Progressive Democrats notched another big victory in Tuesday’s Minnesota Senate primary. But a moderate Democrat narrowly won the high-profile governor’s race in Wisconsin, defying expectations of an easy win for the party’s surging democratic socialist wing.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, suffered a defeat after the candidate he endorsed for Minnesota governor fell short in the Republican primary.
Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries:
Crowley upsets Hong in Wisconsin governor’s race
Milwaukee County executive David Crowley defeated Francesca Hong, a State Assembly member and democratic socialist, in the Democratic primary for governor after an unusually unpredictable — and unexpectedly close — primary.
Crowley initially dropped out last month, saying it was clear he could not win. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out the following week, citing irregularities with her campaign’s financial reports. Then Crowley returned to the race with the endorsement of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D). After that, yet another Democrat — Mandela Barnes, a former lieutenant governor — dropped out, further scrambling the race. To add to the confusion, Barnes and Rodriguez remained on the ballot.
Hong was the latest democratic socialist to catch fire after several other democratic socialists defeated House Democrats in primaries earlier this year. She led in polling in the final weeks of the race but attracted criticism for calling years ago for the cancellation of Thanksgiving, which she described as a holiday “celebrating colonialism.” Evers warned that Hong probably could not defeat Rep. Tom Tiffany, who won the Republican nomination.
Progressives prevail in Minnesota
Another progressive, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, won the Democratic primary for an open Senate seat in Minnesota, defeating a more moderate rival, Rep. Angie Craig. Flanagan had the backing of Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and other progressives in Congress. She will face Michele Tafoya, a former sideline reporter for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” who easily won the Republican nomination.
Republicans view Flanagan as vulnerable due to the welfare-fraud scandal that rocked the state while Flanagan was in office, and they have expressed enthusiasm that Tafoya could put the seat in play.
However, no Republican has won a Senate seat in Minnesota since 2002, and Republicans are more optimistic about flipping Democratic-held seats in Michigan, New Hampshire and Georgia than Minnesota. The Cook Political Report, which rates the race as “likely Democratic,” said it would maintain its rating regardless of which Democrat won the nomination.
Another progressive, Matt Little, won the Democratic primary to succeed Craig in the House. Little, a former state senator and Lakeville mayor, was endorsed by Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, among others.
Another Democrat falls to a primary challenge
Luke Bronin, a 47-year-old former Hartford mayor, ousted Rep. John B. Larson, 78, from his House seat representing central Connecticut in the latest generational clash to convulse the Democratic Party.
Larson is not the only older House Democrat to lose a primary this year. Reps. Al Green (D-Texas), who is 78; Adriano Espaillat (D-New York), who is 71; Diana DeGette (D-Colorado), who is 69; and Shri Thanedar (D-Michigan), who is 71, all lost primaries to younger challengers. (Green lost his seat to another House Democrat, Rep. Christian Menefee, after redistricting reshaped their districts.)
Unlike some of those races, Larson’s primary did not feature a strong ideological divide. Instead, Bronin campaigned on “energy, urgency and change,” and urged Larson to “pass the torch,” though he did not explicitly criticize Larson as too old.
Larson, in turn, tried to cast himself as more progressive than Bronin and emphasized his experience representing the solidly Democratic district.
“It’s not about age, generational change,” Larson said at a recent rally alongside Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) and labor groups. “This campaign … is about who has the record of delivering in this community.”
Lamont, 72, who is running for a third term, also faced a younger primary challenger on Tuesday. He prevailed, easily defeating state Rep. Josh Elliott, 41.
Graham, Norman advance to runoff in South Carolina
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) defeated a primary challenger in June, avoiding a runoff by winning a majority of the vote. But his sudden death last month forced South Carolina to hold a second Republican primary, pitting Graham’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham — whom Gov. Henry McMaster named to succeed him — against nine other Republicans.
Graham won 33 percent of the vote on Tuesday, leading her rivals. But she did not win a majority of the vote, forcing an Aug. 25 runoff. She will face Rep. Ralph Norman, who trailed Graham with 25 percent of the vote.
Trump endorsed Graham ahead of the primary, giving her an edge in the runoff — but it’s not clear whether it will be enough to defeat Norman.
Consider what happened in the Republican primary for South Carolina governor. Trump endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who made the June runoff along with Alan Wilson, the state attorney general. When it appeared that Evette might lose to Wilson ahead of the runoff, though, Trump also endorsed Wilson, allowing him to claim victory days later when Wilson won.
Trump could be more reluctant to back Norman, who endorsed former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley over Trump in 2024 in the presidential primary. It is also unclear whether Rep. Russell Fry — who finished third in the primary — will endorse Norman or Graham.
Asked Tuesday night whether he would campaign for Graham in South Carolina, Trump told reporters, “I think so.” He added that he also liked “the other people” in the race, without naming them.
“They’re all Trumpers,” he said.
Norman told The Washington Post last week that he wasn’t sure Trump would issue a dual endorsement again. “I think people see it for what it is,” Norman said. “Double endorsement, really, is problematic to me.”
But, he added, “I’d love to have it at any time.”
Lindell loses primary despite Trump’s endorsement
Trump endorsed Mike Lindell, the MyPillow chief executive who enthusiastically supported his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, for governor of Minnesota.
But Trump’s endorsement wasn’t enough. Lisa Demuth, the state House speaker, defeated Lindell on Tuesday. She will face Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who easily won the Democratic nomination, in November.
Lindell’s loss was the latest blow to Trump’s endorsement record. The candidates he backed for governor in Georgia and Iowa also lost. So did Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tennessee) and Amir Hassan, whom Trump backed for an open House seat in Michigan.
