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  • This Philly-founded company is selling empanadas out of vending machines. Here’s where to find them.

    This Philly-founded company is selling empanadas out of vending machines. Here’s where to find them.

    The fire-engine-red Empanadas United machine arrived in Philadelphia last fall. It appeared in the lobby under the SEPTA Regional Rail tracks at 30th Street Station, where yearslong renovations have shut restaurants, leaving a gap for automation to fill.

    The empanada machine works like this: Tap your card. Choose one of four fillings. Whirr, beep, the ovens ignite, the rich smell rises. A minute passes. A pair of mottled, tan, crusted, half-moon-shaped empanadas, each bigger than a man’s hand, drop into a topless personal-pizza-sized box. The little plastic door opens, and your account is $8 lighter.

    That’s a premium price compared to what you pay in Philly’s corner stores; but it costs extra to eat in a transit hub. The empanada machine is one of several rival meal-vending machines at the station, such as the California Pizza Kitchen machine that charges $12 for a plain, 7-inch pizza.

    These turnovers were formed — from flour and fat, chicken or beef, sazon and cebolla — last night or yesterday, at Empanadas United. The Philadelphia-based empanada bakery serves restaurants across the region, from its base 15 blocks north of the train station.

    Pedro Rodriguez (left) with Pedro Rodriguez (center) and his son, Yorby Rodriguez, load empanadas for delivery at Empanadas United in Philadelphia in 2024.

    The vending machine, assembled by LBX Food Robotics of Sunnyvale, Calif., used two ovens to finish the turnovers — convection for the crust, infrared for the fillings. It is also furnished with a microwave oven, for use with prepared foods, but the empanadas don’t need that. The machine sees steady use, say SEPTA staff who watch the busy lobby below the train platforms.

    The machine is profitable, says Victor Tejada, the former Comcast designer who started Empanadas United in 2023. The bakery, using order software including Tejada’s Dominican Food App, was supplying empanadas to takeout customers at 160 stores, Tejada says, when he and his partners sold it last year to Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC). The acquirer says it has taken the brand national and expanded service to more than 500 locations — plus a handful of vending machines, starting with the one at 30th Street Station. Tejada stayed on to run the brand.

    The Philadelphia empanada factory makes a fraction of the empanadas now sold under its name. In other cities they are made by local bakeries to Empanadas United specifications, according to Adam Robin, VDC’s chief operating officer.

    Taking brands national

    Florida-based VDC focuses on taking local and celebrity food brands national, contracting chain restaurants, food delivery services, and other food retailers. They aim to set standards so the products can be reproduced in local plants anywhere and mass-marketed fresh. Its other brands include Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Cheesesteak, MrBeast Burger, and MLB Ballpark Bites.

    VDC last year hired Evolvending, founded by former VDC executive Valentina Ellison, to deploy the Philly empanadas in machines at transit centers, as colorful working billboards for the brand.

    “Empanadas United has a really excellent concept, Victor Tejada has an entrepreneurial spirit that we love working with, and we are growing the brand all over the country,” said VDC’s Robin. He learned the restaurant business as a teenager, rising from busboy to chef, and joined VDC as chief operating officer in 2021.

    “We are a virtual dining company. We targeted this brand for acquisition, we bought it last year, we manage the online storefronts,” Robin added. The company has sold more than 2 million empanadas since the deal, and plans to sell six million this year, he said.

    The machines, a small part of total Empanadas United distribution, each have 60 slots, each of which holds two empanadas, filled on a two-day cycle, according to Robin. If they sell out, that’s more than 20,000 empanadas and $80,000 per machine per year.

    “They cover their costs. We are thinking of expanding them,” Robin says.

    Evolvending has also put Empanadas United machines at Boston Logan Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. But it’s not yet at Philadelphia International Airport.

    The company also hasn’t set up Empanadas United machines in its hometown of Miami yet, while it considers what flavors to offer in that large and diverse market, Robin said. Among empanada fans, “Some love Venezuelan, some Cuban, some Mexican, and some like fun flavors like apple pie.”

  • Philly has lots of trails. For the first time, it is hiring a full-time crew to maintain them.

    Philly has lots of trails. For the first time, it is hiring a full-time crew to maintain them.

    Philadelphia’s miles of trails draw a constant stream of runners, walkers, hikers, cyclists, and commuters.

    Yet for years, city officials have depended on residents calling in or logging in to the 311 system to report trail issues before a crew was sent out.

    Now, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (PPR) is set to roll out the city’s first dedicated trail-maintenance crew, a pilot program funded by a $600,000 grant from the William Penn Foundation.

