The four roommates have hosted costumed Halloween parties for more than 80 people in their Spring Garden residence. Last year a guest came as a nun and another came as Jesus. They were, after all, visiting a church.
Philadelphia Architecture in the 19th Century, described the city’s Spring Garden neighborhood as: “Houses, Quaker in Excelsis with pocket handkerchiefs of terraces and here and there a reticent church where one could sleep comfortably through hour-long sermons.”
In that neighborhood, decades later, Corwynne Peterson, Riley Sperger, Ashlee Propst, and Magdalena Becker share a four-level unit in what was once Christ Reformed Church. The Romanesque-style brownstone place of worship was built in 1860 in the middle of a block of terraced houses.
Times changed, the church’s congregation dwindled. The increasingly deteriorating building was used for several years as a recreation center and for after-school programs. Then in 2003 it was purchased by the Regis Group, a property development company.
As seen looking down from the third floor, (from left) Ashlee Propst, Corwynne Peterson, cat Hugo, and Magdalena Becker sit on the window sill in their apartment, formerly a church.Peterson shares some affection with her cat, Hugo, on the former church altar.
Regis converted the church into 17 multilevel rental units, preserving the soaring ceilings, decorative plaster moldings, several leaded glass windows, and pine flooring. The eclectic decor includes whitewashed brick interior walls, new skylights and ceiling fans, exposed pipes and beams. Remnants of ecclesiastical patterned wallpapers still cover the wall near a door leading to the communal courtyard.
For Halloween the roommates screen It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on the columned dome of what was the church sanctuary. At the top of the dome is a painted gold cross and crown, symbolizing the reward in heaven (crown) after trials on earth (cross).
Peterson said she and her three roommates, all women in their 20s, call the sanctuary “the stage.”
The sanctuary, furnished with a dining table and chairs, is on a raised platform a few steps above the living room, kitchen, powder room, and “library,” with bookshelves and Peterson’s piano keyboard.
The exterior of the Homes at Chapel Lofts, built in 1860 as the Christ Reformed Church.The remaining original stained-glass window in the apartment.
On the next level are Peterson’s and Sperger’s bedrooms, a bathroom, and a sitting area. Both women work as restaurant servers.
An ornately carved oak banister between the bedrooms and overlooking the sanctuary might have once been the church’s Communion rail.
Propst, a research specialist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, has the largest bedroom and a private bath on the third level, where there is also a washing machine and dryer the women share.
Up a spiral staircase on the top level is Becker’s bedroom, adjacent to a rooftop deck. She shares a bathroom with Peterson and Sperger two flights down.
Entranceway to the apartment’s library.
A pair of silver stiletto-heeled boots decorate a shelf at the bottom of the stairs. Becker is a writer for Static Media and a dancer, “which is why I have a lot of shoes,” she said.
The roommates separately found the converted church on Facebook, moving in at different times over the last 2½ years. They collaborated on the furnishings, sourcing the gray sectional in the living room, the gray sitting-area sofa and purple ottoman, and other furniture on Facebook Marketplace. Their parents and grandparents contributed oriental rugs.
The vintage typewriter, which sits on a desk gifted by a neighbor, was a prop from a play in which Peterson performed. The Vanya poster is from an Off-Broadway, one-man show of the same name autographed for Peterson by the star, Andrew Scott.
Magdalena Becker in her fourth-floor bedroom, with sun beaming through the skylight above.
Abstract nature prints came from Etsy, and a Vogue magazine cover, old records, and other art displayed on the walls were purchased at thrift stores. The women’s colorful clothes hang on racks.
Light streams from a tall window comprising various shapes of clear glass, which replaced disintegrating leaded glass. Some of the arched doorways still have stained-glass transoms.
The roommates admit they don’t do much communal cooking. They each have their own shelves in the fridge and in the chestnut kitchen cabinets.
Magdalena Becker stands on the south-facing deck just off of her fourth-floor bedroom.Corwynne Peterson stands in the doorway of the library with her piano keyboard.
But they do host parties together. Besides the Halloween festivities there was a birthday party for Sperger in September.
For Christmas celebrations, the sanctuary sparkles with green and red lights.
The women also share affection for the only male in residence, Peterson’s orange and white cat, Hugo. And he is fond of all of them.
Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com.
Shayla Smith mingled on the Hagan Arena court Sunday afternoon, posing for a photo with St. Joseph’s guard Kaylinn Bethea.
The brief reunion with a former Philly Rise EYBL teammate was one reason Smith said it felt like “a breath of fresh air” to be back in her hometown. It was her first trip as a Penn State player, after becoming the city’s all-time scoring leader for high school boys’ and girls’ basketball last spring.
“It definitely feels good to be back here,” Smith told The Inquirer. “ … Just coming back home, seeing everybody, all my people.”
An undisclosed injury kept Smith from playing in the Nittany Lions’ 89-77 victory over St Joe’s. Yet the former Audenried superstar is embracing the beginning of her college career, and coach Carolyn Kieger expects Smith to “drastically” help a 4-0 Penn State this season.
