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  • Dear Abby | Effort to be a good grandpa doesn’t go as planned

    DEAR ABBY: Ten years ago, I connected with “Christi,” a daughter I fathered with a woman I was in a relationship with for a short time decades ago. We split before Christi was born. My ex-girlfriend didn’t tell me about her until after she was born. By that time, she was married to a man Christi knew as her dad. However, she no longer acknowledges him as her father.

    Christi and I developed our relationship, and it would be impossible for me to love her more than I do. When I retired five years ago, she asked me to move closer to her and my 11-year-old granddaughter. She said she would appreciate help with things like driving her to school and activities. Since relocating, though, I have been given very little access to either of them. Christi’s family has poisoned my granddaughter against me. Whenever I see them, it’s always in a group of 10 or more, so we haven’t developed any of the closeness I was hoping for.

    This situation is making me miserable to the point of affecting my mental health. I get the feeling that if I address this with Christi, I’ll be cast out of her life completely. I don’t think I could handle that. Must I accept the limited role I have been given in their lives or risk our relationship by telling her how I feel?

    — LET DOWN IN FLORIDA

    DEAR LET DOWN: The time has come to revisit those conversations you had with Christi in which she asked you to move closer. Tell her you agreed because you thought it would be an opportunity to spend time with her and get to know your granddaughter. However, the result has been that you feel more like a free chauffeur service than a grandparent. Ask why this has happened.

    If the situation is fixable, talk with a licensed psychotherapist about how to accomplish it. However, if there are no changes, return to the community from which you came before you suffer further emotional damage.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: Where and how do you draw the line between being kind and being a people pleaser? Furthermore, how do you know when you’re doing something that you don’t particularly want to do, but don’t mind doing, either out of kindness or an inability to say no?

    Sometimes, I regret committing to something only when I’m actually in the middle of it or just beforehand. Other times, I realize I’ve taken on too many responsibilities, which makes me feel frustrated and stressed, even though I still enjoy being helpful whenever possible. How do I recognize and avoid these unpleasant feelings and experiences?

    — CARRYING THE WEIGHT

    DEAR CARRYING: You are a good person. Now start being as nice to yourself as you try to be to others. Because keeping the promises you make to these people is causing you to feel stressed or resentful, you must find the courage to say no. Start practicing now, before the milk of human kindness begins to curdle in your breast.

    ** ** **

    TO MY READERS: The eight days of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begin at sundown. Happy Hanukkah, everyone, and a joyous Festival of Lights to all of us.

    — LOVE, ABBY

  • Flyers give up early lead, suffer first shootout loss of the season to Carolina Hurricanes

    Flyers give up early lead, suffer first shootout loss of the season to Carolina Hurricanes

    Bobby Brink was blunt about the Flyers’ 4-3 shootout loss to Carolina.

    “We were pretty bad,” Brink said of the second period that saw the Flyers’ 2-0 lead evaporate Saturday night at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. “We just lost battles, didn’t support each other. Stopped taking it to them. Let them take it to us.”

    The Flyers jumped out to an early lead in the first period. Brink scored the first goal of the game with a snipe off a Trevor Zegras zone entry, and Zegras capped off his excellent first period with a goal of his own, burying a feed from Konecny behind the net.

    The Canes’ man-on-man coverage system is notoriously suffocating defensively, and the Flyers felt it in the second period, struggling to break the puck up the ice and generate any consistent offensive zone time.

    Flyers center Christian Dvorak leaps over teammate right wing Bobby Brink’s first period goal past Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov on Saturday.

    Ty Murchison, playing his third game in place of the injured Cam York, turned the puck over on a breakout to former Flyer Shayne Gostisbehere. He fired one quick pass to Nikolaj Ehlers, who sniped the puck over Samuel Ersson’s shoulder to put Carolina on the board. With just over five minutes to go in the period, Canes defenseman Alexander Nikishin tied it with a huge slap shot from the blue line.

    “Carolina is a pressure team,” said Flyers coach Rick Tocchet. “You’ve got to go at them with pressure. I think we backed off. We started to stop skating. We need some wall play. If we made a couple wall plays, we would have had two or three three-on-ones, but Carolina puts a lot of pressure. I think they’re the worst team when it comes to odd-man rushes. So that’s when you really need to dig in.”

    The Flyers improved a bit in the third period, but still struggled to get on the board.

    “It was better than the second, but I don’t know, we’ve got to have a better effort than that,” Brink said.

