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  • Dear Abby | Wife thinks it’s too late to leave narcissist

    DEAR ABBY: I’ve been married to a narcissist for 28 years. He has gaslighted me for our entire 30 years together. He has had a “work wife” and a flirtation with the next-door neighbor hottie, and he paid for two sexy girls’ dinners (and pies to go) because they happened to be in line in front of us.

    After an argument, he even called the police on me. (An entire shift of sheriff officers surrounded our house.) I have developed severely negative emotions toward him, especially when he lies to me. We haven’t had sex in a year. We get along fairly well in day-to-day activities, although it bothers me that I have to be chauffeured everywhere I go, including him waiting while I have my hair and nails done.

    I’m 67 and feel it is too late to start over. My psychologist can’t understand why I don’t leave. We aren’t destitute, but we’re not wealthy either. I don’t know which way to turn.

    — HATING HIM IN MICHIGAN

    DEAR HATING HIM: I find it interesting that as threatened as you feel about your husband’s work relationship with his assistant, his flirtation with the hottie next door and two strangers he tried to impress by paying for their takeout dinners (pies included!), HE is so insecure that he must drive you everywhere you go outside the house.

    While you think it may be too late for you to start over, you need to clearly define what starting over means to you. I can think of worse fates than freedom from an insecure, possessive, lying narcissist. You are under the care of a licensed psychotherapist. The logical “way to turn” would be in the direction your therapist is trying to guide you.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I am concerned about a dear friend who has a diagnosis of mild dementia. She has no family here. Her closest relatives are four hours away, and she has minimal contact with them. She was widowed 40 years ago and hasn’t dated. She always said she had no interest in that. She is deeply involved in our community and has a wide, varied circle of friends.

    My concern is that while she has always been active in different events — the arts, music, adult ed classes — she is now VERY interested in men. She has spoken to me about her desire for a sexual relationship. She’s 82. I am at a loss about what to tell her and worried about the consequences if she does find a man willing and able. I feel strongly that her desire is a personality change as a result of dementia. Any advice would be appreciated.

    — DIFFERENT NOW IN IOWA

    DEAR DIFFERENT: Your friend is well enough that she is active in your community. Talk further with your friend about this. She doesn’t have to worry about a pregnancy, but STDs among seniors have more than doubled in the United States in the last decade. Syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia are all on the rise. Lack of knowledge and low condom use are driving these statistics.

    Seniors have a right to a sex life if they wish, but they should be well-informed before starting one. Urge your friend to speak with her gynecologist before starting any intimate relationship.

  • The Union are headed to Trinidad in the Concacaf Champions Cup

    The Union are headed to Trinidad in the Concacaf Champions Cup

    If the idea of a trip to Trinidad in mid-February sounds appealing, you’ll want to know how the Union will kick off their 2026 campaign.

    The first official game of next year will be against Defence Force FC of Trinidad & Tobago in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Defence Force won the Trinidadian league title in the 2024-25 season, then finished third in this year’s regional Caribbean Cup tournament.

    The tournament starts in February, and though Concacaf hasn’t set the exact schedule yet, traditionally MLS teams play their first-round games in the middle of the month. If that is true again this time, the Union would play at Defence Force some time from Feb. 17-19, then fly north for their Feb. 21 MLS opener at D.C. United.

    Soccer history buffs will appreciate that Defence Force’s home is Trinidad’s most famous sports venue, Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. It was the site of the U.S. men’s soccer team’s legendary “Shot Heard ‘Round The World” win over the Soca Warriors in 1989 that clinched qualification for the 1990 World Cup, ending a 40-year tournament drought.

    Defence Force’s name is literal: its squads have historically been built with members of Trinidad’s armed forces. But the soccer is serious too, as the club’s 24 domestic league titles are a record by far. It’s also the only Trinidadian club to have won the Concacaf title, in 1978 and 1985.

    The Union will presumably host their home leg of the series some time from Feb. 24-26, leading up to the March 1 league opener against New York City FC.

    Should the Union advance as expected, the tone of things will change fast. Either Mexican juggernaut Club América or Honduras’ Olimpia would await in the round of 16. The Union haven’t faced América since the 2021 Concacaf semifinals, Philadelphia’s first time in the tournament, when América won both games by 2-0 scores.

    The Union’s latest signing offers insight into who’s making decisions in the absence of sporting director Ernst Tanner

    That round is scheduled for March 10-12 and 17-19, and it’s not clear which team would host first. Around those dates, the Union host the San Jose Earthquakes on March 7, visit Atlanta United on March 14, and host the Chicago Fire on March 21.

    After that, MLS stops for the March FIFA window, the last national team games before the World Cup.

    Kai Wagner (top) is one of the only Union players currently with the club who played against Club América in the 2021 Concacaf Champions Cup.

    2026 Concacaf Champions Cup first round

    Games are listed in order of the bracket. Some series will be played Feb. 3-5 and 10-12, and others will be played Feb. 17-19 and 24-26. Concacaf will confirm the schedule at a later date.

