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  • Horoscopes: Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). Your energy needs to come first today. Relationships and projects have been too demanding of you. Get back to honoring yourself by choosing what gives you strength and joy. Perhaps anything that drains you doesn’t have to be your concern.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Today’s commercial offers come with hidden costs, conditions or disappointments that make them a poor use of your energy. Skip the new purchase and you’ll find you can use what you already have, and it will work just fine.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There’s satisfaction in finishing something you started. Completion frees attention and makes room for the next chapter. Make quick work of it. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be done.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). The day offers permission to relax, stop comparing yourself and focus on your own effort rather than the scoreboard. The usual focus on “winning” or “losing” is irrelevant. The end result won’t define the experience.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). When you consider what can go wrong, do it briefly, just long enough to understand necessary precautions to take. Visualization works whether you use it to see a desirable or an undesirable outcome, so be careful what mental pictures you paint.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). There is one person who you haven’t talked to in a long while. This will be an auspicious time to catch up. You’ll discover how you can help one another, even if it’s just by being a witness to what’s happening in their world.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Boundaries are universal in nature, and ignoring them can lead to conflict. So stay aware of the animal instinct inside every human that is always scanning the environment for signals that assure their territory will be respected.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Let fantasy help you. Reality always wins in the end, but you don’t have to give it the beginning and middle, too. Wishes, plans, hopes and dreams can keep you motivated. They help you bend reality to your vision.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The need for novelty is real. You may even feel agitated by overly familiar circumstances, the way songs that repeat too much get irritating. Doing something different from your usual routine is very important. Put something new on the books.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Relationships are a dance. It helps if everyone is listening to the same music. And even when that is the case, it can be difficult not to step on toes. You’ll achieve grace with your timing and awareness of others.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Success is built one brick at a time. Even the most lavish and lovely construction in the world is done bit by bit, which can feel very unglamorous in practice, but at least this one is a beauty — it will be worthwhile to inhabit.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’re in the thrust of life, expressing your talents, skills and passions, and there’s nothing more attractive than that. You’re not in it for the attention, but you’ll get it anyway. What do you want? This is the time to ask for it.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 25). Welcome to your Year of Quiet Triumphs. You’ll master subtle forms of winning, and with your timing, restraint and diplomacy you will use each win to propel you to your goal of amassing the power to make a difference in the lives of others. More highlights: Family dynamics improve as you navigate with patience and humor. Love steadies, and respect deepens all around you. Gemini and Leo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 3, 21, 11, 2 and 41.

  • Source: Former Sixers second-round pick Charles Bassey to rejoin team on a 10-day contract

    Source: Former Sixers second-round pick Charles Bassey to rejoin team on a 10-day contract

    The 76ers are signing Charles Bassey to a 10-day contract, according to multiple sources.

    The Sixers originally selected the 6-foot-11 center with the 53rd pick in the 2021 draft out of Western Kentucky. He played one season with the organization before signing with the San Antonio Spurs.

    The 25-year-old was preparing to play for the Golden State Warriors’ NBA G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, when the deal to return to the Sixers was agreed upon. But after agreeing to the deal, Bassey was scratched from the game.

    The Sixers are trying to figure out a way to fly him to Charlotte to join the team in time for Monday’s game against the Hornets, according to sources.

    That may be a problem due to the weather.

    What’s next for Charles Bassey? Charting the recently released Sixers center’s NBA journey and tenuous future

    But Bassey is scheduled to sign his contract on Monday, even if he has to do it via an electronic signature.

    Dominick and Jabari Walker, who are on two-way contracts, won’t be able to play against the Hornets on Monday unless Bassey signs his contract. That’s because the Sixers ran out of available games for players on two-way deals, since they have fewer than 15 players signed to standard NBA contracts. Bassey’s signing will bring the number up to 15.

    San Antonio Spurs’ Charles Bassey (28) tangles with Memphis Grizzlies’ Luke Kennard (10) and Santi Aldama, second from front right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

    In his previous Sixers’ stint, Bassey appeared in 23 NBA games as a rookie, averaging 3.0 points on 63.6% shooting along with 2.7 rebounds, 0.7 block, and 7.3 minutes.

    He played beyond those numbers when called upon in clutch situations. Teammates and coaches were impressed by his attention to detail, high basketball IQ and ability to protect the rim. However, he became expendable when the Sixers added reserve center Montrezl Harrell to the roster in September 2022.

    Sixers takeaways: Joel Embiid dominates, third-quarter woes return, and more in loss to Knicks

    As a result, the Nigerian player was waived on Oct. 13, 2022. Eleven days later, he signed a two-way deal with the San Antonio Spurs, which was converted to a standard contract on Feb. 14, 2023.

