Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes

Tag: topic-link-auto

  • Flyers tender record offer sheet to Ducks center Leo Carlsson that would cost Philly four first-round picks

    Flyers tender record offer sheet to Ducks center Leo Carlsson that would cost Philly four first-round picks

    It is the dawn of a new era in the NHL, and the Flyers are officially among the trailblazers.

    A few short hours after watching the next generation wrap up development camp with a spirited and competitive three-on-three tournament, Danny Brière and the Flyers announced they are major players for today’s stars with the signing of budding star Leo Carlsson to an offer sheet.

    The offer is a five-year contract worth an average annual value of $18 million. According to a league source, it is front-loaded with a heavy signing bonus. It would make Carlsson the highest-paid player in terms of AAV in the NHL and would walk him directly to unrestricted free agency.

    Pat Verbeek and the Anaheim Ducks have seven days to match the offer. If they don’t, according to the team’s press release, the Flyers would have to transfer their own first-round draft pick in each of the next four seasons as compensation. However, according to PuckPedia, it is four in the next five years.

    Carlsson, a restricted free agent, is coming off his entry-level contract, and the two teams could also elect to work out a trade for the Swedish center ahead of Anaheim’s deadline. It should be noted that if the Ducks match the contract, they cannot trade Carlsson for one year.

    Carlsson, 21, is a 6-foot-3, 208-pound center and is coming off a breakout season. There is the critique that the deal is an overpayment, but he is exactly the type of young No. 1 center the Flyers have been craving for years. Ironically, the last 1C was Claude Giroux, who is in talks with the Flyers, although it sounds like that potential reunion is contingent on what happens with Carlsson.

    Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (91) is widely considered one of the top young players in the NHL.

    The Swede has size, speed, playmaking ability, and a lethal shot. Selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft, Carlsson had 29 goals, 38 assists, and 67 points in 70 games this past season, despite missing time from mid-January to the Olympic break with a Morel-Lavallée lesion in his left thigh. According to Physiopedia, this is “due to shearing forces which separate the skin and subcutaneous tissue from the deep fascia.”

    Four of his goals and 18 of his points last season came on the power play. He added another four goals and 11 points in 12 playoff games, his first postseason experience. Across 201 career games, he has 141 points (61 goals and 80 assists) with a 14.7 shooting percentage, while he has won 41% of the career faceoffs he has taken — although it was 34.8% his first year.

    Flyers’ Dan Vladař is happy to have found a team that believes in him: ‘I don’t take it for granted’

    Carlsson is a former teammate of Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale — both of whom are restricted free agents and due new contracts. Zegras and Drysdale’s new deals are expected to account for something in the neighborhood of $15 million combined.

    According to PuckPedia, the Flyers have a smidge over $29 million in cap space before Carlsson’s proposed deal. If Anaheim does not match, that leaves $11 million in cap space for the Flyers — technically, because the PuckPedia numbers have Nolan Foote ($850,000), Jett Luchanko ($941,667), Carl Grundström ($1 million), and Oliver Bonk ($909,166) in the NHL. It is also burying David Jiříček’s salary in the minors, but all signs point to Jiříček — who is no longer waiver-exempt — and his $1.5 million cap hit being in the NHL.

    Adding the first four names and subtracting Jiříček and Carlsson, that leaves just over $13 million between Drysdale and Zegras, with the expectation that fellow restricted free agents Nikita Grebenkin and Hunter McDonald would also be in the minors. If Anaheim doesn’t match the offer sheet, the Flyers would likely have to move a contract or two out to accommodate Carlsson’s massive deal.

    Former Flyers right wing Cam Atkinson (left) and Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson battle for the puck during a game in 2023.

    The offer sheet also leaves Anaheim in a pickle, as the Ducks still have to sign restricted free agents Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, and Tyson Hinds. Next summer, Tim Washe is up for a new deal, and in two years, budding star Beckett Sennecke should also get a monster deal.

    Brière and Verbeek have some history. They came into their GM roles roughly the same time — Brière in May 2023 and Verbeek in February 2022 — and have already made two major deals. In January 2024, Gauthier was sent to the Ducks for Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick that became Jack Murtagh. Last June, the Flyers acquired Zegras for Ryan Poehling, a 2025 second-rounder and a 2026 fourth-round pick. Because of these trades, it is a good sign that the Ducks would not be retaliatory and try to offer sheet Zegras or Drysdale.

    Flyers sign agitator Noel Acciari to bolster the team’s bottom six

    Although this is the first offer sheet for Brière, this is not the first in Flyers history. In 2006, they tendered an offer sheet to Ryan Kesler, but the Vancouver Canucks matched. In 2012, with Paul Holmgren at the helm, defenseman Shea Weber was signed to a 14-year, $110 million offer sheet that the Nashville Predators matched. And before the salary-cap era, Chris Gratton was signed to an offer sheet in 1997, and the Tampa Bay Lightning did not match; however, two of the four first-rounders were sent back in a trade for Mikael Renberg and Karl Dykhuis.

