election denier who represented Trump during his first impeachment.

    Bondi is not an independent law enforcement official. She worked to undermine legal proceedings and elections before becoming attorney general.

    Bondi promoted conspiracy theories during Trump’s impeachment trial, traveled to New York to criticize the judge and prosecutor overseeing Trump’s criminal trial, and came to Pennsylvania to spread false claims about the 2020 election.

    Yet, Fetterman still voted for Bondi.

    Since getting confirmed, she has overseen the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Justice. Under Bondi, prosecutors have defied court orders, attacked judges, dropped criminal cases against Trump allies, targeted the president’s perceived enemies, and bungled the Jeffrey Epstein files.

    U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.) speaks during the opening session of the National Treasury Employees Union Legislative Conference in Washington in March.

    Fitzpatrick, a Republican who represents Bucks County, initially voted in favor of Trump’s so-called Big Beautiful Bill that gave tax cuts to the super wealthy, added $3.4 trillion to the deficit, and cut nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid and food stamps spending.

    He later voted against the final version — after it was clear it would pass without his support. Fitzpatrick is now scrambling to keep health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, from soaring. But his initial vote set the current course.

    Fitzpatrick, who is up for reelection in November, represents a swing district. He tries to appear bipartisan, but votes with Trump on most major issues. He voted against impeaching him and rarely criticizes the president’s abuses of power or corruption.

    The rest of the Pennsylvania Republican delegation in Congress has also largely remained unanimous in its support for Trump and his extremism. Dozens of federal and state officials in Pennsylvania, including U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R., York) and State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin), shamed themselves and the country by working with Trump to overturn the 2020 election. Efforts that led to a violent insurrection.

    Still, they continue to support Trump’s wayward ways.

    Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday addresses the annual Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in Camp Hill, Pa., in April.

    Sunday, the top law enforcement official in Pennsylvania, has been largely missing in action since getting elected 13 months ago. He has failed to stand up to the Trump administration when its actions harm Pennsylvanians.

    Instead, Sunday has deferred to Gov. Josh Shapiro to lead legal fights after Trump cut funds for education, public safety, farm aid, and SNAP benefits. Shapiro has filed or joined more than a dozen lawsuits against the Trump administration, while Sunday — a Republican who served two terms as the district attorney in York County — has laid low.

    U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick during a panel discussion at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in July.

    Just weeks after taking his Senate office, McCormick cast a key vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as the defense secretary. McCormick, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, backed Hegseth despite knowing the Fox & Friends Weekend cohost was utterly unqualified to keep America safe.

    Hegseth went from whining about the “woke military” on TV to overseeing a Defense Department with nearly three million military and civilian employees and a budget of $850 billion.

    Hegseth’s only military experience was time spent in the National Guard, where he was flagged as an “insider threat” because of tattoos linked to white supremacists.

    He was an incompetent manager who was forced to step down from two tiny nonprofits because of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety, and personal misconduct. Others said Hegseth routinely passed out from excessive drinking, including while on the job at Fox News.

    All of that was known to McCormick and the 49 other Republican senators who voted to approve Hegseth despite their duty to ensure cabinet nominees are qualified.

    Hegseth quickly demonstrated he is unfit for the job. Just weeks after getting confirmed, he used an unsecure messaging app to text classified war plans to a group that mistakenly included a journalist.

    In the wrong hands, the war plans — which included information about weapons packages, targets, and timing — could have endangered the lives of troops. If other military officers shared similar classified information, they could have been court-martialed.

    Hegseth’s purging of career military leaders is also making America weaker, as he places loyalty to Trump above competency, distinguished service, and merit.

    Hegseth has overseen the bombing of alleged drug boats that violate international law and amount to extrajudicial killings. The legal rationale is dubious at best and may constitute war crimes.

    At the very least, the deadly strikes are immoral and violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

    McCormick did not respond to requests to comment on whether he regrets supporting Hegseth. During McCormick’s Senate campaign, he talked up the West Point motto of “duty, honor, country.”

    Like so many other so-called leaders, those ideals have taken a back seat to serving Trump.