    He averaged 4.7 points and 4.7 rebounds during his three-season stint with the Spurs. Bassey had an Exhibit 10 deal with the Atlanta Hawks last season and signed a two-day deal with the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 27.

    Bassey has averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in a combined 115 NBA games with the Sixers, Spurs, and Grizzlies.

    He is averaging 18.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks with Santa Cruz.

  • Do the Knicks now know what to do to beat the Sixers going forward this season? It’s a fair question.

    Do the Knicks now know what to do to beat the Sixers going forward this season? It’s a fair question.

    After ripping off two wins to start the year over the New York Knicks, the Sixers lost their first game against them on Saturday, 112-109.

    Despite the close score, the Sixers ultimately let the game slip away in the third quarter, going from up four at halftime to down 13 by the end of the quarter. It was the Sixers’ lowest scoring quarter since a 12-point fourth quarter against the Bulls on Jan. 2, 2024.

    “I thought our physicality defensively was there,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “We started getting it up into the basketball and made it a little bit harder for them to try to make plays and/or move freely.”

    Key to that defensive transformation in the third was backup center Mitchell Robinson, whom Brown anointed as the defensive player of the game. With Karl-Anthony Towns already in foul trouble, Robinson entered the game early in the third and immediately started making an impact.

    Robinson was +14 in his 27 minutes, grabbing six offensive rebounds. The Knicks secured 19 offensive rebounds compared to just six for the Sixers, and turned them into 26 points.

    He played a key role in keeping Joel Embiid, who’d dominated the first half with 28 points, off the scoresheet in the third.

    Mitchell Robinson (left) proved to be a thorn in Joel Embiid and the Sixers’ side for most of the game on Saturday.

    “I know he got it going early on, and you know he’s an All-Star player,” Robinson said postgame. “What you do with a guy like that is, he‘s going to come out there and fight, you make some adjustments in the [offensive] zone, show your hands. He draws a lot of fouls, so you know you have to be careful.”

    Sixers forward Dominick Barlow (right) defends Knicks forward Guerschon Yabusele on Saturday.

    Brown also praised guard OG Anunoby’s defense on Embiid down the stretch. Embiid scored just 10 points in the second half, going 3-for-9 from the field.

    Anunoby said the key to grappling with Embiid was his lower-body strength, to maintain leverage going for the ball.

    “Try to steal the ball, we always try to steal the ball,” Anunoby said. “We try to make it as difficult as possible. He’s a great player, so just trying to make him as uncomfortable as possible.”

    “Just fight him, and then if he turns and someone flashes to the middle, know that they’re trying to go over the top,” Anunoby continued. “Just communication on the backside.”

    These two teams met one another in a first-round playoff series just two years ago, and with both teams back in the top 8 of the Eastern Conference standings, they could be on track to meet one another again in the playoffs later this year.

    Knicks forward OG Anunoby passes the basketball from the floor past Sixers forward Dominick Barlow (right) and guard VJ Edgecombe during the second quarter on Saturday.

    So far, the season series is 2-1 in Philadelphia’s favor. But Saturday’s matchup was the first this year with both teams mostly healthy. Embiid and Deuce McBride missed the first matchup, and Josh Hart missed the second.

    Despite their successful halftime adjustments, the Knicks know that both teams will need to execute better down the stretch to win a playoff series.

    “I mean, we played well, but our execution last couple minutes, I don’t know if we deserved to win the game,” Hart said. “I don’t know if they deserved to win the game either. We could have just tied, honestly, at that point, all the miscues that we did.”

    Sixers takeaways: Joel Embiid dominates, third-quarter woes return, and more in loss to Knicks
  • Sixers takeaways: Joel Embiid dominates, third-quarter woes return, and more in loss to Knicks

    Sixers takeaways: Joel Embiid dominates, third-quarter woes return, and more in loss to Knicks

    Joel Embiid is back to playing at an All-NBA level.

    Yet, the 76ers are still dealing with third-quarter blues.

    And they made a decision that will affect Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker, who were in jeopardy of playing their games as two-way players.endnu

    These things stood out in Saturday’s 112-109 loss to the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Back to dominating

    Embiid, a three-time All-Defensive performer, still doesn’t protect the rim the way the 7-foot-2 center did before undergoing two left-knee surgeries in a 14-month span. (First surgery was for a torn meniscus in February 2024. Then he had arthroscopic surgery on the knee in April.)

    But you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone with a better offensive stretch than the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player.