  • On the United States’ 250th birthday, the nation is reminded who’s still in charge

    On the United States’ 250th birthday, the nation is reminded who’s still in charge

    For years, I and many others have looked forward to this week in Philadelphia, to be here in the city where our Declaration of Independence was written as our nation marks its 250th anniversary.

    But Mother Nature had other plans: She reminded us that we are not as independent as we’d like to think.

    Amid a 100-degree-plus heatwave, which was forecasted to continue through Saturday, numerous Seminquincentennial events were canceled. Yet locals and visitors persisted — with that consummate underdog Philadelphia spirit — and found small ways to come together to celebrate our ongoing American experiment.

    I first got the feeling things weren’t going to go as planned as I walked the streets while out reporting on the Red, White & Blue To-Do Thursday and noticed something missing — people.

    The crowds along the Red, White & Blue To-Do parade route were light and the audiences at WXPN’s music series — which featured 28 musicians playing at 11 historic venues — were even lighter. I was one of a dozen or so people in attendance at the Arch Street Meeting House for a free performance by the legendary poet and recording artist Ursula Rucker.

    Students from Dance4Life School of the Arts in Delaware perform during the Red, White, & Blue To-Do Pomp & Parade on Thursday.

    Not since the pandemic have I seen the sidewalks of Philadelphia as empty as they were Thursday, especially as the hours passed and the Salute to Service concert with Queen Latifah was canceled on Independence Mall.

    To the smart alecks on my social media feeds who responded to my observation with comments like “It’s 100 degrees! Of course they are empty you raging soup fork” — I know it was hot, spork, I was out there.

    I don’t blame anyone for not going outside in 103 temps, but that doesn’t mean I can’t feel bad for Philly, for those who did brave the heat, and for the visitors who came here to enjoy the festivities.

    And I know it must have been heartbreaking for officials to make the call to cancel Friday’s Salute to Independence Parade, which was to be the country’s largest Semiquincentennial parade featuring more than 240 elements and marching bands from across the country.

    Floats that were to be in the Salute to Independence Parade are pulled through Old City.

    People planned for years for the 250th. It was supposed to be the biggest week here since Pope Francis’ visit in 2015. We weren’t going to flub this Independence Day celebration up like the Bicentennial; Philly was going to bring it this time.

    But this time, it wasn’t our fault. The one factor nobody can control, Mother Nature, decided to control us.

    ‘Rough and gritty experiences’

    In May of 1776 it was so hot in Philadelphia that John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail: “The Affairs of America, are in so critical a State, such great Events are struggling for Birth, that I must not quit this station at this Time. Yet I dread the melting Heats of a Philadelphia Summer, and know not how my frail Constitution will endure it.“

    Not only did Adams’ frail constitution endure the heat, which dropped to 76 degrees by July 4, 1776, the other Founding Fathers and the people of this fledgling nation braved far worse to declare this country’s independence and create a new and monumental Constitution. Neither the people nor the product were perfect — and they still aren’t today — but they aspired to be something bigger and better.

    The sun sets behind the Philadelphia skyline.

    In Philadelphia, we still believe in things bigger than ourselves. Sure, a large majority of the time it’s the Eagles, but not always.

    We believe in each other. I see it everyday in small interactions between strangers. We believe in truth, even when it’s painful. I saw it as volunteers put up handwritten signs Thursday to replace the ones removed at the President’s House. And we believe we are capable of big things. I saw it in the planning of our 250th events.

    It wasn’t just officials who were invested in the Semiquincentennial, more than 10,000 Philadelphians volunteered to undergo training and be “Phambassadors” for the 250th events and the World Cup. These may be divisive times, but it was clear we, the people, still wanted to come together.

    Even after Friday’s parade was canceled, people persisted and came together in informal gatherings, because that’s what we do. Marching bands, color guards, and dance troupes from across the country held informal pop-up performances at air-conditioned locations across the Historic District and colonial reenactors staged an unscheduled parade near the Liberty Bell.

    With the Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade cancelled reenactors muster near Independence Hall.

    Just because Mother Nature decided to show her hand and remind us who’s boss — which she is totally within her right to do (thanks so much for not hitting us with an astroid!) — doesn’t mean it was all for nothing. We still had those small moments with each other, and while they’re not as flashy as the big ones, in the whole of existence, they’re still pretty unlikely and special too.

    I had one of those moments during Rucker’s show at the Arch Street Meeting House. It felt like a gift to be part of such a small audience as I listened to her beautifully explore what it means to be a human and a Philadelphian.

    Philly legend and poet Ursula Rucker performs with Miles Orion for a crowd of about a dozen people at the Arch Street Meetinghouse Thursday as part of WXPN’s Red, White & Blue To-Do Music Series.

