Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Blog

  • Saudi nuclear deal in doubt as Trump adds new condition regarding Israel

    Saudi nuclear deal in doubt as Trump adds new condition regarding Israel

    Saudi Arabia would need to normalize relations with Israel to receive the U.S. nuclear technology it has long sought, President Donald Trump said Thursday, adding a new and potentially deal-ending stipulation to an agreement signed just a day earlier.

    The nuclear deal — which was fiercely opposed by Israel and others concerned about nuclear proliferation — is “totally subject” to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, Trump said in a social media post, referring to the effort from his first term to normalize relations between Israel and Muslim-majority countries from which it had long been estranged. The Saudis have thus far refused to join the accord.

    It was the latest whiplash-inducing policy shift from the White House, which had faced-down considerable political opposition to push forward with the Saudi deal. The Biden administration also discussed a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, but tied any agreement to opening diplomatic relations with Israel, a move that has the potential to reshape dynamics in the Middle East, but which remains distant.

    If the Saudis “don’t join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said a few hours after Trump’s post, responding to questions from reporters.

    Asked why that condition had not been included in the deal when it was announced Wednesday, Leavitt said that Trump is “always the final dealmaker.”

    It wasn’t immediately clear how the Trump administration would modify a legal agreement that it has already signed with the Saudi government. Asked for details, the White House pointed to Leavitt’s comments.

    The deal to allow the Saudis to build nuclear power plants using U.S. technology, creating a pathway to a Saudi nuclear enrichment program, has set off debate in Congress. Many lawmakers fear that allowing more countries to develop enrichment programs could eventually lead to more possessing nuclear weapons.

    Israel hotly opposes Saudi Arabia’s developing a nuclear enrichment program, fearful it could lead to a regional arms race. Israeli leaders welcomed Trump’s new conditions.

    The Saudis have long sought to build nuclear power plants on their territory — and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the country, has declared that they would work to develop nuclear weapons if Iran develops its own.

    The Biden administration also explored a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, but it ultimately floundered because normalizing relations with Israel was the main condition the U.S. placed on the agreement. The deal the Trump administration signed Wednesday would have imposed no such requirement.

    Trump’s new condition on Thursday would attach a major string to the deal. Saudi leaders were nearing a normalization agreement with Israel in 2023, just before the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 of that year. Since then, however, talks have been paused. Saudi leaders now say they would want guarantees of an eventual Palestinian state, and Saudi public opinion has soured toward Israel because of its handling of the war in Gaza. Any nuclear deal tied to Saudi-Israel diplomatic breakthroughs has seemed remote.

    “The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!) being made between the United States Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. “But is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.”

    The Abraham Accords, signed in 2020, normalized diplomatic and economic ties between Israel and Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Morocco later joined. Saudi Arabia is a heavyweight of the Middle East. Boosting ties to Israel would be a major shift in a region long beset by religious tensions.

    The president’s assertion that there would be no nuclear enrichment as part of the deal appears to contradict how people familiar with the deal have described it. Most of the deal’s details remain private.

    The president will need to submit the agreement to Congress, starting a 90-day clock for approval. That move could take place as early as today.

    It is unlikely Congress will be able to stop the deal, even if there is substantial opposition. The president could veto their disapproval, and opponents are unlikely to have the votes to override him.

    But Trump’s new condition could stymie the deal even before it gets off the ground.

    Trump had not spoken to Mohammed in the hours since the social media announcement, Leavitt said. Nor did he speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, she said.

    It was just the latest example of the president’s on-again, off-again approach to policymaking. Last week, Trump said that the United States would impose a 20% toll on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, despite months in which his own administration said that doing so would be a violation of international law.

    A day later, and following widespread condemnation, he abandoned the idea, saying he would make investment deals with Persian Gulf countries instead.

    The agreement that Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart signed Wednesday lays out conditions for nuclear energy cooperation and includes stipulations aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

    But unlike other recent deals with countries that do not already have a domestic enrichment program, this one would not impose the same strict conditions aimed at preventing them from moving in that direction.

    The initial announcement of the deal on Wednesday drew condemnation in Israel, where leaders fear a Saudi nuclear program could spur a regional arms race. Israelis worry that Turkey and others could also seek nuclear enrichment programs, ultimately leading to far more countries in the region that have a pathway to a nuclear weapon.

    Israel has an undeclared nuclear weapons program, in addition to civilian nuclear power capability.

    “Saudi Arabia’s joining of the Abraham Accords would be an historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said Thursday in a statement.

    The Trump administration has offered little information about the agreement’s contents. Three people familiar with the details said that it is designed with safeguards to keep the Saudis from enriching nuclear fuel to weapons-grade level.

    But they said it exempts the Saudis from aggressive international inspections required in nuclear reactor deals with other countries, including the United Arab Emirates. Instead, sensitive inspections would be executed by American teams under terms spelled out in the agreement, which was initially worked out when the crown prince visited Washington in November.

    The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the agreement publicly.

    “These agreements reflect our two nations’ shared commitment to strengthening U.S.-Saudi commercial relations, delivering prosperity at home and security to our allies abroad,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a Wednesday statement.

    Trump had to sign a separate national security waiver to allow the deal to move forward, since it does not include conventional international inspections, according to the people familiar with the deal.

    Under the Saudi deal, the two countries agree to study for two years whether enrichment on Saudi soil is feasible and necessary.

    Proponents say the deal with the Saudis gives the U.S. an opportunity to control the expansion of the enrichment network on its own terms and limit the risk of nuclear proliferation. The deal requires that any enrichment on Saudi soil would be controlled by U.S. companies using technology that is not shared with the Saudis, in an effort to limit the possibility that Saudi Arabia could use the program to develop a nuclear weapon.

    Nonproliferation experts have long warned against such a deal, saying that safeguards are unlikely to hold for the long term.

  • McGlinchey’s Bar is back on the market as Center City’s pub scene continues to shift

    McGlinchey’s Bar is back on the market as Center City’s pub scene continues to shift

    Center City’s tavern landscape is shifting again.

    The building housing the shuttered McGlinchey’s Bar is back on the market after a planned sale fell through. Chef-restaurateur Townsend “Tod” Wentz wants to sell the Hayes, the American tavern he opened in the former Irish Pub building on Walnut Street near 12th. And Cherry Street Tavern, another historic watering hole whose owners announced plans to sell earlier this year, appears close to finding a buyer.

    The biggest surprise may be McGlinchey’s.

    The building housing McGlinchey’s had been a bar for 90 years before last summer’s shutdown.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    In April, Alterra Property Group confirmed that it was under agreement to buy the building at 259 S. 15th St., home to McGlinchey’s for more than 90 years before the dive bar closed in summer 2025. But Leo Addimando, Alterra’s cofounder and managing partner, said Wednesday that the company “decided not to proceed.”