    Embiid finished with 38 points on 13-for-21 shooting – including making 3 of 5 three-pointers – along with 11 rebounds and five assists in his fourth consecutive game with at least 30 points.

    On Saturday, 28 of his points came in the first half on 10-for-12 shooting. Embiid acknowledged it was the best groove he felt offensively this season.

    “I felt pretty good, just attacking, doing whatever I wanted,” he said.

    The seven-time All-Star has averaged 31.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 0.7 blocks while shooting 57.1 % on three-pointers in his previous three games.

    Embiid was asked if there was a carryover from his logging 45 minutes, 36 seconds while finishing with 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in Thursday’s 128-122 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets.

    “I feel great,” Embiid said. “Nah, I was tired. Early game, too. Yeah, I was tired. But … just got to keep pushing.”

    More third-quarter blues

    After Embiid dominated the first half, the Sixers took a 64-60 lead into intermission.

    But the Knicks went on a 24-5 run early in the third quarter to build an 86-72 cushion. That was partly due to the Sixers missing 10 of their first 12 shots of the quarter.

    He would shoot 4-for-17 (23.5%) and commit five costly turnovers in the quarter, as the Knicks took a 90-77 lead into the fourth. Embiid was held scoreless in the quarter while shooting 0-for-3.

    The Knicks would extend their lead to 17 points early in the fourth quarter.

    Tyrese Maxey (right) challenges for a loose ball against Knicks guard Mikal Bridges in Saturday’s loss.

    Mounting a comeback, the Sixers pulled within two points on VJ Edgecombe’s three-pointer with 1 minute, 34 seconds remaining.

    The Knicks stepped up their intensity after intermission. They also benefited from their dominance of the boards. For the game, New York outrebounded the Sixers, 53 to 38, and had a 26 to 4 advantage in second-chance points. Knicks 6-5 forward and former Villanova standout Josh Hart finished with a game-high 13 rebounds to go with 10 points.

    Reserve center Andre Drummond didn’t play despite being one of the league’s best rebounders. He’s averaging a team-leading 9.0 rebounds while playing just 20 minutes per game. The 6-11, 280-pounder finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds in his lone game against the Knicks this season.

    Did Nick Nurse ever consider inserting Drummond because of the rebounding disparity?

    “Not really tonight,” he said. “I mean, I think both him and Jabari are probably two quality rebounders for us. The only thing we did think about was trying the big lineup [with Embiid and reserve center Adem Bona]. They weren’t very big much tonight. Nor were they five, four much tonight either. But we did think about that.”

    With the Sixers down three points, Tyrese Maxey (22 points, six assists) appeared to be fouled before misfiring on a 27-foot, three-point attempt with 5.8 seconds left.

    “I should’ve just took the one dribble and shot it right,” Maxey said of forcing the shot.

    And Embiid appeared to be fouled before turning the ball over in the final second as the Sixers dropped to 24-20 on the season.

    Sixers center Adem Bona blocks New York Knicks guard Miles McBride’s second-quarter dunk attempt on Saturday.

    Out of time?

    The Sixers have agreed to sign Charles Bassey to a 10-day contract.

    Before that, Saturday was believed to be the last game in which Walker and Barlow could be active without the team needing to make a roster move. That’s because the team ran out of available games for playing on two-way contracts, since it has fewer than 15 players on standard NBA contracts.

    But they’ll temporarily have 15 players on the roster, with Bassey’s addition.

    Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. is showing why he should be a keeper at the NBA trade deadline

    On Saturday, Barlow was the sixth man for the second consecutive game after starting at power forward. Meanwhile, Walker received a did not play coach’s decision for the second straight game. He was the backup power forward before Barlow was demoted.

    But the Sixers had to decide if they wanted to sign Barlow or Walker to a standard deal to avoid this restriction. Another option would have been to sign a player to a 10-day contract. And the Sixers could have sat both of them. But Barlow still has a vital role with the team, while Walker can still contribute when needed.

    New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby passes the basketball from the floor past Sixers forward Dominick Barlow (right) and guard VJ Edgecombe during the second quarter on Saturday.

    “I’d like to find a way to get him his five, six, eight-minute stints that he’s been providing as well,” coach Nick Nurse said of Barlow before the game. “So, there’s always room to be looking at stuff, and hopefully — I think I said this a few weeks ago — we gotta figure out kinda how things shape out. Role-wise, within the starters, within the bench guys. We’re still trying to develop some of that stuff because it’s been very few games.”

