DEAR ABBY: My best friend of more than 10 years, “Ian,” ghosted me! We used to talk about everything — wives, children, jobs. We spent hours together and helped each other sort out our problems. He knew more about me than my wife. With no explanation, he stopped responding to texts and messages and is ignoring my calls. I have come to terms with this and deleted him from my social media and social circles. It’s been two years now.
The problem is my wife. Everyone else in my family has removed him from their social circles. However, my wife maintains contact with him. As far as I knew, they were only acquaintances. Yet now they comment on each other’s posts and play online games together. When Ian ghosted me, my wife asked if she should stop playing online with him. I replied, “You’re a big girl. I can’t tell you what to do. But I hope you’ll make the smart choice.” Well, she DIDN’T make the smart choice, or the loyal one.
Recently, one of Ian’s daughters got married, and that’s when I found out Ian and my wife were doing more than just gaming — they were still communicating online. My wife didn’t respond when I asked her why she was still in touch with him. I’m not sure what my next steps should be. I can’t believe my partner would choose to remain in contact with someone who hurt me so badly. I’m also concerned about what Ian might say to my wife, because we used to talk about marital issues we had with our wives. Help!
— UNEASY IN CANADA
DEAR UNEASY: When you expressed to your wife that she was a big girl and you didn’t care if she maintained a relationship with Ian, she regarded it as permission. Did you TELL her how deeply you were hurt when Ian ghosted you? If you haven’t, it’s time you did. I can’t predict how she will react, but if she cares about your feelings, she may stop playing games with your former friend. (I can’t help wondering if she knows why Ian cut ties with you so abruptly. Have you asked her?)
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: A year ago, I became seriously ill. I spent a long time in the hospital and 20 days in rehab learning how to walk again. My daughter told me I should stay in a nursing home and give up on walking. When I refused, she stormed out and hasn’t spoken to me since. I’m back on my feet now, back at work full-time, walking with a cane. I can’t quite bring myself to forgive her for that, because I needed her so badly. How do I resolve this?
— DISAPPOINTED MOM IN TENNESSEE
DEAR MOM: Why do I have the feeling that there are facts you may have omitted from your letter? Surely, this didn’t happen out of the blue. Your daughter’s reaction to the fact that you want to live independently is bizarre, unless she was afraid she might have to take care of you. It appears you raised a daughter who is lacking in character and compassion. Resolve this by walking your own path (literally) and deriving support from people who are capable of caring about you.
Displaying elite speed and quickness, Maxey is the type of player league executives drool over in today’s NBA.
He puts pressure on the defense and gets in the paint whenever he wants. And on Thursday, the 6-foot-2 point guard blocked De’Anthony Melton’s layup attempt at the buzzer to enable the Sixers (12-9) to escape with a one-point victory.
“He had a clean layup, man,” Edgecombe said of Melton. “[Tyrese] probably ran a 4.2 [second 40-yard dash] or something, and ran him down. So credit Tyrese, and he blocked it, by the way, he blocked it.
“So he’s probably the best shot-blocking guard under 6-4.”
Said Maxey: “I just ran back and wanted to make a play and help us win that game. VJ scored it, so I just tried to get back and make a play on the ball.”
That came after Edgecombe grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on a putback with 0.9 seconds left after Melton blocked Maxey’s shot.
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 35 points.
Though his shot was blocked, Maxey will be great at making contested shots in the postseason if the Sixers get there.
That’s when opposing teams will have the Sixers thoroughly scouted and know precisely what they’re going to run. But when you desperately need someone to produce in late shot-clock situations, Maxey is capable of stepping up.
Against the Warriors (11-12), Maxey finished with a game-high 35 points while making 4 of 10 three-pointers. He also finished with three rebounds, two assists, and the block in 39 minutes, 40 seconds.
He ranks second in the league with nine games of at least 35 points, trailing the Lakers’ Luka Dončić, who has 10 such games.