    One day, Trump will be gone — but his enablers will have to answer for the damage they helped to wreak.

  • How to have a perfect Philly day, according to indie rocker Golden Apples

    How to have a perfect Philly day, according to indie rocker Golden Apples

    Russell Edling has been in Philly long enough to remember when Fishtown was quiet — “pretty sleepy,” he said. That was more than a decade ago, when he was a fresh Temple grad.

    Things have changed a lot since then, both for Fishtown and Edling. A musician who records under the name Golden Apples, Edling just released his fourth album, Shooting Star, in September. It’s a “record of songs about writing songs,” he said — and about trusting your creative instincts.

    Edling’s own instincts extend beyond music. He also dabbles in design and helps run Freehand Supply, the art shop he and a friend opened in the neighborhood earlier this year.

    “When I first moved here for college in 2008, there was nothing like that in Fishtown,” he said. “I used to bike up to Temple just to get art supplies. It feels good to be able to offer that to people now.”

    Here’s how Russell Edling would spend a perfect day in Philadelphia.

    7 a.m.

    I get up around 7 and I like to go running. I do a casual jog through the neighborhood and loop through Penn Treaty Park, then run around the casino and come home. It feels special to wake up and, in like 15 minutes, be running by a river through a park.

    9 a.m.

    My wife and I have a favorite spot to get breakfast. It’s this place in South Philly called Comfort Floyd. It’s wonderful. I think it’s the best pancake I’ve ever had. All their food is so good. The ambience is very chill and pleasant, too. We will ride our bikes down there and hang out as long as we want.

    Noon

    After that, we will bop around South Philly a little bit. I really like Brickbat Books. It’s a great spot. They have a lot of art books, a lot of used books, a really great curated selection. They also have some records.

    We will probably go to Retrospect on South Street, too. My partner, Mimi, really loves thrifting. I have less of an appetite for it. I get exhausted by the experience sometimes and have to dissociate.

    Russell Edling, a musician who goes by the moniker Golden Apples, in his art supply store, Freehand, in Fishtown.

    2 p.m.

    On our way back up to the neighborhood, we might stop at Freehand just to make sure everything’s going all right there. Then we’ll head home to walk the dog. We have a wonderful black German short hair–pointer–lab mix. We live right by a soccer/baseball field that he loves to run around. You’re not supposed to bring your dogs in there, but everybody does anyway.

    Basil cream, confit garlic, ricotta, fontina, and mozzarella atop a white pizza at Pizza Richmond.

    3:30 p.m.

    If it happens to be a weekend when the Richmond Street Flea is happening, we’ll definitely go to that.

    There are a bunch of little shops on Richmond Street, and they all open their doors. Everybody’s out on the street. They have vendors, food, and pop-ups. Even live music.

    We’ll end up popping into different shops. There’s a vintage store called Big Top. There’s Launderette Records, which is an incredible record store. There’s a jewelry store called Tshatshke, where my partner and I got our wedding bands. And there’s a great pizza spot — Pizza Richmond. They also have soft-serve ice cream. We’ll hang out at the flea market for a while. Maybe see some music, talk to some friends, and just hang out.

    6:30 p.m.

    If we’re still out for the day after the flea market, we’re going to see a show. Our favorite venue is Khyber Pass Pub. It’s been around for a really long time. I think Nirvana played there. Guided By Voices played there. So many legendary people have played there over the years. It’s a small, intimate space, but they have great shows all the time, and they have an incredible menu.

    Franklin Fountain ice cream: “Our equivalent of a nightcap.”

    11 p.m.

    Our equivalent of a nightcap is ice cream at Franklin Fountain because they are open until midnight.

    There are two Franklin Fountains in the same building. One is 1920s style. The other is 1950s style. No one goes to the 1950s one for some reason, so we go to that one to skip the line. I know it’s very touristy, but I have worked in ice cream throughout my life, and I think it’s the best ice cream in the city.

  • Dear Abby |Sensor light illuminates more than one problem

    DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have lived in a country home for the past 25 years. When we moved here, our only neighbors were wild turkeys, deer and raccoons. Behind our house were 20 acres of woods, which extended into a cornfield. We were isolated and loved it.