    With an impending storm coming to the region, the Sixers were set to travel to Charlotte following the game instead of Sunday. They’ll practice at the Spectrum Center on Sunday before facing the Hornets there on Monday. Bassey will sign his 10-day contract before Monday’s game.

    Shortly after the game, Barlow was asked whether he and Walker had received any indication from the team that he would remain with the Sixers.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Sixers basketball right here!

    “I mean, I don’t really ask those types of questions,” he said. “I would like to think so, but that’s for my agent and Daryl. They can all handle that kind of stuff. My goal is to be a great basketball player today, and then be a great basketball player tomorrow. And if anything happens in the future, see what happens. I try not to ask too many questions about that kind of stuff.

    “I’ve been in this situation before. It doesn’t really do anything for you, besides just make you think. I’ve kind of just been enjoying the day.

    Barlow’s previous two-way deals with the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks were converted to standard deals.

  • Declaring a state of emergency, Sherrill urges safety as storm approaches

    Declaring a state of emergency, Sherrill urges safety as storm approaches

    Saying “it’s been a while” since New Jersey faced a storm like the one being forecasted for Sunday and Monday, Gov. Mikie Sherrill urged state residents to stay off the roads and to not “commit to anything on Monday.”

    Sherrill said in a press conference in Newark late Saturday afternoon that while “we’re tough” in New Jersey, “we have to be safe.” She declared a state of emergency starting 5 p.m. Saturday.

    Sherrill said she was expecting snowfall to range from eight inches to 18 inches throughout the state. It will be a storm “the likes of which we haven’t seen in a decade,” Sherrill said.

    Heavy snow and ice are coming to Philly, and may stick around for a week, or more

    The governor said extremely cold temperatures are expected to make things more difficult, and she suggested that people watch football and play board games with their children on Sunday.

    “We are prepared for the moment, but we do need the people of New Jersey to stay safe,” she said.

    The governor was accompanied by State Police Acting Superintendent Lieutenant Colonel David Sierotowicz, Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Joseph Bertoni, and NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri.

    With challenging conditions expected, Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Consumer Affairs warned sellers that price gouging New Jersey’s consumers during the declared state of emergency wouldn’t be tolerated.

    Sellers can’t excessively increase prices (10% more than normal or higher) during a declared state of emergency, or for 30 days after the termination of the state of emergency, according to New Jersey law.

    “As a former prosecutor, my administration will not tolerate price gouging, and we will be vigilant during this winter storm,” Sherrill said, adding that there’d be “zero tolerance for those who prey on New Jerseyans during this state of emergency.”

  • Three St. Joseph’s players score 20 points in win over Dayton

    Three St. Joseph’s players score 20 points in win over Dayton

    With St. Joseph’s leading Dayton by eight points in the second half Saturday, guard Jaiden Glover-Toscano got the crowd on its feet with a slam dunk.

    St. Joseph’s (12-8, 4-3 Atlantic 10) held onto to that lead as the Hawks secured an 81-74 victory at Hagan Arena. Glover-Toscano, Derek Simpson, and Dasear Haskins each finished with 20 points. Simpson added nine assists. Guard De’Shayne Montgomery scored a team-high 19 points for Dayton (14-6, 5-2).

    St. Joe’s Jaiden Glover-Toscano dunks against Dayton.

    “That was a fun atmosphere. That’s what college basketball should be,” Hawks coach Steve Donahue said. “Students going crazy, our guys being motivated, inspired by the fans. … The guys I thought played 40 minutes of really good basketball.”

    Burst of energy

    After falling to La Salle on Wednesday, Dayton hoped to rebound and opened the game against the Hawks with an 8-0 run.

    Dayton did enough to keep itself in the game. That is, until Haskins gave the Hawks the boost they needed.

    Haskins, who was scoreless in the first 14 minutes, drilled a three-pointer, which cut the deficit to two. He then grabbed a rebound and ran the length of the court before getting a layup, which got Hagan Arena jumping.

    St. Joe’s Derek Simpson passes the ball to Dasear Haskins on Saturday.

    Before halftime, he knocked down two additional three-pointers, one coming in the final seconds, which gave St. Joe’s a 38-36 lead.

    “It was a real big three,” Haskins said. “We were working hard that whole play, offensive rebounds and kicking out. We emphasize something called ‘boulder’ [in] every practice. So I know when [Simpson] got the ball, I know he was looking for me.”

    Clamping down

    St. Joe’s shut down Dayton in the second half.

    Montgomery was held to three points. On top of that, the Hawks forced 15 turnovers overall and coughed up the ball only 12 times against the conference’s top team in takeaways.