    — Pumas UNAM (Mexico) vs. San Diego FC (United States); the winner plays Toluca (Mexico)

    — Los Angeles Galaxy (United States) vs. Sporting San Miguelito (Panama); the winner plays Mount Pleasant (Jamaica)

    — Cruz Azul (Mexico) vs. Vancouver FC (Canada)

    — Monterrey (Mexico) vs. Xelajú (Guatemala); the winner plays Cruz Azul or Vancouver FC

    — Los Angeles FC (United States) vs. Real España (Honduras); the winner plays Alajuelense (Costa Rica)

    — Nashville SC (United States) vs. Atlético Ottawa (Canada); the winner plays Inter Miami (United States)

    — Club América (Mexico) vs. Olimpia (Honduras)

    — Union (United States) vs Defence Force FC (Trinidad & Tobago); the winner plays América or Olimpia

    — Tigres UANL (Mexico) vs. Forge FC (Canada)

    — FC Cincinnati (United States) vs. O&M FC (Dominican Republic); the winner plays Tigres or Forge

    — Vancouver Whitecaps (Canada) vs. Cartaginés (Costa Rica); the winner plays the Seattle Sounders (United States)

    MLS knows it needs to loosen its roster rules to get better. But how far is it willing to go?
  • Travis Konecny reaches career milestone in Flyers’ 4-1 win over San Jose Sharks

    Travis Konecny reaches career milestone in Flyers’ 4-1 win over San Jose Sharks

    There’s something to be said for a team that stops the bleeding.

    After losing two straight back in mid-November, the Flyers ended another losing streak at one game with a 4-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. Since those consecutive losses to the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers, the Flyers have gone 8-4-0.

    The Flyers came out like it was a feeding frenzy at Xfinity Mobile Arena, putting 11 shots on San Jose goalie Alex Nedeljkovic before the Sharks got their first one more than 11 minutes into the game. The only problem? Their first shot was also a goal.

    Ty Murchison’s NHL debut with the Flyers is something ‘I’ve been dreaming about my entire life’

    San Jose broke out of its own end on a stretch pass by Dmitry Orlov to Macklin Celebrini at center ice. The No. 1 pick in 2024 sent a backhander into the Flyers’ end, and Will Smith, who was drafted three spots before Matvei Michkov in 2023, blew past the Flyers’ defense.

    He tracked down the puck along the end boards, carried it around, and sent a cross-ice pass from the top of the left faceoff circle to defenseman John Klingberg. That pass pulled Flyers goalie Dan Vladař out of position, and the defenseman sent it to Collin Graf atop the crease for the goal.

    It was the 19th time in 28 games the Flyers have trailed 1-0. But it was also the 11th time they’ve come back and won to lead the NHL. They also have a league-leading 12 comeback wins.

    Flyers’ Matvei Michkov (right) shoots on goal against San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic during the first period on Tuesday.

    Christian Dvorak evened the score with 81 seconds left in the first period with a nifty backhand-forehand move around Nedeljkovic. Travis Konecny sent a backhand pass up in the air from the Flyers’ end.

    The puck hit Trevor Zegras in the shoulder in the neutral zone, and Dvorak got behind Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson to score his seventh goal of the season.

    The secondary assist was the 500th point (205 goals, 295 assists) in 674 games for Konecny, who became the 17th player in Flyers history to hit the mark. He added his eighth goal of the season with an empty-netter late in the third period.

    Rick Tocchet sticks with Flyers’ struggling fourth line: ‘We’re building culture here’

    Then the fourth line finally got a goal. Skating against the team that traded him to the Flyers, Carl Grundstöm got some revenge in the second period.

    Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler sent the puck on goal from the left point, and Grundstöm, in just his second game as a Flyer, deflected the puck as he trailed his stick behind him.

    With 12 seconds left in the middle frame, Noah Cates added some insurance. Bobby Brink carried the puck down the right wing and sent it over to Cates at the top of the left circle for the catch-and-shoot goal. It gave him seven goals on the season.

    Vladař didn’t face a ton of shots — he stopped 17 — but made the big saves when needed.

    Not long after Dvorak tied things up, the Czech netminder stopped Smith on a breakaway. Then, up by a goal, he snared a wicked Celebrini wrist shot as he skated down during a Sharks power play. He stopped Ty Dellandrea all alone in front late in the second and robbed him again in the third period from point-blank range in front of the net.

    Flyers coach Rick Tocchet watches his team on Tuesday night.

    Breakaways

    Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov was sick and did not suit up. Justin Kowalkoski, a 39-year-old emergency backup goalie for the Sharks, signed an amateur tryout agreement with the team. He participated in warmups and sat on the bench in case Nedeljkovic had to leave the game. Kowalkoski played college hockey for Colgate University and previously served as a backup in 2018-19 for the Detroit Red Wings. Daniel Spencer, who rotates with Kowalkoski as the EBUG, was in goal for the Sharks’ morning skate. … Defenseman Ty Murchison made his NHL debut and did not look out of place skating on the third pair with Noah Juulsen. He saw ample time on the penalty kill and played almost 15 minutes with family and friends in attendance. … Michkov, who turned 21 on Tuesday, missed the first few minutes of the second period. According to coach Rick Tocchet postgame, “he had to get some stuff taken care of.”