Maxey is also third in the league in scoring (32.6 points per game), trailing the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32.8) and Dončić (35.3).
“Fun to watch,” Embiid said of Maxey. “I was just telling him, and I told him the last couple of years when I was on that scoring run, ‘When you get in that moment, it just feels like the game slows down. It just becomes easy.’
“That’s what it is right now every single time he steps on the floor. … He’s in such a good rhythm making shots, getting to his spots, not rushing. I think that’s the biggest key.”
Embiid must improve
If Embiid doesn’t get better, this whole thing is going down.
That’s not a knock on Maxey or Paul George. Maxey has established himself as an All-NBA caliber player and hasn’t yet reached his ceiling. But right now, he’s not the most essential piece to an NBA championship puzzle. It has to be Embiid’s team. If it’s not, they’re in trouble.
Embiid finished with 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting — including missing all six of his three-pointers. He also had six rebounds, three assists, three turnovers, and one block in 25:13 minutes. He looked fatigued during a poor performance.
Sixers center Joel Embiid finished with 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting against Golden State.
The Sixers kept saying Embiid would get healthier. But it became apparent at the start of the season that the Sixers would be a team incapable of making a deep postseason run without him rolling to the basket. Yet, we’re in December, and the 7-2, 280-pounder is still positioned outside the three-point line.
Could that be a sign that his knees aren’t getting better?
If his knees don’t improve, it’s hard to imagine the Sixers advancing beyond the first round of the postseason.
A blown lead
The Sixers had a 24-point lead with 8:06 left in the third quarter. At that time, it appeared that coach Nick Nurse would rest his starters in the fourth quarter ahead of Friday’s road game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
But the Warriors chipped away at the Sixers’ lead before taking a 93-92 advantage on Gui Santos’ basket with 2:39 to play. With the Sixers down 98-97 with 40.9 seconds left, Adem Bona missed a pair of foul shots.
They were fortunate to have Edgecombe step up down the stretch, followed by Maxey blocking Melton’s shot.
Edgecombe finished with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists, and a game-high three steals. In addition to scoring the game-winning basket, the third pick in June’s draft tallied two of his steals in the fourth quarter.
Edgecombe’s final steal came on Pat Spencer’s pass with 8.2 seconds left to set up the Sixers’ final possession.
“He just does a lot of things that, like, we know he can score, we know he can pass, but he does things that don’t show up in a box score all the time,” Maxey said. “He goes out there and plays hard. He’ll get the extra rebound. He’ll tip the ball to somebody, or he’ll get the deflection.
“We appreciate him because he does those things. And we know who he is as a person and as a basketball player. So he’s going to keep doing that and keep working on those things, and we appreciate him.”
Former Sixer Buddy Hield (left) and VJ Edgecombe meet after the game. Both players were born in the Bahamas.
Sixers West
Melton, who scored 14 points Thursday in his season debut, is one of five Warriors who have played for the Sixers during their career.
Melton played in Philly from 2022-24. He initially signed with Golden State on July 8, 2024, following his tenure with the Sixers. The shooting guard suffered a season-ending partially torn ACL in his left knee on Nov. 12, 2024. After having surgery on Dec. 4, 2024, Melton was traded to the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 15. But he re-signed with the Warriors on Oct. 1.
Jimmy Butler (2018-19), Al Horford (2019-20), Seth Curry (2020-21 and until the trade deadline of 2021-22), and Buddy Hield (after the trade deadline of 2023-24) also played for the Sixers.
Melton appeared in six games — two starts — with the Warriors last season, averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 steals in 20.2 minutes before suffering his injury against the Dallas Mavericks.
“I’m just happy to see him out there, dude,” Maxey said of his close friend. “He was at my house two or three hours yesterday, just chopping it up, talking about life. I’m happy to see him out there. He’s smiling.