    The money will fund a six-person team tasked exclusively with monitoring and maintaining multiuse trails that thread through 10 watershed-protecting parks.

    Susan Buck, PPR’s deputy commissioner of operations, said the crew would launch this summer and resolve a long-standing logistical problem.

    “The focus has always been on building the trails,“ Buck said. ”However, in recent years we would go to community meetings and hear more about trail maintenance.”

    Right now, addressing a downed tree or a washed-out path means pulling staff away from recreation centers and neighborhood parks. A dedicated trail crew will ease that strain, she said, and position the city to address issues before they snowball into bigger problems.

    Now, PPR can be proactive, she said.

    Parks are priorities

    The crew’s immediate priority will be to rotate through 10 watershed parks, such as Wissahickon Valley, Pennypack, Tacony Creek, and Cobbs Creek. Crews will also monitor the Schuylkill River Trail, which recently saw major repairs to sinkholes and storm damage.

    Buck said the crew will initially be responsible for about 80 miles of trails.

    The city has 166 miles of trails or more depending on what’s being counted. Overall, PPR manages asphalt, gravel, and dirt trails that residents use not only for recreation but for commuting and walking neighborhood to neighborhood.

    The new crew will have skid-steer loaders, which are small versatile vehicles with mechanized arms and buckets used to clear, dig, grade, and lift. And they’ll have other equipment such as wood chippers and chainsaws.

    For the average park-goer, it should translate to a smoother weekend run, daily commute, or less frustrating bike ride, Buck said.

    “Overall, people will see safer trails and more enjoyable trails,” Buck added. “If you’re a runner or cyclist getting hit by overgrown brush, maybe we’ll be able to get to that faster. Ruts and divots should get filled in faster.”

    By having a mobile team that can move from the Wissahickon to East Fairmount Park, the city aims to create a uniform experience for all users.

    Buck has been working alongside Sarah Clark Stuart, the trails manager for the Streets Department.

    The two are working toward a cost-sharing agreement between the two departments to turn the pilot program into an annual part of the city budget.

    That way the crew can continue to clear overgrown brush, haul away downed trees, fix washouts, tackle soil erosion, eliminate tripping hazards, and clean graffiti off signs.

    The pilot program could use existing employees or result in new hires, she said.

    ‘Great cities have great parks’

    Sara Stevenson, executive director of Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW), said the dedicated crew represents a shift in the way the city has viewed its natural assets. The nonprofit FOW helps manage the city-owned Wissahickon Valley Park.

    The 2,000-acre park has more than 50 miles of paved and dirt trails. The new trail crew will be assigned to help with paved paths and major arteries like Forbidden Drive.

    “It’s a great program,” Stevenson said. “The more we can invest in Parks and Rec, the better our city will be. This is a good step forward and a recognition of how important the trail system is.”

    The Wissahickon relies on thousands of volunteers annually to pull invasive species, clear debris, and help with other maintenance. Stevenson said that the demands of maintaining sustainable trails requires a professional, daily presence.

    “Great cities have great parks,” Stevenson said. “I think what we’ll see is a new standard of care … It’s an illustration that the city understands the value of the trail across the entire city.”

  • They looked for the ideal Center City house, then hired the architect to remake their own

    They looked for the ideal Center City house, then hired the architect to remake their own

    In the spring of 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and related business shutdowns, the streets of Center City were practically deserted.

    Two of the few people out and about were lawyers Amy Slater and Mark Silow, who were house-hunting — sort of.

    They liked their neighborhood and the house where they had lived since 1989, and they preferred to remain there, but the house would need updating and modernizing. They didn’t know exactly what to do or, equally importantly, who should do it.

    They did know that they didn’t want to do it piecemeal Silow said. Their solution: Walk the area until their “aha” moment came — the feeling that “whoever designed that is who we want to hire.”

    The home’s exterior.
    Mark Silow and Amy Slater walk down the spiral staircase, which their architect redesigned.

    Then they saw a home on Rittenhouse Square whose style they loved. So they slipped a note into the mail slot.

    The original owners had moved on but the people living there knew who the architect was: Tim Kerner, principal architect at Terra Studio of Center City. They not only shared this information with Slater and Silow, but invited them over.

    For Kerner, designing Slater and Silow’s home was an unusual challenge. Almost all his previous experience was with clients who were building from scratch, or at least moving into a house that was new to them.

    Slater and Silow had been touring Scandinavia and Japan and envisioned a style that combined design inspiration from the two cultures: light, airy, and open.

