As a former city councilwoman in Easton, Pa., I believe moments of national crisis require serious reflection on how policy choices at every level of government contribute to real-world outcomes.
The killing of a woman, who was a U.S. citizen, during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Minneapolis has prompted renewed scrutiny of the White House’s policies toward migrants nationwide. That scrutiny should extend to state legislatures that expanded ICE’s authority without sufficient accountability.
In Pennsylvania, this expansion was not limited to one vote or one year. In 2018, lawmakers advanced bills aimed at penalizing municipalities labeled as “sanctuary cities” by withholding state funding unless they cooperated with ICE. Despite warnings from civil rights advocates and law enforcement leaders that such measures would erode public safety, State Sen. Lisa Boscola was among a small number of Democrats who voted with Republicans to support them.
That pattern persisted. In 2024 and again in 2025, the legislature passed bills expanding cooperation with federal immigration authorities, including a measure requiring district attorneys to notify ICE when they encounter someone without legal status, even in nonviolent cases. Only four Democrats supported the 2025 bill. State Sen. Boscola was one of them.
These decisions matter. Expanded enforcement fuels detention systems now planning warehouse-style facilities in Pennsylvania, while public investment in wages, housing, and healthcare lags behind.
Public safety should be rooted in accountability, dignity, and community trust, not unchecked enforcement.
Taiba Sultana, former city councilwoman, Easton, Pa.
Share the wealth
So the Affordable Care Act subsidies have officially expired. Here’s what I don’t understand: Congress gets subsidies from the federal government (in other words, you and me) up to 75% of the cost of their “gold” plan health insurance. Why won’t Republican lawmakers provide the same for their fellow Americans?
Penny Stanger,Phoenixville
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DEAR ABBY: I have been in a relationship for almost two years with an incredible man who makes my heart sing. We are both in our mid-30s. I have three children. He has one whom, for lack of better words, his own parents co-parent.
We are at the point in our relationship where I want to marry, move in together and do the whole family thing. He often says he wants to marry me and wants that life, but “not yet.” When I ask him why, he says, “I wish I knew why. I wish I could snap my fingers and make it something I want to do now.”
His parents are amazing, but they always come before anyone else. If he had to choose right now, it would be his parents over me or any of the kids. I feel like I’m in a never-ending cycle of “Is he going to?” or “When will he get there?” What should I do? We’ve had long and extensive conversations, but I don’t feel he is actually trying to “get there.”
— WANNABE WIFEY
DEAR WANNABE WIFEY: Your boyfriend clearly likes the status quo. After two years, it’s time to offer him the option of couples counseling. If he refuses and you still want to take the relationship to a higher level, you will have to recognize that nothing is likely to change and act accordingly.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I’ve been with my boyfriend for 12 years. We have two children and a third on the way. Three years ago, we got our family a dog, “Astro,” the love of our lives. She passed away three months ago from heat exhaustion. She was only 2 years old. I was driving while my boyfriend held her as we drove to the vet. She died before we got there.
I am now in grief therapy. I expressed my grief to my boyfriend, and he has expressed his to me. I’m adamant about not wanting another dog. He told me he wanted another one, but that I had nothing to worry about for a while — more than likely, a year. I was OK with it because I felt it would give me time to grieve.
Well, this past weekend, my boyfriend came home with a new dog. He didn’t warn me. The new dog looks exactly like Astro, the same breed and color. I am heartbroken. I feel like my trust has been betrayed. I’ve been a wreck ever since, and I don’t think I can compromise.
This is a no-win situation because one of us will end up unhappy. I’m thinking about ending our relationship over this. Am I being unreasonable or selfish?