    Up next

    The Flyers host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN).

  • Report: Temple makes offensive lineman Giakoby Hills among highest-paid Group of Six players

    Report: Temple makes offensive lineman Giakoby Hills among highest-paid Group of Six players

    Temple left tackle Giakoby Hills agreed to a multiyear deal to stay with the Owls, according to a report from 247Sports. Hills reportedly will become one of the highest-paid players among the Group of Six conferences.

    Hills committed to Temple from Morristown (N.J.) High School in 2024. He redshirted in his freshman season and was expected to remain a backup during the 2025 season.

    Starter Kevin Terry suffered a sprained knee during a scrimmage on Aug. 9, thrusting Hills into his spot. Hills, 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds, spent the rest of training camp as the starting left tackle while Terry was on the mend, and made his first collegiate start in Temple’s 42-10 win against Massachusetts on Aug. 30.

    Temple denies report it declined a bowl bid

    Even when Terry returned in September, Hills remained the starter. The redshirt freshman was a key part of a Temple team that averaged 147.4 rushing yards per game. He was also the blindside blocker for quarterback Evan Simon, who broke the team’s single-season record by passing for 25 touchdowns.

    Hills was one of six Temple players with a top-50 Pro Football Focus grade with a 73.5 through 12 games.

    With Hills returning, Temple has locked down a potential cornerstone for the team under coach K.C. Keeler.

    Temple’s Giakoby Hills (left) started all 12 games this season at left tackle.

    Last week, Keeler and general manager Clayton Barnes spoke about the importance of multiyear contracts. They make it easier for the Owls to retain core players and help compete with Power Four conferences who may be offering those players more money.

    “Without multiyear contracts, we wouldn’t have a chance to keep our best players,” Keeler said. “So some of those guys who are going to be sophomores, going to be juniors, say, ‘Here’s the plan to grow you,’ and that gives them a lot more security. Whereas a lot of Power [Four conferences] aren’t going to give a guy a multiyear contract.”

  • Trump strays from script at Poconos rally, calling affordability a ‘hoax’ and Pa. a ‘dumping ground’ for immigrants

    Trump strays from script at Poconos rally, calling affordability a ‘hoax’ and Pa. a ‘dumping ground’ for immigrants

    President Donald Trump’s raucous rally Tuesday night in Pennsylvania was billed as the launch of a national tour focused on easing voters’ economic anxieties that threaten Republicans’ hold in Washington with the 2026 midterms looming.

    But the economy couldn’t maintain the president’s interest for the duration of the speech.

    Instead, he rallied the crowd at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono by fomenting anger at Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and other Somali immigrants who live in Minnesota and teasing a 2028 run, despite constitutional limits on a third term.

    Employing a method he calls “the weave,” Trump darted back and forth between cost-of-living issues and entirely unrelated material, such as claiming credit for the use of the phrase “Merry Christmas” during the holiday season.

    “If I read what’s on the teleprompter, you’d all be falling asleep right now,” Trump said.

    It was Trump’s third trip to Pennsylvania since he began his second term, following a campaign in which he spent a considerable amount of time in the Keystone State, winning it back in part by promising to cure a beleaguered economy. It’s the president’s first return to Northeast Pennsylvania, where he saw his biggest gains in the region during the last election, and which will be a crucial battleground in next year’s election, when the GOP’s razor-thin House majority is on the line.

    “America is winning again. Pennsylvania is prospering again. And I will not rest until this commonwealth is wealthier and stronger than ever before,” Trump proclaimed at the large casino and hotel complex tucked in between ski resorts in the Pocono Mountains.

    The speech comes as many Americans lament the cost of living, workers have lost power in the job market and with their employers, and people are bracing for Affordable Care Act tax credits to expire at the end of the year.

    The casino stayed open Tuesday and gamblers played slots and card games on the floor upstairs as Trump spoke in the ballroom below.

    Trump, in a speech that stretched over an hour, blamed high prices on his Democratic predecessor, former President Joe Biden. He argued gas prices are down and car prices are dropping thanks to relaxed fuel-efficiency standards. The stock market is up this year and overall growth for the third quarter is strong. Trump also has signed agreements to reduce list prices on prescription drugs.

    While Trump again called concerns about affordability a “hoax,” the event itself was at least an acknowledgment that frustrations with the economy are damaging the Republican brand ahead of the midterms. He spoke in front of a large “lower prices, bigger paychecks,” banner.

    “Democrats talking about affordability is like Bonnie and Clyde preaching about public safety,” he said.

    The most compelling part of the evening came more than an hour in, when the president called up members of the local community, including a waiter and an EMT to share personal stories about how no taxes on tips or overtime would benefit their families when tax returns are filed next year.

    Trump played to the Pennsylvania crowd, noting his connections to the state as a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “I love Philadelphia. It’s gotten a little rougher, but we will take it,” he quipped.

    He then reminisced about hosting the Philadelphia Eagles at the White House earlier this year following their Super Bowl win. He hailed coach Nick Sirianni as a “real leader” and marveled at running back Saquon Barkley’s muscles.

