Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Blog

  • Welcome to the home stretch | PA 2026 Newsletter

    Welcome to the home stretch | PA 2026 Newsletter

    📅 There are 39 days until Election Day.

    Welcome to the heart of election season.

    Pennsylvania is — once again — at the center of the political universe, and our team is set to bring you the latest as we cover the final stretch of the campaigns from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. and across Pennsylvania. We’re focusing on the competitive U.S. House races, the battle for the governor’s mansion, and legislative districts across the Keystone State as Democrats fight for control in Harrisburg and in Congress.

    đŸŽ€ I’m Sam Janesch, The Inquirer’s national political reporter. I’ll be your host this week as we dig into how Pennsylvania’s always-newsworthy Democratic senator is inserting himself into a campaign season where he’s not even on the ballot. We also have a first look at an unusual new spending effort on behalf of U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who is fighting to keep his seat as the last Republican representing the region in Congress, and new insight into Gov. Josh Shapiro’s polling and money advantages.

    In this edition:

    đŸ—łïž A Democrat in name only: For the first time, a plurality of likely Pennsylvania voters view U.S. Sen. John Fetterman negatively.

    đŸ—łïž Close to home: Fitzpatrick is the least loyal House Republican to President Donald Trump, but he’s still overwhelmingly aligned with the president and his party.

    đŸ—łïž Is this thing on?: Republican Stacy Garrity remains largely unknown in the state, even to a quarter of GOP voters, as Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s lead continues to grow.

    — Sam Janesch, Michelle Baruchman, Fallon Roth, Gillian McGoldrick (pa2026@inquirer.com)

    The latest

    • Pennsylvania voters are giving President Donald Trump worse grades on economic issues as the midterms near. And as gas prices hit $4.55 in Philadelphia, even his 2024 supporters are unhappy.
    • Shapiro has raised $60 million for his reelection, but any leftover money can’t be directly transferred to a 2028 presidential campaign — not that he has declared his candidacy for one, anyway.
    • Only one Pennsylvania Republican received a video shoutout from Trump in his Truth Social endorsement dump last week — and it’s the candidate with perhaps the longest shot of winning. Trump called Garrity “really special,” while slamming Shapiro as a governor who “does not have what it takes.” Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie is still counting on Trump’s support to help him win in the Lehigh Valley.
    • Outside the midterm elections, another type of political campaign was underway to free convicted former Philadelphia labor leader John Dougherty, widely known as Johnny Doc, from prison. But it was a group of Republicans, including Trump, who ultimately aided the longtime Democratic power broker’s release.

    Data dive

    📊 U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has come a long way from the Bernie Sanders-loving, progressive populist that made him a political sensation starting about a decade ago — at least according to the Pennsylvania voters who elevated him to national prominence.

    Four years after his election to the U.S. Senate, a majority of the state’s likely voters think of him as a Republican, according to a new poll conducted by Siena University on behalf of The Inquirer and the New York Times.

    Our polling data shows nearly three-quarters of Democrats think of Fetterman as a Republican. About half of Republicans feel the same way.

    Even though Fetterman has said he will not change parties, that perception could have major implications. Democrats need to net at least four seats to capture the Senate majority starting in January. If they win a slim majority, Fetterman’s wildcard nature could be a roadblock as the party looks to act as a check on Trump in the final two years of his term.

    Democrats in Washington aren’t sweating it. Well, at least not publicly.

    “No,” U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat and chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said quickly when The Inquirer asked her this week if she or her colleagues are concerned about Fetterman’s role in a narrow majority.

    “I’m very grateful that Sen. Fetterman is serving in the U.S. Senate as a Democrat, and I think he will continue to do so,” Gillibrand said.

    Campaign scrapple

    đŸ“ș Exclusive: A top environmental organization is throwing $250,000 toward new digital ads and a mail program supporting Fitzpatrick as he fends off a challenge from Democrat Bob Harvie in the swingy Bucks County-based congressional district that could prove key to flipping party control of the House this fall.

    Fitzpatrick is the only House GOP candidate currently receiving ad support from EDF Action Votes, a super PAC that supports the goals of the Environmental Defense Action Fund.

    US Rep Brian Fitzpatrick speaks during the Garden of Reflection remembrance ceremonies as his opponent, Bob Harvie (3rd from right) listens Friday, September 11, 2026 at Garden of Reflection in Yardley, Pennsylvania.William Thomas Cain / For The Inquirer

    Historically Democratic-aligned groups, like environmental orgs and labor unions, have felt comfortable continuing — or offering new — support for Fitzpatrick despite a national political landscape that has become increasingly unfavorable for Republicans. The Bucks County lawmaker has been known to separate himself from his conference and is the least loyal House Republican to Trump and his party.

    But, according to our recent analysis, he’s still on the president and the GOP’s side most of the time.

    👀 What we’re watching

    🔮 The Pennsylvania Republican Party’s state committee will meet in Pittsburgh this weekend. The committee cleared the field for Garrity as the party’s nominee by endorsing her last September. But since then, she’s struggled across the board — with fundraising, in polls, and more. Politics reporter Michelle Baruchman will be there, hoping to hear from attendees about the party’s outlook heading into November.

    đŸ“© Mail ballots have already begun hitting mailboxes across Pennsylvania, with nearly 14,000 already returned.

    📬 A total of 999,280 mail or absentee ballots have been requested as of Thursday, Sept. 24, according to Pennsylvania Department of State data.

    • The breakdown:

    Quote of the week

    Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s incumbent Democratic governor, is up 21 points over Garrity, according to a new poll conducted by The Inquirer, the New York Times, and Siena University. He also announced a $13.3 million haul this summer and $31 million spent — far outpacing Garrity’s $1.8 million total raised and $1.5 million spent since June.

    As Levy says, Shapiro is highly favored to win in November, with Cook Political Report shifting the race to “Solid Democrat,” just two years after Trump won the state.

    👋 All this election news, and can you believe we still have more than a month to go? You can follow The Inquirer politics team’s coverage here, and we’ll see you in your inbox next Friday.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

  • New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell resigns after investigation found sexual harassment and other wrongdoing

    New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell resigns after investigation found sexual harassment and other wrongdoing

    New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell has resigned after investigators found “credible evidence” of sexual harassment and other wrongdoing.

