Things aren’t getting better; they’re getting worse. The theme doesn’t just apply to the Eagles’ Black Friday loss to the Chicago Bears. It fits the narrative of the entire 2025 season. With five games to go, there’s little reason to hope or expect significant change to take place, particularly on the offensive side of the ball – unless…
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner take a look at what the Eagles’ seemingly inherent flaws mean for the homestretch of the season, and how they could affect the fate of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.
Just weeks after a triumphant moment, Byron Young found himself dealing with the greatest tragedy of his life. Back in March, the defensive tackle returned home to Mississippi for a festive weekend with family. Not only did they celebrate him being part of the Eagles’ 2024 Super Bowl championship team, but his aunt’s birthday as well. A day later, Young’s father, Kenny, died suddenly. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane profiled Young’s emotional journey in a recent feature.
You can read the article in full on inquirer.com and via the following link: https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/byron-young-late-father-memory-key-chain-nfl-week-13-20251126.html
Listen to an excerpt of Jeff’s conversation with Young on this bonus episode of unCovering the Birds.
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.
It looked like Sunday’s game in Dallas was going to be everything the Eagles needed. In the end, they wound up getting exactly what they deserved. Lack of focus, poor execution, conservative play calling. The Eagles picked each of these poisons, and died a miserable 24-21, walk-off death. In the aftermath of a defeat that knocked the defending Super Bowl champs out of the top spot in the NFC, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Mike Sielski scrutinize head coach Nick Sirianni’s scheme and approach, and explain how these factors have contributed to the Eagles’ issues. They also forecast what the Eagles – specifically a potentially short-handed defense – can expect with the surging Bears coming to town on Black Friday.
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.
If you’re trying to pass some time while you wait for your delayed flight home, these stories can help.
Joy Velasco / For The Inquirer
The Inquirer published some fantastic reads this year — stories you may have meant to read but couldn’t find the time for. The holidays are the ideal time for catching up: Maybe you’re stuck on a delayed flight, waiting for the turkey or ham to thaw, or just looking for an excuse to avoid that one annoying relative who’s a despicable Cowboys fan.
We’ve rounded up some of our best and top-read journalism from 2025. Take this quiz to find the perfect match for your holiday downtime.
Between the scheme, the quarterback, the coaches calling plays, and the rest of the players responsible for executing them, the Eagles’ offense has been a well-documented, inconsistent mess this season. But what if there were a smaller area, one that isn’t getting much attention, that could hold the key to getting the much-maligned unit on track. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane zooms in on the Eagles’ back-up tight ends, and explains why they aren’t giving the team what it needs. Plus, Jeff shares what he’s learned about the increasing noise surrounding Jalen Hurts, and the reported frustration members of the organization are feeling towards the quarterback.
00:00 Why the tight end position (especially the back-ups) is so crucial to fixing the offense
16:55 What to make of recent reports surrounding growing internal frustration with Jalen Hurts
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.
SNAP benefits are restored, and the program is funded through next year. But the Trump administration is now looking to “completely deconstruct the program,” its top USDA official said.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that millions of low-income Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients will have to reapply for their benefits as part of an effort to crack down on “fraud.”
“It’s going to give us a platform and a trajectory to fundamentally rebuild this program, have everyone reapply for their benefit, make sure that everyone that’s taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through SNAP or food stamps, that they literally are vulnerable, and they can’t survive without it,” she told Newsmax last week.
On Tuesday, Rollins told Fox Business that her plan is for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to “completely deconstruct” SNAP.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins speaks to the media in the Oval Office of the White House in June. Rollins had various roles in the first Trump administration.
However, there is no official guidance from USDA on the plans Rollins spoke of and the rules have not changed, said Community Legal Services staff attorney Mackenzie Libbey.
“Most SNAP recipients in Pennsylvania are already required to reverify household and income information every six months. SNAP recipients should continue submitting their semiannual reports and annual renewals as the current rules require,” Libbey said.
In a statement, the USDA did not confirm the existence of new changes to SNAP. Instead, a spokesperson for the agency said the “standard recertification processes for households is a part of that work.”
Jeff Garis, Outreach and Patnership Director, Penn Policy chants during rally along side SNAP recipients, clergy members, and other advocates at a rally and news conference outside of Reading Terminal Market, to urge the Trump administration to restore full SNAP funding, Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Are SNAP benefits changing?
There are a few changes to SNAP work requirements that were implemented on Sept. 1 and Nov. 1.
On Nov. 1, some older low-income Americans were forced back to work when Congress and Trump passed additional work requirements, raising the maximum working age cap from 54 to 64 years old.
Parents with dependents age 14 and over also must go back to work or lose benefits. Previously, SNAP recipients with dependents under 18 did not have to meet work requirements. Veterans and former foster youth ages 18 through 24 are no longer exempt from work requirements either, under new federal law.
Do you have to reapply for SNAP benefits?
SNAP recipients do not currently need to reapply to the program. SNAP recipients should continue filing their semiannual reports every six months to recertify their income and household.
Lisa Mellon, 59, of Bridesburg, Pa., is walking her groceries to her friends car, who was kind enough to driver her around 40 minutes to the Feast of Justice at St. John’s Lutheran Church and back home on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025.
Will snap benefits be issued in December?
Yes. The SNAP program is funded through Sept. 30, 2026, after Congress reached an agreement on a spending deal last week. Most other federal government agencies and programs are funded only through Jan. 30.
Congress will need to strike another spending deal before the January deadline; otherwise the federal government could be shut down again.
However, SNAP benefits have been guaranteed through next September regardless of another shutdown.
How do you qualify for SNAP benefits?
SNAP requirements are based on your work hours and income. Other factors, like whether a member of your household is disabled, elderly, or a veteran, can provide households with additional benefits.