— OVERWHELMED IN KANSAS
DEAR OVERWHELMED: You are neither unreasonable nor selfish. What your boyfriend did was inconsiderate and underhanded and showed disregard for your feelings. At the very least, you deserve an apology. That dog should be returned to the breeder or rescue from which it came. However, while I don’t blame you for having second thoughts about the relationship after this man’s display of insensitivity, after 12 years (and three kids), ending the relationship may be impractical.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Family dynamics are in play. This could feel complicated, political, inconvenient or even dramatic. But it also feels expected. There are no surprises here, so make your move in full awareness of the familiar pattern.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Choose stability. Work with what you know and can control. Unpredictable elements are exciting but could derail you from making real progress. You just can’t risk it today. In predictable conditions, you’ll build brilliant systems and quickly move ahead.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Fences can keep people apart or bring people together. When people feel like their boundaries are being respected and protected, they let down their guard and are more inclined to connect in their preferred ways.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Every decision offers a lesson, no matter how it turns out. When things go your way, you learn. When they don’t, you learn something different, and often more valuable. So as long as you stay engaged and aware, you’re winning.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You may finish a mountain of work only to notice an entire mountain range still ahead. That’s why the cycle can’t be just “work, work, work.” Try: work, pause, celebrate. The pause restores you; the celebration fuels you. All steps are essential.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Each relationship is distinct. Let each connection serve its natural purpose. Some are only built for a shared laugh or a passing hug. Don’t try to get deep with someone who can only meet you on the surface of life.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Your environment seeps into your imagination, your imagination fuels your behavior and your behavior shapes the environment right back. It’s a loop you can use to your advantage now by putting yourself somewhere beautiful, and the rest will follow.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Real allies help you succeed, whether by boosting you up or giving you honest critique. Today they’ll give you what you need — a confidence boost if you’re wavering, or a clear-eyed critique when something just needs a bit of tightening.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You have a gift for prioritizing the right things today. You’ll figure out what’s actionable, handle what’s relevant and ask for what’s necessary. You’ll create order, and it will be so attractive to people who need that anchor in their lives and work.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You have great timing today, mainly because you’re early. Giving yourself wide margins for not only error but for creativity, peace and preparation simply gets you into the groovy vibe from which the day’s loveliness unfolds.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Today the “good guys” have quirks, and the “bad guys” have charm, and the same person can fall into either category as the days and deals progress. Stay tuned to nuance. Most truths will live in a gray area.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Don’t demand brilliance from yourself on command. Lower the bar to “something, anything.” A scribble becomes a sketch becomes a draft… you just have to start and trust that the work will develop from there.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 9). Welcome to your Year of Bright Opportunities. Invitations find you — to travel, to collaborate and to be a part of something epic and possibly romantic. You’ll get access to places or people you once thought out of reach. Your optimism returns in full color. More highlights: A family milestone brings joy, wins in games, and you’ll balance ambition and affection like a pro. Aquarius and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 1, 3, 22 and 37.
Donna Kelce made her reality television debut on Peacock’s The Traitors, with Thursday’s premiere including the first three episodes of the fourth season.
“People think I’m this sweet little old lady,” Kelce said to start the first episode. “They’re not going to know what’s coming.”
If you’ve never seen the show, which features reality stars, actors, comedians, and other celebrities, here’s our write-up of the rules and background. And here’s a recap of each episode from Week 1 …
On the way to Alan Cumming’s famous Scottish castle, Survivor’s Rob Cesternino asked Kelce what her two sons, Travis and Jason, thought of her being on the show.
“They’re so excited,” Kelce said. “They’re huge fans. Jason is the one that got me involved. We just literally, one weekend, during playoffs, we binged it. It was great.”
Immediately, her fellow contestants were worried about the potential for “murdering” — or eliminating — Kelce, “America’s mom.”
“No one’s going to murder her. The Swifties will kill you,” The Real Housewives of New York City’s Dorinda Medley said.
The show’s first twist was to name a secret Traitor, a position that comes with a certain set of extra powers. In the first episode, Cumming asked each contestant to come up and take a look inside a box with their name on it. One box had a card in it, and the person who got that box was the secret Traitor, identified in plain sight, kept secret from the other Traitors. The secret Traitor then wrote a shortlist of people from which the other three Traitors could choose a murder victim. That secret Traitor was Kelce — but you don’t find that out until the third episode.
Episode 2
During the first challenge, the contestants had to collect coffins to add money to the prize pot and determine who earned a shield, or immunity, and who was eligible for murder.
Contestants on one of the boats debated whether to put a coffin in Kelce’s casket and put her up for murder. Most of the Faithfuls, or non-Traitors, didn’t want to, but Traitor Candiace Dillard Bassett urged the group to do so. “I think it would shake this castle if we murdered Donna,” Dillard Bassett said.
“I know I’m going to see you tomorrow, because nobody would do that,” Big Brother’s Tiffany Mitchell said.
However, Kelce was not on the secret Traitor’s shortlist and was not murder-eligible — because she wrote the list. One person who was on it? Traitor Rob Rausch, who immediately put his sights on finding out who the secret Traitor was.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Kelce quickly drew suspicion from others across the castle due to her behavior.