    [image or embed]

    — Stephanie Farr (@farfarraway.bsky.social) July 2, 2026 at 5:18 PM

    “At the core I love us,” she said. “We show mutual aid. We don’t judge. We have rough and gritty experiences.”

    This heat wave — temperatures were forecast to reach 104 Friday and just short of 100 Saturday, with a 60% chance of storms at night — is one of those rough and gritty experiences Philly will get through. The cancellation of events, while disappointing, is about mutual aid and concern, not just for those who would attend the celebrations, but for those who have to work them too.

    Instead of cursing Mother Nature for ruining our big birthday party, maybe Philly and the country can take heed and make a new declaration that we’ll become a leader in reducing factors that lead to global warming.

    I know, a girl can dream, but respect and deference to the one thing that truly governs us all seems like a pretty self-evident truth.

  • Trump administration gets final legal OK to install own panels at President’s House, city appeals

    Trump administration gets final legal OK to install own panels at President’s House, city appeals

    A Philadelphia-based federal appeals court gave President Donald Trump’s administration the final go-ahead to install its own exhibit at the President’s House.

    The new panels, which historians have criticized for whitewashing George Washington’s role in enslaving nine people, have been manufactured and stand ready to install, the Justice Department told the court.

    The procedural step, which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit took on an observed federal holiday, followed a Thursday request by Justice Department attorneys to allow the National Park Service to “begin work immediately and install its new exhibits.” The Third Circuit ruled last month that the city has no rights over the President’s House.

    “The President’s House is an important national historical site, and the Government submits that the President’s House exhibits should be fully installed without further delay,” the government’s filing said.

    Only two of 11 new panels mention the people enslaved at the President’s House, which was the exhibit’s original purpose. The exhibits are not factually wrong, historians said, but cast Washington in a more sympathetic light.

    “Slaves living in the President’s House experienced a greater modicum of autonomy than elsewhere in the South such as to explore the city and sometimes even attend the theater, with Washington buying the tickets,” one panel reads.

    The city quickly appealed and asked the Third Circuit court to recall the Friday-morning order, saying it didn’t have time to respond to the Justice Department’s Thursday request.

    And while the federal government asked to install the exhibits “immediately,” the request did not identify a reason for the rush.

    “That is not an emergency,” the city’s filing said, “it is a preference for speed.”

    The court shouldn’t have issued its final approval for changes without waiting the 90 days Philadelphia had to appeal last month’s order, the filing said.

    The city also repeated the argument, which has not found purchase with the appellate judges so far, that allowing the Trump administration to install its own exhibit would cause the city and public irreparable harm.

    The city’s motion does not automatically pause the court’s order.

    But in addition, the city filed a motion for a stay, while the Third Circuit considers the appeal, with District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, who issued the now-vacated injunction ordering the Trump administration to restore the exhibits it had removed.

    The city and the Department of the Interior did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    The President’s House has been subject to litigation in federal courts since the Trump administration dismantled the slavery exhibit in January.

    It has been in legal limbo in recent weeks because of litigation in a Boston federal court, where conservation groups sued to stop the Interior Department’s implementation of Trump’s 2025 executive order requiring no national parks displays that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”

    At least 50 exhibits were removed from more than 30 sites nationwide, according to court records. Among them are also mentions of slavery at Independence Hall and the Second National Bank of the United States that the Trump administration quietly removed.

    A federal judge in Boston last month ordered the National Park Service to restore all removed exhibits to parks across the nation. But the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit disagreed and stayed that order Thursday.

    Hours later, Justice Department attorneys asked the Philadelphia-based federal court to clear the final procedural step — and the court obliged before noon Friday.

    The biggest question remaining is whether the Trump administration will attempt to install the panel during this historic July 4 weekend marking the United States’ 250th anniversary.

  • Phillies closer Jhoan Duran named NL reliever of the month

    Phillies closer Jhoan Duran named NL reliever of the month

    Phillies closer Jhoan Duran was named the National League reliever of the month for June, MLB announced Friday.

    Duran posted a 1.64 ERA and 0.91 WHIP across 12 appearances in June. He converted nine of 10 save opportunities. After blowing his first save of the season on June 9 in Toronto, Duran has not allowed another run in eight appearances since.

    “There’s been times I’ve had to have teams where that ninth inning is by committee. It never seems to go that well,” interim manager Don Mattingly said last month. “I like having a number of guys that you could do it with, but it’s nice to have that guy that you feel like the game’s over.”

    Bryce Harper wants compromise (and no salary cap) to keep sport thriving

    The Phillies have leaned on their closer often as they engineered a turnaround from 10 games below .500 in April to now 10 games above .500.

    “If I feel good, I want to be in the game,” Duran said recently. “So that’s me. The more I throw in the game, I feel more comfortable. I feel way better.”