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced his resignation at a news conference Friday afternoon after calling for him to step down while releasing the investigative report Thursday evening.

    “His decision will allow us to move forward with important work serving the people of our state,” said Sherrill, who was inaugurated with Caldwell by her side in January.

    “I will move swiftly and thoughtfully in choosing a new lieutenant governor who will represent my administration and the people of New Jersey with honor and integrity.”

    The governor released a 61-page report from a monthlong investigation conducted by an outside law firm late Thursday afternoon. The report said Caldwell made inappropriate comments to women and violated ethics rules. Caldwell, a minister, is the former president of Centenary University.

    Sherrill called for him to resign by Friday, but it was unclear whether he would listen. Caldwell denied the investigation’s findings through his attorney, who argued Caldwell was not given an opportunity to meaningfully address the accusations in the report or provide his own witnesses.

    Sherrill emphasized Friday that she wanted to “make sure everyone was treated fairly and justly” and called the investigation thorough and impartial.

    “After I received the report and the facts were clear, I took action right away,” Sherrill said, in what may have been a nod to earlier criticism that she didn’t confirm the investigation while it was underway. “Let me be clear: all credible allegations of misconduct must be fully investigated and addressed. In my administration, we are committed to doing what is right, not what is politically expedient.”

    The investigation found Caldwell hit on a female staffer’s friend, and when she turned him down, he told the staffer that ambitious women like them needed a man in a position to help them, “but you young women are looking for young sperm.”

    Caldwell denied making the comments, “but we did not find his denial credible,” the report said.

    Replacing Caldwell

    Sherrill did not have the power to fire Caldwell, so his resignation prevents potential impeachment proceedings in Trenton. The governor has 45 days to pick his replacement.

    In the meantime, New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari will lead the state in her absence. Sherrill traveled to campaign for Democrats in congressional races in other states earlier in the summer, leaving Caldwell in charge. But she stopped after the investigation became public knowledge.

    Sherrill said she spoke to Caldwell on Thursday and texted with him on Friday, and that he resigned to let her administration continue with its agenda amid “all of the attacks from the federal government on affordability, voting rights.”

    Caldwell’s attorney, Thomas Calcagni, said in a statement late Friday that his client continues to dispute the allegations in the report and would be exploring “all legal remedies” to contest its findings.

    “We continue to forcefully challenge the report. Dr. Caldwell’s resignation, submitted to put an end to the targeted campaign to discredit his character, does not in any way diminish our outrage concerning the investigative process and its specious findings,” Calcagni said.

    As fragments of the allegations leaked out over the weeks, some of Caldwell’s friends and allies shared messages of support about his character and record of service. And while he did not speak publicly as news of the investigation surfaced, a May letter he wrote to the ethics commission forcefully denying the claims — and alleging racism — was leaked to media.

    On Friday, a group of self-described Black “faith, civic, and community leaders” commended his decision to resign.

    “By choosing to step down and ending this controversy, he has put the interests of the people of New Jersey and the work of our state ahead of himself,” the group said in a statement, which included U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D., Mercer), New Jersey Democratic Committee Chair LeRoy Jones, among others.

    Democratic state legislators remained largely quiet before Caldwell announced his resignation, but many were relieved to see Caldwell step down.

    Assemblymember Anthony Angelozzi, a Burlington County Democrat, said he was “appalled” with the findings of the report.

    “The idea of using your government position for personal benefit and harassing women, as someone who has staff members who are female and a daughter, I wouldn’t want to put any woman in a compromised position like that,” he said.

    Assemblymember Balivir Singh floated another Burlington County Democrat, State Sen. Troy Singleton, as an ideal replacement for Caldwell.

    “You look for a person with integrity 
 and I would think my senator is the best,” Singh said.

    As lieutenant governor, Caldwell served a dual role as the state’s top election official. With his resignation less than 40 days before the midterm election, Sherrill appointed Acting Comptroller Shirley Emehelu to serve as secretary of state on an acting basis.

    “For months at this point, the Department of State team has been hard at work preparing for the upcoming elections in partnership with local and county election officials. I will make sure their work proceeds as planned,” Emehelu said.

    The investigation into Caldwell was conducted by former Attorney General Christopher Porrino — who worked under former Republican Gov. Chris Christie — and his law firm. The probe had been going on since at least May.

    Road crews had begun removing Caldwell’s name from state signs on I-95 as of Friday, but the scandal is still likely to dominate New Jersey politics for the foreseeable future.

    Christine Giordano Hanlon, chair of the New Jersey GOP, called Sherrill’s handling of the investigation a “failure.”

    “Caldwell’s resignation is not accountability for everything that happened before it,” she said. “There are many more questions that will need to be answered.”

    ‘Long-term concerning behavior’ outlined in report

    Sherrill said the report “lays out a pattern and practice of long-term concerning behavior.” She said her decision shows the “culture change” she has pushed for in Trenton.

    “What was so important to me was to make sure that if there are substantiated claims of sexual harassment and ethics violations, that I, as the leader of the government, handle that,” she said.

    “There has been a culture in Trenton, probably since the birth of our nation, to sweep this under the rug,” she said. “You can speak to numerous people who’ve worked in the statehouse for decades who felt this day would never come, that allegations would never be taken seriously, action would never be taken, and victims would just have to either quit their job or move on.”

    According to the report, less than a month after being spoken to and given training on workplace conduct and ethics, and four days after he was told about the investigation, Caldwell tried to get a promotion for a state employee he was dating.

    Caldwell’s attorney said the lieutenant governor forwarded the employee’s resume and did not disclose the two had a personal relationship.

    The report also details comments Caldwell allegedly made about wanting a “first lady.” One staffer said he asked her to find him someone and another recalled him suggesting that he would need a wife in order to run for governor and to let him know if she comes across someone suitable. Caldwell admitted to making comments to staffers about wanting a “first lady” but said he wasn’t serious and other people in the office made similar kinds of jokes, the report said.