“Only someone who feels safe doesn’t feel like they need to make connections,” Mitchell said.
Donna Kelce made her reality TV debut Thursday night on Peacock’s “The Traitors.”
This is a bit unfair. Most of the contestants have some previous knowledge of one another or even active friendships from previous shows. Kelce is not a reality star and only knew Ron Funches, who she said worked with Travis on a show before. Of course she was quiet!
“Looking around the breakfast table, I have so many suspicions, but also I am fangirling right now. It is so amazing to be in a situation with all these celebrities. I’m so happy to be here. Any extra day in the castle is bonus,” Kelce said.
Ultimately, the first murder victim was Big Brother‘s Ian Terry — he didn’t even make it to the first breakfast.
After the challenge, Kelce roused up more suspicion from Monét X Change after she didn’t have a person to name as a potential Traitor. She suspected The Real Housewives of Atlanta‘s Porsha Williams with Funches earlier. Kelce said she wanted to keep her strategy close to the chest, but on a show like this with so many big personalities, that just draws suspicion.
At the first Roundtable, where contestants vote to eliminate another player, Survivor’s Natalie Anderson tossed Kelce’ name out first, and Donna defended herself by saying she’s alone so of course she’s more quiet. Ron laid out the case for Williams, but Dillard Bassett, who knew her from Housewives, defended her, and threw the heat back on Kelce, saying she’d make a great Traitor. Kelce replied that Dillard Bassett would also make a great Traitor, because she’s put together and articulate.
Actor Michael Rapaport got so worked up about a shield issue from earlier, that he used “we” when referring to the previous night’s murder. His use of “we” immediately turned the conversation to him being a potential Traitor. Most of the table seemed pretty confident he was not actually a Traitor, but they found him so annoying and distracting — Anderson called him a “bad Faithful” — that they considered voting for him anyway, which would absolutely have been the right call in this situation for the viewers at home, who would no longer have to listen to him speak.
Episode 3
Kelce narrowly survived the first Roundtable, with Williams receiving the most votes and being eliminated. But Williams confirmed that she was a Faithful in the truth circle, so Kelce was not out of the woods.
She clearly learned from her mistakes, because she said in a confessional she needed to put herself out there more, and made an effort to talk to everyone afterward and at breakfast and share her ideas.
It was too little too late though, because immediately after the next murder in the morning before the challenge — this time it was Cesternino — the contestants went back to the Roundtable. And with minimal new evidence to draw from, Kelce was the obvious candidate. Kelce tried to pin the evidence back on Rapaport, who everyone already didn’t like, by saying that “92% of the time” the Traitors try to go for shields, to provide a convenient excuse for why they haven’t been murdered.
Michael Rapaport is one of the contestants on “The Traitors.”
But ultimately, Kelce was doomed from the end of the last Roundtable, received the most votes, and was sent home midway through the third episode.
“I know that I’m the sacrificial lamb, and I know that I had a blast meeting every single one of you,” Kelce said in the circle of truth. “On that note, I think I’m going to go, but you got yourself a Traitor!”
Honestly, she was set up to fail. The secret Traitor was an interesting idea to mix up the game, but the other Traitors were annoyed by the concept of a secret Traitor who had control over their decisions, and Rausch actively wanted to identify and eliminate that person. Dillard Bassett and Rausch were both very vocal at the Roundtable against Kelce, but if they’d all four been Traitors together from the start, there likely would have been more teamwork.
Several hundred people gathered Thursday evening in Center City to protest the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three whom a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis shot and killed on Wednesday.
Good, who had recently moved to Minnesota, died a few blocks from where she lived, and about a mile from where police killed George Floyd in 2020.
Protesters near City Hall held candles and signs saying, “We saw the video. Stop the cover up!” and “ICE raids violate Philly values.”
“We arrive at tonight’s vigil with deep anger and grief for the murder of Renee Good at the hands of the state,” Erika Guadalupe Núñez, Juntos executive director, told the crowd. “ICE equals death; it’s the death of family, of connection, of love.”
Núñez said the actions in Minneapolis reflect a reality Philadelphia has experienced with the mistreatment of legal aid organizations and immigrant associations at the hands of immigration agents.
“Let us be honest, if ICE was willing to shoot an ally, a white woman, in the face for documenting abuse. It is our duty to expose and condemn what they have done and will continue to do to Black and brown people behind closed doors and out of the sight of cameras,” Núñez said.
