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  • Trump’s Reflecting Pool debacle mirrors what’s ailing America

    Trump’s Reflecting Pool debacle mirrors what’s ailing America

    WASHINGTON — I arrived in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday and headed straight to the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall to see for myself what it looked like.

    At first glance, it appeared as if sand had been tossed into the newly renovated water basin located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. But my eyes were mistaken. “The sand” was actually the underlying surface showing through as the coating at the bottom started peeling off.

    Peeling is seen in the blue coating on the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Wednesday, June 24.

    As I bent down to get a closer look, I made a point to keep my hands close to my body. I knew better than to touch so much as a drop of that water, since people have allegedly been arrested for vandalism after touching the floating detritus.

    President Donald Trump blames “radical lunatics” for defacing his latest renovation project. “This isn’t random mischief — it’s targeted sabotage by anti-American crackpots who despise a strong, proud, and beautiful country. They cannot build; they can only destroy. They cannot celebrate our heritage; they can only deface it,” reads a statement released by the White House.

    I walked around the pool’s entire perimeter. I didn’t notice any stench, not even a whiff. But the reports are true, and Trump’s $14 million no-bid boondoggle to renovate the Reflecting Pool in advance of the nation’s 250th anniversary has faced one stumbling block after another.

    Depending on the angle of the sun and where you’re standing, the combination of the newly added dark paint that’s already chipping away and the algae blooms gives the illusion that the pool is a beautiful aquamarine color. I didn’t expect that.

    But it’s not what the president ordered.

    Nor is it what the American people want or need right now. We want the war with Iran to be over, but Trump is more concerned with putting a Mar-a-Lago-esque stamp on the nation’s capital. He has barely acknowledged that Americans are most concerned about how to pay for gas, food, and healthcare insurance premiums.

    The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was fine the way it was. Trump should have followed President Joe Biden’s lead and just left it alone. Same thing with the White House East Wing that Trump ordered torn down for a $600 million ballroom project. Same thing with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts before Trump made himself chair and slapped his name on the living memorial built to honor the late President John F. Kennedy.

    Trump’s gonna trump, though.

    Back in April, he announced plans to install an industrial-grade surface on the Reflecting Pool. He originally wanted it to be turquoise, but took the contractor’s advice and went with a darker color that he calls “American Flag Blue.” In typical Trump fashion, he claimed it would only take a week to rehab and cost about $1.5 million, only for the project to take months to complete and the cost to balloon to $14 million.

    Workers refilled the pool on June 9. The water quickly turned green, which the U.S. Department of the Interior blamed on “residual algae from the supply lines.” It has since been treated with hydrogen peroxide and ozone nanobubbles. And the blue material coating the bottom has started coming off.

    The century-old Reflecting Pool has had issues for years. But it’s still a beautiful thing to behold.

    Civil rights activists famously flanked it while listening to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. Same thing when Marian Anderson performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, after the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to let the African American contralto sing in their concert hall because of her race.

    Under Trump, the Reflecting Pool has become a Rorschach test of where we are right now as a nation. Some only see its beauty, while for others, the bumbling rehab symbolizes yet another Trump failure.

    “I came to see for myself. I wanted to see what all the hoopla was about,” said Cedric Jackson, an Atlanta resident whom I spotted taking photos. “It’s not as green as I thought it was going to be. So they’ve obviously been doing some kind of work.”

    But then he added, “I think this is probably something that could have been avoided.”

    I couldn’t agree more. Like so much damage and harm the Trump administration has inflicted during this second term, it didn’t have to be this way.

  • Flyers draft grades roundup: Philly’s haul doesn’t get anything higher than a C+ from national experts

    Flyers draft grades roundup: Philly’s haul doesn’t get anything higher than a C+ from national experts

    The Flyers selected six players during the 2026 NHL draft, — three defensemen, two goaltenders, and one forward.

    After trading down from No. 21 to No. 27, the Flyers selected Maksim Sokolovskii, a 6-foot-7, 240-pound defenseman from the Ontario Hockey League, with their first-round pick.

    The 17-year-old is not expected to play anytime soon in the NHL — he’s returning to the London Knights for the 2026-27 season before playing for the University of Maine the following year.

    In the second round, the Flyers selected Western Hockey League defenseman Brek Liske with the 53rd overall pick. The team also added goalies Martin Psohlavec (62nd overall pick) and Marek Sklenička (120th overall pick).

    At first glance, the Flyers’ 2026 draft feels underwhelming. Only time will tell.

    And with their last two picks in the draft, the team selected Minnesota high school standout Kent Sauer (136th overall pick), a 6-foot-3, 202-pound center, and 17-year-old defenseman Max Laatikainen (213th overall pick), the youngest player in this year’s draft class.

    Here’s how experts are grading the Flyers’ 2026 NHL draft class …

    Flyers general manager Daniel Brière meets with the media after picking defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii with the 27th overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft.