“I told him I’ll give him one jump shot, because he was struggling early. I gave him one middy in the third. But I’m just happy he was out there. It was good to see him. I told him he can’t guard me. So it’s all good.”
Butler had the best Sixers stint among the group. He averaged 18.2 points, 4.0 assists, and 1.8 steals in 55 games in Philly. The 2018-19 team, which featured Butler, Tobias Harris, Embiid, JJ Redick, and Ben Simmons in the starting lineup, was the best Sixers team since the start of The Process.
Butler, a six-time All-Star, missed Thursday’s game with left knee soreness after exiting Tuesday’s game against the Thunder.
Maxey scored 35 points but missed a jumper with the Sixers trailing by one. Edgecombe tipped it in, but the Warriors quickly fired an inbounds pass to De’Anthony Melton, who had broke downcourt. Maxey got back to block the shot off the backboard just before time expired.
Joel Embiid had 12 points in his return to the 76ers lineup.
Pat Spencer scored 16 points for the Warriors, who erased a 24-point deficit despite playing with their two leading scorers, Stephen Curry (left quad contusion) and Jimmy Butler (left knee soreness), then losing Draymond Green to an injured right foot late in the second quarter.
Sixers’ Joel Embiid (left), Tyrese Maxey and Adem Bona celebrate after they beat the Warriors by one.
Maxey’s three-pointer made it 67-43 with 8 minutes, 6 seconds left in the third quarter. But the Warriors used a 15-0 run early in the fourth quarter to get back in the contest, then had a late lead before Edgecome stole an inbounds pass with 8.2 seconds to play.
Paul George (left knee injury recovery) was out for the Sixers, who play the second game of a back-to-back on Friday night in Milwaukee (8 p.m., NBCSP).
Curry didn’t even make the trip to Philadelphia, missing his third in a row and seventh game this season. Butler couldn’t play after getting injured in the Warriors’ 124-112 home loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Golden State did get some good news on the injury front with the return of Melton, who had 14 points in his season debut while coming back from a torn ACL.
The mayor of Lumberton Township, who was charged earlier this year with driving under the influence, has been indicted on charges of failing to protect her then-2-year-old son who was in the car at the time of the incident, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said Thursday.
Gina LaPlaca, 46, was charged by a grand jury with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and fourth-degree child abuse, Bradshaw said. LaPlaca is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.
After her March arrest, LaPlaca was censured by the township’s committee for alleged ethical violations, one of the committee members said, including allegedly driving under the influence, asking for Lumberton’s police chief while she was being arrested, and endangering her child.
Philadelphia’s principals are getting raises and, for the first time, paid parental leave.
Members of CASA — the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators, Teamsters Local 502 — overwhelmingly approved the new four-year deal on Wednesday night, and the school board sealed the deal at its meeting Thursday night.
Nearly 1,000 district principals, assistant principals, climate managers, and other administrators will get 3% raises every year, plus a $1,500 bonus this year and a $1,500 bonus in 2029.
They’ll also get five weeks’ paid parental leave, a new benefit also achieved by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers earlier this year, and more: a take-home vehicle stipend and incentives for principals who work at hard-to-staff schools.
“We didn’t get everything we wanted, but we are leaving feeling heard, and we are leaving with a what we believe to be a fair contract, and it was never our goal to try to break the bank or not be fiscally responsible,” Cooper said.
Cooper had concerns going into the contract about little differentiation in the salary scale between new administrators and veteran ones. Adjustments to the salary schedule will help, she said.
Principals at the top of the pay scale now make $167,608 annually; at the end of the contract, they will be paid $187,720. The union’s lowest-paid workers, school safety supervisors, now start at $40,256 annually. In 2029, a brand-new school safety supervisor will make $45,087 per year.
School board members and district administrators were full of praise for Cooper and CASA.
“You and your team are always strong advocates for all of your members and deeply committed to improving the lives of students, families, and employees,” chief financial officer Mike Herbstman said. “We appreciate all that you and all of the CASA administrators do.”