    “It’s like I hit a piece of steel. … He’s so strong,” Trump said about patting the Eagles player on the back.

    But despite these light-hearted moments, Trump repeatedly went after Omar and the Somali immigrant community.

    Trump asked if anyone from the crowd was from Somalia and asked them to raise their hands before tearing into Omar, the progressive Minnesota Democrat who left the African country as a refugee.

    “She comes from a country where, I mean, it’s considered about the worst country in the world, right?”

    Later in the speech, Trump complained about immigration from Somalia, Afghanistan and Haiti — instead of countries like Norway and Denmark — as he recounted and affirmed his use of the phrase “shithole countries” during his first term, something he denied at the time.

    He also accused Democrats of making Pennsylvania a “dumping ground” for immigrants.

    Despite this incendiary rhetoric, Trump also celebrated his performance with Black and Latino voters in the last election. He put up the strongest Republican performance with these demographic groups in decades, though a majority both went for Vice President Kamala Harris.

    “Black people love Trump,” Trump said. “I got the biggest vote with Black people. They know a scam better than anybody. They know what it is to be scammed.”

    ‘Everyone’s paying a lot more’

    Nationwide, prices and inflation have increased this year — with many experts saying that the president’s tariff policies have contributed.

    In his speech, Trump touted his tariffs as bringing in “hundreds of billions of dollars,” and noted his administration would be steering $12 billion to farmers through that revenue. The money is meant to help agriculture producers cope with retaliatory measures taken by China and other trading partners in response to Trump’s tariffs, which Trump did not mention in his remarks.

    “We gave the farmers a little help … and they are so happy.” Trump said.

    Poll after poll shows Americans see rising home prices, groceries, education, and electricity costing more. Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index found a 17-month low in terms of trust in the economy, and the survey found Americans’ views of the job market are at their most negative since the end of Trump’s first term during the height of the pandemic.

    For the average Pennsylvanian, there is a “financial struggle” with higher prices on food, childcare, healthcare, and electricity, among other expenses, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.

    He attributes it to Trump’s tariffs and immigration policies, including deportation, which he said limits the number of people working and has “hurt growth and raised inflation.”

    “Everyone’s paying a lot more for basic necessities, most everything,” Zandi said.

    Zandi noted Trump’s economic policies include a few positives for workers and employers, including tax breaks for businesses from Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Act, as well as the tax cuts on tips and overtime.

    “But net, I think the policies have contributed to the financial hardship of the typical Pennsylvanian,” Zandi said.

    Pennsylvania, however, is the only growing economy in the Northeast, according to Moody’s Analytics. The state has secured $31.6 billion in private-sector investments since Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro took office in 2023, according to his administration.

    Shapiro has been quick to argue the state’s relative fiscal health has come in spite of federal policies he argued are hurting Pennsylvanians. He called Trump “a president who seems to want to blame everybody else, whose economic policies are failing,” in an interview Monday night on MS NOW.

    “I mean, if he comes to Pennsylvania and spews more B.S. … I think what you’re ultimately going to find are people tuning him out,” Shapiro, a potential contender for the presidency in 2028, said ahead of Trump’s visit.

    Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) told MS NOW in a separate interview on Tuesday that polling shows the president, “he’s really kind of losing the plot with a part of his own voters now front and center.”

    A key battleground

    The setting for Trump’s speech is also one of the most closely watched battlegrounds in the state, home to freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan’s district, which Democrats are targeting to flip. Bresnahan won by 1.5 percentage points last year.

    Bresnahan was more on message in brief remarks. He said he and Trump have heard the call for relief.

    “The message is the same everywhere we go: Lower the cost, higher-paying jobs, keep our community safe, and listen to the people during the work,” he told the crowd in Mount Pocono.

    He argued policies authored by Trump and passed by the Republican-led Congress, like tax credits for working families and seniors, are already helping people.

    The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee seized on the visit to blast Bresnahan in ads on the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader website, highlighting his penchant for stock trading. And Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democrat running to unseat Bresnahan, took the moment to call him “the exact kind of self-serving politician that Northeastern Pennsylvanians … all agree we need to get rid of.”

    Whether Trump’s message resonates in this part of the country will be telling. Monroe County, home to Mount Pocono, flipped to Trump in the 2024 election after backing Biden in 2020.

    The region is home to a large number of New York City transplants who have moved here seeking more-affordable housing in a region that largely relies on Pocono Mountains tourism as the main source of jobs.

    While views on the economy were mixed on the casino floor, attendees in the ballroom gave the president a warm welcome back to the state. The Secret Service had to turn people away, and many who got in had waited more than four hours outside on an 18-degree day.

    Trump’s ongoing response to affordability woes could have major implications for other vulnerable Republicans hoping to be reelected in the state. In last month’s election, Democrats successfully ran on affordability in the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races — and picked up a slew of local seats in Pennsylvania.

    The DCCC has its sights on the seats of three other Pennsylvania Republicans, along with Bresnahan: U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County; U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie of Lehigh County; and U.S. Rep. Scott Perry of York County.