SNAP recipients must be working, volunteering, or participating in an education or training program for at least 20 hours a week (or 80 hours a month). They also must report those work hours.
These rules apply to you if you:
Are ages 18 through 64.
Do not have a dependent child under 14 years old.
Are considered physically and mentally able to work.
Income requirements
Households cannot exceed these monthly income limits to be eligible for SNAP benefits.
A.J. Brown might have been wrong. The Eagles’ offense isn’t just a “s— show;” it’s looking way worse. But enough about that side of the field, at least for now . The reason why the Eagles’ path to the playoffs remains promising is because their defense has been lights out, increasingly so since the team returned from the bye two games ago. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Jeff Neiburg take stock of the Eagles’ successes and failures at the 10-game mark, and also react to the breaking news about right tackle Lane Johnson’s foot injury. unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.
The selections here represent The Inquirer’s picks this holiday season. When you make a purchase through a link in this list, The Inquirer may be paid a commission.
1. ‘It’s Me They Follow’
It’s Me They Followisthe fictional story of a Philadelphia bookshop owner, who in the midst of opening a bookshop in Fishtown, helps people fall in love. The Shopkeeper is looking for love too, but she has a debilitating problem: She passes out when people touch her. Jeannine A. Cook, Amistad, $25.
2. ‘Housemates’
Housemates, 2025 Lambda literary finalist Emma Copley Eisenberg’s novel about queer housemates Bernie and Leya’s roadtrip through rural Pennsylvania, is a tale of self-discovery. The women’s journey along Pennsylvania’s winding interstate allows them to chase their artistic dreams and embrace romance. Emma Copley Eisenberg, Hogarth, $29.
Diane McKinney-Whetstone’s descriptions of West Philadelphia jump off every page in her latest novel, Family Spirit. She gets it right down to the description of the air on West 52nd Street “smelling of popcorn and patent leather” in her page-turning story starring a clairvoyant college sophomore, Ayana. Diane McKinney-Whetstone, Amistad, $27.
4. ‘Ravishing’
In Ravishing, when Indian American teenager Kashmira discovers Evolvoir, a magical cosmetic that lets women alter their features as they want, she chooses to look less like the father who abandoned her. It’s as if she’s found beauty nirvana. Eshani Surya, Roxanne Gay Books, $28.
5. ‘GPS for the Soul: Wisdom of the Master’
Retired Chestnut Hill Hospital labor and delivery nurse Dana Hayne spent 13 years living with Sri Lankan spiritual teacher Bawa Muhaiyaddeen at his Wynnefield mosque. In 2017, Hayne wrote a memoir about the time she spent with him, GPS for the Soul, which has just been rereleased. Dana Hayne, Balboa Press, $28.
6. ‘A Family for Zoya: The True Story of an Endangered Cub’
A Family For Zoya: The True Story of an Endangered Cub is a nonfiction children’s book about a baby Amur tiger named Zoya who was abandoned by her birth parents in Philadelphia. Zoya was cared for by local zoologists before she was driven to an Oklahoma zoo and adopted by a family of Sumatran tigers. Written by Debra Kim Wolf and illustrated by Annalisa and Marina Durante, Platypus Media, $22.
7. ‘Mounted’
Mounted, Bitter Kalli’s collection of essays, explores their intimate relationship with horses and how celebrities like Beyoncé and Lil Nas X resurrected equestrian culture in the Black community. Bitter Kalli, Amistad, $22.
8. ‘Walking a Tightrope Backward in High Heels’
Part political memoir, part leadership guide, former City Councilmember Blondell Reynolds-Brown’s memoir, Walking a Tightrope Backward in High Heels, is an uplifting story about perseverance, recounting her 20-plus-year journey of being City Council member at-large while going through a painful divorce. Blondell Reynolds-Brown, Wordee, $32.
9. ‘Black Genius: Essays on an American Legacy’
In Black Genius, Philly-based Tre Johnson’s nine intertwined essays ooze with the bliss of unapologetically living the Black experience, especially at the trifecta of Black Philadelphia summer events: Odunde, the Roots Picnic, and BlackStar. Tre Johnson, Dutton, $30.
With five pro sports franchises and some seriously good college athletic programs in the region, Philly fans could show their pride for a different team every day of the week. That’s a lot of gear to keep in rotation. Here are 10 picks available from FOCO to keep in your own closet, on your desk, or to give as a gift:
The selections here represent The Inquirer’s picks this holiday season. When you make a purchase through a link in this list, The Inquirer may be paid a commission.
Go beyond gift boxes with individual items from Philly’s Di Bruno Bros. that will brighten any foodie’s pantry:
The selections here represent The Inquirer’s picks this holiday season. When you make a purchase through a link in this list, The Inquirer may be paid a commission.
Aromatic acacia honey is infused with white truffle for a sweet, earthy flavor that shines with brie or Gorgonzola. $12.99.
6. Pinot grigio and fig cheese spread
A perfect marriage of sweet fig, acidic pinot grigio, and savory cheese comes together. Try it on a cracker, a soft pretzel, or straight from a spoon. $8.99.
7. Fig glaze with balsamic
Reach for this next time you get to a recipe that calls for reducing balsamic vinegar. Rich and tart with just the right amount of sweetness — no reducing necessary. $7.99.
8. Truffle balsamic glaze
Add deep flavor to roasted meats, egg dishes, cheeses, and more with a drizzle of this luxurious pantry item. $7.99.
9. Pistachio cream panettone
Di Bruno’s holiday panettone options include this variety made with generous amounts of pistachio cream and chocolate throughout. $34.99.
10. Vodka cream tomato sauce
This sauce brings together imported tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, cream, and a touch of vodka for a rich, smooth sauce that brings any pasta dish or lasagna to the next level. $9.99.