    The living room from above. Scandanavian and Japanese design ideas influenced the home’s remodel.

    Primary goals, Kerner said, were “to increase natural light and a feeling of openness” and to “update the interiors with more modern and cleaner lines.”

    As art collectors, the couple combined their own acquisitions and art from Slater’s family. The renovation period gave them a chance to reframe or clean up some of the pieces.

    They had detailed talks about every part of the renovation, Kerner said.

    “Their appreciation for the integration of functional and aesthetic solutions was always evident,” he said. “Their thoughtfulness in considering the interrelation of space, finishes, colors, furniture, and technology were key to the success of the project.”

    The primary bedroom has a green accent wall, hardwood floors and ample light from large windows.
    The first-floor bathroom has gold hardware and details in the tiling.

    The clients wanted a new kitchen and a new roof, this one with a deck. And they wanted to redo the first-floor powder room and replace the concrete front steps. The mechanicals also needed to be updated.

    Throughout the project, Kerner worked with interior designer Carlo Fiammenghi; structural engineer Amy Rivera; Springboard Automation for home controls, sound, and technology; Urban Jungle for roof deck garden design and planting; and Joanne Hudson for kitchen cabinetry.

    The house has four floors and 3,000 square feet, plus a two-car garage, and they did not change the basic configuration other than knocking down a wall between the kitchen and the dining area.

    There are three bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and a powder room, with the primary bedroom and library on the third level.

    The remodeled kitchen makes use of Calacatta marble.
    The dining area features a bold red table and chairs with modern lighting.

    “We opened up and renovated the kitchen,” Kerner said, with new counters, cabinets, appliances and fixtures. The kitchen marble is Calacatta, which is quarried from the Apuan Alps near Carrara, Italy.

    They installed a new roof deck with a pergola and some new plantings, and added new furnishings. They also replaced all windows and the entrance door, and opened the dining room to the exterior with a larger sliding glass door.

    In the living room, they added a stone fireplace mantel and shelving.

    The staircase was completely redesigned, with new railings from the basement to the roof deck, and was broken up by custom shelving on the mezzanine.

    The view from Silow and Slater’s roof deck.

    Bluestone treads and risers replaced the concrete front steps. And automated lighting and mechanical controls were installed, along with a new whole-house sound system.

    Construction took nine months in 2022, with Slater and Silow living in a nearby apartment. Both Slater and Silow say they are delighted with the result.

    “We call it our new old house,” Slater said.

    Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com.

  • The founders’ vision on the limits placed on power is being tested

    The founders’ vision on the limits placed on power is being tested

    America is not facing a policy disagreement.

    America is facing a constitutional stress test.

    Every generation eventually discovers whether it truly believes in the limits placed on power — or only supports those limits when they restrain political opponents. The moment we are living through now forces that question upon us.

    The Founding Fathers of the United States did not design government for efficiency or speed. They designed it to restrain ambition. When they embedded the separation of powers into the Constitution, they were responding to centuries of human history that proved a simple truth: Unchecked power eventually silences the people.

    They understood human nature’s tendency toward absolutism. Kings centralize authority. Leaders justify overreach. Governments expand unless they are deliberately restrained. The American republic was built differently. Authority was divided so that no single person could ever claim to speak fully for we the people.

    That is why last Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision matters far beyond tariffs or commerce. The court reminded the executive branch of a basic constitutional principle: Decisions concerning commerce — especially taxation and tariffs — must originate in Congress.

    Yes, the process is messy. Debate is slow. Compromise is imperfect. But the friction is intentional. The founders built resistance into the machinery of government so that sweeping economic power could never again be exercised by personal decree.

    If tariffs are truly wise policy, then Congress should debate them openly. Legislators should defend them before voters. That is representation. That is accountability. That is self-government.

    Our nation was born out of resistance to unilateral taxation. The Boston Tea Party of 1773 was not simply protest theater — it was a rejection of economic authority imposed without representation. The Constitution ensured such power would never again rest in one individual’s hands.

    When one branch exceeds its authority, another branch must respond. That is not dysfunction; it is design. The judicial branch exists precisely to interpret the law and restore and remind us of the constitutional boundaries when political actors drift beyond them.

    The president is wrong — the discussion of slavery in our nation’s past is essential to America’s present | Opinion

    Courts have not always been right. History reminds us of poor decisions that took decades and courage to correct. Yet, judicial independence remains essential. Without it, constitutional limits become optional.

    What should concern Americans today is not disagreement with the court’s ruling, but the reaction that followed.