“I wish she was 100% to play in her hometown today,” Kieger said postgame. “ … I’ve been really impressed with her work ethic and how she’s kind of been just soaking up learning and growing.
“It’s an unfortunate injury there, but she’ll be back healthy and ready to rock here in no time.”
Smith has played 19 total minutes during two of Penn State’s first four games, going 3-of-7 from the floor for six points along with four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.
But the 5-foot-9 freshman guard believes she has already improved since arriving on campus for summer workouts. Physically, Smith feels stronger and faster. Mentally, she feels more decisive, a necessity in Kieger’s “0.5” offensive system that requires players to begin to shoot, pass, or dribble in less than a second.
Penn State freshman Shayla Smith (center) has played 19 total minutes this season.
Smith also has concentrated on being a more vocal teammate, a noticeable emphasis while she watched Sunday’s game from the bench. She emphatically clapped when the Nittany Lions surrendered a layup on their opening possession, clearly aiming to motivate those on the floor. She stood up, lifted three fingers, and hollered “Yeah!” when Vitória Santana buried a three-pointer that gave Penn State an 86-74 lead with 1 minute, 37 seconds remaining. Smith applauded as her team dribbled out the final seconds of a game often played at a frenetic pace.
Kieger said she envisions utilizing Smith’s frame and skills on both ends of the floor. She is an obvious three-level scorer who can shoot from beyond the arc and muscle her way inside. Those attributes fueled a decorated high school career in which she amassed a record-breaking 2,691 career points and averaged 27.5 points as a senior. Smith also has the capability to guard multiple positions, Kieger said.
“I’m going to bring my physicality as a guard,” Smith said. “Just my attack mindset. Just embracing my role. Trying to be the best at what they need me to do. … When I get my chances, just do what I can do. Play my game when I get the chance.”
Heading to Happy Valley also has meant adapting to college life. Though Smith quipped that she enjoys “just being able to do whatever I want and nobody saying anything,” these early months have been a test in time management. A diligent gym rat, Smith has been learning when to squeeze her individual workout time in between classes, practices, and other team obligations such as alumni events.
“There’s always something to do,” Smith said. “ … I’ve just got to find the time to work on my craft and still be on top of everything else.”
While recovering from this injury, Smith said she has been trying to make the best of observing how the game unfolds from a pulled-back perspective. That was a rarity when the offense flowed through her as a record-breaking high school player, who was a three-time All-State honoree and anchored Audenried’s three-peat as Public League champions.
Shayla Smith, the former Audenried standout, did not play in Penn State’s win over St. Joseph’s on Sunday because of an injury.
And spending Sunday’s return to Philly on the bench has made her “eager” to truly get her college career underway.
“I just want to be a great teammate [and] master my role,” Smith said. “Bring my physicality. Bring everything that I can. I want to contribute, and help the team make it to the NCAA Tournament and Big Ten championship.”
There is a glaring omission in the wall-to-wall coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Even as new headlines roar with fresh allegations, the facts of the crimes and the trauma inflicted on the innocent children continue to fall to the wayside.
The current focus on the rich and powerful and the political backstory surrounding fights over lists, transcripts, and depositions does little if anything for the still-young women who were trapped in Epstein’s depravity. Accountability and transparency are what will support them.
One thing is not in dispute: What happened to those children was no hoax. Those horrific crimes were the result of years of grooming and entrapment of young teenage girls. These crimes sadly happen at an alarming rate, often right under our noses.
Why? One major reason is that society fails to talk about them openly and honestly, leaving the public with the perception that it is a “them” rather than a “we” issue.
Forgetting about the abuse these young women and girls endured is a tragedy. Here is a glimpse into their reality:
Virginia Giuffre was 17 when Maxwell recruited her from Mar-a-Lago for a job as Epstein’s masseuse. They groomed and lured her into years of sexual abuse by trafficking her internationally. Sadly, she took her own life earlier this year. Her friends and family are robbed of sharing her life.
Maria Farmer was an aspiring artist who met Epstein and Maxwell during her studies. Under the pretext of supporting her career, they sexually abused her while security prevented her from leaving. Her pleas to authorities were ignored, allowing the abuse to continue for years. This is trauma she will never escape.
Sarah Ransome, 22, was pursuing a fashion career when Maxwell offered her mentorship. Instead, she was lured into Epstein’s circle, sexually abused, and trafficked to wealthy international rapists on “Epstein Island,” a captivity she couldn’t escape, even by trying to swim away.
Courtney Wild was just 14 when a friend convinced her to go to Palm Beach, Fla., for a job giving massages to Epstein. “Massage” as a code word for abuse and rape. Not once, but hundreds of times. Epstein made her recruit other girls in an operation that ensnared children in cycles of abuse and coercion.
Uncomfortable? Now put yourself in the victims’ shoes.
