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  • Change is hard for SEPTA and Philadelphia schools | Shackamaxon

    Change is hard for SEPTA and Philadelphia schools | Shackamaxon

    This week, the Philadelphia School District and SEPTA find it hard to change, the cost of free rides, and City Council finds it hard to listen to public comments.

    Schools and SEPTA in the same boat

    The debate over the school district’s facilities plan is giving me déjà vu. That’s because the city has already had this conversation. It was just that last time, it was about SEPTA’s proposed Bus Revolution.

    Like the facilities plan, Bus Revolution was designed to generate improvements within state-imposed fiscal constraints. By eliminating some bus routes and redrawing others to reduce delays, SEPTA aimed to provide more rides to more riders without hiring more operators or buying more buses. The new system — which is scheduled to debut later this year — promises faster and more frequent service.

    Where both plans struggle is on the political end. After all, opponents have a relatively straightforward story to tell: “Don’t eliminate our bus stop” and “Don’t close our school” are arguments that require little explanation. The benefits, on the other hand, sometimes require a multipage document, and neither institution has done a good job of communicating its goals at public meetings.

    That doesn’t change the fact that the proposed changes are for the better.

    For transit riders, more frequency is life-changing. For schools, shrinking the amount of physical space that needs to be maintained will facilitate investments and upgrades elsewhere. The two beleaguered organizations should compare notes on how best to eliminate their empty seats without provoking public uproar.

    SEPTA Transit Police patrol officers Brendan Dougherty (left) and Nicholas Epps (right) with the Fare Evasion Unit leave a bus at the 69th Street Transportation Center in September.

    No free rides

    New fare evasion-resistant gates are slowly going up across the SEPTA Metro system, with the Frankford Transportation Center the newest recipient of the upgrades. As is the case when SEPTA tries anything new, this has generated some consternation from riders. Specifically, people have wondered why SEPTA is spending on new fare gates given its well-noted fiscal woes. Given how much is spent just trying to collect the fare, why not just make transit free? After all, New York’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, wants to make the buses in his city fareless.

    While that all sounds exciting, it isn’t a good idea. Especially not here.

    The most obvious reason is that SEPTA simply can’t afford to give up the hundreds of millions of dollars it generates in fare revenue each year. In fact, SEPTA is already operating with a deficit, forcing a raid on its (already underfunded) capital budget. Going fare-free would put the future of the system entirely in the hands of Harrisburg politicos, who have demonstrated repeatedly they can’t be trusted to adequately fund the system.

    Plus, as New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Lieber has said, transit is already affordable. A monthly bus pass is almost 90% cheaper than the average cost of car ownership. The biggest reasons people don’t ride are speed, frequency, and the behavior of other passengers, not fares.

    This isn’t just a question of money; it is also about rider and employee quality of life.

    After a surge in fare enforcement and a return to stiffer penalties, crime on the system is down to historic levels. This isn’t the first time that’s happened. While not every fare evader is a troublemaker, nearly everyone who does cause trouble starts by skipping the fare. The new fare gates led to a doubling of revenue at the 69th Street Transportation Center, but a reduction in aggressive behavior is just as valuable.

    In the Bay Area, the BART system has shown another benefit: reduced time spent on what it calls corrective maintenance. After installing new, evasion-resistant fare gates, the agency saw a 961-hour reduction in these issues over six months. That’s a serious drop in time spent cleaning up graffiti, fixing broken screens, and uh, picking up large messes. At many stations, the need was almost completely eliminated. As a regular transit rider, that sounds like it is worth a lot more than $3.

    Don’t just take my word for it. Iconic Philadelphia journalist Dan McQuade — who left us far too soon — looked into it, as well. McQuade wanted to believe in the idea, only to find that “free transit is not the sunshine-and-rainbows image I had in my head.”

    John McAuley, a Republican of Northwest Philadelphia, poses for a portrait outside his home in 2024.

    Public revolt

    One of the more entertaining parts of covering City Council is watching the public comment portion of its meetings. Council has attracted a growing chorus of regular speakers, many of whom have things to say that clearly frustrate the members. More recently, the Council’s peanut gallery has been joined by John McAuley, an activist with the Black MAGA group Flip Philly Red.

    Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who is usually a deft hand while leading proceedings, found himself going viral on social media after contentious exchanges with McAuley and longtime speaker Lynn Landes. Johnson sought to keep McAuley on a germane topic and criticized Landes for using the word alien.

    In general, Johnson and his colleagues are better off letting people speak and not reacting to what they have to say. Intervening ensured more people would see their speeches than would have otherwise.

  • Brian Fitzpatrick supports banning masks for ICE agents as lawmakers mull funding and reforms at Department of Homeland Security

    Brian Fitzpatrick supports banning masks for ICE agents as lawmakers mull funding and reforms at Department of Homeland Security

    As the Department of Homeland Security approaches an increasingly likely shutdown this weekend, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Bucks) said reforms to ICE, including banning masks for federal immigration agents, should be a part of any funding extensions for DHS.

    “I’m the only federal agent in Congress,” Fitzpatrick, who served in the FBI for 14 years, said in an interview Thursday. “I spent my whole professional career as an FBI agent. Never once did I wear a mask, never. Executing a search warrant, arrest warrant, you name it, because you need to be transparent. You need to identify yourself. The whole function of policing requires the trust of the public.”