In November, U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg (R., Mich.) said that the House Education and Workforce Committee — which he chairs — would probe “disturbing reports of Jewish students being harassed and subjected to open antisemitism in their classrooms and hallways” in three school systems: Berkeley Unified in California, Fairfax County in Virginia, and Philadelphia.
Ridgeway, who testified Thursday night, is suing the school district over alleged civil rights violations. She was suspended and ultimately disciplined after allegations of antisemitism and violations of the district’s social media policy surfaced, but is now back teaching at a district school.
“All I’ve ever wanted was to protect students in the ways that I wasn’t protected from the racism and discrimination that permeates the SDP schools,” she told the board. “While recently the district has addressed antisemitism, it has not addressed racism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian discrimination with the same rigor.”
Ridgeway said the district “is at a crossroads right now, with a national spotlight looming.” She wondered whether it will “capitulate to McCarthyism tactics” or “channel the spirit of Harriet [Tubman] and Martin [Luther King Jr.] … our Black children deserve better. Our Muslim children deserve better. Our Palestinian children deserve better. Will you give it to them or will you disappoint them?”
Alex Volin Avelin, a district educator and member of Jewish Voice for Peace Philadelphia, called the congressional investigation “political theater. It’s government overreach. It is not about protecting students. It’s about intimidating and silencing teachers.”
Volin Avelin and Thomas Quinn, another district teacher, urged the district to learn from history. In the 1950s, the House Un-American Activities Committee singled out Philadelphia teachers for alleged communist ties. Twenty-six were ultimately fired.
“Looking back, we can all see the injustice and cowardice in the district’s choice to capitulate,” Volin Avelin said. “I urge the board today to learn from this shameful history and stand up for educators teaching critical content.”
Streater and Andrews stay on in leadership positions
The board, in its final action meeting of the year, also formally reorganized, setting meeting dates for 2026 and naming leaders.
Reginald Streater and Sarah-Ashley Andrews held on to their president and vice-president positions. Every board member supported Andrews’ candidacy; Streater won 8-0, with board member Crystal Cubbage abstaining. She gave no reason for the abstention.
Streater complimented his fellow board members for their work in the past year.
“We have demonstrated that steady leadership, not reactionary swings, produces real results,” Streater said.
The board has an enormous job in front of it in the next year: the facilities master planning process, which will bring school closures that will surely be unpopular.
“The responsibility is not lost on me,” Streater said, “and I gratefully accept.”
The holiday season at City Hall was kicked off Thursday night with a lighting ceremony for what is officially called the “Philly Holiday Tree,” followed by live musical performances by Grammy-winning artists Ashanti and Lalah Hathaway.
The 50-foot-tall, 75-year-old Concolor Fir, sourced from Stutzman Farms in New York, will be displayed on the north side of City Hall through Jan. 1. The tree is bigger and brighter this year, with a reimagined base that serves as a centerpiece and more than 6,000 lights.
Mayor Cherelle Parker smiles alongside Santa during the annual City of Philadelphia Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony at City Hall on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.Attendees wait in line for drinks during the annual City of Philadelphia Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony at City Hall on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.Attendees with Grinch hats gather for the annual City of Philadelphia Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony at City Hall on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.Ashanti performs at the annual City of Philadelphia Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony at City Hall on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.Ashanti performs a medley during the BET Awards on Monday, June 9, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker struck a replica Liberty Bell with a large hammer at 7:05 p.m. to signal the lighting of the tree.
Cassie Donegan, the current Miss America, sang “White Christmas” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” The show was broadcast live on 6abc.
The annual city-run event is part of a wider event schedule to ring in the holiday season in Philadelphia, organized by Welcome America LLC, which also organizes the Wawa Welcome America festival on July 4.