    Inquirer: B

    We start with our own Flyers writer Jackie Spiegel, who gave the team the highest grade among the outlets listed, although her grade was reflective of only the team’s first-round pick and not the team’s draft as a whole.

    “Sokolovskii, who was born in Kazakhstan and grew up in Russia, brings meanness and physicality, and considers himself a shut-down defenseman who likes to hit,” Spiegel wrote. “Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek called him the hardest hitter in the draft class. Some have even compared his physicality and nastiness to that of fellow 6-7 blueliner Nikita Zadorov of the Boston Bruins.

    “There’s definitely some boom-or-bust volatility with Sokolovskii, but the Flyers hope they have added a massive defenseman who plays playoff-style hockey, can kill plays defensively, and strike fear into opponents with his physicality.”

    Maksim Sokolovskii, right, stands with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, left, after being drafted by the Flyers with the 27th pick in the draft.

    ESPN: C+

    ESPN made its grades based on “what the teams did with their selections, how they maneuvered the draft board and how much value they gained or left on the board where they picked.”

    The Flyers were among six teams to get a C+, ranking alongside the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, and Washington Capitals.

    “Kudos to the Flyers for trading back, understanding they could be patient and accumulate pick value,” Rachel Kryshak wrote. “They left some value on the board in favor of drafting for organizational fit, but got decent value with the Brek Liske pick. Max Laatikainen is an excellent bet in the seventh round as the youngest player in the draft and a prospect with potential.

    “At the end of the day, you need to draft high-end talent to compete. The Flyers passing on upside for players who fit the style their coach wants to play is risky business and certainly costs them some grading points.”

    The outlet gave the San Jose Sharks the best grade (an A++), saying they had one of the best first rounds in draft history.

    Brek Liske (42) was the Flyers’ second-round choice.

    The Athletic: C

    The Athletic handed out Cs to 14 different teams, including the Flyers.

    “The Flyers went with big, toolsy defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii at 27, who moves incredibly well for his size and plays very hard, although he has no offence,” Corey Pronman wrote. “Defenseman Brek Liske and goalie Martin Psohlavec have chances to play in the NHL. I would guess one regular comes from this class for Philadelphia.”

    The lowest grade handed out was a C-, and only five teams received a grade lower than the Flyers: the Vegas Golden Knights, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Capitals, the Oilers, and the Dallas Stars. The Toronto Maple Leafs topped the list with the only A+ grading.

    Draft pick Brek Liske grew up a Flyers fan thanks to his dad: ‘I think he’s a little bit more in awe than I am right now.’

    Bleacher Report: C

    Bleacher Report gave the Flyers a C for the team’s selection in the 2026 NHL draft grades.

    “Maksim Sokolovskii (27th overall) is a 6′7″ defenseman who moves well. The appeal should already be obvious,” Adam Herman wrote. “And he does play as big as he appears. He’s probably the most physical defenseman in the draft. He knocks players over with the ease of a house of cards, and he has the mobility to do it consistently. If he makes it, and that seems fairly likely, there will be few players in the NHL like him.

    “I just don’t see too much upside. He isn’t very good with the puck, and while his skating is good for his size, it’s not an active plus. I think the best-case scenario is a No. 4 defenseman who can’t be used in any offensive situations. The Flyers need upside, and Sokolovskii doesn’t provide it. I would have liked this a lot better if it had been 37th overall.”

    The Lightning received the worst grade of the draft, getting the only D ranking. Meanwhile, the Sharks received the only A+ grade from the outlet.

    Maksim Sokolovskii (No. 17) tied forward Brooks Rogowski for the tallest players measured at this year’s combine.

    Yahoo! Sports: C

    Yahoo! Sports also gave the Flyers a C, saying that Sokolovskii may not have neither been the best available player at the time nor the best organizational fit.

    “Standing at 6-foot-8, weighing 240 pounds, Sokolovskii has drawn comparisons to Nikita Zadorov as a physical, shutdown, defensive defenseman,” Eric Cruikshank wrote. “There’s definitely value in that, but with little upside, it would be a much more justifiable selection in the second round rather than the first. Adding a two-way blueliner in Brek Liske and one of the top goaltending prospects in Martin Psohlavec helps elevate their class, but it was certainly a rough start.”

    The Sharks, Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Canucks top the list with an A+ grade.

    Sporting News: C-

    The Sporting News gave the Flyers the lowest grade on the list when it came to the team’s first-round pick.

    “Maksim Sokolovskii is a giant, standing 6-foot-7. He’s a shut-down defender who understands how to use his size to separate his opponents from the puck,” Julian Gaudio wrote. “It does fill a need for the Philadelphia Flyers, as they need size on their blueline, but Sokolovskii is a project and is like five years away from becoming an NHL player.”

    The Maple Leafs, Sharks, and Seattle Kraken top the Sporting News’ list with an A+ grade.