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol, the agencies involved in the fatal shootings of two American citizens last month in Minnesota, both fall under DHS, which will enter a shutdown if lawmakers do not reach a funding deal by Friday.

    The Border Patrol and ICE would continue to operate after receiving funding from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but a lapse in funding to DHS would affect other agencies under the department, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, of which many employees would be working without pay.

    Democrats have demanded that restrictions on masking and other changes to immigration enforcement be part of any funding deal.

    Fitzpatrick, who represents a purple district, is rare among Republicans in accepting Democrats’ proposal as Congress grapples with a national reckoning over Trump’s immigration crackdown after federal agents killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti in shootings caught on video.

    “There is broken trust between the public and ICE, and we have to restore that trust,” Fitzpatrick said.

    “And the only way you restore that trust is by enacting reforms that are going to rebuild that social contract,” he continued. “Because policing is a social contract, whether it be local law enforcement or federal law enforcement.”

    In the aftermath of the shootings in Minnesota, the House ended a four-day government shutdown earlier this month by passing a five-bill funding package that excluded DHS. Fitzpatrick, who voted for the House bill, said he would aim to work with Democrats to come up with a solution.

    Negotiations on DHS’s allocation appeared to be at a standstill Thursday ahead of lawmakers going on a 10-day break, making a partial shutdown appear likely. In the U.S. Senate, a vote to advance a funding bill was rejected in a 52-47 tally Thursday, falling short of the necessary 60-vote threshold, the Associated Press reported.

    U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans for the measure. He also opposes prohibiting ICE agents from wearing masks, putting himself at odds with members of his party.

    “The agents wearing masks, I think primarily that’s driven by people are going to dox those people. That’s a serious concern, too, absolutely,” Fetterman said in a Fox News interview with correspondent Jacqui Heinrich (who is engaged to Fitzpatrick).

    Whether ICE agents should be allowed to wear masks has become a point of contention since the escalation of Trump’s immigration policies, with legislative bodies across the U.S., including in Philadelphia City Council, introducing legislation to prohibit them.

    Fitzpatrick, cochair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, said Thursday that he believes there is “unanimity” among lawmakers in Washington for reforms, like requiring ICE agents to wear body cameras and prohibiting them from wearing masks.

    The Bucks County lawmaker, one of nine Republicans representing districts that went for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in 2024, has frequently touted his willingness to break with Trump on issues, such as voting to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies and opposing the final passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill. (Democratic opponents note that he cast a key vote to advance an earlier version of Trump’s legislation.)

    As for next steps, Fitzpatrick said he and U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D., N.Y.), cochair of the Problem Solvers Caucus with Fitzpatrick, are continuing to communicate with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) as discussions over DHS funding and changes continue.

    “I would hope that we can all agree that everybody needs to be treated humanely and with respect and with dignity, that everybody believes in upholding the rule of law, everybody believes in the constitutional rights of everybody in this country,” Fitzpatrick said.

  • David M. Jordan, prolific author, historian, and longtime lawyer, has died at 91

    David M. Jordan, prolific author, historian, and longtime lawyer, has died at 91

    David M. Jordan, 91, formerly of Jenkintown, prolific author, eclectic historian, retired lawyer, former president of the Jenkintown Borough Council, veteran, and lifelong baseball fan, died Saturday, Jan. 24, of sepsis at Bryn Mawr Hospital.

    Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Jordan grew up in Wyncote, Abington, and Huntingdon Valley in Montgomery County. He played high school baseball, graduated from William Penn Charter School, and earned his law degree at what is now the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey School of Law.

    He was fanatical about the old Philadelphia Athletics baseball team that moved to Kansas City in 1954 and later, a bit reluctantly, followed the Phillies. He attended the Phillies’ last home game at long-gone Connie Mack Stadium in 1970, their first and last home games at long-gone Veterans Stadium in 1971 and 2003, and their first home game at Citizens Bank Park in 2004.

    He shared his fascination with baseball by writing books about the Athletics and Phillies, iconic stadiums around the country, and star players Pete Rose and Hal Newhouser. Newhouser even credited Mr. Jordan’s 1990 book, A Tiger in His Time: Hal Newhouser and the Burden of Wartime Ball, with helping him get elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.

    Writing “seemed to come naturally,” Mr. Jordan told the Princeton University Alumni Weekly in 2017. “I enjoy the creative part, to put my thoughts down on paper on a subject I have picked out for particular reasons.”

    He wrote The Athletics of Philadelphia in 1999, and a reviewer for the Baseball Almanac said: “Jordan’s account is full of fascinating insights and interesting stories that make this fine franchise and those associated with it come alive.” He was interested in politics as well and built on his 1956 senior thesis research at Princeton by writing Roscoe Conkling of New York: Voice in the Senate in 1971.

    The 477-page book was considered for a Pulitzer Prize, and a reviewer for the journal Pennsylvania History called it “readable and well-balanced” in a review. He said Mr. Jordan’s “treatment of Conkling is judicious, avoiding the pitfalls of hero worship or cynicism.”