Video taken by bystanders in Minneapolis posted to social media shows an officer approaching Good’s car from the driver’s side, grabbing the door handle and reaching inside the vehicle. When the Honda Pilot begins to move, a different ICE officer who had positioned himself in front of the SUV immediately fires into the vehicle at close range.
The Department of Homeland Security said the officer fired in self-defense as Good allegedly tried to run down officers with her vehicle. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said video of the incident showed the shooting was reckless and unnecessary.
The fatal shooting of Good was at least the fifth death to result from the aggressive U.S. immigration crackdown President Donald Trump’s administration launched last year.
The federal agency has been escalating immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota by deploying an anticipated 2,000 agents and officers.
An ex-husband of Good’s, who asked not to be named out of concern for the safety of their children, told the Associated Press that Good had just dropped off her 6-year-old son at school Wednesday and was driving home with her current partner when they encountered a group of ICE agents on a snowy street in Minneapolis, where they had moved last year from Kansas City, Mo.
At the Center City protest, Julie Stewart, 71, said a wave of shock took over her body after learning an ICE agent had killed a woman she didn’t know, in a different state, and the pain felt close to home.
The feeling brought her to the vigil holding a sign reading: “ICE murdered Renee Nicole Good.”
“They are twisting the story; it’s a lie. ICE needs to be shut down, held accountable, and all of their people need to be unmasked,” Stewart said.
Aniqa Raihan told the crowd the names of the people who have died in connection with ICE need to be remembered.
Raihan, a No ICE Philly volunteer, named more than 30 victims, Good being the latest.
“We are here to remember these beloved community members, whether we know their names or not. We are here to mourn, to grieve, to lean on one another, and to know that we are not alone in the anger and pain we are feeling,” Raihan said.
Addressing elected officials present in the crowd, she said: “We can’t wait. If you don’t act, Renee Good will not be the last person murdered with impunity. If you don’t act, it will happen here. If you don’t act, ICE will continue to kidnap and disappear members of our community every day.”
While the protest was underway, several men identifying themselves as members of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense and armed with rifles walked down Broad Street toward City Hall and stopped at John F. Kennedy Boulevard.
Several armed men who identified themselves as the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, including Paul Birdsong, stood outside a protest at City Hall against an ICE shooting in Minneapolis.
They said they came to protect the protesters.
“I’m here because it’s my duty,” said a man identifying himself as Paul Birdsong, 39, while holding his firearm tightly.
Birdsong said the group’s members were legally carrying their firearms and they viewed themselves as “guards of the revolution.”
“To ICE, we will respond with whatever force is use on the people,” Birdsong said.
Police closely monitored the Black Panther members and reported no problems.
The biggest matchup in Sunday’s wild-card playoff game might be Vic Fangio’s Eagles defense vs. Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers offense. But in another universe, Fangio could have been back on the other sideline alongside Shanahan.
Fangio had a brief tenure as defensive coordinator with San Francisco from 2011-14 under Jim Harbaugh, but he left the team when Harbaugh was fired at the end of the 2014 season.
Shanahan revealed that he has tried to bring Fangio back to the Bay numerous times since then, but something’s always gotten in the way, including in 2022, after DeMeco Ryans left to become head coach of the Texans. Shanahan hoped to hire Fangio to replace him, but two days earlier, Fangio ended up signing with Miami.
“I’ve tried all the times that there’s been an opportunity,” Shanahan told reporters Wednesday in Santa Clara, Calif. “Just, he’s always been with someone else when that’s happened. I mean, I tried really hard in ’17 when we first came here and I tried like two other times on separate occasions.
“Vic’s a guy that I’ve always respected, gone against a number of times before I became a head coach, so that’s why I respect him so much and through the process have been able to become friends with him.”
A number of successful defensive coordinators have coached under Shanahan, including Ryans and current defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who returned to the Niners in 2025 after a stint as head coach of the Jets.
Vic Fangio was the 49ers defensive coordinator from 2011-14.
But Shanahan calls Fangio the best he’s ever seen. In four games against Fangio, Shanahan’s offenses have averaged 10.3 points and 290 yards.
“I mean, Vic schematically, he has always been the best to me,” Shanahan said. “As good as anyone there is. Has a very sound scheme that he doesn’t need to change up very much. It just naturally changes with how he does his coverages, how he does his fronts, the personnel groupings he does. He’s very good at getting a bead on what you’re trying to do and making you adjust.