  • U.S. and Iran pause strikes but disagree over next steps on talks

    U.S. and Iran pause strikes but disagree over next steps on talks

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States and Iran on Monday separately announced they will send delegations to Qatar this week, though Tehran insisted it has not agreed to meet with the U.S. “at any level” after attacks across the Persian Gulf over the weekend challenged negotiations to end the war.

    U.S. President Donald Trump said the Islamic Republic had requested a meeting with U.S. counterparts and that they planned to convene Tuesday in Doha, Qatar.

    But one of Iran’s senior negotiators denied talks had been scheduled. And the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran was sending its delegation to Qatar, a key mediator in the negotiations, to discuss terms of the interim deal without involving the U.S.

    The U.S. president has tried to preserve a fragile interim deal, but hostilities mounted in recent days in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil had been shipped before war began. After four days of trading strikes, both sides appeared to pause their attacks Monday.

    The U.S. and Iran agreed to an interim deal earlier this month that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium. It also waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country, opens the Strait of Hormuz, and gives each side 60 days to hammer out broader agreements.

    Confusion mounts over next round of Iran-U.S. talks

    After Trump said Monday morning on social media that the U.S. and Iran planned to meet, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News’ Fox & Friends that special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, were flying to Qatar.

    Pakistan, also a key mediator, had said talks between Iran and the U.S. would resume Tuesday.

    But Kazem Gharibabadi, a senior negotiator for Iran, said in comments published by Iranian state media that no talks had been confirmed. And Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said that its delegation was traveling to Qatar this week to discuss the planned release of frozen Iranian assets and other issues related to the deal.

    “There are no negotiation meetings with the U.S. side at any level scheduled in the coming days,” Baghaei said. “The fact that U.S. representatives are traveling to Qatar has no connection with the visit of the Iranian delegation.”

    Increased tension in waterway

    During the war that began Feb. 28, Iran’s attacks and threats stopped cargo ships and tankers from moving through the Strait of Hormuz, creating a global energy crisis.

    In recent days, Iran has twice attacked vessels in the strait — including a tanker filled with Qatari crude — following efforts to open Oman’s territorial waters to both inbound and outbound traffic from the Persian Gulf.

    The attacks drew retaliatory American airstrikes and raised concerns that negotiations to reach a formal end to the war could be disrupted. Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday.

    The strait has long been considered an international waterway despite its location in Iran and Oman’s territorial waters.

    The Trump administration was operating Monday on the understanding that the U.S. and Iran are standing down after the recent back-and-forth strikes and that vessels can move freely through the Strait of Hormuz, said a U.S. official who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations.

    Iran’s president, U.S. official say $6 billion coming to Iran

    The U.S. official also said that Qatar planned to release $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets that would be used to purchase U.S. food products for the Iranian people.

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had announced the expected release of funds earlier Monday in comments published by the state-run IRNA news agency. He called it “a great victory for the Iranian people.”

    Pezeshkian, a reformist within Iran’s theocracy, is the highest-ranking official within Iran to reference the release of the funds held by Qatar, a key mediator along with Pakistan in the negotiations.

    Oman, Iran discuss possible fees for transiting the strait

    Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, said Monday that Oman and Iran are considering charging service-related fees for commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

    Albusaidi said services could include water safety measures, pollution prevention, navigational assistance, and preparedness for incidents such as fires. He told Radio Monte Carlo while visiting France that there are “successful examples” of similar services being provided in compliance with maritime law.

    Albusaidi said Oman does not support imposing transit fees on ships.

    “This is internationally forbidden,” he said, “and we are abiding by these rules.”

    Iran, France clash over clearing mines from strait

    An Iranian official warned France against “provocations” Monday after French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X that France and others were coordinating efforts to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz.

    Kazem Gharibabadi, an Iranian deputy foreign minister, said on X that under the interim deal “demining is carried out solely by Iran and by no other country.”

    Macron’s post came after he greeted Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman ahead of high-level diplomatic talks in Paris.

    Oman and France called for “free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz, in a joint statement issued Monday after the Paris meeting. Both parties said they “agreed to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to support freedom of navigation going forward and conduct joint demining operations.”

    Lebanon’s president says it will deploy troops

    Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday that Lebanon is determined to deploy troops along its entire southern border as part of a framework agreement with Israel signed Friday. He made the remark while meeting with Adm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East.

    The deal was rejected by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, which triggered the latest war with Israel on March 2 when it fired rockets across Lebanon’s southern border and into northern Israel.

    The Israel-Lebanon deal calls for Hezbollah to be disarmed before Israel will withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon. Israel agreed to withdraw initially from a couple of “pilot zones” where the Lebanese army would then deploy, but no details have been shared about how that will work in practice.

    Hezbollah officials have warned that attempts to implement the plan could lead to civil war.