    He also repeatedly made comments about staffers having “executive appearance,” which came across to some staffers as a judgment on women’s physical attractiveness. Caldwell said the term was about how both men and women carry themselves, not physical appearance, the report said.

    Caldwell repeatedly brought personal guests to ticketed events without clearing it with the ethics officer and without paying for the extra tickets, a practice that continued even after warnings, attending an ethics training, and being told about the investigation, the report said. His attorney said when Caldwell “learned that reimbursement was appropriate in one particular situation, he reimbursed $175 for the event.”

    He was also accused of providing his business card to women he wanted to date, but he said in his May letter that he gives his business card to more men than women.

    “I have never asked anyone out on a date, ‘hit on,’ or pursued anyone romantically while conducting official business as Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State,” he said at the time.

    Staff writers Susan K. Livio, Sarah Nicell, and Lacey Latch contributed reporting.

  • Willie Nelson, 93, and Neil Young, 80, rocked it out in a one-of-a-kind evening at the Mann

    Willie Nelson, 93, and Neil Young, 80, rocked it out in a one-of-a-kind evening at the Mann

    Willie Nelson and Neil Young are old buddies who get together once a year to play Farm Aid, the annual benefit concert that takes place in Virginia Beach this Saturday.

    But the two giants of North American song, who between them, have released over 150 albums, have never actually toured together.

    Until this week, that is.

    In the run-up to Farm Aid, which this year will include John Mellencamp, Margo Price, Sierra Ferrell, and Jesse Welles, Nelson and Young added a two-show warm-up trek.

    They played one date in Bridgeport, Conn., before the two proudly unpolished songwriters pulled up to the TD Pavilion at the Highmark Mann in Fairmount Park on Thursday.

    Teenage Texas country and blues songwriter Ty Meyers opened, followed by a clip of Nelson performing his welcoming, immigrant-friendly patriotic song “Living in the Promised Land,” singing of an America “where there’s room for everyone, livin’ in the promised land.”

    Then the lights went up and there was a 93-year-old Nelson, seated and wearing a down jacket on a chilly September evening.

    Along with him was his band Family, which in this iteration included his son Micah on guitar and vocals, longtime compadre Mickey Raphael on harmonica and accordion, and Waylon Payne, the son of Nelson’s late longtime band member Jody Payne, also on guitar and vocals.

    Nelson is a marvel. For regular attendees of his Outlaw Music Festival — which cut back on its schedule and did not stop in Philly this year — his 70-minute set was familiar.

    Neil Young joining Willie Nelson and his Family Band at the Highmark Mann on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026.Dan DeLuca

    With his trusty, impossibly beat-up guitar, Trigger, on his lap, he opened as always with Johnny Bush’s “Whiskey River,” before segueing into a taste of western swing with Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys’ “Stay a Little Longer,” and then his own Zen masterpiece “Still Is Still Moving to Me.”

    Early on, his spoken-sung vocals were a little rough and clotted, but he loosened up as the set progressed and by the time he got to “Georgia (On My Mind),” his singing was notable not only for his uncanny, conversational phrasing, but he also sounded relatively robust, even frisky.

    He got a little help from his bandmates, easing his vocal burden.

    Micah Nelson got plenty of chuckles with his songs “Die When I’m High (Halfway to Heaven),” which is written from the perspective of his famously weed-loving father, and “Everything Is [Expletive]” in which both Nelsons took a look at the world around them and found not much to recommend.

    Payne, meanwhile, added gravitas with covers of Merle Haggard’s “Workingman’s Blues” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night.” To the lyric, “And it’s sad to be alone,” he added, “but it isn’t, because we’re up here singing with Willie Nelson!”

    Then there were two special treats. Young came out and sang with Willie on a ragged but right “Are There Any More Real Cowboys?” from his 1985 album Old Ways, into which he dropped a new lyric expressing contempt for A.I. data centers.

    The set closed in the traditional Willie way, with the country gospel medley of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” and “I’ll Fly Away,” with a surprise guest joining in on the sing-along.

    Who was that skinny dude with his hair tucked into a trucker’s cap? But of course, it was Philly’s own alt-rock star Kurt Vile, who guested with centenarian Marshall Allen earlier this year and now can add an appearance with nonagenarian Nelson to his resumĂ©.

    Before Young took the stage with his band the Chrome Hearts, which includes the hard-working Micah Nelson along with illustrious Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section keyboard player Spooner Oldham, the video screens issued a three-word written reminder to Americans: “Keep Freedom Free.”

    The loose-limbed set that followed leaned toward the acoustic early on. Young, 80, ambled through the warm and wistful sentiments of “Long May You Run” and “Comes a Time,” and later rang out with the one-two punch of “Old Man” and “Heart of Gold,” bringing the packed house to its feet, where they stayed standing thereafter.

    Young has just released Second Song, a collection that contemplates aging and mortality. It’s his 50th album and one of his better efforts this century. With a backdrop that read “LOVE EARTH,” he performed two songs from the album, including the sweet heartbreak tune, “Casting Me Away From You,” which he said, “I wrote in 1963 or ’64, but it was never released. That makes it a new song, right?”

    Neil Young in a video screen image at the Highmark Mann on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. The Canadian rocker played with his band the Chrome Hearts on a bill with Willie Nelson & Family.Dan DeLuca

    The title is a sly reference to his remark “It’s all one song!” from his 1997 live album Year of the Horse, referring to the unifying, liberating squall he tends to lean into when turning the amplification all the way up.

    On Thursday, Young revisited that idea: “You guys realize this all one song, don’t you?” He also poked fun at President Donald Trump by making repeated references to Lake Ontario — which the president has renamed “Lake America.”

    And at one point, while wandering over to the piano where he would sit and play the environmental anthem “After the Gold Rush,” Young took a sip from a green bottle of beer that appeared to be a Molson and said: “How’d that get here? That’s Canadian!”

    The show grew raucous down the stretch.

    Two days earlier in Connecticut, Young had ended his pre-encore set with “Gold Rush.” In Philly, he apparently felt the need to rock out.

