Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Category: Philadelphia News

  • Heat takes a toll as Philly events for nation’s 250th ramp up; mayors march in Old City; Queen Latifah concert canceled

    Heat takes a toll as Philly events for nation’s 250th ramp up; mayors march in Old City; Queen Latifah concert canceled

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 10:37pm

    John Adams wanted ‘pomp and parade’ to mark July 2. For the 250th, Philly tried, despite the heat.

    Participants gather to create the Living Liberty Bell, gathering 250 people to form the shape of the famous bell on Independence Mall (with the backdrop of Independence Hall) adorned in red, white, and blue, at Independence Hall, July 2, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    As the mercury climbed above 100 degrees in the Philadelphia region two days before the nation’s 250th birthday, it was, it seemed, too hot for liberty as originally planned.

    Thursday marked the start of the Red White & Blue To-Do — Philadelphia’s third-annual celebration of the day the Second Continental Congress voted to adopt a resolution of independence here on July 2, 1776. Though many events honoring that anniversary were planned, several highly anticipated gatherings were canceled or postponed due to the heat.

    And yet, despite the oppressive temperatures on a particularly toasty July day in the cradle of the nation’s founding, the celebration started early Thursday.

    At 7 a.m., some 250 revelers, clad in red, white, and blue clothing, gathered at Independence Mall to make a living Liberty Bell — a representation of a symbol that has defined Philadelphia for centuries, and a touchstone for Americans nationwide. The human formation even captured the bell’s signature crack through an outline of participants wearing blue.

    John Adams wanted ‘pomp and parade’ to mark July 2. For the 250th, Philly tried, despite the heat.

    — Nick Vadala, Stephanie Farr, Dana Munro

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 7:51pm

    Drone show still set for 10 p.m. tonight over National Constitution Center

    While other events have been canceled because of the heat, the Independence Illumination Drone Show is still scheduled for 10 p.m. Thursday over the National Constitution Center and is viewable from Independence Mall.

    — Robert Moran

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 7:25pm

    Photos: Union Pacific’s legendary ‘Big Boy’ locomotive heading to Philly

    Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 will arrive in Philadelphia on Saturday in time for Fourth of July celebrations, completing its journey from the West Coast. The legendary locomotive has drawn thousands of spectators as it has traveled across Pennsylvania.

    The Big Boy is headed to Intrepid Avenue and League Island Boulevard at the Navy Yard, where the Port of Philadelphia will host a public viewing from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and again on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. before heading west. Admission is free.

    Earlier on Thursday, over-heated train fans gathered near Reading to see Big Boy required medical attention because of the scorching temperatures.

    “Preliminary estimates indicate that more than 100 patients required medical evaluation and care throughout the incident,” the Blandon Fire Department, one of the numerous responding agencies, posted on Facebook.

    No serious injuries were reported.

    — Robert Moran

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 6:13pm

    Philly ties a record with high of 103

    The official high reached 103 Thursday in Philly, tying a record perhaps fittingly set in 1901 when the nation was marking its 125th birthday, halfway to the Semiquincentennial.

    The bar is a shade higher Friday when the record is 104, and Saturday’s would be 103, both set during a sizzling heat wave in 1966.

    Relief-bearing showers are unlikely Friday, said Patrick O’Hara, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly, N.J.

    However, the 50-50 chance remains for Saturday night, coinciding with the climax of the city’s Welcome America celebration on a World Cup game.

    Severe storms are possible, the federal Storm Prediction Center says.

    Sunday, the highs might not get past 90, or the low 80s on Monday.

    — Anthony R. Wood

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 5:48pm

    Salute to Service, featuring Queen Latifah, has been canceled because of extreme heat

    A man working the event (right) tells folks that the Wawa Welcome America’s Salute to Service featuring the United States Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus on Independence Mall with superstar Queen Latifah has been cancelled because of the excessive heat on Thursday, July 2, 2026.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    The Wawa Welcome America Salute to Service concert has been canceled because of the extreme heat, organizers announced via social media just after 5 p.m. Thursday.

    The concert was to feature Queen Latifah and the United States Army Field Band & Soldiers’ Chorus performing at Independence National Historical Park. It was intended to be a “rousing performance honoring our soldiers and veterans,” according to a description of the event online.

    It was set to begin at 8 p.m., but is now among a list of several other events that have been canceled or rescheduled due to the heat blanketing the Philadelphia region. Temperatures topped 100 degrees in the city Thursday afternoon, and the heat is expected to continue into Friday.

    Sign announcing the cancellation of Thursday night’s Salute to Service concert featuring Queen Latifah and the U.S. Army field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus at Independence National Historical Park due to a declared heat emergency with 100-plus temperatures.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    — Nick Vadala

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 5:14pm

    Artists perform music, poetry at historic locations across Old City

    More than two dozen Philadelphia artists filled 11 historic spaces across Old City Thursday afternoon with music, poetry, and powerful vibes as part of WXPN Welcomes the Red, White & Blue To-Do Music Series.

    The audience seats, however, were not all filled as crowds remained light and foot traffic across the historic district was much sparser than an average Thursday.

    Legendary Philly poet and recording artist Ursula Rucker performed with Miles Orion on guitar at the Arch Street Meetinghouse for a crowd of about a dozen people. She gave moving renditions of her poems — like “Philadelphia Child” and “Fear or Freedom” — and ended her set on “L.O.V.E.”

    “Love soft, love hard, just love,” she said, encouraging the small crowd to repeat one of the most powerful words in the English language with her – love.

    Over at Mother Bethel AME Church, 21 members of the Mass choir accompanied by an organist and drummer performed gospel music for a crowd of about just as many spectators. The floorboards of the church’s social hall vibrated, hands clapped, and feet tapped as the choir beautifully performed songs like “Battlefield” and “Yes, God is real.”

    “They just about blew the roof off!” said Dolly Marshall, who frequents the church.

    Marshall, a historic preservation specialist for the city of Camden, is a “Bicentennial baby” who’s celebrating both the country’s birth and her own milestone birthday this year. She’s also a descendent of James Forten, who was a Revolutionary Philadelphia sailmaker, abolitionist, and Black patriot.

    “I wanted to be a part of the festivities today. Seeing people come together, we should carry this spirit all year long. You’ve seen the evidence with FIFA and the World Cup too, people coming together from different denominations and different cultures. That’s the beauty of celebrations like these,” she said. “Of course, this coincides with other things that are going on in the country, some that aren’t so pleasant. We’re divided in many ways, so these times also shed light on the work that still needs to be done.”

    Rev. Carolyn C. Cavaness, pastor of Mother Bethel AME, said she wanted to open the church’s doors for the Red, White & Blue To-Do because it sits on the oldest parcel of land continuously owned by African-Americans in the country, dating back to 1791.

    “I’ve been reflecting, here we’re celebrating the birthday of America but there are people who are not invited to the party. There are people who are still left out. So how do we, in this generation, show that all men and women are created equal?” she said. “And not only in word and ideal but in deed and thought and how we legislate and how we live and embrace each other.”

    Mother Bethel AME Mass choir performing as part of @wxpnfm.bsky.social Red, White & Blue music series in Philly today.

    — Stephanie Farr (@farfarraway.bsky.social) 2026-07-02T18:27:27.324Z

    — Stephanie Farr

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 5:10pm

    At Independence Hall, Hakeem Jeffries said it was important to speak about the history of slavery in America

    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington in May.J. Scott Applewhite

    During his speech Thursday afternoon at Independence Hall, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries underscored the country’s history of slavery that coexisted during the nation’s founding. He also emphasized that Americans have no king and should never obey one. He said it was important to speak to those themes to remind people of the founders’ ideals.

    “The Declaration of Independence was pretty clear as a defiant document in breaking away from King George III and establishing a country where there would be representative democracy based on the consent of the government, where there are no subjects, only citizens,” he said.

    The city of Philadelphia and President Donald Trump’s administration have been embroiled in a battle over language that references George Washington, who enslaved people as the country gained its independence.