Kelly Oubre Jr. missed his ninth straight game with a sprained lateral collateral ligament in his left knee on Thursday when the 76ers faced the Golden Warriors at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. Before the game, the swingman was transparent when asked how difficult it’s been to watch from the sideline.
”It sucks,” Oubre said. “Listen, man, I’m trying to stay above water, keep my head about it. Trying to fight the depression and all that stuff that comes with not being able to do your job and fulfill your purpose. So it’s a different challenge, and I’m up for the challenge, and I think the reward at the other side will be great just because I’m trying to take it day by day.”
The 6-foot-8, 203-pounder was recently evaluated and is progressing well. He’ll be re-evaluated early next week.
Since his injury, Oubre has been doing upper-body work in the weight room. He has leaned on the Sixers’ medical team to tell him what he can and can’t do during his rehabilitation process.
Oubre said he’s trying not to get too high or too low during what has been a difficult time for him.
“I want to be out there with my guys,” he said. “I want to help each and every one of them just develop. I want to help us win, and being on the sideline, I can’t really do so. I’m taking it day by day and trying to do everything I possibly can to get back.”
Sixers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 12 games.
Oubre suffered the injury late in the second quarter of the Sixers’ 114-105 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 14 at Little Caesars Arena. He remained in the game for the rest of the half, but didn’t play after intermission.
“I just kind of hyperextended my knee,” Oubre said. “I did it in the first game against Boston, as well. But that wasn’t obviously as bad. I did the same thing again. But this time, I just wasn’t so lucky.”
Oubre, in his 11th season, got off to a strong start.
He averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 12 games. Oubre also did a solid job of guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player. His best performance of the season came against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 2.
Sixers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. scored a season-high 29 points to go with three rebounds, one steal, and one block against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 2.
Oubre scored a season-high 29 points to go with three rebounds, one steal, and one block. His 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting set a career high for points scored in the opening frame. He added a second-quarter basket to set a career high for points in a half at 24.
“Getting better each and every day,” Oubre said of his rehabilitation. “It’s a slow process, of course. Just not playing with Mother Nature and just allowing my body to heal and take the time to do the things I need to do in order to strengthen the muscle. So every day is a new challenge. But it’s getting better, and it’s going well.”
When did things start getting better for Matvei Michkov?
“When I start scoring,” he said with a smile through a team translator on Thursday.
“When you score, when you make a play, when you make an assist, that’s when you feel more confident.”
Across the first 19 games of the season, the winger had four goals and nine points, and a plus-minus of minus-4. In the last seven games, he leads the team with seven points (four goals, three assists) and is plus-2.
“A little bit better than the beginning,” Michkov said about his game. “Feels better, feels faster. Every game, [I] have to make a little bit better. It’s not my maximum.”
Five of Michkov’s last seven points have come at even strength. On Wednesday night, he made a slick pass to Owen Tippett for his goal, peering over his shoulder seconds before Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, the son of former Flyers defenseman Kjell Samuelsson, converged on him.
But his power-play points are still finding their way. Last season, when Michkov led all NHL rookies in goals and tied for second in points, eight of his 26 goals and 17 of his 63 points were on the power play.
He’s still learning and adapting to his new position on the power play. On a unit with Trevor Zegras, Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, and Tippett, Michkov’s role is now focused on being a net-front presence and screening the goalie.
“Try to be a universal player, [and] if it will help the team, I’m willing to work on it and get better at it,” said Michkov, who was the one cutting across the crease when Zegras’ pass attempt went off a skate and past Sabres goalie Colten Ellis.
Since Nov. 8, Michkov has also primarily played as a left winger. The shift started amid a three-game goal streak. He says there’s no difference in his game by playing the left side, but coach Rick Tocchet disagrees.
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet and winger Matvei Michkov (left) are working hard to improve their communication.
“I think playing him on the left side has made him go more north,” Tocchet said. “He’s not backward skating as much through the neutral zone. I’m trying to explain to him, the faster he can go north with [the puck] you get more rush plays.