    Dayton’s stagnant offense allowed the hosts to add to their lead, thanks in part to Glover-Toscano, who scored 15 points after the break.

    The Flyers eventually climbed out of a double-digit deficit as the Hawks didn’t score a field goal in the final four minutes, but it wasn’t enough as Dayton fell to its second straight city team and A-10 foe.

    Up next

    The Hawks will travel to Loyola Chicago (5-16, 1-7) at Gentile Arena on Tuesday (9 p.m., CBS Sports Network).

  • Villanova drops a crucial conference matchup on the road against St. John’s

    Villanova drops a crucial conference matchup on the road against St. John’s

    A 22-point deficit heading into the final quarter was just too much.

    In the end, Villanova found themselves on the tail end of a 71-58 final against St. John’s on Saturday in New York City. For St. John’s, the win was retribution from the last time the teams faced off on Dec. 22 — when Villanova claimed an 85-48 victory.

    Ryanne Allen led the Wildcats with 12 points. Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova’s star sophomore guard, added 11.

    Villanova (8-3, 15-5 Big East) is now tied for second place in the conference with Seton Hall. St. John’s (6-5, 16-6 Big East) stands fourth in the Big East.

    St. John’s fast start

    The game quickly spun out of control for Villanova, as St. John’s sprinted off to a 22-5 lead across the opening 10 minutes. Brooke Moore led the way for the Red Storm, as the junior guard scored 10 points in the first quarter.

    St. John’s shut down Villanova’s offense, going on a 17-0 run across the last 7 minutes, and 38 seconds of the quarter.

    ‘We should have won’: Upset bid slips away from Villanova in overtime loss to No. 2 UConn

    Meanwhile, the Wildcats shot an uncharacteristic 2-for-11 from the field and 1-for-6 from three. Villanova entered the game as the second-best shooting team in the conference, averaging 45.1% from the field.

    Villanova attempted to push back in an energetic second quarter, in which it was outscored just 18-17. Junior forward Brynn McCurry led the Wildcats in the first half, with eight points and four rebounds.

    Turning the tables

    St. John’s, which saw some difficulty early in Big East play, was dominant on its home court on. Unlike in its previous meeting with Villanova, St. John’s controlled the game and led by double-digits throughout the second, third, and fourth quarters.

    The Red Storm succeeded in holding back Bascoe, who leads Villanova in scoring with 17.2 points per game. Bascoe dropped 21 points with a season-high nine assists in the previous win over St. John’s. But in Saturday’s contest, she was restricted, scoring just four points in the first half to support her total.

    Amid college basketball’s gambling scandal, concerns that mid-major players could be vulnerable

    Villanova struggled to keep St. John’s offense away from the net. The Red Storm scored 42 points in the paint across the game.

    Villanova scored its highest point total (20 points) in the fourth quarter. Allen helped the Wildcats make a late-game push to narrow the deficit, scoring seven points and continuing her consistent three-point shooting.

    Up next

    Villanova returns to Finneran Pavilion on Tuesday to take on Providence (7 p.m., ESPN+).

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of college sports right here!
  • Gov. Josh Shapiro promised fair elections, condemned ICE at his book tour launch in Philly Saturday afternoon

    Gov. Josh Shapiro promised fair elections, condemned ICE at his book tour launch in Philly Saturday afternoon

    Gov. Josh Shapiro recounted Saturday to a crowd of nearly 500 in Philadelphia how he found himself struggling as a father weeks after his family survived an arson attempt at the governor’s mansion on Passover last year.

    That’s when the proudly Jewish governor went to Salem Baptist Church in his hometown of Abington for counsel and support from Pastor Marshall Mitchell.

    “I could feel the power of their prayers,” Shapiro recalled. “I think that’s helped me be a better, more compassionate governor for all.”

    Mitchell, a longtime Shapiro friend who served on his transition team, joined the governor onstage at the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia to discuss his memoir, Where We Keep The Light, set for release Tuesday.

    The conversation focused on the governor’s spiritual journey and family, but it also offered critiques of both parties and promises to the community.

    “There’s a lot more that unites us,” Shapiro said during the hour-long conversation. “There’s a lot more common bonds that we have. And we have to find our way back to that.”

    Shapiro opined that the city’s Quaker founder, William Penn, “would have never imagined a Jewish governor and a Black preacher sitting up here, but I bet he’d be proud of that.”

    The Philadelphia event kicked off a flurry of promotional events as Shapiro plans to travel to New York, Boston, and Washington in the coming week. A CBS interview focused on the book is also slated to air Sunday.

