Nikka Landau and Peter Beaugard‘s townhome in the Graduate Hospital area serves three generations.
They moved there to be closer to both sets of parents, and their kids like the accessibility of the YMCA across the street, and its pool.
“It’s a great block,” Landau said, “lots of kids.”
Kitchen
Landau, who manages communications for a nonprofit, and Beaugard, who is in fashion marketing, aren’t moving far away, just a few houses closer to her parents. Both grew up in the Philadelphia area, and had been living in Connecticut for several years before moving to Graduate Hospital in 2022.
The 1,830-square-foot, three-bedroom, 2½-bathroom house was built in 1920, and at some point was bought by two architects who redesigned it over a period of years.
“There was a lot of sensitivity to the design,” Beaugard said.
Backyard
Entry is through a vestibule, which has space for coats and bags. The first floor is open concept, with a sunken living room with high ceilings and large south-facing windows with built-in shelving.
The kitchen has quartz countertops, stone flooring, stainless steel appliances, a Wolf range, and a magnetic blackened steel wall. There is a private garden patio.
The second floor has two bedrooms, a full bath with cast iron tub, and a den. The third floor has the primary suite, and the bathroom has a marble-top vanity and a tiled shower.
Roof deck
The roof deck has unobstructed skyline views.
The house is in the Edwin M. Stanton School catchment area.
It is listed by Kyle Miller of Compass Realty for $795,000.
Steve Hirst relies on virtual visits with his urologist, whose office is an hour away from his Broomall home, to stay on top of his treatment plan and renew medications.
But earlier this month Hirst, 70, got a notice from his doctor’s office informing him that it could no longer schedule telemedicine visits for patients like him who have Medicare because of new federal policy changes.
Medicare began covering telemedicine services during the COVID-19 pandemic and has maintained the popular offering through temporary waivers approved by Congress since. But the most recent of those waivers expired at the end of September when Congress failed to reach a budget deal and the government shut down.
The change specifically affects traditional Medicare, which is administered by the government for people 65 and older and some with disabilities. People with Medicare Advantage plans, which are administered by private insurers, should check with their plan.
Some of the Philadelphia area’s leading health systems, including Temple Health and Penn Medicine, have said they are continuing to provide telehealth services to people with Medicare and temporarily suspending billing for those services, with hope that coverage will be reinstated when a budget deal is eventually reached.
But smaller provider practices may not have the luxury of delaying payment for thousands of dollars in services for an indefinite period of time.
With the government shutdown in its third week, Republicans and Democrats seem no closer to reaching a deal. The next vote is scheduled for Monday evening, though no deal is expected.
Another health policy issue — tax credits for people who buy insurance through Affordable Care Act marketplaces, including Pennie in Pennsylvania — has been a major sticking point in the ongoing federal budget debate. Democrats want the enhanced subsidies extended permanently as part of the budget deal, and Republicans have refused, arguing that lawmakers could address the issue separately, before the subsidies expire at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the waiver’s expiration has left Hirst and others who are covered by Medicare unsure how they will access needed health services.
Telehealth rose in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were urged to avoid hospitals unless they were having an emergency and when most routine procedures were canceled.
The approach was especially helpful to older adults and people with disabilities, who needed to stay in contact with doctors for ongoing treatment and who were considered particularly vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19.
After the pandemic ended, many private insurers, Medicaid, and Medicare permanently adopted telehealth coverage for certain services, such as mental health, because of its popularity during the pandemic.
Medicare has used temporary waivers to continue telehealth coverage for other types of doctors’ visits.
Beyond patient popularity, research has found that telehealth visits can be as effective as in-person visits for certain types of care, such as palliative care for cancer patients, while improving access to patients with transportation challenges.
Philadelphia health systems respond
Philadelphia’s largest health systems said they are optimistic that coverage will be reinstated — either by a new temporary waiver or a permanent change — when Congress reaches a new budget agreement and the shutdown ends.
Temple Health will continue to provide telehealth services to Medicare patients for the next three weeks, in anticipation of Congress reaching a deal.
Penn Medicine has not billed Medicare patients for telehealth visits since the shutdown began and has paused its process for filing claims until the government reopens, a spokesperson said.
“Congress has been vocal in its support of telehealth and its value, and we are hopeful that legislation will be passed to ensure permanent Medicare telehealth coverage and flexibilities once the government reopens,” Penn said in a statement.
Main Line Health has been reaching out to affected patients to help them change previously scheduled virtual visits into in-person appointments or reschedule virtual visits that can be put off.
Jefferson Health did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
Patients in limbo
Hirst drives into Philadelphia to see his urologist in person once a year. Every three months, he has a virtual visit to check in and renew prescriptions.