    The packed house got the catharsis it had been hoping for with a ripping “Powderfinger,” which delivered classic 1970s Rust Never Sleeps-era power chord crunch in one of the most satisfying salvos from Young’s peak period.

    And that was followed by “Roll Another Number (For the Road),” a song simpatico with Nelson if there ever was one, pulled from 1975’s Tonight’s the Night, the third album in his illustrious “Ditch Trilogy,” when the maverick songwriter decided he was spending too much time in the middle of the road “so I headed for the ditch.”

    Young and the Chrome Hearts returned with “Living With War,” a song written in protest of the U.S.’ war with Iraq in 2006, now presented in opposition to the war on Iran.

    The simultaneously combative and sorrowful thrust of the song hit home, timeless, but it’s lumbering in comparison to Young’s more unstoppable, on-target epic rockers.

    No matter, it wasn’t a long wait for one of those. The inevitable closer was “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World,” still managing to deliver big rock show defiance 37 years after it was first recorded.

    Fists were pumped, a one-of-a-kind night with two legends came to an emphatic conclusion, and the Canadian American rocker left the crowd with one last exhortation: “Keep America Free!”

  • Man convicted of murder in West Philadelphia shooting that left three dead, injured several others

    Man convicted of murder in West Philadelphia shooting that left three dead, injured several others

    A man who fired shots during a gun battle in West Philadelphia that left three men dead and wounded several others two years ago was convicted of murder this week.

    Tahir Shoatz, 30, was found guilty of third-degree murder in the death of Sekayi Robinson, 23, as well as attempted murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, four counts of reckless endangerment, and three firearms offenses, following a bench trial in Common Pleas Court.

    But Judge Roxanne Covington on Thursday acquitted Shoatz of murder in the deaths of brothers Akil Jones, 33, and Rashie Jones, 29, concluding that he did not fire the shots that killed them on July 21, 2024.

    That night, gunfire shattered a block party on the 1200 block of North Alden Street, where more than 100 people had gathered, prosecutors said. In addition to the three killings, six people were injured by bullets — including Shoatz, who was shot in the abdomen, shoulder, and knee, and his co-defendant in the case, Amir Jones, who was struck by two bullets on his left side.

    Covington also acquitted Shoatz of 15 other charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, and other offenses.

    The mass shooting stemmed from an argument between Akil Jones and Shoatz that turned physical when Shoatz reached for a handgun at his waistband, Assistant District Attorney Cydney Pope said during the trial. Amir Jones — who is the brother of Akil and Rashie Jones — intervened in the fray to help his brother, Pope said, seconds before the first shot rang out.

    Prosecutors initially charged Jones with three counts of murder and four counts of aggravated assault, as well as multiple counts of reckless endangerment and firearms offenses. But they dismissed the murder and aggravated assault charges against him at the start of the trial.

    And on Thursday, Covington acquitted Jones of the remaining charges against him.

    The prosecution’s case relied heavily on surveillance and police body-worn camera footage that captured the shooting and its aftermath. Pope said the footage showed multiple shooters, including Shoatz, Amir Jones, Robinson, and another man. Police recovered 41 bullet casings and fragments from the scene, she said, and determined Rashie Jones had also fired a gun.

    After watching the footage several times, the judge said “it is clear” that the other man — whom prosecutors said has not been identified by police — killed Akil Jones. But it was unclear who shot Rashie Jones, she said, because “that is never seen on video.”

    Shoatz’s attorney, Robert Gamburg, contended that Shoatz had been disarmed by Amir Jones during the brawl, then shot multiple times. “He was a victim in this case,” Gamburg said. “He has always been a victim.”

    Shoatz is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

  • The Sixers’ Blue X White scrimmage will move to Xfinity Mobile Arena because of increased demand

    The Sixers’ Blue X White scrimmage will move to Xfinity Mobile Arena because of increased demand

    The Sixers are moving their Blue X White scrimmage to Xfinity Mobile Arena for the first time ever.

    After a summer of big moves that have led to historic demand for Sixers basketball, fans will get their first chance to see new stars LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in action on the court at noon on Oct. 3 at Xfinity Mobile.

    Admission will require a $10 donation to the Sixers Youth Foundation, similar to the Eagles’ $10 annual open practice at Lincoln Financial Field. Season-ticket holders will have first access, followed by a general on-sale allotment on Monday, Sept. 28 at 3 p.m. The Sixers will also donate 5,000 tickets to Sixers Youth Foundation grantees. Parking will be complimentary.

    The event will kick off with a pregame fan festival outside the arena, which will include giveaways, shooting challenges, and more starting at 9:30 a.m. before the scrimmage.

    In previous years, the scrimmage was hosted in Wilmington at the home of the Blue Coats, the Sixers’ G League affiliate. But the unprecedented demand — including unprecedented regular-season ticket prices — led to the expanded interest and capacity for this year’s scrimmage, in collaboration with new team sponsor BodyArmor.

  • Omari Bursey is the latest in a long line of great Villanova linebackers: ‘The thing that separates him is his intelligence’

    Omari Bursey is the latest in a long line of great Villanova linebackers: ‘The thing that separates him is his intelligence’

    Omari Bursey’s biggest fear is being unprepared.

    The Villanova linebacker got his first extended snaps defensively during the 2025 season against Colgate and then Penn State the following Saturday. It was a long, “painful” week for Bursey, who quickly learned the stark difference between high school and collegiate football. Despite intercepting Penn State’s Drew Allar, now of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bursey knew he was not prepared to the level he wanted or needed to be.

    Since then, the Villanova redshirt sophomore linebacker has spent countless hours in the film room, and it has earned him the responsibility of wearing the green dot on his helmet, which grants him the ability to communicate with the coaches on the sideline and in the press box on behalf of the defense. Through four games, Bursey ranks 13th in the FCS in total tackles with 42 and he was named the division’s Defensive Player of the Week after recording 14 tackles (eight solo) in Villanova’s Sept. 5 win over Bucknell.

    Villanova looks for ‘more consistency’ back in conference play vs. Colgate

    Bursey certainly has come a long way since being thrown into the fire against this weekend’s opponent, Colgate, two seasons ago.