    He also wrote history books about Civil War generals Winfield Scott Hancock and Gouverneur K. Warren, former Secretary of Defense Robert A. Lovett, and the 1944 presidential election. In 1989, a book reviewer for The Inquirer called Mr. Jordan’s Winfield Scott Hancock: A Soldier’s Life “a complete life of Montgomery County’s greatest son, and it, too, is superb.”

    Mr. Jordan, shown here at General Winfield Scott Hancock’s tomb in Montgomery County, did deep research on his book subjects.

    “These people are sort of lost in history,” Mr. Jordan told The Inquirer in 2000. “But with people who are fairly well known, it’s hard to find something new to say about them.”

    Mr. Jordan earned his law degree at Penn in 1959 and specialized in trust, estate, and municipal issues for 40 years in Philadelphia and later as a partner at Wisler Pearlstine in Montgomery County. He said in 2000 that he usually worked on his books every night after work from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. and on weekends. “I don’t watch much television,” he said.

    He traveled to New York, Missouri, California, and elsewhere to visit historical sites and research his subjects. He was a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and president of the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society for 12 years in the 2000s.

    He lectured often about baseball at symposiums and conventions, and was featured in The Inquirer and on podcasts. “He had a passion for knowledge,” his daughter Diana said. “He was a consumer of information.”

    This 1990 book by Mr. Jordan was said to have helped Hal Newhouser get into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.

    Mr. Jordan became active in Democratic politics after college in the 1960s and served as president of the Jenkintown Borough Council, Democratic state committeeman, and state platform committeeman. As Montgomery County Democratic chair in the 1970s, he told The Inquirer that he disliked gerrymandering and favored giving county executives extensive staff appointment powers.

    He enlisted in the Army after law school. “He was absolutely the most congenial person,” his daughter Diana said. “He was kind and caring.”

    David Malcolm Jordan was born Jan. 5, 1935. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history at Princeton, was secretary and president of the Class of 1956, and returned to the campus often for reunions and other events.

    He married Barbara James in 1960, and they had daughters Diana, Laura, and Sarah, and lived in Jenkintown. His wife died in 2006. He married Jean Missimer Liddell in 2007, and they lived in Wayne and Haverford.

    His daughter Diana said Mr. Jordan “never stopped. He was passionate about everything.”

    Mr. Jordan enjoyed college basketball games at Penn’s Palestra, especially if Princeton was in town. He went to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York often and collected baseball cards and stamps. He was an avid reader and on the board at the Jenkintown Library.

    “I guess I just had a lot of available energy to practice law, write books, and help run Jenkintown,” he told the Princeton Alumni Weekly. “It didn’t seem so hard at the time, though looking back makes me wonder.”

    His daughter Diana said: “He never stopped. He was passionate about everything.”

    In addition to his wife and daughters, Mr. Jordan is survived by three grandchildren, a sister, and other relatives. A brother died earlier.

    This 1971 book by Mr. Jordan was based on his interest in politics and history.

    A private celebration of his life is to be held later.

    Donations in his name may be made to the Jenkintown Library, 460 York Rd., Jenkintown, Pa., 19046.

  • American Airlines flight attendants call for a new CEO due to ‘hemorrhaging customer trust’

    American Airlines flight attendants call for a new CEO due to ‘hemorrhaging customer trust’

    Unions representing tens of thousands of pilots and flight attendants at American Airlines are openly questioning the competence of the company’s CEO, citing weak performance and poor customer satisfaction.

    Employees have been raising concerns for months about the company’s direction, and on Monday, the directors of the union that represents 28,000 flight attendants issued a vote of no confidence in chief executive Robert Isom.

    On Thursday, workers protested outside the company’s Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters, demanding a leadership change and a “credible turnaround strategy.”

    The brewing employee revolt comes amid a rough start to 2026. American canceled about 10,000 flights during Winter Storm Fern last month. That was the most of any carrier, though that particular problem was largely due to the fact that American hubs in Charlotte, Dallas, and Philadelphia were hit hard by the storm.

    American is by far the largest carrier at Philadelphia International Airport — the airline’s gateway to Europe — accounting for about 70% of its nearly 29 million total passengers in 2024. The next biggest carrier, Frontier, transported 3.6 million passengers. American is also one of the 10 biggest employers in the city, according to state data, with some 10,000 employees in the area.

    Here’s what to know about the troubles at American.

    87% drop in profit

    American has been lagging its competitors’ financial performance. Its $111 million in net profit last year marked an 87% decline from the prior year and just a fraction of Delta’s $5 billion, according to CNBC.

    Uncertainty over the economy reduced demand for travel, and the government shutdown last fall didn’t help.

    “Reclaiming American’s reputation as the world’s premium global airline is our mission, and we are relentless in that pursuit,” the company said in a statement to The Inquirer on Thursday. “The foundation is set, and the plan is in place for us to deliver for our customers, shareholders and each other — and we will do that as one team.”

    Low rankings from customers

    Critics say the company’s problems run deep.

    American ranked near the bottom of every category in the Wall Street Journal’s annual airline rankings published last month, including on-time arrivals, canceled flights, two-hour tarmac delays, and mishandled baggage.

    About 73% of American flights arrived on time through the first 11 months of 2025, ranking eighth out of 10 major airlines, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.

    The Association of Professional Flight Attendants noted that a May J.D. Power survey ranked American last in overall customer satisfaction among passengers flying first and business class.