    The release of the memoir comes as Shapiro is seeking a second term as governor, but it has fueled speculation about his potential presidential ambitions in 2028.

    “I think people want authenticity from our leadership, and I think he’s providing it,” said State Rep. Sharif Street, a Philadelphia Democrat running for Congress, who attended the event. “I think Josh Shapiro would make an excellent president.”

    The book, which has been shared with The Inquirer and other outlets, includes details on what Shapiro called an “offensive” vetting process to be Kamala Harris’ running mate when she took over the Democratic presidential ticket for President Joe Biden in 2024. Shapiro said he was being unfairly scrutinized as the only Jewish person in the running for the vice presidency.

    Harris did not come up during the conversation with Mitchell.

    Diana Robinson, of East Kensington, Codirector with Make the Road Pennsylvania, chants with fellow protestors outside the Free Library at Governor Josh Shapiro’s new book “Where We Keep The Light” author event in Philadelphia, Pa., on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026.

    Shapiro weighs in on ICE’s crackdown as protesters gather outside

    Shapiro answered several submitted questions after the discussion. He said that he expects President Donald Trump to attempt to disrupt the 2026 election, as he did in 2020.

    “We are on it. We are prepared. We will do everything in our power to protect your vote.”

    Shapiro also said that his team was prepared to handle a Minneapolis-style Immigration and Customs Enforcement action in Pennsylvania.

    “What we are seeing in Minnesota is absolutely unacceptable,” Shapiro told the crowd. “What we are seeing is lawlessness by these federal agents.”

    The conversation took place just hours after a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed a man in Minneapolis, which Shapiro decried as an atrocity.

    ICE officers shoot, kill another person in Minneapolis

    Outside the book event, roughly 100 protesters gathered in the bitter cold to demand that Shapiro “stop working with ICE.”

    Pennsylvania has no sanctuary policy limiting cooperation with ICE — though Philadelphia and several other jurisdictions in the state do.

    Immigration advocates contend Shapiro is collaborating by allowing ICE access to state databases that they said provide the agency with facial recognition and personal information that can put immigrants in Pennsylvania at risk.

    “As the governor, he has an opportunity to step up and lead with conviction, especially at a moment when people are dying in ICE custody,” said Jasmine Rivera, executive director of the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition. “Instead, he is arming ICE with the information they need to attack his own people.”

    Will Simons, a spokesperson for the governor, said in a statement after the rally that outside agencies “do not have unfettered access to state databases,” but rather Pennsylvania State Police share information when it’s necessary for an investigation.

    “There are legitimate investigations that involve foreign nationals who have committed crimes in PA or elsewhere that would require immigration enforcement agencies to seek access to information contained in Commonwealth-run databases,” Simons said.

    Democrats are likely to be grappling with how best to respond to Trump’s immigration crackdown and other policies as they head into this year’s midterms and the next presidential cycle.

    But Shapiro warned the party risks alienating voters with too much of a focus on Trump.

    “I think we can’t be a party that is defined by being negative on Donald Trump all the time,” Shapiro said.

    This story was updated to include Shapiro’s spokesperson’s statement on state databases.

  • ‘We should have won’: Upset bid slips away from Villanova in overtime loss to No. 2 UConn

    ‘We should have won’: Upset bid slips away from Villanova in overtime loss to No. 2 UConn

    HARTFORD, Conn. — Devin Askew drove into the paint with Villanova trailing Connecticut by just one point inside two minutes to play. The defense collapsed, so Askew kicked the ball to the wing and into the waiting hands of … Kevin Willard.

    The Villanova coach pounded the basketball onto the court with two hands. One of Villanova’s 11 turnovers came at an inopportune time.

    The Wildcats later had a lead with less than a minute on the clock, and they still did take the second-ranked team in the country to overtime, but Askew’s turnover was one of many little moments that didn’t go Villanova’s way in a 75-67 loss at PeoplesBank Arena.

    Where to start? There was Acaden Lewis’ out-of-control drive down two in overtime with just over a minute to go. Back in regulation, Bryce Lindsay missed an open runner in the paint shortly after the Askew turnover. Then Villanova’s leading scorer, who was held to three points and didn’t make any of his eight attempts, had a three-point attempt blocked in a tie game with less than 30 seconds to play.

    Villanova started overtime with a Tyler Perkins three-pointer, then got the ball back when Perkins drew a charging foul. But instead of building on the lead, Lindsay had his pocket picked by Silas Demary Jr., leading to a runout dunk from Tarris Reed Jr. Perkins’ triple, 12 seconds into overtime, was Villanova’s only made basket of the extra session.