“It always starts off cool and then somehow, some way we were competing,” Barkley said Thursday.
The two running backs, who are among the best at their position in this generation, and possibly any generation, later went their separate ways. But soon after, they were texting, and one thing led to another before they started playing chess against each other online. “I won, by the way,” Barkley said. During one Pro Bowl trip, Barkley and McCaffrey competed in Connect Four.
They are friends, to be clear. And Barkley admitted Thursday, three days before the Eagles and McCaffrey’s San Francisco 49ers meet in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs, that there’s a little extra juice on his end for this one, even if the two have no impact on how the other performs on the field Sunday.
“Any time you go against a guy who is such a great back and future Hall of Famer, in my opinion, you definitely want to go out there and perform at a high level,” Barkley said. “It always comes down to, I can’t stop him, he can’t stop me, but I would be lying to you if I didn’t say that you want to go out there and win, especially against a guy like that.”
May the best man win?
It is not hyperbolic to say that whichever star running back performs better could send their team to the divisional round. Both will have a big impact on their team’s success.
Saquon Barkley helped power the Eagles to a win over the Bills before resting in Week 18.
Barkley’s offense is facing a banged-up 49ers defense in a game where the Eagles’ running game, which has sometimes been stuck in the mud this season, should find success. Between the two, it’s McCaffrey that has the tougher matchup. The 29-year-old led the NFL in touches (413) and was second in all-purpose yards (2,133), but the Eagles have a stout defensive front and a linebacking duo that could make life difficult for McCaffrey and 49ers tight end George Kittle.
The Eagles finally seemed to get the running game pointed in the right direction over the final month of the season, but the starting offense’s last showing was a miserable second half during the team’s 13-12 road win over Buffalo. Barkley rushed 11 times for 51 yards in the first half, then eight times for 17 yards in the second half. But Barkley, whose 16-game rushing yard production was nearly cut in half year-over-year, expressed confidence that the Eagles have been moving things in the right direction.
“We got to focus on the little things and make sure we’re all on the same page,” he said. “Usually when we do that, we’re hard to stop.”
The 49ers remain without star linebacker Fred Warner and also are down his replacement, Tatum Bethune, for the rest of the postseason. Fellow linebackers Dee Winters and Luke Gifford were held out of practice for the second consecutive day on Thursday.
“They might be beat up but they’re still a great team over there,” Barkley said. “You don’t get to the playoffs by accident. They had the opportunity to be the No. 1 seed. You don’t get to that by accident.”
Barkley pointed to San Francisco’s game against the Colts and Jonathan Taylor, who Barkley said probably was the best running back in the league. During that Week 16 game, the 49ers held Taylor to 46 yards on 16 carries in a 48-27 San Francisco victory. McCaffrey, meanwhile, carried 21 times for 117 yards and caught six passes for 29 yards and two scores.
Christian McCaffrey (23) outdueled Jonathan Taylor for a key 49ers win in December.
Barkley probably watched that game closely this week for the purposes of film study, but he has long talked about his love for studying the game, especially the players who play his position. He has advocated for running backs to be valued more and last year helped bring the position back to the forefront. It’s why he was rooting for McCaffrey, his friend, to become the first running back to ever have 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season twice. McCaffrey finished with 1,202 on the ground and 924 receiving yards.
“I’m a fan of the position,” Barkley said. “I study all of them. I give my hats off to [McCaffrey]. He’s one of the best to ever do it, to be completely honest, and is definitely going to be a challenge for our defense. Our defense is definitely up to the task.”
Barkley said he’ll be watching closely. The time between offensive series is for rest, recovery, and to make adjustments, but in games against other greats, Barkley might find himself looking at the video board a little more or watching the action on the field.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t,” he said. “It’s more of as a fan and an appreciation of the sport and the position that we play.”
Then it’s back to the field to try to one-up the fellow running back he loves to compete against.
Lane Johnson (foot) participated in practice and was listed as a limited participant for the second consecutive day. Grant Calcaterra (ankle) was limited after sitting out on Wednesday. Jalen Carter (hip) and Dallas Goedert (knee) remained limited.
Nakobe Dean (hamstring) and Marcus Epps (concussion) were upgraded to full participants Thursday after being limited on Wednesday.