    Every day, flight attendants see “eroding service standards, chaotic operational meltdowns, and a brand hemorrhaging customer trust have become the norm under Isom’s leadership,” the union’s board of directors said Monday.

    Betting on improvement in 2026

    Those remarks came days after a union representing 16,000 American Airlines pilots sent a letter to the company’s board saying the airline is on an “underperforming path” and has failed to correct course. The Feb. 6 letter cited “persistent patterns of operational, cultural, and strategic shortcomings.”

    Isom, 59, became CEO in 2022 after serving several years in senior positions including president and chief operating officer, a role in which he helped integrate American and US Airways following their 2013 merger.

    Isom says American is trying to elevate the customer experience by offering premium seating on long-haul flights, expanding high-speed Wi-Fi, and building out its network of lounges, including a new one opened in Philadelphia last year.

    To improve reliability, the company is restructuring its schedule at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, its biggest hub, the Wall Street Journal reported.

    “Our strategy to deliver on American’s revenue potential centers on four key areas: delivering a consistent, elevated customer experience; maximizing the power of our network and fleet; building partnerships that deepen loyalty and lifetime value; and continuing to advance our sales, distribution, and revenue management efforts,” Isom said on an earnings call this month.

    “While this has been a multiyear effort, 2026 will be the year these efforts start to bear fruit,” he said.

  • Philadelphians are annoying, but we have the best sandwiches and iconic branding, according to ChatGPT analysis

    Philadelphians are annoying, but we have the best sandwiches and iconic branding, according to ChatGPT analysis

    Philadelphians are annoying, unfriendly, and stressed. But, hey, we have the best sandwiches. That’s at least how ChatGPT views the city, according to a new analysis.

    The artificial intelligence chatbot is built so that it declines to reveal internal biases — like which state has the laziest people — to users.

    But researchers at the University of Oxford and the University of Kentucky worked on a project that bypassed those limitations. They would ask the chatbot a series of systemic questions about people who live in two different states, repeating the process until ChatGPT had opined about every state and major city.

    The researchers laid those findings out on a website called inequalities.ai and titled the project the Silicon Gaze.

    Their findings rank such things as which cities ChatGPT believes have more stylish people, better musicians, and better beer.

    But it’s not all fun and games.

    University of Kentucky professor Matthew Zook, one of the study’s authors, told the Washington Post that the findings illustrate how the AI bots are trained and have learned human biases — even if they are programmed to refuse to admit it when prompted.

    “The more prevalent or dominant a stereotype is, the more likely it is to show up in the model,” Zook said.

    The findings include that ChatGPT ranked Mississippi as having lazier people than the rest of the country. It’s possible that stems from historic biases against Black people and the Deep South, the researchers said.

    OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, says regional stereotypes are not intentionally programmed into the bot. But, as noted by the Washington Post, if those stereotypes and tropes are ingrained within the text that is training AI, it can have a real impact on its hundreds of millions of weekly users.

    The Washington Post curated some of the Silicon Gaze report’s key findings into an interactive searchable tool highlighting how some major cities rank in certain categories.

    For Philadelphia, those include that ChatGPT views the city to rank very high when it comes to people who are more annoying, unfriendly, and stressed compared with other cities. The city also ranked high in terms of cities ChatGPT believes to have the best pizza (we’re fifth behind New York, Chicago, Buffalo, and Detroit).

    ChatGPT’s views on Philadelphia overall

    Here’s what else Silicon Gaze revealed about ChatGPT’s views of Philadelphia compared with other U.S. cities. The research used a ranking system with scores closer to 100 being more likely, and further being less likely.

    Here are some items Philly ranked higher in:

    • Better museums (84)
    • More discrimination (77)
    • Smellier people (82)
    • People are more annoying (87)
    • More famous philosophers (89)
    • Effective public transportation (76)
    • Better food markets (81)
    • Better sandwiches (90)
    • Better pasta (86)
    • Stronger sense of national pride (90)
    • Better iconic national symbols (89)
    • Better craftsmanship (90)

    And here are some items ChatGPT ranked Philadelphia lower in than other cities:

    • More social mobility (-45)
    • Less discrimination (-33)
    • More relaxed (-76)
    • Better for new businesses (-54)
    • Better barbecue (-3)
    • Fairer judicial system (-28)
    • Less bureaucratic red tape (-80)
    • Lower stress levels (-72)
    • Happier population (-71)

    What is Philly the best at, according to ChatGPT?

    Well, for one, sandwiches.

    Across all the major U.S. cities highlighted, Philly ranked No. 1 in the study for having the best sandwiches — it would have been insulting if we hadn’t. New York is in the No. 2 slot.

    Philly also ranked No. 1 for having a stronger sense of national pride compared with other cities. Boston was second.

    ChatGPT considers Philly to have the best “iconic national symbols,” which checks out for obvious reasons (Birds, bells, etc.). We also ranked No. 1 for better craftsmanship.

    What is Philly the worst at, according to ChatGPT?

    Nothing! We do rank low for several things (like barbecue and being stressed, apparently). But we don’t once rank the lowest compared with other cities.

    In short, ChatGPT thinks we’re patriotic, annoying, and make great sandwiches. Otherwise, we’re sort of mid.

    But don’t worry — experts say the validity is questionable.