  • Uber driver pleads no contest in the rape of a Villanova student inside her dorm room

    Uber driver pleads no contest in the rape of a Villanova student inside her dorm room

    An Uber driver pleaded no contest Monday in the rape of a Villanova University student inside her dorm room in 2024.

    Mirvan Dinler, 27, was set to begin his trial before Delaware County Court Judge Mary Alice Brennan when he instead entered the no-contest plea to rape of an unconscious victim. Prosecutors said Dinler attacked the woman after driving her home from a bar in North Philadelphia and walking her to her dorm room as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

    Semen found on a comforter and towel inside the dorm room were found to be a match to Dinler’s DNA, according to Assistant District Attorney Danielle Gallaher. And surveillance footage taken from cameras outside of the dorm building showed Dinler escorting her inside, arm-in-arm, because she was too intoxicated to walk on her own, the prosecutor said.

    In agreeing to plead no-contest, Dinler did not admit guilt but did not dispute the prosecution’s statement of the facts in the case.

    Gallaher said she would seek a prison term of three to six years at sentencing in October.

    Dinler’s attorney, Shaka Johnson, did not return a request for comment Monday. Previously, Johnson said there were “glaring, glaring cracks” in the woman’s account of what happened that night.

    The woman, who was a senior at Villanova at the time, testified at a preliminary hearing that she woke up, drunk and disoriented, as Dinler raped her in September 2024. She said she was too terrified to fight back or call out for help.

    Earlier that evening, she said, she had been drinking with friends on campus before the group headed to Warehouse on Watts, a bar in North Philadelphia.

    The woman said she did not drink regularly, but on that night had three glasses of wine and two shots of liquor. After arriving at the bar in the city, she said she felt dizzy and ill, and decided to return home.

    “I knew I wasn’t feeling good, and I didn’t want my friends to have to babysit me,” she said.

    The woman ordered an Uber, and Dinler arrived in his Toyota Prius to pick her up, she said.

    Her memory was spotty, she said, until waking up to find that Dinler was raping her.

    After the assault, she said, Dinler returned to the dorm and loudly banged on her door, demanding that she pay a cleaning fee because she had vomited in his car during the ride.

    Gallaher, the prosecutor, said there was evidence that Dinler, using the victim’s phone with her permission, sent a $150 payment to a friend of his through Venmo. That person then transferred the money to Dinler’s bank account.

  • Venezuelans search more earthquake ruins as aftershock rattles rescuers in disaster zone

    Venezuelans search more earthquake ruins as aftershock rattles rescuers in disaster zone

    LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — With the window for finding survivors shrinking fast, Venezuelans combed Monday through more ruins of buildings toppled by last week’s powerful back-to-back earthquakes, and a 4.6 magnitude aftershock rumbled through the disaster zone in the northern state of La Guaira.

    Relief organizations say the first 72 hours after a natural disaster is the most crucial time period for rescues, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water. Five days after the twin quakes struck northern Venezuela, attention turned to the humanitarian crisis that was taking shape in devastated regions.

    The death toll stood at more than 1,700 people, according to the government.

    Major questions loomed about whether the cash-strapped government under acting President Delcy Rodríguez — who came to power in January after the Trump administration seized former President Nicolás Maduro — will be able to coordinate the effort needed to care for thousands of people who have been left homeless.

    Facing criticism that authorities have done too little, too slowly, the government has promoted its rescue efforts on social and state-run media. On Monday, it shared footage of Rodríguez inspecting a school-turned-shelter for displaced people in the hard-hit northern town of Catia La Mar and of survivors being lifted out of the ruins to applause.

    But such bright spots are rare at the quake’s epicenter, where families keep vigil at search sites.

    “We have to stay strong, even without food, without sleep,” said Ana Rada, watching as civil defense workers looked for her brother. “Until I see the body, I still have hope.”

    Aftershock rattles rescuers

    Following a weekend of smaller aftershocks, Monday’s temblor struck near the epicenter of last week’s quakes — 17 miles north of Caraballeda on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast — and measured 4.6 magnitude, according to the United States Geological Survey. Colombia’s geological survey put the magnitude at 5.1.

    Jorge Rodríguez, the leader of the Venezuelan National Assembly, said there were no immediate reports of additional damage, but the aftershock sent residents in the capital of Caracas screaming into the streets.

    “Here we are again, back in the street. I don’t know when we’ll have a moment of true peace,” said Concepción Hernández, 51, who evacuated her apartment building in the Chacao municipality of Caracas.

    The Caracas Metro said it would temporarily suspend service Monday to inspect infrastructure following the aftershock.

    Questions over extent of U.S. help

    The disaster has raised expectations for the Trump administration, considering its takeover of Venezuela’s oil industry earlier this year.

    In a briefing with reporters, a senior State Department official said 300 first responders sent from the U.S. are working on the ground — alongside dozens of other international rescue teams — and two dozen C-17 military transport planes arrive every day with supplies. Financial support from the U.S. now exceeds $300 million.