    The building is listed by Nadia Bilynsky and Dennis Carlisle of MPN Realty at $2.45 million. The offering includes the liquor license, two bars, a stage, a small kitchen, and a shell-condition third floor. The property, which occupies nearly 5,000 square feet, is being marketed as a turnkey bar-restaurant opportunity or a redevelopment site.

    A few blocks east, another familiar address is available.

    Wentz has listed the Hayes, his 268-seat American tavern at 1123 Walnut St., through Veronica Blum and Joe Scarpone at MPN with an asking price of $2.93 million. City records show that it sold for $2.3 million in 2019.

    The Hayes, at 1123 Walnut St., previously was the short-lived Pearl Tavern, after many years as the Irish Pub.Michael Klein / Staff

    Wentz said he intends to keep the restaurant open until a sale.

    Wentz said the decision reflects a personal shift after years of expanding his restaurant group with his wife, Gordana Kostovski. “I want to take advantage of the increase in the real estate market,” he said. “I think it’s time to capitalize on some things and put some money to work elsewhere in my private life.”

    “I just kept opening restaurants instead of buying a shore house or buying a bigger home,” said Wentz, 58. “I don’t want to go into my 60s with that same mindset.”

    The Hayes at 1123 Walnut St., seen on June 16, 2026, still has the original sign of the Irish Pub, its previous occupant.Michael Klein / Staff

    The Hayes occupies one of Center City’s best-known tavern addresses.

    Richard and Catherine Burke opened the Irish Pub there in 1980, bringing with them the concept they had established in Atlantic City. For nearly four decades, it was a gathering place for lawyers, police officers, theatergoers, and neighborhood regulars, known for its carved wooden back bar, inexpensive food, and walls covered with framed newspapers and playbills.

    When longtime operator Mark O’Connor closed it in July 2019, he said he wanted to focus on the second Philadelphia Irish Pub location, at 2007 Walnut St.

    Wentz bought 1123 Walnut later that year, briefly opened Pearl Tavern before the pandemic derailed those plans, then renovated the property and reopened it as the Hayes in 2023. He owns Oloroso next door as well as Caribou Café across the street, A Mano in Fairmount, and Oltremare in Rittenhouse. A sixth restaurant, Townsend on East Passyunk, is closed pending repairs from water damage after a fire next door in May.

    The listing includes the 6,776-square-foot building, restaurant equipment, liquor license, and outdoor seating. The restaurant occupies the first two floors, while the upper levels contain office and unfinished space. The through-block property extends from Walnut Street to Moravian Street.

    The Bards at 2013 Walnut St. closed in 2020.

    The Hayes’ listing is the latest chapter in a broader reshaping of Center City’s pub scene. Over the last two decades, Philadelphia has lost a number of big names: Downey’s at Front and South Streets closed in 2016 after four decades. Finnigan’s Wake, the sprawling multilevel pub at Third and Spring Garden Streets, closed in 2014 and is now GoPuff’s headquarters. In 2020, the pandemic led to numerous shutdowns, such as Manny Brown’s at 512 South St. and the Bards at 2013 Walnut St.

    The sister Irish Pub at 2007 Walnut St. also never reopened after the pandemic. Earlier this year, restaurateur Dan Tsao, owner of EMei, purchased the property for a future hospitality project. One of the remaining stalwarts, the Black Sheep at 17th and Latimer Streets, was closed by a fire in May, though owner James Stephens said he hopes to reopen by Christmas.

    The former Irish Pub, 2007 Walnut St., on April 30, 2026.Michael Klein / Staff

    Meanwhile, Cherry Street Tavern, whose owners announced plans to sell earlier this year, also appears headed toward new ownership. A manager told The Inquirer on Wednesday that a sale is believed to be close, though no agreement has been announced publicly.

    Meanwhile, the longtime Bonner’s Irish Pub’s future is secure, said owner Danny Bonner, who opened at 23rd and Sansom Streets in 1994.

    Bonner, 71, put the building on the market in 2024, hoping to attract a developer. Instead, he struck a deal with the owner of the property next door to pursue an apartment project that would incorporate a new Bonner’s into its lobby.

    Bonner’s Irish Pub at 120 S. 23rd St. in April 2024.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Bonner said one preliminary plan calls for a roughly 3,200-square-foot Bonner’s, about 900 to 1,200 square feet larger than the current pub. There is no timetable for the development, whose price tag Bonner estimated at $45 million to $55 million. The existing bar will remain open until construction begins.

    “Where I’m located, we’re fortunate,” Bonner said. “We get professionals, union guys, and loyal neighborhood customers.”

    Bonner’s Irish Pub owner Danny Bonner chatting with patrons in April 2024. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Bonner hopes the project will allow the bar to outlast him.

    “You have to leave some kind of legacy,” he said. “We’re losing too many mom-and-pop operations. All these big franchises are coming in. Philadelphia is still a city of neighborhoods, and we’re losing that. My customers walk in, and while I don’t know every single one, I probably know 70% of them by their first name.”

    Staff writers Mike Newall and Jake Blumgart contributed to this article.

  • Inside the Philly Police Department’s plan to act like a ‘modern business’: Quality-of-life officers, AI, and video calls

    Inside the Philly Police Department’s plan to act like a ‘modern business’: Quality-of-life officers, AI, and video calls

    Until last year, Philadelphia police detectives wrote search warrants on typewriters. Officers still take incident reports with pen and paper, and hand deliver them to detective bureaus. And when someone reports a minor crime, it can take hours for police to respond — if they do at all.

    To Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, those details capture something bigger: a department in need of a systems upgrade.

    In a new five-year strategic plan released Thursday, Bethel broke from the tradition of his predecessors by treating the police department and its nearly $900 million budget as a business in need of modernizing — with an eye toward better “customer service” for residents — rather than centering on crime-fighting tactics like commanders of the past.

    “If we’re going to be a modern police department,” he said in an interview this week, “we have to take on some of the structures of a modern business.”

    To him, that involves tackling many of the less glamorous parts of police work: upgrading internal records systems, streamlining police report forms, and expanding training for officers.

    But there are also some flashy — if not eyebrow-raising — initiatives within the 73-page plan: integrating artificial intelligence into 911 calls, allowing residents to report nonemergency crimes via video chat, and creating an internal diversion program for officers who violate low-level department policies.

    Some parts of the plan — built on conversations with more than 200 people in the department, city leadership, and community — would be funded through grants, the department said, while others would need to be approved and funded by City Council, which has been largely amenable to Bethel’s budget requests in recent years.

    The department said the long-term view “allows future needs to be considered through the normal budget process well before they arise.”

    Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel speak at a press conference in 2024.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    It has been one of Bethel’s signature undertakings since Mayor Cherelle L. Parker appointed him as Philly’s top cop in January 2024, part of a long history of police commissioners and mayors working together to craft long-term public safety plans to guide their administrative goals.

    In 2012, then-Mayor Michael Nutter said the department would focus on confiscating illegal guns, and ramp up overtime to put more cops on the street. And in 2020, amid an unprecedented spike in gun violence, then-Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw outlined goals to increase the clearance rate for homicides and shootings.

