UNITED NATIONS — Iran’s foreign minister said Thursday that Tehran had proposed to Washington a seven-day plan to cease hostilities, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and then begin comprehensive talks on his country’s nuclear program.
Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister, told reporters at a press briefing at the United Nations General Assembly that the proposal closely mirrored the commitments laid out in a so-called memorandum of understanding that was struck between the United States and Iran in June but quickly unraveled.
He said Iran was ready to begin putting the plan into effect as soon as Washington agreed to it.
“We have introduced a plan to the United States through the intermediators that if certain conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz would be open on the end of the seventh day and talks would restart,” Araghchi said.
He said “it would be better” if a deal was reached before the U.S. midterm elections.
A U.S. official familiar with the talks said that the administration was having positive and constructive discussions through mediators, but that the United States was not going to rush into a deal.
The Iranian proposal came even as President Donald Trump and Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, delivered mutually hostile speeches at the United Nations. Trump threatened Iran with “annihilation” if it did not strike a deal, while a defiant Pezeshkian told world leaders his country would not be bullied.
Though Iran’s proposal contains many of the same conditions of the deal that fell apart, the behind-the-scenes diplomacy suggested that both sides may see much to gain from finding an off-ramp from the war.
Iranian officials said that while the proposal was effectively the same as the memorandum of understanding made in June, it was designed to move at a much faster pace. In the earlier agreement, a 60-day time frame was set for reaching nuclear negotiations.
Under the conditions that Iran has set for the agreement, according to Araghchi, during the seven days all hostilities would end, including in Lebanon; the U.S. would release Iran’s frozen assets, estimated at least $12 billion; waive sanctions on Iranian oil; and lift the naval blockade on Iran. Then, on the last day, the Strait of Hormuz would be opened.
After the seven days, Aragchi said, comprehensive negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program would immediately begin. Trump has said that his top goal is for Iran not to have a nuclear weapon, and that he would either achieve that through a diplomatic deal or with more attacks.
The United States and Iran have been at war for nearly seven months. It began in late February when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and military chain of command. Trump initially said the war would take only a few weeks
The war has had widespread global repercussions including on oil, energy and food prices.
The Iranian proposal came as U.S. negotiators have tried to jump-start diplomacy with Iran on its nuclear program through talks on the sidelines of the U.N. assembly. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a three-hour meeting, mediated by Qatar, between U.S. and Iranian officials did not end in a breakthrough.
Araghchi, who will be in New York until next Monday, met on Tuesday with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, a son-in-law of Trump’s. It was mediated by Qataris passing messages between the two sides, and Araghchi described it as “productive” and said the messaging continued.
Ismaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry who is also in New York, said that it was possible that there would be more mediated meetings in the coming days.
Iran’s economy is under serious strain, and Iranians are suffering from skyrocketing inflation on basic food items, a shortage of medicine and disruptions to commerce.
Analysts said that Trump would have to weigh the benefits of reaching a deal with Iran before the midterms against keeping a chokehold on its economy in the hope of getting more concessions from Tehran.
“This is a smart move,” said Ali Vaez, the Iran director of the International Crisis Group. “They know it’s very tempting for President Trump because it ends an unpopular war and brings down energy prices in the run-up the midterms. But it also restores a deal that was largely favorable to the Iranians. A compressed timeline to get to the nuclear issue should be appealing to an impatient president.”
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Leo XIV told reporters they were welcome to cover him, as he responded to the Trump administration’s attempt to bar U.S. media from the White House and affirmed the importance of journalists covering public figures.
Leo spoke to reporters Friday on his way to France for a four-day visit. Asked by a CNN reporter about the Trump administration’s attempt to bar CNN and other reporters, Leo said the media was welcome on his plane.
“I am very happy that here, you are all welcome,” he said. Good media coverage is important, he said, and equally important “that we have it all the way around, for everyone”
CNN, MS NOW and Politico were back at the White House on Thursday after a judge handed them a reprieve from President Donald Trump’s ban, but the extraordinary showdown between him and outlets whose coverage he dislikes continued.
On a high-profile day when Chinese leader Xi Jinping was visiting Washington and attending a state dinner, no major American network was airing live coverage, and both CNN and MS NOW said their journalists were denied access to Xi’s state dinner arrival.
Leo has long affirmed the need for free and independent press, a point he made in one of his first audiences as pope. Speaking to journalists who covered the 2025 conclave that elected him, the American pope called for the release of imprisoned journalists and affirmed the “precious gift of free speech and the press.”
That said, since the COVID-19 pandemic, independent media have been prevented from covering photo opportunities inside the pope’s private studio when visiting heads of state visit. Additionally, many of the pope’s private audiences with other groups and individuals are closed to non-Vatican press.
Leo had opposed Trump on the war
Leo’s airborne comments about Trump followed his April back-and-forth over the American president’s criticism of his opposition to the Iran war. The American pope’s position won him points with some Europeans opposed to Trump’s policies.