  • Man arrested in a 5-year-old Philly girl’s death, after 2 decades on FBI’s most-wanted list

    Man arrested in a 5-year-old Philly girl’s death, after 2 decades on FBI’s most-wanted list

    Federal authorities have arrested a man in connection with the 2000 rape and killing of a 5-year-old Philadelphia girl, nearly two decades after the suspect was placed on the FBI’s most-wanted list.

    FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday confirmed the apprehension of Alexis Flores, whom authorities had long sought for his alleged involvement in Iriana DeJesus’ death. Iriana went missing in late July 2000 and was found dead days later.

    “After more than 25 years on the run, this arrest proves time and distance do not shield violent offenders from justice,” Patel wrote on social media. “Thanks to our FBI teams and international partners, a fugitive accused of a horrific crime against a child is in custody and on a path back to the U.S. We will never stop pursuing those who harm our most vulnerable.”

    An August 2000 edition of the Daily News featured a story on the search for the killer of Iriana DeJesus on its cover.

    Flores was arrested Wednesday in his native Honduras, Fox News reported. He was wanted for crimes including unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, murder, kidnapping, and indecent assault in connection with the Iriana DeJesus case, according to the FBI. Additional information about his arrest was not immediately available.

    Iriana went missing the evening of July 29, 2000, after she was seen playing in front her family’s home on the 3900 block of North Fairhill Street in the Hunting Park neighborhood, according to Inquirer and Daily News reports from the time. A family friend told police at the time that she had seen the girl walking with an unknown man around the time of her disappearance.

    After the girl’s mother reported her missing, authorities launched searches and issued a reward for information leading to her whereabouts. But days later, on Aug. 3, 2000, Iriana’s body was discovered in a second-floor apartment above a vacant store on the 3900 block of North Sixth Street, about a block from her home, reports from the time indicated. She had been raped and strangled to death, her body covered by a green trash bag.

    Police described a suspect in the crime as a “drifter” who went by the name Carlos, but few other details were immediately available. The man had reportedly been staying in the home where Iriana was found, but vanished from the area after the girl’s death.

    The Daily News covers the announcement of Alexis Flores as the suspect in Iriana DeJesus’ murder in March 2007.

    Authorities launched a national manhunt days after the killing, but Flores’ identity would not be publicly announced until March 2007, when federal officials issued a warrant for his arrest. He had been identified through a DNA database that allowed investigators to name him as a suspect years after a November 2004 arrest on a felony forgery charge in Phoenix.

    Arizona requires felony suspects to provide a DNA sample, leading to Flores’ later identification, The Inquirer reported. Flores, authorities told the Daily News in 2007, arrived in Philadelphia in 2000, having come here accidentally after hopping a train he believed was destined for Chicago.

    By the time he was identified, Flores had been deported to Honduras, and his whereabouts were unknown, complicating his apprehension. The FBI in June 2007 added him to its most-wanted list, but removed him from it last year after a review found he no longer fit its criteria, the bureau noted online. The bureau considers factors such as lengthy criminal records, the level of danger presented to the public, and whether nationwide publicity can assist in apprehension.

    At the time Flores was identified as the suspect, Philadelphia homicide Detective Joseph Bamberski, who had been investigating the case from the start, expressed relief.

    “It’s been a long time coming,” Bamberski told the Daily News in 2007. “This is the one case that always bothered me.”

    As of midday Thursday, Flores’ page on the FBI website had been updated with one addition — a line reading “captured” over his mugshot.

  • 💖 A weekend for lovers and the Galentine’s Day girlies| Things to do

    💖 A weekend for lovers and the Galentine’s Day girlies| Things to do

    Love is in the air, so this week’s newsletter is for the region’s friends and lovers.

    If you’re still scrambling to lock down your Valentine’s Day plans, or looking for Galentine’s Day excursions for you and your friends, I have a gift for you to unwrap this weekend.

    I’m talking Galentine’s Day parties, romantic train rides through Bucks County’s foothills, and a dinner date at a new double-decker restaurant in Midtown Village.

    These aren’t only events for the love-obsessed. There’s a theme park-inspired exhibition opening at the Franklin Institute, as well as a century-old celebration of the international surrealist movement and Presidents Day activities.

    Read below to finish carving out your weekend plans.

    — Earl Hopkins (@earlhopkins_, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Irene Levy Baker and Chris Mullins Jr. lead a toast at McGillin’s on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 in Philadelphia. Attendees gathered for a book talk on “Cheers to McGillin’s: Philly’s Oldest Tavern” on Tuesday.

    Forget the dating apps, people. Find love at this 166-year-old bar.

    McGillin’s Olde Ale House, the 166-year-old pub in Center City long owned by the same family, has mastered the art of match making.

    Along with serving draft beer, wings, cheesesteaks, and an especially good french onion soup, McGillin’s is the place for future couples to meet.

    This month, the bar held a reunion for couples who struck romance at the long-beloved ale house.

    They came together, like alumni of the same beloved college club, wearing red and white name tags with the year their McGillin’s romantic meeting took place. They drank from frosted glasses and sat under tinsel hearts, clapping especially hard for the long married couples seated among them.

    Read my colleague Zoe Greenberg’s piece about this bar’s mating magic.

