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  • How a Chinese competitor surged past the EV pioneer

    How a Chinese competitor surged past the EV pioneer

    Tesla, the 23-year-old company that brought green cars into the mainstream, has been pushed off its perch as the world’s top electric vehicle seller.

    Chinese EV manufacturer BYD sold hundreds of thousands more cars last year, and it’s not just in China.

    In most of the countries where the Chinese titan went head-to-head with Tesla — including Germany, Mexico, Thailand, and Australia — Tesla lost market share at an unprecedented rate.

    The end of federal support for EVs has bitten into Tesla’s sales in the United States, while backlash against chief executive Elon Musk’s political posturing has damaged his company’s reputation both at home and abroad. Globally, BYD is dominating with newer models, better batteries, and lower sticker prices.

    “Tesla didn’t just lose its sales crown, it squandered its position as a leader,” said Paul Blokland, cofounder of automotive data company Segment Y Automotive Intelligence.

    “As the U.S. industry retreats behind a wall of tariffs and abandoned EV plans, Asia has taken the torch,” Blokland said.

    In one of the most extreme examples of Tesla getting trumped, BYD vehicles swarmed roads in Europe last year. The Chinese company’s sales in the top 10 European markets quadrupled in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to calculations from Segment Y. Tesla sales slumped 30% over the same period.

    As Tesla loses global market share, Musk has been trying to diversify Tesla away from its EV roots and rebrand it as more of an AI, robotics, and robotaxi company.

    On Tesla’s earnings call last month, Musk announced that he would end production of the Model S and Model X and use the factory space to produce Optimus humanoid robots. He said he hopes to produce 1 million robots a year at the production plant in Fremont, Calif.

    “It’s time to basically bring the Model S and X programs to an end with an honorable discharge because we’re really moving into a future that is based on autonomy,” Musk said on the call.

    The BYD Changzhou car carrier is docked at Terminal Zarate in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, where hybrid and electric vehicles shipped from China are parked next to the ship.

    BYD was founded in 1995 in Shenzhen, China, starting out as a maker of low-cost rechargeable batteries for consumer electronics, eventually supplying Motorola, Nokia, and others.

    BYD has now emerged as a global electric-vehicle heavyweight by controlling much of its supply chain and rapidly rolling out new models. An early investment from Berkshire Hathaway helped legitimize the company abroad.

    As BYD expanded sales across China, Europe, and other overseas markets, it has been reshaping competition in the auto industry everywhere it lands.

    Because of steep tariffs and federal restrictions, you can’t buy a BYD passenger vehicle in the U.S. But experts and customers say BYD offers a higher-quality car for a much lower price in other countries. The BYD Dolphin, an all-electric hatchback, starts at less than $14,000 in China.

    More than 75,000 BYDs were sold in Mexico last year, according to Segment Y’s tally. Canada recently reached a trade agreement with China that would allow more Chinese EVs into the country.

    Experts said BYD has several advantages over Tesla, including a more diverse product offering, lower-cost access to rare earth metals used in batteries, and immunity from U.S. safety and labor laws.

    “High-visibility elements of BYD cars seem to be superior to not just Teslas but a lot of the cars that are being produced by non-Chinese companies,” said Karl Brauer, an analyst at iSeeCars.com. “Musk has got to find another concept to build his legacy on.”

    Tesla offers a few main vehicles with some variation, including a compact car, a midsize SUV and the Cybertruck. BYD sells more than eight models that include sedans, several SUVs, minivans, and trucks.

    In countries where there is a choice between Tesla and BYD, customers say BYD cars look better, cost less, and come with more options.

    Amy de Groot, a resident of Melbourne, Australia, bought her BYD Sealion 6 about a year ago for around 55,000 Australian dollars — about $35,000 in U.S. currency. She said BYD vehicles are all over the roads in her community.

    “Everyone that gets into the car is dead shocked at how nice it is,” De Groot said. “It’s a beautiful car to look at and to be inside.”

    When she was shopping for an electric vehicle, De Groot didn’t give much thought to buying a Tesla. That brand peaked in popularity in Australia about five years ago, she estimated, but Musk’s reputation has significantly deteriorated since then, she said.

    “At the time that I was looking, the Tesla stocks bombed really hard, and resale is always top of mind for me,” De Groot said. “It was a real fad to have a Tesla, and I just don’t think that they’re competitive in any way.”