Driving to Philadelphia for every appointment would be inconvenient, but Hirst will probably do it “for now,” he said.
But he worries about older adults and people with disabilities who can’t safely drive to the doctor’s office, and for whom virtual care is a lifeline. They could end up putting themselves or others at risk being on the road when they shouldn’t be. Or they may end up skipping needed care because they don’t have a ride.
Joel Embiid sat in front of reporters at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday night and shared his new definition of success. And for the 76ers star, that thought process isn’t necessarily measured by offensive output.
He preached teamwork after earning seven consecutive All-Star berths, two straight scoring titles, and the 2023 Most Valuable Player award. Yet, in true Embiid fashion, the 31-year-old also acknowledged that he’s aware of some narratives about him, about the belief that he is no longer a dominant force.
“I’m here to help,” Embiid said after he finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and three steals in a 126-110 preseason victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. “According to a lot of your peers [in the media], I’m not even a top-100 basketball player in the league. So I guess I’ve just got to fit in and see where I can help the team win basketball games.
“So, if that’s playing defense and stretching the floor, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Embiid was referring to The Ringer excluding him from its top-100 list that was released Wednesday. While that might be a head-scratching omission, he is perceived differently heading into this season because of a nagging left knee injury that limited him to 19 games last season.
ESPN ranks him 47th in its ranking of the NBA’s top 100 players, which is a significant drop from the previous year’s No. 8 ranking. SI.com ranks him 17th, USA Today 19th, For The Win 21st, Hoopshype 23rd, and Bleacher Report 26th.
The consensus is that when healthy, Embiid is a top-10 player. However, the rankings reflect concerns about his left knee surgery in April, his second in 14 months and third in nine years, and the fact that he was limited to 58 games over the last two seasons.
Sixers center Joel Embiid (left) with guard Tyrese Maxey, appears to be content as a facilitator.
But in September, Embiid said he felt good.
“I think we made a lot of progress over the last couple of months,” he said. “We got a plan in place. Try to check off all the boxes, so just taking it day by day. This is still kind of like a feel period where we’re just taking it day by day.”
That approach is the reason that even with his healthy status, the Sixers have yet to determine Embiid’s availability for the season opener Wednesday against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. It’s also tied to the team’s uncertainty about when Embiid will suit up or rest this season.
“I want to be as honest as possible,” Embiid said. “I think going forward, I’m just going to listen to the body. I’ll be honest and say it’s going to be unpredictable at times, and that’s OK. We’ve got to work with that. We’ve got to take it day by day and go from there. The only thing I’m focused on is that every time we’re on the right path, keep going.
“If there’s something that happens in that time, it’s OK. Just focus on fixing it and keep going. That’s my mentality.”
The goal is to remain healthy for the postseason, where he’ll need to play at a high level for the Sixers to sustain success.
Right now, it’s OK for Embiid to be a pass-first big man anchored at the elbow or on the perimeter. As we saw Friday and in an intrasquad scrimmage on Oct. 12, his presence makes things easier for teammates. He routinely finds them on cuts to the basket and delivers open layup opportunities as they streak up the court.
Embiid also has adapted well to playing power forward in a twin tower lineup with reserve center Adem Bona. The Sixers have high-percentage scoring plays in which Embiid receives the ball at the elbow and dishes to Bona under the basket.
Sixers center Joel Embiid had 14 points, seven rebounds, a game-high eight assists, and three steals in Friday’s exhibition finale against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But as well as Embiid has played, the pace was incredibly different when he wasn’t in the game. The Sixers pushed the ball much harder, and it’s fair to wonder if that’s going to improve while he’s on the floor.
And unlike in seasons past, the standout center rarely rolled to the basket. Will that change over time when he becomes more comfortable? Or is this his new way of playing after the knee surgeries? Time may provide an answer as we watch Embiid play.
But for now, he sounds content with this new role.
“We got a bunch of athletes,” Embiid said. “We’ve got to release them. … They’ve got to run. My job is to find them and, in a way, that also kind of saves me, because if we get early baskets and easy baskets, I won’t have to run up and down. I can just let those guys push the pace, attack. And if we don’t have anything, I’ve always trailed anyway in my career. Then I can come in and get into the offense.”
The 76ers entered last season with a brand new Big Three and big expectations to match. They appeared to be a shoo-in for the postseason and a potential contender in the Eastern Conference. Neither projection came to pass as injuries sat down Joel Embiid and Paul George for much of the year, and left Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes and Co. to gut out most of the season before giving up on the season and resorting to tanking.
That said, this season appears to be much more of a mystery. After down seasons, Embiid and George have both vowed to come back stronger and help the Sixers win. Maxey has another All-Star caliber performance under his belt and Grimes has something to play for after signing his one-year qualifying offer. The Inquirer’s staff took a shot at predicting how this season will turn out for one of the NBA’s most enigmatic franchises.