    “I don’t ever want to be unprepared,” Bursey said. “So that fear of walking out on Saturday and being unprepared, whether it’s film study, little walk-throughs here and there, even not knowing our scheme, that’s my biggest fear. So me going out there 100% confident starts not just with field work, but understanding what they do, but more importantly, what we do on defense.”

    Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante noted after last year’s 52-6 loss to Penn State that Bursey was good enough to play defensive snaps as a freshman in 2024 if not for the team’s immense talent and depth at the position. Villanova linebacker coach Forrest Rhyne, a decorated former Wildcat linebacker himself, agreed with Ferrante’s assessment.

    “He’s a guy that came in and was sitting behind really two All-American players, Brendan Bell and Shane Hartzell,” Rhyne said. … “We feel like we have a great tradition of linebacker play here at Villanova, so to come in as a freshman and to feel like you’re in a position ready to play, it’s definitely special. He’s got a super strong build, really fast, everything that you want your linebacker to be, but the thing that separates him is his intelligence.”

    Omari Bursey’s first big play with Villanova came last September when he picked off Penn State’s Drew Allar.Kayla Padilla

    Ferrante noted that Rhyne spent more time watching film than a lot of the staff when he was a player from 2017-21. Since returning to the program as a coach, Rhyne’s habits are transferring to the program’s current stable of linebackers, including Bursey.

    “I think [Rhyne] definitely delivers the message to his guys about the importance of film study,” Ferrante told The Inquirer leading into the Louisville game. “Omari’s one of the guys that definitely listens. 
 But he definitely spends time in the football library as well. Some do it more than others, and when you see the ones that are doing it, it’s no surprise that they’re also some of the guys that are playing better on Saturday.”

    Bursey is currently pursuing a degree through the Villanova School of Business, and a good business program was a priorrity when he was looking at colleges. Villanova entered late in the recruiting process and did not offer Bursey until after his senior year of high school football.

    The Wildcats’ offer came almost seven months after Ivy League schools like the University of Pennsylvania and Yale offered Bursey scholarships. But eventually, the Colorado native was swayed to the Main Line after a visit from Ferrante and defensive coordinator Ross Pennypacker.

    Villanova women’s soccer ‘reset our standard’ to become one of the nation’s best defensive teams

    The linebacker has played 19 games, made 92 tackles, and logged 3Âœ sacks since he stepped onto the field against Colgate as a redshirt freshman. But this weekend’s game represents more than just a redemption opportunity for Bursey. It is a team-wide effort to claim a first home win since November and climb above the .500 mark for the first time this season.

    “Yeah, I think one thing we talked about is we’re winless on this field in nine months,” Bursey said. “So it’s just, how can we get back to our basics? Go back to work, put our heads down, and just find a way to win this weekend. And it’s a league game, so it’s always going to be tough. But we’ve got a brand to protect.”

    One thing is for sure: Come Saturday, Bursey will be prepared.

  • Alec Bohm represents changes that might be coming to the Phillies. Who else could be on the way out?

    Alec Bohm represents changes that might be coming to the Phillies. Who else could be on the way out?

    Let’s play a game of Name That Hitter, using statistical hints of batting average/on-base percentage/slugging and other relevant numbers through Thursday.

    Ready? Here goes.

    • Hitter A: .259/.310/.386, 24 doubles, 17 homers, 76 RBIs, 47 walks, 124 strikeouts, 96 OPS+, 0.8 WAR (Baseball-Reference).
    • Hitter B: .253/.318/.390, 29 doubles, 15 homers, 88 RBIs, 46 walks, 88 strikeouts, 90 OPS+, 0.1 WAR.

    Cue the Jeopardy music.

    OK, lock in your answers.

    The Zack Wheeler conversation: Why he expected to thrive after surgery, and how much longer he wants to play

    Hitter A is Bo Bichette, object of the Phillies’ desire in January when they offered the free-agent infielder a seven-year, $200 million contract. Bichette took the Mets’ bid of fewer years (three) but higher salary ($42 million annually, $126 million total), plus opt-outs after this season and next.

    If they’d landed Bichette, the Phillies planned to trade Alec Bohm, according to multiple sources at the time. And Bohm happens to be Hitter B, with eerily similar production at a fraction of the salary ($10.2 million).

    Sometimes, the best moves are ones that aren’t made.

    This isn’t meant to suggest that Bohm had a particularly good season. The Phillies dropped him from the cleanup spot after two weeks and benched him for two games in early May. He had a .593 OPS through June 3. At the All-Star break, he was hitting .215 with a .278 on-base percentage and .632 OPS.

    After a rough first half of the season, Phillies first baseman Alec Bohm has had more to smile about since the All-Star break.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    (It was even worse for Bohm off the field. In March, he sued his parents, alleging multimillion dollar mismanagement of his finances. They reached a settlement three weeks ago.)

    But Bohm found salvation in the second half. Entering the weekend, he was batting .312 since the break, ninth in the majors, with an .824 OPS that was tied for 33rd.

    “I was in a pretty deep hole early on, and I think I just chipped away,” said Bohm, who also moved from third base to first when the Phillies rearranged their infield after the deadline trade for Luis Arraez. “For me, it was kind of focusing less on, ‘What’s my batting average today?’ and more on, ‘All right, let’s go out and try to win a game today.’

    “Just one of those things you can always look back on and never get too low or panic too much throughout a season. Right?”

    From May: The Phillies have an Alec Bohm problem. What are their options? And how long can they wait?

    It’s a mature perspective from a 30-year-old whose maturity has been questioned over the last six seasons. But it may also reflect the realization that these are likely his last days with the Phillies.

    Bohm will be a free agent. And after the Phillies talked about trading him two offseasons ago and were poised to replace him with Bichette last winter, it would be a surprise if they didn’t let him walk out the door now.

    It also makes Bohm the symbol of changes that may be coming to an organization that has been marked by extreme continuity since 2022. Barring a deep run through October, several longstanding players — as well as interim manager Don Mattingly — face a cloudy future at the corner of 11th and Pattison.