“When you take it back, and you’re opening up, playing backwards, you’ve just got to beat structure again. If we’ve just beat structure, why do we want to go back so we have to beat structure again. … But the more north he can play, the faster he looks, too.”
Michkov tried not to think too much about his early struggles. When you have a heavy head and start overthinking, and therefore not creating or getting points, he hates it.
But a big part of his slow start can be attributed to the fact that he did not train well this offseason and, because of it, as he noted in November, he “lost concentration” at the beginning of the season. Michkov, who turns 21 on Dec. 9, knows he is talented and that he just needs to keep working and building his craft.
“I think I will start training here [in Voorhees]. Maybe will go home for [short time],” he said. “What’s happening right now is I’m not feeling good about it. I’m not happy about my points. I’m sure I can do much better and make a lot more and make better for my team and, of course, score.
“You cannot score in every game, but physically, I need to be ready for it. And in February [during the Olympic break], I need to spend the time to be ready for the rest of the season. If you’re going to have good physical form, everything else will come along.”
“If that’s his choice, we can help him,” Tocchet said when told of Michkov’s summer plans.
“As for his play, I don’t want him to worry about points. He was focused on goals and assists. He’s got to be careful. Those things will come by doing the right things, and I think he’s tried to do the right things. Where to go in certain areas, he’s getting better at definitely.”
Although he may not be ready to be interviewed without Slava Kuznetsov, the Flyers interpreter, Michkov’s English is progressing. It is noticeable that he is understanding and responding more when speaking with teammates and the media.
Matvei Michkov says he plans to train next summer in Voorhees.
And the coach and player are still learning how to work together.
“I think in real time, it’s harder. I can bark at someone, ‘Hey, on a D dive, you’ve got to remember, this is your quad,’” Tocchet said. “With Matvei, you’ve got to take your time, and you’ve got to get a [white]board. Or intermission time, I’ve done it a few times, called him in to show video.”
“I think earlier on, we were giving him so much information, I think we could frustrate him a little bit,” Tocchet added. “I think the last three weeks, we’ve really dialed in how we do it. OK, one coach has him for today. Hey, let’s give him a break today. Let’s not talk even systems; let’s talk to him about something else.
“I think we just, collectively, [figured out] how to manage how we give him information, because he seems to be grasping it more these last three weeks than he did the first three weeks.”
And it’s showing on the ice.
It also helps that he has his mother, Maria, and his brother, Prokhor, in the area because if he were to be by himself, “I would go nuts,“ he said.
But there is one rule.
“I like to talk about everything,” he said, “but when I’m mad, she knows not to talk about hockey.”
Immigration activists carried a worn wooden lectern to the Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, demanding that Sheriff Rochelle Bilal step up and explain why she allows ICE agents in the courthouse.
She didn’t appear, and after a few minutes lead protest speaker Aniqa Raihan stepped away from the microphone, highlighting the sheriff’s absence by leaving the podium empty, save for the recorded chirps of crickets.
The quiet didn’t last.
As Raihan resumed speaking, she was quickly interrupted by counterdemonstrators, supporters of the sheriff who said No ICE Philly had unfairly maligned her. Her supporters said the sheriff could bar ICE from the courthouse only upon a judge’s order ― initiating a testy debate.
“It’s the judges that have to actually give the order,” said Andy Pierre, CEO of Fox & Lion Communication, who said he helped run the sheriff’s campaign for office. ”Her coming down here, and taking time away from managing her office, to come down here for this show …”
Other Bilal backers, at least one wearing a campaign shirt, also accused the immigration advocates of targeting the wrong person, holding up signs that said, “Hands off Sheriff Bilal!”
Aniqa Raihan, an organizers with No ICE Philly, speaks at a protest Thursday at the Criminal Justice Center.
The No ICE Philly demonstrators responded that the sheriff is in charge of courthouse security. And that she does not report to Philadelphia judges.