    Since then, a housing development has slowly been built around us. Last fall, a couple built a house behind us. Their rear deck is within 20 feet of our property line. The back of their house has large bedroom windows. They cut down all of the beautiful, mature trees from their lot.

    I have always had a dusk-to-dawn sensor light at the rear of my house for security reasons and to dissuade raccoons. Now this couple is complaining that because their house is so close to my property line and the trees (which acted as a privacy barrier) are gone, my security light of 25 years is shining into their bedroom windows and disturbing them. They want me to get rid of it.

    Of course, my attitude is that we and that light have been here for 25 years. They saw our house and property lines before they chose to build there and remove all their trees. I am not inclined to accommodate them, but I’m open to suggestions from you.

    — BRIGHT GUY IN OHIO

    DEAR BRIGHT GUY: I do have one. Explain to these new neighbors that your security light was installed to discourage trespassers and wild animals. Then suggest they install blackout curtains or shutters in their bedroom windows to prevent unwanted light from seeping in. If that doesn’t solve the problem, and there is a governing body for your growing neighborhood, ask that the matter be mediated.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I have two children and work opposite evening shifts so that one of us is home with the kids at all times. Recently, my best friend from high school surprised me with concert tickets to our favorite band, but the concert is on a night I’m supposed to be with the kids.

    I don’t have any friends or family around to babysit the children, so I asked my boyfriend if he would take the night off so that I can go to this concert. He told me the only way he would do that is if I reimburse him for his missed wages (approximately $300). Do you think it’s fair to charge me to watch his own children?

    — CONFUSED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

    DEAR CONFUSED: Should you reimburse your boyfriend for the wages he will miss if he takes off work so you can attend that concert? If his employer doesn’t provide for personal time off, he will be out the money, and since you are the one altering your agreed-upon arrangement, you SHOULD reimburse him. What the two of you need to work out in the future is some form of plan so your children will be taken care of in the (hopefully unlikely) event that something should happen to both of you at the same time.

  • Horoscopes: Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). Certain roles require your composure, some skillful acting and a commitment to show up and deliver time and again. But you shouldn’t have to perform to the point of pain, or your soul’s diminishing. Take off the mask. Breathe easy.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Today you’ll make dozens of decisions. The more you make, the easier they are to make because you realize what you prioritize and prefer, each decision telling you a little more about what feels good and right to you.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Focus on building your skills. You’ll get ideas and inspiration from a wide array of sources. You’ve a talent for assimilating information into its most useful form. You’ll turn what you learn today into a quick fix or rapid improvement.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). To choose an extraordinary life is to choose a life of vision and effort. It’s so you. You might consider “effort” your chosen home base. It’s something to accept about yourself today: effort, not comfort, is your natural habitat.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Simplify. Reduce the number of different services and subscriptions you have. Avoid redundancy. Ask yourself what you really need and use on a regular basis. Keeping track seems like work, but ultimately, it frees you from work.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). When you see someone who is obviously trying too hard, it will feel compassionate to help them out. You’ll smile and listen, making them feel less nervous. Pause and let silence do its part in creating a calm social pace.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You don’t feel like you need the approval of others, but the truth is that it’s more fun to have it. A little validation makes you feel confident and free to move forward. So take the compliment and run with it.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Half-hearted energy attracts hesitation; wholehearted confidence sets events in motion. When you go all-in today, the universe responds in kind. Even if you’re uncertain inside, acting certain helps others trust the momentum — and that shared belief can make the project real.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your personal achievements deserve more credit. Today it will be fitting to remind yourself of your successes, what you’ve overcome and what you’re so good at. Review the list. Build up confidence. You’ll put it to good use.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Some friends can be territorial of you because they want your full attention, and when they don’t get it, they might act hurt or jealous. Your naturally warm and inclusive nature is beautiful, though.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ll find a perspective that lets you see a tricky situation without being consumed by it. From an elevated perch you can observe everything clearly, understand the dynamics at play and then choose consciously how and where to act.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Like most people, you have a type. This type keeps appearing in your life in various forms. Today someone new resembles those you’ve known before. Now it’s time to decide whether it’s comfort you’re chasing or growth.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Dec. 13). Your Year of Luminous Confidence begins. You’ll shine naturally, without needing the spotlight; it just finds you. What you’ve practiced quietly now draws attention. You’ll feel more visible, confident and generous with your gift. Love grows, friendships deepen and your instincts for timing and tone bring you wins in work and play. More highlights: recognition, romance and fun money luck. Libra and Aquarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 18, 23, 27 and 41.