An epidemic of evil
An estimated 48,000 U.S. minors are trafficked into sexual abuse annually, leaving nearly 60 million adult survivors of child sexual abuse. That’s about one out of every five Americans. With society unwilling to even talk about their reality, it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that less than 30% of sex crimes are even reported.
Anouska De Georgiou (right) gathers with other Jeffrey Epstein accusers at a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 3.
Epstein’s name might be the most famous, but there are thousands more like him who count on silence, confusion, and distraction. Those creatures have something else in common: They continue to hunt for prey and inflict horrible abuse on the next victim.
Lack of accountability is a blueprint for “Epstein Islands” popping up in every community. Shying away from the uncomfortable details doesn’t soften the crime. Secrets don’t help victims heal. Epstein and Maxwell kept secrets, and other abusers hope you do, too.
Victims of sexual abuse are forced to keep secrets. Keeping documents sealed under the pretext of protecting victims is the real hoax.
If you’re serious about wanting to prevent these crimes from happening again, release all the Epstein files.
Paul DelPonte is executive director and CEO of the National Crime Prevention Council. Aaron Hanson has served as the sheriff of Douglas County, Neb., since 2023, and has nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience.
Thank you to Wendy Ruderman for your moving story about Mike West. I had the privilege of knowing both Mike and Lynn — Mike, who left a lasting impact, and Lynn, who continues to honor his legacy with grace and heart. Your piece truly captured their spirit.
Mike was always approachable — no matter how challenging the business discussion, his smile always led the way into the room. He was a consummate professional who brought people together and made things happen, always with kindness and respect.
Reading about his journey with Alzheimer’s was difficult. It’s hard to imagine the weight of the decisions he faced. I salute Lynn for her courage in sharing resources and their family’s experience, so others might find help and understanding on their own Alzheimer’s journeys.
Your story is a reminder that it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget what matters most in support of friends and family. Mike’s legacy isn’t just in Rothman’s growth, but in how he treated people — with genuine care. Sharing his story will help more families find the support they need.
Thank you for telling it with such compassion.
Richard L. Snyder, chief operating officer, Independence Blue Cross
Combined sewer systems — where sewage and stormwater share the same pipes to a treatment plant — serve about 60% of Philadelphia. These systems can’t handle heavy rainfall, causing overflows that contaminate our rivers. Between 2016 and 2024, an average of 12.7 billion gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater entered local waterways each year. This goes against the Clean Water Act’s goal of protecting U.S. waters and threatens wildlife, communities, and athletes like myself.
Philadelphia must invest in stronger infrastructure that can handle heavy rainfall. While green stormwater projects are an important start, they aren’t enough to protect the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers. Ongoing sewage overflows make training and recreation unsafe for up to 195 days a year. It’s time for the Water Department to act and keep our rivers clean and safe.
These soldiers died fighting for freedom and against the Nazis. They must be remembered.
How must their descendants feel?
Judy Hartl,Philadelphia
Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.
DEAR ABBY: My husband of 4 1/2 years had an old girlfriend he was on and off with for 15 years. She passed away while he was in prison. We got married three months after he was released. The thing is, when he sleeps, almost every night, he says her name and how much he loves her. He says because he’s doing it in his sleep, he doesn’t know he’s doing it. It seems to upset him that I’m upset. He doesn’t want to hurt me. What can I do to deal with it or get him to stop doing it?
— DREADS THE BED IN COLORADO
DEAR DREADS: Your husband was on and off with his late girlfriend much longer than he has been married to you. Old habits die hard. If he wakes you when this happens, don’t hesitate to gently wake him. If he asks why you did it, explain that he was talking in his sleep. (Do not be specific about what.) Then try to remember that she is history, and you are right next to him.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I’m a senior widow who has been dating an older man for a year now. He’s caring and thoughtful and has many good qualities, but one thing he does is creating difficulty for me. He constantly stares at other women. I’ve talked with him about a “five-second rule,” but he doesn’t hear me. He told me he was raised by his mother and grandmother and that’s why he’s attracted to women in general. He says it doesn’t mean anything.
I have never been with a man who constantly looks at other women. He also prefers to have women friends rather than men friends. I don’t want to be jealous, but sometimes it’s hard keeping those feelings down. I’m trying to decide whether I should end this relationship or stay in it and try to overcome my feelings of jealousy.
— RED FLAG IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR RED FLAG: If this person makes you feel less good about yourself, recognize it IS a red flag. His behavior is insensitive and rude. Because you have asked him to stop staring at women when he is with you and he makes excuses to continue, my advice is to find a companion who is more considerate of your feelings.
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DEAR ABBY: My wife of 31 years and I have been fighting over politics and cultural changes in our country. The arguments have cooled down by mutual agreement, but so has our sexual desire for each other. Our marriage consultant has always taken my wife’s position; I am left on my own. I have no support from the rest of my family (three lovely daughters), but I still love and respect my wife. She told me that I must switch my politics to hers or she will leave me. What do I do?