Other Trump picks prevailed on Tuesday.
Graham led in South Carolina. Tiffany won in Wisconsin. Michael Alfonso won the Republican primary for a House seat in northern Wisconsin that his father-in-law, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, once represented. And former congressman Jerry L. Carl and state Rep. Rhett Marques won primaries for House seats in Alabama that the state legislature redrew earlier this year following a Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act.
Natalie Allison, Matthew Choi and Ben Binday contributed to this report.
The nearly $600 million in tax-free bond issue meant to finance the sale of South Jersey’s Advantage Behavioral Health failed to attract enough investors last week, leading investment bankers to put the transaction on hold, Bond Buyer reported.
Despite the extremely high investment yield as high as 8.25%, portfolio managers were troubled by the heavy debt load that would have been placed on a company with a short track record and few hard assets backing it up, according to the trade publication.
Representatives of the private equity firm, Connecticut-based Clearview Capital, and QCF Advantage, whose parent company is based in Houston, did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. Officials at Marlton-based Advantage could not be reached for comment.
Clearview took control of Advantage in April 2025, which means a successful sale would be a quick turnover by private equity standards.
The proposed sale was notable not just because it would have increased Advantage’s debt by 12 times, according to Bloomberg Law, but also because of the structure that would have left Clearview and current executives as owners of a for-profit entity that would manage Advantage.
The proposed sale price was about $520 million, according preliminary bond documents. That price included $80 million being held back to see if Advantage hits profit targets after the sale. The company had $141.6 million in revenue in the 12 months that ended May 31.
Founded in 2017 in Camden County, Advantage also operates in Pennsylvania and six additional states. It offers intensive outpatient therapy through a business called Victory Bay and telehealth services through Harmony Bay. It also operates 17 sober-living houses under its Dignity Hall brand in Blackwood, Laurel Springs, Sicklerville, and several other South Jersey towns.
The tropical fruit is hard to miss at the grocery store, but now it’s become more prevalent on menus across Philly.
The rise of banana beverages is part of a national trend that was a long time coming, following the likes of matcha- and ube-flavored treats and drinks.
“But what’s particularly unusual about it is that it straddles both the cafe and cocktail realms of beverage, when normally, these spheres do not intersect,” food writer Kiki Aranita reports.
Cocktail bars, for instance, are getting creative to use the banana in its entirety (including its peel), and bartenders are reaching more for banana liquor.
Philly-area summers have intensified, making flash floods, extreme precipitation, and life-threatening storms more commonplace.
In the suburbs, a unique challenge emerges as the region prepares for a future marked by climate change. Multiple facets of these communities play a role, including:
The topography. Flooding is the “biggest and most common hazard,” according to Chris Linn, manager of the Office of Resilience and Environment at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.
The infrastructure. Aging stormwater systems are in need of costly repairs across many municipalities. These systems are crucial to move water off impenetrable surfaces like parking lots and paved roads.
The regulations. Municipalities differ in their desire and ability to use taxpayer dollars to tackle climate issues through various projects.
A teen who authorities believe stole a vehicle used in June by two other teens before they killed a Penn State student in South Philadelphia surrendered to police Tuesday night.
Taxpayers paid $2.3 million last month to the victims of a former Philadelphia police officer who is behind bars for sexual assault.
Mark Ringgold was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Cobbs Creek last year, near one of the city’s most dangerous roads. His mother, Angela McDonald, is pushing for the city to install speed bumps to slow down drivers.
🧠Trivia time
President Donald Trump reportedly flew secretly on an alternate military aircraft last month because of an Iranian assassination threat.
Which former president also took part in a similar plane ruse?
Cheers to Mary Jane Connolly, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Snapper soup. Kelly’s Seafood is closing after 68 years in North Philadelphia. You have three weeks to get your last bowl of snapper soup.
Photo of the day
A LeBron James mural painted by Chenlin Cai at the intersection of 10th and Arch in Chinatown.Jaison Nieves
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Philadelphia is the latest locale for vigilante Jack Reacher's shadowy dealings in season four of Reacher, streaming now on Amazon Prime. The show, which stars actor Alan Ritchson as the hulking retired Army investigator, was spotted filming around town last year.
Based on Lee Child's 2009 novel Gone Tomorrow, this season has Reacher facing off against the CIA, federal agents, and international mercenaries following a woman's suicide. And while much of the on-screen action appears to have been filmed elsewhere — namely Toronto, which looks a lot like Philly, but with space — the City of Brotherly Love does show up quite a bit.
Here, we'll be rounding up all the Philly spots we can identify this season. Check out the map below for where Reacher and his cohorts took them in the city.
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Philadelphia
City Hall
Michael Bryant / Staff P
Reacher's fourth season immediately sets the scene with a shot of the William Penn statue atop City Hall as a nightscape of Center City shines in the background.
Philadelphia
Uptown Beer Garden
Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
We catch our first glimpse of our hero, Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson), as he exits Uptown Beer Garden, who walks out of the establishment silently with a beer in hand.
Philadelphia
LOVE Park
MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
Reacher speaks for the first time this season, ordering a "wiz wit" from a nondescript food truck in Love Park.
Philadelphia
Avenue of the Arts
JESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer
Here, Reacher strolls down the sidewalk on the west side of Broad Street, chomping on his cheesesteak. Canonically, it is just after 2 a.m., and the street is deserted as he descends into the Walnut-Locust entrance B line, which runs along Broad Street.
Philadelphia
Walnut-Locust Station
Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
As he enjoys his cheesesteak, Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) heads down into the Broad Street Line at this Center City station. Several interior shots of the station are shown, including one in which a rat munches on a hot dog.
