BELFAST, Northern Ireland — The morning of our walking tour of Belfast, my first task was to check Twitter for updates on local rioting the night before.
This tour covered “The Troubles” — the period in the 1970s when Catholics in Northern Ireland first marched for their civil rights, then escalated to vicious bombings to pressure the British Army to leave.
Now The Troubles 2.0 seemed to be erupting, threatening to plunge this weary city back into those dark times.
The spark was a shocking knife attack the evening of June 8; a Sudanese immigrant, who was in the country legally as a refugee, was charged in connection with it. The attempted beheading had been caught in a viral video so brutal it came with warnings.
For the next two nights, violence flared in several neighborhoods. Masked rioters quickly set up barricades, burned cars, torched the homes of ethnic minorities, and pelted police with paving stones they’d pulled from the streets and smashed with sledgehammers.
A generation after the Good Friday Peace Accords ended sectarian violence in 1998, rioting techniques live on in the muscle memory of Belfast. Need something to chuck at police? Ask your Da — he’ll show you how to break up the paving stones.
News of the riots spread internationally, and soon I had to reassure worried relatives back in the States that our vacation itinerary kept us in the city center, miles away from any commotion. Fanning the flames in the U.S. were the likes of Steve Bannon and Elon Musk, who both cheered on the pushback against immigration.
Yet over the next several days, a small miracle unfolded: There were two nights of rioting, followed by appeals for calm from the five main political parties, then a large peace march.
The march was even attended by 77-year old Gerry Adams, the reputed head of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who reinvented himself and went into politics. Earlier this week he wrote on Twitter, “Elon Musk and others who support these despicable actions from afar should shut up. Belfast says NO to racism.”
That a man whom many suspected was associated with flat-out terrorism was condemning the riots embodied the change that has taken root here.
Then lo and behold, the rioting stopped.
The incident actually dropped off the front page, temporarily replaced by this universal headline: “Belfast residents upset over pickleball noise.”
Belfast let the world know it has come too far — and its collective PTSD is still too raw — to be dragged back to that traumatizing era.
To be clear, riots or not, immigration remains a smoldering political issue in Northern Ireland. Immigrants from anywhere can apply for political asylum in any European Union country. Once that is granted, they are free to hop over to the Republic of Ireland, which is also in the EU.
From there, they can saunter into Northern Ireland without having to cross any physical border because all residents of the island are able to live, work, and travel freely between the two countries.
(As foreigners, we had to get a visa to enter the United Kingdom, but never had to show it to anyone. The only sign we’d driven across the border was a text message from Verizon, welcoming us to Northern Ireland.)
That makes Northern Ireland’s immigration concerns world’s apart from those of the United States, no matter how hard Musk wants to link them. Both the details and the scale are vastly different.
Our tour guide, who wrote her doctoral dissertation about the generation born after the 1998 Peace Accords, said what bothered her most about these newest riots was the sight of “40-year-olds egging on teenagers.”
That view was echoed by the elderly proprietor of our bed-and-breakfast just south of the border the next day. She shook her head sadly, pursing her lips as she dismissed the rioters. “They’re just young tugs” — thugs, in her Irish brogue.
That generation has grown up in peace, spared the trauma of their elders. In the key years of The Troubles, 3,700 people were killed in bombings and executions, more than half of them civilians who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Imagine if Pittsburgh, nearly the same size as Belfast, had seen that many deaths.
We heard sickening stories of “No warning” bombs, execution-style slayings of young off-duty British soldiers out for a night at a pub, and an unrelenting stream of tit-for-tat retaliatory killings.
It was a descent into pure madness, as chronicled in Belfast, actor Kenneth Branagh’s movie about his childhood, and Say Nothing, the true-crime novel about the 1972 disappearance of a widowed mother of 10 thought to be a police informant.
The long shadow of those tragic years denied Belfast the economic development that makes Dublin a robust city of building cranes. Tourists still visit Belfast to see the Titanic Museum, but the designer shops catering to them disappear just a few blocks from City Hall.
The city’s nightlife remains muted — a legacy of the “Ring of Steel,” the fortified perimeter of barriers, turnstiles, and military checkpoints installed by the British in 1972 to protect the city’s commercial center.
Strikingly absent from this tragic landscape is any public expression of grief. Memorials to the innocent victims of the bombing campaign are absent in the “shared space” of the city center, our guide said, because they are too polarizing.
Instead, a discreet panel of ceramic tiles is embedded in a wall in Jubilee Square. Called the “Numbers Wall,” it assigns a digit to each of the first 1,500 victims of sectarian violence. However, it comes with no key, no way of telling which number represents which person. That’s intentional — a statement that each loss is equal.
The “Numbers Wall” in Jubilee Square in Belfast, Northern Ireland honors each of the first 1,500 victims of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.Kathleen O’Brien
Our vacation itinerary also took us 125 miles to the west, where a picturesque County Sligo harbor village has its own link to The Troubles. It’s where an IRA bomb killed Lord Mountbatten on his fishing boat in 1979, an attack designed to devastate Britain’s royal family. (See Season 4, Episode 1 of The Crown.)