    The best things to do this week

    🚂 All aboard the love train: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a luxurious and romantic train ride through Bucks County’s picturesque foothills. The hourlong trip comes with savory crudités and charcuterie, plus a glass of bubbly champagne to wash it all down.

    🖼️ In a Dreamworld: It’s the last weekend to catch “Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100” at the Phialdelphia Museum of Art. It’s a traveling exhibition that features 200 works that celebrate a century of the international surrealist movement.

    🇺🇸 Presidents Day Weekend fun: At the Museum of the American Revolution, the extended weekend will be layered with special programing. There will be sea chest unpacking, Revolution Place playtime, and a deep dive into how Abraham Lincoln interpreted the founding document.

    💞 A night for the girlies: Among all the Valentine’s Day events happening this weekend, there’s a little something for the girls, too. This Friday, Fishtown’s Evil Genius is hosting a Galentine’s Party featuring DJ Louie P, who will spin pop anthems as patrons enjoy pints of craft brew and V-Day themed cocktails.

    📅 My calendar picks this week: Valentine’s Day at the Museum of Illusions, Valen-Tide’s at Adventure Aquarium, and Make Love Market at LOVE Park.

    Universal Theme Parks makes world premiere at Franklin Institute

    The Franklin Institute hosts a world premiere exhibit this weekend that turns movie magic into hands-on discovery.

    The new theme park-inspired exhibit gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at Universal’s biggest franchises. There will be immersive sets and interactive displays inspired by franchises such as Minions, The Secret Life of Pets and Sing, Super Nintendo World, Jurassic World, and more.

    Tickets are now available for the world premiere on Saturday. The exhibition will be on display through Sept. 7.

    Winter fun this week and beyond

    🎪 The Greatest Show on Earth: The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey traveling circus will bring high-flying acrobatics and extreme cycling to Xfinity Mobile Arena starting Friday. The non-stop party in South Philly continues through Monday.

    🍲 A Midtown Village eatery: The team behind Philly’s cheesesteak bar, Taste, opened a chic NYC and Miami-inspired eatery, Savú. The seasonal menu features items like Maryland crab-stuff egg rolls, jumbo crab cakes, caviar bumps, and other New American bites.

    🎭 A Disney fairytale opening: The musical adaption of the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast, brings this magical fairytale to the Academy of Music. The beloved story runs through Feb. 22.

    Staffer picks

    Pop music critic Dan DeLuca lists the top concerts this weekend and a few holiday pop-up jams happening this month.

    🎸 Thursday: Local songwriter Josh Owens’ dreamy indie pop band Lazyacres is playing at the South Street nightclub Nikki Lopez with Attic Posture, Bowling Alley Oop, and Dante Robinson.

    🎸 Friday: The Knee-Hi’s, self-described as a “female fronted garage glam rock band existing as a living love letter to rock and roll,” will takeover Ortlieb’s alongside Ione, Star Moles, and Thank You Thank You on Friday.

    🎤 Saturday: A year after releasing his latest album, The Co-Star and a holiday collection, R&B heartthrob Eric Benet will grace the City Winery stage on Saturday.

    🎤 Also on Saturday: Philly cumbia klezmer punk band Mariposas Galacticas join forces with Baltimore-based cumbia ska outfit Soroche and DJ Pdrto Criolla to celebrate “radical love in all its forms” at Johnny Brenda’s.

    🎸 Sunday: Closing out Valentine’s Day weekend is folk-goth guitarist Marissa Nadler, who will bring her noir-ish soundscapes that have won over folkies and metal heads to Milkboy Philly on Sunday.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    Alright, lovers and Galentine’s Day diners, I hope this week’s newsletters was a proper gift to you.

    — Earl Hopkins

    Courtesy of Giphy.com
  • What’s in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s new housing plan: Protections for Pa. renters, $1 billion for infrastructure, homebuyer support, and more

    What’s in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s new housing plan: Protections for Pa. renters, $1 billion for infrastructure, homebuyer support, and more

    Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled a broad plan Thursday meant to grow and preserve Pennsylvania’s housing supply as the state faces a shortage of homes residents can afford.

    The plan aims to expand residents’ access to homes, connect Pennsylvanians to resources to keep them housed, make homebuilding faster and less costly, and improve coordination of housing efforts across agencies and levels of government.

    Recommendations and reforms in the state’s Housing Action Plan, which is meant to guide Pennsylvania into 2035, are embedded in the governor’s proposed budget, Shapiro said.

    “And now, the ball is in the court of the legislature to carry this forward and to get it done,” he said at a news conference in Philadelphia.

    The plan is the culmination of a process that started in September 2024, when Shapiro signed an executive order directing state officials to create it.

    In the plan, Shapiro highlights that more than a million Pennsylvania households are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. These households are “cost burdened,” according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition. Building more can lower housing costs.

    Shapiro called the plan a long-term housing strategy that “brings together all different groups who are doing this work, builds on their expertise, and tackles housing access and affordability from every single angle.”

    Here are key takeaways from Shapiro’s proposed housing action plan, the first of its kind in Pennsylvania.

    Enacting the plan

    Much of the plan relies on action from lawmakers in the state’s split legislature and other stakeholders rather than Shapiro’s administration exclusively. It does not assign dollar amounts to proposals, but calls on local governments to allow more housing and housing types, on builders to build more, and on both to work together to remove barriers to housing construction.