Philadelphia
Benjamin Franklin Bridge
Thomas Hengge / Staff Photographer
Philly is again shown off in all its nocturnal glory with a low-light shot of Center City from the Ben Franklin Bridge.
Philadelphia
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
For the first time in the season's first episode, the sun rises on Philadelphia. And it does so in this stunning aerial shot showcasing many of the Ben Franklin Parkway's gems — Logan Circle, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the works.
Philadelphia
Parkway Central Library
Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
We get a great glimpse of the exterior of the Parkway Central Library before heading inside, where Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) and Jacob Merrick (Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette) do research on Congressman John Sampson (Marc Blucas), a North Carolina representative who is launching a presidential bid.
Philadelphia
Parc
Courtesy of HughE Dillon
Parc briefly plays host to Reacher, Lila Hoth (Agnez Mo), and Jacob Merrick (Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette) as the trio settles in at an outdoor table to evade police.
Philadelphia
Walt Whitman Bridge
Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Reacher and his cohorts travel back into Philly via this bridge after escaping Washington, D.C. In the background, the old Southwark Generating Station is clearly visible.
Philadelphia
Schuylkill Expressway
Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
As Reacher and his crew traverse Philly at night, the action leads to a shot of the west end of Center City near 30th Street Station from the Schuylkill Expressway.
Philadelphia
Schuylkill Expressway
Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Here, we get another nightscape shot of Philly's skyline, again from I-76 near 30th Street Station looking east. In the foreground, Locust on the Park is lit up green and is featured prominently.
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That was every location we could spot in the opening three episodes. Explore the map of all locations featured. Tap onHover overa pin to learn more.
Staff Contributors
Design and Development: Garland Fordice and Sam Morris
For the first time since 1996, a new leader will be taking the helm of Mural Arts Philadelphia.
Emily Mello, a longtime arts educator and curator, will assume the role of the arts organization’s executive director on Sept. 1.
She succeeds Mural Arts founder Jane Golden, who has been a part of the organization since its inception in 1984, when it was known as the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network. Golden announced her decision to step down as executive director in August 2025.
Mello’s appointment follows a national search led by the board of directors of Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates, the nonprofit organization that raises funds for and supports Mural Arts Philadelphia.
Arts educator and curator Emily Mello, who has led arts institutions in New York, Chicago, and Miami, is Mural Arts’ new executive director.Courtesy of Ray Bailey
Board chair Hope Comisky said Mural Arts is “thrilled” to land Mello, adding that she boasts the blend of arts education, civic participation, and collaboration integral to the organization’s future.
“She’s worked with diverse groups and cultures. She’s had meaningful partnerships and understands the importance of artists and communities in the work that she does, and she has a collaborative work ethic,” Comisky said.
Mello brings more than two decades of arts leadership, with extensive experience in strategic planning, fundraising, community partnerships, and restorative justice. Most recently, she served as the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s senior director of education, learning, and public programs.
In Philly, Mello said, she has found a city with a “strong arts community” and a level of civic pride she has not encountered in other places.
“I have worked in a lot of cities, and not every city has that amount of pride, and that’s a great place to be working from,” she said. “It tells me that people are really invested in what public space looks like, how it’s used, who has a stake in it, and who it’s reflecting. Those are all things that you see immediately upon entering Philly, and Mural Arts is such a huge part of that.”
Mural Arts is a nonprofit arts organization that transforms public spaces through community partnerships and artist collaborations. The organization has produced more than 4,300 public artworks across Philadelphia since its founding in 1984.
It was established as the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network by Mayor Wilson Goode’s administration. At the time, Tim Spencer was the group’s executive director, and Golden was brought on to develop the program’s art component — addressing the city’s graffiti problem by working directly with young people drawn to it as a form of self-expression.
In 1996, with the support of then-Mayor Ed Rendell, the Anti-Graffiti Network became the Mural Arts Program, and Golden took on the role of executive director.
“I have loved every part of running Mural Arts, and there is a part of me that feels sad. And a part of me that feels excited for Mural Arts and its future,” Golden said. “I think [Mello] was a really strong candidate, and I have the confidence she will be able to lead Mural Arts in the years to come.”
Arts educator and curator Emily Mello, who has led arts institutions in New York, Chicago, and Miami, is Mural Arts’ new executive director.Courtesy of Anjali Pinto
Before proposing any new programs, Mello said, she plans to continue building on Mural Arts’ existing education and restorative justice programs, and other core initiatives focused on “using art as a tool for healing.”
“Those are things that have really resonated for me in the arts, and I recognize it in Philly,” she said. In this city, she says, there are “people who see art as an essential infrastructure for a city.”
The immediate task at hand, Mello said, is to connect people from different neighborhoods and sectors to ensure that art — and the stories they tell — remains a central part of life in Philadelphia. “I think that has been established in Philly, but it’s something that we can’t take for granted,” she said.
Mello, 47, was born and raised in Providence, R.I., and earned an undergraduate degree in art history from Mount Holyoke College. She has a graduate degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a certificate from the Aspen Institute Seminar for Artist-Endowed Foundation Leaders.
She has also been the senior associate director of education at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York and deputy director for education and public programs at Pérez Art Museum Miami. Mello also worked with artist Simone Leigh as her director of foundations planning and special projects.
The mural “In Pride, In Power, In Memory” is located outside of Voyeur Nightclub in Philadelphia’s Gayborhood.Morgan Ritter
On Monday, Mello visited the 1,200-square-foot In Pride, In Power, In Memory mural that was unveiled on the exterior of Voyeur Nightclub at 1221 St. James St. on June 26.
The mural, created by artist Santiago Galeas, was a work in progress through Mello’s interview process and has taken on a special meaning for her.