    Bethel’s plan, by contrast, is light on specifics for traditional crime fighting. While it broadly describes strategies like increasing foot patrols on SEPTA and expanding the use of digital forensic evidence in investigations, it does not set targeted reductions in homicides, shootings, or traffic deaths.

    That, he said, was intentional.

    “This plan is really not a crime plan. We have a crime plan. We’ve been covering it for a long time. We know that space of it,” he said. “But we’ve never done anything as an organization with, how do we move into being a modern and forward-thinking, always-evolving organization?”

    Bethel’s plans come as Philadelphia faces a more positive outlook. The city is on track to record the fewest homicides in more than half a century. The homicide and shooting clearance rates have hovered around 98% and 40%, respectively, the highest in decades. And Philadelphia is no longer the poorest big city in America.

    That has likely given Bethel the rare breathing room to look past the crime stats that have defined past administrations and focus instead on the machinery behind them.

    Here are some standout parts of the plan:

    Illegally dumped trash piles up at South 56th and Hoffman Streets in Kingsessing in this 2024 photo. Residents would now have officers in their police district to specifically help address quality-of-life issues. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    New quality-of-life officers

    Quality-of-life concerns have long dominated community police meetings, Bethel said. So within the next two years, the department plans to install “quality-of-life officers” in every police district to be the point of contact for residents on issues like abandoned cars, illegal dumping, and nuisance businesses.

    Philly’s new unarmed volunteer ‘auxiliary police’ unit could launch in 2026

    Those officers, Bethel said, would be responsible for coordinating calls with other city departments to more quickly resolve problems.

    Report low-level crimes via video call

    One of the biggest issues for the department, Bethel said, is poor “customer service.”

    Officers typically juggle high-priority calls — like shootings and assaults — alongside reports of nonviolent crimes like petty theft, vandalism, or minor car crashes. Because the lower-level offenses are considered less urgent, officer response can sometimes take several hours, leaving residents frustrated.

    Under the new system, he said, people would be able to report low-level crimes online and be provided with a link to a video chat with officers, who could take the report and send a copy to the caller digitally, with no in-person visit needed.

    Filing a report over the phone will still be possible, he said, but for people who want to avoid an emergency call for minor issues, this is a new option.

    The new system could start to roll out within the next year.

    AI-assisted 911 calls

    The department also plans to test 911 call systems that use artificial intelligence to screen calls.

    When people call for help, they will be connected to an emergency dispatcher, with AI listening in the background. Callers who report lower-level crimes, like vandalism or theft, will be transferred to an AI-assisted line and have the option to report the matter online or via video call.

    There will also be a separate, nonemergency phone number that will be answered by an artificial voice. The system will screen for keywords or issues linked to high-priority crimes, like a robbery or shooting, and immediately transfer those calls to a human dispatcher, the department said.

    The hope is this would lead to faster response times and reduce complaints that calls for help have gone unanswered.

    Bethel said the department is still evaluating potential pitfalls, and acknowledged the nuances: “A theft can turn into a robbery, and a robbery can turn into a shooting, a shooting can turn into a murder,” he said.

    Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel inside the radio room at PPD headquarters in 2024.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    An internal diversion program

    When city police officers violate department policy, their disciplinary cases are sent to the Police Board of Inquiry, and reprimands can remain on their record and affect future promotions unless appealed and overturned through union arbitration.

    Under a new initiative, officers accused of lower-level violations could go through an internal diversion program that requires them to undergo training and avoids a mark on their record. Among those offenses are sleeping on duty, dismissive behavior, using derogatory or offensive language, or failing to activate body-worn cameras. In the latter case, Bethel said, the diversionary program would not be available for officers with repeated failures to turn cameras on.

    Despite reforms, 85% of fired Philly cops are reinstated through arbitration

    Officers would not be eligible for diversion if they are found to have committed the same offense within the previous six months, or if the offense happened alongside more serious violations ineligible for the program.

    Bethel said the diversion option was developed in coordination with the Citizens Police Oversight Commission with a goal of giving officers “a second chance, but also train them.”

    Expand communication with the public

    The department intends to develop transition plans when captains or commanders leave neighborhood police districts — something community leaders had requested, Bethel said.

    It will also host quarterly community meetings to review data, and develop publicly available dashboards with additional crime, quality-of-life, and other types of data to measure performance.

    By expanding points of contact with the community, Bethel said, “they’re going to hold us accountable.”

  • To reduce problem gambling, Pa. commission recommends enacting some strict prohibitions. Don’t bet on it, sportsbook alliance says.

    To reduce problem gambling, Pa. commission recommends enacting some strict prohibitions. Don’t bet on it, sportsbook alliance says.

    The tension between the rise of legalized sports betting and the specter of gamblers developing ruinous addictions came into sharp focus last week, between the stark recommendations of a nonpartisan Pennsylvania commission and a baseball star’s social media post.

    Lawmakers could impose restrictions on sportsbook operators, such as banning in-game microbets and curtailing VIP programs, the Joint State Government Commission wrote in a 126-page study on sports betting and interactive gambling that was published July 13.

    A bill to prohibit microbets and other sports gambling products that could amplify addiction is currently being drafted, said State Rep. Tarik Khan, who introduced the resolution that authorized the commission’s research.

    “The scope of the problem is worse than we thought,” said Khan (D., Philadelphia).

    State Rep. Tarik Khan said lawmakers are drafting legislation that will seek to prevent sportsbook operators from offering in-game microbets.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    He referenced surveys, cited by the study, showing that 48% of men ages 18 to 49 have an account with at least one sportsbook company, while 52% reported wagering an increased amount of money after they experienced losses.

    “Sometimes you have to be very clear on what companies can and can’t do, especially when money is involved,” Khan said.

    Americans spent a record $165 billion on sports betting in 2025, and were projected to wager at least $3 billion on the recent FIFA World Cup.

    Analysts have predicted that microbets — wagers that can be made on individual plays and outcomes during a live game — could grow by $14 billion by the end of the decade.

    The sports gambling industry is likely to oppose eliminating such a lucrative product, according to Joe Maloney, the president of the Sports Betting Alliance, a national advocacy organization whose members include FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, bet365, and Fanatics.

    “I’m just not sure that something as proscriptive as banning that market achieves what is the stated endgame,” Maloney said. “I’m not entirely sure what the problem is that they’re trying to solve.”

    The same day the state study came out, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper took to Instagram to explain how FanDuel had acquired a personalized video he made in 2024, which the sportsbook company then sent to Terry Thompson, a local VIP bettor who suffered from a gambling addiction.

    Harper wrote that he had recorded the 21-second video — a copy of which was obtained by The Inquirer — through the video service Cameo. In it, Harper said he was doing the video on behalf of a FanDuel host. But the nine-time All-Star later said that he was not aware that FanDuel intended to use the recording for business purposes or that Thompson had an addiction.