    Villanova guard Bryce Lindsay shoots as UConn forward Alex Karaban defends on Saturday.

    The Wildcats’ youth and inexperience showed up once again in a test against one of the best teams in the country, one week after Villanova allowed St. John’s to start the second half on a 20-4 run that it never recovered from.

    “It just hurts,” said Villanova senior big man Duke Brennan, who struggled last week with the size and physicality of St. John’s but battled back in a big way Saturday. He had 16 points and 14 rebounds and, perhaps most importantly, made eight of his nine free-throw attempts in 40 minutes. “We fought until the end. That’s a great team over there.”

    Amid college basketball’s gambling scandal, concerns that mid-major players could be vulnerable

    To be sure, there were things Villanova did well enough to win. You don’t take the No. 2 team in the country to overtime without doing things correctly. The Wildcats had answers for a lot of UConn’s offensive action. They held Alex Karaban, who averages nearly 14 points, off the scoreboard for the first 30 minutes (though he did finish with 17 points).

    Perkins had 16 points and 10 rebounds and continued to be the physical and experienced guard presence Villanova needs. Askew, too, continued his strong stretch of games with 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists before he fouled out in overtime. Matt Hodge followed up consecutive games being held to four points or less with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting from three-point range, including a corner three that gave Villanova a 61-59 lead with just over a minute to go.

    UConn guard Braylon Mullins is guarded by Villanova guards Bryce Lindsay (2) and Malachi Palmer (7) on Saturday.

    But then came another costly error. Demary missed a driving layup, and Villanova couldn’t secure a rebound, allowing Reed to tip in the tying basket.

    In the end, UConn made the plays when it mattered. Solo Ball, who led all scorers with 24 points, hit arguably the game’s biggest shot, a three-pointer with two minutes left in overtime that turned a one-point Villanova lead into a two-point deficit.

    It is hard for Villanova to win when Lindsay doesn’t make a shot and Lewis goes 1-for-13 from the field. Yet, it nearly happened anyway.

    “We’re a young team,” Willard said. “Guys were trying to make plays. We got to the rim. We didn’t finish at the rim, and I thought we had some opportunities at the rim.”

    Villanova made 5 of 15 layup attempts.

    “We’re still going down and playing high-level defense,” Willard said. “If we can continue to build on that, then we’ll get out in transition and get some easier buckets.”

    Villanova freshman Acaden Lewis is often praised for using his ‘off’ right hand. He’s actually right-handed.

    It was the closing minutes that Willard said he needed to “get better at.” Lewis was seemingly benched for a large stretch of the second half. Brennan was in foul trouble. The Wildcats are a team without much depth.

    “I got to put the right lineups out there at times and I’m learning a lot about certain guys and what to do,” Willard said. “At the end of the day, we don’t do a free throw box out, and we don’t get a huge rebound when we’re up four with about six minutes to go. … Sometimes to get there on the road you got to make sure you finish possessions, and I thought there was three or four times where we didn’t finish possessions with rebounds.”

    An encouraging game nonetheless?

    “No,” Willard replied. “I don’t like losing. We should have won that game.”

    UConn guard Solo Ball, who led all scorers with 24 points, dribbles around Villanova guard Tyler Perkins on Saturday.

    The reality for Villanova is Saturday’s loss is one that won’t necessarily hurt. A road upset helps a lot more than an eight-point overtime loss stings as far as the meaningful metrics go. The Wildcats are 15-5 overall and 6-3 in Big East play. They started the day rated 25th at KenPom and were still there by late Saturday afternoon. They have rest ahead before a Friday home game vs. Providence, and plenty of winnable games on the calendar as they continue to hunt for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

    Plus, two more shots at the conference’s elite. On consecutive Saturdays, Villanova took St. John’s and Connecticut to the brink.

    “The good thing about conference is you play every team twice,” Brennan said. “We get another shot at those dudes. St. John’s we felt like we didn’t play good at all, all throughout our program. This game we felt like we really battled.

    “It feels like it got away and we felt like we were there the whole game. There are certain little things that come down at the end of the game where it can flip one way. It wasn’t on our side tonight.”

  • ‘Stand up, fight back, and resist’: Activist who helped shape President’s House rallies new fight after the site was dismantled

    ‘Stand up, fight back, and resist’: Activist who helped shape President’s House rallies new fight after the site was dismantled

    Nearly a quarter century ago, Black activists fought relentlessly to memorialize the lives of nine people enslaved at the first presidential mansion. On Saturday, the leader of that decade-long battle rallied a new fight.