“He dared, at his level, to oppose the American president,” said retiree Thierry Marien, who lined up hours early to grab a spot on the popemobile route to Notre-Dame cathedral, where Leo was to celebrate vespers later Friday. “Not because he is opposed to the American president but because he’s opposed to countries where we can see there’s a risk of their political systems becoming a bit more dictatorial and there are already enough of those in the world.”
“I appreciated that he did that. He could quite easily have said to himself, ‘In my situation, I won’t criticize any heads of state,’” he said.
Leo apologizes to reporters
Also on the flight Friday, Leo also apologized for missing an opportunity to speak with the press the last time he traveled internationally, when his Iberia charter broke down in Spain’s Canary Islands and he returned home solo on the king’s private jet, skipping his traditional airborne press conference.
More than 70 reporters and the Vatican delegation waited for several hours at the airport for a replacement plane to arrive. Leo addressed the media’s disappointment when he came to the back of the plane to greet reporters.
“A special mention I would like to make for those of you who were traveling with me when we returned to Rome from Spain,” he said. “I want to apologize personally for an incident, that I had nothing to do with, but which I know left a number of you unhappy with the fact that we couldn’t have the flight back together back to Rome.”
In other comments to reporters, Leo said he believed his alma mater Villanova would be the fan favorite when the Augustinian university plays Notre Dame’s basketball team in Rome on Nov. 1.
“They tell me that the people coming to the match, 90% are Villanova and 10% Notre Dame, so the voice of the people of God will be very strong on the Villanova side,” Leo said.
James Copenhaver, one of three campaign rally attendees shot in 2024 during an assassination attempt on then-candidate Donald Trump, has died in Pittsburgh, his lawyer said Thursday. He was 76.
Copenhaver was in the bleachers during the event in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a 20-year-old gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop, grazing Trump’s right ear with one bullet. Copenhaver was struck in the arm and in the abdomen, wounds that left him with lingering injuries and walking with a cane.
Two other attendees were also shot — David Dutch, who survived, and Corey Comperatore, who shielded his family from gunfire and was killed.
Copenhaver died Wednesday at Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to a statement from the Allegheny County medical examiner cited in local media accounts.
Copenhaver’s lawyer, Joseph Feldman, said in a statement issued on behalf of the family that he died surrounded by loved ones. The statement did not specify if his death was directly related to the injuries he suffered at the rally.
Copenhaver and his wife, Marianne Copenhaver, sued the federal government in June, alleging that the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security had “utterly failed” to provide appropriate security at the rally. Copenhaver’s injuries required multiple surgeries, including a transection of his colon, and he had lingering kidney and other damage, including a loss of feeling in his leg. The lawsuit described the wounds as “debilitating, grievous, permanent and life altering.”
The family’s statement Thursday called Copenhaver above all else a devoted husband, father and grandfather who instilled the values of hard work, integrity and the service to others in his children.
“James’s dedication to this great country was a defining part of his life,” it said. “As a veteran, he proudly served our nation in the armed forces, and his love of country never wavered. James was a true American patriot who believed deeply in the freedoms and ideals upon which this nation was founded, and he embodied the very best traits of our great nation.”
In a statement posted to social media, Trump on Thursday called Copenhaver “a true American Patriot.”
“Jim showed tremendous bravery, courageously continuing to FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, and maintaining a positive spirit despite unimaginable hardships,” Trump wrote.
And a Washington Township coffee shop is experiencing a boost in business after Ms. Rachel gave it a shout-out on Threads.
Plus, Gov. Mikie Sherrill is calling on Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign after an investigation found Caldwell sexually harassed women, and more news of the day.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation told The Inquirer that the construction along Route 70 that stretches from Pennsauken to Marlton will “essentially be complete this year.”
I know what you’re thinking: Really? It’s been five years.
Now the only work left, NJDOT said, is a few new traffic signals which are expected to be up in October, followed by some re-striping and paving.
Gov. Sherrill on Thursday night called for the swift resignation of her lieutenant governor following the release of an ethics investigation that found Caldwell had sexually harassed women on the job, among other complaints.
Amid rising political violence, the state Assembly gave final approval Thursday to a bill that would allow political candidates to spend campaign donations on security guards and equipment.
New Jersey’s Rep. LaMonica McIver juggles running for reelection, pregnancy, and fighting charges from President Donald Trump’s administration for allegedly assaulting an ICE officer during a protest last year, Inquirer columnist Jenice Armstrong writes.
After the Taliban captured Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021, numerous news articles compared Washington’s withdrawal from Afghanistan to similar events in Vietnam on April 30, 1975. Some articles highlighted differences in the conflicts, such as media coverage and troop motivations, while others underlined similarities, including the evacuation of nearly identical numbers of Afghans and Vietnamese in the days leading up to collapse of Kabul and Saigon.
It’s been five years since America’s withdrawal from Kabul — and the experience of the United States leaving Vietnam still resonates as Afghanistan has become one of the poorest countries in the world.