“I love that it memorializes figures that are important to Philadelphia’s history, but also history more broadly,” she said. “To see it at that scale, and transforming the cityscape, is a powerful tool to teach people about those who came before them and fought for them.”
Golden will serve in an advisory role through the end of the year to assist with the transition.
Jane Golden, Mural Arts Philadelphia founder and executive director, speaks at the Bells Across PA event in celebration of America’s 250th Birthday in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
“We obviously want to honor [Golden’s] legacy because she transformed Philadelphia, and she certainly inspired cities nationally, if not internationally,” said board chair Comisky.
“But we also want to look toward the future, and we think with the background [Mello] has, we’re going to be able to do just that.”
Bananas are both tropical and ubiquitous — an ingredient that couldn’t be less local to our region, but found in every grocery store. They’re mundane yet polarizing, especially when ripened and rendered into syrup. They’re summery, due to their cultivation in hot climates, and soul-warming.
The fruit has long been taken for granted, until now. Its popularity is suddenly booming: It’s a featured ingredient in protein bars, gummy bears, coffee creamer, lip balms, and body washes. Even Wendy’s launched a Minions-themed Banana Frosty Swirl last month.
But bananas’ recent prevalence in Philadelphia’s bars and cafes has little to do with the little yellow cartoon characters. Banana beverages have been a long time coming, hot on the heels of other wildly popular, vibrantly colored, Asian-inflected flavors like matcha and ube.
(Unlike matcha and ube, we’re probably not going to see a shortage of banana. But you never know. The bananas we buy at most grocery stores are of the Cavendish variety, but artificial banana flavoring was engineered with the Gros Michel variety in mind. And sometime in the 1950s, after a devastating fungal blight or “bananapocalpyse” called Panama disease, Gros Michel bananas mostly disappeared.)
“Little treat” cafes are utterly enamored with the banana, as evidenced by banana milk, a classic Korean beverage that has made it onto several cafe menus lately. The cafe crush doesn’t stop there: At the just-opened Sweet Mousse on South Street in Graduate Hospital, you can get a tiny trompe l’œil banana mousse cake ($6) with a dark chocolate center.
The dark chocolate banana mousse cake from Sweet Mousse in Graduate Hospital.Kiki Aranita / Staff /
But bananas are not the easiest ingredient to work with.
At Seaforest Bakeshop, also in Grad Hospital, cafe manager Mackenzie Quick makes banana milk from scratch, blending oat milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and bananas. It’s layered into the cafe’s best-selling beverage: their iced banana milk matcha. And it can only be served iced. “It’s not good at all hot. When you steam it, it turns into porridge,” said Quick.
Bartenders are reaching for all types of banana liquor, including Giffard’s Banane du Brésil, which goes into the banana cocktails at Friday Saturday Sunday and Sao, and Crème de Banane from Tempus Fugit Spirits, which is shaken into the banana Negroni ($13) at Cormorant Corner Bar and a banana-y Old Fashioned riff called the Triple Header ($16) at Bar ILU.
Philly cocktail bars are also coming up with unique ways to use the banana in its entirety, including its peel.
“We take the leftover peels after infusing bananas into dark rum and cut them down into half-inch slices,” said Josh Grejdus, the beverage manager at Bluebird Distilling. “Then we use equal parts by weight of sugar and macerate the skins. Let it sit overnight and then strain it” to create a banana oleo-saccharum (or aromatic syrup). A similar elixir is made at both Static! and Next of Kin, said co-owner Kyle Darrow, where brûléed banana goes into liquors like rum and scotch.
Libertee Grounds, the bar with indoor mini golf in Fairmount, takes an approach akin to Seaforest Bakeshop’s. “I make a banana puree, then incorporate it into a simple syrup using a mixture of sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla to lean into the banana bread feel,” said beverage manager Ellie Bley. “I batch this about once a week or more depending on demand.”
And demand for bananas sees no signs of waning.
Where to fuel up with banana cafe drinks
The iced banana milk matcha from Forin Cafe.Mike Prince
Forin Cafe
Forin makes a banana milk that consists of a simple syrup base with a banana emulsion and vanilla paste, which you can add to coffee and matcha drinks. Most popularly, it’s combined with ube and matcha.
The iced banana milk matcha latte from Seaforest Bakeshop uses house-made banana milk.Kiki Aranita / Staff /
Seaforest Bakeshop
Seaforest’s iced banana milk matcha uses Junbi matcha with their house-made banana-oat-maple syrup milk. The matcha is vigorously whisked for a drink that is creamy, fresh, grassy, and thick. It’s lightly sweet and has the texture of a loose smoothie.
This pink-tiled Chinatown cafe serves a banana latte ($7.75) made with strong Vietnamese phin-brewed coffee, poured over ice and layered with milk and foam spiked with DaVinci brand banana syrup.
Matcha Cafe Maiko in Chinatown is serving a banana pudding matcha latte, in which banana extract is mixed into whipped cream, the sweetness of which is balanced by a very robust matcha base. The whipped cream tastes like a cross between Runts and sunscreen (which some people love).
Static! has a banana cocktail called Split Decision made of brûléed banana scotch, banana skin, absinthe, bitters, and is washed with brown butter. Sister bar Next of Kin uses a similar process for their banana cocktail, Crocodile Tears.Kiki Aranita / Staff /
Next of Kin
While Static’s bestselling banana cocktail is rotating off their menu soon, the process for making it continues at sister bar Next of Kin, where banana is brûléed, infused into liquor for a day, then strained. Next of Kin’s banana daiquiri, one of the cocktails that uses rum infused with banana, is also one of the bar’s top sellers.