    Instead of accepting the decision, the executive branch responded with personal attacks against justices carrying out their constitutional duty. Even more troubling were the immediate efforts to search for ways around the ruling — to achieve the same outcome by different means.

    That should unsettle every citizen, regardless of party affiliation.

    I remember when one of my children was young, and my wife placed a forbidden toy on a high shelf for their safety. Determined to retrieve it anyway, the child stacked books and climbed upward, trying to bypass the boundary we had set. The creativity was impressive. The disobedience was undeniable.

    A constitutional ruling is that high shelf.

    Attempting to maneuver around it rather than respecting it undermines not only the court’s authority but the rule of law itself. The Constitution works only when leaders accept limits they dislike.

    JD Vance says America is a ‘Christian nation.’ Is it? | Opinion

    Equally troubling was the suggestion that a president could act militarily against another nation at will while being constrained economically. The Constitution says otherwise. The power to declare war rests with Congress. The president commands the military, but he does not possess unilateral authority to wage war or impose economic punishment without legislative participation.

    The founders feared concentrated authority in every form — economic, military, and political. Their caution was wisdom born from history.

    Republics rarely collapse in dramatic moments. They erode gradually — one ignored boundary at a time. One exception becomes precedent. One act of defiance becomes normalization.

    The question before us now is not about one ruling or one administration. It is whether Americans still believe constitutional limits apply equally to those who govern and those who are governed.

    The founders’ vision was never about strong personalities. It was about strong institutions accountable to a free people.

    This feels like a dark chapter in the life of our republic. Yet, darkness often clarifies responsibility. Citizens must decide whether we will defend the structure that preserves our liberty, or remain silent as its guardrails are tested.

    At the close of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, a woman asked Benjamin Franklin what kind of government had been created. Franklin replied with words that echo across generations: “A republic, if you can keep it.”

    The question is no longer theoretical.

    Now, we the people must decide whether we will.

    The Rev. Dr. Michel J. Faulkner, a former NFL player, community leader, pastor, and registered Republican, is chair of the board of directors of the Philadelphia Council of Clergy.

  • Letters to the Editor | Feb. 25, 2026

    Letters to the Editor | Feb. 25, 2026

    Come on, Aileen

    Is anyone surprised U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon — young, inexperienced, and appointed by Donald Trump — has ruled that special counsel Jack Smith’s report on the president’s retention of classified documents may not be released, now or ever? Cannon has consistently acted as a Trump stooge, stalling proceedings against him, making rulings to his benefit, and playing a significant role in ensuring he would never be subjected to justice for any of the alleged crimes he committed.

    No doubt Cannon’s deference to Trump will earn her a pat on the head, and that the president will speak of her “brilliance.” Perhaps she was auditioning to be Trump’s next selection if a vacancy were to open on the U.S. Supreme Court. I imagine that most, if not all, of the supine Republican U.S. senators would go along with the nomination of such a lightweight. Trump believes those whom he appoints should be loyal to him rather than to the country. He got what he wanted in Cannon.

    Oren Spiegler, Peters Township

    Health over politics

    All this outrageous conversation of Israel and genocide and apartheid, rooted in a false narrative, denies the reality of Israel being “a light unto the nations.” Take pancreatic cancer. This pernicious affliction, a death sentence accompanied by hopelessness and horrific pain, has no boundaries; no ethnic, national, racial, or political favorites. The Food and Drug Administration has recently approved Israeli-founded company Novocure to market a wearable device for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer. The device, Optune Pax, uses high-frequency electric fields and is designed to be used in combination with standard chemotherapy drugs. The electrical treatment not only extends patients’ lives on average, but also delays the worsening of pain by about six months. This is the reality of Israel: cutting-edge medicine and discovery for all; living life, day by day, with its vulnerabilities, many challenges, and remarkable achievements.

    Rabbi Charles S. Sherman, Elkins Park

    Sowing mistrust

    I appreciate The Inquirer setting the record straight in response to U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick’s inaccurate comments about the voting issue that occurred in Chester County. In comments on the Senate floor and in his weekly newsletter, he repeats the heavily investigated and thoroughly debunked claim that noneligible voters are casting ballots. He says people question the integrity of voting — if they do, it is because Donald Trump has spent years making this same false claim. I had been expecting our new senator, with his history of military and government service, would stand up for facts and democracy rather than join the forces sowing mistrust.