No ICE Philly has castigated Bilal, saying that by not barring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the property — as judges and lawmakers in some other jurisdictions have done — she has helped enable the arrest of at least 90 immigrants who were trailed from the courthouse and arrested on the sidewalk outside.
Three more people were arrested this week, activists said.
“Sheriff Bilal, we are watching,” Raihan said.
Conflicting views at Philly courthouse
In response to a request for comment ahead of the protest, the sheriff’s office said in a statement that Bilal had already made her position clear:
“The Sheriff’s Office does not cooperate with ICE, does not assist in ICE operations, and does not share information with ICE. That policy has not changed and will not change.”
The statement reiterated that deputies are prohibited from assisting ICE in courthouse arrests. The department’s priority is the safety of immigrants, residents, observers, and everyone entering the court system, it said.
Meanwhile, the statement said, the office would continue to protect the public, enforce its policies, and ensure that “no one is targeted or harmed because of their immigration status.”
Protesters say that is exactly what has been happening, that the sheriff has allowed ICE to turn the Criminal Justice Center into “a hunting ground.”
The issue has spurred contention between activists and lawyers who say the courthouse must be a place to seek and render justice ― not to target immigrants ― and federal authorities who insist that making arrests there is legal, safe, and logical.
No ICE Philly says agents have been allowed to essentially hang out at the Center City courthouse, waiting in the lobby or scouring the hallways, then making arrests outside, a pattern they say has been repeated dozens of times since President Donald Trump took office in January.
Asked for comment, an ICE spokesperson in Philadelphia said: “ICE respects the rights of individuals to peacefully protest.”
Contention over courthouses
Activists noted that many people who go to the courthouse are not criminal defendants ― they are witnesses, crime victims, family members, and others who are already in diversionary programs.
Other jurisdictions have acted to bar or restrict ICE activity at their courthouses.
In Connecticut last month, state lawmakers passed a bill to bar most civil immigration arrests at courthouses. In Chicago, the top Cook County judge barred ICE from arresting people at courthouses. And in New York, a federal judge dismissed a Trump administration challenge to a law that barred the immigration arrests of people going into and out of courthouses.
Nearly 11 months into Trump‘s second presidency, courthouses have become disputed territory as his administration pursues ever-more-aggressive arrest and deportation policies.
Under President Joe Biden, ICE agents were allowed to take action at or near a courthouse only if the situation involved a threat to national security, an imminent risk of death or violence, the pursuit of someone who threatened the public safety, or a risk of destruction of evidence.
The only conditions were that agents must have credible information that their target would be present and that the local jurisdiction had not passed laws barring such enforcement.
‘We want to keep our city’
On Thursday, about 60 demonstrators gathered outside the Center City courthouse, where they said Bilal must do more to protect immigrants.
The demand comes as ICE has dramatically expanded its presence and visibility in the Philadelphia region and across the United States. More than 65,000 immigrants are now being held in federal detention, up dramatically since Trump took office.
“We want to keep our city, not a city of fear, but a city of love,” said Elena Emelchin Brunner, immigrant rights organizer with Asian Americans United.
Imam Salaam Muhsin, a community leader, stepped up to speak as No ICE Philly opened the lectern to all. He said the climate around ICE had become “terrorizing” and must be addressed.
“What we’re doing right here, we’re doing it in a kind of ugly way,” he said. “And I say ugly because we haven’t come together. We still are stigmatizing one person, and that’s the sheriff. That’s unfair to her.”
Following consecutive losses, the Eagles will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers on Monday night. The matchup will mark Philadelphia’s fourth nationally broadcast game over its last five. Both teams sit at 8-4.
Although the Eagles defense still ranks in the top 10 in points allowed, Vic Fangio’s unit will be looking to get back on track on Monday Night Football. Two weeks ago, Philadelphia allowed the Cowboys to score 24 unanswered points, en route to the Birds’ biggest blown lead since 1999. And on Black Friday against the Bears, the Eagles allowed 281 rushing yards, the ninth-most total they’ve allowed in team history.