The cocktail Saul’s Revenge at the Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday consists of quinquina, pineapple distillate, Malört, coffee and banana liqueurKiki Aranita / Staff /
The Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday
Bartender Eric Martinez created the extremely complex cocktail Saul’s Revenge ($20) for the Lovers Bar using six ingredients: Quinquina, a French bittersweet aperitif, a pineapple distillate akin to mezcal), the divisive and herbaceous Malört, coffee, and Giffard banana liqueur, which is made from overripe Brazilian bananas. The result is smoky, nuanced, and gets a bitter edge from the Malört.
The banana negroni from Cormorant Corner Bar uses Crème de Banane.Kiki Aranita / Staff /
Cormorant Corner Bar
A fairly straightforward Negroni (with gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth) is transformed with a slug of Crème de Banane liqueur. Crème de Banane lends a silky viscosity to the classic cocktail and balances out its herbal notes.
Cormorant Corner Bar, 2301 Frankford Ave., 215-575-5112, cormorantphl.com
The Drunken BBL cocktail at Libertee Grounds consists of vanilla vodka, Borghetti espresso liqueur, Cynar, La Colombe cold brew, and banana.Kiki Aranita / Staff /
Libertee Grounds
Take a break from mini golf to try Libertee Grounds’ clarified cocktail, the Drunken BBL ($14) which combines vanilla vodka with Borghetti espresso liqueur, Cynar, La Colombe cold brew, and a house-made banana milk that consists of banana puree mixed with wintry spices.
Libertee Grounds, 1600 W. Girard Ave., Ste. C5, 267-324-3487, liberteegrounds.com
Residents protest against the disbanding of Oxford borough’s police department. Photo courtesy of Danny Graham
Residents in Oxford are concerned about the future of emergency response times and municipal protections in the 5,800-person borough if council moves ahead with disbanding its police department in favor of joining a regional agency.
That’s a decision council will make at an Aug. 17 meeting as it grapples with rising costs to maintain a century-old police force.
For some residents, the decision feels personal. “This is a small town. These guys, all 11 of them, mean something to us. We buy them coffee. We buy them donuts. They are part of our extended family. This matters to us, and how they’re being treated matters to us,” one said.
Traffic signal and safety improvements are expected in six Chester County municipalities thanks to recently awarded state funds. The largest is a nearly $640,000 grant for Tredyffrin Township to make improvements along Lancaster Avenue.
The region will see two celestial events — a partial solar eclipse today and the Perseid’s meteor shower, which will peak tonight — and there are several great viewing spots nearby, including Valley Forge National Historical Park and French Creek State Park. Here’s what to know.
Honey Brook Townshiphas named Nancy Freenock its next township manager and secretary. An attorney by trade, Freenock previously served as the city manager for Warren and borough manager for Clarion, both in Western Pennsylvania.
East Vincent Township is hosting a special planning commission meeting tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at the municipal complex and on Zoom to consider AQ Dev, LLC’s conditional use application to build 53 single-family homes at 446 Stony Run Rd.
West Vincent Township’s board of supervisors is slated to consider Toll Brother’s proposal to build 46 homes near South Chester Springs and Conestoga Roads at its meeting on Monday.
The third season of Tires, which was created by comedian Shane Gillis and is set and was partly filmed in West Chester, drops on Netflix tomorrow.
Spooky season may still be a couple of months away, but Spirit Halloween has already opened at a former Rite Aid on Paoli Pike in West Chester. It’ll be joined this month by one at the former Tuesday Morning space in Downingtown.
A new coworking space, iThrive Coworking, recently opened at 10 Leopard Rd. in Paoli.
🍽️ On our Plate
Sweltering summer heat and humidity have you clamoring for a cool treat? Revisit our guide to the region’s ice cream shops, including the ever-popular La Michoacana in Kennett Square.
🎳 Things to Do
🎙️ Sound of Summer Free Concert Series: The final show of the season features a performance by Kennett Square’s own rock band The Holy Smokers. ⏰ Wednesday, Aug. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Anson B. Nixon Park, Kennett Square
🎸 80’s Revolution: The band will transport attendees back a few decades, playing some of the most iconic tunes from the 1980s (leg warmers optional). ⏰ Friday, Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m. 💵 $23-$28 📍 Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center
🖼️ Look Around Music and Arts Festival: Hear live music, browse works of art, see skating demonstrations, and grab a bite to eat at this festival. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 15, noon 💵 $25 in advance, $30 at the door 📍 The Elks Lodge, West Chester
🎶 Eagleview Summer Concert Series: Old 97’s frontman Rhett Miller headlines the next show. Local trio The MAKs will also perform. ⏰ Tuesday, Aug. 18, 7-9 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Eagleview Town Center, Exton
The property includes a sprawling residence, a guest house, and a pool.Next Door Photos | Courtesy of Pat McGowan/The Collective.Real Estate
This Kennett Square property features not one but two homes, both situated on a large lot. The main six-bedroom home is a renovated and expanded mid-19th-century barn, complete with old beams, a stone fireplace, and an expansive walk-out lower level with a kitchenette. The second home, a restored 1800s farmhouse with two bedrooms, spans nearly 1,500 square feet and has its own driveway. Both overlook a pool and hot tub.
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This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
P.S. This will be my last week writing the Cherry Hill newsletter as I pass the baton to my colleague, Laura Smythe. It’s been a pleasure bringing you township news week in and week out for the past year-and-a-half — thanks for making space in your inbox and sharing your feedback with me! Please continue to tell us your ideas and look for me to pop up here every now and again in the future.
Cherry Hill native Larry Berg (right) has been named the next commissioner of Major League Soccer. Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer has appointed Cherry Hill native Larry Berg its next commissioner, a role he’ll begin come January.