    Jeffries said he has not had a chance to see the updated language yet.

    “But I think it’s important for us to embrace the fact that America was not born as a perfect country, but the framers and the founders of our great republic were able to set us on a path toward always marching to a more perfect union,” he said.

    Only a few Republicans, including U.S. Reps. Glenn Thompson and Rob Aderholt, attended Thursday’s session. No members of Republican leadership in Congress attended.

    “Speaker Johnson, I didn’t get an opportunity to talk about why he wasn’t present here today, but I’m thankful that I was here, and it’s a very special day that I will,” he said, referring to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.).

    Thompson, a Republican who represents Pennsylvania, said he was proud to attend Thursday’s event: “Oh, who would not want to be a part of celebrating the actual 250th anniversary of our independence?”

    Several speeches during the special Congressional session emphasized the need for Congress to remain an independent branch and exercise its authority to check power on the executive. To Thompson, the remarks seemed ”a little political,” he said, “but it is an excellent observation, whenever we don’t have a king, we can thank George Washington for that.”

    The 250th anniversary gathering of Congress at Independence Hall touches on divided times, uneven history

    — Michelle Baruchman

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 5:01pm

    Philly performances by Jill Scott, The Roots will be featured on CBS primetime special July 4th

    Fil photo of Jill Scott performing at The Met on March 16, 2023.Charles Fox / Staff Photographer

    CBS will highlight performances in Philadelphia by Jill Scott and The Roots during a three-hour “primetime” televised special July 4th, the network announced Thursday.

    CBS will broadcast from 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday The Great American Block Party 250 from 8 to 11 p.m. hosted from the nation’s capital by CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil and Entertainment Tonight co-host Nischelle Turner, the network said.

    The special, which will be streamed on Paramount+ and CBS News 24/7, will feature musical performance from across the country, “grill sessions” with Washington chef Rock Harper, and a big fireworks show.

    The performances by Jill Scott and The Roots are part of the scheduled One Philly Unity Concert for America in Philadelphia.

    The Philly concert also will be aired by NBC10.

    — Robert Moran

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 3:37pm

    Members of Congress gather at Independence Hall

    Jarquiza Ayers, on the staff of U.S. Rep. Watson Coleman, uses a handheld fan to cool off U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, seated In Congress Hall at Independence Hall on Thursday before some 30-40 members of the House of Representatives gathered for a ceremonial event to mark the 250th anniversary of the day the Second Continental Congress voted for independence.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Members of the U.S. Congress lined up Thursday to enter Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the site where, 250 years ago, the Second Continental Congress gathered to declare independence from Great Britain. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R., Pa.) opened the ceremonial event, saying “the origins of our republic trace back to Pennsylvania.”

    In speeches, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries reminded attendees of the history of the founders’ goals that America has no king, and that what would become the legislative branch is separate from the executive and acts as a check on power.

    Members of both parties attended, wearing suits and waving fans — a sign of the 100-degree heat outside the Hall in Philadelphia.

    Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Democrat whose district includes Independence Hall, had worked for two years to convene a special Congressional ceremonial event to mark the 250th anniversary of the vote to declare independence.

    He motioned to pass into the Congressional record that reads: “The members of Congress present on this day come together in the spirit of unity and celebration … to reflect on the best of our nation’s founding ideals.”

    About 30 members of Congress attended the special meeting.

    Following a benediction from Rep. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), the special session adjourned.

    — Michelle Baruchman

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 1:59pm

    Extreme heat leads to canceled and postponed July 4 plans across South Jersey

    Countless parades, fireworks, drone shows, and more are scheduled for this weekend to celebrate the Fourth of July and the nation’s 250th birthday across South Jersey, but extreme heat is complicating plans.

    With temperatures forecast to exceed 100 degrees through Independence Day, some South Jersey towns are taking steps to keep residents out of the heat — even if it means canceling their annual holiday events.

    Others that haven’t taken any major steps yet are advising residents to stay hydrated and out of the direct sunlight as much as possible over the weekend.

    Here are some South Jersey towns that have announced changes to their Fourth of July celebrations.

    — Lacey Latch

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 1:46pm

    Essentials carted in ahead of ceremonial Congressional event

    The seal of the U.S. House of Representatives waits outside Independence Hall Thursday, July 2, before some 30 to 40 members of Congress gather for a ceremonial event to mark the 250th anniversary of the day the Second Continental Congress voted for independence.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    — Tom Gralish

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 1:42pm

    Philly temperature hits 100

    Visitors to the Liberty Bell, in Philadelphia, July 2, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    For the 63rd time in records dating to 1874, the temperature reached 100 degrees on Thursday afternoon, officially in Philadelphia, and the heat index jumped to 109 at 1 p.m.

    The forecast high, 103, would match a record for a July 2, set back in 1901 when the nation was marking its 125th birthday,

    While summers have become warmer in Philadelphia, 100-degree readings have been relatively scarce this century.

    On average, temperatures of 100 or higher have occurred every four years in Philly, but when it reached 100 last summer, that was the first time in 13 years, the longest 100-less stretch on record.

    It had reached 100 in three consecutive summers ending in 2012, and five consecutive years ending in 1955.

    Things may change tomorrow; it might get a little warmer.

    Missing January yet?

    — Anthony R. Wood

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 1:38pm

    More than 100 mayors learn about historical significance of July 2nd, 1776, at Museum of the American Revolution

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker interacts with visiting mayors on July 2.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    More than 100 mayors, some with families in tow, gathered in a small auditorium in the Museum of the American Revolution and learned about the historical significance of this day 250 years ago.

    On July 2, 1776, 12 of the 13 colonies voted in favor of independence from Great Britain, explained Tom Cochran, U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and executive director. Only New York cast a no vote until a few days later, when it got on board as well.

    “We talk about the Declaration, we talk about the Constitution, it was on that day, July 2nd … that we broke,” Cochran said.

    He put the work that political leaders executed on that day two and a half centuries ago in terms the modern-day U.S. mayors would understand.

    The resolution the officials voted on in 1776 “didn’t have 35 whereas clauses,” Cochran explained, as are common in modern-day resolutions reviewed in local government chambers. This resolution, he explained, only had one clause.

    “Resolved, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states,” Cochran said, quoting the resolution.

    It was only in coming together and sharing ideas that the representatives from across the colonies accomplished an extraordinary thing. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker urged the mayors at the symposium to do the same at this meeting.

    “May today’s conversations strengthen old friendships, spark new ideas, and renew our shared commitment to public service,” Parker said. “Welcome to Philadelphia, everyone. Let’s roll up our sleeves and continue the hard work together.”

    — Dana Munro

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 1:29pm

    Floats, dance, and a lot of sun: Pomp & Parade winds through historic district

    A member of Gente de Venezuela Philly marches through Independence Mall during the Red, White, & Blue To-Do Pomp & Parade event on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Philadelphia.Aidan Gallo / Staff Photographer

    Performers from neighborhoods across Philadelphia and nations around the world weren’t slowed down by oppressive temperatures Thursday as they marched, stepped, and danced their way down Independence Mall in the Red, White & Blue To-Do Pomp & Parade.

    The extreme heat did seem to have an effect on attendance, though. Crowds were relatively light along the parade route this year, particularly in areas without shade, of which there are many along the mall.

    The parade featured cultural groups like Gente de Venezuela Philly, whose members waved Venezuelan and American flags; Banda Escolar de Guayanilla, a marching band from Puerto Rico; the Indiana County Fife & Drum Corps, who brought the history in tricorn hats, and the West Powelton Steppers & Drum Squad, who brought the beat in the heat.

    Participants pulled wagons featuring small floats of Independence Hall, the LOVE sculpture, and the Liberty Bell, and a historical interpreter portraying John Adams brought up the rear of the procession.

    Despite its name, the parade was a living illustration that this country’s true colors aren’t just red, white, and blue — this nation is a diverse tapestry of vibrant, beautiful hues.