    According to Segment Y Automotive Intelligence, BYD sold more than 52,000 electric vehicles in Australia in 2025, a 156% increase from the year prior. Tesla sales in the country fell 24%.

    Even in California, where electric vehicles are extremely popular and BYD is nowhere to be found, Tesla is losing market share.

    The number of new Teslas registered in California fell more than 11% from 2024 to 2025. Tesla’s market share among EVs in the state fell 5 percentage points over the same period, according to recent data from the California Auto Outlook.

    American automaker Chevrolet and Japanese manufacturer Honda both gained market share at the same time.

    “The scrapping of incentives no doubt impacted Tesla, but at least it does not have to worry about BYD in its own backyard yet,” Blokland said.

    One of BYD’s competitive edges, analysts say, is its batteries. It started as a battery company and has developed batteries that are more affordable and powerful than the competition.

    Another factor is that battery materials are cheaper to source in China, said Brauer of iSeeCars.com.

    “When the most expensive part of an electric car is the battery, and you have a massive advantage on the cost of producing a battery, you have a massive advantage in the EV world,” he said.

    BYD may also be getting some help from government backing as well as lower labor costs, experts say.

    “Our rules and environmental regulations and our laws about how you treat workers are not globally instituted,” said Brian Moody, an automotive expert and analyst. “It seems to give BYD a financial advantage in that they can charge next to nothing for a car that maybe costs more than that to build.”

  • Dear Abby | Friend’s living situation goes from bad to worse

    DEAR ABBY: A good friend of mine, “Louis,” has big problems. He is in his 60s, and although he’s 50% disabled, he can still work custodial jobs. His sister, “Gayle,” who lives 500 miles away, asked him to move in with her and her husband, saying they would help take care of him.

    Louis moved, not realizing his sister was a severe alcoholic. She’d come home from work, have six or eight drinks and become really belligerent with both her husband and Louis. She even gave Louis 30 days to get out of her house. He has nowhere to go because he severed ties with everyone in his prior location.

    I loaned Louis enough money to keep him from starving as he tried to find a means of support. He has applied for several custodial jobs. His brother-in-law is a great person but is not strong enough to do anything. Gayle has hit her husband on several occasions. They are at their wits’ end and need advice. Gayle refuses to seek any kind of help.

    — THERE FOR MY FRIEND IN FLORIDA

    DEAR ‘THERE’: Louis and his brother-in-law might find some support if they start attending Al-Anon or Smart Recovery meetings. Because they are dealing with a raging alcoholic, it may make them feel less isolated.

    As to what you should advise Louis about his living situation: Since he burned his bridges in the town from which he relocated and doesn’t have the funds to move out of his sister’s home, all you can do is continue to listen to him and be as supportive as you can until he finds work. Because Louis is partially disabled, he may qualify for some services and assistance in his new community. Encourage him to look into these potential options further.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: My sister-in-law and mother-in-law are going to court against each other. My mother-in-law acknowledges that she wasn’t a good mother when her children were younger. My sister-in-law claims her mother was harassing her by dropping off gifts, notes and money on birthdays.

    Unfortunately, my fiancé and I were dragged into the middle of the situation because we were speaking with both of them prior to the court proceeding. Now, they have both cut us off! I’m pretty sure it was because we wouldn’t pick sides, but why should we have to? We love them both.

    My fiancé had a close relationship with his sister and mother. I know this is hurting him. How can I help bring their relationships back together? My sister-in-law has blocked me from all of her accounts, and if I mail a letter, I’m afraid she will accuse me of harassing her, too.

    — TOUGH POSITION IN PENNSYLVANIA

    DEAR TOUGH POSITION: There is no way you can force a reconciliation between two parties who don’t want to mend fences. You do not know whether your mother-in-law’s motive for dropping off unwanted gifts was to harass her daughter. (It may have been.) My advice is to stay firmly out of the line of fire until after that court case has been resolved.

    ** ** **

    DEAR READERS: On this day that celebrates love, I want you to know how much I value my long relationship with all of you. Wishing you all a Happy Valentine’s Day.