Unlike his predecessors — he’ll be just the third individual to hold the job — Berg has a major soccer background that he’ll lean on to stoke its next era.
His passion for the game began thanks in part to a poster for a youth soccer league his dad saw taped to a local telephone pole. Knowing nothing about the sport, Berg’s dad signed him up, and the rest is history.
A judge has tossed a case against local freelance journalist and former East student Benjamin Shore, who the school district claimed was filing too many public records requests that amounted to harassment.
A new indoor golf simulator concept is setting up shop in Cherry Hill. Back Nine will be located at 1409 Route 70, though a timeline for opening hasn’t been announced yet.
Roadwork continues on Cooper Landing, Haddonfield-Berlin, Kresson, Old Orchard, and Springfield Roads, as well as Chapel Avenue this week. Here’s what to know. There will also be roadwork on Greentree Road through tomorrow.
Camden County was scheduled to conduct mosquito spraying throughout Cherry Hill this morning.
The fire department is hosting a child safety seat event Friday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Deer Park Station.
Philadelphia Magazine recently profiled a couple who turned their Cherry Hill home into a colorful retreat amid the woods. Check it out here. (Want to have your home featured in The Inquirer? Nominate it as a “Haven” by sending some details andphotos to properties@inquirer.com).
🍽️ On our Plate
Landmark eatery The Pub in neighboring Pennsauken is for sale after its longtime owners, the Gelman family, who’ve helmed it for the past 26 years, said “it’s time for a new steward.” The Inquirer’s Michael Klein has the details.
Drive-through-only chain 7 Brew Coffee is looking to expand into Cherry Hill and is proposing one of its popular concepts at 800 Route 38. The former Delcrest Medical Services building would be demolished to make way for the 510-square-foot shop and its two-lane drive-through, plus a bypass lane. The township’s planning commission will consider the application at Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. meeting.
Sweet Cherry, an ice cream joint that also serves food and Mexican snacks, has opened at 2442 Route 38, taking over the former Sushi House space. It serves burgers, hot dogs, and Mexican street food, in addition to scoops of ice cream, water ice, and shakes. (South Jersey Food Scene)
🎳 Things to Do
🎶 Twilight Concert Series: Be transported to the islands when Polynesian luau band Paradise Island takes the stage. ⏰ Thursday, Aug. 13, 8 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Cooper River Park Jack Curtis Stadium
👻 Monster-Mania Con: Meet celebrities from popular horror films, browse merchandise, and catch some spooky screenings at this three-day event. ⏰ Friday, Aug. 14-Saturday, Aug. 16, times vary 💵 $41.74-$72.49 📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Cherry Hill Philadelphia
The family room has lots of windows that look out on the backyard.Derrick Kunzer | Courtesy of Amy Rossano/ Epique Realty
This four-bedroom split-level home in the Old Orchard section of Cherry Hill has undergone a number of updates, including a renovated eat-in kitchen with white cabinetry and stainless steel appliances. Some of its features include a dining room, a family room with a brick fireplace, and a fenced backyard with a patio. There’s an open house Saturday from noon to 2 p.m.
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A couple of numbers that have jumped out at me during the number-crunching portion of my annual Eagles/NFL cram sessions …
When Jalen Carter was on the field, the Eagles were a top–five run defense. When he was off the field, they were a bottom–five run defense.
What makes a defensive tackle worth $40 million per year? Well, have a look at the Eagles’ first-and-10 rushing splits with and without Carter.
In 107 snaps without him, opponents averaged 5.1 rushing yards per attempt. Only the Dolphins and Bengals allowed more yards per carry on first-and-10 plays.
On 130 snaps with Carter on the field, opponents averaged just 4.08 yards per carry. Only six teams in the NFL allowed a lower average on first-and-10 plays.
Carter’s impact goes deeper than the yards an offense fails to gain. There are also the yards an offense doesn’t even try to gain. Last season, opponents ran the ball on nearly 60% of the snaps for which Carter was on the sideline. When he was on the field, they ran the ball on 52% of their snaps (on first-and-10).
Keep in mind, 2025 was a season when Carter was less than 100% for a stretch.
One of the underrated storylines of last season was the overall struggle of the Eagles’ run defense. I use that term relatively. In 2024, Fangio’s unit was top-10 in both total yards and yards per carry. In 2025, they ranked 22nd and 20th, respectively.
Quantifying run defense is an imperfect science, of course. Both total yardage and yards per carry are heavily influenced by game situation. Which is why I chose first-and-10 as a sample rather than overall numbers for the Carter on/off splits. That being said, there was nothing situational about the Bears’ 281 rushing yards on Black Friday, after which Carter decided to undergo surgical treatment on his shoulders. The Chargers ran for 169 yards the following week.
Jalen Carter (center) will be key in the Eagles’ run defense in 2026.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Carter aside, the Eagles clearly suffered from the loss of Milton Williams last season. Their on/off splits with and without Carter were far less drastic the two seasons prior. There are two big reasons to hope that the Eagles have a better run D this season. One, Carter will be healthier and more available. Two, Jonathan Greenard will be here for the whole season. Jaelan Phillips was excellent against the run, but he was only here post-trade deadline. The flip side is this: The Eagles were at their best with Phillips, and they will also be attempting to replace a starting safety in Reed Blankenship and a starting linebacker in Nakobe Dean. One way or another, it will be a big subplot to this season. Carter, as always, will play the biggest and most important role.
DeVonta Smith led the Eagles with 19 first–down catches on third down. He led the NFL in yards per catch on those conversions.
Here’s a list of the wide receivers who have finished a season averaging 20 yards per reception on at least 40 third-down targets over the last three seasons.