In Vietnam, Hanoi’s counterproductive domestic and foreign policy stifled the economy, undermined diplomacy, and caused a mass exodus of millions of Vietnamese from the country. And yet, 20 years later, Vietnam normalized relations with the United States and embraced a global market system that has since made it one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
Two main factors explain U.S.-Vietnam reconciliation. The first stemmed from Hanoi’s moderation in foreign policy, which downplayed Cold War rhetoric and acknowledged the need to integrate into the international system. The second stemmed from Washington’s diplomatic strategy toward Vietnam, which maintained consistent conditions for normalizing relations.
When the United States left in 1975, Vietnamese Communist Party leader General Secretary Le Duan implemented socialist policies, including agricultural collectivization and forced relocation to New Economic Zones. Hanoi also imprisoned hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese who had cooperated with Americans during the war in order to “re-educate” them in Marxist thought.
Relations deteriorated with China and Cambodia, two countries that cooperated with Vietnam to resist America’s presence in Indochina. Hanoi invaded Cambodia in December 1978, following Pol Pot’s repeated incursions into Vietnam. China responded by sending 200,000 soldiers into northern Vietnam, leading to a three-week border war. The nation became one of the poorest countries in the world, kept afloat only by subsidies from the Soviet Union. The U.S. embargo did not help.
The Carter administration attempted to normalize relations with Vietnam without preconditions prior to Hanoi’s occupation of Cambodia. Vietnam refused to do so, demanding the United States pay $3.25 billion in war reparations. After the December 1978 invasion, Jimmy Carter conditioned normalization on Vietnam’s signing of a peace agreement on Cambodia. Ronald Reagan upheld his predecessor’s stipulation, adding that Vietnam must make significant progress on locating and repatriating approximately 2,500 American prisoners of war (POW) and missing in Action (MIA). Hanoi’s leadership cooperated, hoping to secure economic and political concessions from Washington.
During the Reagan years, numerous other humanitarian issues compelled Washington and Hanoi to sustain a diplomatic dialogue, including the resettlement of refugees, Amerasians, and former Vietnamese political prisoners. Diplomacy on these issues helped foster a favorable atmosphere prior to reconciliation.
Such negotiations begot economic opportunities as long as Vietnam remained in Cambodia.
It wasn’t until 1986, after General Secretary Le Duan’s death, that the Communist Party changed course and pursued a market economy. In 1989, Vietnam withdrew from Cambodia and began pursuing new economic policies. Sustained U.S. pressure during negotiations and consistent conditions for establishing economic and diplomatic ties contributed to Vietnam’s moderation.
Lastly, U.S. businesses wanted Washington to lift the economic embargo to give American companies access to Vietnam’s resources. Hanoi’s leadership eventually moderated its domestic and foreign policy, advancing negotiations and proving to U.S. policymakers that Vietnam could manage bilateral and multilateral relations.
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In April 1991, President George H.W. Bush provided the Vietnamese with a road map to normalization outlining economic and political concessions in exchange for progress on the POW/MIA issue. The road map gave both sides a diplomatic plan to follow. President Bill Clinton continued Bush’s plan, and in 1994, he lifted the economic embargo. The following year, the United States and Vietnam normalized diplomatic relations.
Certainly, the postwar conditions that fostered U.S.-Vietnamese dialogue are different for Afghanistan. There are no American POW/MIAs listed in Afghanistan. While Washington welcomed nearly 200,000 Afghan refugees since the fall of Kabul, refugee admissions are currently suspended for most nationalities, including Afghans.
Kabul has not invaded any of its neighbors, but the United States remains committed to its partnership with Pakistan. Washington does not currently have Kabul under an embargo, but fewer countries are interested in investing in Afghanistan than at a similar time for Vietnam. Nor does it help that Hibatullah Akhundzada, leader of Afghanistan, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for imposing severe restrictions on women and girls in the country.
But diplomatic exchange could be fruitful, politically and economically. The Taliban are increasingly desperate to modernize its economy and end its international isolation. Rather than cutting off diplomacy entirely,the example of U.S.-Vietnam reconciliation suggests that a new phase of U.S.-Afghan relations could benefit both the people of Afghanistan and U.S. interests.
Zachary Tayler is a doctoral candidate in history at Ohio University, specializing in U.S.-Vietnam postwar relations.
Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of The Inquirer.
This week marks a year since Shackamaxon debuted. Named for the place Lenape chiefs would meet for discussions and community ceremonies under the great elm, the column is focused on what happens at City Hall and Harrisburg — our modern Shackamaxons. This week’s edition focuses on SEPTA and whether bipartisanship is truly dead.
A SEPTA Market-Frankford Line train as it heads away from the Frankford Transportation Center in 2024.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Getting there
In 2032, if all goes according to plan, SEPTA will look quite different.
The Market-Frankford Line will have new trains and run more frequently. There’ll be new trolleys, as well, with modern light rail cars replacing the aging fleet. Instead of boarding at the corner, like a bus, trolley riders will have new, fully accessible stations with seating.