    “Had I known FanDuel’s true intent,” Harper said, “I would not have made the video.”

    The state study summarized litigation that sportsbook operators are facing in Pennsylvania, including a lawsuit filed in March by the Public Health Advocacy Institute on behalf of Thompson and another man against FanDuel and DraftKings. The suit alleges that the companies profit from the compulsive nature of microbets and use VIP rewards to entice gamblers to keep betting, even after they have displayed signs of addiction.

    Thompson, of Montgomery County, lost nearly $2 million to wagers that he placed with FanDuel and DraftKings.

    “These companies’ profit margins are dependent on people with gambling disorders,” Khan said. “It’s clear. Did [FanDuel] tell Bryce Harper that they wanted a video for a person who had lost that much money? Of course not.”

    Maloney disputed Khan’s characterization of sportsbook companies’ business practices.

    He compared VIP programs to customer rewards that retailers like Starbucks or T-Mobile offer, and said bettors can easily opt out of the programs or from receiving promotional offers.

    “There’s no sustainable and durable future for this industry if it is not responsible and committed to integrity,” he said. “The notion that any industry can sustain itself across a small and finite number of users is completely false.”

    The regulation battle

    The commission, a research and policy development agency for the Pennsylvania legislature, retraced the evolution of sports betting in the U.S. and identified measures that lawmakers could pursue to curb addiction.

    Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that states could establish their own sports betting laws, sportsbook companies and lesser-regulated prediction markets have entered into highly visible partnerships with professional sports leagues and teams that once were uniformly opposed to gambling.

    The rise of the sports betting industry has helped fill state coffers. Pennsylvania recorded $6.7 billion in gambling revenue in 2025, with $602 million derived from sports wagers.

    Tales of bettors who grew addicted to the instant dopamine spike of gambling on mobile devices or placing in-game microbets, then tumbled into a whirlpool of spiraling debt, have also become plentiful.

    “States are waking up to the reality of sports betting now. They’re seeing a lot of the downstream impacts,” said Uttara Ananthakrishnan, an assistant professor of information systems at the University of Washington and an expert on online betting and gambling addiction.

    The NFL, like other professional sports leagues, has abandoned long-held opposition to gambling entities, and entered into partnerships with sportsbook operators.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Ananthakrishnan said new research suggests that gambling is not only associated with financial stress, but also can lead to more crime, suicide, divorce, child maltreatment, and housing instability, while siphoning state lottery revenue.

    A recent study conducted by Pennsylvania State University’s Criminal Justice Research Center found that 2.5% to 6.4% of Pennsylvania adults may be problem gamblers, while a 2025 National Council on Problem Gambling survey showed that at least 20 million Americans reported experiencing problematic gambling behavior during the previous year.

    The state commission study, meanwhile, cited a Harris Poll that found 79% of Americans believe gambling addiction is “as serious or more serious” than alcohol or drug addictions.

    “It’s very, very disturbing,” Khan said.

    The commission suggested that lawmakers could obtain customer data from gambling companies and have them independently analyzed to better understand which practices and products are most harmful.

    It offered other, more immediate recommendations as well: preventing bettors from using credit cards to place deposits; mandating that customers limit the duration of their gambling and the frequency of their deposits; and forbidding companies from sending promotional offers to gamblers if they have logged out of their accounts, or using artificial intelligence to create individualized promos.

    The study also suggested prohibiting gambling advertisements from public university campuses.

    “I don’t sit here as a voice of the industry and deny the science,” Maloney said. “Gambling is an activity that can become problematic, and for some people, it can become addictive.”

    But Maloney argued that many of the gambling studies and surveys that experts cite do not prove a direct link between gambling products and those who develop addictions.

    “By all means, it’s a policy conversation that we absolutely want to have if the legislators are responding to highly publicized research, and confusing correlation with causation, and relying on national media interlopers who are largely transcribing academics and researchers in that space, and delivering clicky headlines,” Maloney said.

    Sports betting helped drive gambling revenue in Pennsylvania to a record $6.7 billion in 2025. Jeff Chiu

    Ananthakrishnan said the negative effects are real.

    “I am glad Pennsylvania is recognizing the problem and looking at evidence-based policy to curtail problem gambling,” she said.

    Ananthakrishnan said the legislature should act on at least two proposals in the study: Require gambling apps to use their own data to predict problem gambling behavior, rather than using the information just to convince users to place more bets; and require the apps to release anonymized player stats that could be analyzed by an independent research entity.

    “This creates a pathway to design evidence-based policies that directly address the specific mechanics of digital addiction without relying solely on operator self-reporting,” she said of the latter proposal.

    ‘Too close to the edge’

    While legislators in Pennsylvania and other states, like New Jersey, grapple with how to enforce guardrails on sports betting, leagues continue to face headline-grabbing gambling scandals.

    The NFL last week indefinitely suspended an Arizona Cardinals official, Ryan Gold, who is accused of leaking information about the team’s draft plans and participating in parlay bets on NFL and college games, ESPN reported. Gold has denied any wrongdoing through his attorney. The matter is now being investigated by the Arizona Department of Gaming.

    In May, a DraftKings employee was arrested in Las Vegas and charged with conspiracy and related offenses for allegedly participating in a sports betting ring with a basketball player from Fresno State.

    Hours before he participated in the All-Star Home Run Derby on July 13, Bryce Harper wrote on Instagram that he didn’t know FanDuel planned to use a video he recorded through Cameo as a reward for a VIP bettor. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, meanwhile, is reviewing the controversy over FanDuel’s use of the Bryce Harper video.

    Major League Baseball’s commissioner, Rob Manfred, told reporters that Harper did not violate the league’s collective bargaining agreement, which allows players to engage in some promotional work for sportsbooks and casinos, provided they do not encourage betting on baseball.

    The gaming control board has separately proposed new regulations to address gambling addiction, said a spokesperson, Doug Harbach.

    Among the changes the board wants to implement are daily, weekly, and monthly limits on deposits that bettors can make to cashless gaming systems, and prohibiting companies from implying that betting is risk-free or a way to pay bills.

    “We have to make sure there are safeguards,” said Khan, the state representative. “Sometimes people get too close to the edge.”

    The Inquirer will continue to report on issues related to the growth of gambling addiction — among teens and adults — across Pennsylvania. If you, or someone you know, would like to speak with a reporter, please contact David Gambacorta or William Bender at dgambacorta@inquirer.com or wbender@inquirer.com

  • Amid Kai Wagner and Quinn Sullivan’s returns, Neil Pierre stole the show in the Union’s win

    Amid Kai Wagner and Quinn Sullivan’s returns, Neil Pierre stole the show in the Union’s win

    When Kai Wagner was introduced in the Union’s starting lineup on Wednesday, the roar was so loud that it drowned out public address announcer Kevin Casey. When Quinn Sullivan jogged up the sideline to finally return to the field in the second half, the buzz in the stands was real and wholesome.