    Since the start of the 2023 season, Phillies infielder Alec Bohm has driven in 341 runs, 18th-most in baseball.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Third degree

    Bohm tends to get judged on things he doesn’t do well, notably his defense and a lack of home-run power for a mountain of a 6-foot-4, 218-pound man.

    Yet as one scout said when Dave Dombrowski convened his top lieutenants at the trade deadline, “When you see a player every day, you have a tendency to look at their downside. But if you compare his numbers, how many guys have more RBIs than he does?”

    Try 17 since 2023, including only one who plays for the Phillies (Kyle Schwarber). Entering the weekend, Bohm needed two RBIs to reach 90 for the third time in four seasons.

    From spring training: With free agency looming, Alec Bohm is prepared to bat cleanup (again) for the Phillies

    In a sense, then, Bohm represents an organizational success story. Drafted third overall out of college in 2018, developed through the farm system, and brought to the majors in 2020, he has averaged 564 plate appearances per year while batting .274, including a .315 mark with runners in scoring position. He was even an All-Star in 2024.

    Along the way, Bohm got demoted to triple A in 2021 and nearly punched a ticket out of town early the next season. After committing three errors in three innings and getting roundly booed, he got caught on camera saying, “I (bleeping) hate this place.” He was contrite after the game and largely forgiven by the fan base.

    If anything, the Phillies miscast Bohm as cleanup-hitting protection for Bryce Harper and overvalued him at his peak. But replacing him isn’t straightforward.

    Aidan Miller once appeared poised to inherit third base from Bohm. But a back condition sidelined the 23-year-old top prospect until September and limited him to 34 plate appearances, including the postseason with double-A Reading.

    Phillies top prospect Aidan Miller missed almost all of the season with a back condition.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    The Phillies have scouted 27-year-old third baseman Teruaki Sato, who mashed 36 homers this season and 40 last year in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. But he bats from the left side, like Harper and Schwarber (and Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh), and some major-league evaluators wonder if he’s better suited for first base.

    Oh, and there’s always Bichette, who could opt-out of his Mets deal and reenter the market. But will he really walk away from that $42 million annual salary after a down year? And would the Phillies chase after him again after feeling spurned last winter?

    Meanwhile, Bohm is playing out what’s left of his Phillies career back in the middle of the order as the hottest hitter down the stretch in an overall chilly month for the offense. He entered the weekend with a .319 average and .869 OPS in September; as a team, the Phillies were batting .225 with a .655 OPS this month.

    “The numbers are what the numbers are,” Bohm said of turning his brutally slow start into a respectable finish. “Can’t really do much about it at this point. So, let’s try to go help the team win and contribute in some way. Getting lost in that for a while, they’ve found their way back to, I guess, more of the norm for myself.”

    Phillies lefty reliever José Alvarado has had an inconsistent season.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Seeking relief

    Just when the Phillies thought they could depend again on José Alvarado, he entered a 1-1 game in the eighth inning Thursday night and walked the leadoff batter before giving up a stolen base, an RBI single up the middle, and another single to left field.

    How’s that for a snapshot of his tenure here?

    Dombrowski became the Phillies’ president of baseball operations in December 2020. His first move was the three-way trade that brought Alvarado from the Rays. The big lefty has been dominant at times, injury-prone at others. He gave up the World Series-clinching homer to Houston’s Yordan Alvarez in 2022 and got suspended for 80 games last season for failing a drug test. But he also has unleashed the fifth-most pitches at 98 mph or more since 2021.

    In all, Alvarado has a 3.86 ERA and 378 strikeouts and 152 walks in 293⅔ innings with the Phillies. Opponents have hit .227 against him; lefties have hit .219.

    JesĂșs Luzardo feels good after bullpen session, ‘chances are good’ he will return for the playoffs

    This season, lefties are batting .333 with an .865 OPS against Alvarado. Maybe he needs to come inside more to lefties. Maybe hitters are sitting on his signature sinker. Maybe he needs to throw more cutters.

    In any case, as Mattingly decides whether he can trust Alvarado in the postseason, the Phillies face a longer-term decision about whether to bring him back (again) in free agency.

    Orion Kerkering can’t be a free agent until after the 2029 season. But the righty is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time. And after posting a 9.43 ERA since the All-Star break, including a 10.66 mark since the middle of August, he became “unusable,” in Mattingly’s words.

    The Phillies demoted Kerkering to triple A last weekend, prompting a larger question: Would a change of scenery be best for everyone involved?

    Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering got demoted to triple A last week.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Let’s come back to that.

    The Phillies drafted Kerkering in 2022 and brought him to the majors 14 months later after he climbed four levels of the farm system in one season. Thrust into high-leverage situations in October, he faltered in the 2023 NL Championship Series against Arizona.

    Even so, Kerkering dominated for stretches in each of the last three seasons, looking at times like a closer-in-waiting. But he was complicit in the bullpen meltdown in the 2024 divisional round against the Mets and made the ill-fated throwing error that ended last season in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium.

    It’s been 
 a lot. And in a short time.

    Orion Kerkering has faced his NLDS error head-on, and with a little humor: ‘I’m not going to let it define me’

    So, about that change of scenery. It’ll surely be a topic during the Phillies’ organizational meetings after the season.

    For now, they sent Kerkering to Allentown to continue pitching at their “stay ready” camp, although he’s ineligible for a call-up until Oct. 6 unless there’s an injury.

    “It looks like he needs a break to get away from here,” Dombrowski said. “Sometimes you need to step away.”

    The Phillies haven’t removed the “interim” label from manager Don Mattingly’s title.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    About the manager

    Earlier this week, the Mets and Red Sox removed the interim label from managers Andy Green and Chad Tracy, respectively, with each receiving a three-year contract to stay at the wheel of those clubs.

    Has there been more thought to Mattingly’s future in the dugout beyond this season?

    “No, there has not been,” Dombrowski said in a text message. “[We] have felt it is better to wait until our season is complete.”

    That has been the Phillies’ stance since April 28, when they elevated Mattingly from bench coach after firing Rob Thomson. But the lack of commitment to Mattingly has only fueled speculation throughout the sport that the managerial seat is being held for Alex Cora.