    Pastor Funmi Obilana of RCCG Church in West Philly stopped to watch the parade with two other members of her congregation on their way to the President’s House Site. The three women were doing a walking tour of their own city Thursday, stopping at places where their ancestors were once enslaved in advance of Independence Day.

    “We are here to pray for this city and this nation,” Obilana said. “Two-hundred-and-fifty years is a big number and it should be a new beginning, not only for Philadelphia, but for the nation.”

    Christian Greene, 14, and fellow members of the Indiana County Fife and Drum Corps, a music group for 6th-12th grade students in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, wait for their bus back home after the parade ends in front of the YO statue on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Philadelphia.Aidan Gallo / Staff Photographer

    Lori Morgan and her three daughters traveled from Seattle to celebrate the Red, White & Blue To-Do in Philly before heading to Boston for July 4th.

    “We knew we wanted to do something historic for the 250th so we thought ‘Let’s go to Philadelphia on July 2, since this is where it all happened,” she said.

    The family toured Independence Hall Wednesday, and Morgan said it gave them a new perspective on the days and people that led to the founding of our nation.

    “We really thought about how when they did the Declaration it was a hot summer and this weather is helping us empathize with what they went through. It was difficult for them with the heat and tempers and they had to pull it together,” Morgan said. “I just think about those men and they all had different ideas, just like we do today, but they knew they couldn’t fail and they had to come together, and they did.”

    Dance4Life from Claymont, Del, in Philly’s Red, White & Blue To-Do parade today

    — Stephanie Farr (@farfarraway.bsky.social) 2026-07-02T17:35:33.413Z

    Behind Independence Hall Thursday, where the shade was plentiful, National Park Service rangers, colonial reenactors, and independent guides led several large groups on tours and gave information talks.

    Lines for both Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell snaked down the sides of their respective buildings. Directly in front of Independence Hall on the mall, FOX Sports appeared to be setting up a large broadcast booth that an employee said will be used for coverage of the July 4th World Cup game in the city.

    Philadelphians also got their side hustle on around the mall, selling everything from 250th flags to homemade buttons that read “Make America humane again” and “Deport ICE.”

    — Stephanie Farr

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 12:29pm

    What state candidates for governor are doing on Independence Day

    (use as desired) Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro shakes hand of Stacy Garrity, 78th State Treasurer, Forum Auditorium, Harrisburg, PA, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Day of her swearing in.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor, will be spending her July Fourth marching in the Susquehanna County parade Saturday, a spokesperson told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

    It’s one of many events planned throughout the commonwealth to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary of its founding.

    Her Democratic opponent, Gov. Josh Shapiro, meanwhile, will appear from sunup to sundown at events throughout the city — as well as frequent television hits.

    Shapiro has repeatedly raised concern that President Donald Trump has led the nation astray from its founders’ design and initially announced that Pennsylvania would not take part in Trump’s Great American State Fair, before Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators, Republican Dave McCormick and Democrat John Fetterman, made a push to fill the state’s empty exhibit. Garrity, in a statement, said Shapiro is the “only career politician who has politicized America 250.”

    — Michelle Baruchman

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 11:48am

    📷 Images of the nation’s 250th birthday

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 11:42am

    Watch artists prepare floats for Philadelphia’s Salute to Independence Parade

    — Lauren Schneiderman

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 11:32am

    March featuring mayors from across the country heads through Historic District

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker leads bipartisan mayors from communities across the nation in a Historic March of America’s Mayors through the birthplace of American democracy, and past Independence Hall, in Philadelphia, July 2, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    In the sweltering shadeless heat of Independence Mall, more than 100 mayors from small towns and big cities across the country disembarked from coach buses donning large white sashes reading “mayor” and styling various patriotic yet professional sundresses and suits.

    After a quick photo opp, the crowd of local leaders made its way down Market Street and turned at Sixth Street at the President’s House.

    “Hit the music!” someone from the group joked.

    Despite no accompaniment, scorching temperatures, and differing political alignments, the mayors quickly befriended one another, many bonding over a shared connection of a city or state.

    “There’s so many Michigan mayors here,” one said. “It’s great to be in the city of brotherly love,” someone else from the group shouted to the spectators.

    Visitors along the mall, some beating the heat with portable fans or umbrellas for shade, waved and welcomed them while one man followed them juggling.

    Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker led the charge from the President’s House site to Independence Hall to a collective sigh of relief when the sweat-laden group entered the Museum of the American Revolution for a symposium.

    “At a time when too much in our country pulls people apart, mayors have a different responsibility starting with bringing people together,” Parker said. “We share the same mission to serve our people, solve problems and strengthen the communities we are privileged to lead. We fully believe there is no better place for that reminder than Philadelphia because this city tells America’s whole story, no matter how imperfect it may be.”

    — Dana Munro

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 10:12am

    Strong storms are possible Saturday night

    The National Weather Service sees a 50-50 chance of thunderstorms Saturday night, and some of them may become quite strong.

    On Thursday, the federal Severe Storm Prediction Center, in Norman, Okla., increased the probability of severe storms — those with wind gusts up to 60 mph — to 15%.

    Forecasters warned that predicting the timing, location, and ferocity of storms would be impossible two days out.

    On average, thunderstorms occur every five days in July in Philadelphia, the peak month of the year.

    — Anthony R. Wood

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 10:11am

    Advocates to host Black Independence Day gathering on Independence Mall on July 4

    Avenging The Ancestors Coalition, the advocacy group that pushed to create and maintain the President’s House exhibit memorializing the nine people enslaved by George Washington in his Philadelphia home, will host a Black Independence Day gathering on Independence Mall on July 4.

    The event on the nation’s 250th birthday comes as the walls of President’s House remain mostly bare following President Donald Trump’s abrupt removal of the exhibit’s interpretive panels in January. A Philadelphia-based federal appeals court gave the National Park Service a green light to install its own proposed panels. But the future of the site remains in limbo because of litigation out of Boston.

    The event is slated to include reflections on freedom and independence, and an update on the legal battle surrounding the slavery memorial, and a call to action.

    As the country celebrates the Founding Fathers’ “righteous battle” against tyranny, it’s important to also acknowledge slavery, said Michael Coard, a coalition founding member.

    “You can’t truly love something unless you truly know it,” Coard said. “Until Americans acknowledge and address that bad and especially that ugly, they will never know, and therefore can never love, America.”

    The group will meet at the grassy area adjacent to the memorial, which is on the corner of Sixth and Market Streets, at 1 p.m. Saturday.

    Philadelphia’s historic sites draw tourists from around the world. They’re getting an incomplete version of the President’s House.

    — Abraham Gutman

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 9:59am

    Philadelphia shipwrights handbuilt a replica of the boat Washington used to cross the Delaware. It’s on display now.

    The team at the Seaport Boat Shop at Independence Seaport Museum has built a full-scale replica of the Durham boat — the model of boat George Washington used to cross the Delaware with his Patriot troops on Christmas in 1776.

    The boat got its name because it was used to transport iron from Durham Ironworks in Bucks County to Philadelphia. It is on display in Washington Crossing Historic Park.

    Philadelphia shipwrights handbuilt a replica of the boat Washington used to cross the Delaware. Yes, you can climb on it.

    — Morgan Ritter, Lauren Schneiderman

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 9:26am

    Living Liberty Bell takes shape on Liberty Mall

    Two hundred and fifty participants gather to create the Living Liberty Bell to form the shape of the famous bell on Independence Mall adorned in red, white, and blue, at Independence Hall.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    Kicking off Red, White & Blue To-Do at 7 a.m. Thursday, 250 people gathered at Liberty Mall to make a “living Liberty Bell.”

    (Left to right) McKenzie Kerry, Kate Dimmett, and Reagan Earlywine, stand with other participants who gathered to create the Living Liberty Bell.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    Participants wore red, white, and blue (naturally) and included Tess Ferm, Miss America’s Teen from South Carolina, and former city representative Sheila Hess.

    Participants gather to create the Living Liberty Bell.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    The human formation even captured the bell’s signature crack through an outline of participants wearing blue.