    Attendees in the crowd Tuesday night held “Keep the House, Keep the Country,” posters.

    Trump told the crowd he’d be back on the trail for Republicans in the midterms, and reflected, that like his off-the-cuff speech, he enjoys stumping.

    Whether the current state of the economy affects Republicans’ chances in 2026 could depend on how those future appearances go and how willing the party will be to keep acknowledging that many Americans are struggling.

    Marc Stier, executive director of the Pennsylvania Policy Center, who was a leading advocate for the establishment of the ACA, argued that “voters are not fools, particularly when it comes to their pocketbook.”

    “How they talk about it will determine in some ways how badly they get hurt,” Stier said. “If they acknowledge a problem and, say, come up with ideas to deal with it, they will probably be hurt less. If they followed Trump’s line … I think they’re gonna get clobbered.”

  • Man and teen boy killed in Germantown shooting

    Man and teen boy killed in Germantown shooting

    A 30-year-old man and 16-year-old boy were killed after a meeting for a possible transaction escalated into gunfire early Tuesday evening in the city’s Germantown section, police said.

    Officers responded shortly after 5 p.m. to multiple reports of a shooting at the intersection of West Queen Lane and Laurens Street and found the man and the teen lying on the ground unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds to their upper bodies, said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

    They were both transported by police to Temple University Hospital, where they were pronounced dead around 5:30 p.m. A handgun was found on the body of the man.

    At the shooting scene, police found 11 spent shell casings from a handgun and a rifle, Small said.

    A Nissan registered to the deceased man was found at the scene with a bullet hole and the driver’s side door still open, Small said.

    A witness said the 30-year-old arrived at the location for a transaction that was reportedly not related to drugs, and the teen was with another man who apparently had the rifle, Small said. The man who arrived with the teen fled the scene.

    Police were checking for video from cameras in the area that may have recorded what happened, Small said.

  • Philly wants to keep the Rocky statue atop the Art Museum steps

    Philly wants to keep the Rocky statue atop the Art Museum steps

    » UPDATE: Plan to keep a Rocky statue at the top of the Art Museum steps moves forward

    The Rocky statue sitting atop of Philadelphia Art Museum’s famed steps could soon be there permanently — and the one at the bottom may be going back to the Italian Stallion himself, Sylvester Stallone.

    That’s according to a recent proposal from Creative Philadelphia, the city’s office for the creative sector, which is slated to present its proposal at an Art Commission meeting for a concept review Wednesday. The plan, the proposal notes, is endorsed by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and Art Museum officials, as well as leaders in the Parks and Recreation department and at the Philadelphia Visitor Center, all of whom filed letters of support.

    “This project is about more than relocating a sculpture,” chief cultural officer Valerie V. Gay and public art director Marguerite Anglin wrote in a letter to the Art Commission. “It’s about elevating an artwork that, for decades, has symbolized perseverance, aspiration, and the resilience of the human spirit.”

    The statue at the top of the Art Museum’s steps was set there last December as part of the city’s inaugural RockyFest, which celebrates the Rocky franchise. Initially intended to be a temporary installation, that statue — a replica of sculptor A. Thomas Schomberg’s original, made by the artist himself — was lent to the city by Stallone, who purchased it for about $403,000 at an auction in 2017, The Inquirer previously reported.

    The statue at the foot of the steps, meanwhile, is owned by the city, and has sat there since 2006, arriving after years of controversy and moves since it appeared in 1982’s Rocky III. Stallone commissioned that statue for the film, and later gave it to the city.

    As part of the city’s plan, Philly would swap ownership of the two statues, taking ownership of the statue at the top of the steps, and returning the statue at the bottom “to the original donor’s private collection” following its exhibition inside the Art Museum this spring, the proposal notes.

    The city would then “install another City-owned statue at the bottom of the Art Museum steps,” and move the statue at the top back several feet for its permanent installation.

    The project would cost an estimated $150,000, the proposal notes. It was not immediately clear what statue would be relocated to the bottom of the steps, or what prompted the exchange of statues.

    An Art Commission agenda notes that in its concept review Wednesday, the proposal could receive final approval if it is found to be “sufficiently developed.”

    A history of moves

    The proposed move marks yet another chapter in the Rocky statue’s storied history in town. It arrived for the filming of Rocky III, but when the shoot wrapped in 1981, a permanent location had not been approved, causing it to be shipped back to Los Angeles. It ultimately came back and was temporarily exhibited again at the top of the Art Museum steps before being moved to an area outside the Spectrum at the stadium complex in South Philly, where it was supposed to permanently stay.

    But in 1990, the statue was again temporarily installed at the museum for the filming of Rocky V, reigniting public debate about whether it should remain there. The statue was returned to the stadium complex before being moved in 2006 back to the bottom of the museum’s steps, where it has sat ever since.

    Gay and Anglin seem to reference the statue’s history in their letter, noting that a permanent installation at the top of the museum’s steps could be an “an opportunity to lean into the evolving conversation about what is considered ‘art’ and what deserves a place in our most treasured civic spaces.”