    But neither of them ended up as the biggest name in the 3-1 win over Red Bull New York, just the Union’s second league win of the season (2-10-4, 10 points). It wasn’t even interim manager Ryan Richter, who earned a victory in his debut on the first-team bench in the first game back from the MLS World Cup break.

    Neil Pierre, the prized centerback prospect, played 34 minutes as a second-half substitute after Japhet Sery Larsen felt some hamstring tightness, and finally showed he’s ready for the big leagues.

    It was only Pierre’s second game with the first team. His first was when he was thrown to the lions in last year’s infamous 7-0 blowout loss in Vancouver. This time, he was at home and got to take the field in the 56th minute with the game tied 1-1. Mere seconds later, he leapt at a Wagner corner kick service to slam in a header that put the Union ahead.

    “I kind of knew when Kai came back, I told him we’re going to score a lot of goals, we’re going to have a lot of moments,” Pierre said. “And then as soon as I ran up to the ball, I was like, there’s no way. My eyes got a little big — luckily, I scored it.”

    But between the game’s momentum and the Union’s fragile psyche, it was far from certain the lead would hold. So it mattered that while his defensive stats totaled just two clearances and one recovery, he helped see out the win.

    The Ryan Richter era of the Union begins with a win against rival Red Bull New York

    “I knew, even if I started or came in the game, the team’s confidence in me to play,” Pierre said, reflecting the endorsements Richter and sporting director Jon Scheer have given him lately.

    “I’ve come up through the academy, so it’s kind of a dream coming to these games,” Pierre said. “To come on the pitch was obviously an honor, and then to score was like, wow, what a dream.”

    Perhaps if someone else had finished that play, Wagner’s return would be the feature item here. But Pierre’s arrival has been anticipated for some time, and this felt like it, even as he also put an almost-comical miss off the crossbar from right underneath it. (Asked how many teammates gave him grief for that, Pierre cracked a smile and said, “Every single one.”)

    Wait what how

    [image or embed]

    — John Muller (@johnspacemuller.com) July 22, 2026 at 9:33 PM

    “I think he made another step forward,” Wagner said. “I think it really helped him to grow as a person, as a player, in Europe a little bit, even as it was probably a lower league. But I think we know that we can throw him in now. Today was a good test for him, a good start, solid start for him.”

    At just 18 years old, Pierre has a wide range of tools on his 6-foot-7 frame, including sublime passing skill for a centerback. But as he rose through the Union’s academy and reserve squad, the key question was how he’d handle the physicality of the top flight.

    This summer created World Cup fans, but that’s not the same as soccer fans. MLS must bridge the gap.

    New York didn’t have the kind of old brute who will really stick an elbow in your chest with a veteran’s savvy. But Pierre will face that eventually.

    It’s the main reason the Union sent him on a six-month loan to Danish club Lyngby, in which the Union have an ownership stake. Even though Lyngby played in the second tier last season, it’s still a more physical circuit than MLS Next Pro, and Pierre helped the club earn promotion before returning to Chester.

    There was also the mental side of going somewhere else for the first time, after a childhood in Harrisburg and now having his family in Media.

    “I noticed a lot, especially me growing up, finally being by myself away from home for six months,” Pierre said. “I think it made me really sit with myself and think about certain things I wouldn’t think about being home. And obviously, as a player, it made me more mature on the ball.”

    Olwethu Makhanya hasn’t returned to the Union yet, overshadowing Ryan Richter’s debut as manager

    The cherry on top Wednesday was seeing Pierre join a game with many intriguing young Americans on the field. The matchup was hyped as one U.S. national team fans could watch to see players who might contend for the 2030 World Cup squad, and it delivered: Cavan and Quinn Sullivan, Frankie Westfield, Pierre, and New York’s Julian Hall, Adri Mehmeti, and Justin Che.

    “I think it kind of showed where MLS is going,” Pierre said. “Trusting the players and showing that yeah, it doesn’t matter your age. I think if you come through the programs and trust the process, you’ll end up playing in MLS and hopefully then going to Europe or whatever it is.”

    When will Pierre play next? It depends in part on how bad Larsen’s hamstring tweak is, with the Seattle Sounders coming to Subaru Park on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). Then there’s an Aug. 1 home game against Atlanta United.

    An interesting test could come in next month’s Leagues Cup games. Though the tournament understandably still isn’t of much interest to fans, the Union have group stage home games against three Mexican clubs — including former Union striker Julián Carranza’s Necaxa. Those will be interesting tactical tests for Pierre.

    As the Union resume their season, Cavan Sullivan knows the spotlight on him will only grow more

    For now, it’s a good step that he looked the part in this game. With Olwethu Makhanya away for personal reasons amid transfer rumors, if Larsen is out for any extended time there’s now some proof that Pierre can step in.

    “I believe in him,” said Richter, who had his own rise from coaching in the Union’s academy to the reserves to now. “I’ve worked with him since he was 11 years old, and I have seen him progress in every stage of this. I’ve seen him be successful as an academy player, I’ve seen him be the defender of the year in MLS Next Pro, I watched his games when he went on loan and saw him be successful there and work and fight his way into the team there, and now it’s no surprise to see him come in and be ready for this next step.”

  • Who protects problem gamblers? Not the states cashing in on sports betting.

    Who protects problem gamblers? Not the states cashing in on sports betting.

    Terry Thompson’s spiral into gambling addiction offers a window into the human destruction Pennsylvania lawmakers unleashed when they legalized online betting.

    Before sports gambling was legal, the Montgomery County resident placed occasional bets through bookies. But in 2020, shortly after Harrisburg legalized sports betting, Thompson created an account with FanDuel Sportsbook to bet on the Eagles.

    He began placing numerous microbets through FanDuel and DraftKings, the two main gambling apps, and soon became addicted. Within five years, he wagered more than $22 million between the two companies, and lost more than $1.8 million.

    To feed his gambling addiction, Thompson sold his company and took out additional mortgages on his home. He hit rock bottom in February, gambling away his last dollar and planning to take his own life, according to a lawsuit filed in the Common Pleas Court of Philadelphia against FanDuel and DraftKings, and detailed by Inquirer investigative reporter David Gambacorta.

    Thompson’s story lines up with many others who get hooked on gambling. But it included a new wrinkle that adds to the insidious way gambling companies entice people to keep betting.

    In November 2024, Thompson received a personalized video message from Phillies superstar Bryce Harper.

    In the video, Harper references Thompson by name, mentions his young son, and thanks him for his support. Harper adds that he was reaching out on behalf of the VIP manager at FanDuel who wanted to make sure Thompson had an “extra special Thanksgiving.”

    In a personalized video that was sent to a problem gambler, Phillies slugger Bryce Harper said he was reaching out on behalf of an official at FanDuel.Obtained by The Inquirer

    A few days after Gambacorta’s story was published, Harper issued a statement claiming he was not aware of FanDuel’s involvement even though he mentions the company’s VIP manager by name.