  • Joel Embiid scores season-high 39 points to lead Sixers to 115-105 win against Pacers

    Joel Embiid scores season-high 39 points to lead Sixers to 115-105 win against Pacers

    PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid scored a season-high 39 points, Paul George had 23 and the 76ers beat the Indiana Pacers 115-105 on Friday night.

    VJ Edgecombe added 22 points for the 76ers, who played without Tyrese Maxey — the NBA’s third-leading scorer (31.5 points per game) sat out with an illness.

    Pascal Siakam had 20 points for the defending Eastern Conference champion Pacers, who dropped to 6-19.

    Siakham’s jumper with 8:24 remaining gave Indiana a 100-95 lead, but the Pacers missed nine consecutive shots — including three 3-pointers — after that as the 76ers went on a 13-2 run. The spurt was capped with Embiid’s offensive rebound and follow basket. The 2023 MVP was fouled on the play and made the free throw to push Philadelphia’s lead to 108-102.

    Embiid, the seven-time All-Star who has been beset with injuries the last 1 1/2 seasons, came in averaging 18.2 points while playing in just nine of Philadelphia’s 23 contests due to left and right knee issues. However, he looked more like himself on Friday, hitting a step-back 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer to give him 14 points inn the second quarter.

    Philadelphia improved to 6-4 with Embiid in the lineup.

    The 76ers had four days off since losing 112-108 at home to LeBron James and the Lakers on Sunday night, giving Embiid plenty of time for rest and recovery. He was upgraded after being probable on the pregame injury report.

    George, who was drafted by Indiana and played there from 2010–2017, also looked more like the nine-time All-Star that he is by finishing with a season high in points following offseason knee surgery.

    Philadelphia was 33 for 43 on free throws while Indiana was 16 for 19. Indiana’s frustration with the disparity in attempts was apparent in the final minutes, as head coach Rick Carlisle received a technical foul with just over three minutes left and Siakham was assessed with one with 1:41 remaining.

  • Sixers takeaways: Paul George’s point-forward tilt, Joel Embiid’s big night, and more from win over Pacers

    Sixers takeaways: Paul George’s point-forward tilt, Joel Embiid’s big night, and more from win over Pacers

    Paul George is starting to live up to the hype.

    Joel Embiid can still have lethal scoring nights.

    VJ Edgecombe is back to playing at a high level. And he could do more if the 76ers keep him involved throughout.

    Those three things stood out in the Sixers’ 115-105 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

    George shows his worth

    George had to deal with the attention, scrutiny, and spotlight that came with signing a four-year, $211.5 million contract with the Sixers on July 6, 2024. He’s been mostly criticized over the past year while dealing with injuries and underperformances.

    Tyrese Maxey misses Sixers’ game against Indiana Pacers with illness

    But the 6-foot-8 forward’s team-first mentality and ability to adapt to various roles have been on full display in the nine games he’s played this season. And with Tyrese Maxey sidelined with an illness, George excelled in the point-forward role against the Pacers (6-19).

    He put his imprint on the game from the start, scoring the first two points of the night before assisting on the Sixers’ next two baskets.

    The nine-time All-Star ended the quarter with eight points and two assists before finishing the game with 23 and five, respectively. George also had six rebounds and a steal and served as a solid two-way player.

    “I’m comfortable with the ball,” George said. “I think more than anything, it’s just continue to prove to myself and remain confident as I continue to trust my body and gain confidence on the floor that my body can still produce. So it’s just adding to the confidence, and just chipping away at the work put into this season so far to get ready for this season.”