Consider me somebody who agrees with the league’s general managers, who in their annual NBA.com preseason survey overwhelmingly voted the Sixers as the team whose outlook is toughest to predict in the 2025-26 season. Maybe I’m irrationally optimistic about Joel Embiid’s recent return to the court; it’s almost more important that he fully practiced two days after playing his preseason debut. But I see the Sixers carefully navigating their stars’ health throughout the regular season, executing a high-tempo style that can better survive those absences, and making it out of the play-in tournament. Then, they put a scare into the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks (remember how fun that series was two years ago) or Orlando Magic, before falling in that first-round series. At the very least, the Sixers will be a much more entertaining watch with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and (eventually) Jared McCain in the backcourt. Everybody who slogged through last season’s misery deserves that.
The Sixers’ Paul George, Andre Drummond and Tyrese Maxey watch their team play at the Wells Fargo Center.
Keith Pompey, Sixers beat writer
Record: 44-38
Postseason Performance: First round
No one, not even Sixers coach Nick Nurse or star player Joel Embiid can come close to accurately predicting how this season will go. That’s because there are way too many uncertainties surrounding the health and level of play Embiid and Paul George. But in what is expected to be a wide-open Eastern Conference, the Sixers should have a chance to clinch the sixth seed and avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament.
But clinching a first-round berth might be the ceiling, barring a few miracles. The Sixers just aren’t deep enough to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and Detroit Pistons in a playoff series. And they might have a tough time defeating the Milwaukee Bucks if Giannis Antetokounmpo plays at an MVP level.
Marcus Hayes, Inquirer columnist
Record: 38-44
Postseason performance: Non-participant
Any preseason prediction regarding this 76ers season is a fool’s errand. Joel Embiid is in better shape, but, given his injury history and proclivity, is unlikely to play in even 60 games. Paul George has a bad knee, he’s 35, and he’ll be lucky to play in 40 games. Jared McCain, the only young player with proven NBA upside, has been hurt twice (knee, thumb), and no one know’s when he’ll be back.
Which leaves the team with Tyrese Maxey, rookie project V.J. Edgecombe, and various Kelly Oubre Jr. types. If the stars align, the Sixers will make the playoffs, win a round, maybe even two. If the stars remain crossed, they’ll miss the postseason. Given the 13 years of curses they’ve earned trying to beat the system with The Process, a disaster in both concept and execution, expecting the stars to uncross at this point is as foolhardy as any serious attempt at predicting an outcome of any season.
Last season, basically everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Sixers. This season feels virtually impossible to predict, because the variance in outcomes is so wide. The Sixers could keep Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and VJ Edgecombe mostly healthy this year, and get just enough games from Joel Embiid and Paul George to stay playoff competitive. They could have the disastrous injury luck of the 2024-25 season, and end up back in the lottery. Who knows, maybe they get supremely lucky and almost everyone is available all year? That feels like a bridge too far for the Sixers. But in what looks like it could be a down year for the Eastern Conference, making the Play-In and winning a game feels doable.
It’s been six months since President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on U.S. imports. For local small-business owners, the impact so far depends on what they sell. But they’re all thinking ahead about more adjustments they will have to make.
Trump declared an “Independence Day” on April 2, implementing a minimum 10% tariff on all countries selling products into the U.S., with larger ones on countries including India and China. Since then the president has either threatened or implemented additional tariffs on certain products such as steel and aluminum, sectors such as furniture, and “reciprocal tariffs” on countries to match their tariffs on American imports.
Many economists have warned that these higher costs will drive up inflation, slow our economy, and hurt many small businesses that rely on imported goods.
Fred Woll, president of Philadelphia packaging products supplier F.P. Woll & Co., said he’s seen tariffs from overseas suppliers but “decided to eat a 5% price increase.” He doesn’t think he can do that again.
“We have been in business in the City of Philadelphia since 1907, and gone through many, many challenges over the last 100-plus years,” he said. “This current challenge may end up being existential, and it’s our country doing it to itself.”
George Patti, the owner of Head Start Shoes in Philadelphia, is also feeling pressure.
“Everything is costing me more money and the dollar has dropped in value,” Patti said. “The costs of our merchandise is higher, and we’ve had to raise prices 10% to 15%.”
At Tildie’s Toy Box in East Passyunk and Haddonfield, owner Michelle Gillen-Doobrajh said tariffs have made this year “confusing and difficult” and the added costs will “absolutely” have an impact on how they do business going forward.
Michelle Gillen-Doobrajh (right) talks with 10-year-old customer Harlowe McGrath at Tildie’s Toy Box shop in downtown Haddonfield.