    Karen Melton, Philadelphia

    Protect democracy

    My work as a therapist makes two concepts abundantly clear: There are parallel personality traits shared by destructive leaders in all walks of life and — for those who are enamored, empowered, or terrified by them — the defense mechanism of denial is extremely difficult to pierce. When it becomes clear that a leader of a household is a killer of either spirit or body or both, it is an uphill challenge to convey a warning to countless partners and many sons and daughters that, without their wake-up call, further destruction is both predictable and inevitable.

    In like manner, warning signs clearly show our 47th president, raised to be a destroyer of all he cannot control, dominate, or seduce, never intends to leave office. For readers loyal to Donald Trump, I ask you to consider the futures of your sons, daughters, and theirs when you are no longer here to protect them, and they dare to have thoughts that lead to their imprisonment or death by an authoritarian leadership. If Trump ever intended to leave office, why has he sent a team of FBI agents armed with a search warrant to Fulton County to seize all available materials relating to the 2020 election? Do you think he will stop this behavior with Georgia?

    Terrified his poll numbers are dropping, his intention is to alter evidence and once again lie — to tell the American people that evidence of voter fraud has, as he has always insisted, been found. Subsequently, he will tell us it will be too dangerous to hold elections. This takeover is our future if not stopped by a union of sane voices.

    SaraKay Smullens, Philadelphia

    Price on life

    The article on making CPR more accessible missed one important factor: the cost of the training. CPR can double or even triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival, but to do that, proper training is necessary. When we explored CPR training in this area, the costs were over $80 per person. Some people need $80 for food and other essentials. If we all agree that CPR is critical, then provide a less expensive way to deliver it.

    Anne Weisbord, Blue Bell

    No justice

    Nasrallah Abu Siyam, born in Philadelphia, was shot by Israeli settlers in a West Bank village last week, becoming at least the sixth American citizen killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers in the territory in the last two years. The Israeli Knesset voted last year to annex the Palestinian West Bank, which was supposed to be the land for a Palestinian state — something past American administrations have supported. Our American ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, is an avowed Christian Zionist and supports Israel’s “biblical claim” to that area, and possibly further expansion, despite all international resolutions and laws saying it is illegal. Palestinian families have lived there for centuries and now face violence and ethnic cleansing. After supporting Israel in killing tens of thousands in Gaza, we should not continue to allow Israel to act with such impunity. We should also defend the right to life of an American born in Philadelphia.

    Joan Hazbun, Media

    Grim anniversary

    As columnist Trudy Rubin recently reminded us, this week marks the fourth anniversary of Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine, a conflict that now counts two million casualties and nearly half a million deaths. Despite these losses and the threat of many more, the purpose and urgency of U.S. support for Ukraine have faded in the minds of many American leaders. So this is an appropriate moment to recall why Ukraine’s fate matters.

    As the world’s model for democracy and freedom, the U.S. has long stood by those who align with those values. Invaded by a country whose population, wealth, and weaponry far exceed their own, the Ukrainian people have fought steadily with grim and unfailing endurance. Through commitment, grit, and bloodshed, they have shown themselves to be true partners in the pursuit of values we share. To abandon Ukraine today would be a betrayal of what we as Americans have long stood for.

    To assure global peace and security, it is essential that this war ends in a way that assures Russia will not renew it. By procrastination and by insistence on impossible terms, Vladimir Putin has shown repeatedly that peace with Ukraine is not on his agenda. He will call a halt to the war only when its price becomes intolerable. A weak deal will only invite renewed aggression. On this anniversary, let’s broadcast our support for Ukraine. We urge our fellow Philadelphians to convey to our elected representatives that we want a just and enduring end to this conflict, one that will be possible only when the U.S. exerts the necessary economic, political, and military pressure on the invader.

    Elaine Fultz and John Francis, 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 | Longtime girlfriend tired of competing with attention-seeker

    DEAR ABBY: I’ve been with my boyfriend for 17 years. He has a friend, “Byron,” whom he hangs out with multiple times a week, sometimes up to six days. Byron’s wife, “Crystal,” (married 22 years) is always attached to Byron’s hip. They do everything together.

    Crystal needs to be the center of attention. She constantly brags about herself and speaks louder so she gets all the attention. She’s always texting my boyfriend, even sending him pictures of herself. My boyfriend says it’s harmless and that there’s nothing to be worried about because “she’s his friend’s wife.” To me, that means nothing. Crystal is very competitive, and I feel like she’s trying to win him over. I’m about ready to let her win because I’m not a confrontational person.

    I hang out with them often, so I can distract her and let my boyfriend talk to Byron without her. But I get so exhausted. It’s nonstop. She’s definitely going out of bounds, treating my boyfriend like her man.