— THREATENED IN WISCONSIN
DEAR THREATENED: Tell your wife and her marriage consultant that as your political arguments have dwindled, so has your sex life. It may be time to seek professional counseling with someone else on your own. Your wife’s ultimatum is unrealistic. Unless the two of you can agree to disagree, take her up on her offer.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Even if you’re capable of doing something on your own, accepting help is still valuable, just not for the obvious reason. The “help” isn’t really the point; what matters is what you learn through the exchange.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Sometimes the fastest way forward is to pause, check your bearings, and confirm your orientation, because you don’t want to go fast in the wrong direction. A brief moment of awareness now will save hours later.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). People ask of you what they will. But you can’t oblige every ask. People who respect you will stay in dialogue even when they don’t get what they want. People who only want the “yes” will fade away when they hear “no.”
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Love can witness without fixing. Kindness can be warm and steady without falling into the gravity of another person’s need. Take care of yourself first. It’s not selfish; it’s the correct order.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You may have wonky tools or a clumsy setup today, and that’s actually perfect. When things are tricky, it wakes up your inventiveness, forcing you to move differently, think sharper and invent. And you’re so brilliant when you improvise!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Kindness isn’t a contract. Your generosity doesn’t obligate you to the comfort of others. Protect your energy. Give because it delights you, not because it’s expected. And if you’re just not sure, hold off until you have a stronger feeling about what to do next.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You sense the ache of the world even on bright days. Still, it’s not betrayal to feel good. When joy visits, take it in. And someone must remember what hope feels like. Why shouldn’t that someone be you?
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). It’s not too much to ask life to impress you, especially if you ask it to yourself, or send it to the heavens, or write it in your journal. After all, you regularly give more than what’s expected of you. And others might, too, if they sense the challenge.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’re awakening to how uneven emotional labor can be. Don’t confuse serving with loving. True partnership is mutual tending. Step back from one-way giving; step toward those who offer warmth back. Balance restores dignity and real joy.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’ve been accused of stubbornness, but there’s an upside to it — and in your case it’s an up and up and up side. Tenacity got you here and tenacity will get you to the next place, too. Keep it pushing, eyes ahead, never stop.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). To want more from someone is to overlook who they already are. Love’s rare grace is to stop improving, fixing or expecting, and simply witness. Let them be, and they’ll rise naturally into the truest version of themselves.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). When you chase a floating ball in water, your own motion pushes it away. The same goes for goals and people. Consider approaching indirectly, from the side or under the surface. Don’t make waves. Let it drift closer to you.
TODAY’SBIRTHDAY (Nov. 19). Welcome to your Year of Wonder Work. You’ll create something that makes you proud to wake up early. The mix of joy and diligence turns ordinary efforts into legacy-making magic. More highlights: Romance finds you in motion — on a journey, in a workshop, mid-song. You’ll refine your tastes, elevate your surroundings, and collect experiences that feel cinematic. Cancer and Leo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 39, 26, 14 and 13.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed U.S. intelligence findings that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman likely had some culpability in the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi as Trump warmly welcomed the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia on his first White House visit in seven years.
The U.S.-Saudi relationship had, for a time, been sent into a tailspin by the operation targeting Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the kingdom.
But seven years later, the dark clouds over the relationship have been cleared away. And Trump is tightening his embrace of the 40-year-old crown prince, who he said is an indispensable player in shaping the Middle East in the decades to come.
Trump in his defense of the crown prince derided Khashoggi as “extremely controversial” and said “a lot of people didn’t like that gentleman.” Prince Mohammed denies involvement in the killing of Khashoggi, who was a Saudi citizen and Virginia resident.
“Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Trump said when asked about the killing by a reporter during an Oval Office appearance with Prince Mohammed. “But (Prince Mohammed) knew nothing about it. And we can leave it at that. You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.”
But U.S. intelligence officials determined that the Saudi crown prince likely approved the killing by Saudi agents of U.S.-based journalist inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to U.S. findings declassified in 2021 at the start of the Biden administration. Trump officials, during his first administration, refused to release the report.
Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia “did all the right steps” to investigate Khashoggi’s death.
“It’s painful and it’s a huge mistake,” he said.
Trump, who said the two leaders have become “good friends,” even commended the Saudi leader for strides made by the kingdom on human rights without providing any specific detail.
The crown prince for his part announced Saudi Arabia was increasing its planned investments in the U.S. to $1 trillion, up from $600 billion that the Saudis announced they would pour into the United States when Trump visited the kingdom in May.
Echoing rhetoric that Trump likes to use, the crown prince called the U.S. the “hottest country on the planet” for foreign investment.
“What you’re creating is not about an opportunity today. It’s also about long-term opportunity,” Prince Mohammed said.
Trump’s family has a strong personal interest in the kingdom. In September, London real estate developer Dar Global announced that it plans to launch Trump Plaza in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
It’s Dar Global’s second collaboration with the Trump Organization, the collection of companies controlled by the U.S. president’s children, in Saudi Arabia.