The Regional Rail fleet will be in the middle of its own modernization. While the process will take longer, SEPTA plans to make every Regional Rail station accessible, replace its fleet, and boost frequencies to every 15 or 30 minutes, depending on the line. It’s an ambitious undertaking that would more than double the number of people who live within a quarter mile of frequent mass transit, from 900,000 to two million.
This kind of optimism is rare for SEPTA, an agency that is accustomed to hearing complaints and begging lawmakers for enough money to keep current levels of service operating. The SEPTA Accelerate plan does depend on securing additional funding from Harrisburg. This time, however, the city’s transit leaders are trying a different approach: Instead of pointing out the potential dangers of losing services, they are highlighting what they could provide if given adequate resources.
It also comes at an opportune time. While there are always improvements to be made when it comes to timeliness and quality of life, SEPTA has made unmistakable progress.
The agency has hired hundreds of cleaners, with each station now covered by a dedicated member of staff during heavy-use periods. Customer satisfaction has reached record highs. Throughout it all, SEPTA has remained the country’s most efficient transit agency. Each ride costs less than $8 to provide, compared with the rest of the nation’s $12 average.
Even Republican state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman seems to have noticed. In an interview with NBC10’s Lauren Mayk, Pittman gave SEPTA and new General Manager Scott Sauer credit for responding to criticism, reducing crime, raising revenue, and improving its credit rating.
Locally, the proposal received praise. Montgomery County Commissioner (and SEPTA board member) Neil Makhija told me he’s been advocating for SEPTA to have 15-minute Regional Rail service for years, and that he is “thrilled to see that transformative vision has finally been released in this plan.”
Longtime SEPTA riders will remember the old “We’re Getting There” slogan. The Accelerate plan is the agency’s biggest chance to finally arrive.
Traffic on the Roosevelt Expressway at Cottman Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia.TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
Boulevard or bust
The plan, while ambitious, does not call for any significant expansions in the immediate future. Extensions to Reading, Allentown, Maryland, and King of Prussia get a brief mention — as ideas the agency might embrace in a better-resourced future. The long-awaited subway extension to Roosevelt Boulevard is also included in the map. Events, however, may require deciding on this sooner rather than later.
After all, PennDot is already planning to redo the entire corridor. The initial plan is to add $134 million in safety improvements. Longer term, there are six different options. The route could either become a neighborhood boulevard, with less space for motorized traffic, or it could become a partially capped expressway, separating high-speed traffic from pedestrians and homes. Both proposals would then be paired with one of three transit options: a subway extension, a light rail route, or Bus Rapid Transit.
BRT is the cheapest option and would be my preference if the subway doesn’t get built. The idea is to give buses a dedicated lane and limit how often they stop. This would speed up service for current riders, but wouldn’t bring in a significant number of new commuters. There is also a chance future policymakers would remove the dedicated bus lanes in order to provide more space for motorists, something that has happened to BRT systems in other states.
To some policymakers, light rail represents a kind of Goldilocks option. It has more transformative potential than bus service, while costing less than a full metro line. To me, however, Roosevelt Boulevard is a particularly bad fit for the idea.
The cheapest way to build a light rail system would include trains traveling in their own lanes next to automobile traffic. Given the often-chaotic behavior of motorists in Philadelphia, trips would be subject to delays every time a driver decides to save a couple of minutes by driving along the tracks. The trains would also get caught at red lights anytime left-turning traffic builds up.
Officials could mitigate this risk by building an elevated trackway, but this would make the project significantly more expensive, negating the entire point of opting for light rail. Additionally, riders would have to transfer at the end of the line rather than seamlessly continuing into Center City, as they would with a subway expansion. Light rail also costs more to operate than a subway, meaning any savings would disappear over time.
While it has the highest construction costs, the subway option remains the ideal solution for the corridor. It would transform how people get around the region.
Bucks County residents would be able to travel all the way to the sports complex for events after parking at Rock Hill Station, helping to alleviate the postgame traffic crunch. Northeast Philadelphia’s emerging dining scene would benefit from improved access to diners from Center City and South Philadelphia. It would make the Boulevard an attractive corridor for employers, who could bring in talent from the city’s core via the subway, while also remaining accessible to suburban residents. It would also mitigate traffic congestion the most, which is especially important if PennDot selects the neighborhood boulevard option.
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis (left) and Attorney General Dave Sunday (right) joined Arnold Ventures’ Kevin Ring at the company’s Public Safety Boot Camp on Thursday.Photo from Lt. Gov Austin Davis staff
Bipartisan belief
With state lawmakers consistently unable to perform the basics, like passing a budget on time, it is worth wondering whether Washington’s allergy to bipartisanship has spread to Pennsylvania, which has traditionally been more collegial.