    Flyers winger Carl Grundström brings ‘a lot of energy’ to the ice, and it’s paying off

    Late in the third, Seth Jarvis snuck past the Flyers’ defense and easily tucked the puck in one-on-one against Ersson. That might’ve been just the kick the Flyers needed, because just 23 seconds later, Carl Grundström took advantage of a two-on-one opportunity and beat Pyotr Kochetkov to tie the game at three on just the Flyers’ second shot of the period.

    Grundström was called up on Dec. 2 in place of the injured Tyson Foerster, and is on a three-game point streak, including the game-winner in San Jose and the game-tying goal against Carolina.

    “He can skate, and he’s not afraid to get inside,” Tocchet said. “When you’re a player in the NHL and you can skate and you’re an inside player, you can pay the mortgage, that’s how you do it. I think that he wants to stay here. You can tell. What a couple of big goals for us so far.”

    Forcing overtime on Saturday wasn’t enough for the Flyers, who fell in the shootout for the first time this season after five wins.

    The Flyers’ three-on-three struggles continued, with their best chance coming off a two-on-one opportunity from Zegras and Konecny, but Zegras flubbed the pass, allowing Kochetkov to make an easy save, and Ersson made a strong save on Jordan Staal with just seconds to play.

    Zegras had his first shootout miss of the year. Brink, Konecny, and Michkov also missed, and Jackson Blake won it for Carolina in the fourth round.

    The Flyers won’t have much time to marinate in what went wrong, with another matchup against Carolina in Raleigh on the docket for Sunday night. They hope they can get another period like the first, and to avoid a repeat of the second.

    “They were doing a good job of coming down on our wingers on the wall,” Zegras said. I thought in the D-zone, some faceoff stuff we’ve probably got to clean up. I think just build off that first period, because I thought we were doing some good stuff.”

    Up next

    The Flyers will play Carolina at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. The game will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

  • ‘Such a superstar’: Beloved Philly flight attendant remembered after his puzzling South Philadelphia death

    ‘Such a superstar’: Beloved Philly flight attendant remembered after his puzzling South Philadelphia death

    Amadou Thiam lived the American dream — and then some.

    The immigrant from Côte d’Ivoire worked his way up at a major airline as a flight attendant, purchased a home in South Philadelphia, and traveled to exotic locations when his schedule allowed it.

    He danced with friends at Philly’s nightclubs, even crafted a stage name for a yearly drag performance he gave at Voyeur — “Ama-Diva,” a play on his name that Thiam’s loved ones say reflected the 50-year-old’s playfulness and unapologetic charm.

    That dream was cut tragically short last month.

    A quiet neighborhood of rowhouses was rattled Nov. 10 when neighbors found Thiam lying naked on the pavement behind his home on the 2400 block of Federal Street suffering severe injuries to his face, neck, and body.

    He was rushed to a nearby hospital and died from his injuries.

    The medical examiner’s office has yet to release the cause and manner of Thiam’s death. But homicide detectives are investigating, and police believe Thiam either fell — or was thrown — out of his third-floor window. They have identified two men they believe may have been involved.

    Amadou Thiam’s partner Barry Rucks displays a photo of Amadou before a memorial service at Voyeur Nightclub on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 in Philadelphia.

    It was jarring news for those who knew Thiam, a beloved member of Philadelphia’s flight attendant community who had worked for American Airlines since 2011.

    A group of his loved ones gathered at Voyeur on Saturday to memorialize their friend, sipping drinks and sharing stories beneath the shimmering glow of a disco ball. A DJ played soulful dance music. Some of Thiam’s acquaintances, his “chosen family,” donned dresses, high heels, and flashy jewelry.

    In the face of tragedy, they were celebrating in style — the way Thiam would have wanted them to.

    “He was just a happy person, and he took advantage of his environment and did the best with it,” said Barry Rucks, Thiam’s partner of five years. “You and me take things for granted — he didn’t take anything for granted.”

    Rucks said Thiam started at American Airlines as a baggage claims worker but quickly rose to become one of their “number one” flight attendants.

    A native French speaker, Thiam worked on international flights to Paris and Zurich, posting photos to social media of the luxury hotels and historic monuments he visited along the way.

    It was a life he could have hardly imagined in western Africa, Rucks said, where he was raised alongside nine brothers and sisters.

    After getting his American citizenship, Thiam was proud to vote in elections and serve on jury duty, Rucks said. He marveled at the economic opportunity here, and developed an affinity for purchasing lavish clothing items on Amazon when he wasn’t helping siblings out with money.

    “He would never say no to anyone, because he knew how hard it was to be an American,” Rucks said.

    Voyeur was a fitting setting for Thiam’s memorial.

    The Center City nightclub is where Thiam and a friend once dressed as Glinda and Elphaba from Wicked and performed during an annual drag benefit for flight attendants who had fallen on hard times.