“I am beginning to pass on items where the cost has gone up too much to be realistic for the consumer,” she said. “I fear that product selection will decrease, and many manufacturers will end up going out of business and retailers will follow.”
“We will have to get used to paying more money for less product,” Gillen-Doobrajh added.
Not every company is suffering. The family-run Trappe Tavern in Trappe, Montgomery County, has not seen a significant impact.
“We’ve had some prices creep up,” David Duryea, the restaurant’s owner said. “In general, it hasn’t really had much of an effect at all.”
If the costs of his food and other supplies continue to go up, Duryea said, people will eventually cut back on their spending and that could affect his business.
“If that happens, we’re going to have to raise prices like everyone else,” he said.
Despite new tariffs on steel, Upper Darby-based Delaware Valley Steel has not been significantly impacted, at least for now. That’s because “we don’t import any of our inventory,” said Jerry Sharpe, the company’s CEO.
However, Sharpe warns that whenever tariffs are applied, the domestic steel mills that sell him products see that as an opportunity to raise prices.
“If demand picks up, which I believe it will later this year, we will see increased pricing from the domestic mills,” he said. “We’re also going to be hit with a 20% tariff on an expensive piece of machinery we have ordered.”
Kevin McLaughlin, a partner at business advisory firm Centri Consulting in Philadelphia, said the common theme among his firm’s clients is uncertainty.
“While the full impact of tariffs has not yet sifted through every corner of the economy, growing businesses and businesses with thinner margins and less negotiating power than large corporations are often the first to feel the pressure,” he said.
Ten year-old customer Harlowe McGrath looks through figures — all of them 3D printed in the U.S. — at Tildie’s Toy Box shop in downtown Haddonfield Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. Store owner Michelle Gillen-Doobrajh is one of many Philly-area business owners dealing with tariffs. McGrath, who lives in town, was shopping with her mother, Kimberly McGrath.
How small-business owners are navigating tariff uncertainty
Woll says he’s focusing on cutting his overhead and may lay off employees. Gillen-Doobrajh is changing her product mix by “stocking up where tariffs are low” and foregoing unnecessary items.
“I’m trying to be really smart and frugal with buying overall,” she said. “I am also paying attention to where items are made and holding out hope that these tariffs will dissolve so that our industry can survive.”
Frank Cettina, who runs operations at Computer Components Corp., a precision tools contract manufacturer based in Philadelphia, is passing along any added costs to customers, with transparency. Tariff-related cost increases are noted separately and determined “on a customer-by-customer basis,” he said.
“We are not making blanket cost increases because our intention is to remove them when and if they go away or change,” Cettina said. “We are also offering any alternative sources where we can.”
Patti said he will likely buy less product but will also “buy higher quality just to pick up my margins” and compensate for the loss of volume.
McLaughlin, the consultant, struck a more positive tone. He said clients are “stress-testing” multiple “what-if” scenarios so their businesses can adapt quickly.
“With all the uncertainty, we are consistently encouraged by how resourceful our clients are through this unique time,” he said. “Many are using this moment as an opportunity to strengthen supplier relationships, accelerate efficiency, and polish their value propositions.”
The killing of Kada Scott is tragic on many levels, but hopefully, some lessons can be learned to honor her life.
Scott’s death is all the more painful for her family and friends because it could have been prevented. That’s because it appears District Attorney Larry Krasner and the Philadelphia court system failed her.
The man accused of abducting Scott had been previously charged with assaulting an ex-girlfriend twice in the last year, but prosecutors withdrew the charges after the victim did not show up for court.
After Scott’s disappearance, Krasner’s office admitted its handling of the earlier cases was a mistake. If the district attorney’s office had instead prosecuted Keon King, 21, then perhaps Scott, 23, would still be alive.
“We could’ve done better,” Krasner said at a news conference Monday, echoing earlier comments from Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski, who said last week, “Everyone involved at this point, including the [initial prosecutor], agrees that we wish this happened differently.”
To be sure, hindsight is 20/20. But a review of King’s legal entanglements indicates a series of miscues may have enabled Scott’s death.
The case also offers a window into the challenges of filing domestic abuse charges, and underscores the need for prosecutors to be more aggressive in going after the accused while doing more to ensure the safety of victims.
For starters, King’s initial assault charges last November were handled by an inexperienced assistant district attorney who was juggling multiple cases. During that incident, prosecutors said, King grabbed an ex-girlfriend by the neck and tried to strangle her after she refused to lie on the bed with him, according to the affidavit.
But after initially cooperating with the authorities, King’s accuser stopped responding to calls from prosecutors. After she failed to appear at three court hearings, the district attorney’s office withdrew the case.