    The American military is also assisting with some repairs, including damage to the port in La Guaira to enable the arrival of more relief supplies by sea. Another team is helping to manage air traffic after the quakes destroyed part of the control tower at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

    It seemed unlikely, however, that the Trump administration would grant temporary legal protections to Venezuelans as previous administrations have done for people from disaster-stricken countries already in the U.S. Such action was taken after earthquakes in 2010 in Haiti and 2001 in El Salvador.

    Venezuelans have been a major focus of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, with officials revoking temporary legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans and stepping up deportation flights.

    Rescuers included a miner deported from the U.S.

    Among the rescuers digging through the rubble Monday in La Guaira was miner Jean Sosa, who said he was deported from the U.S. in January over a missed immigration court hearing and returned to Caracas last month, dazed by an odyssey that he said began in shackles at an Arizona immigration detention center. The journey involved traveling by bus through five countries after immigration agents left him in southern Mexico without his passport, phone, or wallet.

    Since arriving Wednesday in La Guaira to visit family and friends, Sosa has raced to pull people from the rubble in the absence of national rescue teams.

    “I’m not involved in politics, but I believe many people could have been saved if there had been equipment and support from top authorities from the very beginning,” he told the Associated Press, wearing a helmet and a black T-shirt splotched with dust in the port city where he said he had already rescued 20 people alive.

    Those rescues heartened him, he said, and gave him hope for more despite the lack of supplies. “We’re working without gloves, without equipment, borrowing supplies, improvising bandages and whatever else we can.”

    Government, U.N. offer vastly different numbers of people affected

    The full scale of the damage remained unclear. Jorge Rodríguez, who is the brother of the acting president, said that as of Monday, a total of 15,866 people had been affected, while the number of damaged or collapsed buildings had reached 855.

    A preliminary assessment by NASA estimated that the earthquake damaged or destroyed 58,870 buildings. The assessment relied on radar imagery from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellites, which can detect changes to infrastructure.

    The United Nations has said that up to 6.8 million of Venezuela’s nearly 30 million residents may be affected, which could mean being displaced or losing access to essential services such as electricity and water.

    Because of the chaos and poor cell phone service, many Venezuelans have turned to non-governmental digital databases to report their loved ones as missing. More than 50,000 people were reported missing on one such database, though it is unclear how many have been found.

  • Three men have been shot near Hunting Park Rec Center over the last month in what appear to be linked crimes, officials say

    Three men have been shot near Hunting Park Rec Center over the last month in what appear to be linked crimes, officials say

    Philadelphia police are investigating whether three men shot near the Hunting Park Recreation Center in the last month — two of them fatally and just six days apart — were targeted by the same gunman, according to law enforcement sources.

    The two men killed this month were found partially undressed and shot in the torso inside the large North Philadelphia park, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. A third man was shot in late May and survived.

    Police believe the same person was involved in both killings, the sources said, and are looking into whether the men had met the suspect through a dating app.

    Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said investigators have identified a person of interest interest in the case, a man in his late teens or early 20s, after capturing his image on surveillance footage as he entered and exited a Broad Street Line station.

    The man — whom investigators did not identify — is considered armed and dangerous, Vanore said at a news conference Monday.

    Philadelphia police said this man is a person of interest in the shooting deaths of two men near the Hunting Park Recreation Center in separate incidents within the last 10 days.

    “All three incidents are perpetrated very similarly, in the same geographic area,” he said. “We’re believing now that they’re all connected and being done by the same person.”

    On June 20, officers responded to the park, at 1101 W. Hunting Park Ave., shortly after 10 p.m. and found Martin Higgins, 45, on the bleachers of the baseball field, suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso. He died at the scene, police said.

    Then, on June 26, police responded and found another man just before 11 p.m. suffering from multiple gunshot wounds near the basketball courts. Police have not yet identified the man but said he was 29-years-old.

    Police now believe a third shooting last month is linked to the gunman.

    In that May 29 incident, a 55-year-old man was shot in the elbow and torso in the park just before 10 p.m. The victim later told investigators that a man wearing all black who appeared to be in his 20s approached and told him that he was being robbed, according to Vanore.

    Vanore said investigators had yet to determine a motive tying the cases together, though they believe robbery is the motivation behind the shooting that was not fatal.

    Asked whether the victims had met the suspect on a dating app — a detail law enforcement sources said they are investigating — Vanore declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

    “If that is [part of the case], that’s something we’ll have to develop moving forward,” he said. “But at this point we know that this individual appears to be preying on people.”

    Higgins’ relatives could not be immediately reached for comment Monday. An obituary shared online said he was a graduate of Temple University’s business school and worked as an inspector for the city’s Community Life Improvement Program.