    Amadou Thiam’s partner Barry Rucks speaks to guests during a memorial service at Voyeur Nightclub on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 in Philadelphia.

    “He was just such a shining star in this community,” said Aurore Dussh, one of Thiam’s friends. She said Thiam performed at Voyeur on numerous occasions, balancing his diva reputation with an undeniable sweetness in his relationships.

    He was “such a superstar,” Dussh said. “Yet he made everyone else feel seen.”

    Police continue to investigate Thiam’s death

    In the weeks since Thiam’s death, police have sought two men they believe are connected to the unusual circumstances surrounding his death.

    Sources familiar with the investigation say investigators have evidence that suggests Thiam was assaulted that night.

    That evidence includes video footage showing the men outside Thiam’s home around the time his body was found. The two, an older and younger man, appear to be carrying clothing from Thiam’s home, according to those sources.

    Neighbors, too, recalled seeing the men leaving Thiam’s home.

    This image, taken Nov. 16, 2025, shows the third-story window (second from left) from which neighbors say Amadou Thiam fell on Nov. 10.

    Finding Thiam’s door cracked open, the neighbors entered to find blood smeared across his kitchen and third-floor bedroom. Back outside, they noticed a stream of blood that led them to Thiam’s body on the pavement.

    Rucks, Thiam’s partner, said he has been in touch with investigators and that none of Thiam’s friends and acquaintances recognized the two men in the video.

    Rucks, who lives in Montgomery County, lived separately from Thiam, who prized his independence, he said.

    He recalled Thiam was nothing but happy the Sunday morning he left his house to return to Philadelphia, a day before his death.

    It was the last time Rucks saw his partner alive.

    “I can’t speculate and I’m refusing to,” Rucks said. “We will find out what happened.”

  • Flyers winger Carl Grundström brings ‘a lot of energy’ to the ice, and it’s paying off

    Flyers winger Carl Grundström brings ‘a lot of energy’ to the ice, and it’s paying off

    There’s been a lot of talk recently about the fourth line’s struggles and lack of contributions in the goal column on the scoresheet.

    Enter Carl Grundström.

    Recalled on Dec. 2, after Tyson Foerster went down with an upper-body injury the night before against the Pittsburgh Penguins — he will be out for 2-3 months — the Swede sat patiently waiting for his turn to enter the lineup. It came on Dec. 9, and he made his case known with a sweet deflection goal — the game-winner — against the team the Flyers acquired him from, the San Jose Sharks.

    Two nights later, against the visiting Vegas Golden Knights, he put pressure on defenseman Brayden McNabb, creating a turnover along the boards in the offensive zone. Seconds later, the puck was in the back of the net off a one-timer by defenseman Noah Juulsen to tie the game, 2-2, in the Flyers’ 3-2 overtime loss.

    “I bring a lot of energy,” Grundström said on Saturday morning after the Flyers’ morning skate. “Feel like, try to play hard. Be direct.

    “I think I’m bringing the game I want to bring. Obviously, I can probably do better, but it’s getting better and better, I feel like.”

    In Voorhees, Grundström was back on the fourth line with Garnet Hathaway and Rodrigo Ābols. He’s started every game that way, but on Thursday, he was moved up to the third line with Noah Cates and Bobby Brink.

    And his minutes have been inching up. He played 10 minutes, 17 seconds in his Flyers debut against the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 8. That climbed to 12:41 on Thursday.

    Flyers coach Rick Tocchet was frustrated after an OT loss to Vegas. Was it warranted?

    “Well, I think he’s an NHL player, so, honestly, a lot of credit to Danny getting him here, because he’s a guy that’s a depth guy,” coach Rick Tocchet said of the forward who was acquired in the deal that sent the Ryan Ellis contract west. “I think there’s some stuff he does that I really like, and you can tell he wants more. I like that. So, how we use him, there’s a lot of options for me.”

    And how will Tocchet use the forward he saw play a bunch when the former was the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks and the latter was a member of the Los Angeles Kings across six seasons and the Sharks?

    “He’s a smart guy. He’s reliable. He can penalty kill,” said Tocchet of Grundström, who played on the penalty kill for 39 seconds against the Sharks and has 56 total seconds this season.

    “When you have a guy, whether he plays fourth line or third line, whatever he plays, it’s good to have that guy who can penalty kill. You can get some minutes out of him. It’s not just top-heavy penalty killers and stuff. So I think we’re giving him a little bit more and more PK.”

    Flyers right wing Carl Grundström (center) reaches after the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights on Dec. 11.