    Dave Dombrowski: ‘Better to wait until our season is complete’ before deciding on Don Mattingly’s future

    Dombrowski hired Cora with the Red Sox, and they won the World Series in their first season together in 2018. They remain close friends, with Dombrowski calling Cora “one of the finest managers in the game of baseball” and comparing him favorably to Hall of Fame managers Jim Leyland and Tony La Russa.

    The Red Sox fired Cora on April 25 amid a 10-17 start. Dombrowski offered him the Phillies’ job the next day, even though he had not yet let Thomson go. Cora, who will be paid by the Red Sox through the end of the next season, opted to take time with his family.

    How’s that for palace intrigue?

    John Middleton on what led to Rob Thomson's dismissal
    Video: John Middleton on what led to Rob Thomson’s dismissal

    Mattingly, 65, is under contract with the Phillies for another year and has expressed interest in staying on as the manager. His son, Preston, is the general manager under Dombrowski.

    In 2022, the Phillies took the interim tag off Thomson and gave him a two-year contract after winning the wild-card miniseries. How many rounds would the team need to win for Mattingly to receive similar treatment?

    Especially if Cora wants to get back in a dugout.

  • Atlantic City’s top cannabis official was charged in a scheme to solicit bribes from a weed business

    Atlantic City’s top cannabis official was charged in a scheme to solicit bribes from a weed business

    Atlantic City’s top cannabis official is facing federal charges for a scheme to solicit cash bribes from a dispensary owner in exchange for fast-tracking their license and avoiding city fees.

    Kashawn “Kash” McKinley, 42, commonly referred to as “A.C.’s Weed Czar” for his role overseeing the city’s legal marijuana industry, was charged with honest services fraud and two counts of soliciting bribes, U.S. Attorney in New Jersey Robert Frazer announced Thursday.

    In a statement, Atlantic City officials said that Mayor Marty Small Sr. had been apprised of the case and that McKinley had been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case. Small “believes in the justice system, and Kashawn McKinley is innocent until proven guilty, like any other American,” according to the statement, which said the mayor promised transparency around the proceedings.

    A public defender assigned to McKinley declined to comment.

    As the director of Atlantic City’s constituent services, McKinley solicited more than $20,000 in cash and marijuana from the cannabis business owner, according to federal prosecutors. In exchange, McKinley assisted the owner, who was not identified by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in opening a dispensary and resolving certain fees owed to Atlantic City.

    The would-be dispensary owner contacted McKinley in late 2022 for guidance on opening a cannabis business in Atlantic City, prosecutors said. At McKinley’s direction, the duo first met in a parking lot of a defunct Atlantic City restaurant where McKinley told the owner that in exchange for $20,000, he could “help” resolve any issues with opening the dispensary in town, according to prosecutors.

    “We all need to eat,” McKinley allegedly told the dispensary owner at the time.

    The dispensary owner would go on to pay McKinley the $20,000 over the next few months in two installments. Soon after, the owner’s license was approved by the local oversight board, where McKinley is a member.

    Two years after opening, the dispensary owner contacted McKinley in 2025 about the more than $25,000 in fees and taxes the owner owed to Atlantic City for operating the dispensary.

    Prosecutors say that McKinley’s solution to the fees was to reclassify the dispensary from a standard mercantile license down to a “micro” license, which would result in the business needing to pay only $2,500 in annual fees and taxes.

    As part of the reclassification scheme, prosecutors say, McKinley allegedly directed the dispensary owner to orchestrate the assault of a person who McKinley said was “disrespecting” another public official. When McKinley was later shown what prosecutors say appeared to be a photograph of the injured victim, McKinley allegedly “expressed pleasure” and assured the dispensary owner that they “don’t have to worry about nothing” in relation to the disputed city fees.

    Throughout McKinley and the dispensary owner’s exchanges, the weed official would ask for “care packages,” which prosecutors believe to mean bribe payments and samples of weed.

    Since McKinley and the owner were able to reclassify the dispensary down to a micro business license in January, the owner was owed a $25,000 refund from Atlantic City for previously paying the standard license fees. McKinley requested half of that refund from the dispensary owner, according to prosecutors. In March, the dispensary owner gave McKinley a $6,000 kickback from the refund, prosecutors said.

    McKinley’s fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Each bribery charge carries a 10-year maximum prison sentence and a fine of up to $250,000.

  • Iced coffee, tattoos, thank-you notes: The shifting do’s and don’ts of job interviews

    Iced coffee, tattoos, thank-you notes: The shifting do’s and don’ts of job interviews

    When I was a fresh college graduate, interviewing for my first full-time job, I thought about my mother’s interview do’s and don’ts. Don’t wear anything that could reveal tattoos. Don’t start with asking questions about salary. And always — she stressed this above all else — mail a physical thank-you note the next day.

    In the years since I entered the job market, interview etiquette norms have changed dramatically. While each sector, field, and company may have its own rules, former no-nos like tattoos and dyed hair often aren’t deal-breakers. And many interviews take place over Zoom, which introduces a whole new slate of do’s and don’ts.

    But not everyone agrees on which rules to keep and which to toss out.

    In a video posted on TikTok last week, recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen introduced a new one: Don’t carry an iced coffee into an interview. Walking in to shake hands while juggling a drink can make a big moment seem like just “another stop on your list of errands for the day,” she said.

    The comments section under her original video exploded. One recruiter agreed that bringing an iced coffee into a meeting can be distracting; one poster asked, “Are you expecting my whole day to revolve around a 30 min meeting?” Satires and skits have spoofed both Gen Z jobseekers and corporate overlords.

    Wehniainen has since posted a follow-up video, saying she wasn’t trying to stoke the flames for the sake of likes and reposts.

    “When you really want a job offer, you need to know certain ways of going about the process and that helps you build confidence, when you know what to expect going in the door,” she said.

    The video and the ensuing debate have exposed a greater challenge: How do you navigate ever-changing interview etiquette when the job hunt can already be so confusing, discouraging, and exhausting?

    “Norms are constantly changing to the ways we do business and technology,” said Keva Dine, a recruiter and founder of the Keva Dine Agency. “There’s a desperation, and everyone is applying to everything. They’re throwing darts in the dark.”