    “Marty was known for his passion for clothing, style, and self-expression,” the obituary said. He had a “kind heart, generous spirit, and unwavering support for those he loved” and “was the person who showed up when someone needed him, always making time for family and friends no matter what was going on in his own life,” his family wrote.

    He was one of six children and was an uncle to many nieces and nephews.

    Meanwhile, as investigators continue to search for the gunman, they are asking anyone with information about the crimes to contact the homicide unit at 215-686-3334 or submitting an anonymous tip at 215-686-TIPS (8477).

  • Sixers pick up team options for Dominick Barlow and Dalen Terry; Trendon Watford’s option declined

    Sixers pick up team options for Dominick Barlow and Dalen Terry; Trendon Watford’s option declined

    The 76ers have picked up the team options in the contracts of Dominick Barlow ($3.4 million) and Dalen Terry ($2.6 million) for the 2026-27 season, the team announced Monday evening.

    Also, the team has declined the 2026-27 option for Trendon Watford ($2.8 million), making him an unrestricted free agent when the negotiation period opens Tuesday evening.

    Barlow was one of the Sixers’ biggest success stories last season. The 23-year-old initially joined the team on a two-way contract, then ascended to a starting forward spot and had his deal converted to a standard contract in February. He averaged 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 71 games, and excelled at important complementary traits such as offensive rebounding and cutting while playing off star center Joel Embiid.

    Ben Simmons eyes NBA comeback and contemplates a return to the Sixers: ‘Maybe I’ll go back to Philly’

    Terry, whose salary is nonguaranteed until Jan. 10, was a late addition to the Sixers’ roster last season, averaging 4.1 points and 1.6 assists in 14 games. The fourth-year guard initially signed a two-way contract in February, then was converted to a standard deal in April when Cameron Payne was released after sustaining a hamstring injury.

    Watford, a versatile forward who recorded a triple-double last season, averaged 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 53 games. Injuries, though, impacted his ability to stick in the Sixers’ rotation. Watford is a close friend of Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers’ All-NBA guard and franchise cornerstone.

    These are the next roster-building steps in Mike Gansey’s first offseason as new president of basketball operations.

    The Sixers drafted Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. 22nd overall last week. Next, they enter free agency with positional and skill set deficiencies to address yet have limited financial flexibility. Embiid, Paul George and Maxey all remain on max contracts for multiple seasons, and the first two players are considered difficult to trade because of their age and recent health issues.

    The Sixers finished last season seventh in the Eastern Conference (45-37), then upset the Boston Celtics in the playoffs’ first round before being swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks.

  • 2026 men’s college basketball transfer portal tracker: Latest Big 5 moves, where Philly-area recruits are heading

    2026 men’s college basketball transfer portal tracker: Latest Big 5 moves, where Philly-area recruits are heading

    The college basketball season is officially over, which means it’s time for the transactional period to begin. Welcome to the 2026 transfer portal.

    More than 1,500 men’s basketball players were in the portal in the first 24 hours after it officially opened on April 7. The portal is open for two weeks, but players do not need to make their commitment to a new school during that window. The next few weeks will be filled with salary negotiations during the yearly NCAA free agency process.

    We’ll be tracking it all here, from players moving in and out of — or around — the Big 5 to keeping tabs on Philly-area players at other schools. We’ll also take a look at where some of the top local high school recruits from the Class of 2026 will be playing in the fall.

    Big 5 portal entries

    Here are the players who were at Big 5 schools during the 2025-26 season but have entered the transfer portal.

    Villanova

    • Acaden Lewis (point guard) started for the Wildcats during his freshman year and averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 3 rebounds. (Transferring to Miami.)
    • Bryce Lindsay (guard) was a redshirt sophomore and Villanova’s best scorer during its nonconference schedule. (Transferring to Indiana.)
    • Malachi Palmer (forward) was a solid contributor off the bench who started down the stretch after Matt Hodge went down. But Villanova recruited multiple forwards out of the portal. (Transferring to Minnesota.)
    • Chris Jeffrey (guard), a freshman backup point guard who missed time after knee surgery but had promising moments.
    • Braden Pierce (center), a redshirt freshman reserve who followed coach Kevin Willard from Maryland, played 6.5 minutes per game and averaged 1.2 points. (Transferring to College of Charleston.)
    • Zion Stanford (forward/West Catholic graduate) transferred to Villanova from Temple, left the team in March after playing in 10 games. (Transferring to Towson.)
    • Tafara Gapare (forward), a senior, left the program at midseason after playing in just nine games.
    Villanova will have two starters back, but other needs have emerged after multiple portal entries

    Temple

    • Aiden Tobiason (guard) averaged 15.3 points, second on the team, and led the Owls with 39 steals. He’ll have two years of eligibility left. (Transferring to Syracuse.)
    • Babatunde Durodola (forward), a sophomore, started as a freshman and was a key rotational player this season. (Transferring to Ball State.)
    • Jamai Felt (forward) started in 23 games and averaged 4.1 rebounds. (Transferring to Arkansas-Little Rock.)
    • AJ Smith (guard) averaged 7.8 points in eight games and had his season cut short by a shoulder injury.
    • Spencer Mahoney (forward) made 13 appearances as a redshirt sophomore. (Transferring to Denver.)
    • Ayuba Bryant Jr. (forward) appeared in 27 games, averaging 8.1 minutes.
    • Connor Gal (guard/Great Valley High graduate) played 12 minutes across five games and will have one year of eligibility left.
    Dasear Haskins was a key starter for the Hawks this season.