    At even strength, Grundström brings a similar element to the fourth line as Nikita Grebenkin, 22, who was elevated to the third line when Foerster went down, but flip-flopped with him on Thursday. They both play tough on the wall and like to put pressure on the defense, although the 28-year-old Grundström has more NHL experience.

    While it’s only been 9:24 of ice time, according to Natural Stat Trick, when the fourth line is on the ice with him, the Flyers have 54.55% of the Corsi For — with either Nic Deslauriers or Grebenkin it is below 50%. They also have 50% of the shots, 100% of the scoring chances (1-0) and, of course, the goal.

    “Intangibles, a little confidence, too. Scoring, getting a goal, and then bringing the other attributes,” Hathaway said when asked about adding Grundström to the left wing.

    “He’s relentless. I think you’ve seen on every shift. He helped create Jules’ goal the other night, with just battling inside the blue line, making a 50-50 puck ours, and staying on and holding on to pucks longer. I think that’s attributed to more [offensive]-zone time for us and getting chances after that.”

    Breakaways

    Defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York will be on the four-game road trip that begins Sunday against the Hurricanes in Carolina (5 p.m., NBCSP). According to Tocchet, Ristolainen “is close to playing” and York is ready, adding, “whether he plays tomorrow or the next game, he’s close.” … Goalie Sam Ersson will start on Saturday in the first game of a home-and-home with the Hurricanes. Therefore, it is expected that Dan Vladař will play on Sunday. … The Flyers will have the same lineup, which means defenseman Ty Murchison will play his third NHL game.

    Flyers defensemen Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen inching closer to returning from injury
  • Villanova upsets Tarleton State and advances to FCS semifinals with comeback win

    Villanova upsets Tarleton State and advances to FCS semifinals with comeback win

    Villanova advanced to the FCS semifinals for the first time since 2010 with a 26-21 comeback victory over Tarleton State on Saturday in Stephenville, Texas.

    The visiting Wildcats played from behind throughout the first three quarters before taking down the fourth-seeded Texans, who entered Saturday’s contest boasting the No. 1 scoring offense in the FCS, averaging 44.1 points per game.

    Villanova graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide passed for 180 yards and one touchdown, while freshman wide receiver Braden Reed was integral to the victory in multiple ways, including throwing a touchdown pass on a second-quarter trick play and catching the game-winning score on an 11-yard pass early in the fourth quarter. Sophomore running back Ja’briel Mace led the ground attack, rushing for 151 yards and one touchdown on a team-high 18 carries.

    Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide throws the ball on Saturday.

    With the win, 12th-seeded Villanova (12-2) claimed its second straight upset and extended its playoff run, which already saw defeats of Harvard and No. 5 seed Lehigh in previous rounds. The Wildcats now ride an 11-game win streak into the semifinals in their most successful season since winning the 2009 national championship. They’ll host Illinois State (11-1) next Saturday night (7:30 p.m.).

    “They’ve been doing it all year, so [I’m] really proud of this team,” coach Mark Ferrante said during a postgame interview on ESPN. “We probably had some teams in past years with a little more talent across the board, but these guys have been as together as I’ve ever seen. The locker room is tight, they break down [huddles] on ‘Family’ all the time, and they believe it. So, I’m real excited about these guys.”

    Tarleton takes over early

    Villanova found itself down early after a pair of costly turnovers. Tarleton (12-2) took full advantage and raced to a 14-0 lead on back-to-back drives.

    A promising opening drive took a turn for the worst when McQuaide threw an interception in the end zone on first-and-goal from the 7-yard line. On the first play of Tarleton’s possession, Texans senior quarterback Victor Gabalis hit Peyton Kramer with a deep pass that went for an 80-yard touchdown.

    On the ensuing possession, the Wildcats went three-and-out, before Tarleton blocked their punt, took over at the Villanova 12-yard line, and found itself back in the end zone six plays later.

    Villanova gets creative

    In the second quarter, Villanova began to respond to Tarleton’s early burst.

    Graduate kicker Jack Barnum hit a 31-yard field goal, putting Villanova on the board to open the quarter.

    On the first play of Tarleton’s next drive, Wildcats redshirt defensive back Anthony Hawkins picked off Gabalis and returned the ball to the Texans’ 45-yard line, setting up another scoring opportunity for Villanova, which wasted little time.

    Two plays later, McQuaide handed the ball off to Reed, who launched it to graduate wide receiver Lucas Kopecky in the end zone for a 27-yard TD. The trick play was Reed’s first-ever pass in a game.

    After the touchdown, Villanova trailed, 14-9 — thanks to a blocked extra-point attempt — with 11:20 left until halftime.