Those first three players had stretches where they have been on the short list for best receivers in the game. Smith has a fine reputation. The NFL is well aware of how good he is. But you’ll rarely hear him mentioned among that small group of WR1s who create their own receptions and dictate opponents’ game plans.
The deeper you look under the hood, though, the more favorably Smith’s numbers compare to the best of the best.
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith led the team in third down catches with 19 last season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Last year, he ranked 11th in the NFL in Tough Catch Percentage, a metric that I totally ham-and-egged using the nflfastR data package. It measures a receiver’s share of contested catches and receptions created (as determined by For the Numbers Fantasy) and catches in traffic (as determined by me, using YAC and tackling data, among other variables). Here are the other players who rank ahead and just behind Smith: Courtland Sutton, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, A.J. Brown, Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Trey McBride, Collins, Justin Jefferson, George Pickens, Chris Olave, and Ja’Marr Chase. Whatever the metric signifies in abstract, those players are pretty good company to keep.
The presence of Brown on that list is significant, of course. Few players in the NFL have performed better in true 50-50 (or worse) situations than Brown has since joining the Eagles. Therein lies the real question about the Eagles’ receiving corps. It isn’t whether Smith can replace Brown as Jalen Hurts’ WR1. The question is whether the guys behind Smith can be anything close to the player he was as WR2. It’s not coincidence that the Eagles traded up for a receiver in Makai Lemon whose most impressive tape is his physicality and consistency in traffic. Hurts needs him on the field, sooner rather than later.
Mickey Harrington played with major leaguers, played against major leaguers, played for major leaguers, and even roomed with major leaguers. But him? Harrington was stuck in the minor leagues in 1963 after signing six years earlier with the Phillies.
Harrington served two years in the Army and could have played professional basketball after being drafted by the New York Knicks. He picked baseball, believing it was his best chance at a career. And then Harrington watched every season as his teammates left the minors for the majors while he stayed behind.
Finally, he got his chance. The Phillies called up Harrington in July of 1963, flying him from Hawaii where he was playing for a triple-A team. The 28-year-old was a big-leaguer.
Harrington sat on the bench for eight games before manager Gene Mauch used him as a pinch runner on July 10, 1963. Roy Sievers singled to start the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Connie Mack Stadium and Harrington stepped onto the grass at 21st and Lehigh.
The inning ended two batters later when Clay Dalrymple grounded into a double play. Harrington had reached second on a single by Don Hoak before Don Demeter hit a grounder to first. A newspaper account blamed Harrington for “reckless baserunning” as he was tagged after making a wide turn around third base.
Mauch, the fiery manager they called the “Little General,” immediately lifted Harrington from the game and replaced him with Frank Torre. Two days later, the Phillies dropped Harrington back to the minor leagues.
Mickey Harrington as a minor leaguer in Buffalo.Harrington family
He was a professional ballplayer for 10 seasons but his only experience in Major League Baseball was being used once as a pinch runner. He didn’t play the field, score a run, or step into the batter’s box. Harrington, who died in 2017, finally became a big-league player. But his career only lasted a few minutes.
“Deep down, I could read between the lines even though he didn’t say much about it,” said son-in-law Ken Knopp. “I know it hurt him. He felt at some point that he was beating his head against the wall. I know it hurt his feelings. But he never really said that much about it. It was frustrating for him. He couldn’t break in.”
Field of Dreams
The Phillies will play Thursday against the Minnesota Twins in Dyersville, Iowa, the setting for Field of Dreams, the 1989 Hollywood film where a cast of legendary players appear as ghosts on a baseball diamond built by a farmer in the middle of a cornfield.
A thread of the movie was focused on Moonlight Graham, a longtime minor-league player who played one inning in the majors as a defensive substitute in 1905 but never had a chance to hit.
“It was like coming this close to your dreams, and then having them brush past you like strangers in the crowd,” the older Graham character, played by Burt Lancaster, says in the film. “At the time, you don’t think much of it. We just don’t recognize life’s most significant moments while they’re happening. Back then I thought, ‘Well, there’ll be other days.’ I didn’t realize that that was the only day.”
The Iowa diamond brought the ghosts of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Mel Ott, Gil Hodges, and other deceased greats out of the cornfield and gave their careers a second life. Graham — wearing an old New York Giants jersey — finally got his chance to bat and hit a sacrifice fly. Jackson asked the farmer if the field was heaven. No, it was Iowa.
In 1989’s “Field of Dreams,” James Earl Jones (second from left) starred with (from left) Ray Liotta, Kevin Costner, and Amy Madigan.
It was magic and the film, which is routinely ranked among the top sports movies ever made, was nominated for Best Picture at the 1990 Academy Awards.
Harrington’s big-league career was a flash just like Moonlight Graham’s. But the man who grew up in Hattiesburg, Miss., never got to hit on a field of dreams.
“It was a thrill to get there,” Harrington told the Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Miss., in 2003. “But it was a letdown not getting to bat. It would have been nice to bat one time.”
Playing with legends
Harrington hoped to return to Hawaii after being dropped back to the minors but was instead sent to Little Rock, Ark., where Dick Allen was playing as the team’s first Black player. For Harrington, it was another encounter with the type of players who played on that cornfield.
He roomed with Chuck Tanner, hit against Tommy Lasorda, and played against Sparky Anderson, all future managers. Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Orlando Cepeda were on the Giants when Harrington passed through as a pinch runner.
Harrington spent most of his first season in 1957 with Miami, where the Phillies had a triple-A club. He was being teased in the clubhouse for being from Mississippi when an older pitcher asked him where he was from. Hattiesburg, Harrington said. The pitcher grew up 90 minutes away in Mobile, Ala. It was 50-year-old Satchel Paige, another legend for Harrington to cross paths with.