In January, King tried to break into the woman’s home, but fled before police arrived, according to an affidavit. He returned later in the day and dragged the woman by her hair, shoved her in a car, and drove away before dropping her off on the side of the road.
This time, the woman and her friend captured video of King trying to get into her home. He was arrested again and charged with kidnapping, strangulation, and other charges.
But once again, the victim and her friend refused to cooperate with prosecutors, so the charges were withdrawn in May.
Kevin Scott, Kada Scott’s father, with a photo of his daughter.
This is not unusual, as victims of domestic violence often live in fear of the perpetrators. Reviewing the period between 2010 and 2020, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that 70% of victims of domestic violence cases failed to appear in Philadelphia’s courts.
A big part of the problem is that the accused are often out on bail and still threatening the victims. In King’s case, after the second set of assault charges, prosecutors requested bail of $1 million, but the magistrate lowered it to $200,000.
King posted the necessary 10% — or $20,000 — and was released in April.
Krasner blamed the magistrate for lowering the bail, but his office could have appealed the ruling.
There is a fine line in detaining suspects accused of crimes for months on end until a trial. But in domestic violence cases, the current system is not working and needs to be revamped.
Prosecutors and judges must do everything possible to guarantee the safety of victims. Victims need more support within the criminal justice system to ensure their safety.
More broadly, additional preventive steps are needed to reduce violence against women, including standing up to rape culture, empowering women, and teaching boys to respect women.
Black women disproportionately experience higher rates of domestic abuse, including rape and homicides, studies show, further underscoring the need for more awareness, training, and preventive measures.
In this instance, given that King had been charged once before, the magistrate and Krasner’s office dropped the ball.
And although the victim refused to testify, the district attorney’s office could have used the video evidence to move forward with King’s prosecution — though not having the witnesses testify certainly would have made for a tougher case.
To his credit, Krasner, a former defense attorney who faces reelection next month and has been criticized for being soft on crime, admitted his office was ultimately to blame.
Sadly, a young, vibrant woman full of promise has died, and another woman was previously assaulted and traumatized. Krasner said the public played an enormous role in Scott’s case, and asked for anyone with information to call 215-686-TIPS.
The only positive outcome will be to ensure justice is served, and a broken legal system in which victims are afraid to testify is fixed, so others do not experience the same horrific outcome.
Donald Trump is executing human beings. By blowing up boats in the Caribbean Sea, he is targeting vessels he deems are “suspected” of carrying contraband, and authorizing the military to blow them up in international waters. Please, let that sink in for a minute. We have the Navy, the Marines, and the Coast Guard patrolling our seas. How about securing our ports and turning the ships away, or confiscating the ships and their contents? Where is the proof of any criminal acts? I can’t believe what I am witnessing. How does this stand?
K. Mayes, Philadelphia
The irony
Not looking good for John Bolton regarding accusations of mishandling classified material. But, oh, the irony! I can’t get the photos out of my mind of boxes full of classified material in the ballroom and bathroom of Mar-a-Lago. I can’t forget the outrage when Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon dropped that case. I can’t forgive the U.S. Supreme Court for giving Donald Trump immunity from any illegal activity as president. Then there is the irony of former Attorney General Merrick Garland delaying any prosecution of Trump to avoid the appearance of weaponization of the Justice Department — only for Trump to take office again and do exactly that. And now, I can’t sleep worrying about the fate of our democracy and our country.
Sylvia Metzler, Philadelphia
Offensive Young Republicans
Nine Young Republican activists in New York, Arizona, Kansas, and Vermont were recently outed for the revelation of eight months of their disgusting, racist, antisemitic, and homophobic texts covering 2,900 pages of material that were obtained by Politico. The texts and the writers were quickly distanced by the Republican establishment, but one has to wonder why these individuals felt perfectly comfortable exchanging such abhorrent views. Are these the views all Young Republicans have when they speak to each other behind closed doors or online? And if these rising stars expressed remorse for their texts, is the remorse only that they were caught and their bigotry was exposed for all the world to see?
Larry Skvir,Delran
Refreshing representation
I was delighted to see diversity on display in the performing and marching units celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Navy and Marine Corps earlier this month. Truly remarkable that citizens of all persuasions and ethnic backgrounds have chosen to serve their country and build such strong fighting forces. This has not happened overnight and has been years in the making. It would be a shame for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s misguided efforts to actually tear things down.