    He missed 14 games this season with left knee injury management and sat out another game with a sprained right ankle.

    https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/tgi-fridays-city-line-avenue-allen-iverson-charles-barkley-club-fridays-20251212.html

    On offense, the 35-year-old ran the team well, creating shots for himself and teammates against the Pacers. Defensively, George was active and made Indiana work hard for shots. He remained in constant communication with teammates on both sides of the ball.

    These are the things the Sixers (14-10) envisioned when signing him to the maximum-salary contract to form a Big Three with Embiid and Maxey.

    Embiid shines

    This was Embiid’s best game of the season.

    His 39 points were his highest regular-season total since he finished with a career-high 70 points against the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 22, 2024. Embiid also finished with nine rebounds and three assists.

    The seven-time All-Star was asked if his performance proves “I still do this.”

    “I don’t know,” said Embiid, who averaged a career-low 18.2 points in his first nine games. “That’s for those people that don’t think I can do it. I can’t change their mind or opinion.

    “It feels good. Obviously, playing like that, I feel like I can do it.”

    He thinks the dynamics are different, at times. Embiid said he wants to play more as a team. He said that includes making sure everybody is involved.

    The Sixers still see reason to be optimistic about their East chances.

    “If somebody has to sacrifice, I will,” he said. “But [on] some occasions, when I got it going, like tonight, it’s going to happen.

    “I don’t expect having to do this when everybody is healthy. But I will, if I have to.”

    Coach Nick Nurse thinks Embiid’s performance was as simple as finding an offensive rhythm.

    “But he worked at it this week, a lot,” Nurse said. “I think the practices helped, his own individual work away from practice certainly helped, which is a great sign that he’s doing that and feeling good or better-ish to do some of that.”

    After scoring just four points in the first quarter, he combined for 29 points over the second and third quarters.

    Sixers center Joel Embiid turned the clock back with 39 points and nine rebounds.

    For the game, he made 12 of 23 shots. His biggest basket came on a putback while being fouled with 2 minutes, 56 seconds remaining. He made the foul shot to give the Sixers a 108-102 lead.

    The 7-foot-2, 280-pounder later grabbed a huge defensive rebound on Pascal Siakam’s missed layup with 1:57 left. That led to George’s layup, which made it 112-105 at the 1:41 mark.

    The 2023 MVP made just 2 of 8 three-pointers, showing that he still needs to improve in that area. Embiid also needs to do a better job from the foul line, where he shot 13-for-18. But he did attack the basket more, which was part of a night where he moved better than in any game this season.

    “Again, I keep saying he’s best when he’s driving,” Nurse said. “And I think he drove it a lot to draw the foul early. That puts them in a tough situation of how to play him. And probably the best thing about it all, I mean, 39 is great, but it came at a lot of different schemes they threw at him.”

    This was an outstanding offensive performance, considering he was shooting career lows from the field (40.7%) and on three-pointers (21.4%) in the first nine games of the season.

    Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was asked if he was surprised by Embiid’s productivity.

    “Great player, perennial All-Star, on the Olympic team,” Carlisle said, “He’s a Hall of Fame guy. Who’s surprised? I’m not surprised.”

    If he and George continue to play this way once Maxey returns, the fifth-place Sixers should ascend in the Eastern Conference standings.

    Edgecombe must remain aggressive

    At the start of the season, Edgecombe was the overwhelming favorite for rookie of the year. But a heavy workload, a tweaked role, and a left calf strain slowed him down a bit … until recently.

    Now well-rested and healthy, Edgecombe is excelling once again. The 6-4 combo guard averaged 12.3 points on 44.8% shooting — making 6 of 12 three-pointers — in the three games heading into Friday’s contest. He followed that up with 22 points on 6-for-10 shooting, to go with four rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

    Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe performed better after nursing his calf injury.

    Edgecombe scored 14 of his points on 5-for-6 shooting in the first quarter. However, he attempted only four shots afterward, making one to score eight points.

    The third overall pick is playing well and showing that he can provide a key role. He just needs to remain in attack mode for four quarters. One can argue that his lack of aggressiveness stemmed from Embiid and George dominating the ball. However, he must stay involved.