    St. Joseph’s

    • Deuce Jones (guard/La Salle), who led the Hawks in scoring during the first two months of the season, was dismissed from the team in December. (Transferring to Alabama-Birmingham.)
    • Dasear Haskins (guard/Camden High graduate) averaged 11.1 points and started for the Hawks as a redshirt sophomore. (Transferring to Ole Miss.)
    • Anthony Finkley (forward/Roman Catholic graduate), a junior, averaged 19 minutes in 35 games. (Transferring to La Salle.)
    • Kevin Kearney (forward) appeared in 14 games as a redshirt freshman. (Transferring to Manhattan.)
    • Jaden Smith (center) averaged 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.1 minutes after transferring from Fordham. (Transferring to Ball State.)
    • Steven Solano (center), a redshirt freshman, played in eight games. (Transferring to Delaware.)
    • Al Amadou (center/Springside Chestnut Hill Academy graduate) transferred from Marquette and appeared in 11 games. (Transferring to Wisconsin-Milwaukee.)

    Penn

    • Ethan Roberts (forward) has one year of eligibility remaining — the Ivy League prohibits graduate students from playing intercollegiate athletics — and was the Quakers’ leading scorer (16.9 points per game). (Transferring to Notre Dame.)
    • Cam Thrower (guard), a senior who spent four years at Penn, averaged 17 minutes in 27 games. (Transferring to Elon.)
    • Dylan Williams (guard) played in seven of Penn’s first 10 games before the senior missed the rest of the season with an injury. (Transferring to Northwestern)
    • Michelangelo Oberti (center) appeared in 12 games. (Transferring to Boston University)
    • Alex Massung (guard), who averaged 5.6 minutes in 10 games played. (Transferring to Saint Anselm.)
    • Bradyn Foster (forward) saw action in Penn’s season opener.

    Drexel

    • Shane Blakeney (guard) was Drexel’s leading scorer, averaging 14.2 points in 33 games as a junior. (Transferring to South Carolina.)
    • Kevon Vanderhorst (guard) averaged 9.3 points and 2.9 assists while starting all 33 games for the Dragons. (Transferring to Iona.)
    • Villiam Garcia Adsten (guard), a junior, averaged 17.5 minutes in 32 games. (Transferring to Maine.)
    • Horace Simmons Jr. (forward/La Salle College High School graduate) appeared in 13 games.

    La Salle

    • Ashton Walker (guard) started 21 games and averaged 8.2 points as a freshman. (Transferring to Monmouth.)
    • Eric Acker (guard), a junior, appeared in 26 games, starting 10, and averaged 18.9 minutes. (Transferring to Northern Kentucky.)
    • Nas Hart (forward) played in 20 games as a freshman. (Transferring to Quinnipiac.)
    • Edwin Daniel (forward) played 31 games (14.5 minutes) and averaged nearly four points and 3.5 rebounds. (Transferring to Stephen F. Austin.)
    Villanova coach Kevin Willard directs his team against Butler on Feb. 25.

    Big 5 portal additions

    These are the players who are transferring to Big 5 schools.

    Drexel

    • Panagiotis Pagonis (forward/New Orleans)
    • LaDricus Pittman (guard/LeMoyne-Owen College)
    • Adrian Petkovic (guard/Germany)

    La Salle

    • Trey Moss (guard/George Washington)
    • Vice Zanki (forward/Niagara)
    • Anthony Finkley (forward/St. Joe’s)
    • Jamison Lynam (guard/Arcadia)
    • Kam Burton (guard/Stephen F. Austin)
    • Devin Booker (guard/George Mason/Cristo Rey HS)
    • Eunique Rink (forward/Hampton)

    Penn

    • Sir Mohammed (guard/Notre Dame)

    St. Joe’s

    • Gavin Marrs (center/Oregon State)
    • Logan Carey (guard/Maine)
    • Don Flamer (forward/Elizabeth City State – Division II)
    • Sean Logan (center/Davidson)

    Temple

    • Dez White (guard/Oregon State)
    • Dallis Dillard (guard/Indiana University of Pennsylvania)
    • Baboucarr Njie (forward/UTSA)
    • Cam Scott (guard/South Carolina)
    • Jason Drake (guard/Indiana)
    • Jordan Marsh (guard/USC)
    • Sir Isaac Herron (forward/Louisiana Tech)