    Harper said he joined the messaging site Cameo to engage with fans by providing paid video messages. Indeed, there is no evidence Harper was paid by FanDuel or aware of Thompson’s addiction.

    Strategic ignorance aside, it seems pathetic for a star athlete paid roughly $25 million a year to work a side hustle shilling videos to strangers. Talk about not elite.

    Clearly, everyone is finding a way to make money off gamblers, including state lawmakers, sports leagues, gambling apps, and former and current players.

    It’s all about the fans, right?

    More disturbing is how the apps entice gamblers.

    In Thompson’s case, FanDuel rewarded him with perks, including champagne, hotel stays, and Super Bowl tickets. His VIP manager texted him about the Eagles as well as personal exchanges about family and travel plans.

    FanDuel said its VIP managers do not work on commission. The company has a number of systems in place to help gamblers bet responsibly, including a dashboard so customers can track spending, real-time check-ins if players deviate from usual habits, and devices that let gamblers set limits on losses or time spent on the app, as well as cooldown periods or formal self-exclusions.

    That’s well and good, but gamblers find workarounds, and the VIP perks sure seemed designed to keep high rollers gambling. Expecting gamblers in the throes of addiction to police themselves is not a serious solution.

    One recovering gambling addict not involved in this case told me how FanDuel and DraftKings would send him numerous incentives a day to keep betting.

    Indeed, the gambling business model depends on a small percentage of gamblers making frequent bets. One study found 5% of sports gamblers generate 86% of the industry’s revenue.

    The ease of online gambling has turned everyone’s mobile phone into a casino. Nearly 40% of men and 20% of women gamble online daily, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

    Online betting has enabled companies to attract younger gamblers. Two-thirds of 18- to 22-year-old men surveyed by the NCAA had bet on sports. Many teens and adolescent children have become hooked on gambling, including some as young as 11.

    In a statement, FanDuel said it “is committed to fostering a culture of responsible gaming and protecting our customers” and that “employees are trained to recognize and flag signs of problem gambling.”

    Thompson’s experience, as alleged in his lawsuit, indicates otherwise.

    “There are millions of Terry Thompsons out there,” Harry Levant, a former Philadelphia attorney who is now the director of gambling policy for Public Health Advocacy Institute, told me.

    Levant, an addiction recovery coach, said he gets frequent calls from spouses, parents, and children seeking help for loved ones addicted to gambling. He said he has clients who gamble in the shower or before they get out of bed in the morning.

    Harry Levant, an addiction recovery coach, said he has clients who gamble in the shower or while they’re lying in bed in the morning.Courtesy Harry Levant

    Levant said the surge in online sports gambling has been fueled by a partnership between professional sports leagues and sports betting companies that provide a nonstop stream of in-game betting opportunities on everything from the next pitch to the next home run.

    Microbets — such as betting on the outcome of the next pitch or play — and same-game parlays — where gamblers make a single bet that requires multiple events to happen — keep bettors engaged throughout a game. When the game is over, there is always another game somewhere in the country or across the world.

    Levant said microbetting is designed to be addictive. “We are dealing with a fundamentally different form of gambling,” he told me. “It’s machine vs. humans, and no way can humans keep pace.”

    Levant has called on Congress to pass the Safe Bet Act, which would require operators to conduct “affordability checks” on customers before accepting wagers; prohibit microbetting and the use of AI to track individual gambling habits and offer individualized promotions; and prohibit sportsbooks from marketing during live sporting events.

    Even for us non-bettors, prohibiting sports gambling ads — the same way tobacco ads are not allowed — would be a welcome relief. The incessant ads from casinos and sportsbooks, as well as the in-game promotions, are beyond annoying.

    The problem is the sports leagues, the TV networks, and the gambling companies are essentially in business together. The state lawmakers who are sworn to protect the public enjoy campaign donations from the gambling lobby and hefty taxes for state coffers.

    But it is up to the 39 states and Washington, D.C., that have legalized sports betting to implement real safeguards to protect citizens from a system designed to keep people gambling. The states ignore the reality that all of their betting-related tax revenue comes from the pockets of gamblers.

    Last year, Americans bet more than $166 billion on sports — and billions more at casinos and state lotteries. Before the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way in 2018 for states to legalize sports betting, sports betting amounted to $4.9 billion.

    Now, up to 30% of Pennsylvania adults engaged in some form of online gambling in the past year, researchers at Penn State University found.

    The Philadelphia-area market leads the country in online gambling. The rapid growth has resulted in a doubling of calls to a problem gambling hotline.

    Anthropologist Natasha Schull wrote a book years ago that explained how slot machines were designed to addict gamblers. The industry jargon was to get gamblers to “play to extinction.”

    Now, online gambling saves a trip to the casino, but the endgame remains the same.

  • Smoky skies? Throw shade at the fossil fuel industry.

    Smoky skies? Throw shade at the fossil fuel industry.

    Last week’s air quality is brought to you by the fossil fuel industry.

    To quibble about how much of the Canadian fires are due to human-caused climate change as opposed to poor forest management or normal climatic changes is to not see the fire for the trees. The fossil fuel industry has created human-made climate change, and it has won the war against it.

    If your first reaction to this claim is to think the climate is always changing and that there is nothing out of the ordinary about the speed of current global temperature rise, that, too, was brought to you by the fossil fuel industry.

    Since the 1970s, this industry has known about the impact of its products on climate. Rather than prioritize planet over profit, it chose to “manufacture uncertainty” about these impacts, fostering climate denial in order to delay government action that might otherwise address the problem.

    A woman wears a mask because of the smoke in the air from the wildfires in Canada on Friday in Philadelphia.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    The fossil fuel industry’s “playbook” involves sustained and well-funded efforts to diminish climate reduction targets, protect subsidies to fossil fuel companies, and push for “energy independence” that is achieved through more oil and gas drilling. To extend their reach beyond their very successful lobbying of politicians, energy corporations have even sponsored university centers that lend academic credibility to their preferred climate solutions, such as relying on natural gas rather than renewable energies that would have far lower climate impacts.

    If thinking about the role of climate change in causing the fires that are to blame for last week’s haze makes you feel guilty about your own energy consumption, that guilt was also brought to you by the fossil fuel industry.

    Most prominently, in 2004, British Petroleum funded a $250 million marketing campaign to introduce the public to the “carbon footprint calculator” while rebranding itself as a green energy company. This fostered widespread framing of the climate problem as something caused by individual lifestyles, a problem that could be solved by individual behavior changes such as recycling and the use of energy-efficient appliances.

    The carbon footprint framing created and promulgated by the fossil fuel industry focused public concern on voluntary changes that could be made by individuals, rather than on regulation of the industry profiting from sustained use of planet-heating fuels.

    That guilt you feel about your own energy consumption was put there to prevent your individual anger from turning into collective anger that could bring down the industry profiting from your fossil fuel consumption.