  • Penguins send two-time All-Star goalie Tristan Jarry to Edmonton in goaltender swap

    Penguins send two-time All-Star goalie Tristan Jarry to Edmonton in goaltender swap

    PITTSBURGH — Tristan Jarry is going “home” with the hope of helping the Edmonton Oilers get over the top.

    The two-time defending Western Conference champions acquired Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday in hopes of shoring up a position that has cost them during their deep playoff runs in recent years.

    Jarry, a two-time All-Star with Pittsburgh in 2020 and 2022, starred for the Edmonton Oil Kings as a junior. Now he heads back to Edmonton with a chance to help the Oilers try to win their first Stanley Cup in more than 35 years.

    Edmonton sent goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a second-round pick in the 2029 draft to Pittsburgh in exchange for Jarry and forward Sam Poulin.

    “I just felt it was time for something different,” Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said. “It’s not so much a comment on Stuart Skinner. It’s just maybe time for something different here.”

    The move closes an eventful 10 years in Pittsburgh for Jarry, who was signed to a five-year contract in 2023 but struggled so badly last season that the Penguins took the unorthodox approach of demoting him to the minors multiple times.

    The 30-year-old Jarry has bounced back this season under first-year Penguins coach Dan Muse. Jarry went 9-3-1 with a 2.66 goals against average and a .909 save percentage for surprising Pittsburgh.

    Bowman said the team has been tracking Jarry for a while and that the metrics surrounding his play have been good for an extended period. The fact that Jarry is also signed through 2027-28 also gives the Oilers some stability. Skinner is scheduled to become a free agent next summer.

    “It’s a (salary) number that we’re going to be able to manage well in our salary cap over the coming seasons, so I think those factors did play a role,” Bowman said. “When you add it all up, it wasn’t just about a couple of games here or there. It was about a career sample size and the fact that he’s going to be with us for three playoff rounds.”

    Even if Jarry isn’t exactly a proven commodity in the postseason. He holds a career playoff record of just 2-6 with a 3.00 goals against and a .891 save percentage. His shaky play in the opening round against the New York Islanders in the 2021 playoffs played a major factor in the Penguins losing the series in six games.

    Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas praised Jarry for the way he responded to being sent to the minors, and allowed at times the team’s play in front of him didn’t put Jarry in the best position for success.

    “I think Tristan is extremely talented,” Dubas said. “It’ll be a great opportunity for him in Edmonton.”

    The Oilers’ problems in net in recent years have played an outsized role in keeping Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and company from getting over the hump and winning the Stanley Cup, especially in the final the past two years against Florida.

    Skinner allowed 19 goals on 137 shots, an .861 save percentage, in the 2025 final, and Calvin Pickard was not much better at .878. Skinner also allowed a soft goal in Game 7 in 2024.

    Edmonton this season had the fourth-worst team save percentage in the NHL. And while Skinner ranks 38th in the league among goalies who have appeared in nine or more games, Calvin Pickard — who remains on the roster in tandem with Jarry — is last at .851.

    Jarry is expected to join the Oilers in Toronto on Saturday. Edmonton’s current road swing includes a stop in Pittsburgh next Tuesday.

    The Penguins were able to move on from Jarry thanks in part to a deep prospect pool in net, led by 21-year-old Sergey Murashov, who played well during a brief stint in Pittsburgh earlier this season. The Penguins also have 23-year-old Joel Blomqvist at their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and 24-year-old Artur Silovs has been solid if not spectacular this year while splitting time with Jarry in Pittsburgh.

    Dubas said there is no firm plan to call up Murashov or Blomqvist in the short term, but that both will have the opportunity to establish themselves as the club’s top goaltender at some point in the future, perhaps as early as next season.

    Skinner is 11-8-4 with a 2.83 goals against average, though his save percentage is just .891.

    The 31-year-old Kulak gives the Penguins an experienced and dependable defenseman who posted career highs in goals (seven), assists (18) and points (25) last season for Edmonton. Kulak has two assists this year for the Oilers.

    Poulin was Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in 2019 but has been unable to find his footing at the NHL level. Poulin has only two points in 15 games for Pittsburgh.