    I’ve mentioned my dislike of the situation but have been told it’s my problem (I’m jealous), not his. My boyfriend says I’m acting too clingy now because I always want to be there to keep them separated, but it’s wearing on me. Am I reading too much into this?

    — ENCROACHED ON IN VERMONT

    DEAR ENCROACHED: No, I think you have probably read Crystal, and her insatiable need for attention, right. Because trying to shield your boyfriend from her attempts to monopolize him hasn’t worked, it may be time for a change in tactics. By that, I mean stop tagging along so often. Give him space, while you use the time to get together with friends, family or some other activity you enjoy. If you do, you and your boyfriend will have more to talk about when he returns from these marathons. As I see it, you have nothing to lose and possibly something to gain by trying it.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I am in the process of leaving my husband of 15 years. He has admitted that he used to have sex with me while I was sleeping and when I was passed out drunk back when I had a drinking problem. He’s aware that I was molested when I was younger and that most of it took place when I was sleeping and I would wake up to it happening. He doesn’t see anything wrong with it. He says he was gentle and it was OK because I’m his wife and it’s better than cheating on me. This has permanently scarred me. I don’t know how to handle it. Please help.

    — TRAUMATIZED IN NEW YORK

    DEAR TRAUMATIZED: You have my sympathy. If you haven’t sought counseling, I hope you will do it to help you process the fact that the assaults you have described were spousal rape. Sex with a person who is unable to give consent is illegal in all 50 states. For the sake of your mental health, please talk with a psychotherapist, who can help you to heal as well as report this to the police. A helpful resource that has been mentioned in my column many times is RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network. You will find it at rainn.org.

  • Horoscopes: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). It is not worth spending time fixing problems that you will not even have once you do things correctly from the beginning. A do-over is your new teacher. A different recipe, plan or relationship has great potential.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Stars encourage an active expansion of your social circle. Listening to different voices keeps you from getting stuck in your own head or in a single narrative. Uplifting relationships balance your perspective and mood.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’re getting validation, and it feels good. The feedback is positive, the responses are what you aimed for, and the outcome is what you’d hoped. Now ask, does it actually solve the problem? And what’s the responsible next move?

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). Most people are too focused on their own journey to judge yours, and that’s a good thing. The ones who care will be supportive. So there’s no need to overpolice your every step. Do it like nobody’s watching.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll be in a position to take charge. For you, leadership is cultivation. You want to help others, not control them or make them dependent on you. You’ll clear a path, show the way and teach what you know.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You play many roles: friend, worker, helper, leader and partner. Each one asks for certain behaviors, but none of them captures your whole self. They’re expressions, not definitions. A role is something you do, not someone you are.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The option on the table today is not the only one that will be offered and taking it could alter your course. Things may work on paper, but that doesn’t mean they really fit. The ideal arrangement? Try before you buy.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Don’t bend for someone who will take advantage of your good nature. You can show said good nature by good-naturedly saying, “Ha! No way.” It’s the swift timing, lightness and the gleam in your eye that sells it.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The stressful situation will pass, the problem will be solved and the transaction finalized. It’s all coming together very soon, too, so proceed as though you know this is going your way.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Today’s issue is a snowball rolling down a mountain. You might be able to stop it at the top while it’s tiny, but once it gets near the bottom, it’s a fast-moving, giant wrecking ball.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Talent plus merit is the golden ticket. But if you could only choose one, merit always wins out. With work, the job is learned. The real talent is a desire to put in the work it takes to be good.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You do have high expectations today, but it’s appropriate because you are ready for the challenge. You’ve done the preparation, and now it’s just a matter of surrendering to action. You can trust yourself, and the universe, implicitly.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 25). Step into your Year of Whispered Intuition, when incredible timing and subtle influence guide you to wonderful places. Your insight and generosity will be cherished and make a difference in the lives of those you love and those you don’t even know. More highlights: You’ll experience an unexpected windfall, you’ll acquire a lucrative skill, and you’ll give dozens of lauded performances. Leo and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 22, 37, 10 and 41.

  • From talking up the 250th anniversary to shaking John Fetterman’s hand, here are the Pa. moments in Trump’s State of the Union address

    From talking up the 250th anniversary to shaking John Fetterman’s hand, here are the Pa. moments in Trump’s State of the Union address

    President Donald Trump ended his historically long State of the Union address Tuesday night with how he began it — talking about the United States’ 250th birthday this summer.

    He mentioned the “historic streets of Philadelphia,” Thomas Jefferson’s final breath, and the FIFA World Cup games, some of which will take place in the city this summer.