    — WITH LOVE, ABBY

  • Horoscopes: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). How can you obey your heart’s commands if the noise of your mind makes it impossible to hear? Focusing on your breath pulls attention away from racing thoughts and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which signals your body to relax.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). If you could, you’d say yes to everyone who needs your help or wants your company. But since you can’t do it all, you’ll do the next best thing — decline invitations with such grace it warms hearts and keeps bonds intact.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). When your aesthetic is reflected in your environment, you feel loved. And this is why you’ll gravitate toward clean, clear, organized, novel and coordinated surroundings. The work you do will move through your hands and settle back into you.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’ll raise your energy by playing to your strengths and avoiding the obvious drains. Conserving and boosting your energy is a form of self-kindness that creates a foundation of comfort and safety you can grow from.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Good news on the financial front: You’re rich in all the ways that matter and a few bonus ways, too. And since there’s still no reason to buy what you can’t afford to impress those you don’t know, you can save a little, too!

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). When you have fun, others catch on to your joy. So don’t worry about being seen. It’s good for everyone if you are. As one doctor suggested, “Look at me, look at me, look at me now. It is fun to have fun, but you have to know how.” — Dr. Seuss

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Most events are a good time to somebody. But if they are not your idea of a good time, there’s no need to attend. Go with what puts a smile on your own face or at least with what doesn’t make you frown.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Today’s plot unfolds to prove once more that compassion is always best. The self-centered behavior of others will make it challenging, so go slow and be patient, and with a little restraint, love wins.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Too much analysis breeds paralysis; action is the way. The movement itself is what will make sense of things. The movement itself is what will change the odds, validate the mission and prove the purpose worthy.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Compassion pulls you toward people and you begin to care about their reality, their struggles and their hopes. Before you know it, concern turns into commitment. Compassion ignites passion.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ll get attention, though you may be too busy to notice. It’s OK because you don’t feed on external validation. You’re full already. You come to the party of life, after having already eaten at home.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Before you buy, ask yourself questions like “really?” and “why?” Confront deeper motivations and life gets less expensive. You’ll serve your actual need instead of getting the quick, cheap, shiny Band-Aid. Honest reflection leads to pure fulfillment.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 14). Welcome to your Year of the Wild Horses, when you’ll have the unbridled power, untamed heart and exuberant kinship to roam with fellow feral spirits. More highlights: Fun, infatuation, thrills, illusion and the more substantial fortifications of sincere and devoted love. You’ll delight in the company of those whose style and processes are a mystery to you including animals who teach you about being human. Scorpio and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 1, 50, 33, 13 and 6.

  • Amaris Baker scores 27 as Drexel holds off Elon’s late rally to win 68-59

    Amaris Baker scores 27 as Drexel holds off Elon’s late rally to win 68-59

    Drexel is winning at the right time.

    On Friday, Drexel defeated Elon, 68-59. After starting out 0-2 in Coastal Athletic Association play, the Dragons have rattled off eight wins in their last 10 conference outings.

    The Dragons (15-8, 8-4 CAA) pushed their lead to 19 points late in the third quarter behind fifth-year guard Amaris Baker’s 27 points. The Phoenix cut Drexel’s lead to single-digits in the fourth, but ultimately dropped their ninth consecutive game to the Dragons.

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    Drexel currently sits in fifth place in the CAA standings with six games remaining. If Drexel can clinch a top four seed in the conference, the team will receive a first-round bye in the CAA Tournament.

    “Every game at this point is going to be a position game for us,” said Drexel coach Amy Mallon. “I think that really has to be the mentality of this team. … We always take it game by game and possession by possession, but they have to understand right now where we are and where we fall.”

    Local leaders

    Baker, the CAA’s leading scorer and a Cardinal O’Hara graduate, notched her 14th game this season scoring at least 20 points. She also logged five rebounds and two assists.

    “[Baker’s] composure this year with what she’s seen as one of the best players in the league, as far as scoring — they’re keying in on her every week,” said Mallon. “So the fact that she’s still capable of putting up the numbers she has been able to put up just goes to show the discipline she has.”

    Drexel’s Amaris Baker (right) is the leading scorer in the CAA.

    Behind her in the stat sheet was another local product, Archbishop Wood’s Deja Evans. The junior forward logged 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Evans’ efforts on the board were a major factor in Drexel winning the rebounding battle, 31-20.

    After trailing big in the third quarter, Elon made the game competitive in the fourth behind freshman center Tamia Watkins. The three-time CAA rookie of the week scored 10 of her team-high 16 points in the final period.

    Elon cold from deep

    The Dragons were perfect from deep through the first quarter, shooting 4-for-4 from three-point range. Baker made two of those threes.