    So far this season, the 28-year-old right-hander has 21 saves, which was tied with the San Diego Padres’ Mason Miller and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Riley O’Brien for the National League lead, entering Friday.

    Duran is the second Phillies player to collect a monthly honor this season. Cristopher Sánchez won NL pitcher of the month for May.

  • The Big Picture: World Cup mayhem, fireworks at the Bank, and the best Philly sports photos of the week

    The Big Picture: World Cup mayhem, fireworks at the Bank, and the best Philly sports photos of the week

    Each Friday, Inquirer photo editors pick the best sports images from the last seven days. This week, we look at the Pennsylvania showdown between the Phillies and the Pirates that for much of the series was a display of the Fightins’ dominance — until it wasn’t.

    The women’s basketball championship at inaugural Invitational Clash at Drexel University had no shortage of fireworks, literally, and we take a look at the penultimate game of the World Cup in Philly, the Group L clash between Croatia and Ghana.

    Bryson Stott (left) scores ahead of the tag by Pirates catcher Endy Rodríguez in the eighth inning of the Phillies-Pirates game on Tuesday.
    Kyle Backhus pitches in the fifth inning of the Phillies’ game vs. the Pirates on Wednesday.
    Bryce Harper (right) celebrates his third inning two-run homer with teammate Brandon Marsh against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.
    Brotherly Love player Imani McGee takes the court during the Invitational Clash women’s championship at at Drexel on Monday.
    Brotherly Love’s Britt Hrynko (left) is defended by Rucker Park’ Roxkel Washington during the Invitational Clash women’s championship on Monday at Drexel.
    (From left to right) Tia Garvin, 33, of North Philadelphia, and their cousin Briana Garvin, 24, of New York City, enjoy the sun while doing some yoga and stretches at Dilworth Park in on Tuesday.
    Croatia’s Marin Pongracic (3), goes for a header to defend a corner kick by Ghana during the second half of their World Cup group stage game on Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday.
    Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo (left) and Croatia’s Mateo Kovacic battle for the ball in the first half of their match on Saturday at Philadelphia Stadium.
    Croatia’s Petar Sučić (center_ celebrates his first half goal in front of Croatia fans during the their Group L match against Ghana on Saturday.
    Carter Pike, 23, of Greenville, S.C., cheers for Croatia before their match against Ghana in Philadelphia on Saturday.
    Flyers first-round pick pick Maksim Sokolovskii meets with the media at the Flyers’ 2026 NHL draft party at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City last week.
    Flyers prospects Maksim Sokolovskii (left) and Brek Liske walk through the giant heart during the Flyers development camp signing event at the Franklin Institute on Wednesday.
    The fireworks looked out of this world following the Pirates-Phillies MLB game on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park.
  • Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko missed development camp after core muscle procedure

    Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko missed development camp after core muscle procedure

    For the second straight year, Jett Luchanko missed Flyers development camp. And now we know why.

    Speaking to the media after the Flyers finished development camp with a spirited three-on-three tournament — won by the team led by Denver Barkey — assistant general manager Brent Flahr revealed that Luchanko had a procedure performed on his core about a month ago.

    Jett Luchanko out for development camp with ‘lingering’ injury; Nikita Grebenkin skates

    “It’s been lingering for about a year and a half. It’s been a problem,” Flahr said. “So he’s back. He had it done — I don’t even know the timeline — probably a month ago.

    “… He’s working out lots [in the gym], and should be skating within a week, and he’ll be ready to go. It shouldn’t affect him anymore.

    “He doesn’t like to make excuses, but at the same time, his speed, skill set; there’s lots there. Hopefully, a full summer to train and train properly this year will really help him build his confidence.”

    The expectation is that Luchanko will be ready for training camp in September.

    Flyers leadership has expressed optimism about Jett Luchanko’s role this season.

    The news comes a few days after director of player development Riley Armstrong said Luchanko “had a little lower-body thing going on.” The next day, Luchanko spoke to the media and said he was feeling and progressing well without revealing the extent of the issue or that he had a procedure. He did confirm it had been lingering.

    A first-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft, Luchanko has skated in eight NHL games over the past two seasons after breaking camp with the Flyers each season. He has yet to register a point in the NHL, but counting playoffs, he notched nine assists in 16 games at the end of the 2024-25 season with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. Luchanko made his NHL playoff debut in May, playing Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

    He will officially be a full-time pro this upcoming season.

    “We’re excited to see him turn [fully] pro. I think that’s great. … Stability will probably be a good thing for him,” Flyers general manager Danny Brière told The Inquirer at the beginning of June.

    “We expect a big summer out of him, and he’s got to get ready. The big thing with Jett is he has an elite skill in skating that is almost unmatched from anyone in the organization, other than maybe Owen Tippett. So that’s always going to have a lot of value for anybody to have a player like that.