    Villanova’s defense kept Tarleton out of the end zone throughout the second quarter and limited the Texans to 125 yards of total offense across the half. And before the break, the Wildcats were able to tack on a 41-yard field goal from Barnum to cut further into Tarleton’s lead.

    Reed for the lead

    The Texans opened the second half extending their advantage to 21-12 on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Gabalis to Trevon West.

    After the Wildcats were limited to just 65 rushing yards in the first half, their ground game picked up in the third quarter. Mace started Villanova’s first drive of the half with a 21-yard run. On the next play, McQuaide again handed it off again to Mace, who sprinted 47 yards to the end zone.

    The Wildcats took their first lead early in the fourth quarter on a 12-play, 78-yard drive. Mace again helped Villanova advance downfield with six carries on the drive, including a 26-yard run. McQuaide then found Reed in the end zone from 11 yards out to set the final score, 26-21.

    It was Reed’s second game-winner of the playoffs, after he also caught the final touchdown against Lehigh last Saturday.

    The Wildcats made key stops down the stretch, surviving several late-game scares. On Tarleton’s final drive, Villanova was charged with holding and unsportsmanlike conduct on the same play, advancing the Texans 25 yards downfield to Villanova’s 27-yard line. Tarleton got inside the red zone, with a first-and 10 from the 15, but Ferrante’s defense held strong.

    On fourth-and-6 from the 11, following the two-minute warning, Gabalis appeared to have a running lane to pick up a first down, but instead found West in the left side of the end zone for what initially appeared to be the go-ahead score. But after review, officials concluded that West’s right foot landed just out of bounds, while his trailing left foot never touched down in bounds.

    Villanova ran out the clock from there.

    “Well, you know, because you asked me earlier, the whole ‘Tap The Rock’ mentality,” Ferrante said on the field after the game, before getting emotional. “You know, be resilient, persevere no matter what’s happening, and our guys do that. I’m really proud of this group.”

    Off to the semis

    Villanova faces Illinois State, who beat No. 8 seed University of California Davis, 42-31, on Saturday night.

    The Wildcats will have another home game at Villanova Stadium in the semifinal round next weekend.

    Villanova celebrates with its fans after defeating Tarleton State, 26-21, on Saturday.
  • Off-duty Jefferson nurses are saving lives at MilkBoy

    Off-duty Jefferson nurses are saving lives at MilkBoy

    A funk show had just started at MilkBoy Thursday night, when a fan fell near the stage, quickly losing consciousness. That’s when a group of off-duty nurses, relaxing after a shift at nearby Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, did something the hospital staff is becoming famous for during their off-hours at the Market East bar and live music spot: They saved a life.

    It was shortly after 8:30 p.m., said MilkBoy owner Jamie Lokoff, when an older man watching a performance by Owls by Day, a New York-based band opening for the funk group Polyrhythmics, suddenly collapsed. Alerted that a fellow customer had gone into cardiac arrest, a trio of nurses at a downstairs table quickly rushed upstairs to help, he said. As the band turned up the lights, the nurses used cell phone flashlights to assess the stricken fan.

    “The nurses went to work on the guy,” said Lokoff, who reviewed video of the life-saving incident. “They started doing CPR, pumping his chest. Here they were downstairs having a good time and, boom, they got to run upstairs and you got a guy who has no pulse.”

    More off-duty nurses quickly joined to help, said MilkBoy general manager Anna Reed.

    “They did chest compressions for eight to 10 minutes,” she said. “They were tagging in and out.”

    Eric Lense, who plays drums in Owls By Day, said the man was “in very bad shape.”

    “It was scary and intense,” Lense said. “But also amazing to watch these professionals step in so quickly and save this man’s life.”

    By the time paramedics soon arrived, the nurses had resuscitated the man, Lokoff and Reed said. Fans and customers cheered as the man, awake and responsive, was carried out to an ambulance. The bar had an emergency response certified staffer working the show, who helped clear room for the ailing patron. The condition of the man, who had been at the show with his wife, is not known.

    Remarkably, it’s the third time in recent memory that nurses and doctors from the hospital, located about a block away on 11th Street, helped save a customer’s life at the club, Lokoff said. An off-duty Jefferson doctor used a defibrillator they had in their bag to save the life of a patron who had been drinking Tito’s vodka on the rocks when he went into cardiac arrest about a year ago, Lokoff said. On another occasion, nurses aided an older regular, who fell unconscious and was also revived.

    MilkBoy, which opened in 2011 and serves from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., is a popular hangout for Jefferson staff, who come for postshift drinks and food.

    Neither Lokoff nor Reed knew the names of the nurses who helped revive the man. Bar staff comped much of the large group’s bill, they said.