Roger Smith,West Chester
Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Externalize your stress. Write it, speak it, move it out. Don’t let it stay trapped in your muscles and stomach. You don’t prove you care by suffering. You prove it by being loving, which is easier when you’re lighter.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It’s not necessarily pessimistic to see problems that don’t (yet?) exist. This kind of mental exercise can actually be a form of optimism. It’s your belief in solutions that allows you to imagine a full range of future scenarios.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Even as you aim for efficiency, you know that it’s not always the most effective way. People need to feel seen and safe to open up. If you’re not getting an authentic version of them, you probably won’t get the best connection or contribution either.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your natural appeal is working for you now; the more quirks you lean into, the stronger your magnetism. Being appealing doesn’t mean everything works smoothly right away. Your first efforts might stumble or meet resistance. That’s normal. You’re just warming up.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). A performance doesn’t have to be onstage to get applause. The way you present yourself today wins fans. Warmth is your default, just like the sun that is your guiding luminary, and you’ll have orbits today.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). People underestimate the courage it takes to ride the rollercoaster of a creative life. Exciting experiments, connections that spark or disappoint, risks galore — all part of the creative process. You have the stomach for it today.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You will not be fooled by what is technically clever but morally hollow. What erases context, compassion and reality does not erase your awareness. You point to the real problem. Nothing can stop you from seeing it.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You sense the unspoken currents in the room and respond with heart. This gift doesn’t obligate you to carry anyone else’s load, only to witness with compassion, which is often just what is needed to facilitate healing.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Fresh perspective comes with fresh context. Change the scenery, even slightly, and your mind loosens from its old grooves. You’ll see a problem in a whole new light. You may even solve the issue instantly.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Sometimes it’s about getting into the mix and handling things. And sometimes it means staying out of the mix and observing things. Your instinct about which tactic to take is what makes you a stellar leader.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The more time you spend in front of a screen, the more important it becomes to touch what’s real. Paper, stone, leaves, skin — textures recalibrate you in ways no feed or algorithm ever could.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Consider the role of silence. Not absence, but the active nothingness, pure potential, presence without interruption. In a blank space, priorities will get rearranged. Energy will be restored. Questions will be answered. The hush speaks louder than any conversation.
TODAY’SBIRTHDAY (Oct. 21). Welcome to your Year of Delicious Contrasts. You’ll be busy, but sweet pockets of stillness are where you get your most remarkable work done. Personalities you have friction with lead you to award-winning accomplishments. The challenges you endure for love produce astounding beauty. More highlights: a shift in worldview that makes you lighter, cultural events, and being photographed for all the right reasons. Libra and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 9, 24, 38 and 46.
DEAR ABBY: Two years ago, a close friend of my husband’s and mine asked us to be the “best couple” in their wedding. After being postponed for a year due to some family issues, the wedding is coming up soon. My husband and I have been married 25 years. We have a strong, faithful bond.
Last weekend, we were informed that we won’t be paired together. Neither of us is happy with this news. We feel that our friends are not respectful of our relationship. I’m baffled about why the “best couple” wouldn’t be paired together. I’m so upset that I have cried for days. I feel disrespected, betrayed and unvalued.
I don’t want us to be paired with other partners. I told our friends I’m not comfortable with my husband walking with another woman, and me walking with another man, but I was ignored. I no longer want to even go to the wedding. Am I being unreasonable?
— COMMITTED BUT UNHAPPY
DEAR COMMITTED: Please dry your tears. You may have blown this out of proportion. For the last quarter of a century, you and your husband have been known to be a solid couple. I don’t know why the bride and groom are asking you to walk down the aisle separately. It could be something as simple as pairing attendants who are similar heights. Participate in the wedding and support your friends. It is only for one day and, I assume, you will be seated with your husband after the ceremony.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I have read your column for 40 years. Now I have an issue. I have been taking care of my wife’s uncle for the last two years. He had a stroke, and I became a certified nursing assistant. I stay home and take care of him 24/7. My wife does not help. Recently, her sister decided to return to college to finish her RN and moved in with us. She does not help at all.
I decided to go back to school to get my master’s. I work 60 hours a week and also work on my master’s in cybersecurity. I told my wife that if her sister doesn’t move out by the end of the year, I am moving out. We are putting her uncle back in a nursing home. I CANNOT DO IT ANYMORE. In the last two years, I have had only four days off. When I had the flu, no laundry was done.
Am I a bad person for wanting a career? Am I a bad person for wanting a house with just my wife and me?
— EXHAUSTED IN THE EAST
DEAR EXHAUSTED: It was loving and generous of you to enroll in classes to become a CNA so you could give your wife’s uncle the care he needed. That she did nothing to lighten your burden, and then invited her sister to move in without first clearing it with you, was wrong.
Marriage is supposed to be a partnership, and it appears you have been doing all the heavy lifting. You are not a bad person for wanting a career and the financial benefits it will bring, and you should not be made to feel guilty for it.
The Barrymore Awards celebrated the best of Philadelphia’s regional theater Monday night at Temple Performing Arts Center, where Theatre Philadelphia spotlighted about 50 nominated productions from the 2024-25 season. Twenty-one awards were presented to 13 local companies.