    “Now it’s our job to try to help him and round out his game to make it in the NHL. But what I would expect is probably for him to play a year in Lehigh Valley.”

    Flyers’ Dan Vladař is happy to have found a team that believes in him: ‘I don’t take it for granted’

    Center Jack Berglund, who was drafted in the second round in 2024, also did not participate in on-ice activities at camp this week. He was held off the ice because of how much hockey he has played this year, including 40-plus professional games in Sweden, World Juniors, World Championships, and a five-game stint with the Phantoms.

    Barkey played in the three-on-three tournament on the small ice at the ’67 Arena rink at the Flyers Training Center after not participating in the five-on-five scrimmage Thursday night. He wanted to play but had “a little kind of hip flexor,” per Flahr, so he was held out of the full ice scrimmage.

    Goalie Martin Psohlavec, one of the Flyers’ second-round picks this past June, sustained an adductor injury during the three-on-three tournament. Flahr doesn’t expect it to be too serious but said they’ll probably keep him in Voorhees for another week. The Czech goalie performed well during the week and held the opposition scoreless during his time in net on Thursday.

    Flyers add Foote

    The Flyers continued to fill out their roster in Lehigh Valley on Friday, signing 25-year-old winger Nolan Foote to a one-year, two-way contract, according to a league source. Foote will earn $850,000 in the NHL and $300,000 in the minors.

    If the name Foote rings a bell, it should. Nolan is the son of longtime NHL defenseman and two-time Stanley Cup champion Adam Foote. The elder Foote, who served as Vancouver’s head coach last season, previously worked as an assistant under Rick Tocchet with the Canucks.

    Nolan, a 2019 first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning, has largely played in the AHL since turning pro, amassing 245 games over six seasons. He has played 42 career NHL games, tallying seven goals and 10 points.

    Last season with Charlotte of the AHL, Foote had 14 goals and 32 points. He also got into 12 games with the Florida Panthers late in the season and had one goal.

  • Pope Leo XIV celebrates immigrants in speech to Philadelphia crowd amid clash with Trump ahead of 250th anniversary

    Pope Leo XIV celebrates immigrants in speech to Philadelphia crowd amid clash with Trump ahead of 250th anniversary

    Addressing a Philadelphia crowd live from the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV called for a “recommitment” to American ideals.

    The first U.S.-born pope delivered remarks virtually at an interfaith ceremony inside Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center on the eve of the United States’ 250th birthday to accept the center’s prestigious Liberty Medal.

    Facing a screen showing the live, cheering Philadelphia audience, the pontiff wore his Liberty Medal along with a cross around his neck.

    Leo, who grew up in Chicago and attended Villanova University, quickly pointed out his American roots, calling himself “a son of this great country.”

    “I join you in asking God’s blessings upon America’s future that the lofty ideals enshrined at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence may continue to guide the flourishing of the nation in unity, justice, and peace,” he said.

    Leo, who was elected pope last year, spent years serving the church in Peru and has been outspoken about calling for international peace. That’s landed him at odds with President Donald Trump’s administration on the issue of migrants, the war in Iran, and more.

    The pope leaned into some of those themes in his speech, even though he did not refer to the president directly.

    He nodded to his advocacy for humane treatment of immigrants and noted that the founders of the United States “made America a byword for freedom, as the country opened its doors to successive waves of immigrants, enabling them and their children to play their part in shaping the future of the nation.”

    He said the “love of freedom” in the United States has inspired the country “to look beyond itself and at great sacrifice to champion the cause of freedom beyond its own borders.” But he acknowledged that mission hasn’t been straightforward, noting that building a society that embodies such ideals “was not always easy and, in many respects, is still a work in progress.”

    The pontiff’s speech comes the day before he plans to visit Lampedusa, an Italian island known as a stop for migrants making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe. His predecessor Pope Francis made his first official visit outside of Rome in 2013 to the same island and condemned the “globalization of indifference” toward migrants.

    Pope Leo XIV speaks at the Liberty Medal Ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Friday.

    Julie Silverbrook, the chief content and learning officer for the National Constitution Center, emphasized in a Friday interview that Leo is a “global leader who has been uniquely shaped by American ideals.”

    “He has brought together people of different faith traditions, and through his ministry really reflected his belief in the inherent dignity of all human beings,” she said.

    Leo declined an invitation from Trump to the United States to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday on July Fourth, the New York Times reported. The first American-born pope opting to visit migrants instead sends a stark message as the president pursues his mission of mass deportations.

    But the pontiff’s participation in the Philadelphia program highlights his connections to the region, which isn’t lost on the National Constitution Center.

    The Philadelphia-based private nonprofit organization chose Leo for the award due to “his lifelong work promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience and expression around the world — ideals enshrined by America’s founders in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.” That, and also because he is the first pope born in the United States, and has connections to Philadelphia, Silverbrook said.