    The move wasn’t the only one made by the Oilers on Friday. Edmonton also sent a third-round pick in the 2027 draft to Nashville for defenseman Spencer Stastney. The 25-year-old Stastney has one goal and eight assists in nine games for the Predators this season.

    “He’s a great skater, a lot of quickness, and he’s been very effective in the penalty kill,” Bowman said of Stastney. “And he’s got some offense to his game as well. I think he hasn’t really reached his true potential yet.”

    ___

    AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

    ___

    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

  • Wild acquire Quinn Hughes from the Canucks in a blockbuster NHL trade

    Wild acquire Quinn Hughes from the Canucks in a blockbuster NHL trade

    The Minnesota Wild have acquired Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in the biggest blockbuster trade of the NHL season.

    The teams announced the seismic move Friday night, after the 2024 Norris Trophy winner as the league’s top defenseman had been the most talked-about trade candidate over the past couple of weeks.

    Minnesota sent center Marco Rossi, defenseman Zeev Buium, winger Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick in the 2026 draft to suddenly rebounding Vancouver to complete the deal. Rossi at 24, Ohgren at 21 and Buium at 20 fit the young players the Canucks were speculated to be targeting if they were to trade Hughes.

    Only 26 and considered the best at the position behind Colorado’s Cale Makar, Hughes has one season left on his contract after this one before he can become an unrestricted free agent. There has been plenty of buzz about Quinn wanting to play with brothers Jack and Luke with the New Jersey Devils.

    They could potentially be teammates on the U.S. Olympic team, either in February in Milan or in 2030. Wild general manager Bill Guerin runs USA Hockey’s management team.

    Hughes has two goals and 21 assists for 23 points in 23 games this season with the last-in-the-NHL Canucks. He was their captain since 2023, and his abrupt exit paves the way for more change in Vancouver 11 months since the trade of J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers and in the aftermath of coach Rick Tocchet’s departure rather than remain behind the bench there.

    “With the circumstances surrounding JT and now Quinn, we are fortunate to acquire these very good young players from Minnesota,” Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said. “They will be a key part of the rebuild that we are currently in, giving us a bright future moving forward. The hockey club will continue to build with talented young players using that as a blueprint to become a contender sooner rather than later.”

    Minnesota cannot extend Hughes until July 1, and it’s unclear if he would entertain signing another contract. He had nothing in the way of trade protection on his current deal, paying him an average of $7.85 million annually, that would have allowed him to block a trade anywhere.

    The Wild are taking a shot at challenging the two top teams in the NHL, Colorado and Dallas, in the Central Division, which also includes reigning Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg. Hughes vastly upgrades their blue line, which already included captain Jared Spurgeon and smooth-skating Swede Jonas Brodin, and winger Kirill Kaprizov only this past fall signed the richest deal in hockey history to stay in the “State of Hockey” for eight more years.”

    It was the second major trade of the day after two-time Stanley Cup Final runner-up Edmonton finally made a move for a goaltender, acquiring Tristan Jarry from Pittsburgh.

  • Tyrese Maxey to miss Sixers’ game against Indiana Pacers with illness

    Tyrese Maxey to miss Sixers’ game against Indiana Pacers with illness

    Tyrese Maxey will miss Friday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers at Xfinity Mobile Arena with an illness. This comes after the 76ers point guard missed practice this week.

    “Obviously, that’s a huge challenge,” coach Nick Nurse said of not having Maxey. “Obviously, lots of minutes, lots of ball handling, lots of scoring against a team that likes to pressure a lot, play a lot of guards.

    “So I think the handling of the ball responsibilities got to get spread out between the rest of those guys. It’s going to be a good challenge for them.”

    The Sixers are injured at key spots. They still see reason to be optimistic about their East chances.

    Nurse declined to disclose who will start in Maxey’s place alongside shooting guard VJ Edgecombe. However, Quentin Grimes wore a blue practice jersey, which is usually reserved for starters, when the media was permitted on the arena floor after Friday morning’s shootaround.

    This will be Maxey’s first game missed this season. The 6-foot-2 point guard is the league’s third-leading scorer at 31.5 points per game. He’s also third in three-pointers made (84) and ninth in assists per game (7.2).