    But his talk of the 250th celebrations served as bookends to what was otherwise a speech in which he railed against immigrants, spread falsehoods and lashed out at political opponents.

    During the speech, Trump took credit for ending DEI programs across the country, doubled down on his push to end sanctuary cities, falsely suggested his opponents cheat during elections and called for proof of citizenship in order to vote.

    The president chastised Supreme Court justices for their recent ruling against his tariffs. And he frequently lambasted Democrats, bristling when they would not stand to applaud.

    “These people are crazy,” Trump said.

    Stacy Garrity will be a guest at Trump’s SOTU address. Here’s who else from Pa. will (and won’t) be there.

    Pennsylvania popped up throughout the evening as Trump leaned on the 250th as a framing device for his speech and pointed to a woman from the Poconos to promote his economic agenda.

    Trump talks of ‘epic milestone’ 250th celebrations

    Trump mentioned the “epic milestone” of the United States’ upcoming 250th anniversary in July just moments in his remarks.

    “This July 4, we will mark two and a half centuries of liberty and triumph, progress and freedom, in the most incredible and exceptional nation ever to exist on the face of the earth and you’ve seen nothing yet, we’re going to do better and better and better,” Trump said.

    Philadelphia will be at the center of 250th anniversary celebrations this year, especially during the warmer months when the city is expected to see an influx of tourism which by one estimate could bring in as much as $2.5 billion to the city and region.

    But when visitors stop by Philly’s iconic sites, it’s unclear whether they’ll be seeing the full picture of U.S. history.

    Last month, the Trump administration ordered the takedown of every educational panel from the President’s House at Independence National Historical Park. The site serves as a memorial to the nine people George Washington enslaved at his Philadelphia residence.

    The incident has sparked outrage from Philadelphians who have rallied to protect the site and spurred Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s first major confrontation with Trump.

    After a lawsuit from the Parker administration and tireless community activism, a federal judge last week ordered the site to be restored. The panels were mostly reinstalled Thursday and Friday before a federal appeals judge ordered park employees to pause while the Trump administration’s appeal remains pending.

    Trump did not address the controversy in his speech even as he touted the city’s history and the founding fathers in his speech.

    The Philadelphia case is the most high-profile battle over the Trump administration’s broader effort to sanitize U.S. history ahead of the 250th. The National Park Service has removed content from parks throughout the country, including the Grand Canyon, underan order from Trump forbidding displays that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”

    Trump gives a shoutout to working mom from Pa.

    The president brought Megan Hemhauser, a waitress and mom of two from Cresco, Pa., a town in the Poconos, as one of his guests to his address Tuesday night, saying in his speech that because of his “No Tax on Tips” and “No Tax on Overtime” policies she is “so, so much richer.”

    Hemhauser was also featured at Trump’s rally in Mount Pocono in December when the president invited her to speak. She shared that these policies have helped her invest in her family.

    “It saves us and it’s for the future of our children,” she said at the time.

    Under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, tipped workers can deduct up to $25,000 of certain tips per year, but the lowest earners and some tipped workers won’t be eligible for the tax break, CNBC reported. For overtime, certain individuals can deduct up to $12,500 for single filers or $25,000 for married couples filing their taxes jointly each year from 2025 through 2028.

    Both tax breaks are available from 2025 through 2028 and decreases in size when earnings exceed $150,000 for single filers or $300,000 for married couples filing jointly.

    Democrats have pointed out the same legislation also included cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, two programs heavily relied by low-income Americans. They’ve blamed other Trump policies, including his signature tariffs and his opposition to extending health care policies, for exacerbating the cost of living for Pennsylvanians.

    “Trump promised to lower costs for Pennsylvania families on Day One, but he’s done the exact opposite,” said DNC chair Ken Martin in a statement ahead of the speech.

    Protesting with a pin

    U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D., Montgomery) attended Trump’s State of the Union, but ended up leaving the event once Trump announced that Vice President JD Vance would be leading a “war on fraud.”

    “I just had had enough of the lies,” Dean said in an interview after the address.

    The Pennsylvania lawmaker joined other members of the House Democratic Women’s Caucus in wearing white as an homage to the suffragettes. She also wore a pin and scarf showing her support for Ukraine, as Tuesday marks four years since Russia waged its attack on the country.

    “How I would have wished the president would have said ‘I am dismayed that I have not been able to bring an end to that brutal war and that is going to be my singular focus,’” said Dean, a member of the Ukraine caucus. “But, of course, he doesn’t say that.”

    Other Democrats showed their opposition to Trump by boycotting his speech, including several from the region.