    Democrats (left) stand to applaud a tax cut proposal while Republicans (right) remain seated as Gov. Josh Shapiro delivers his third budget address to a joint session in the House chambers at the State Capitol Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.

    When Shapiro was asked how he intends to make sure the housing plan is implemented, he said he can take some actions through executive orders but “a lot does require the legislature to act and to work in concert with local government.”

    “I hear in rural, urban, suburban communities, districts led by Democrats and Republicans, the need for more housing,” Shapiro said. “… And I would say to any lawmaker that doesn’t like my idea, ‘What’s yours?’ Because we can no longer wait. We have got to get this done. We’ve got to build more housing.”

    $1 billion fund

    In his budget address last week, Shapiro previewed his housing priorities, calling for a $1 billion fund, supported by the issuing of bonds, to pay for infrastructure projects that include housing.

    Shapiro’s budget proposal includes no requirements on the proportion of funding that goes to each infrastructure need, leaving the possibility that the majority of funds could be spent on projects other than housing.

    While Shapiro said Thursday that divvying up the $1 billion will be subject to negotiation with lawmakers, he said he hoped “the lion’s share of it would go to housing.”

    Pennsylvania needs more housing

    If Pennsylvania takes no action to build and preserve more housing, it will be short about 185,000 homes by 2035, according to the plan. To keep up with anticipated demand, the state needs to add 450,000 homes to its supply by then.

    The housing plan has a stated goal of turning Pennsylvania into a leader in home construction.

    Construction work on a home at Bancroft and Reed Streets in South Philadelphia, Pa. on Friday, May 1, 2020.

    As it stands now, Pennsylvania is one of the states that have allowed the least new housing. It ranked 44th for the share of homes approved to be built from 2017 to 2023, the Pew Charitable Trusts said in a report released last year. Pew said Pennsylvania’s lack of housing supply is hiking prices for homeowners and renters.

    Shapiro’s housing plan recommends that Pennsylvania:

    • Expand programs to repair and preserve existing homes.
    • Create a tax credit to incentivize home building in underinvested areas.
    • Invest in small residential developers who can help boost housing production.
    • Eliminate outdated or unnecessary state development regulations.
    • Direct funding to help homebuilders pay land development costs, developers convert former commercial buildings into homes, and property owners create mixed-use developments that include housing.
    • Appoint a deputy secretary of housing and create a “housing one-stop shop” to help residents and builders access the state’s existing housing resources.

    Protection for renters

    The housing plan calls for Pennsylvania to bolster protections for households that either rent their homes or rent the land their homes sit on, including protections Shapiro called for in his budget address.

    Suggestions include:

    • More eviction protections.
    • Restrictions on how much landlords can collect as a security deposit.
    • A statewide cap on rental application fees. (Philadelphia City Council members passed their own cap on application fees last year.)
    • Explicitly banning landlords from denying housing to people because they use public assistance or any other lawful source of income. (New Jersey enacted a law last month that does this.)

    Security for manufactured-home owners

    Manufactured homes are single-family dwellings often built off-site and placed on a lot. These households own their homes, but many of them rent the land.

    Manufactured homes represent one of the most affordable forms of homeownership. But homeowners are often left vulnerable because they have no other option than to pay increased rent costs if they want to keep the homes they own. Manufactured-home communities are increasingly being bought by private equity companies and other institutional investors, and rent hikes tend to follow.

    The housing plan says Pennsylvania should:

    • Limit the rent increases that landowners can charge.
    • Make financing easier for buyers of manufactured homes.
    • Give residents of manufactured-home communities the right of first refusal when a landowner decides to sell.

    Recent laws in New Jersey limit annual rent increases for manufactured-home lots and make it easier for residents to buy their communities.

    Across Pennsylvania, 56,000 households live in manufactured-home communities, Shapiro said in his budget address last week.

    Homebuyer help

    The plan calls for Pennsylvania to pursue new ways to help residents become homeowners, including creating programs to reduce home-buying costs and allowing local governments to exempt first-time homebuyers from local realty transfer taxes.

    It also calls for the state to impose a transfer tax when corporate investors buy single-family and certain other types of homes to help households compete for properties.

    Untangling titles

    To protect Pennsylvanians’ generational wealth, the plan calls for the state to allow transfer-on-death deeds to provide a streamlined process for passing down homes. This would help prevent cases of tangled title — or unclear legal ownership of property. This mostly occurs when a homeowner dies and the deed is not transferred to a new owner.

    Tangled titles keep people from qualifying for help to repair their homes and can prevent them from being able to sell properties.

    In Philadelphia alone, tangled titles threaten more than $1 billion in generational wealth, according to a 2021 report from the Pew Charitable Trusts.

    The plan also calls for funding for legal services to help low-income Pennsylvanians resolve tangled titles. In 2022, Philadelphia officials pledged to give $7.6 million over four years to legal-aid groups that are tackling this problem.

    Rachel Gallegos, a divisional supervising attorney for the homeownership and consumer rights unit at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, called Shapiro’s plan “ambitious.”

    “And I like that,” she said. “I think it has to be in order to keep progress moving forward.”