    A Jefferson spokesperson could not identify the nurses either. But they said the hospital was proud.

    “We are proud of our clinicians and the lifesaving skills they bring in our hospitals as well as the community,” they said in a statement. “These acts of courage and quick thinking are a powerful reminder of the dedication and training that define the Jefferson Nurse and our physicians.”

    “It’s pretty remarkable to see these nurses go into action in real time,” Lokoff said. “We just want to express our gratitude to the Jefferson nurses and staff that has been there to step in when needed. They just do what they do, and we want to give them a hug. … I joke that we’re the safest bar around.”

  • Joe Biden has raised little of what he needs to build his presidential library, a new report finds

    Joe Biden has raised little of what he needs to build his presidential library, a new report finds

    When it comes to funding his presidential library, former President Joe Biden is far behind on funds, the New York Times reported Saturday.

    The report cites recent Internal Revenue Service filings from Biden’s library foundation, finding that the organization had not raised any money in 2024, the last year Biden was in office.

    The fund contains just $4 million in leftover funds from Biden’s 2021 inauguration, according to the Times. The former president’s aides have suggested their vision for a library could cost $200 million.

    The library foundation declined to say what it had raised in 2025. Biden is holding his first public event for potential library donors on Monday, the Times reported.

    Should it ramp up fundraising, Biden’s team still anticipates raising a little more than $11 million by the end of 2027, according to the filings viewed by Times reporters.

    Biden, who turned 83 this fall and is being treated for prostate cancer, has kept a low public profile since stepping back from his official duties.

    Some of the former president’s loyal donors told the Times they had not been contacted for library contributions; other Democratic donors said they were not likely to give even if they are asked, saying they had soured on Biden’s legacy or were focused on projects to combat President Donald Trump.

    Biden’s aides declined to make him available for an interview with the Times, though there are signs he has begun to step up his fundraising effort.

    The former president and his wife, Jill Biden, penned a letter to donors in September asking them to schedule interviews with a private firm hired to assess financials for a future library, according to the newspaper.

    Former presidents must raise their own money to fund their libraries, which have evolved from modest spaces to sprawling complexes complete with museums and other extras.

    Former President Barack Obama’s still-unfinished “presidential center” in Chicago is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and will include a basketball court and vegetable garden in addition to a city library branch. Trump plans to raise nearly $1 billion for a library in downtown Miami, tax documents show.

    Biden has said he would like his library to be built in his home state of Delaware. That decision comes as recent reporting found the University of Pennsylvania, where the former president has familial ties, did not express interest in hosting the library in Philadelphia.

    Coupled with a lagging fundraising effort, Biden’s desire to keep his library near his home has spurred discussions among those close to him that he could merge his presidential library with the preexisting Biden institutions at the University of Delaware, according to the Times. The Newark-based university is the former president’s alma matter.

    With the help of the Delaware state government, the university has already raised more than $20 million for a forthcoming “Biden Hall,” an extension of the Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration.

    Merging the library with the hall would be far cheaper — and modest — than other modern presidential libraries, though the Times reported that both projects currently remain separate.

    Few details surrounding the library appear set in stone, however.

    Asked about the prospect of a merger, a Biden spokesperson declined to comment to the Times, saying the former president’s team continues to be in an “exploratory and planning phase.”

  • Snow is a near certainty in Philly this weekend, and it won’t melt quickly

    Snow is a near certainty in Philly this weekend, and it won’t melt quickly

    The first measurable snowfall of the winter of 2025-26 evidently is all but a done deal for Philly this weekend, and it has a chance to be the biggest in two winters — not that the bar is ultra-high in a period when snow has been mightily lacking.

    The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for 3 to 5 inches of snow across the region, with a near 100% likelihood of at least an inch of snow.

    That was in line with the AccuWeather Inc. outlook.

    The weather service has a 76% chance of at least 4 inches and 43% of 6 or more.

    With the caveat that timing and duration of precipitation aren’t in the wheelhouse of atmospheric science, the weather service is expecting snow or snow mixed with rain to start late Saturday night.

    If it’s a mix at the outset it would quickly become all snow as temperatures fall below freezing, and continue into midmorning.

    The snow would be generated primarily by an upper-air disturbance, said Matt Benz, senior meteorologist for AccuWeather. It’s possible that the storm may regroup off the coast, however, that “probably will form too late to have any impact.”

    In a forecast discussion, the weather service said inch-an-hour snowfall rates are possible early Sunday.

    “There is a potential for a concentrated area of 4-5 inches of snowfall somewhere near the I-95 corridor and immediately south and east,” the forecasters said.

    They noted a 20% to 30% chance that some places get over 5 inches.