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    Meanwhile, Elon’s (11-13, 6-6) shooting woes started early and carried throughout the game. The Phoenix shot 23.8% from deep compared to Drexel’s 63.6% from three

    “We mostly just locked in on defending them outside the three, and when we’re in our 2-3 [zone defense], we just were moving well together, and we’re just communicating well together,” said Evans.

    The Dragons turned the ball over 10 times in the first half, taking a nine-point lead to the half. In the second half, Drexel cleaned up their ball security, turning it over nine times.

    ‘Staying composed’

    A 12-0 run powered by Watkins helped Elon cut Drexel’s lead to six points with just over four minutes to go.

    Drexel’s Laine McGurk (center) falls backward trying to control a loose ball against Elon.

    Eight of Drexel’s 15 points in the fourth quarter came from the line to help the Dragons outlast the Phoenix.

    “In a fourth quarter, they go on a run, and you can sustain and make sure you stay disciplined. Teams are going to have runs,” said Mallon. “I thought we did a nice job staying composed, understanding what needs to be done.”

    Up next

    Drexel goes on the road next Friday to face Hampton for a second time this season (7 p.m., FloCollege).

  • La Salle baseball ushers in a new era with 27-10 win over Maryland Eastern Shore: ‘This is almost six years in the making’

    La Salle baseball ushers in a new era with 27-10 win over Maryland Eastern Shore: ‘This is almost six years in the making’

    It certainly did not feel like baseball weather. Fans were bundled up in coats and blankets and hand warmers were the most coveted item of the day as mounds of snow sat behind the dugouts.

    Despite the 35 degree weather, there was an undeniable excitement in the air at Hank DeVincent Field — and for good reason.

    La Salle baseball was back for the first time in 1,728 days.

    The Explorer program shut down following the 2020-21 season but returned Friday for the first time since May 9, 2021, to face Maryland Eastern Shore. In front of a dedicated crowd braving the cold, La Salle beat the Hawks 27-10 to welcome the program back to the diamond.

    “This is almost six years in the making for me and two years in the making in this most recent run,” said head coach David Miller. “It’s just a lot of hard work with these kids.”

    La Salle’s loyal baseball community restored the program. Now it’s time to get it ‘back on the map.’

    La Salle’s on-field performance certainly left a strong first impression for fans, many of whom were getting their first look at Explorer baseball. They recorded 19 hits, led by second baseman Daniel Perez, who went 4-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Right handed pitcher Shawn Karpaitis threw five innings and gave up one run in relief after UMES tied the game at eight in the second inning.

    While the outcome is a bright spot for the program, the atmosphere brought even more excitement.

    A major tenet of La Salle’s three-step plan to bring back baseball was getting the field up to Division I standards. The program made sure there was new padding in the outfield and got the scoreboard up to date. The season-opener was not initially supposed to be in North Philadelphia, but issues with UMES’ field moved the first series of the year to La Salle.

    And the Explorer faithful were ready to support their program.

    La Salle outfielder Kosei Suzuki reacts after scoring during the first inning against the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks at Hank DeVincent Field.

    Fans filled bleachers behind the home dugout and parents occupied the grass along the first base line.

    “There’s a lot of excitement around the program,” said Ed Litsky, father of freshman pitcher Josh Litsky. “I know from a parent perspective there’s a lot of excitement. The coaches and players seem really into it. It’s just amazing.”

    The baseball team also got immense support from fellow student athletes. They helped fill the bleachers and the standing area to provide a boost to the players and even offered some heckling of the Hawks.

    “Other student athletes on campus were all very supportive today, coming to my office in the morning and wishing us luck,” Miller said. “I know I saw rugby out here, girls lacrosse, soccer and a couple of fraternities heckling a bit.”

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    The players enjoyed a chance to usher in a new era of La Salle baseball. Some, like center fielder Chase Swain, had been waiting since 2019 to play for the Explorers, while others, like Perez, followed Miller after he raved about his time at La Salle.

    “Coach Miller always talked about [La Salle] at Manhattan,” Perez said. “I knew the program had shut down and he has a lot of good words to say about this program. I knew he wanted to come back here and it sucked that when I hit the portal last year, I probably would have come here if there was a team. It’s just super special to be able to play for him.”

    La Salle’s Jayden Novak (left) celebrates with teammate Chase Swain during the fifth inning against Maryland Eastern Shore on Friday.

    Friday wasn’t about the past. La Salle is excited about its future and a chance to kick-starting a new era.