    In Dine’s view, anything you can do to stick out in a good way is a plus. Wearing business attire to an interview or sending a thank-you note the next day may not be the standard in every workplace, but often they can help. When people rely on AI-generated cover letters or apply to jobs without researching the company, they’re much more likely to get lost in the shuffle.

    If you’re interviewing on a video call, keeping the camera on during a video and tidying up the Zoom background are non-negotiables, said Juliet Murphy, an executive career coach based in Irvine, Calif.

    “Put in a bit of extra effort,” she said. “You need to let the other person know how seriously you’re taking the role.”

    In her 15 years working in corporate human resources and recruitment, Vicki Salemi never clocked the beverage in a candidate’s hand. But Salemi, now a career expert at the job site Monster, said she did notice seemingly small things, like how they greeted the reception desk and how they behaved in the lobby waiting area. Those things matter when you’re bringing someone into a workplace, she said.

    “Your behavior and your etiquette are part of the package,” she said.

    And if a candidate doesn’t like a company’s stance on these norms — the iced coffee included — the in-person interview is an opportunity to evaluate that up close.

    “The interview has always been a place to assess fit, both for the applicant and for the company,” said Sara McCord, a former career columnist and founder and CEO of Sara McCord Communications. “If there’s an immediate, visceral reaction on either end — a company doesn’t want a candidate who brings an iced latte, a candidate doesn’t want somewhere where the company cares — that’s actually specifically, exactly how the interview is supposed to work.”

  • ‘Data senator’ ad prompts Frank Farry to send a cease-and-desist letter to his Democratic challenger in Bucks County

    ‘Data senator’ ad prompts Frank Farry to send a cease-and-desist letter to his Democratic challenger in Bucks County

    Bucks County Republican State Sen. Frank Farry’s campaign this week demanded his Democratic challenger take down an advertisement attacking Farry for his position on data centers and air an apology instead, calling the commercial “defamatory” and “demonstrably false.”

    Shohin H. Vance, an attorney representing Farry’s campaign, called for Democrat Eileen Hartnett Albillar to remove the ad and issue a 30-second retraction advertisement, according to an eight-page letter sent Wednesday and reviewed by The Inquirer.

    Harnett Albillar’s ad calls Farry a “data senator” and says he is “the data center industry’s number one fan.” The ad also accuses the Republican lawmaker of voting for data center tax breaks in Harrisburg and notes that Farry’s law firm represents NorthPoint, a real estate company which redeveloped the Keystone Trade Center in Falls Township — the soon to be home of an Amazon data center.

    “The Advertisement, which accuses my client of abusing his public office for his own pecuniary interest, is not only misleading — it is demonstrably false,” Vance wrote in the letter.

    The dispute signifies how AI data centers have become a politically toxic issue as candidates from both parties distance themselves from supporting their development.

    6 in 10 Pennsylvania voters oppose data center development, new poll finds

    Farry’s 6th State Senate District is one of a handful of competitive seats being targeted by Pennsylvania Democrats in hopes of flipping the state Senate and delivering a Democratic trifecta in Harrisburg.

    Hartnett Albillar’s campaign said Friday it has no plans to stop running the ad.

    “His temper tantrum won’t silence this campaign or stop Eileen from fighting to make Bucks County more affordable,” campaign manager Leigh Stafford said in a statement.

    The Farry campaign, in the letter, rejected the notion that Farry or any clients at his law firm — including NorthPoint — benefitted or profited from Farry’s vote in 2021 to support Act 25. The legislation allows computer data center equipment to be exempt from Pennsylvania’s sales and use tax if it’s being used or sold to a certified data center by a valid owner, operator, or tenant.

    “The vote did not, and could not, benefit the client, and none of it put a dollar in Senator Farry’s pocket,” Vance wrote.

    Does Pennsylvania now have ‘the strictest guardrails in the nation’ for data centers?

    Farry was serving in the state House at the time and did not raise a conflict of interest on the floor. When asked about this, he said in a statement: “I didn’t raise a conflict on the House floor in 2021 BECAUSE I DO NOT REPRESENT DATA CENTERS.”

    The campaign emphasized in its letter that Farry’s law firm, Begley, Carlin & Mandio, has not represented a data center operator in at least 20 years.

    “To be sure, the Keystone Trade Center is now also the site of a data center, and its developer, NorthPoint, is a client of Begley Carlin. But NorthPoint is not a data center, and the fact that it leases a portion of its 1,800-acre site to a data center operator does not make it one,” Vance wrote.Begley Carlin has represented NorthPoint since July 2020.

    Farry has been with Begley Carlin since 2011, but he said in a statement that he has “not done much work at all” for the firm “as my time is filled with being a State Senator, our local volunteer fire chief, a dad to two young kids, and a husband who among other things recently supported my wife through a two year battle with breast cancer.”

    Adam C. Bonin, an attorney representing Hartnett Albillar’s campaign, wrote in a response to Vance Friday that: “We will neither cease nor desist from engaging in this truthful, accurate speech.”

    Bonin highlighted NorthPoint’s close proximity to the Bucks County data center project, including mentions of the company in Falls Township press releases and in news articles. Bonin also argued that the 2021 state House bill, which Farry supported “made this an attractive deal for NorthPoint and Amazon to make. Without them, perhaps Amazon would have stayed out of Bucks County altogether.”

    “While Senator Farry might not like seeing the truth displayed in such an unflattering way, the advertisement’s statements are amply supported by Farry’s legislative record, his law firm’s own website, official Falls Township records and copious news reporting,” Bonin wrote.

    This is not the first legal dustup to happen in a Bucks County race this election cycle. Last month, Democrat Bob Harvie, a county commissioner challenging GOP U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in the 1st Congressional District, filed a defamation lawsuit against a super PAC supporting the Republican. The suit argued that the PAC falsely claimed Harvie was under FBI investigation.

    That followed two cease-and-desist letters: one to the PAC and another to the Fitzpatrick campaign.

    Staff writer Gillian McGoldrick contributed to this article.