    “The Rocky statue is a clear example of this evolution,” they wrote. “Its artistic significance has not been shaped by institutions, but by the millions of people who engage with it year after year.”

    A third statue

    Philadelphia, incidentally, has a third Rocky statue made by Schomberg. That one is located at Philadelphia International Airport, where it was unveiled late last month in Terminal A-West.

    “Rocky is the DNA of this great city of Philadelphia,” Schomberg said in a statement released with the airport statue’s unveiling. “There’s a little bit of Rocky in all of us. Rocky is not just known here in Philadelphia but is known across this country and the world.”

  • Approximately 2.7 million state agency letters were never mailed to Pennsylvania residents last month, officials say

    Approximately 2.7 million state agency letters were never mailed to Pennsylvania residents last month, officials say

    HARRISBURG — Approximately 2.7 million pieces of state agency mail never reached Pennsylvania residents last month after a state-contracted vendor failed to send them, affecting outgoing correspondence from the state Department of Human Services and the Department of Transportation, officials said Tuesday.

    From Nov. 3 through Dec. 3, officials said, the affected state agency mail was never presorted and delivered by the vendor to the U.S. Postal Service, resulting in a backlog of millions of unsent state communications.

    Late last week, Pennsylvania state officials discovered that a month’s worth of mail had never been sent to residents by the outside vendor, Harrisburg-based Capitol Presort Services LLC. Once the issue was discovered, the state fired the vendor for failing to fulfill its contract and hired another vendor to work through the backlog.

    Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration just fired a vendor for failing to send state agency mail, impacting an unknown number of residents

    The state Department of Human Services, which oversees the care of the state’s most vulnerable residents and children, is still determining “the exact volume and categories of delayed mail,” said Paul Vezzetti, a spokesperson for the state Department of General Services. However, DHS was able to confirm that some services were not interrupted: residents waiting on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards for receiving food assistance, mail sent by county assistance offices, and notices about suspended benefits during the federal government shutdown were not affected, Vezzetti added.

    PennDot driver’s license and vehicle registration renewal invitations, driver’s license camera cards, vehicle registration cards, and address update cards are all among the routine correspondences that were never sent to residents over the last month, Vezzetti said. Driver’s license suspensions were not impacted by the stalled mail. Vehicle registration and license renewal registrations are sent three months in advance, so anyone who was due to receive one at the start of November will have until February to submit it, the agency said.

    It was not clear on Tuesday which other state agencies’ mail had been impacted by the lapse in service.

    All of the recently discovered unsent state agency mail was transported to USPS on Monday by the state’s new vendor and will be promptly delivered to residents by the Postal Service, officials said. PennDot customers should receive any expected mail from the time period of Nov. 3 to Dec. 3 within the next 7-10 days, Vezzetti added.

    On Friday, the state secured a $1 million emergency contract with another mail presorting company, Pitney Bowes, to handle the multimillion-letter backlog.

    The state had contracted with Capitol Presort Services since May 1, 2021. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2022, but had continued its work for the state until last week, when the agency mail pileup was uncovered.

    It remained unclear Tuesday why it took a full month for officials to determine that 2.7 million pieces of state agency mail had not been reaching residents. It was also unclear how the issue was discovered by officials last week.

    The unsent mail may prove to be a major headache for Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration, depending on which state communications were not delivered to residents. The backlog could include critical correspondence relating to state services, such as health benefits or food assistance, among others.

    State agencies regularly send communications by mail about an individual’s eligibility for services or benefits, renewals and appeals, and whether a person is due to appear at a hearing about that eligibility, and more.

    “Agencies across the Commonwealth continue to evaluate any potential negative effects of this mail delay and are taking proactive steps to mitigate potential impacts on Pennsylvanians,” Vezzetti added.

    A spokesperson for Gov. Josh Shapiro declined to comment.

    According to the state’s contract with Capitol Presort Services from 2021, the vendor was responsible for delivering more than 16 million pieces of state agency mail each year. Almost all of this mail was to be for the delivery of the state’s First Class and Next-Day mail, which are among the U.S. Postal Services’ fastest delivery options.

    Philip Gray, the president and owner of Capitol Presort Services, did not immediately respond to questions about his company’s bankruptcy and how the backlog of mail came about.

    Capitol Presort Services advertises itself as a way for “companies to maximize postal discounts while improving their mail delivery,” according to its website. Mail presorting allows organizations to prepare mail with the proper bar codes and trays needed for easy delivery by USPS, which USPS offers to companies at a discounted rate.

  • Phillies opt to stretch their competitive window with Kyle Schwarber and Co., and baseball seems to agree

    Phillies opt to stretch their competitive window with Kyle Schwarber and Co., and baseball seems to agree

    ORLANDO — Did anyone really think the Phillies would let Kyle Schwarber leave?

    Really?

    Sure, they could’ve gone in another direction, especially as Schwarber began getting offers this week. The Pirates — yes, you read that right — made a four-year, $120 million whopper, a league source said Tuesday. The Orioles and Reds offered five years, The Athletic reported, with Baltimore willing to go to $150 million.