    “It’s a great day for La Salle Athletics and it’s a great day for La Salle baseball,” Miller said. “[The fan support] is Philly in a nutshell.”

  • Strip club shooter sentenced for killing a Good Samaritan, prosecutors say

    A Trenton man was sentenced to up to 60 years in Pennsylvania state prison for fatally shooting a bystander at a Morrisville strip club.

    On Friday, Pedro E. Rodriguez, 29, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, possession of an instrument of crime, and four counts of recklessly endangering another person in the killing of 28-year-old Mekhi Norman in August 2024.

    According to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, Norman was shot at a Morrisville nightclub while acting as a Good Samaritan. He did not know Rodriguez but was helping the club’s staff following an altercation at the doorway.

    Surveillance video shown during the sentencing hearing shows Rodriguez walking to his car, getting a handgun, loading it, and returning to the club, according to a district attorney’s office statement. Then, he fired into the building as security staff were attempting to remove his nephew, according to the statement.

    Norman, who was helping the staff when he was shot, was struck in the back of the head, the left thigh, and under both armpits, as 17 patrons and employees remained at the club.

    Rodriguez fled but later turned himself in and was held on $5 million bail at the Bucks County Correctional Facility. He now faces between 30 and 60 years in state prison.

    Rodriguez’s nephew, 22-year-old Kevin Perez, entered a guilty plea in 2025 to several counts of simple assault, disorderly conduct, and harassment for assaulting staff. The Trenton resident was sentenced to 10 to 23 months in the Bucks County Correctional Facility, followed by a year of probation.

    During the sentencing hearing, Deputy District Attorney Ed Louka described Norman as a good father, a good son, and a good friend who died being a Good Samaritan, according to the statement.

    Offering an account of how life has changed, the mother of Norman’s daughter told the court that the child still cries waiting for her father to call in the mornings and nights, as he used to, according to prosecutors.

    “While this sentence ensures that the defendant is held accountable for his senseless and violent actions, we know it cannot fill the void left in the lives of those who loved Mr. Norman,” District Attorney Joe Khan said.

  • ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin falls twice in disastrous Olympic free skate; Mikhail Shaidorov claims gold

    ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin falls twice in disastrous Olympic free skate; Mikhail Shaidorov claims gold

    MILAN — Ilia Malinin wound his way through the tunnels beneath the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Friday night, trying in vain to explain — or even just understand — exactly went wrong in an Olympic free skate that could only be described as a disaster.

    In the arena, Mikhail Shaidorov was taking a victory lap wearing the gold medal everyone expected the American to win.

    Meanwhile, Coldplay’s song “Viva La Vida,” and the lyrics that begin, “I used to rule the world …” played over the loudspeakers.

    In one of the biggest upsets in figure skating history, Malinin fell twice and made several other glaring mistakes, sending the “Quad God” tumbling all the way off the podium and leaving a star-studded crowd in stunned silence. And that cleared the way for Shaidorov, the mercurial but talented jumping dynamo from Kazakhstan, to claim the first gold medal for his nation at these Winter Games.

    “Honestly, I still haven’t been able to process what just happened,” Malinin said. “I mean, going into this competition, I felt really good this whole day. Feeling really solid. I just thought that all I needed to do was trust the process that I’ve always been doing.

    “But it’s not like any other competition. It’s the Olympics, and I think people [don’t] realize the pressure and the nerves that actually happen from the inside. So it was really just something that overwhelmed me and I just felt like just I had no control.”

    Ilia Malinin falls during his free skate.

    Out of control is a good way to summarize the performance.

    The 21-year-old Shaidorov finished with a career-best 291.58 points, while Yuma Kagiyama earned his second consecutive Olympic silver medal, and Japanese teammate Shun Sato took bronze.

    Then there was Malinin, also 21, who dropped all the way to eighth. The two-time world champion finished with 264.49 points, his worst total score in nearly four years and one that ended a two-plus year unbeaten streak covering 14 competitions.

    “Honestly, yeah, I was not expecting that,” Malinin said. “I felt, going into this competition, I was so ready. I just felt ready going on that ice. I think maybe that might have been the reason, is I was too confident it was going to go well.”

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    Much of Malinin’ journey during the Milan Cortina Games had felt a little bit off.

    He was beaten by Kagiyama in the short program of the team event, later acknowledging for the first time the pressure of winning at the Olympics was starting to get to him. And he still wasn’t quite his dominant self in the team free skate, even though a head-to-head win over Sato was enough to clinch the second consecutive gold medal for the American squad.