    “He was shaped by those freedoms … in much the same way that the Declaration of Independence was shaped by the city of Philadelphia, and of course a reflection of American values that have been carried globally,” she said.

    When a delegation from Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center met with Leo at the Vatican in April to present him with the medal in person, they also bore a few local goodies: a bundle of Villanova swag, a replica of George Washington’s Acts of Congress, and a Wawa tote bag filled with Tastykakes.

    “I think he very much so feels a connection to Philadelphia, both having been educated here, and I think in this semiquincentennial moment, I think the eyes of the world are on Philadelphia, and we’re thinking about the ideals that have emanated from this place for 250 years,” Silverbrook said.

    Leo, a 1977 Villanova alum, recently passed on a surprise message to graduates of his alma mater. Vince Stango, the interim president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, also went to the Augustinian university on the Main Line, which co-sponsored the NBC10 broadcast of the event along with the archdiocese and Malvern Prep.

    (From left to right) Gov. Josh Shapiro, Rev. Nelson J. Pérez, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, Interim President & CEO of National Constitutional Center Vince Stango, Rev. Carolyn C. Cavaness, Imam Quaiser D. Abdullah, Rev. Luis A. Cortés Jr., and Rabbi Jill L. Maderer, pose for a photo at the Liberty Medal Ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday.

    Clashing with Trump

    The pope has contended that it’s up to each country to determine how they want to accept migrants while also denouncing the Trump administration’s “extremely disrespectful” treatment of them.

    He has also spoken out against Trump’s threats against Iran, and declined to participate in the president’s “Board of Peace” for Gaza’s reconstruction.

    In an April social media rant, Trump complained that he doesn’t “want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States.” The president called the Catholic leader weak and accused him of “catering to the Radical Left.”

    Leo told reporters that month that he has “no fear, neither of the Trump administration, nor of speaking out loudly about the message in the Gospel, and that’s what I believe I am called to do, what the church is called to do.”

    In his Friday remarks, the pope made a call for unity but warned that a country should come together with “ideals that do not fade with the passing of time.”

    He called on the United States to recognize its values of “peace and prosperity, a country characterized by generosity and nobility of heart,” and said the values of “shared human dignity, equality, and the rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence” can help unite and guide the nation.

    The Liberty Medal

    The Liberty Medal was created in 1988 and has been hosted by the National Constitution Center since 2006.

    The award has gone to storytellers, philanthropists, civil rights leaders, and politicians on both sides of the aisle, such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the Bushes, Malala Yousafzai, and Thurgood Marshall.

    The center describes its recipients as individuals who “strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.”

    The process of selecting Leo began about a year ago, Silverbrook said.

    The speech was initially going to be projected on Independence Mall, but the event was moved indoors due to the extreme heat and livestreamed by the center online.

    Rich Russo, 63, a Fishtown resident who attended the event in person, called the experience “once in a lifetime.”

    “How many times do you get the pope talking to you?” said Russo, who works for a bank.

    Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, a Baptist — both Democrats who have been outspoken about their own faiths — joined Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez and other religious leaders who made remarks on stage prior to the pope’s speech. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, a Republican, rang a replica Liberty Bell outside.

    “Philly is proud that the pope is a graduate of Villanova University who spent time living and working in our region,” Pérez said on stage. “Pope Leo knows us, and we feel like we know him, too.”

    “His influence, however, extends beyond Philadelphia,” the archbishop added.

  • The Sixers are in the hunt for LeBron James and Philly is losing its collective mind

    The Sixers are in the hunt for LeBron James and Philly is losing its collective mind

    Rumors no more. LeBron James is officially considering the 76ers as his next team.

    On Friday, James’ agent and Klutch Sports head Rich Paul confirmed Philadelphia as a possible destination for the four-time NBA champion on Paul’s Game Over podcast. Paul, who hosts the show alongside Max Kellerman, wheeled out a white board filled with the various teams James is considering. The Sixers, one of 10 teams listed, were discussed at length.

    “Philadelphia, everything changed,” Paul opened up the conversation with, seemingly referring to the 76ers’ trade for former Celtics star Jaylen Brown.

    On Thursday, ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst linked James to Philadelphia, referring to Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, who is also a client of Klutch Sports, as “basically a part of LeBron’s extended family.” Kellerman looked to clarify whether the Sixers had gained James’ attention.

    “How could you not have the attention when you have Maxey, [VJ] Edgecombe, Brown and [Joel] Embiid?” Paul replied.

    “[James] loves Maxey so we don’t even have to talk about that,” Paul added. “I think VJ, he helps VJ understand really how to play the game. [Edgecombe is] already super talented, plays both ends of the floor, plays hard every night. The benefit that he gets, I mean, it would be ridiculous. Obviously, Jaylen Brown.”