    U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D., Delaware) and U.S. Rep. Summer Lee (D., Allegheny) both attended “People’s State of the Union,” an alternative event hosted by progressive groups instead of the president’s address.

    Other Democrats who skipped Trump’s speech include retiring U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans of Pennsylvania and U.S. Sen Cory Booker of New Jersey.

    John Fetterman wears a suit and shakes hands with Trump

    Known to seldom wear dress clothes, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman traded his usual hoodie for a suit Tuesday evening when he shook hands with Trump during the president’s entrance to the House chamber.

    Fetterman’s greeting of Trump comes in contrast to many of his Democratic colleagues and underscores the senator’s willingness to embrace the other side of the political aisle, often earning him ire from his own party.

    U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D., Philadelphia) criticized Fetterman in a post on X Tuesday night.

    “I’m not surprised PA Senator John Fetterman finally got dressed up for once and so warmly greeted Donald Trump tonight,” wrote Boyle, who has been floated as a potential primary challenger to Fetterman in 2028. “After all, as the White House has previously stated, John Fetterman is Trump’s favorite Democrat.”

    During a Wednesday morning interview with Fox News, Fetterman criticized fellow Democrats for not standing and applauding during several moments in Trump’s speech that he felt should have garnered bipartisan support, including when Trump recognized Erika Kirk, whose husband Charlie Kirk was shot and killed last year during a speech in Utah.

    Fetterman also defended his handshake with the president and believes he was only Democrat to make such a gesture.

    “Yes, I shook his hand. Of course. He walked in, and I’m always going to do that, for sure,” Fetterman said.

    President Donald Trump passes Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., as he departs after delivering the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.

    Summer Lee’s Working Families Party response

    Lee, a Pittsburgh progressive in her second term, delivered a response to Trump’s address on behalf of the Working Families Party, a grassroots progressive party that often endorses Democratic candidate.

    The Pennsylvania lawmaker criticized Trump’s tariffs, Medicaid cuts, escalation of federal immigration agents, and mass layoffs of federal employees.

    “The state of the union is dire,” Lee said. “We can’t afford to believe Trump’s lies, and we have to pay attention to his actions. This is not a normal time, and our response to it can’t be politics as usual.”

  • Sixers dominate Pacers, 135-114, in Joel Embiid’s return to the lineup

    Sixers dominate Pacers, 135-114, in Joel Embiid’s return to the lineup

    INDIANAPOLIS — Joel Embiid had 27 points in his return to the lineup after missing five games with right shin soreness and right knee injury management, Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points, and the 76ers beat the Indiana Pacers 135-114 on Tuesday night.

    Embiid scored 20 points in the first half, sinking 11 of 17 shots in 26 minutes. VJ Edgecombe chipped in with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the 76ers, who shot 58%.

    Andrew Nembhard and Micah Potter each scored 23 for the Pacers. Quenton Jackson had 15 points and rookie Kam Jones added a career-high 13 points.

    Joel Embiid will return to the Sixers lineup vs. Pacers after missing five games

    Pacers leading scorer Pascal Siakam was out with a left wrist sprain. The Pacers also were without Aaron Nesmith, who missed his third consecutive game with right ankle sprain.

    Indiana shot 42% from the field and committed 16 turnovers. The Sixers held a 44-41 rebounding edge with Maxey leading the way with nine rebounds. Jarace Walker had 10 rebounds for the Pacers.

    The 76ers showed their dominance inside with a 82-52 edge in points in the paint.

    Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey (center) had a game-high 32 points against Indiana.

    The Pacers led 38-30 after the first quarter, but the 76ers answered with a 17-0 spurt to open the second quarter and take a 47-38 lead. Philadelphia shot 64% to take a 75-65 lead at halftime.

    Maxey scored 13 points in the third quarter as the 76ers took complete control, expanding the lead to 106-85 after three quarters.

    The Sixers led by 28 points in the fourth quarter before emptying the bench. They will return to Xfinity Mobile Arena next to face the Miami Heat on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).

  • Philly schools return to in-person classes on Wednesday

    Philly schools return to in-person classes on Wednesday

    After two days of virtual classes, the School District of Philadelphia will return to in-person instruction on Wednesday.

    More than a foot of snow was dumped across the city Sunday into Monday morning, prompting widespread closures. However, warmer temperatures on Monday helped to speed up snow removal.

    The city offices and courts reopened on Tuesday, but the School District decided to stay virtual one more day.

    Philadelphia trash and recycling collections will also resume Wednesday on a two-day delayed schedule, officials said.