    A little later and just down the road, bells rang out at the Betsy Ross House and the official flags rose to signal the beginning of a day’s worth of festivities.

    — Emily Bloch

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 8:04am

    Thursday events include a parade, concert, and drone show

    Locals and tourists alike are set to brave 100-degree-plus temperatures to attend the Red, White & Blue To-Do — Philadelphia’s third-annual celebration of the day the Second Continental Congress voted here on July 2, 1776, to adopt a resolution of independence from Great Britain — all day Thursday.

    Founding Father John Adams believed July 2 would be celebrated for generations to come with “Pomp and Parade,” but July 4, when Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, got all of the glory and became the day we mark the founding of our country.

    Adams’ prognostication in a letter to his wife, Abigail, didn’t come to fruition until 2024, when the Philadelphia Historic District Partners — a coalition of more than 30 institutions, museums, and attractions — heeded his call and created a packed day of festivities across Old City in advance of this year’s Semiquincentennial.

    Thursday’s events begin at 7 a.m. with 250 people forming the outline of a “Living Liberty Bell” on Independence Mall and will conclude at 10 p.m. with the “Independence Illumination Drone Show” over the mall.

    Highlights include the Red, White & Blue To-Do Pomp & Parade, which begins at 11 a.m. at the National Constitution Center and passes by Independence Hall, and the 8 p.m. Wawa Welcome America Salute to Service concert with Queen Latifah and the United States Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus.

    In between, attendees can stop in and cool off at attractions across the city that will host events, like colonial chocolate making at the Betsy Ross House and a scavenger hunt at the Independence Seaport Museum. From 2 to 5 p.m., more than two dozen Philadelphia musicians will perform at 11 locations across the city as part of WXPN Welcomes the Red, White & Blue To-Do Music Series.

    Here’s the full Red, White & Blue To-Do schedule

    — Stephanie Farr

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 7:40am

    Congress to mark 250th anniversary of vote for independence

    Historic Interpreter, Lane Norris, as Alexander Hamilton, outside Independence Hall earlier this month.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    Members of Congress will gather Thursday at Independence Hall for a ceremonial event to mark the 250th anniversary of the day the Second Continental Congress voted for independence.

    U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Philadelphia Democrat whose district includes the historic site, had worked for years to set up a joint session of Congress — an extremely rare occurrence outside Washington, D.C., since 1800 — on the anniversary.

    Thursday’s event will not be a formal joint session. But members of both parties will come together in Congress Hall, the room where the legislative branch convened before relocating to Washington.

    First, they’ll proceed into the room with lawmakers from the original 13 states entering first, Boyle said in an interview with the Washington-based streaming network 535. Lawmakers will also tour the Liberty Bell and the time capsule set to be buried on July 4, Boyle said.

    “It’s no secret that our politics are more polarized today than at any moment in our lifetime. The way the House has been operating in recent years completely reflects that,” Boyle told The Inquirer in a recent interview. “So for us as members of Congress from both parties to come together, put partisanship aside and focus on national unity, I think that’s something that is incredibly positive.”

    Organizers are not publicly releasing details about the Congressional gathering, like timing or who’s expected to attend, citing security concerns.

    — Sam Janesch

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 7:35am

    Lightning injuries are rare, but an expert says the Parkway is an especially risky venue on July 4

    In the grand casino of the atmosphere, scheduling outdoor events on July Fourth in the Philly region is almost always going to be a rolling of the bones.

    And on the day Philadelphia and the rest of the national are holding a mass 250th birthday party, the odds may be dicier than usual, with thunderstorms and accompanying lightning possible Saturday afternoon and night, forecasters say.

    July happens to be the peak month for lightning-bearing thunderstorms in Philadelphia, occurring every five days on average, and who doesn’t want to be outside on the Fourth?

    As if record-challenging heat and an atmosphere that feels like syrup weren’t enough.

    Lightning injuries and fatalities are rare — on average in the last decade, 20 people have been killed annually by lightning in the United States, according to the National Weather Service. But among outdoor events with large crowds across the country, Philly’s July Fourth concert would be among the riskiest for lightning, according to Stephen Strader, disaster specialist at Villanova University.

    “It’s way up there, a lot higher than I thought it was,” he said.

    Lightning injuries are rare, but an expert says the Parkway is an especially risky venue on July 4

    — Anthony R. Wood

    // Timestamp 07/02/26 7:30am

    Mayor Parker defends decision to host July 4th Parkway concert despite dangerous heat and high price tag

    Mayor of Philadelphia Cherelle Parker speaks during a news conference about the July 4 concert.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Wednesday defended the city’s upcoming July Fourth concert, a seven-hour outdoor spectacle featuring performances from Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott and The Roots, amid concerns over the nearly 100-degree forecast and revelations that the event will cost taxpayers millions more than in years past.

    The city has dealt with high temperatures before and has battle-tested personnel and protocols prepared for the evening, Parker told reporters at a news conference in front of the stage at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps.

    She also addressed the detractors head on.

    “I do not apologize to anyone about making sure that the city of Philadelphia, as the sixth largest city in the nation, the birthplace of democracy, we were going to have a celebration that is fitting to and for our historical significance and prominence,” Parker said. “One that could be seen, respected and honored not just in our city and commonwealth and nation but in the world.”

    Parker described the concert as the largest July Fourth concert in the city’s history. For an occasion as momentous as the nation’s 250th anniversary in the city that bills itself the birthplace of America, Parker said Philadelphia must rise to the occasion and prove it can achieve ambitious undertakings.

    Parker said her administration scaled up the experience including moving the stage back to accommodate an estimated 300,000 concertgoers, and made the stage larger.

    “We won’t get a second chance to do this over again, Philadelphia,” Parker said. “We only turn 250 years old once in a lifetime.”

    Mayor Parker defends decision to host July 4th Parkway concert despite dangerous heat and high price tag

    — Dana Munro, Anna Orso

    // LiveBlog Name: 250th in Philly

    // RelatedLink Text: Reenactors prepare URL: https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/a/historical-reenactors-philadelphia-america-250-preparation-20260629.html

    // RelatedLink Text: Trump impact URL: https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/donald-trump-250-anniversary-polarization-20260629.html

    // RelatedLink Text: Suburban events URL: https://www.inquirer.com/politics/nation/america-250-events-philadelphia-suburbs-history-20260628.html

    // RelatedLink Text: Concert guide URL: https://www.inquirer.com/arts/philadelphia-july-4-concert-fireworks-guide-schedule-lineup-meek-mill-christina-aguilera-20260701.html

  • The biggest U.S. commemorations happen when we need them the most

    Though much has changed since America’s last notable birthday in 1976, there are many echoes of the Bicentennial’s circumstances and its opportunities in 2026. In yet another time of uncertainty and pessimism, this 250th birthday, like the Bicentennial 50 years ago, offers Americans an opportunity to reconsider their connection to the past and their vision for the future.

    The Bicentennial babies are turning 50 this year.

    Following one of the most fractious decades in American history, the years approaching the Bicentennial were marked by upheaval. In 1973, the OAPEC oil embargo created a gas crisis that contributed to a global recession and inflation as high as 12%. American lost confidence in their leaders, especially after Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency in August 1974, following two years of fallout over the Watergate scandal. The rights revolution of the previous decade brought issues such as race, gender, and sexuality into mainstream media. Countless laws and social norms changed, sparking backlash among conservatives.

    These circumstances caused many Americans to wonder what was worth celebrating in 1976. Many marginalized groups questioned whether they should celebrate the Bicentennial at all. A broad array of social and civil rights movements seized on the Bicentennial as an opportunity to challenge the triumphal narrative familiar to so many Americans. Their efforts brought into stark relief the paradoxical relationship between the rhetoric surrounding the nation’s founding and its history of oppression. And the conversations that emerged around confronting this more complicated history shaped the Bicentennial’s commemoration and its longer-term impact.