Here, too, there is little in the way of a public memorial. There was a photograph displayed of the 2015 reconciliation visit by Prince (now King) Charles and his wife Camilla, but since the harbor is in the Republic of Ireland, it was soon vandalized, Charles’ face scratched out.
Instead, our travels through Northern Ireland revealed many examples of artwork dedicated to peace. There is a Peace Bridge in Derry/Londonderry, peace statues and murals in Belfast, and “Peace Walls” in both. Such walls are there not to celebrate a solid peace, but rather to help protect a fragile one by separating neighborhoods.
Our Derry tour guide, who as a teenager hid under his bed whenever he heard bombs explode nearby, summed up the irony of the term: “They’re evidence we’re not in a perfect peace.”
Perhaps this last week has shown Northern Ireland’s peace may be sturdier than people thought. It teetered for a few days, but Belfast displayed the resolve it showed three decades ago, when 71% of Northern Ireland residents voted in favor of the Peace Accords, turning a page on violence.
For a city in which everyone over the age of 30 is likely to have known a victim of The Troubles, peace is more than the absence of violence. It is a tangible state of being — and precious enough to be nurtured and protected.
Kathleen OʼBrien is a retired newspaper columnist who lives in North Jersey. While her recent DNA analysis shows her to be 78% Irish, she returned from her trip feeling 100% American.
As Philadelphia prepares to welcome visitors for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, one of its most notable historic sites will stir back to life — at least outdoors.
Historic Philadelphia Inc., through an agreement with Independence National Historical Park and in partnership with event company Cescaphe, plans to open the Garden at City Tavern on June 25, transforming the shaded plot behind City Tavern into a seasonal destination featuring food, drinks, historical interpreters, lawn games, and special events.
The garden behind City Tavern, Second and Walnut Streets, on June 18, 2026.Michael Klein / Staff
The garden will operate from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday to Sunday through Labor Day on the grounds behind the shuttered restaurant at Second and Walnut Streets, offering visitors a chance to gather at a site that played a prominent role in Revolutionary-era Philadelphia.
What visitors will not find, though, is a reopened City Tavern.
The restaurant inside the three-story brick building has been dark since October 2020. Though the closure became associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, former chef-proprietor Walter Staib said the building’s mounting physical problems were the larger issue.
City Tavern chef/proprietor Walter Staib serving Ralph Archbold, portraying Benjamin Franklin, on Dec. 21, 2005.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“COVID was the perfect excuse to close, but it wasn’t the real reason,” Staib said Thursday. “The tavern would have closed anyway. The liabilities had become too great.”
The National Park Service sought a long-term operator in 2023, but no successor has been announced. “Lease negotiations are in process, which we hope to conclude by the end of summer,” park superintendent Steven Sims said in a statement to The Inquirer.
For now, Historic Philadelphia is concentrating on the garden.
“We really wanted to activate City Tavern itself,” said Amy Needle, president and chief executive officer of Historic Philadelphia. “The garden has always been a gorgeous space. For now, we’re focusing on that.” She said the seasonal run could be extended if demand remains strong and hopes to bring the pop-up back each summer.
City Tavern, on Second Street near Walnut, on Jan. 26, 2023.Michael Klein / Staff
Founded in 1773, City Tavern served as a gathering place for merchants, politicians, and many of the nation’s founders. Delegates to the First Continental Congress dined there, while George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin were among its patrons.
The original structure was damaged by fire in 1834 and demolished two decades later. The current building is a reconstruction commissioned by the park service and opened in 1976 as part of the nation’s Bicentennial celebration.
For decades, City Tavern operated as both a restaurant and a living-history attraction, eventually becoming closely identified with Staib, the German-born chef, historian, and television personality who took over the operation in 1994. Under his stewardship, the restaurant gained national recognition for menus inspired by colonial recipes and traditions, helping launch cookbooks and the PBS series A Taste of History.
Chef Walter Staib is shown at City Tavern in 2013.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Staib said many people still contact him, especially around patriotic holidays, asking when the tavern will reopen. “I tell them, ‘I’ve got nothing to do with the tavern,’” he said.
He said he declined an invitation to appear at the garden’s opening, but he would be delighted to advise a new operator. At 80 years old, he said, his days of restaurant ownership are history.
Among the building’s challenges, Staib cited the lack of a sprinkler system in dining rooms, aging infrastructure, and the absence of an elevator. Even before the closure, he estimated that bringing the property into compliance would require millions of dollars. “Add another six years of deterioration,” he said, “and it’s even more expensive now.”
The garden behind City Tavern, Second and Walnut Streets, on June 18, 2026.Michael Klein / Staff
Historic Philadelphia, meanwhile, saw an opportunity to bring activity back to the property. Backed by a grant from the Connelly Foundation, the organization upgraded the garden with new landscaping, seating, and other amenities. It also enlisted Cescaphe — Historic Philadelphia’s partner in other ventures, including Franklin Square — to operate the seasonal pop-up; financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.