The top winners were Old City’s Arden Theatre Company and Olde Kensington’s Pig Iron Theatre Company, which each took home four Barrymores. Center City’s Wilma Theater — the 2024 Regional Theatre Tony Award recipient — and Inis Nua Theatre Company earned three awards apiece for multiple productions.
Dito van Reigersberg (center) performs at the 2025 Barrymore Awards on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.
The Wilma’s production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’The Comeuppance, a spooky-tinged millennial drama directed by Wilma co-artistic director Morgan Green, won three awards: outstanding overall production of a play, outstanding ensemble in a play, and outstanding sound design for Jordan McCree.
“The Comeuppance brings the drama of diverging politics and experiences to a microscopic, interpersonal level,” wrote Krista Mar in her Inquirer review. “No one character is a hero, as each of them wins our empathy, especially when possessed by Death, and then loses it. The play holds a mirror to the audience and makes them confront their own biases, assumptions, and judgment.”
CJ Higgins, Interim Executive Director of Theatre Philadelphia, cohosts the 2025 Barrymore Awards ceremony with Aunyea Lachelle, entertainment and lifestyle anchor for NBC10’s Philly Live at the Temple Performing Arts Center in North Philadelphia on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.
Arden Theatre’s Intimate Apparel, a touching tale from Pulitzer-winning playwright Lynn Nottage about an African American seamstress hoping for romance, won two Barrymores. Amina Robinson earned outstanding direction of a play, and David Pica, who played love interest Mr. Marks, received outstanding supporting performance in a play. Robinson has previously won two Barrymore Awards for directing a musical for The Color Purple at Theater Horizon and Once on This Island at the Arden.
Kishia Nixon, the actor behind interior designer Thalia in R. Eric Thomas’ Glitter in the Glass at Theater Exile, also won for outstanding supporting performance in a play. The Inquirer review called the new work “a nimble, nerdy, and very funny play that tries to answer some very tough questions.”
For outstanding leading performances in a play, both awards went to the stars of InterAct Theatre Company’s Rift, or White Lies. Matteo Scammell and Jered McLenigan played two brothers on opposite sides of the political spectrum and each night they alternated roles. (The Barrymores does not divide acting award categories by gender.)
The cast and crew of the play “The Comeuppance” accept the award for Outstanding Overall Production of a Play at the 2025 Barrymore Awards at the Temple Performing Arts Center in North Philadelphia on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. The Barrymore Awards spotlight the best musicals, plays, actors, directors, and backstage creatives in the Philadelphia region
In musical categories, Pig Iron Theater’s production of Poor Judge, which ran at the Wilma Theater as part of the 2024 Fringe Festival, took home three awards: outstanding overall production of a musical, outstanding media design for Mike Long, and outstanding music direction for Alex Bechtel.
The eccentric show, conceived and led by Philadelphia legend Dito van Reigersberg (aka Martha Graham Cracker), is a trippy journey through alt-rock singer Aimee Mann’s catalog, enhanced by fascinating live video taping.
Everyone in the ensemble for the September 2024 production played Aimee with delightfully weird and unexpectedly profound results. It was such a success that the Wilma is bringing it back for another run in January.
Dito van Reigersberg in the 2024 Fringe Festival’s production of ‘Poor Judge.’
Bechtel also won the award for outstanding original music for People’s Light’s production of Peter Panto: A Musical Panto. It’s the second year in a row that the composer has been recognized for his original music; last year he won for Alice in Wonderland: A Musical Panto.
Peter Panto earned another Barrymore as well: Connor McAndrews, who played Smee, won for outstanding supporting performance in a musical, alongside actor Sevon Askew, who won in the same category for playing Benny in Arden Theatre’s RENT.
Inis Nua’s Drip, a solo comedy that ran at Fergie’s Pub, won two Barrymores recognizing director Kyle Metzger and actor Max Gallagher for outstanding leading performance in a musical. The story follows a teen who desperately wants to build a synchronized swim team but doesn’t actually know how to swim. The Inquirer review said the show was “a small bit of joy that makes a heartfelt statement through its casting and earnestness, reminding us in the final number that whoever we are, we should all ‘make, make, make a splash.’”
The cast and crew of “Gay Mis” accept the award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical at the 2025 Barrymore Awards at the Temple Performing Arts Center in North Philadelphia on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. Danny Wilfred (third from right) won for outstanding leading performance in a musical.
Also winning for leading performance in a musical was Danny Wilfred, who played Parmesan in Gay Mis, a queer parody of Les Misérables from Philly drag queen Eric Jaffe’s Jaffe St. Queer Productions. Gay Mis took home the Barrymore for outstanding ensemble in a musical as well.