Brett Toth (concussion) remained sidelined, and Landon Dickerson (rest) also sat out Thursday. Dickerson has taken Thursday practices off lately.
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick accused some of his Republican colleagues of being “intellectually dishonest” about the Affordable Care Act, hours before he and other Republicans broke party lines to pass a bill to restore recently expired healthcare subsidies.
The Democratic-led bill passed the House by a vote of 230 to 196 after Fitzpatrick and eight other Republicans backed a discharge petition the previous day, in the latest rebuke of Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain.
Fitzpatrick, a moderate Republican who represents purple Bucks County, was one of 17 Republicans to cross the aisle Thursday to back the legislation that will restore healthcare subsidies after insurance premiums spiked this month, following their expiration at the end of last year. The bill would extend the subsidies, enacted in 2021, for another three years.
He said some of the pushback “unfortunately, is ideological” as he explained frustration with other members of his party, including Johnson.
“I’ve made the point to them many times over,” he said. “You are entitled to criticize something, provided that you have a better alternative. … I’ve been hearing a lot of talk out of my colleagues for a long period of time without any concrete plans.”
He noted that the expiration of the subsidies could lead to a rate increase for everyone if fewer people have coverage as a result, not just the approximately 8-10% who qualify for the subsidy, for whom the credit is “everything,” he said.
The issue could be an important one in congressional races later this year if lawmakers don’t resolve the matter, which was also one of the main sticking points during last year’s government shutdown.
A fourth swing-district Republican in the state, U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, was among the legislation’s detractors.
Perry shared a video Wednesday to social media of President Donald Trump accusing Democrats of being “owned” by insurance companies.
“These companies are thriving, not hurting,” Perry said in a post accompanying the video. “Subsidies are direct cash transfers from the Treasury (YOU) to their bank accounts. But they’re worried that their money tree is going to be chopped down, so now they’re threatening to pass off higher costs to consumers to keep their profits high.”
Janelle Stelson, a Democrat who is seeking a rematch against Perry after narrowly losing to him in 2024, criticized the GOP incumbent’s opposition to the bill.
“Forcing Pennsylvanians to pay an average of 102% more on insurance premiums is unacceptable,” Stelson said, noting the average increase to plan costs on Pennie, the state’s insurance marketplace. “Some Republicans in Pennsylvania are working across party lines to try to help their constituents, but Congressman Perry is again refusing to do anything.”
About 90% of people who bought insurance through Pennie for 2025 qualified for some amount of tax credit, but with the expiration of the enhanced tax credits this year the cost of health insurance through Pennie and other ACA marketplaces has skyrocketed.
About 1,000 people a day are dropping their Pennie health plans, deciding the coverage is too expensive, according to Pennie administrators. A total of about 70,000 people who bought Pennie plans in 2025 have dropped their coverage as of the end of December, said Devon Trolley, Pennie’s executive director.
Philadelphia area residents are expected to pay, on average, more than twice as much in 2026. Philadelphia’s collar counties are seeing more moderate cost increases, ranging from an average 46% price hike in Chester County to a 70% average increase in Delaware County.
Fitzpatrick had released his own legislation last month, but he chose to support the Democratic bill after his proposal failed to get traction. He said he expects some of his ideas, including income caps and anti-fraud provisions, to be amended into the legislation in the Senate.
Fitzpatrick said he met with several Senate Republicans on Thursday who said that the successful discharge petition “really breathed new life into their negotiations” after the upper chamber failed on its own compromise attempts.
“They just said, short-term, try to rack the number up as high as you can get, because the more crossover votes we can get, the stronger message it’ll send to the Senate majority leader that they need to move something quickly,” he said.
Fitzpatrick warned that more discharge petitions could be coming in the House if Johnson doesn’t change his leadership approach.
If someone told you 18 weeks ago that the Eagles would be kicking off the playoffs at home with a healthy roster, you probably would have been quite excited.
On the other hand, if you read and listened to what the national media has said about the team’s rocky road, you might be less cheerful.
As the team prepares for its wild-card matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday (4:30 p.m., Fox29), here’s a look at some of the recent chatter surrounding the Birds, from their evolving run game to the current revolving door of NFL head coaches — and how that could impact Philly …
Hurts, by design
There has probably been a time while watching the Eagles this season when you’ve wondered where some of those great play calls from last season went.