    But by the time of his individual short program Tuesday night, Malinin’s fearless swagger and unrivaled spunk seemed to be back. He took a five-point lead over Kagiyama and Adam Siao Him Fa of France that seemed insurmountable entering Friday night.

    “Going into the competition,” Malinin said, “I felt like this is what I wanted to do, this is what we planned, this is what I practiced, and really just needed to go out there and do what I always do. That did not happen, and I don’t know why. ”

    Malinin had decided to practice early in the day at U.S. Figure Skating’s alternate training base in Bergamo, just outside of Milan, and that gave him a brief reprieve from the pressure of the Olympic bubble. And he was the essence of calm throughout his warmup, never once falling in all of his practice jumps while wearing his familiar glittering black-and-gold ensemble.

    Then came the performance that could haunt Malinin for the rest of his career.

    As the atmospheric music with his own voice-over began, he opened with a quad flip, one of a record-tying seven quads in his planned program. Then he appeared to be going after the quad Axel that only he has ever landed in competition and had to bail out of it.

    Malinin recovered to land his quad Lutz before his problems really began.

    He only doubled a planned quad loop, throwing his timing off. He fell on a quad Lutz, preventing him from doing the second half of the quad Lutz-triple toe loop combination. And in his final jumping pass, which was supposed to be a high-scoring quad Salchow-triple Axel combination, Malinin only could muster a double Salchow — and he fell on that.

    “He never messes up,” Italy’s Daniel Grassl said, “so, obviously, we’re all a little surprised by how it went.”

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    By the time the music stopped, Malinin was left trying to mask his sorrow for a crowd that included Nathan Chen, the 2022 Olympic champion, along with seven-time Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles, actor Jeff Goldblum, and his wife, Emilie.

    “I knew that I could not have necessarily a perfect program and still manage to have a good skate. But just really, something felt off,” Malinin said, “and I don’t know what it was, specifically. I’m still trying to understand what that was.”

    Shaidorov seemed just as shocked as everyone as the realization hit that he had won the gold medal.

    He was only in sixth after the short program and an afterthought as the night began. But the world silver medalist, known for high-flying jumps but maddening inconsistency, delivered the performance of his life, landing five quads in a technically flawless program.

    “It was my goal,” Shaidorov said simply, when asked about the gold medal. “It’s why I wake up and go to training. That’s it.”

    Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan (right) reacts in the kiss and cry after his free skate on Friday.
  • Philly’s tiniest used bookshop opens in the back of a children’s dress shop on Passyunk Avenue

    Philly’s tiniest used bookshop opens in the back of a children’s dress shop on Passyunk Avenue

    Little Yenta has to be the tiniest used bookshop in Philly. And it’s certainly the only one located in the back of a 40-year-old children’s dressmaking studio.

    Ariel and Simon Censor, partners in life and now books, opened Little Yenta Books, their self-described “micro-bookstore,” on East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia on Saturday.

    Situated, speakeasy-style, in a postage-stamp-sized loft above the Painted Lady children’s boutique, the 150-square-foot shop is nearly bursting with over 1,500 titles, including literary fiction, science fiction, poetry, history, graphic novels, plays, and first-edition classics.

    Simon and Ariel Censor, owners of Little Yenta Books, showing one of their favorite books they acquired, “In Cold Blood,” a novel by Truman Capote, in their small bookshop in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.

    “We can’t be everything to everyone,” said Ariel Censor, 27, preparing the spine-packed space with her husband on a recent afternoon. “But we want to be something to most people.”

    The shop is a passion project.

    The Haverford College graduates have long been aficionados of used bookshops — believers in the magic of unexpectedly stumbling upon a literary treasure in a sea of cast-off paperbacks. Their South Philly rowhouse could double as a secondhand store itself, the couple jokes.

    “You really couldn’t use the living room anymore,” Ariel Censor said with a laugh. “It was all books.”

    Last year, they decided to host pop-up used book sales around the neighborhood, including at the popular Cartesian Brewery. It was a hit.

    “We got lots of people coming and saying that they wished there was a permanent used bookstore around here,” said Ariel Censor, who works as an associate communications director at the Penn Center for Impact Philanthropy.

    Molly’s Books & Records on Ninth Street in the Italian Market has long been an iconic South Philly used book spot. A Novel Idea, a popular independent bookshop, opened on East Passyunk Avenue in 2018 and mostly deals in new books.