While Los Angeles has won four of its last five games, the win-loss record doesn’t tell the whole story. None of the Chargers’ recent wins have come against teams with winning records, and two of them were against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-10) and Tennessee Titans (1-11). Additionally, quarterback Justin Herbert recently underwent surgery for a hand injury he suffered during last week’s game, though he is likely to suit up on Monday.
Here’s a look at the updated player props and game lines for the Eagles’ Week 14 matchup against the Chargers …
Eagles vs. Chargers odds
The Eagles opened as 3-point favorites, and the lines have only slightly shifted since, even with encouraging news regarding Herbert’s injury status and with Jalen Carter missing Monday’s game for Philly.
Jalen Hurts has thrown for 519 combined yards over his last two games, but the Eagles have lost both.
Passing yard props
Jalen Hurts has thrown for 230 and 289 yards, respectively, in the Eagles’ last two games but did not reach 200 in the three games prior. Season-long, Hurts ranks 16th in the NFL in passing yards per game (209.5 yards).
Herbert ranks eighth in passing yards. The former Pro-Bowler managed just 151 passing yards last week, in a game where Los Angeles’s ground attack led the way. And against Jacksonville a week earlier, Herbert threw for a career-low 81 passing yards, with none in the second half. Since Herbert’s status has not been confirmed for Monday, DraftKings has not posted odds for the sixth-year quarterback.
Hurts and Herbert have both thrown for three touchdowns in their teams’ last three games, with two of the scores occurring last week. Season long, Hurts has thrown for 19 touchdowns, while Herbert has thrown for 21.
Running back Saquon Barkley hasn’t found the end zone since the Eagles’ Oct. 26 win over the Giants.
Rushing yards
Saquon Barkley has reached 70 rushing yards in just one of his last four games and is at just under 62 rushing yards per game this season, less than half the 125 yards the Penn State alum averaged last season. While his stats have declined, Barkley has continued to get the lion’s share of Eagles rushing attempts. The three-time Pro-Bowler has 198 carries; next up is Tank Bigsby with only 18. Barkley was notably the only back to receive carries against Chicago last week.
Los Angeles’s running back situation is a bit more of a mystery. The Chargers’ primary running back, Omarion Hampton, has been sidelined since Week 5. Kimani Vidal has filled in as the team’s main back and registered his third 100-yard game of the season last week. But Hampton has a chance to return off injured reserve this week, muddying the waters for active prop bettors.
As a result, FanDuel has not yet opened markets for rushing props, while DraftKings has only opened ones for Barkley and Hurts.
A.J. Brown has come alive over the past two weeks. The 28-year-old receiver is averaging 121 yards and has caught three touchdowns in that span. DeVonta Smith averaged just under 70 yards per game against Dallas and Chicago across 11 combined receptions.
The Chargers’ passing game has been more spread out. Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, Oronde Gadsden II, and Quentin Johnston have all recorded between 500 and 700 receiving yards this season. However, Los Angeles’s aerial offense has been extremely quiet the past two games, with only 278 total passing yards.
Due to Hampton’s unknown status for Monday, FanDuel has yet to post receiving props.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has three touchdowns in the last two games.
Touchdown scorers
Across the last three games, the Eagles have had two touchdown scorers: Hurts and Brown. All of Philadelphia’s other offensive weapons have not seen the end zone in nearly a month. Smith last scored against the Packers on Nov. 10, while Barkley and Goedert last saw the end zone on October 26th.
The Chargers, meanwhile, had four touchdown scorers in their last game alone. Herbert found both McConkey and Johnston in the end zone Sunday, while Vidal and Jaret Patterson both had rushing scores. If Hampton is to return on Monday, both other running backs’ opportunities would likely decline. Hampton scored in two of his five games this season.