A significant piece missing from the playbook, and one many fans have been clamoring to see deployed more, is designed runs for Jalen Hurts. The fifth-year quarterback posted career lows in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in 2025, with 45 fewer rushing attempts than last year.
According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Eagles have been working toward increasing Hurts’ rushing attempts just in time to face a 49ers defense dealing with a number of injuries to its linebacker unit. Veterans Eric Kendricks and Kyzir White (a former Eagle) could start Sunday.
“The Eagles have quietly expanded Hurts’ rushing volume in recent weeks,” Barnwell wrote. “With the offense seemingly picking up one third-and-long per game with a quarterback draw. Leaving sneaks, scrambles and kneels aside, Hurts had just 10 designed runs through Week 10. The Eagles then gave him 17 designed runs over the next six games, yielding 100 yards and seven first downs. After a week of rest and with the stakes raised, I would expect to see more Hurts in the QB run game, which adds another efficient play to the offense and helps make life easier for Barkley.”
Nick Sirianni has the best winning percentage and third most wins of any coach in Eagles franchise history.
The NFL’s coaching carousel
This week, including Black Monday, saw several NFL head coaches fired. Mike McDaniel and Kevin Stefanski, excused from their duties with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns, respectively, headline a lengthy list of talented play callers, but no name looms quite as large as John Harbaugh.
Let go on Tuesday after 18 years with the Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh, the former Super Bowl winner and AP Coach of the Year, will be a hot commodity.
Nick Wright, host of Fox Sports’ First Things First, believes that if the Eagles struggle Sunday, Howie Roseman could boot Sirianni for a chance at landing the newly single Harbaugh.
“If Philly loses in bad fashion, I think that is the exact type of perfect fit for Harbaugh,” Wright said. “Harbaugh, I don’t want to say he’s not a schematics guy, but he’s not an offensive coordinator or a defensive coordinator, he’s a culture CEO head coach. Howie Roseman wants to pick the coordinators anyway. He’s not going to be in the offensive game plan the way some of these young, brilliant head coaches would want to be as it is. We have seen them be very bold with championship-caliber and championship-winning head coaches.”
“I do think Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman are the type of people that will say, ‘Is he better?’” Wright finished. “If we can get the guy who’s better, shouldn’t we do that? I just think they are fearless in that.”
If firing Sirianni a year after winning the Super Bowl for a coach that last saw playoff success during the Barack Obama presidential administration sounds ludicrous, just remember that Wright is the same guy who picked the Chiefs to three-peat and said the Eagles had a “Jalen Hurts problem.”
Kevin Patullo is in his first season as the Eagles offensive coordinator.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also believes a coaching shakeup may be in Philadelphia’s future, with many around the league questioning Kevin Patullo’s job security after a difficult year as the Birds’ play caller.
“Some around the league are wondering about the future of Kevin Patullo because of the offense’s struggles,” Fowler wrote. “Patullo has clout in Philadelphia because of his strong relationships with key players and a long-standing position as a Nick Sirianni confidant. The offensive line’s quality of play has certainly not been the same as last year’s, which is bad timing for Patullo. The offense ranks 24th in yards per game, which is tough considering the overall talent of the group.”
Patullo might not be the only assistant coach on his way out, with Fowler also reporting that certain defensive coaches might have earned themselves a promotion elsewhere.
“Additionally, defensive backs coach Christian Parker should be in the mix on the coordinator carousel,” Fowler wrote. “Teams are intrigued by him. And defensive line coach Clint Hurtt has coordinator experience and has helped in developing DTs Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, which could lead to opportunities elsewhere.”
The Eagles’ offense has been the team’s biggest question mark throughout the season. So when Sirianni announced that the team’s offensive starters would sit out the Eagles’ Week 18 matchup vs. the Commanders, it drew plenty of criticism — especially with the No. 2 seed still on the line.
Following the team’s 24-17 loss to the Josh Johnson-led Commanders, criticism intensified even further, but not in the mind of Hall of Fame quarterback and two-time MVP Kurt Warner. Speaking on ESPN’s The Rich Eisen Show, Warner explained his belief that, despite the offense’s inadequacies, fewer reps and more rest was the right way to go.
“Sometimes it pays such huge dividends early in the playoffs when you get a chance to rest and recover,” Warner said. “When other teams are beat up and going through physical games, I just think that lends itself to the advantage for the Philadelphia Eagles, even though I’m with you, I don’t know what we’re going to get from the offense. I don’t know what they’re going to try to do offensively, but San Francisco’s defense hasn’t been great. They haven’t been able to get pressure, giving up some yards in the run game.