    The couple believed South Philly could handle another used book destination. Selling nearly 100 books at the brewery event, the couple decided to make their dream a reality.

    Searching for a brick and mortar space they could afford — and that boasted a little South Philly charm — they found it in the back of Painted Lady. It’s in a small storefront at 1910 E. Passyunk, where dressmaker Angela D’Alonzo has made custom baby outfits for decades.

    Little Yenta Books is a small bookshop in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.

    It’s a case of old South Philly meeting new South Philly. For $400 a month, she offered the couple a little loft area storage space five steps above her shop, with no heat or hot water. Warmth creeps up from the basement, explained Simon Censor, 29, who works for a real estate firm. And hot water is not a must for book buying, they added.

    “Your hands are just a little cold, and that’s OK,” Ariel said.

    Ariel and Simon Censor have transformed the tiny space into a literary thicket, with shelves and stacks of titles from their home collections, and ones they’ve purchased from estate sales and sellers. Rare early editions and classics by Truman Capote, James Baldwin, E.L. Doctorow, Octavia Butler, and Willa Cather. Hard-to-find paperback editions of George Orwell, Albert Camus, Italian novelist Elena Ferrante, and cult favorite Charles Bukowski.

    “I always want to fit more books in here,” said Ariel Censor.

    Ariel Censor shows one of the books she and Simon Censor acquired, “The Plague,” by Albert Camus, in their small bookshop in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.

    On a bulletin board hang keepsakes the couple have discovered in the books, including notes, prayer cards, letters, poems, baseball cards, a high school class schedule from the 1990s, and a vintage recipe for triple chocolate cake.

    “I actually want to make that someday,” said Ariel Censor.

    Opened Thursdays and Fridays from 4:30 to 7 p.m., and weekends from noon to 6 p.m., the spirit of the shop is found in its name, the couple said. In American Yiddish parlance, Yenta can mean matchmaker. For Ariel and Simon Censor, that means that special feeling of playing matchmaker between a reader and a book.

    “Just coming in and stumbling upon a book that you will love,” said Ariel Censor.

    “Complete Cheerful Cherub” by Rebecca McCann is a book in Little Yenta Books in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
  • Shane Gillis’ hit Netflix series ‘Tires’ receives $6 million in tax credits to film its third season

    Shane Gillis’ hit Netflix series ‘Tires’ receives $6 million in tax credits to film its third season

    The hit Netflix series Tires is returning to the Philadelphia area, with more than a few extra dollars to spare.

    The show, starring Mechanicsburg, Pa., native and former Mantua resident comedian Shane Gillis was approved for a $6 million tax credit for its forthcoming production in the Philly region.

    The tax credit was issued through the state’s Film Production Tax Credit Program, which is overseen by the Pa. Department of Community and Economic Development.

    A still from Mechanicsburg native Shane Gillis’ Netflix comedy “Tires” in 2025.

    The program offers a 25% to 30% tax credit to productions that spent at least 60% of their total operational budget in the state.

    Nicole Shiner, co-executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office alongside Erin Wagner, said incentives like these are vital for large-scale productions like Tires to land and remain in the region..

    “The tax credit program is the primary economic development tool that allows Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia specifically, to compete nationally and internationally for projects the tax credit supports,” Shiner said.

    “Film and TV production is very mobile, and production companies compare states based on infrastructure, financial competitiveness, workforce in the area, and overall reliability,” she said. “Without a strong incentive program, we simply wouldn’t be competitive in attracting major episodic TV or studio features.”

    Tires, created by Gillis and his longtime collaborators Steven Gerben and John McKeever, is set and filmed in West Chester. It premiered on Netflix in May 2024 and was soon renewed for a second season. In July 2025, the show was renewed for a third season.

    “When a series returns for additional seasons, that signals the area has stability,” Shiner said. “That consistency is what allows businesses and workers to grow with our industry. People can stay, create families, make plans, and pay mortgages.”

    The Greater Philadelphia Film Commission co-executive directors Erin Wagner (left) and Nicole Shiner pose for a portrait outside Philadelphia’s City Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025.

    She is glad the show is shooting on location. “When you see stuff on location, it gives you a Pennsylvania authentic feel that you really can’t make up. We love that,” she said.

    Pennsylvania Film Office officials expect the forthcoming production to generate an estimated $24 million to the local economy in return, including 1,709 jobs.