Trump pushed back on suggestions that there could be a conflict of interest in his family’s dealings with the Saudis.
“I have nothing to do with the family business,” Trump said.
Trump’s comments about Khashoggi’s killing and defense of his family’s business in Saudi Arabia were blasted by human rights and government oversight activists.
Human rights groups say Saudi authorities continue to harshly repress dissent, including by arresting human rights defenders, journalists and political dissidents for criticism against the kingdom. They also note a surge in executions in Saudi Arabia that they connect to an effort to suppress internal dissent.
“President Trump has Jamal Khashoggi’s blood on his hands,” said Raed Jarrar, advocacy director for DAWN, a U.S.-based group advocating for democracy and human rights in the Arab world that was founded by Khashoggi.
Rolling out the red carpet
Trump warmly received Prince Mohammed when he arrived at the White House Tuesday morning for a pomp-filled arrival ceremony that included a military flyover and a thundering greeting from the U.S. Marine band.
Technically, it wasn’t a state visit, because the crown prince is not the head of state. But Prince Mohammed has taken charge of the day-to-day governing for his father, King Salman, 89, who has endured health problems in recent years.
Later, Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcomed the crown prince for a black-tie dinner in the White House East Room. The boldface names who attended included Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Trump at the dinner announced he was designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally. The designation, while largely symbolic, provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense, trade and security cooperation.
The president also announced that the two leaders had signed a new defense agreement, but the White House did not immediately release details of the pact. Ahead of the visit, the Saudis had signaled they were looking for formal assurances from Trump defining the scope of the U.S. military protection for the kingdom.
“A stronger and more capable alliance will advance the interests of both countries,” Trump said. “And it will serve the highest interest of peace.”
Fighter jets and business deals
On the eve of Prince Mohammed’s arrival, Trump announced he had agreed to sell the Saudis F-35 fighter jets despite some concerns within the administration that the sale could lead to China gaining access to the U.S. technology behind the advanced weapon system. The White House announced the two leaders formalized the F-35 agreement Tuesday as well as a deal for the Saudis to purchase nearly 300 tanks from the U.S.
They also signed agreements signifying closer cooperation on capital markets and critical minerals markets, as well as efforts against money laundering and terrorist financing.
Trump’s announcement on the fighter jets was surprising because some in the Republican administration have been wary about upsetting Israel’s qualitative military edge over its neighbors, especially at a time when Trump is depending on Israeli support for the success of his Gaza peace plan.
Abraham Accord talks
The visit comes at a moment when Trump is trying to nudge the Saudis toward normalizing relations with Israel.
The president in his first term had helped forge commercial and diplomatic ties between Israel and Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates through an effort dubbed the Abraham Accords.
Trump sees expansion of the accords as essential to his broader efforts to build stability in the Middle East after the two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Getting Saudi Arabia — the largest Arab economy and the birthplace of Islam — to sign on would spur a domino effect, he argues.
But the Saudis have maintained that a path toward Palestinian statehood must first be established before normalizing relations with Israel can be considered. The Israelis remain steadfastly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.
“We want to be part of the Abraham Accords, but we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path of a two-state solution,” Prince Mohammed said.
When a small, bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a petition in July to maneuver around Speaker Mike Johnson’s control of the House floor, it appeared a longshot effort — especially as Trump urged his supporters to dismiss the matter as a “hoax.”
But both Trump and Johnson failed to prevent the vote. The president in recent days bowed to political reality, saying he would sign the bill. And just hours after the House vote, senators agreed to approve it unanimously, skipping a formal roll call.
The decisive, bipartisan work in Congress Tuesday further showed the pressure mounting on lawmakers and the Trump administration to meet long-held demands that the Justice Department release its case files on Epstein, a well-connected financier who killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges he sexually abused and trafficked underage girls.
For survivors of Epstein’s abuse, passage of the bill was a watershed moment in a years-long quest for accountability.
“These women have fought the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight. And they did it by banding together and never giving up,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene as she stood with some of the abuse survivors outside the Capitol Tuesday morning.
“That’s what we did by fighting so hard against the most powerful people in the world, even the president of the United States, in order to make this vote happen today,” added Greene, a Georgia Republican.
In the end, only one lawmaker in Congress opposed the bill. Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who is a fervent supporter of Trump, was the only “nay” vote in the House’s 427-1 tally. He said he worried the legislation could lead to the release of information on innocent people mentioned in the federal investigation.
The bill forces the release within 30 days of all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison. It would allow the Justice Department to redact information about Epstein’s victims or continuing federal investigations, but not information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”
Even before the bill’s passage Tuesday, thousands of pages of emails and other documents from Epstein’s estate have been released from an investigation by the House Oversight Committee.