    And as the market took off for a 33-year-old designated hitter, the Phillies could’ve tapped out.

    Where will Kyle Schwarber land? Sizing up the Phillies’ competition in the free-agent sweepstakes

    But if you’ve paid attention, you know the Phillies believe Schwarber is unrivaled, as a slugger and certainly a leader. Dave Dombrowski said all along that Schwarber, not younger free agents such as Cody Bellinger or Pete Alonso, was the priority. Hitting coach Kevin Long emerged from organizational meetings in October and told The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast that losing Schwarber would be “devastating.”

    Even owner John Middleton said this about Schwarber in July: “We love him. We want to keep him.”

    Middleton doesn’t usually get outbid for players he wants, least of all by the Pirates. Or the Orioles. Or even by Schwarber’s hometown Reds. And so it was, before lunch Tuesday, that the Phillies made the most predictable news at the winter meetings.

    Schwarber back to Philly. Five years, $150 million, sources said.

    Kyle Schwarber hit a career-high 56 homers for the Phillies this year.

    “I had a pretty good idea that was going to be the route,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Talking to Dave throughout the season, he knew that [Schwarber] was a huge part of what they were trying to accomplish and moving forward. So, not surprised that it’s with them.”

    The agreement was pending a physical and wasn’t announced by the Phillies until Tuesday night. But sources said the team’s confidence in Schwarber’s ability to stay productive through his mid-30s stems from his consistent bat speed. He’s also a more complete hitter now than when he signed a four-year, $79 million deal with the Phillies in 2022, one year removed from being non-tendered by the Cubs.

    Team officials have likened Schwarber to David Ortiz, who hit more than half his 541 homers after turning 32 and played through age 40. Schwarber’s contract will run through his age-37 season.

    “He’s so different than most of the guys I’ve ever been around because he’s a great player, one, and he knows how to bring the heartbeat of the clubhouse down when things are going rough,” manager Rob Thomson said. “And not only the clubhouse but individuals as well. He’s just a huge part of our ballclub.”

    The Phillies have made progress, but still haven’t signed a player out of Japan. Will that change soon?

    Lest anyone forget, it’s a club that won 96 games this year — and 95 the year before. The Phillies are tied with the Dodgers for the most wins in baseball over the last two seasons. But the Dodgers also won back-to-back World Series and made news Tuesday by signing star closer Edwin Díaz.

    So, while the Phillies did what was necessary to bring back Schwarber, and extended Thomson’s contract through 2027, and remained optimistic about re-signing J.T. Realmuto, the perception, at least in Philly, is that they’re merely bringing back the band.

    And given the players’ ages and contract terms, the band might start looking like the Rolling Stones in a few years.

    But if the goal is to stretch the competitive window and take as many whacks as possible at the World Series, rival club officials surveyed in the lobby of the Signia by Hilton and baseball observers/insiders believe the Phillies are right to not make sweeping changes.

    The Phillies re-signed Kyle Schwarber (right) on Tuesday. Is J.T. Realmuto next?

    “Getting there is really hard to do, and improving in the season each year is really hard to do,” former major league general manager Jim Duquette said. “What the Phillies have accomplished is really, really difficult. If I’m the Phillies, I would be very careful with how many adjustments you make with that team.”

    The Braves kept most of their core together through their run of 11 consecutive division championships in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Former Atlanta general manager John Schuerholz famously believed in changing about 10% of the roster in the offseason during those years.

    Including Schwarber’s deal, the Phillies have roughly $285 million in payroll commitments for 2026. They ended this year at about $312 million and expect to be in a similar range next year.

    Even as they try to get Realmuto back behind the plate, the Phillies expect to make changes to other areas of the roster, notably the outfield. Touted rookie Justin Crawford is ticketed to be in the opening-day lineup, either in left field or center. Nick Castellanos will be traded or released. Top prospect Andrew Painter is almost sure to be in the season-opening rotation.

    How can Bryce Harper have an ‘elite’ season in 2026? It starts with examining his atypical 2025.

    Dombrowski pushed back, then, on the idea that the Phillies are merely running it back, as if that would be a bad thing after 87-, 90-, 95-, and 96-win seasons and four playoff appearances in a row.

    “I don’t think we ever just run it back. We’re not running our club back,” Dombrowski said, citing Crawford’s arrival and possibly an expanded role for Otto Kemp as examples of changes. “And when I say that, I’m not so sure where you win 96 games that you should really look to have to do a lot of things differently.”

    Said Thomson: “We won 96 games last year. It’s not like we’re not doing well. We’ve got a good club. No matter what happens, we’re still going to have a good club.

    “Even if we sign both [Schwarber and Realmuto] back, there’s still going to be some changes. And there might be some change within the lineup as far as the order, which could infuse a little bit of energy.”

    Bryce Harper batted behind Kyle Schwarber in 2025, but their order could switch next season.

    More specifically, Thomson hinted at flipping Schwarber and Bryce Harper in the batting order.

    Schwarber batted behind Harper for a month early in the season before the latter missed a month with an inflamed right wrist. When Harper returned, he batted third, with Schwarber cemented in the No. 2 spot. And while Harper faced a lower rate of pitches in the zone (43%) than any hitter in baseball, Schwarber hit a career-high 56 homers.