    Based on the local film office’s projections, Shiner said the show’s economic impact could reach as much as $50 million across the region.

    The estimate is based on professional services, goods, and production costs linked to shows of this magnitude. These operational costs include local cast and crew wages, equipment rentals, construction, transportation, catering, security, lodging, and other expenses, which are then injected into the regional economy.

    The state film office awarded $28 million to the Pittsburgh-set and shot series Mayor of Kingstown, starring Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, and Edie Falco.

    Pennsylvania Film Office officials said the two productions combined are expected to inject more than $131 million into the economy in direct expenditures, creating and supporting nearly 3,500 state jobs.

    Shane Gillis as Shane in the second season of “Tires.”

    Since the beginning of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration, the state’s Film Office has approved 135 new productions through the tax credit program.

    These productions are projected to inject over $1.34 billion in direct spending in over 34 counties in Pennsylvania, while supporting nearly 40,000 jobs and $505.3 million in state resident wages.

    “We are sandwiched between New York and New Jersey, and the tax credit program has been increasing astronomically over the last few years,“ Shiner said. ”It’s really important that Pennsylvania pays attention to this, if we’re going to remain competitive.”

  • ICE operation causes students at Lindenwold bus stop to flee in panic, school district says

    ICE operation causes students at Lindenwold bus stop to flee in panic, school district says

    The Lindenwold School District reported Thursday that fourth- and fifth-grade students waiting at a bus stop ran away in a panic when a U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement operation occurred nearby.

    The incident happened in the morning as the students were waiting to take a bus to school from the Woodland Village Apartments, the district said in a statement.

    Superintendent Kristin O’Neil said about 44 students were waiting at the bus when unmarked vehicles arrived at the complex. Officers in tactical gear and wearing masks fanned out, she said.

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    “The presence of multiple enforcement vehicles caused significant fear and confusion, and several students ran from the bus stop. Our bus driver acted quickly and responsibly, circling back multiple times to ensure as many children as possible were safely transported to school,” the district said, also thanking the bus driver.

    A Ring video from the apartment complex provided to some news outlets shows the children running with some shouting: “ICE! ICE!”

    “Upon arrival to school, many children were understandably upset and emotional,” the district said.

    “All students currently in school are safe,” the district said. “ICE Agents are NOT at the Lindenwold School District.”

    O’Neil said the students attend the district’s school No. 5. About 20 students didn’t show up Thursday, she said. The district will work with families of students who will be marked absent, she said.

    “To us, these are our children,” O’Neil said.

    About 60% of the district’s 3,100 students are Hispanic, according to its latest school performance report. O’Neil said it is not unusual for parents to keep their children home when there are reports of ICE activity in the area.

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    A district leader reached out to county and state representatives to alert them about the incident and to advocate for protocols that prioritize the safety of children during any future ICE operations, the district said.

    “Our students deserve to feel safe while waiting for their school bus and while attending school each day,” the district said.

    A spokesperson for ICE could not be reached for comment Thursday night.

    U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, (D., NJ), who represents the district, was among several dozen people who showed up Friday at an “ICE Out of Lindenwold” protest at Lindenwold Borough Hall. The protest was announced before the bus stop incident.

    “Schoolchildren are not criminals, and enforcement actions must reflect that,” Norcross said in a statement. “… Our community will not be terrorized, and we will keep fighting to protect our neighborhoods.”

    Lindenwold, located about 16 miles southeast of Philadelphia, has been among several communities in Camden County that have been subject to ICE operations.

    County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said in a statement Thursday night that “the absolute chaos sowed by this ICE operation in Lindenwold this morning was appalling.”

    Cappelli added that “we are short on facts and details about the intentions of ICE,” however at some point ICE called 911 to request local police assistance.

    “That said, the impact and fear that struck the children of our county was painful to watch, and I can’t imagine the anxiety and trauma that came from this incident,” Cappelli said.

    He added, “As a community, segments of our population are being terrorized and scared to leave their homes. This is no way for any of us to live.”

    County Commissioner Jonathan Young said in a statement: “As a former Lindenwold resident, I’m disgusted to watch the videos of children running in absolute terror along a busy county thoroughfare.”

    Young said that “no one wants criminals in their community,” but added that, “under Trump, ICE has been inhumane in how it conducts its operations. We’ve seen that firsthand throughout other cities in the country, and now it’s happening here.”