At a panel discussion last Thursday at the Franklin Institute, however, the spirit of cooperation was thriving. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Attorney General Dave Sunday spoke at Arnold Ventures’ Public Safety Boot Camp, which hosted legislators from around the country and both political parties. The two showed a remarkable amount of overlap, both professing support for evidence-based approaches, accountability, and second chances.
Even better? State and local leaders are already seeing results from this balanced approach: Homicides in Philadelphia are at generational lows, as well as being down across the commonwealth.
Think you know your news? There’s only one way to find out. Welcome back to our weekly News Quiz — a quick way to see if your reading habits are sinking in and to put your local news knowledge to the test.
Question 1 of 10
A veteran Philly teacher and activist faced backlash this week after revealing that she had lied about her:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The teacher activists who organized alongside Hannah Gann want accountability on behalf of the vulnerable students who believed the Philadelphia School District teacher was someone she was not. Gann claimed to be Black and Palestinian. She was active in the fight to defend Keziah Ridgeway, another Philadelphia teacher disciplined for her social media posts. But Gann has admitted she is a white, Jewish woman and the relative of Israeli settlers.
Question 2 of 10
The Rocky statue has moved again. It’s been installed in what’s being billed as its permanent space. Where is that?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The city’s famed statue was installed atop the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s iconic steps Wednesday. The statue, which Sylvester Stallone commissioned for Rocky III, has long been a controversial piece of public art in the city. It arrived in town in 1981, and has since been moved about a half dozen times — including previous stints at the top of the steps.
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Question 3 of 10
Philly-based discount retailer Five Below is being sued for allegedly knowingly selling knock-offs of this company’s main product:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Crocs’ attorneys say Five Below kept selling foam clog look-alikes and accessories even after being notified in March of trademark, patent, and intellectual property infringement. The allegations were detailed in a lawsuit filed last week by Crocs and its subsidiary, Jibbitz Charms, in federal court in Colorado, where Crocs is based. The plaintiffs take issue with Five Below’s “Juniors Charm Clog,” which look like trademarked Crocs, and the shoe’s accompanying charms, which resemble the patented Jibbitz ones that can be affixed to Crocs.
Question 4 of 10
Which Philly neighborhood housed the first Ronald McDonald House?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
On Tuesday, Oct. 15, 1974, officials hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the world’s first Ronald McDonald House at 4032 Spruce St. in West Philadelphia. What started as a collaboration by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Eagles, and McDonald's is now a network of 400 houses in 62 countries, including three in the Philadelphia region.
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Question 5 of 10
Michelle Zauner has announced her second memoir. Thank You For Your Suffering follows the Crying in H Mart author and Philly bandleader on a journey to South Korea. What band is Zauner the frontwoman of?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Thank You For Suffering chronicles the year that Zauner — who was born in Eugene, Ore., and graduated from Bryn Mawr College, before starting her Philly bands Little Big League and Japanese Breakfast — spent living in South Korea, learning the language, and connecting more deeply with her mother’s family.
Question 6 of 10
Little Bean, the West Philly coffee shop owned by the couple behind Cleo Bagels, has a new housemade syrup flavor just in time for fall. What is it?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Little Bean’s new pumpernickel syrup is available in any coffee drink, but co-owner Alex Malamy says it’s best showcased in the form of a pumpernickel cortado. It’s savory and cozy, with notes of caraway seed and cocoa powder.
Question 7 of 10
This artist’s Saturday performance at Lincoln Financial Field drew ire and protests ahead of the show after the firing of opening act Macklemore because of the rapper’s pro-Palestinian comments. Their Philly concert marked the first of the tour since Macklemore’s removal, leading to other opening acts and musicians also quitting. Who was the headlining act?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
At his first concert since controversy roiled his North American tour, Ed Sheeran said he was“deeply worried” by venues influencing performances after the firing of Macklemore. Sheeran said the tour’s promoter was responsible for the firing, not him. Critics say Sheeran should’ve held firm on Macklemore’s inclusion. “I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I am so, so sorry,” Sheeran told the crowd Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field.
Question 8 of 10
Elkins Park's Lynwood Hall is opening its doors to the public, honoring the characters of what HBO show?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The historic Elkins Park mansion is opening to the public for the first time in 84 years. The 100,000-square-foot home will host “Fleurs de Villes: The Gilded Age,” a 10-day floral exhibition honoring the history of the period and the characters of the hit HBO series, The Gilded Age.
Question 9 of 10
Zach Ertz is rejoining the Eagles after Dallas Goedert’s injury. When was the last time he played for the Birds?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Ertz, a 2013 second-round pick by the Eagles, was last with the team in 2021. The Eagles traded him that season to the Arizona Cardinals for cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-round draft pick. He spent parts of three seasons in Arizona before joining Washington in free agency in 2024. Ertz is expected to be ready to play Monday night in Chicago — and could outright be signed to the open Eagles spot — just over nine months removed from the gruesome knee injury that ended his 2025 season.