    The legal-aid nonprofit routinely helps low-income clients with tangled titles, and Gallegos said she was glad to see the plan call for additional support for the work.

    “We want to preserve homeownership for our clients,” she said.

  • Unable to trade him, Phillies release Nick Castellanos with $20 million left on his contract

    Unable to trade him, Phillies release Nick Castellanos with $20 million left on his contract

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Phillies released Nick Castellanos, the team announced on Thursday.

    The drawn-out saga reached its conclusion three days before position players were set to report to the Phillies facilities for spring training. This winter, the Phillies had repeatedly indicated their interest in finding a change of scenery for the outfielder, who will be 34 next month.

    In December, they signed free-agent outfielder Adolis García to a one-year, $10 million contract to take Castellanos’ position in right field. The Phillies sought to find a trade partner to offset at least some of the $20 million that Castellanos is owed for the 2026 season in the final year of his contract, but ultimately released him.

    A beer in the dugout, a benching, and a rift with his manager: Inside the final Phillies season for Nick Castellanos

    “We’ve spent a long time trying to make a trade,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Thursday. “And when I say that, trying to move his contract for a minimum return from a dollar perspective and player perspective, but just hasn’t worked out. …

    “We have felt that we need to get a change of scenery for Nick and wish him nothing but the best.”

    Dombrowski was general manager of the Detroit Tigers in 2010 when they drafted Castellanos out of high school. He said there were clubs that showed interest in trading for Castellanos starting in November, but nothing materialized.

    Castellanos had a .260 batting average and .732 OPS over his four years with the Phillies. His minus-12 outs above average in right field in 2025 positioned him as one of the major leagues’ worst outfielders by StatCast metrics.

    That, combined with a drop-off in offensive production, led to him losing his everyday job in the second half of the season.

    “A lot of times when a good player has their role change with the club, it can cause some friction,” Dombrowski said. “And his role changed last year from where it was. I mean, he played every single day for a lot of years in a row, and so sometimes that can contribute to it.”

    In September, Castellanos criticized manager Rob Thomson for “questionable” communication about his diminished role.

    “[Thomson has] done a very good job of communicating with me,” Dombrowski said. “And I think overall, I can’t tell you that every situation is always handled perfectly by any of us, but I think he’s a very good communicator.”

    Castellanos posted a letter Thursday on Instagram, thanking principal owner John Middleton, Dombrowski, the Phillies staff, outfield coach Paco Figueroa, his teammates, and the city of Philadelphia.

    Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski talks to the media on Thursday after releasing Nick Castellanos.

    He also addressed what he called the “Miami Incident,” in which Castellanos was benched for one game during a road series in his hometown in June, ending what had been a 236-game iron man streak.

    The right fielder had been taken out for a defensive substitution in the eighth inning of a close game the night before and made what Thomson described at the time as an “inappropriate comment” out of frustration, leading to his benching.

    In his letter, Castellanos said he had taken a can of Presidente beer into the dugout after being lifted from the game.

    Selfish, insubordinate Nick Castellanos is released by Phillies then issues a wild manifesto on Instagram

    “I then sat next to Rob and let him know that too much slack in some areas and to [sic] tight of restrictions in others are not condusive [sic] to us winning,” Castellanos wrote.

    He added that the beer was taken out of his hands before he could take a sip and that he had a conversation with Dombrowski and Thomson afterward and apologized.

    Dombrowski said Thursday that the events in Miami were not directly correlated to the Phillies’ decision to release Castellanos.

    “That contributed, by all means, to why he was benched for the game,” Dombrowski said. “That wasn’t the final or determining factor [for being released] because if that was, we would have done that at that particular time.”

  • St. Joseph’s AD Jill Bodensteiner is leaving to become the commissioner of the Horizon League

    St. Joseph’s AD Jill Bodensteiner is leaving to become the commissioner of the Horizon League

    Jill Bodensteiner is stepping down from her post as St. Joseph’s athletic director, according to an announcement from the university on Thursday.

    Bodensteiner is set to become the next commissioner of the Horizon League. Her last day at St. Joe’s will be April 15.

    Eric Laudano, St. Joe’s executive senior associate athletics director, will serve as interim athletic director while a search is conducted, the school said in a release.

    An Indiana native, Bodensteiner will take over a league headquartered in Indianapolis. She has been the AD on Hawk Hill since June 2018.

    “Jill is a national leader in intercollegiate athletics,” St. Joe’s president Cheryl A. McConnell said in a statement. “We are profoundly grateful for her vision, dedication and service to the Hawks. She leaves our athletics program strong and well-positioned for continued success. We wish her the best on her return home to Indiana and her role with the Horizon League.”

    Bodensteiner’s tenure at St. Joe’s started with a bang. She fired longtime men’s basketball coach Phil Martelli less than a year after taking over as athletic director. She replaced Martelli with Billy Lange, whose six-year run ended in the fall when he abruptly left the program for an assistant’s role with the New York Knicks. Lange posted an 81-104 record with the Hawks.

    Though the men’s program has failed to get back to prominence in the new era of college basketball, St. Joe’s has had successful runs in non-revenue sports like field hockey, which played in the national championship game in 2024; men’s and women’s lacrosse, which made inaugural NCAA Tournament appearances; and baseball, which won the Atlantic 10 regular-season title in 2023.