    The circumstances surrounding America’s 250th anniversary are strikingly similar. Political scandals have threatened to engulf the current administration, as the nation has again found itself mired in an unpopular foreign war and a gas crisis, with prices nearly doubling in the last year. Years of inflation have led to a cost-of-living crisis for many Americans. And the last twenty-five years have produced an even greater distrust of institutions such as the government, the media, and the church. A recent Pew Research Center poll shows that nearly 60% of Americans think the nation’s best years are behind us. As during the Bicentennial in 1976, many Americans are again wondering what about the nation’s past and present is worth celebrating.

    Challenging circumstances, however, are not unique to the last two anniversaries. In 1876, Americans commemorated the Centennial in the wake of an economic panic in 1873, increased immigration, the end of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow, and a constitutional crisis brought about that year by one of the most fiercely contested presidential elections in the nation’s history. In such circumstances, the 1876 commemorations looked toward the future. They were marked by a growing sense of the United States being poised as an industrial power to take its place on the world stage, and by the efforts of African Americans and suffragists to realize a future of equal citizenship and rights.

    In contrast, there was much less enthusiasm during America’s 150th in 1926. With the economy booming, many Americans of the roaring 20s did not need the anniversary. In other words, anniversaries of the Revolution have mattered most during the nation’s most trying times. When the American experiment seems closest to failure, we have used our anniversaries to engage in conversations about the meaning of the past and the future we want to create.

    Federal funding also impacts how these anniversaries are celebrated, and in that regard, the Bicentennial and the 250th could not be more different. In the 1970s, the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration gave countless grants to small groups, institutions, and projects across the country. Those grants helped fund local programs, the preservation of local historical sites, and the creation of new sites and museums. In the years leading up to 250, however, there has been a rapid change in the federal funding landscape for historical sites and projects.

    Made By History sponsors. FOR USE ON MADE BY HISTORY STORIES ONLY.Inquirer Staff

    Significant cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities and other agencies have meant fewer grants and resources to support similar local and historical projects like in the years leading up to 1976. As a result, institutions, historical sites, and museums—large and small—have had to take it upon themselves to both produce and fund meaningful programming for the public. From larger institutions like the Museum of the American Revolution to countless institutions in small towns and counties across the country, Americans have been forced to take responsibility for commemorating 250 for themselves and their fellow citizens. But following the model of 1976, they are working to foster conversations about the complexity of the past alongside visions of the future. And as with the Bicentennial, the greatest opportunities for reconnecting with the nation will come from the work done at the local level.

    Ultimately, the 250th is not just a historical anniversary; it is a civic opportunity. And that opportunity is not limited to July 4, 2026. Revolutionary anniversaries will continue on the national and local levels for more than a decade, eventually culminating with the bicentennials of the Constitution in 2037 and the Bill of Rights in 2039. And like the bicentennials for those events, these 250th commemorations will provide a platform for Americans to reconsider what the revolution and its ideals mean to them in the present moment. The work done by independent and local institutions and organizations across the country will again give Americans the tools and the impetus to engage with the past in meaningful ways. When we seize those opportunities, we become part of the nation’s long tradition of using our anniversaries of the Revolution to imagine a new and better future.

    Michael D. Hattem is the author of The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History and is an America250 Media Fellow of the Jack Miller Center.

    The “Road to 250” series is an initiative of Historians for 2026, a group of early American academics, public historians, archivists, and educators devoted to shaping an accurate, inclusive, and just public memory of the American Founding for the 250th anniversary.

    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.

  • July in Philly has become 4.4 degrees hotter since 1940 on average. Nights are even warmer.

    July in Philly has become 4.4 degrees hotter since 1940 on average. Nights are even warmer.

    Philadelphians sweated through Julys in the 1940s, brooding over World War II as temperatures averaged in the mid-to-upper 70s, including nighttime lows.

    Today, as the city prepares to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, they swelter under average July temperatures of around 80 degrees — and those nighttimes have gotten warmer.

    Over the past 85 years, Julys in Philadelphia are running on average 4.4 degrees warmer than in 1940, based on an analysis of historical weather data. That translates to an increase of about 0.52 degrees per decade.

    (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})();

    Nights are even toastier, showing a rise of 4.8 degrees over the same time period.

    (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})();

    “Science shows that while summer heat is nothing new, climate change is pushing it beyond what we’ve experienced in the past,” Zachary Labe, a climate scientist at the nonprofit Climate Central, said in an email.

    The Inquirer used 1940 as a base year in its analysis because it is the oldest year for consistent records at Philadelphia International Airport. The data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Regional Climate Centers ends at July 2025.

    The data does not include this July, which could set records.

    105 degrees possible

    The National Weather has issued an extreme heat warning with possible record highs starting Thursday and heading into the July 4 weekend.

    And Philadelphia has declared a heat emergency, activating the city’s pioneering heat-response system.

    Philly declares a heat emergency and Welcome America alters events as 100-degree temperatures loom

    High temperatures Thursday, Friday, and Independence Day are all forecast to top 100 degrees and threaten daily records. The current record highs for those dates are 103 degrees for Thursday, 104 for Friday, and 103 for the Fourth.

    The record-warmest lows are 82, 77, and 79 for those days respectively, according to data from the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly office.

    The weather service says dangerously hot conditions with heat index values between 100 and 110 degrees are expected each day. Very warm low temperatures in the mid-70s to the low 80s at night won’t offer much relief, the office noted.

    When combined, multiple days of such high temperatures and humidity will exacerbate impacts, say those meteorologists. The hottest conditions are expected Thursday through Friday.

    Climate change

    Although it’s difficult to pin any single heat wave to climate change, the majority of climate scientists say the burning of fossil fuels has led to ever-increasing amounts of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and transformed the climate.

    The Princeton-based Climate Center says human activities have warmed the planet by about 1.2°C (2.2°F) above pre-industrial levels. The Princeton-based organization of scientists says that since 1970, July has warmed in 94% of the 243 U.S. cities it studied. Temperatures for the month have risen by 2.6 degrees on average.

    “That includes hotter and more humid nights like those this week, which raise health risks because the body has less time to cool down and recover,” Labe said.

    A big impact on cities

    Excessive heat hits urban areas like Philadelphia hard, said Mathy Stanislaus, of the Philadelphia Climate Justice Collective.

    The collective is a partnership of the Mantua Civic Association, SEAMAAC, Esperanza, Overbrook Environmental Education Center, and the Environmental Collaboratory at Drexel University. Stanislaus is vice provost and executive director of The Environmental Collaboratory.

    In the most densely populated, least tree-lined parts of Philadelphia temperatures can soar 20 degrees higher than in greener, wealthier neighborhoods, he notes.

    That’s because of the heat island effect, which occurs when cities are significantly warmer than surrounding areas because of the lack of tree canopy combined with high concentrations of heat-absorbing pavement, dark roofs, and buildings.

    It’s something many people in the suburbs, or wealthier areas, might not think about, Stanislaus said.

    “I don’t think people realize the gravity of the circumstances for lower income urban communities who have an affordability crisis compounded by the heat crisis,” he said.

    Stanislaus said some households in the city don’t have air-conditioning, and those that do can face a choice as to whether they should use it or not.

    “Even if they have an AC, they may not be able to afford to actually run it,” he said.

    According to a report by the collective, Philadelphia households overall on average spend about 6.7% of their income on energy, but that the burden is much higher for Black and Hispanic households. The poor conditions of many homes because of their age contribute to the strain.

    Stanislaus says temperatures strain critical public and healthcare systems.

    He credits Philadelphia for its array of cooling centers, pools, and spraygrounds. But, he said, many residents are not aware of them or lack transportation. He’d like to see more money devoted to public awareness during heat waves.

    In addition, he said healthcare systems need more staff trained in heat-related care and education, as well as better tracking heat-related illnesses and deaths.

    There has been one death attributed to heat so far this year, according to data from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. In the past two decades, the biggest number of deaths came in 2011 and 11 with 35. But the city has upped its response measurably since then and the number of deaths has trended down.