Question 10 of 10
What Shore icon is showing signs of collapse?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The wall under the decking of Wonderland Pier is caving in and showing signs of collapse, say owner Eustace Mita and Ocean City inspectors. Ocean City has sent Mita a “Notice of Unsafe Structure,” along with a request for an engineer’s report and a plan of corrective action, city spokesperson Doug Bergen said.
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The pope who came in peace arrived in a Philadelphia seemingly under occupation.
For the roughly 1 million people who descended upon Philly to try to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis over his two-day visit in September 2015,there was an unprecedented level of security. Center City was put under 24-7 military supervision by armed personnel in vehicles stationed at busy intersections.
Security had not been as strict in 1979. When Pope John Paul II stepped off “Shepherd One” to kick off his not-quite 24-hour visit, he was met by a genuflecting Mayor Frank Rizzo before passing and waving to a mass of Catholics lined up on Broad Street.
Francis’ six-day tour covered three cities — including New York and Washington — as part of the first-ever World Meeting of Families, touted as the largest global gathering of Catholic families held on U.S. soil.
On his first night in town, in an address at Independence Hall, Francis emphasized the right to religious freedom, touched on immigration and the plight of refugees, and called for “peace, tolerance, and respect for the dignity and rights of others,” without specifically addressing same-sex marriage or abortion rights.
Despite the increased security, on night two, Francis rode in his popemobile up and down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, to City Hall and back, before moving on to the night’s primary venue.
In an address on the Parkway, Francis preached to a throng of believers about the importance of family and again pleaded for more tolerance, faith, and love.
“Love is something we learn,” he said. “Love is something we live.”
Much like John Paul II’s visit, supporters filled Logan Square, streaming in from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, City Hall, and beyond. But despite being a sizable crowd, it was not as large as first anticipated because of the security restrictions.
To get in and out that night, visitors faced the aptly named papal box, which encased Center City ina safety cocoon. Vehicle travel was a nonstarter, with streets cut off by cement dividers, and pedestrians could enter the cocoon only after walking through serious-looking metal detectors.
Despite the restrictions, an overwhelming sense of joy permeated the city, as more than a million people united in celebration of a 78-year-old man and his relentless pursuit of a better world.
“It feels like a big embrace,” Katherine Brennan of Rhode Island told The Inquirer. “We feel like everybody here is family. This is a microcosm of what the world could be if we all embraced each other the way he does.”
Alexander “Chicken Man” Tominsky walked into the Museum of the Philadelphian in a Canadian tuxedo and a baseball hat with “Phillies” written on it in marker on Tuesday and was blown away to find his name on a plaque alongside other local legends like Benjamin Franklin and Philly Elmo.
“No way! Oh my gracious! Who would have known when I was a little kid crying in my pillow something like this would happen,” he said, pointing to his name.
Tominsky — who became renowned throughout the land in 2022 for eating 40 rotisserie chickens in 40 days, culminating with a public noshing of a chicken on an abandoned Walmart pier in South Philly — was invited to a preview opening for the museum by its founder and creator, Brian Adoff.
Founder and creator Brian Adoff outside his Museum of the Philadelphian in Fishtown.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
“The museum is about the personality and attitude and conduct of Philadelphians,” Adoff said. “My personal hope is that you leave inspired to really be the best version of yourself, the best Philadelphian you can be.”
Located in a 300-square-foot storefront that was previously Adoff’s office on East Girard Avenue in Fishtown, the free, temporary “micro museum” is just down the road from another Philly landmark — the “I Hate Bank of America” sign. The large, yellow banner was put up by a homeowner in 2007, after the bank branch across the street ticked him off. The branch closed many years ago, but the sign remains, a grand tribute to Philadelphians’ spite.
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What makes Philadelphians this way? And what makes it so oddly endearing? These are questions Adoff explores in his absurd and unexpectedly heartwarming museum, which opens Friday.
“There’s an emotional narrative arc the museum takes in its 300 square feet, where it ends with literally a book of Philadelphians who exhibit five qualities that I’ve determined, with my crack team of curatorial advisers, that make up a Philadelphian,” Adoff said.
As of a student of the Philadelphian who’s written hundreds of profiles of the everyday people who make me love this city more every day, I thought Adoff had set a lofty goal for himself when we first met earlier this month. How do you distill what it means to be a Philadelphian in 300 square feet? And how do you decide who makes the cut?
At the preview Tuesday, I was pleased to find that over the course of about 20 exhibits in the space, Adoff skillfully addresses the Santa-hating-battery-throwing-robot-killing tropes that haunt Philadelphians, while also getting to the oddly-touching truths behind those, and other very Philly stories.
Visitors browse the Museum of the Philadelphian.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
And while Adoff and his team have compiled a “Register of Philadelphians” with more than 50 names and stories of local folk heroes who epitomize what it means to be a Philadelphian, their best decision may have been to include cards for visitors to nominate their own quintessential Philadelphian. Because if one thing is certain, Philly is going to have thoughts.