“Satchel Paige stood up,” Knopp said. “‘Hey, y’all leave him alone. He’s my neighbor.’ They became good friends. Satchel Paige took up for him. That’s a pretty good way to be introduced to Satchel Paige.”
Harrington was hitting .298 with the Hawaii Islanders in 1963 when the Phillies called him to the majors. He batted .305 over the previous four triple-A seasons and won a Silver Glove Award — the minor-league version of the Gold Glove given to the best fielders — in 1961 for his work in the outfield.
A team photo of the 1957 Miami Marlins, a Phillies triple-A team that included legendary pitcher Satchel Paige.Harrington family
Harrington performed in the minors like a prospect, but his only chance at the majors was that Wednesday night at Connie Mack Stadium.
Maybe Harrington’s modesty, Knopp said, caused him to be overlooked. Or maybe those two years in the Army delayed his career enough to keep him stuck in baseball purgatory. Or perhaps he should’ve played basketball.
“In baseball vernacular, they call it a cup of coffee,” Knopp said. “I never understood it. He was a great ballplayer.”
Harrington retired after the 1966 season, returned to Hattiesburg, and worked at his father’s sporting goods store. His first daughter, Heather, was born when he was playing and his second daughter, Hope, was born just after he retired. Harrington filed a patent in 1973 for a batting tee and built a home on a plot of land owned by his father-in-law. He was always using his hands. Harrington turned a shack into a three-bedroom home with two fireplaces and a big living room.
“It’s all cypress wood on the outside,” Knopp said. “He did all the woodwork, carpentry work all by himself. It’s a beautiful house. It’s an amazing house.”
He was soon hired as an assistant coach on the basketball and baseball staffs at Southern Mississippi University, where he played before being drafted by the Army.
Harrington was an all-American basketball player in high school and was a four-year starter in college. He had chances to play at bigger schools but his dad, Smokie, urged him to stay home at Southern Miss. He lived a few minutes from campus after his playing career and became a fabric of the university.
The school president tabbed him in the 1980s to build a 220-acre equestrian center with bleachers for 2,500 people. He had a barn moved to the facility and rallied a group of college students to build the center using supplies that Harrington received through donations.
Mickey Harrington’s Silver Glove Award from 1961, which is the minor-league version of the Gold Glove.Harrington family
The farmer in Iowa built a baseball diamond that brought ghosts of the past. Harrington built a rodeo ring that led to his daughter meeting her husband.
“They were literally screwing down the seats on the bleachers an hour before the first performance started,” Knopp said.
His major league career was just a few minutes but there were always reminders of a guy who spent a decade as a professional athlete. He biked 20 miles a day, even when his knees were shot and he could hardly walk. He competed in the Senior Olympics and was back on his bike just months after a truck hit him in his 70s and broke his neck, shoulder, and ribs. And his hands — the ones big enough to palm a basketball — were a marvel.
“He would have handshake competitions,” his daughter Heather said. “If he didn’t see his nephews in a while, he would put out his hands and his hand would just swallow their hands. They would try not to flinch, but he would tighten down on them. Finally, they’d go ‘OK, Uncle Mike. I give, I give.’ He was a cool human being.”
Mickey Harrington’s Army photo.Harrington family
‘He would’ve got a hit’
Harrington didn’t talk much about his career but Knopp could often find an opening as the two sipped hot chocolate in the winter and ate Klondike bars while watching football in Harrington’s living room.
There was the time he was playing on the baseball team at his Army base and had to tell the general he couldn’t make the trip for that weekend’s game. His captain said Harrington — who was an excellent typist and worked as a clerk — had to finish inputting reports. The base’s general managed the baseball team and said he would handle it.
“Mickey was sitting at his desk, typing away, and he heard the phone ring in the captain’s office,” Knopp said. “He just heard, ‘Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.’ He hung the phone up, went over to Mickey, and said, ‘Mickey, it’s OK. You can go.’”
He told his son-in-law how fans booed him during the Civil Rights Movement whenever the ballpark’s public address announcer said he was from Mississippi. Harrington told them to stop telling the fans where he was from. And there was that time his teammate in the minors blockaded the umpires in their dressing room before the game started.
“The national anthem is over and there are no umpires,” Knopp said. “Finally, someone heard the umpires banging on the door. They moved everything out of the way and they got out. The umpire knew who did it and didn’t say a word. He walked over to Mickey’s dugout, pointed to this guy, and said, ‘You’re out of the game.’”
Mickey Harrington later in life. He died in 2017.Harrington family
Harrington told a reporter in 2003 how he never understood why the Phillies used him as a pinch runner since he was a “6-foot-4 and 205 pounds.”
“Maybe that’s why the Phillies never won any ballgames back then,” he cracked. (They actually went 87-75 in 1963.)
But Heather said she always sensed her dad was at peace with how things went. He never seemed bitter or longed for a chance. At his funeral in 2017, Harrington’s nephew Larry said in a eulogy that Uncle Mike stayed positive. He always moved forward and simply believed “it didn’t happen so it didn’t happen.”
Heather agreed. That was her dad. He spent just a few minutes on a field of dreams at 21st and Lehigh. And he was OK with it.
“From the time I was very young I heard how talented he was. But never from him. He never said a word about it,” she said. “He was an incredible person. He made you want to do better. He made you want to live better. He made you want to push harder.”
But what would have happened if Harrington got the chance to hit like Moonlight Graham did that night on that cornfield in Iowa?
“He would’ve got a hit,” Heather said. “Absolutely. Oh, for sure.”