    Protesters carry placards as they cross the Brooklyn Bridge in New York during a Youth Climate Strike march to demand an end to the era of fossil fuels in 2024. Andres Kudacki

    But the industry isn’t just making you personally responsible for climate change; it’s using its immense economic power to influence political decisions shaping domestic automobile markets.

    It is fitting, then, that a large part of North America is choking on smoke from rampant fires at the end of a fiscal quarter in which China’s BYD electric car company again outsold Tesla in global electric vehicle sales.

    In contrast to many countries around the world that are benefiting from access to low-price, high-quality EVs manufactured in China — which will simultaneously diminish the cost of driving and its climate impact — the Trump administration is doing a solid for Elon Musk’s EV company by virtually blockading Chinese EVs from entering the U.S. domestic market through the use of 100% tariffs and related technology bans.

    President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speak to reporters as they sit in a red Model S Tesla vehicle on the South Lawn of the White House in March 2025. Uncredited

    Effectively, this protects billionaire Musk’s domestic market dominance while keeping EV prices high enough to ensure Americans stay dependent on gas-powered cars.

    It should come as no surprise that the fiscally savvy prime minister of Canada just pivoted to deliver a blow to the fossil fuel industry that President Donald Trump will never even try to land. In a reversal of its protectionist stance, Canada cut its 100% surtax on Chinese EVs down to a 6.1% tariff rate, allowing up to 49,000 Chinese EVs per year, conditioned on Chinese automakers’ investment in joint ventures with Canadian manufacturers.

    Hazy skies over the skyline caused by wildfires in Canada on July 17 in Philadelphia.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    Access to affordable, high-quality EVs that diminish climate harms currently wreaking havoc on Canada is no consolation for all the humans and animals whose homes, habitats, and lives are currently being burnt to a crisp. But it reflects the behavior of a country that is still capable of doing something besides protecting the profits of its billionaire class.

    If you want to do something that will save your bank account and your lungs, stop voting for political candidates who are bought and brought to you by the fossil fuel industry.

    Breena Holland is an associate professor of political science and environmental studies at Lehigh University. Her research focuses on domestic environmental policy and air quality in the Lehigh Valley.

  • How LeBron James’ lingering decision is holding up the Sixers — and the NBA

    How LeBron James’ lingering decision is holding up the Sixers — and the NBA

    The latest turn in LeBron James’ free agency saga happened late Tuesday, when the Miami Heat published a YouTube livestream link scheduled for July 27 titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference.”

    A Heat spokesperson told multiple outlets it was a mistake by the organization’s social media team, which prepared the livestream in the event James chose to return to Miami. That is believable, considering that, since July 2, The Inquirer has had versions of breaking news stories ready for whenever James chooses the 76ers or another team.

    That firework broke up the LeBron-related nothingness of recent days.

    The Heat mistakenly posted a link to a ‘LeBron James Introductory Press Conference,’ and the internet is going wild

    The all-time great did not announce his new destination during multiple public appearances at Fanatics Fest in New York City late last week, even after some light coaxing by fellow NBA star and podcast guest Tyrese Haliburton. The rumblings that James’ announcement would come early this week — aka, after the World Cup final — were incorrect. And agent Rich Paul said on his Game Over podcast released Monday that James would not rush his decision.

    “It’s his choice to make,” Paul said of James. “And when he makes the choice, he’ll make it.”

    So we are now officially more than three weeks into the waiting game. Much longer than James’ nationally televised — and vilified — 2010 decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to take his talents to South Beach (July 8). Or when he announced his triumphant return to Cleveland in a 2014 letter published in Sports Illustrated (July 11). Or when Paul’s agency, Klutch Sports, sent out a 2018 news release that James would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers (July 1).

    LeBron James has not picked a free-agency destination after three weeks of contemplation. Charles Fox / Staff Photographer

    It is not only holding up the Sixers, but much of the league.

    James is no longer a perennial MVP contender, but still an All-Star-caliber player at age 41, and essentially has halted the second wave of free agency. Teams that still believe they are in contention to land James — which also are desirable options for other veterans and role players looking to win — are holding a roster spot for him. When James makes his pick, the teams that do not land him will move on to players still in limbo, which includes the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Jonathan Kuminga.

    That Paul has said money is not a factor for James — aka, that he will take a minimum contract — eliminates the urgency during the early free-agency flurry, when salary cap space and players are at a premium.

    NBA commissioner Adam Silver even acknowledged last week that James’ decision is delaying the creation of the 2026-27 NBA schedule — which typically is released in mid-August — because his longstanding popularity demands that his team play in premier television matchups.

    Bron-O-Meter: What are the current chances of LeBron James joining the Sixers?

    August also is when a mostly around-the-clock league goes on hiatus until Labor Day, when players reconvene at their team facilities for informal workouts before training camps begin in late September.

    That period is when staffers — from front-facing executives and coaches, to important behind-the-scenes figures — plan vacations following months of nontraditional work schedules that require extensive travel and consistent nights and weekends. New Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey told The Inquirer at Las Vegas Summer League earlier this month that he has barely seen his four children since taking this job and that his family still needs to find a home in the Philly area. Some might scoff at feeling empathy toward the wealthy in high-profile NBA jobs, but these still are people.

    “I just need a break,” said Gansey, whose whirlwind start with the Sixers also included the blockbuster trade for All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown. “I think we all do, just because [this offseason has] been so much.”

    The most cynical also could say that James is doing all of this for content for Paul’s podcast or for sheer attention after a somewhat awkward end to his Lakers tenure once the team shockingly acquired Luka Dončić in February 2025 and signed Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million maximum contract. This saga surely will be a prominent component of a James documentary that reportedly has been in the works for years. It is evidence of the power James possesses as a cultural icon and stellar player, even entering his league-record 24th season.

    Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey has selected first-round draft pick Labaron Philon Jr., and traded for All-Star Jaylen Brown in his first summer in Philly. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Yet Gansey said he understood the gravity of James’ choice. This is a basketball legend determining his (likely) final on-court act.

    “I have all the respect in the world for him, and he’s smart as heck,” said Gansey, a fellow Ohioan who previously worked his way up the Cavaliers’ front office. “He’s going to figure it out and talk to his family. … Whatever he decides, I know he’s going to make the right decision.”

    So the Sixers — and the rest of the NBA — will continue to wait.

    And wait.

    And wait.

  • Spain’s most famous wine region is mixing it up with this native grape

    Spain’s most famous wine region is mixing it up with this native grape

    Many wine lovers think of grenache as a French grape — after all, it’s the backbone in red blends like Côtes-du-Rhône and Chateauneuf-du-Pape. However, this grape is native to Spain, where it is known as “garnacha.”

    While this prolific vine is planted extensively in Spain, garnacha is overshadowed by the country’s No. 1 red grape, tempranillo, in export markets like the United States. However, it’s worth keeping an eye out for Spanish garnacha since these are some of Spain’s most interesting red wines nowadays. That’s the case with this surprising offering from the Rioja region, Spain’s most recognized and most widely exported wine appellation.