    Stanislaus believes heat-related deaths and illnesses are underreported.

    “There’s an urgency to heat,” Stanislaus said. “We need to meet the moment.”

  • Police searched Olney home last summer, but drugs — not missing women — were the focus

    Police searched Olney home last summer, but drugs — not missing women — were the focus

    About a year before police raided a crumbling Olney twin in connection to a missing woman last month, Philadelphia narcotics officers scoured Eugene Horsch’s basement and found telltale signs of a drug dealer.

    Firefighters had responded to a small blaze on the second floor of the property on May 18, 2025, alerting police to what they said was a sprawling marijuana grow operation. And when narcotics cops searched the home later that morning, court records show they recovered a modified fully automatic assault rifle with an obliterated serial number, a sawed-off shotgun, a pistol, and ammunition.

    The top floor was filled with cannabis plants, tents, and UV lights, with exposed wires running between the floors and into the basement, where vats of chemicals were stored, apparently to “cultivate marijuana,” the records said.

    The police report detailing the drug bust at the Olney house made no mention of missing women, despite the fact that concerned relatives and friends had told police years earlier that at least two women who stayed at the house had vanished.

    Now, the disappearance of one of those women, Blair Tonzelli, is central to an ongoing search at the property, where police found fake IDs and bank cards in her name, among other disturbing evidence.

    That law enforcement did not appear to connect the missing women to the search for drugs at the same address raises questions about whether the officers who searched the property last summer were aware of the two missing persons cases. The Philadelphia Police Department declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

    Police began reexamining Tonzelli’s disappearance on June 19 after arresting Horsch, whose companion had a fake ID in her name. Investigators reinterviewed witnesses and viewed footage of a statement given in February 2023 by Tonzelli’s friend, who told officers Tonzelli was last seen at 417 W. Chew Ave. Police have also revisited the 2016 disappearance of Amy McHale — the ex-wife of Horsch’s father, erotic filmmaker Raymond C. Horsch — whose mother said she vanished from the Olney home.

    Gloria McHale, Amy’s mother, said she was surprised to learn that police had searched the property for drugs in 2025.

    “I wish they would have looked deeper,” she said.

    Police have not charged Horsch with any crimes linked to missing women. He has been jailed since his arrest last month on $500,000 bail for gun and drug charges, as federal and local police prepare to excavate the property in search of more evidence.

    His attorney, Jerome Brown, declined comment. Brown has previously said police had interviewed Raymond Horsch several times over the years about McHale’s disappearance.

    When local and federal law enforcement officers searched Horsch’s home last month in connection to the missing women, police said they again found guns, ammo, and drugs. More troubling, according to police records, is that they also found a “significant amount” of blood, a handwritten letter referencing serial killer Ted Bundy, and fake IDs and bank cards in Tonzelli’s name.

    The latest search began after police arrested Horsch in his black BMW with an array of weapons, drugs, and a woman donning a fake ID in Tonzelli’s name. A sworn affidavit to initiate the search includes witness testimony that suggested Horsch was a “sociopath” who knew how to dispose of human remains.

    But it was a fire that brought police to Horsch’s property one morning in May 2025.

    Eugene had been living in the twin with two other women, including his father’s longtime companion, Krista M. Killen. City firefighters said the small blaze was started by “careless smoking” on the second floor, according to Horsch’s arrest report. While extinguishing the fire, a fire marshal and police patrolman on the scene discovered a “marijuana grow operation” on the home’s third floor and basement.

    Officers with the PPD Narcotics Strike Force later searched the home and seized 26 pounds of marijuana, 131 grams of dried mushrooms, $1,200 worth of methamphetamine, $800 cash, and “numerous gold colored and silver” coins in a safe, records show.

    Police also recovered a BCI Defense AR-15 style rifle modified to be fully automatic, a 12-gauge Stevens Model 67 pump-action shotgun with a sawed-off barrel, a 9mm Girsan MC28 pistol and more than a hundred rounds of ammunition. The serial numbers had been destroyed on all three firearms, according to records.

    Horsch had previous felony convictions for drug manufacturing charges and was not legally allowed to own firearms. He was arrested and held on $750,000 bail for manufacturing drugs, illegal gun possession, and related crimes.

    Brown, the family attorney, told a judge that the weapons belonged to Horsch’s father, who had died just three days before the drug raid. Brown said Eugene Horsch was planning to properly dispose of the firearms, according to a spokesperson for District Attorney Larry Krasner.

    His health became a factor in determining an appropriate resolution to the case. Sources familiar with the case, who were granted anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the details publicly, said Horsch appeared frail at the time of his 2025 arrest and could barely walk into court.

    Horsch pled guilty to manufacturing drugs, and prosecutors withdrew the additional gun charges. He received three years probation.

    Within months of his release from jail, Horsch would be locked up again.

    In March, police arrested Horsch and charged him with stabbing a man at Eighth and Market Streets. Prosecutors dropped the charges after a witness failed to appear in court, records show, and he was released from lockup in May.

    Three weeks later, U.S. Park Police stopped him in his car near Independence Mall, where they recovered a fake ID in Tonzelli’s name.

    The search of the Olney property continued Wednesday.

  • Mayor Parker defends decision to host July 4th Parkway concert despite dangerous heat and high price tag

    Mayor Parker defends decision to host July 4th Parkway concert despite dangerous heat and high price tag

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Wednesday defended the city’s upcoming July Fourth concert, a seven-hour outdoor spectacle featuring performances from Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott, The Roots, and more, amid concerns over the nearly 100-degree forecast and revelations that the event will cost taxpayers millions more than in years past.

    The city has dealt with high temperatures before and has battle-tested personnel and protocols prepared for the evening, Parker told reporters at a news conference in front of the stage at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps.

    She also addressed the detractors head on.

    “I do not apologize to anyone about making sure that the city of Philadelphia, as the sixth-largest city in the nation, the birthplace of democracy, we were going to have a celebration that is fitting to and for our historical significance and prominence,” Parker said. “One that could be seen, respected, and honored, not just in our city and commonwealth and nation but in the world.”

    Mayor Parker changed things up for this year’s July 4th concert — and it’s costing Philly’s taxpayers millions more

    Parker described the concert as the largest July Fourth concert in the city’s history. For an occasion as momentous as the nation’s 250th anniversary in the city that bills itself the birthplace of America, Parker said Philadelphia must rise to the occasion and prove it can achieve ambitious undertakings.

    Parker said her administration scaled up the experience, including moving the stage back to accommodate an estimated 300,000 concertgoers, and made the stage larger.

    “We won’t get a second chance to do this over again, Philadelphia,” Parker said. “We only turn 250 years old once in a lifetime.”

    Ground crews set up speakers on the stage on Wednesday in preparation for the July 4 concert expected to draw thousands to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Parker recalled feeling the mounting pressure to prove Philadelphia could rise to the occasion of honoring the nation’s 250th anniversary shortly after the start of her tenure as mayor.

    “‘Philadelphia lacks ambition. They’re thinking too small. We need a leader. Where is the legacy project?’” Parker recalled from the discourse of the time. “The critics were right. Philadelphia, as the birthplace, we couldn’t do what every other city was doing. We couldn’t just do something that was average, something that was mediocre. What we did had to be a reflection of this moment and our history.”

    Parker’s news conference came hours after The Inquirer reported online that this year’s July Fourth concert will cost taxpayers millions more than in years past because the mayor’s administration hired ESM Productions, a for-profit company, to put on the annual show. For years, the concert has been produced by Welcome America, a nonprofit established by the city.

    The Inquirer reported that the city is set to pay ESM $15.5 million to put on the show, and that last year’s iteration of the Welcome America concert cost the organization about $3 million.

    Parker defended ESM and its founder, Scott Mirkin, as “the gold standard in planning large-scale global events, not just in America but across the world.” And she vowed that the city would produce a “fiscal impact report” after the event to account for how much money the city spent on this year’s festivities.