“So I just feel like, from a matchup standpoint, as struggling as this Philly offense has been I feel like it’s a good matchup for Philly against that defense to start the playoffs.
The Flyers’ defense will be missing a key piece on Thursday.
Jamie Drysdale left in the second period on Tuesday after a cheap hit well away from the puck by Anaheim Ducks forward Ross Johnston. He did not practice on Wednesday or participate in Thursday’s morning skate.
“You hate to see a teammate go down like that. And even when the stretcher comes out,” said Emil Andrae, Drysdale’s defensive partner. Drysdale was able to skate off with help and ultimately did not need the stretcher.
“Usually what happens, I think it pumps up the team a little bit, because you get mad when a guy does that to you, and all you want to do is — hopefully Jamie is fine — but you want to win that game.”
The Flyers did, beating the Ducks and former prospect Cutter Gauthier, whom Drysdale was acquired for. They carry a two-game winning streak and a five-game home point streak into Thursday’s matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m., NBCSP).
Drysdale has been a key piece to the defense, building up his defensive chops after being heralded for his offensive game in his draft year and early NHL days. Andrae will now partner with Noah Juulsen, who has played in 28 of the Flyers’ 41 games but only once since Rasmus Ristolainen returned.
“Obviously, I’m here for a reason,” said Juulsen, who is seventh on the depth chart and plays a steady defensive-defenseman style. “The coaches know what I bring. The team knows what I bring. So I think that’s the biggest thing. You don’t have to do anything special. Just go out there and play my game.”
Emil Andrae says playing with Noah Juulsen may give him a little more freddom to jump into the play offensively.
Andrae and Juulsen played 99 minutes, 29 seconds together this season, before the former was paired up with Drysdale. Juulsen sees more confidence in the Swede as he grows in NHL experience.
“I want to join the rush,” said Andrae, who is a puck-moving buleliner like Drysdale. “But in this pairing, I can probably do it more, so hopefully I can start doing that a little bit more, since I know his strength is in the defensive zone.
“My strength is the offensive zone, maybe we can balance together there, but I think just read off each other and just play the way we played before.”
Scott Laughton was back in Philly with the Maple Leafs in November. At the time, he was inching his way closer to a return from a lower-body injury and watched the game, a 5-2 loss for the Flyers, from the press box.
Now he’ll get a true return as he suits up on Thursday for his first game back in Philly, a place he says “feels like a second home” after being traded alongside two middle-round picks last March for Nikita Grebenkin and a future first-rounder. A 2012 first-round pick by the Flyers, Laughton had 106 goals and 159 assists in 661 regular-season games with another 10 points in 24 playoff games across his tenure.
Scott Laughton played parts of 12 seasons with the Flyers. On Thursday, he will face them in Philly for the first time.
“You never want to be hurt and anything like that. We had a couple of days here [in November], so it was nice to catch up with some people and kind of see all the people away from the game,” he said in the visitors’ locker room at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“So yeah, it just gave me a little bit of, I guess, closure, if that’s the word for it, here. It’ll be nice. Try to get in a nap here and go from there. But, yeah, this one was circled on the calendar after I was hurt in the other one, and it’s a special place, and it means a lot to me. So it’ll mean a lot going out there and trying to beat them.”
Laughton will try not to blow at high dough or get too excited for his return. But it won’t be easy. Heavily active in the community when he was here in Philly, there will be several familiar faces in the crowd.
And there will be several across the ice for the guy sporting No. 24, like Nick Seeler, who was one of the reasons he picked that number — and a guy he said he may try to avoid during the game— and his buddy Travis Konecny.
“He’s a rat. He’s a big-time rat,” Laughton said of Konecny. “So I’m sure he’ll be chirping, but he can back it up for sure. He’s a good player and a really good friend. We grew very close with my time here, and he’s a great human being. So he’s about as big of a rat as they come.”
Breakaways
Matvei Michkov will return to the lineup after missing one game with a lower-body injury. He will be reunited with Noah Cates and will have Carl Grundström in place of Bobby Brink on the wing. Brink remains out. Tocchet said he will be fluid with Grundström and Grebenkin on that wing. … Dan Vladař (16-6-3, .910 save percentage) gets the start in net.