Grease the pole
Guests are greeted in the museum’s front window by a re-creation of the death of hitchBOT, the hitchhiking Canadian robot who traveled across the country on human kindness, only to be dismembered and beheaded in Philly. In the accompanying plaque, Adoff notes that Philadelphians offered to rebuild the robot, and that a Philly police detective jokingly blamed the crime on New Jerseyans.
A re-creation of the death of hitchBOT is displayed in the front window of the Museum of the Philadelphian.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Once inside the museum, two large papier-mâché sculptures immediately catch the eye — one, of a Philadelphian climbing a greased pole, and the other of Jason Kelce during his Eagles Super Bowl speech. In the first, guests are invited to “grease the pole” with a paintbrush and clear goo from a nearby can (you know I did it!), and at the latter, visitors can stand under a sound dome (fancy!) in front of the sculpture to hear Kelce’s “Hungry Dogs” speech.
A papier-mâché sculpture of Jason Kelce during his 2018 Eagles Super Bowl speech is featured in the Museum of the Philadelphian.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
In the center of the room is a freestanding wall with a rearview mirror on it. The accompanying plaque tells the story of Ted Passon, whose parked car was flipped in the aftermath of the Phillies 2008 World Series win. Passon created a blog asking Philadelphians who enjoyed the spectacle to help pay for his vehicle, and through the generosity of donors, he was able to get a new car and give $3,000 to someone else whose car was flipped. On an iPad at the exhibit, visitors can play a YouTube video of the flipping and read Passon’s blog.
I remembered the story well because I interviewed Passon about it in 2008. Seeing him at the event Tuesday was a full-circle Philly moment for both of us. Passon, who’s now an Emmy Award-winning documentarian, said he was happy to loan the mirror of the vehicle Philly claimed from him to the museum.
“It’s an honor to be included in the story of Philadelphia,” he said. “If I can be a footnote in the city’s history, I did something right in my life.”
‘Booing is my love language’
Other exhibits explore Philadelphians’ history with booing, our history of throwing things, and the five qualities Adoff and his team have decided make a Philadelphian, with number one being, “Does not wait for permission.”
The “Register of Philadelphians” on the wall and accompanying book begins in 1731 with Benjamin Franklin and ends this year, with Jameka Wilson, the woman who went viral for her TV interview about kicking a man in a Chucky mask who was terrorizing pedestrians.
The Register of Philadelphians features notable Philadelphians ranging from Ben Franklin to Jameka Wilson. To the left of the register is the museum’s official portrait gallery, which can be seen through two ViewMasters. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
I was excited to see a couple people I’ve written about on the list, including Paul “Jelloman” Vile and the late Gilbert Hilton, who turned heads across the city for years in his “Badillac” car, which was covered in items from Goodwill, and who was one of the most Philly people I’ve ever met.
There’s also a portrait gallery by the Rev. Michael Alan of seven Philadelphians in the register that can only be seen through an old-school ViewMaster, which were a hit with the crowd.
“It was a small space and this was a way to make something look bigger without being bigger,” Alan said.
Creator and founder Brian Adoff talks about the Museum of the Philadelphian in front of the museum’s gift shop. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The tiny museum even has a gift shop with shirts that say “I greased the pole at the Museum of the Philadelphian” and bumper stickers that read “Booing is my love language.”
‘The most Philadelphian thing’
The museum was funded by Adoff through his experience design studio, Architects of Human Connection, and admission is free because he believes “the Philadelphian has paid enough.”
The museum is a culmination of Adoff’s many endeavors over the years, from music, clowning, absurdist theater, and working as a tour guide for the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, to managing a software business and, most recently, creating events that connect Philadelphians.
In 2023, he cofounded the Fishtown Choir,and last year, Adoff created Join Philly, which connects Philadelphians with area clubs and groups.
The idea for the museum came to Adoff in June, as he was trying to think of uses for his storefront office space. With the help of five paid collaborators, Adoff built the museum in less than three months, which is impressive, given the amount of research that clearly went into the exhibits, plaques, and bios.
“It started kind of absurd and silly until I was like, ‘Oh, this is just like everything else I do. It matters and it actually has heart and it has meaning,” he said.
Brian Adoff in the Museum of the Philadelphian he created in Fishtown. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Here’s the potentially scandalous thing — Adoff isn’t a Philly native. He’s originally from Long Island, moved to Cherry Hill as a kid, and came to Philly to attend the University of Arts. He spent time in Chicago then returned to Fishtown 20 years ago, where now lives with his wife and son.
Knowing how nativist Philly can be (my native colleagues said transplants can “never” say they’re from Philly if they moved after the age of 13), I had to ask Adoff what gave him the gall to open the museum.
“Because I express the qualities that make a Philadelphian,” he said.
“But you decided those qualities, right?” I asked. (They are: 1. Does not wait for permission 2. Decides for themselves what is worth doing 3. Keeps going whether encouraged or not 4. Does not care what anyone thinks 5. Believes, in their heart, the work is needed).