Those documents show Epstein’s connections to global leaders, Wall Street powerbrokers, influential political figures and Trump himself. In the United Kingdom, King Charles III stripped his disgraced brother Prince Andrew of his remaining titles and evicted him from his royal residence after pressure to act over his relationship with Epstein.
Still, many in the Republican base continued to demand the release of the files. Adding to that pressure, survivors of Epstein’s abuse rallied outside the Capitol Tuesday morning. Bundled in jackets against the November chill and holding photos of themselves as teenagers, they recounted their stories of abuse.
“We are exhausted from surviving the trauma and then surviving the politics that swirl around it,” said one of the survivors.
Another, Jena-Lisa Jones, said she had voted for Trump and had a message for the president: “I beg you Donald Trump, please stop making this political.”
That’s because Johnson kept the House closed for legislative business for nearly two months and refused to swear-in Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona during the government shutdown. After winning a special election on Sept. 23, Grijalva had pledged to provide the crucial 218th vote to the petition for the Epstein files bill. But only after she was sworn into office last week could she sign her name to the discharge petition to give it majority support in the 435-member House.
It quickly became obvious the bill would pass, and both Johnson and Trump began to fold. Trump on Sunday said Republicans should vote for the bill.
Yet Greene told reporters that Trump’s decision to fight the bill had betrayed his Make America Great Again political movement.
“Watching this turn into a fight has ripped MAGA apart,” she said.
Rather than waiting until next week for the discharge position to officially take effect, Johnson held the vote under a procedure that requires a two-thirds majority.
But Johnson also spent a morning news conference listing off problems that he sees with the legislation. He argued that the bill could have unintended consequences by disclosing parts of federal investigations that are usually kept private, including information on victims.
“This is a raw and obvious political exercise,” Johnson said.
Still, he voted for the bill. “None of us want to go on record and in any way be accused of not being for maximum transparency,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the bipartisan pair who sponsored the bill, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., warned senators against doing anything that would “muck it up,” saying they would face the same public uproar that forced both Trump and Johnson to back down.
“We’ve needlessly dragged this out for four months,” Massie said, adding that those raising problems with the bill “are afraid that people will be embarrassed. Well, that’s the whole point here.”
Senate acts quickly
Even as the bill cleared his chamber, Johnson pressed for the Senate to amend it to protect the information of “victims and whistleblowers.” But Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly shut down that notion.
As senators gathered in the chamber Tuesday evening for the first votes of the week, it became clear no one would object to passing the bill as written.
Just before Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called to pass the bill by unanimous consent, Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican who is close to Trump, walked in the chamber and gave Schumer a thumbs-up. He then walked over to Schumer and shook his hand.
“This is about giving the American people the transparency they’ve been crying for,” said Schumer, D-N.Y. “This is about holding accountable all the people in Jeffrey Epstein’s circle who raped, groom, targeted and enabled the abuse of hundreds of girls for years and years.”
TAMPA, Fla. — The U.S. men’s soccer team closed its year with one of its toughest tests under Mauricio Pochettino, against star-studded Uruguay on Tuesday. And if the opponent’s quality wasn’t enough, Pochettino upped the ante by starting many of his backups to test them.
What resulted was one of the most surprising games not just of Pochettino’s tenure, but for some years with the U.S. program: a 5-1 shellacking by the Americans, with goals from four different scorers.
Sebastian Berhalter, Alex Freeman (twice), and Diego Luna tallied in the first half, and Tanner Tessmann added another in the second before a crowd at Raymond James Stadium that was as stunned as it was thrilled.
As much as the result of any friendly game counts, Pochettino’s lineup changes immediately became the night’s first headline. Just two of the 11 players who started Saturday’s win over Paraguay, right back Sergiño Dest and former Union goalkeeper Matt Freese, remained starters three days later. (The short time between contests was perhaps another factor in Pochettino’s rotation.)
John Tolkin (left) and goal scorer Diego Luna (right) were among the new U.S. starters.
Pochettino took the U.S. back to a 4-3-3 setup, with Union alumni Mark McKenzie and Auston Trusty together at centerback, John Tolkin at left back, and Freeman at right back. Aidan Morris was the midfield stopper behind Timothy Tillman and Berhalter; and Luna, Haji Wright, and Dest were the front three from left to right.
They faced an Uruguay lineup stacked with marquee names. Barcelona’s Ronald Araújo anchored the back line; Tottenham Hotspur’s Rodrigo Bentancur and Manchester United’s Manuel Ugarte led the midfield; and Flamengo dynamo Giorgian de Arrascaeta created behind striker Federico Viñas of Spain’s Real Oviedo.
Along with their talents, they were expected to bring Uruguay’s famed garra charúa fighting spirit. Instead, the near total opposite happened.
Berhalter opened the scoring in the 17th off a free kick trick play, a give-and-go with Dest for a curler from the left side of the 18-yard box. The son of former U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter grabbed his jersey by the badge as he exulted, pointed to it, and aimed an ear to the crowd — perhaps to make a point to his critics.