    Tyrese Maxey (left) and Lebron James are represented by the same agency: Klutch Sports.

    If James were to join Philadelphia, it is expected that he would complement the scoring prowess of Maxey, Brown, and — when healthy — Joel Embiid. Last season, James’ Los Angeles teammate Luka Dončić led the league in points per game while James still put up near All-Star numbers. In 60 appearances, the 41-year old averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists. Meanwhile, Brown and Maxey finished near the top of the NBA scoring ranks last season, finishing fourth and fifth in points per game, respectively.

    However, Embiid’s health seems to loom over James’ decision — as it does over most Sixers conversations. When discussing Philadelphia’s roster, Kellerman pointed out that Embiid is the team’s best player when “on the floor.” This has become a rarity in recent years. The Sixers big man has dealt with a slew of injuries since coming into the league. He has played in just 96 games in the three seasons since his MVP campaign. Paul added that Embiid’s “health and habits” are vital.

    LeBron James’ connection to Mike Gansey, how the Sixers can afford him, and what happened the last time they tried to sign him

    Later in the conversation, after discussing Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Miami Heat as a possible option for James, Paul circled back to the Sixers. This time, Paul pointed to the Sixers’ revamped front office as an enticing factor, singling out general manager Jameer Nelson and president of basketball operations Mike Gansey.

    “X-factor about the Sixers though, we forgot about something” Paul said. “Jameer Nelson is a part of the front office — ex-player. Mike Gansey, you know Mike Gansey is [an] Ohio guy, played against us in high school.”

    Nelson, a native of Chester, starred at Saint Joseph’s before putting together a 14-year NBA career. Nelson, who is just three years older than James, played against the four-time MVP 35 times in the league.

    Gansey and James go back even further. As Paul pointed out, the two Ohioans competed in high school with Gansey finishing behind just James in the 2001 Mr. Ohio Basketball race. On Wednesday, Gansey’s brother, Steven, posted a photograph of Gansey and James in high school on X. Paul saw the photograph, referencing it on Game Time.

    “Does LeBron remember guys like Gansey?” Kellerman asked.

    “Absolutely,” Paul responded.

    Along with the Sixers and the Heat, eight other teams were listed on Paul’s white board of possible destinations: the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets.

    What Sixers fans are saying

    Paul’s comments about James’ likelihood of landing in Philadelphia sent ripples through Sixers social media — which was already on high alert following multiple reports and speculation on the subject Thursday.

    Others are playing the role of detective, drawing attention to the order of the white board names and a suspicious star next to Maxey’s name.

    Meanwhile, some are not buying the speculation or are experiencing flashbacks to 2018 free agency. Then, James was linked to the Sixers and the city launched a campaign to sign the all-time great. Sixers representatives, headlined by then-coach and interim general manager Brett Brown, met with Klutch Sports but James did not attend the meeting. Soon after, he opted for the bright lights of Los Angeles instead.

  • Read the full text of Pope Leo XIV’s speech to the National Constitution Center

    Read the full text of Pope Leo XIV’s speech to the National Constitution Center

    Here is the full text of Pope Leo XIV’s speech to the National Constitution Center, livestreamed from the Vatican on July 3 for his acceptance of the Liberty Medal. The Inquirer’s coverage of the event can be found here.

    Thank you very much.

    Dear friends,

    I am honored to accept the Liberty Medal of the National Constitution Center in this year that marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. On the eve of this momentous occasion, I offer a warm greeting to all those assembled at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. As a son of this great country, founded by courageous men and women who dreamed of liberty and of a better life for themselves and for their children, I join you in asking God’s blessings upon America’s future, that the lofty ideals enshrined at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence may continue to guide the flourishing of the nation in unity, justice and peace.

    From our youth, most of us have admired the eloquence of those words, with their resounding appeal to the law of nature and to nature’s God as the basis of their assertion that all men and women are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. While couched in the language of the Enlightenment, that claim is ultimately grounded in an understanding of the human person inspired by the great biblical vision of man and woman being created in the divine image. It is indeed here that we discover the basis of human dignity; dignity which precedes the establishment of any state, and whose custody constitutes its very purpose.

    In these past 250 years, for so many peoples throughout the world, it was the firm resolve to achieve the noble vision of the nation’s founders that made America a byword for freedom, as the country opened its doors to successive waves of immigrants, enabling them and their children to play their part in shaping the future of the nation. It was this same love of freedom that inspired the United States, in the darkest hours of the last century, at the time of the two world wars, to look beyond itself and, at great sacrifice, to champion the cause of freedom beyond its own borders.

    As every American knows, however, the path to building a society that would embody those high ideals of liberty and justice for all was not always easy and, in many respects, is still a work in progress. Indeed, the effort to realize this vision is one that must be taken up anew in each generation and in the face of ever new challenges. Today, as we look to the future, this historic anniversary presents us with the opportunity to reflect once again on the nation’s founding principles in the hope that America will remain ever true to the dream that has earned it the title of land of the free and home of the brave.