    “Harper was protecting Schwarber,” Thomson said, “and Schwarber is having at that point a career year. I just didn’t want to mess with it.”

    Upon further review, maybe it would be better the other way around?

    “Yeah,” Thomson said. “I’ve got some ideas. But I haven’t talked to the players yet, so I don’t want to talk much more about that. But yeah, I’ve thought long and hard about it.”

    Those are the changes Phillies officials believe could make the difference in a 96-win team getting knocked out in the divisional round and finally winning the World Series.

    Moving on from Schwarber was nothing they ever cared to contemplate.

  • Trump came to a Pa. casino to promise prosperity. Gamblers here had a mixed view of the economy.

    Trump came to a Pa. casino to promise prosperity. Gamblers here had a mixed view of the economy.

    A smattering of people pushed their luck Tuesday at the Mount Airy Casino Resort, tapping neon slot buttons, flipping dice onto felt craps tables, and wandering the rows of glowing, dinging machines.

    A floor below, President Donald Trump was set to speak in a sprawling ballroom, where event staff hung a huge blue banner: LOWER PRICES, BIGGER PAYCHECKS.

    Trump picked this casino in the Pocono Mountains to deliver the first big economic speech of his presidency as polls show Americans are feeling the pain of high prices — and many are blaming him.

    Politically, the setting made sense. This northeastern corner of the state is where Trump saw the largest swing from 2020 to 2024, and it will be a key congressional battleground next year. It’s also a region home to a large population of aging, non-college-educated voters — the core of Trump’s comeback coalition.

    But the contrast at the casino was hard to miss: the steady slot machine chimes of financial risk and uncertainty above and a president’s promises of stability and revival on the floor below.

    How’s the economy working for Rosemary Migli?

    “It could be better,” said the 73-year-old retired bartender from Tobyhanna, taking a puff of a cigarette before winning 35 cents on a spin.

    Despite a frenzy of police and Secret Service, many gamblers, focused on their own troubles or celebrations, did not realize the president was coming. An older retired couple enjoyed an afternoon together with no obligations. Nearby, a recently widowed woman said the monotony of the slots helps her cope with her loss.

    Peter Jean-Baptiste celebrated his 33rd birthday at the casino with his fiancee. The Philadelphia-based couple are saving for a wedding next year.

    “It’s tough for everyone just trying to make a living, honest people trying to make a living,” Jean-Baptiste said. “One day you feel like [Trump’s] got your back, the next day he doesn’t.”

    Jean-Baptiste, who works in property insurance, said he has also seen housing prices rise. And, as a child of Haitian immigrant parents, he is struggling with how Trump’s anti-Haitian verbal attacks and immigration crackdowns have affected his family.

    “He does a bunch of hot takes and causes division between American citizens,” Jean-Baptiste said. “When, I feel, we really all just want to get along and get by.”

    Mount Pocono is a region with mixed fortunes: Wealthy retirees have second vacation homes here, while lower-income workers are employed in warehouses and hold up the tourism industry. The area is also a hub for New York City commuters who moved here for more affordable housing.

    “We live on a fixed income. We watch what we spend,” said Julie Dietz, sitting beside her husband, Glenn, as she played a buffalo-themed slot game. The Toms River, N.J., couple gamble for a few hours every now and then. She was a paralegal and he worked evaluating industrial facilities for safety before they retired.

    “We know what our limitations are,” Dietz, 71, said. “Yes, food prices have gone up, but I’ve also seen some things come down — gas prices in our area. And the economy took so many years to get to this point.”

    Dietz, who supported Trump in the last election, thinks an economic rebound is just going to take more time.

    “He’s been in office 11 months. Eleven months. So I feel full confidence that he is going to do what he said he’s going to do. Everybody wants things immediately.”

    Kathy F., who didn’t want to give her last name talking about politics and gambling, joined her husband at the casino Tuesday, despite her misgivings about losing money at a time when prices are going up.

    “I go to Costco and everything is $5 more than it used to be. That’s a lot,” she said, bundled in a puffy black coat as her husband gambled nearby.

    “I really don’t understand politics,” said the retired New York City civil servant, who voted for then-Vice President Kamala Harris last year. “It seems like they just fight with each other nonstop when all people want is to be able to afford to live.”

    As he stretched his legs between games, Stephen Miller — “not that Stephen Miller,” he clarified — laughed off the notion of going to see Trump in person a floor below.

    “If I want to see him, all I have to do is turn on the TV. He’s on at 12, he’s on at 3, he’s on at 5, seven days a week.”

    The 75-year-old retired contractor supports Trump, though, and called the economy “half-decent.” He said food prices are high but eggs have gone down.

    “The economy is glacial, so it moves slow. Democrats are definitely locked onto the affordability. But affordability means, what? It means whatever you want it to mean.”

    Miller glanced down at a few vouchers in his hand to set off for the next set of machines.

    “I’m not winning yet, but I will be and the Donald will be,” he said. “Give it time.”