    And the snow is likely to stick around until at least midweek, with high temperatures Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday expected to be around freezing or lower and the sun angles about as low as they get.

    After that February storm, the temperature climbed to near 50 a day later, and the strengthening sun made quick work of the snow cover.

    That February snow turned out to be the biggest of a season in which the 8.1-inch total at Philadelphia International Airport barely bested the 8 inches of New Orleans. That winter, the I-95 corridor found itself in a snow hole, and Philly a snow hole within a snow hole. The highest total in the winter of 2023-24 was 4.6 inches during a snowy January week.

    Snow fell to the north, west, and south, and that trend has continued in the early going. With 6 inches so far this winter, Richmond, Va., now has measured 22.8 inches since last December, nearly triple the Philly total.

    Official totals at Philadelphia International Airport have been less than half of normal for four consecutive winters. The normal for a season is 23.2 inches.

    The meteorological winter, which began Dec. 1, certainly is off to a wintry start, with temperatures averaging more than 6 degrees below normal.

    It is not off to a particularly wet start, however, and whatever falls this weekend isn’t expected to exceed a half inch of liquid.

    In its long-term outlooks through Dec. 26, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is on the fence regarding whether precipitation will be above or below normal.

    With high confidence it is calling for a national warm-up.

    In any given year, the odds are greatly against Christmas snow in Philly or elsewhere along the I-95 corridor.

    But it does look like the region is about get a white Sunday.

  • Union finalize trade to send Jakob Glesnes to the Los Angeles Galaxy

    Union finalize trade to send Jakob Glesnes to the Los Angeles Galaxy

    Three days after reports surfaced that the Union received a massive offer for Tai Baribo from Eastern Conference rival D.C. United, the club is trading one of its stars to Los Angeles.

    The Galaxy will send the Union up to $2.2 million in general allocation money for Jakob Glesnes, the Union announced Monday. Los Angeles will also acquire the homegrown rights to Union academy forward Jamir Johnson in the trade, which was first reported by The Athletic on Saturday.

    Half of the general allocation money is guaranteed, while the other half is depends on how Glesnes performs with his new club. The Union are guaranteed $500,000 in 2026 and $600,000 in 2027. The Union did not disclose what metrics Glesnes needs to meet with the Galaxy to send up to $1.1 million in additional money to the Union. The Union will also receive a sell-on percentage for any future transactions the Galaxy make involving Johnson.

    Glesnes was the cornerstone of the Union’s back line this season, pairing with breakout star Olwethu Makhanya to lead the league’s stingiest defense. The Union conceded 35 goals, fewest in MLS, on their way to winning the 2025 Supporters’ Shield. Glesnes signed a contract extension in August, guaranteeing his deal through 2027, with an option for 2028.

    The Norwegian center back joined the Union from Norway’s Strømsgodset in 2020. Glesnes, 31, made 209 starts across all competitions in six seasons with the Union. He has been an MLS All-Star in each of the last three seasons and finished second in the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year vote behind Vancouver’s Tristan Blackmon.

    Union’s Jakob Glesnes defends Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi during a game earlier this season.

    Johnson, 17, logged two goals and an assist in 12 games this season with MLS Next Pro’s Union II. He also played alongside Union teammate Cavan Sullivan for the U.S. under-17 men’s national team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.

    The Union have been active in the transfer market since they were knocked out of the playoffs by New York City FC in the Eastern Conference semifinals. With sporting director Ernst Tanner still on administrative leave while he’s investigated for alleged misconduct by the league, the Union have signed forward Ezekiel Alladoh for a club-record $4.5 million fee. They also are in the process of sending last season’s leading goal scorer, Baribo, to D.C. for $4 million, as reported by The Athletic on Friday.

    MLS knows it needs to loosen its roster rules to get better. But how far is it willing to go?

    The Galaxy finished second-to-last in the Western Conference last season, but are only a season removed from winning the MLS Cup. Glesnes would be a key piece for a team looking to bounce back from a down year. The Union are not scheduled to face the Galaxy in the 2026 regular season.

    The Union will begin their 2026 campaign with a match against Defense Force FC of Trinidad & Tobago in Concacaf Champions Cup play on Feb. 18 in Trinidad, with a return leg set for Feb. 26 in Chester. The club’s MLS season begins on Feb. 21 with a match at D.C. United. It will open its home schedule on March 1 against New York City FC.

  • Philadelphia Orchestra builds up all the color and majesty one could hope for in Handel’s ‘Messiah’

    Philadelphia Orchestra builds up all the color and majesty one could hope for in Handel’s ‘Messiah’

    Making Handel’s Messiah a major occasion — rather than a mere Christmas revisitation — is close to impossible, though not at the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Friday opening of a three-performance Kimmel Center run.