“Yes, which is the most Philadelphian thing I could have done,” he said.
Adoff wants people to leave his museum feeling as inspired as he did after watching the opening of the Obama Presidential Center on TV. He dreams of Rob Mac narrating an audio tour of the exhibit, like Steve Buscemi does for Eastern State Penitentiary. And his longterm goal is to open a more universal experience one day — a fart museum. Everybody isn’t lucky enough to be a Philadelphian, but everyone farts.
I imagine Benjamin Franklin, a fellow Philly transplant who once wrote a satirical essay about flatulence, would think that’s a gas.
Darrin Rowland (left), and Leslye Rowland grease the pole sculpture at the Museum of the Philadelphian on Tuesday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Know before you go
The museum, 454 E. Girard Ave., is open Fridays (5 to 8 p.m.), Saturdays (noon to 5 p.m.), and Sundays (noon to 5 p.m.) Sept. 25 through Nov. 1.
Admission is free, but timed reservations online are recommended. Opening night is already booked and only a few spots remain for this weekend.
Like Philadelphia, there is a lack of public bathrooms at the museum, in that there are none.
The museum is wheelchair accessible via a temporary ramp. Email visit@museumofthephiladelphian.org prior to visiting so staff can have the ramp ready.
All ages are welcome, but some exhibits do include profanity.
How will artificial intelligence affect student learning on college campuses?
We don’t know. And here’s the worst part: We don’t want to know.
That’s because we have never taken teaching — or learning — seriously. We don’t prepare future professors for the classroom. And have no real systems for evaluating and rewarding their instruction.
Dire warnings aren’t new
So we also don’t have good ways to evaluate the gee-whiz rhetoric from the AI industry, which assures us the tool will “revolutionize” learning. We’ve heard that song before. In 1913, Thomas Edison forecast that books would “soon be obsolete” in schools, and that “every branch of human knowledge” would be taught via film.
Like today’s AI barons, Edison had a vested interest in that outcome: He helped invent motion pictures and started a company to market them in schools. But none of his predictions came true. Ditto for the futurists who said radio, television, and personal computers would transform teaching and learning forever.
But AI is different, its enthusiasts tell us, because it interacts with us. In the brave new world to come, everyone will be taught by a robot tailored to their individual interests, skills, and goals. It will help students “build agency,” “learn continuously,” and “solve hard problems,” declares the largest provider, OpenAI.
The initial research suggests the opposite: Students forsake their agency to the bot when challenges arise. As a recent report by an AI committee at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) warned, AI creates “the illusion of learning” for students who use it “at the first hint of struggle.”
But in higher education, we’ve been fostering the illusion of learning for a very long time. Over the past half century, we have assigned less work and awarded higher grades. And there’s no evidence — none — that our students are learning more.
Nor have we made a sustained effort to incentivize teaching. At every type of institution, from small community colleges to huge private universities, professors who spend more of their time on research make more money. Those who devote themselves to teaching make less.
And nobody is really minding the classroom itself. I have been teaching at the University of Pennsylvania for 10 years, and I have never been observed by someone with supervisory authority. I could be doing anything. Or nothing.
Sure, my students submit evaluations of my courses. But the results have never figured into my rank or salary. And a good review from your students doesn’t mean you did a good job teaching them.
Indeed, it might mean the inverse. In a 2010 study at the Air Force Academy, where everyone takes the same courses, professors who got high marks from their students gave out higher grades — and their students did worse in subsequent classes. Professors who were harder graders got lower student evaluations, but their students performed better later on.
Let’s teach teaching
If we really valued teaching, we would evaluate it the same way we judge each other’s research: via peer review. When I wrote a history of college teaching, I didn’t submit it to a group of 19-year-olds to decide if I had something important to say. It was vetted by specialists in my field.
We would also give future professors sustained instruction in how to teach. To obtain a doctorate at Penn, you have to spend six to nine years reading in your field and conducting research that contributes to it. To become a teaching assistant, by contrast, you receive a three-day training.
That’s why I called my book The Amateur Hour — not because all college teaching is terrible (some of it is terrific), but because we never professionalized it. We don’t hold each other to best practices, and we don’t have good data about who is doing what.
That’s the biggest scandal in higher education we talk the least about. And AI has shone a bright light on it.
Dozens of institutions — including Penn — have released policies and statements about proper and improper uses of AI. We want AI to “enhance student learning,” not inhibit it. But we never bothered to figure out how much students were learning in the first place. So we’re in no position to judge how the bot is affecting them.
Every institution providing Claude or ChatGPT to its students should also commit to researching their learning. It won’t be easy or cheap. But it’s the only way to see our way out of this mess. Without real knowledge, we’ll be flying blind.
I’ve heard colleagues say teaching and learning are too subtle and complicated to evaluate in a meaningful way. Please. Scholars at Penn have examined hugely complex forms of human behavior, from consumer choices to sexual decision-making. If we wanted to do the same for what happens in our classrooms, we could.