    The first right enshrined by the nation’s founders was the right to life, for no one who is deprived of life can enjoy liberty or pursue happiness. A country’s vitality is deeply tied to the value it affords to human life in every form and condition, acknowledging the dignity endowed upon every human person by virtue of their very existence. The inherent worth of every human life has led the noble hearts of generations to praise the marvelous works of the Creator and stand in reverence before so precious a gift. Indeed, it is precisely this reverence that we must continue to cultivate — one that sways the hearts of individuals and inspires laws that recognize and safeguard this gift from the moment of conception to natural death. Reverence, too, will aid us in discovering that we are guardians and stewards of those entrusted to our care. In this regard, the moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to support, protect and cherish the lives of all, especially the most vulnerable and those whose worth is questioned.

    Following the right to life, liberty was and is preeminent among the principles revered by the men and women who have sought within this nation’s borders a new beginning, often equating it with previously undreamed-of hope. Though frequently understood as the ability to act as one would like, authentic freedom runs much deeper. It is founded upon the human person’s capacity to know the truth and adhere to what is good, even at great cost — a sacrifice well known to many who have labored to shape this country. The desire for truth and freedom, as well as the very pursuit of happiness, continues to inspire people of all generations to ask fundamental questions regarding the meaning of life, our ultimate purpose, and indeed about God, and it is proper for magnanimous hearts to endeavor to answer these questions with sincerity. These answers inevitably determine the direction which we seek to give to our lives, and America has long championed the religious freedom necessary to follow responsibly the dictates of conscience in this regard, free from fear and coercion, as enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

    It is this freedom that holds sacred the inner sphere of the person where convictions are formed and where conscience can guide the decisions made in the intimacy of the human heart. This same freedom also ensures the right of every person to worship according to one’s own belief, and of individuals, communities and associations to give public expression to their faith. In fact, religious freedom gave rise to the American tradition of allowing for interfaith dialogue and interreligious cooperation in promoting the public good and enriching the debates on the great moral and ethical issues that have faced the nation and shaped the course of its history. It is my hope that this tradition will continue to bear fruit in a public discourse marked by moderation, respect for the views of others and an ongoing effort to find common ground in promoting the cause of peace and reconciliation, at home and abroad.

    The forbearers of this country, men and women of diverse backgrounds, religions and languages, were able to find that common ground and the strength necessary to pursue a better future. The principles that inspired America’s founders, rooted as they are in the truth of the human person, brought them together in a single cause, a common dream. Unity lent strength to that dream, giving rise, under God, to the United States of America. E pluribus unum — out of many, one. In order for a nation to flourish, it must be truly united; united not by goals bound to momentary endeavors, but by ideals that do not fade with the passing of time. May the principles we have reflected upon today — a shared human dignity, equality and the rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence — ever be a source of such unity and a guiding light for the present moment and the years to come.

    In accepting this award, I therefore pray that this, the 250th anniversary of the founding of this great nation, may be the occasion of a solemn recommitment to these ideals that have made America a country that values peace and prosperity, a country characterized by generosity and nobility of heart. I commend all of you, as well as the future of the nation, to the One who is himself the source of true freedom and lasting peace, the One whose very name is Peace.

    May God bless America!

  • Sixers agree to sign Caleb Love, Rayan Rupert to two-way contracts

    Sixers agree to sign Caleb Love, Rayan Rupert to two-way contracts

    Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert have agreed to sign two-way contracts with the 76ers, a source confirmed to The Inquirer on Friday.

    Love, an explosive scoring guard, averaged 10.4 points on 38.8% shooting in 49 games as a rookie last season on a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. He attempted six three-pointers per appearance, a potential boost for a Sixers team that struggled from beyond the arc last season.

    Love played four years of college basketball at North Carolina and Arizona, then went undrafted last summer.

    Rupert, a 6-foot-7 wing with excellent length, has played in 155 games across three NBA seasons with the Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies. The 22-year-old averaged 12.2 points and 6.4 rebounds in 16 games for a “tanking” Grizzlies team late last season, including a 14-point effort on 6-of-9 shooting in a March loss at the Sixers.

    Paul George was a flashy free-agent signing two years ago. His choppy Sixers stint led to another blockbuster trade.

    Rupert, who is from Strasbourg, France, was a second-round draft pick in 2023. He played professionally in his home country and for the New Zealand Breakers before making the jump to the NBA. His sister, Iliana, plays for the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries and his father, Thierry, played in the EuroLeague and for the French national team.

    These are the Sixers’ first two-way signings this offseason. They have found success with such contracts in the recent past, with Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker, and Dalen Terry getting converted to standard deals by the end of last season.