    Sixers Tyrese Maxey goes around Wizards # 27 Will Riley in the first half of the Washington Wizards at Philadelphia 76ers NBA game at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.

    Maxey finished with a career-high 54 points along with nine assists, five rebounds, three steals, and three blocks in the Sixers’ 123-114 overtime road victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 20.

    Those 54 points tied Hall of Famer Allen Iverson for the ninth-most points scored in a regular-season game in team history. Iverson did it twice, on Dec. 18, 2004, and Jan. 6, 2001.

    TGI Fridays on City Avenue was a longtime Sixers hangout. Then Allen Iverson made it one of Philly’s hottest ‘clubs.’

    Maxey joins Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain (March 18, 1968) as the only two players in franchise history to produce at least 50 points and nine assists in a single game.

    The Sixers will also be without Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain), Trendon Watford (left adductor strain), and Hunter Sallis (right shoulder sprain). The Pacers are without Tyrese Haliburton (right Achilles’ tendon tear), Kam Jones (lower back stress reaction), Aaron Nesmith (left knee MCL sprain), Ben Sheppard (left calf strain), and Obi Toppin (right foot stress reaction).

  • Snow, up to 5 inches, is a near certainty in Philly this weekend, and it won’t melt quickly

    Snow, up to 5 inches, is a near certainty in Philly this weekend, and it won’t melt quickly

    The first measurable snowfall of the winter of 2025-26 evidently is all but a done deal for Philly this weekend, and it has a chance to be the biggest in five winters — not that the bar is ultra-high in a period when snow has been mightily lacking.

    The National Weather Service Saturday has issued a winter storm warning for 3 to 5 inches throughout the region, listing a 98% likelihood of at least an inch.

    The AccuWeather Inc. forecast was similar.

    The weather service foresaw a 76% chance of 4 inches in the immediate Philly area, and a 43% chance of 6 or more.

    With the caveat that timing and duration of precipitation aren’t in the wheelhouse of atmospheric science, the weather service is expecting snow or snow mixed with rain to start late Saturday night.

    If it’s a mix at the outset it would quickly become all snow as temperatures fall below freezing, and end around daybreak. As the weather service pointed out, the timing couldn’t be much better for minimizing disruption.

    However, snow showers and wind chills in the teens are expected when the Eagles host the Oakland Raiders in South Philly.

    The accumulating snow would be generated primarily by an upper-air disturbance, said Matt Benz, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather. It’s possible that the storm may regroup off the coast; however, that “probably will form too late to have any impact,” Benz said.

    The weather service said inch-an-hour snowfall rates are possible in the early morning hours of Sunday.

    And the snow is likely to stick around until at least midweek, with high temperatures Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday expected to be around freezing or lower and the sun angles about as low as they get.

    After a 3.1-inch snowfall in February, the temperature climbed to near 50 a day later, and the strengthening sun made quick work of the snow cover.

    That February snow turned out to be the biggest of a season in which the 8.1-inch total at Philadelphia International Airport barely bested the 8 inches of New Orleans. That winter, the I-95 corridor found itself in a snow hole, and Philly a snow hole within a snow hole. The highest total in the winter of 2023-24 was 4.6 inches during a snowy January week.

    Last season, snow fell to the north, west, and south, and that trend has continued in the early going. With 6 inches so far this winter, Richmond, Va., now has measured 22.8 inches since last December, nearly triple the Philly total.

    Official totals at Philadelphia International Airport have been significantly below normal for four consecutive winters. The normal for a season is 23.1 inches.

    The meteorological winter, which began Dec. 1, certainly is off to a wintry start, with temperatures averaging more than 6 degrees below normal.

    It is not off to a particularly wet start, however, and whatever falls this weekend isn’t expected to exceed a half inch of liquid.

    In its long-term outlooks through Dec. 26, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is on the fence regarding whether precipitation will be above or below normal.

    With high confidence it is calling for a national warm-up.

    In any given year, the odds are greatly against Christmas snow in Philly or elsewhere along the I-95 corridor.

    But it does look like the region is about to get a white Sunday.