    Mayor of Philadelphia Cherelle L. Parker speaks during a news conference under a tent Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Philadelphia, outlining public safety and transportation plans ahead of a July 4 concert expected to draw thousands to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    She also noted that former Mayor Jim Kenney put his own stamp on the annual July Fourth concert when he took office in 2016 — and took some heat for it. The Roots had headlined the concert since 2009, but Kenney’s administration went a different direction and The Roots were sidelined.

    Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson didn’t mince words at the time, writing on Facebook that the decision was “arrogance in the HIGHEST order courtesy of your new leader.”

    When Parker took office, she knew she wanted the spotlight back on the beloved local hip-hop group.

    “I’m proud to have The Roots back home,” Parker said.

    In terms of weather and safety, the city has proven this summer that it can host large-scale events in the heat seamlessly, said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel.

    The city has already hosted five World Cup games, which have gone off without a hitch, Bethel said. For the July Fourth event, the department will be executing one of its largest deployments since the papal visit in 2015. That will include hundreds of officers across Center City and many more at the stadium and along the Parkway.

    “I want everybody to come and have a good time. Don’t mess up the party,” Bethel said.

    In order to keep people cool, the city will run 40 air-conditioned cooling centers, 150 pools and spray grounds, enhanced homeless service outreach, and extra fire department medics, said Dominick Mireles, Philadelphia’s deputy managing director for community safety. Along the Parkway, there will be misting fans and shade structures, he added.

    Parker said she’s confident every Philadelphian interested in participating will be able to do so safely and will look back on the day fondly.

    “I want people to remember where they were when America turned 250 years old and what we did here in the place when it all happened,” Parker said.

  • At Hoagie Day, visitors embrace free sandwiches — and the crowds

    At Hoagie Day, visitors embrace free sandwiches — and the crowds

    The hoagie, it seems, not only can be a meal but a civic instrument: pretext and reason to bring huge crowds of people together ahead of July 4th during Wawa Welcome America festivities.

    Organizers said 30,000 turkey hoagies were distributed in front of the National Constitution Center Wednesday for the annual event. The promise of a free sandwich prompted that particular American phenomenon — one of the physical vestiges of the public commons — the manifestation of the free-food zeitgeist.

    Dion Clark said, succinctly, what many in line seemed to be saying in one form or another: “I want to be with the people.”

    Attendees relax and enjoy their free hoagies at Independence Mall during the Wawa Hoagie Day.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    Clark and her husband, who is vegetarian — Wawa was offering only turkey hoagies — had traveled from North Carolina to spend July Fourth in Philadelphia. Asked why they had come, Clark gestured around her: the National Constitution Center in front of her, the Liberty Bell nearby, the city’s founding monuments all around.

    For others, like Jim Elliott, the answer was simpler. He lives nearby, and had come for the free hoagies, although, he added, “the hoagies are not the best.”

    Sheylin Walker has been coming to Wawa Hoagie Day for seven years. Every year, she said, she makes sure to wake up by 9 a.m. so she can arrive by 10 before the noon hoagie distribution. “I love the crowd,” she said. “I love the sight — all of these people that are here.”

    For some recent transplants to Philadelphia, the festival seemed to promise not just a free sandwich, but a kind of initiation. Getza Solana, who is 19, and recently moved from Houston to study at Thomas Jefferson University, said that to know Philadelphia, she felt she had to know the hoagie.

    Outside the National Constitution Center, where lines of hoagie tents had been set-up, there is a contained but lush stretch of field: bunches of summer flowers, vines climbing the Visitor Center, a little green relief from the asphalt and the July heat.

    There, people opened their red Wawa bags; some put on the red, white, and blue baseball hats and ate their hoagies. Pop music played from the speakers. The heat felt more bearable. And away from the crush of the line, it became clearer what many had come for: not only the sandwich, but an American picnic of sorts — friends, family, strangers, and the brief pleasure of being among fellow hoagie-eaters.

  • Teen accused of South Philly shooting death of Penn State student was captured in Colorado, 2nd teen remains at large

    Teen accused of South Philly shooting death of Penn State student was captured in Colorado, 2nd teen remains at large

    A teen wanted in the shooting death of Penn State student William “Billy” Schmidt in South Philadelphia last month was apprehended in Colorado, the U.S. Marshals Service said Wednesday night.

    Azzubair Outen-Fleming, 16, was taken into custody in Colorado Springs at the home of a distant relative, the U.S. Marshals Service said. The teen was being housed at the Zebulon Pike Youth Center awaiting extradition to Philadelphia.

    Earlier on Wednesday, District Attorney Larry Krasner announced the arrest of Outen-Fleming’s stepfather for allegedly hindering the police investigation into the slaying of Schmidt.

    Donte Abdulmalik, 35, was charged with hindering apprehension, obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence, and related crimes, Krasner said Wednesday.

    Authorities continue to search for Kaiseem Smith, also 16, who allegedly participated in the robbery and shooting of Schmidt, 22, just steps from his family’s South Philadelphia home on June 6.

    Prosecutors said Abulmalik helped his stepson leave the city. He is not accused of participating in the homicide.

    The teens will face charges of murder, robbery, criminal conspiracy, illegal possession of a firearm, and related offenses, Krasner said.

    He suggested that the investigation could involve others, describing the charges against the two teenagers and Abdulmalik as “a smaller part of a bigger picture.”

    “I am not telling you that these are the only people involved,” Krasner said during a news conference Wednesday. “I’m not telling you that this investigation is over or that we have all the answers yet.”

    Philadelphia police have said Schmidt was walking home when two masked people approached him. During what investigators say was an attempted robbery, one of the suspects — whom Krasner identified as Smith — shot Schmidt.

    Surveillance camera footage shows that one suspect took Schmidt’s phone, prosecutors said Wednesday, then rifled through his pockets before knocking him to the ground.

    Additional footage later shows Schmidt walking behind the suspects, before one throws a phone down the block and the other fires a bullet into Schmidt’s chest.

    Krasner declined to say whether the gun used to kill Schmidt had been recovered.

    Investigators say surveillance cameras captured the suspects before and after the shooting. One was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with a hand-drawn “KONFUSED” logo and a skull-and-crossbones sketched in black marker on the front, according to the footage. After the shooting, police said, both suspects fled wearing white T-shirts.

    Philadelphia police and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force are searching for the remaining teenager. Both agencies have offered rewards for information leading to the arrests of both teens. Krasner said Smith has ties to Philadelphia’s Point Breeze neighborhood and Delaware.

    Anyone with information may contact the U.S. Marshals Service at 1-866-865-8477 or submit a tip online through its website: usmarshals.gov. Tips can also be provided to Philadelphia police at 215-686-3334 or 215-686-8477.

  • SEPTA restores Regional Rail service after derailment caused major delays

    SEPTA restores Regional Rail service after derailment caused major delays

    SEPTA restored Regional Rail service at 3 p.m. Wednesday after major disruptions caused by the midnight derailment of a Manayunk/Norristown train in North Philadelphia.

    Residual delays were expected as the system recovered.

    No injuries were reported when the outbound train went off the rails at the 16th Street Interlocking shortly after midnight, according to SEPTA.

    The incident is under investigation. Crews repaired track damaged in the incident, transit agency spokesperson Andrew Busch said.

    Three suspended lines reopened: Manayunk/Norristown, with 7,779 average daily riders; Fox Chase (2,473 riders) and Chestnut Hill East (3,042 riders).

    On other lines where service was reduced, trains resumed serving all stations, Busch said.

    The accident

    The four-car train was traveling less than 15 mph and carrying 47 passengers and three crew members when the rear axle of the third car derailed just after midnight. Busch said the people aboard declined medical treatment.

    A nearby train brought the passengers to Wayne Junction Station. A shuttle bus pulled out shortly after 1 a.m. and completed the rest of the stops along the Manayunk/Norristown line, Busch said.

    SEPTA crews got the train back on the track and moved around 7 a.m.

    Rail workers also were checking the components of the interlocking, a linked system of signals and switches that allows trains to move from one set of rails to another at a junction.