    For years, the orchestra imported one guest conductor after another.

    Now, Messiah is led by artistic director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who began as a choral conductor in Montreal and happens to have the inside track on excellent solo singers, thanks to that little old opera company where he also works 80 miles up the road.

    It was a highly compelling performance that’s likely to gain more strength on Saturday and Sunday.

    Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra during a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Friday.

    Handel’s epic mosaic of 52 arias, recitatives, choruses, and instrumental interludes has changed enormously over the years; shape-shifting from Victorian grandeur to lean, faster performances more in keeping with the 18th century in which this masterpiece was born.

    With the 40-voice Philadelphia Symphonic Choir rather than the cast-of-hundreds Mormon Tabernacle Choir (which recorded the piece with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1958), Messiah is now relieved of extraneous sound, and reveals more of its once well-hidden essence.

    Nonetheless, well-matched soloists — vocally and stylistically — are too much to hope for in this busy season, though enjoying their differences among them was definitely possible.

    Jakub Józef Orliński (left), countertenor, and Lucy Crowe (right), soprano, sing with the Philadelphia Orchestra during a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Friday.

    Tone, agility, diction, and meaningful vocal ornaments were all of a piece with the much-honored British soprano Lucy Crowe, the most seasoned Handelian among them, which was also evident in the way she made upward vocal leaps (normally just a technical feat) charged with emotion.

    The least likely Messiah soloist was also one of the biggest names, baritone Quinn Kelsey, whose every Verdi and Puccini role at the Metropolitan Opera is full of new dimensions. Yet Handel’s vastly different skill requirements were also reasonably well in hand. His distinctive theatrical alchemy came alive in recitatives, and ultimately, in his final aria “The Trumpet Shall Sound” (the trumpet itself being capably played by Travis Peterson). Intricate vocal writing once prompted slowed-down tempos to ease vocal discomfort — which is now heard as a sign of defeat.

    Quinn Kelsey, baritone, sings with the Philadelphia Orchestra during a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Friday.

    Instead, Kelsey lightened his voice and maintained both the tempo and the integrity of the music.

    Similar moments were heard from the popular Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński, who has plenty of Messiah mileage though his voice is evolving toward a deeper, richer sound ― heard especially in “He Was Despised” ― suggesting his future lies in less athletic repertoire. He also has a way of swaying to the music. Whether it’s calculated stagecraft or the inspiration of the moment, his already-strong stage presence doesn’t need it.

    Frédéric Antoun, tenor, sings with the Philadelphia Orchestra during a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Friday.

    Tenor Frédéric Antoun seemed a bit Messiah-weary (it’s a busy season) suggesting that his pitch will be steadier and vocal ornaments more spontaneous in future, more rested performances.

    Choral sections — the most beloved parts of Messiah — are often sung for their considerable effect but were treated to detailed coloring of the words, underscored by sympathetic treatment of the accompanying instrumental writing. This element, not often heard in quickly assembled Messiahs, played a major part in giving this performance an air of occasion.

    As is sometimes the case in Nézet-Séguin choral outings, his use of light, shade, quietude and force can be puzzling. At such points, the myriad inflections can seem fussy, or more about creating an overall musical contour than making a rhetorical statement.

    The Philadelphia Symphonic Choir sings with the Philadelphia Orchestra during a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Friday.

    At times, it all becomes clear in the long term.

    Example: The “Hallelujah” chorus was more meaningful than bombastic, perhaps to keep the following music from seeming anticlimactic. Then, the final “Amen” chorus at the end of the piece felt suitably conclusive with all of the color and majesty one could hope for.

    The fact that the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir (Joe Miller, director) was able to execute many minute details — plus projecting superb vocal blends that concluded several choruses — shows how the group has emerged into a first-class ensemble.

    A concertgoer holds a program before the start of the performance of Handel’s “Messiah” by the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Friday.

    Word to the wise: Even longtime Kimmel Center goers are advised to leave extra time to navigate Philadelphia’s holiday traffic and sometimes-delayed public transportation. I emerged from the City Hall subway stop in such a state of lateness that I attempted to hijack an Uber discharging passengers at the Ritz-Carlton. It didn’t work.

    Other latecomers and I got to Marian Anderson Hall on foot just as concertmaster David Kim arrived onstage. Whew.

    Subsequent performances of Handel’s “Messiah” are Dec. 13, 8 p.m., and Dec. 14, 2 p.m., Marian Anderson Hall, 300 S. Broad St., Philadelphia. Tickets: $29-240. philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org