    Michael Coard, an attorney and founding member of Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), pledged to restore the slavery memorial at the President’s House Site on Independence Mall and said his group will not concede on the exhibit’s location or its content, despite efforts from federal officials to sanitize and erase the outdoor museum.

    The slavery exhibits at the President’s House have been removed following Trump administration push

    “Our goal, first and foremost, is to remain at that site — intact,” Coard told a roughly 60-person crowd at an unrelated event at Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church. “There’s only one first White House where Black people were enslaved. … There are no alternatives.”

    This week, the National Park Service dismantled all the educational displays and illustrations, including those titled “Life Under Slavery” and “The Dirty Business of Slavery,” at the memorial on the corner of Sixth and Market Streets. The site was the latest casualty in President Donald Trump’s push to remove all displays and other content that he has said “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living” from federal land — what some have called an attempt to whitewash history.

    Here are the signs the Trump administration removed from Independence Park

    While the sudden removal of the exhibits elicited shock from passersby and ire from local leaders and stakeholders, Coard said he saw it coming: This summer, 13 items at the site were flagged for review as part of Trump’s executive order and federal authorities set a mid-September deadline to change or remove the disputed content at national parks nationwide. The September deadline passed and the site remained unaltered, but its fate was still in limbo.

    What just happened at the President’s House?

    Coard, whose group has been stewarding and championing the exhibits since 2002, said Avenging the Ancestors is mounting a multipronged response; he alluded to a legal strategy but would not elaborate. (Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration filed a lawsuit Thursday arguing that the removal of the exhibits is unlawful.)

    There has been an outpouring of sorrow and appreciation for the exhibits and anger at Trump’s administration. On Friday, small tokens — a rose, a bouquet of flowers, and a sign that read “Slavery was real” — were left at the site. A group of teachers on their lunch break taped up dozens of posters reading “Learn all history” and “History is real.” The signs were gone as of Saturday morning; by the afternoon, new tributes had spawned. One event promoted online encouraged Philadelphia artists to craft replicas of the removed displays.

    Michael Carver portrays colonial merchant and soldier Mordecai Sheftall during a “History Matters” event Saturday at the President’s House Site in Independence National Historical Park. Displays at the site were dismantled by the National Park Service last week.

    “We support and commend those who are doing something,” Coard told The Inquirer after the event, which honored the inaugural graduates of Mother Bethel’s “Freedom School,” a 10-week course on African American history. “If that’s simply liking a social media post about resisting, do that. If it’s taking signs and other items down to the site, do that. … Stand up, fight back, and resist.”

    Why was the slavery exhibit removed from the President’s House? A historian gives context.

    On Saturday, U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa.) took to social media to weigh in against the National Park Service’s dismantling of the exhibits, marking a rare break from Trump.

    “Our history is our history. It is our willingness to learn from it that makes America exceptional and the greatest country on Earth, on our journey to become a more perfect union,” McCormick wrote on X, responding to The Inquirer’s reporting.

    In the same post, McCormick said he also invoked this reasoning when he opposed renaming military bases, like Fort Bragg, after Confederate generals and the park service’s proposal (which was later retracted) to remove a statue of William Penn in Philadelphia in 2024.

    Fort Bragg was named after Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg before former President Joe Biden’s administration changed it to Fort Liberty. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth changed it back to Bragg, but in honor of Roland L. Bragg, whom the Defense Department describes as a “World War II hero,” NPR reported.

    McCormick appears to be one of the first Pennsylvania Republicans — if not the only one — to weigh in against the exhibits’ removal. Democratic lawmakers across the region have also expressed their disapproval.

    U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) called the NPS decision “deeply wrong and misguided” in a statement emailed to The Inquirer on Saturday.

    “America is the best country in the world. Our history is filled with the greatest sacrifices to the most awful chapters. Teach all of it,” Fetterman said.

    The erasure of the site — which captured the somber paradox of a young America that exalted freedom for some but deprived others of it — comes ahead of the country’s Semiquincentennial celebrations, when Philadelphia will be in the national spotlight.

    The Rev. Carolyn Cavaness of Mother Bethel said it was a blow to her heart to see the exhibits removed. Mother Bethel is a hub for activism and the oldest church property in the United States to be owned continually by Black people. Bishop Richard Allen, the former slave, educator, and Methodist lay preacher who founded the church, was featured at the site.

    “There’s something about the full story being told, and for that piece of this story to just be ripped away, I think it even mobilizes … preserving, protecting, sharing our story and our contributions,” Cavaness said. “It just ups the ante.”

    Independence Park employees are being told to give evasive answers after removal of slavery exhibits