Freeman doubled the lead four minutes later when he leapt to meet Berhalter’s corner kick and headed it past a stranded Uruguay goalkeeper Cristopher Fiermarin — one of la Celeste’s only inexperienced players, in just his second national team game.
In the 31st minute, Freeman made it 3-0 at the tail end of another corner kick play. After an initial clearance, Freeman ended up on the left side of the field, Trusty sprung him forward, and Freeman — who plays his club soccer 90 minutes west of here in Orlando — split Araújo and Ugarte before shooting.
Luna struck the fourth in the 42nd, set up by Tillman. This really was shocking now, as Uruguay’s stars looked tired and uninterested. It was miles from the standard set by famed manager Marcelo Bielsa, who launched Pochettino’s professional career decades ago at Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys.
This all said, in the moments Uruguay advanced forward, the U.S. defense didn’t exactly look great. It came to a head in first-half stoppage time, when Freese came off his line, nearly crashed into Freeman, recovered, then was stuck at his right post as de Arrascsaeta uncorked a bicycle kick in front of McKenzie. Seven U.S. field players stood in front of Freese at the point when de Arrascaeta launched himself.
Uruguay’s fight showed up in the second half, but not always for the better: Bentancur was ejected with a straight red card in the 65th for upending Berhalter.
Just before then, Pochettino made his first substitutions of the night. Luna, Wright, and Dest went out, and Gio Reyna, Folarin Balogun, and Tessmann went in. That didn’t all add up as like-for-like swaps, but the end result was a 4-2-3-1 with Berhalter, Reyna, and Tillman in front of Morris and Tessmann.
The fifth goal came in the 68th, off another corner kick play. Reyna had the eventual assist with a ball floated from the left wing that Tessmann headed in, with Fiermarin barely contesting the service.
Max Arfsten and Brenden Aaronson entered next, replacing Tolkin — who had been kicked around enough to be injured — and Tillman in the 75th. Cristian Roldan was the last U.S. substitute, replacing Morris in the 86th.
When the clock struck 90 minutes, Guatemalan referee Julio Lune blew the final whistle right away instead of adding stoppage time.
For the first time ever, Philadelphia has a Michelin star. Three, in fact.
Friday Saturday Sunday, Her Place Supper Club, and Provenance were each awarded a star, capping a brilliant showing as 31 other Philadelphia restaurants — including three cheesesteak shops — received honors in the city’s debut in Michelin, arguably the world’s most prestigious restaurant awards.
Tuesday night’s Northeast Cities ceremony — which included restaurants from Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston (also in its Michelin debut) — drew hundreds of culinary professionals from around the world to the Kimmel Center, whose facade was lit up in Michelin’s signature red. The attendees were a who’s who of the culinary world, including chefs Thomas Keller and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and drew dozens of the city’s best-known chefs and restaurateurs, such as Greg Vernick, Marc Vetri, Omar Tate, and Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Jesse Ito, and Ellen Yin.
Hanna Williams looks on as her husband, chef Chad Williams, and Lynette Brown-Sow do a FaceTime after the Michelin awards at the Kimmel Center. Brown-Sow has known Chad Williams since he was a baby.
Ten Philadelphia restaurants received a Bib Gourmand — recognized as great food at a great value, though not star-worthy. They represent a mixed bag of cuisines and price points: cheesesteaks (Angelo’s, Dalessandro’s, Del Rossi’s), Israeli cuisine (Dizengoff), Mexican (El Chingón), pizza (Pizzeria Beddia, Sally), casual pasta (Fiorella), Japanese (Royal Sushi & Izakaya), and classic Jewish deli (Famous 4th Street Deli).
Michelin deemed 21 other Philadelphia restaurants as Recommended: Ambra, Forsythia, High Street, Hiroki, Honeysuckle, Illata, Kalaya, Laser Wolf, Laurel (whose final night will be Nov. 21), Little Water, Mish Mish, My Loup, Pietramala, River Twice, Roxanne, Southwark, Suraya, Vedge, Vernick Food & Drink, Vetri Cucina, and Zahav. Michelin says these restaurants serve high-quality food and use good ingredients.
Joe Beddia (from left), Greg Root, Nick Kennedy (rear), Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, and Roland Kassis with the Michelin Man at the Michelin Guide announcements Tuesday at the. Kimmel Center.
Besides the Recommended honor, Pietramala — chef Ian Graye’s vegan restaurant in Northern Liberties — was awarded a Green Star for demonstrating commitment to sustainability.
All can use the name “Michelin” in their marketing, a powerful tool that potentially boosts business.
Michelin, which operates in secrecy, bases the selections on its anonymous inspectors. Stars denote excellence: one star signals very good cuisine that’s “worth a stop,” two stars indicate excellence “worth a detour,” and three stars represent exceptional dining “worth a special journey.”
Chef Jesse Ito and Mia Colona at the Michelin Guide announcements Tuesdy at the Kimmel Center.