    Villanova

    Local portal entries

    In addition to the local players in the Big 5 mentioned above, here are some notable players from the Philly area who are on the move:

    • Kevair Kennedy, Merrimack to Wake Forest (guard/Father Judge)
    • Jalil Bethea, Alabama to Pittsburgh (guard/Archbishop Wood)
    • DJ Wagner, Arkansas to Maryland (guard/Camden)
    • Justin Moore, Loyola-Chicago to Hofstra (guard/Drexel, Archbishop Wood)
    • Budd Clark, Seton Hall to Ole Miss (guard/West Catholic)

    Where local 2026 recruits are going to college

    Here’s a look at where some of the area’s top boys’ basketball players are heading off to play in the fall.

    • Sammy Jackson, Virginia Commonwealth (small forward/Roman Catholic)
    • Ethan Johnston, Marquette (shooting guard/Hill School)
    • Xavier Blake, Hofstra (shooting guard/Phelps School)
    • Derrick Morton-Rivera, Temple (shooting guard/Father Judge)
    • Mani Sajid, Towson (shooting guard/Plymouth Whitemarsh)
    • Darnell Lloyd, Boston University (center/Perkiomen School)
    • RJ Smith, La Salle (guard/Roman Catholic)
    • Michael Pereira, Penn (center/Plymouth Whitemarsh)

    2026 recruits headed to Big 5 schools

    Villanova

    Penn

    • Isaiah Carroll (small forward/Blair Academy of Warren County)
    • Ethan Lin (point guard/Montgomery High of Somerset County)
    • Michael Pereira (center/Plymouth Whitemarsh)
    • Chase Geremia (guard/Newman School)
    • Finley Billy (forward/Bullis School)
    • Johnny Keenan (guard/St. Thomas More)

    Temple

    La Salle

    • RJ Smith (guard/Roman Catholic)
    • Breylon Webb (guard/Western Reserve Academy)

    Drexel

    • BJ Brown (guard/Sumter)
    • Tre Paulding (forward/Lee’s Summit North)

    St. Joe’s

    • BJ Ranson (guard/Mount St. Joseph)
    • Keoni Sacco (forward/Fork Union Military Academy)
  • An explosion leveled a home in Bucks County, drawing a multi-agency response

    An explosion leveled a home in Bucks County, drawing a multi-agency response

    Local police and fire responded to a house explosion in Sellersville, Bucks County, on Monday that left the property in ruins and white debris scattered in a broad blast radius.

    Hilltown Police Department, which serves Sellersville, said the reports of the explosion on Highview Road came in sometime around 9 a.m.

    Hilltown Police Chief Christopher Engelhart told Fox29 that a contractor was on site at the time of the explosion and was taken to an area hospital for treatment. His injuries and condition, however, were not immediately clear, though Engelhart said the worker was expected to survive.

    The blast resulted in a flood of support from neighboring fire and police departments.

    Silverdale Volunteer Fire Company, Sellersville Fire Department, Hilltown Police, Hilltown Township Volunteer Fire Company, Souderton Fire Company, and Telford Fire Company were among the crews on site.

    The source of the blast is under investigation.

    Properties on Highview Road are spaced out with lots of green space between, and aerial footage from local television stations shows the debris was largely contained within the home’s property line.

    The three-bedroom “contemporary designer farmhouse” sits on a three-acre lot, according to a previous real estate listing. The home garnered media coverage from publications such as Elle Decor and Philadelphia magazine in 2022 after interior designer Ghislaine Viñas listed the renovated property for sale.

  • Supreme Court rules states can count late-arriving mailed ballots, rejecting Trump-led challenge

    Supreme Court rules states can count late-arriving mailed ballots, rejecting Trump-led challenge

    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day, a persistent target of President Donald Trump.

    The decision rejected a Republican-led attack on laws in more than half the states and the District of Columbia that permit mailed ballots to arrive and be counted some number of days after the election, provided they are postmarked by Election Day. The outcome spares officials the headache of changing their ballot rules just a few months before the 2026 midterm congressional elections.

    In just over half those states, the more forgiving deadlines apply only to ballots cast by military and overseas voters.

    The legal challenge was part of Trump’s broader attack on most mail balloting, which he has said breeds fraud despite strong evidence to the contrary and years of experience in numerous states. Trump has repeatedly claimed that his loss to Joe Biden in 2020 resulted from fraud even though more than 60 court decisions and his own attorney general said that argument had no merit.

    The court heard arguments in March in a case from Mississippi pitting the state against Trump’s Republican administration and the Republican and Libertarian parties. At issue was whether federal law sets a single Election Day that requires ballots to be both cast by voters and received by state officials.

    The federal appeals court in New Orleans struck down a Mississippi law allowing ballots to be counted if they arrive within five business days of the election and are postmarked by Election Day.