    Given that the derailment happened in the overnight hours, officials so far do not think that heat was a factor, Busch said. Extreme heat can warp railroad tracks.

    Elsewhere

    The Wednesday delays came on a particularly challenging day for traversing the region. In Old City, road closures abounded as the city celebrated Wawa Welcome America’s Hoagie Day, beginning at noon.

    This is the second train derailment in as many days. A CSX freight train derailed in Bucks County Tuesday evening, causing SEPTA delays that were later resolved. There were no injuries reported.

  • How to see the world’s largest steam locomotive, called Big Boy, in Philly

    How to see the world’s largest steam locomotive, called Big Boy, in Philly

    Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 will arrive in Philadelphia in time for Fourth of July celebrations, completing its journey from the West Coast. The legendary locomotive has already drawn thousands to tracks across Pennsylvania, according to the railroad.

    The Big Boy is scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia for a Fourth of July display at Intrepid Avenue and League Island Boulevard in the Navy Yard, where the Port of Philadelphia will host a public viewing from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and again on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. before heading west. Admission is free.

    The stop is part of Union Pacific’s coast-to-coast tour marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, a commemoration neatly suited to the locomotive itself: enormous, industrial in purpose, and now preserved as national memory.

    On Thursday, the locomotive is scheduled to stop shortly in Reading (1:30 to 2:15 p.m.) and Pottstown (3:30 to 3:45 pm.) for public viewing before traveling to King of Prussia, from where it will depart at 9 a.m. Friday for Philadelphia. It will leave Philly at 9 a.m. Monday.

      (function() {
        var l2 = function() {
          new pym.Parent(‘BIGBOY2.html’,
                         ‘https://media.inquirer.com/storage/inquirer/projects/innovation/arcgis_iframe/BIGBOY2.html’);
        };
        if (typeof(pym) === ‘undefined’) {
          var h = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)[0],
            s = document.createElement(‘script’);
          s.type = ‘text/javascript’;
          s.src = ‘https://pym.nprapps.org/pym.v1.min.js’;
          s.onload = l2;
          h.appendChild(s);
        } else {
          l2();
        }
      })();

    The Big Boys — 133 feet long and weighing 1.2 million pounds — are the world’s-largest steam locomotives. Big Boy No. 4014 was part of a fleet of 25 locomotives designed to haul heavy freight over the mountains between Ogden, Utah, and Cheyenne, Wyo., as rail traffic surged around World War II.

    “There is something romantic about it,” said Robynn Tysver, a spokesperson for Union Pacific. “It echoes back to a time that you and I do not remember. Maybe it’s just the size of it.”

    The restoration project that put Big Boy 4014 back on the track has been called one of the most significant locomotive restoration projects in recent memory by railroad experts. The restoration began in 2013. The locomotive was taken down to its bolts and rebuilt using graphics from 1941, according to Union Pacific.

    Union Pacific’s history reaches back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln chartered the railroad to help build the eastern portion of the first transcontinental line. Built largely by immigrant labor, the railroads that followed connected markets and cities, transformed the West, and made the country feel physically continuous.

    Big Boy No. 4014 carries some of that history with it. It is both machine and symbol: of movement, expansion, industry, memory, and the complicated national faith that bigger could mean better.

    Union Pacific reports that crowd sizes have increased as the locomotive has traveled from California to the East Coast. Though modern locomotives are more durable and have enhanced safety features — for example, AI software to scan tracks for debris — something inarticulable draws people to the Big Boy.

    “You just have to see it to understand what captivates people,” Tysver said. “When you see it, you’ll understand what captivates people. It’s a living, breathing piece of history.”

  • Philly’s July 4 concert makes it harder for World Cup fans to see Rocky

    Philly’s July 4 concert makes it harder for World Cup fans to see Rocky

    As soon as international soccer fans arrived in Philadelphia for the World Cup, they continued a time-honored tradition of gathering en masse at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, thrusting their fists to the sky as Sly Stallone did 50 years ago, and rallying for their team to victory.

    From the thousands of Ecuadorian fans draping soccer jerseys on the Rocky statue, inadvertently cursing the Ecuador national team before it lost to Ivory Coast, to Brazilian fans staging security guards to deter fans from doing the same, and Iraqi fans waving their flags at the top of the steps — Rocky and its picturesque views of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway have been a staple of Philly’s World Cup.

    Temporary fenced walkways were erected for tourists to access the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps and Rocky Statue while the One City: Unity Concert for America stage is under construction on Saturday, June 27, 2026. Some World Cup fans and tourists have remarked on its inconvenience, but are enjoying the Parkway anyway.Henry Savage / Staff

    However, last week, a stage spanning the width of the steps was erected in front of the Rocky statue, leaving two narrow walkways to access the iconic landmark. Metal fencing ushers tourists through a walkway behind the under-construction stage, which will soon host the One Philly: Unity Concert for America on July 4 — the city’s revamped Fourth of July concert, which had been known as the Wawa Welcome America July 4th Concert for more than a decade.

    “Because of the magnitude of this year’s event, organizers needed to properly position the stage back to where they’ve done large scale events before at the Art Museum,” a spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office of Communications said about the placement of the stage.

    Additionally, a spokesperson for the Office of Special Events said Croatia was the only fan meetup that was asked to relocate so far, as it planned to transport a 300-foot Croatia flag through the area which would prove difficult in the narrow walkways.

    For most, this is a minor inconvenience. For Croatian fans, it forced them to relocate their pre-game rally and march.

    “People did want to start the parade at the Rocky steps, and some people were upset by it,” said Croatia supporters organizer Daniel Pedisich. “But some of our fans went to Rocky on their own, and in some ways, maybe we avoided that Rocky curse?”

    Croatia fans cheer outside Con Murphy’s Irish pub along Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Friday, June 26, 2026. A plan to gather at the Rocky statue turned out to be logistically impossible.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    Before the Croatian fan delegation would go on to cheer the checkered-clad team to a win against Ghana on Saturday, Pedisich said the city encouraged them to relocate their parade elsewhere along the Parkway. They settled for Con Murphy’s Irish Pub on 17th Street.

    Before the fan parade Friday, Bosko Katic, known to friends as “Coach Bosko,” was sporting red-and-white checkered overalls and a Croatia-themed cowboy hat as he waited for the fan parade to start at the new location. Croatians know how to bring joy to everyone they meet, Katic said, so while the delegation didn’t begin their march with Rocky, they still found ways to make memories — including crashing a wedding photo shoot at City Hall.

    Bosko Katic cheers while waving the Croatia national flag outside of Con Murphy’s Irish pub along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Friday, June 26, 2026.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    “We couldn’t gather at Rocky because there is something happening there, so we changed the parade route,” Katic said. “But it does not matter anyway — we always bring party, happiness, and love to everybody who is around us.”

    Later that weekend, as tourists made their way to the Art Museum steps, squeezing by each other in the walkways, El Salvadorian World Cup fan Stephanie Rodriguez took photos of the steps while standing behind the stage. While Rodriguez admits she’s never seen a Rocky film, the site is “one of those things in pop culture that’s so iconic that you have to see it — like you can’t go to Philly and not see the Rocky steps,” she said.

    Tourists shuffle by each other in the temporary fenced walkways erected for near the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps and Rocky Statue while the One City: Unity Concert for America stage is under construction on Saturday, June 27, 2026.Henry Savage / Staff

    While the large stage perplexed her, she said she was able to eke out some great photos with Rocky, as the statue itself was accessible and not blocked from view.

    “I mean it was surprising because I wasn’t expecting to see such a big stage in front of the Rocky steps, but I think the photos are coming out great,” Rodriguez said.

    The concert will turn the Parkway into a festival on July 4 from 3 p.m. until midnight, when a fireworks finale caps the night. Some of Philadelphia’s most prized musical acts will headline, from The Roots and Jill Scott to Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, plus Meek Mill, Beanie Siegel, and Freeway are scheduled to perform starting at 5 p.m.