The ceremony, a milestone for Philadelphia’s profile as a dining destination, was the city’s highest-profile appearance since 2018, when the James Beard Foundation announced that year’s finalists for its annual chef, restaurant, and media awards in a ceremony at Parc.
It was a night of camaraderie, pride, and emotion. After heading to the stage to acknowledge Angelo’s Pizzeria’s Bib Gourmand, owner Danny DiGiampietro disappeared for a bit. “I had a walk outside,” he explained later. “I can’t stop crying.”
Philadelphia’s one-stars
Friday Saturday Sunday chef Chad Williams and his wife, Hanna, took over this storied Rittenhouse restaurant in 2016 and pivoted to a set multicourse menu. “Thanks to skilled technique, just the right amount of innovation and an innate understanding of the luxury ingredients he uses, his dishes fill the mouth with flavor and succulence,” the Michelin blurb reads. “His delicious crispy sweetbreads will convert any skeptic; quail with pâte plays with texture, and the New York strip is a lesson in expert seasoning. There’s a great cocktail bar on the first floor; the long, narrow, lively and warmly run restaurant is up a steep flight of stairs — and those stairs will seem even steeper when it’s time to leave. Expect an atmosphere as spirited and enjoyable as the food.”
Amanda Shulman (right) and her husband and business partner, Alex Kemp, giggle after winning a Michelin star for Her Place Supper Club at the Michelin ceremony at the Kimmel Center on Tuesday.
Her Place Supper Club, also in Rittenhouse, was born out of chef Amanda Shulman’s cooking for friends in her Penn campus apartment. Michelin praised its “warm and welcoming supper club vibe.” While diners may get their own table, “there’s a real communal feel at play here; everyone is served at the same time after Amanda has explained to the room the makeup of each dish and perhaps the influence behind it.”
Provenance, chef Nicholas Bazik’s sumptuous atelier across from Headhouse Square, delivers what Michelin calls “a high-wire, high-stakes performance defined by precision, harmony, and, of course, taste. Korean and French influences come and go with this elaborate tasting menu where special soys, vibrant oils and glossy sauces give wonderful dimension to pristine seafood and dry-aged proteins. Think Japanese tuna with whipped tofu, puffed sorghum and chili oil or brown butter hollandaise with country ham, caviar and cauliflower. The ideas are original, the flavors bold.”
The Michelin effect
All this boils down to commerce. City and state tourism boards have increasingly turned to Michelin — the French-based tire company that has been publishing the influential dining guides for decades — as food tourism plays a growing role in travel planning.
Ian Graye of Pietramala accepts a Green Star award at Tuesday’s Michelin Guide announcement event at the Kimmel Center.
Michelin has expanded rapidly in the United States over the last several years. Besides the American South region — covering Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — there are guides for Texas and Colorado. Atlanta’s 2023 guide has since been rolled into the South. The Florida guide, launched in 2022, now includes Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. Internationally, it recently arrived in Qatar, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
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The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau cites an Ernst & Young study, commissioned by Michelin, showing the guide’s influence: 74% of travelers consider Michelin’s presence a decisive factor when choosing a destination; 76% say they would extend a trip to dine at a recommended restaurant; and 80% report being willing to pay more for what they view as a Michelin-level dining experience.
For restaurants that receive distinctions, the impact is immediate as restaurants append “Michelin” to their social-media profiles.
The energetic and anxious crowd of chefs and restauranteurs during the Michelin ceremony at the Kimmel Center Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025.
The reservations boost can be dramatic. In Charlotte, the 18-seat Counter sold about 900 reservations in the days after earning a star at the 2025 American South ceremony on Nov. 3, booking out through mid-February, chef-owner Sam Hart told Axios. About half the reservations came from out-of-town guests, including some international travelers.
In many U.S. markets, the guide is explicitly part of tourism strategies: Axios has reported that the states included in the South edition are collectively paying Michelin $5 million over three years. PHLCVB has not disclosed how much it paid for Michelin’s partnership, which was announced in May.
Chefs Jean Georges Vongerichten (left) and Thomas Keller posed with the Michelin Man ahead of Tuesday night’s ceremony at the Kimmel Center.
Not only can reservations rise, so can menu prices at the winning restaurants. A widely cited 2018 analysis by Carly Shin of George Washington University found that a one-star rating increases menu prices by about 15%, two stars by 55%, and three stars by roughly 80%.
Michelin says that 82% of chefs report increased revenue after receiving a distinction, 60% add new staff, and 58% say a nod boosts team motivation and morale — though anecdotally, some chefs acknowledge enormous pressure to maintain such a high level.
Michelin’s arrival has inspired the PHLCVB Foundation to sponsor the Philabundance Community Kitchen program, a 16-week culinary vocational training and life-skills program for adults with low or no income, offering hands-on kitchen experience, ServSafe certification, and post-graduation employment support in the food service and restaurant industry. The foundation will connect the recognized chefs and restaurateurs to the PCK program.