The Philadelphia Award for Social Insight, which comes with a $25,000 prize, went to Esperanza Arts Center for Nichos, a world premiere about Mexican history based on interviews with immigrants in Philly and their families.
For a second year in a row, Theatre Philadelphia did not grant its F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Artist, which spotlights up-and-coming Philadelphia actors with a $15,000 cash prize. The organization said it has been unable to grant the award after losing funding.
“The F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Artist was a meaningful part of our celebration of Philly theatre for many years,” said Theatre Philadelphia in a statement. “While the F. Otto Haas Award is no longer being presented, we remain deeply grateful for the years of support that made it possible and continue to honor emerging artists across the region through our ongoing recognition programs.”
Connor McAndrews — Peter Panto: A Musical Panto, People’s Light
Livvie Hirshfield — Legally Blonde, Media Theatre
Cookie Diorio, nominated for ‘Kinky Boots,’ performs at the 2025 Barrymore Awards ceremony at the Temple Performing Arts Center in North Philadelphia on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. The Barrymore Awards spotlight the best musicals, plays, actors, directors, and backstage creatives in the Philadelphia region.
Outstanding Choreography/Movement in a Musical
Todd Underwood — Kiss Me, Kate!, Quintessence Theatre Group
Melanie Cotton — Peter Panto: A Musical Panto, People’s Light
Taylor J. Mitchell — Kinky Boots, New Light Theatre
Christian Ryan — Legally Blonde, Media Theatre
Outstanding Music Direction
Lili St. Queer — Gay Mis, Jaffe St. Queer Productions
Ryan Touhey — Peter Panto: A Musical Panto, People’s Light
Alex Bechtel — Poor Judge, Pig Iron Theatre and Esperanza Arts Center
Justin Yoder — Penelope, Theatre Horizon
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
Poor Judge — Pig Iron Theatre
Gay Mis — Jaffe St. Queer Productions
Night Side Songs — Philadelphia Theatre Co.
Peter Panto: A Musical Panto — People’s Light
Outstanding New Work
Iraisa Ann Reilly — January 6: A Celebration. A Bodega Princess Remembers Tradition, Not Insurrection, Simpatico Theatre 2
Eva Steinmetz & Dito van Reigersberg — Poor Judge, Pig Iron Theatre
Daniel & Patrick Lazour — Night Side Songs, Philadelphia Theatre Co.
Jennifer Childs — Peter Panto: A Musical Panto, People’s Light
Tanaquil Márquez — Nichos, Esperanza Arts Center
Outstanding Outdoor Production
All’s Well — Shakespeare in Clark Park
One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show — Theatre in the X
Julius Caesar — Delaware Shakespeare
As You Like It — Shakespeare in Clark Park
Outstanding Set Design
Chris Haig — The Playboy of the Western World, Inis Nua Theatre
Thom Weaver — August Wilson’s King Hedley II, Arden Theatre
Matt Saunders — Archduke, The Wilma Theater
April Thomson — Hold These Truths, Montgomery Theater
Anna Kiraly — Franklin’s Key, Pig Iron Theatre
Roman Tartarowicz — Tuesdays with Morrie, Delaware Theatre Co.
Jordan McCree — The Half-God of Rainfall, The Wilma Theatre
Jordan McCree — The Comeuppance, The Wilma Theater
Chris Sannino — Franklin’s Key, Pig Iron Theatre
Michael Kiley — A Summer Day, The Wilma Theater
Yaim Chong Chia — Archduke, The Wilma Theater
Connor McAndrews (left) and Jamison Stern (right) in People’s Light Theatre’s ‘Peter Panto,’ which was nominated for 8 awards. McAndrews won the Barrymore for outstanding supporting performance in a musical.
Outstanding Original Music
Daniel & Patrick Lazour — Night Side Songs, Philadelphia Theatre Co.
Alex Bechtel — Peter Panto: A Musical Panto, People’s Light
Jordan McCree — The Hobbit, Arden Theatre
Lili St. Queer — Gay Mis, Jaffe St. Queer Productions
Ximena Violante & Ampersan (Zindu Cano and Kevin García) — Nichos, Esperanza Arts Center
Jakeya L. Sanders — Fallawayinto: Corridors of Rememory, Ninth Planet
The Philadelphia Award for Social Insight
Rift, or White Lies — InterAct Theatre
Young Americans — Theatre Horizon
The Drag —EgoPo Classic Theater
Night Side Songs — Philadelphia Theatre Co.
The Half-God of Rainfall — The Wilma Theater
January 6: A Celebration. A Bodega Princess Remembers Tradition, Not Insurrection — Simpatico Theatre
Glitter in the Glass — Theatre Exile
Nichos — Esperanza Arts Center
The Playboy of the Western World — Inis Nua Theatre