    Rioja is almost synonymous with tempranillo, but other grapes are planted here, too. While garnacha has typically been a minor ingredient in Rioja’s tempranillo-based blends, a growing number of wineries there are branching out to bottle it separately in wines like this “limited edition” from one of Rioja’s largest wineries.

    Garnacha makes lovely wines that are spicy in flavor profile and quite expressive — conveying different tastes depending on where they are grown. In Rioja, garnacha makes wines that are lighter in color, fruitier, and more delicate than the alternatives, which leads winemakers to scale back the use of oak barrels in maturation to preserve their freshness. Here, the wine has a delightful flavor of wild strawberries with hints of white pepper and balsamic glaze. This makes for a great choice with anything off the grill — from salmon or chicken to steaks and beyond.

    Ramón Bilbao Rioja GarnachaRamón Bilbao

    Ramón Bilbao Rioja Garnacha

    Rioja, Spain; 14% ABV

    PLCB Item # 100049341 — on sale through Aug. 2 for $16.99 (regularly $19.99)

    No alternate retail locations within 50 miles of Philadelphia according to Wine-Searcher.com.

  • 2026 Volvo EX30: The little EV that could go fast, but beyond that …

    2026 Volvo EX30: The little EV that could go fast, but beyond that …

    2026 Toyota bZ XLE FWD Plus vs. 2026 Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance Electric Ultra: A little EV battle.

    This week: 2026 Volvo EX30

    Price: $48,445 as tested

    What others are saying: “Highs: Blistering acceleration, short stopping distances. Lows: Unintuitive controls, overly light steering, cramped rear seat, some driving position quirks,” notes Consumer Reports.

    What Volvo is saying: “The range and quick charging you want in a small SUV that’s big on style, storage and safety.”

    Reality: You’re really leading with range and recharge rate, Volvo?

    What’s new: The EX30 is Volvo’s answer to the small car, but in EV form.

    Competition: I kinda cheated pitting the Toyota and the Volvo against each other, at least following Consumer Reports’ competition report, but they do run about the same price when outfitted comparably. And it’ll make even more sense later. Others are Audi Q4 E-Tron and Q6 E-Tron; BMW iX; Cadillac Lyriq, Optiq, and Vistiq; Genesis Electrified GV70 and GV60; Lexus RZ; Lucid Gravity; Mercedes-Benz EQE and EQS; Rivian R1S; and Tesla Model X.

    The interior of the 2026 Volvo EX30 pays for the tall, straight stance of the vehicle.Daniel Ahlgren

    Driver’s Seat: The EX30 requires a great deal of get-acquainted time. Like a Tesla, the Volvo puts all the information you need into the spacious touchscreen in the center of the dashboard — there are no standalone gauges.

    The key card waved in front of a spot marked with a Wi-Fi symbol in the driver’s door gives you access; place that card in the exact spot in the console to fire the motors up. Waving the card in front of the door at shutdown locks everything up and shuts it off.

    An app can do all that as well.

    Driving position is almost like a city bus in its verticality, completely opposite the bZ’s stance, but the seat is comfortable. An array of seating controls happen in just one button; watch the screen to see which one you’re on and then adjust accordingly.

    Play some tunes (perhaps better renamed “Controlling the vehicle”): Like the seat adjustment options, everything happens in the touchscreen. Lights? Also in the touchscreen.

    As for the music, I never found much in the way of tone adjustments, but the standard setting seemed to play just fine, about an A-.

    Keeping warm and cool: This also pretty much happens in the touchscreen. A small temperature icon lets you change that in a larger window, and a little fan icon lets you make more detailed adjustments, which is a real pain. Either should offer the whole array.

    Manual adjustments were quite fussy, but automatic settings left me uncomfortable most of the time. Most vehicles figured this out a long time ago.

    Up to speed: Like almost every electric-powered vehicle, the EX30 zips from a start so freely, it’s almost like you barely have to look before pulling into traffic. I said almost, people. I heard those tires squealing.

    For small-car lovers like Mr. Driver’s Seat, the EX30 really brings the best of peppy little rides. The two motors produce 422 horses, and that rushes the little car to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, according to Volvo. That’s half a second slower than a Corvette (2.8 seconds).

    A front-drive version gets 268 horses and reaches 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. Advantage Volvo, on both models.

    Shiftless: Tap the right steering column lever downward for Drive or up for Reverse. A button on the end parks the vehicle.

    On the road: Unlike the bZ, the all-wheel drive and battery weight don’t do much for the handling, though. The EX30 handles like a golf cart at its best. But it’s small and maneuverable, and the punchy performance makes up for the sedate slithering.

    Friends and stuff: Legroom is quite snug. Head and foot room are nice, though. The seat is seriously short; the accommodations are just not that nice back here.

    Volvo claims the cargo space is 12.5 or 27.8 cubic feet, which is a super low number. Some manufacturers measure the dimensions differently; this seems on par with similar-size vehicles, although probably not as generous behind the rear row as the bZ. Still, I can confidently say advantage Toyota.

    In and out: Entering the rear doors is the tightest I’ve felt this side of a two-door. Advantage Toyota.

    Sunny days: I still haven’t figured out how to close the shade for the sunroof.

    In the rain: When it’s raining, a driver wants easy access to the wipers, defroster, and rear defroster. As in, why aren’t these grouped together?

    The wipers are on the steering wheel stalk, and the defrosters require two-plus clicks into the touchscreen. Sure, there’s a standalone defroster button for making the thing blow so hard it feels like the windshield has been removed. (Business idea: This setting could be sponsored by Refresh Tears or some similar eye drop manufacturer.) Advantage Toyota.

    Range and recharge: The EX30 has a maximum range of 253 miles, a little on the short side.

    Volvo says the charging from 10-80% capacity is 28 minutes. The EX30’s recharge rate on a simple 110-volt charger is one of the quickest I’ve seen in the last several years, gaining 4 miles per hour of charge. Advantage Toyota.

    Where it’s built: Ghent, Belgium. Parts are 80% Chinese and 10% Belgian.

    How it’s built: The EX30 rates a 2 out of 5 for reliability from Consumer Reports. I’d have guessed lower. I’ve had Volvo EVs that repeatedly failed to show up for test weeks because of rainy weather. I’m hoping they’ve worked out those kinds of issues.

    In the end: The EX30 would be great competition for the CX-30 Turbo, a $35,000 ride, because this is also an awesome $35,000 ride. Unfortunately, it costs $48,000.

    So the bZ really wins the day here. But even its $40,000 price tag is also not going to help move vehicles.

    And the EX30 is no competition for most of the Consumer Reports offerings; some of those are running over $100,000 and have far different space configurations.

    Coming in September I expect to review the new Chevrolet Bolt. Here’s hoping.