Despite the historic setting, the food and beverage offerings are decidedly contemporary. The menu includes turkey sandwiches, wraps, charcuterie boards, pretzels, beer, wine, and canned cocktails with names such as Patriots Punch, Birthday Brew, and Liberty Lemonade. Cescaphe will use an off-site commissary rather than City Tavern’s dormant kitchens. Unlike the former restaurant, staff will not wear colonial-era clothing.
City Tavern, Second and Walnut Streets, opened in 1976 on the site of a former colonial tavern.Michael Klein / Staff
Historic Philadelphia’s “History Makers” interpreters will appear regularly at the site, and the organization’s Independence After Hours tours will conclude at the garden on Saturday evenings. During the Historic District’s Red, White & Blue To-Do celebration on July 2, the garden also will host live music.
Needle said the project reflects Historic Philadelphia’s broader mission of bringing activity to public spaces and historic sites.
“The garden is already used by neighborhood residents,” she said. “People walk their dogs there, and visitors come through as well. Part of our mission is bringing these places to life, so we’re excited to do that here.”
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has declared a public safety emergency at Bartram Village, a vacant Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) complex in Southwest Philadelphia, after squatters moved in and caused extensive damage.
This declaration clears regulatory hurdles that had delayed PHA’s plans to rapidly demolish the 45-building complex, where the last tenant moved out in 2025.
“For too long, these vacant buildings have posed serious safety risks to surrounding residents and the broader community,” Parker said in a statement Thursday. “This action clears the way to remove those hazards and replace them with new housing, new opportunity, and new investment.”
Bartram Village dates to World War II, when it was built to host defense workers during the wartime industrial boom. The site was later transitioned to the traditional public housing program, providing affordable housing for up to 500 households.
PHA has been planning a probable demolition for a major redevelopment since at least 2018, when it was estimated the buildings required repairs reaching almost $200 million in today’s dollars. Former residents would have a right to one of the 688 new units planned for the site.
But after tenants were moved out, the 22-acre property attracted squatters despite PHA’s security patrols in the area. Beyond occupying the space, squatters tore copper wiring from the buildings and damaged the popular neighboring park and historic site of Bartram’s Garden.
“We boarded it up, it was secured, and almost immediately we realized that folks were penetrating those areas in the back and coming in through Bartram’s Garden,” said Kelvin Jeremiah, president of the housing authority. “But because of the size … it became a real issue. The more we removed people, the more they came in.”
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s office began raising alarms in February about the state of Bartram Village.
“I warned that failing to act quickly would [exacerbate] safety issues and cost taxpayers’ money,” Gauthier said. “The buildings became hot spots for squatters and provided cover for inflicting over half a million dollars of damage to Bartram’s Garden.”
An abandoned Bartram Village apartment, which will soon be demolished.Jake Blumgart
Jeremiah said the housing authority couldn’t move to demolish the buildings immediately because Bartram Village is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The mayor’s emergency declaration allows the agency to bypass a lengthy federal review process. The buildings are not protected by local preservation regulations.
Following Parker’s actions Thursday, “we are now prepared to move forward on an expedited basis to have the site demolished,” Jeremiah said.
PHA plans nine apartment buildings and over 150 townhouses for the Bartram Village site, supported in part by a $50 million grant from the federal government.
It is a major part of Jeremiah’s aggressive plan to renovate all of the authority’s existing holdings while building 3,000 new units and buying at least 4,000 units from the private sector.
The redevelopment has been years in the making because of tenant relocations and the federally mandated delay in demolition.
“Southwest Philadelphians have waited far too long for promised improvements at Bartram Village,” said Gauthier, who represents the area.
“I’m glad that Mayor Parker took the important step today of signing a public safety declaration giving PHA permission to demolish existing structures because they have been causing unsafe conditions to the community for a very long time,” Gauthier said in a statement.
Summer music is here in earnest, and the majority of the concerts on this curated list of highlights in a jam-packed season are happening outdoors.
Besides those featured below, there are still more: like Coltrane 100: Legacy featuring Ravi Coltrane with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Highmark Mann on July 22, or Ed Sheeran on Sept. 19 and AC/DC on Sept. 29, both at Lincoln Financial Field.
Singer-songwriter Noah Kahan throws a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs in 2024 in Boston. Kahan plays Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on June 26. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)Michael Dwyer
Noah Kahan
June 26, Citizens Bank Park
Noah Kahan broke through big-time with his 2022 album Stick Season, which the Vermont songwriter, who grew up on a tree farm, described as “a love letter to New England.” His new The Great Divide, produced with Gabe Simon and the National’s Aaron Dessner, is even huger. New Jersey’s Gigi Perez and Wayne’s Annabelle Dinda open. mlb.com/phillies/noah-kahan
River Roads Music Festival
June 27, Heuser Park
Dar Williams’ River Roads Music Festival has found a home in Heuser Park, the King of Prussia space that accommodates crowds larger than the nearby Concerts Under the Stars series (which has choice shows with Nasir Dickerson’s Coltrane tribute July 11, Preservation Hall Jazz Band on July 23, and Joan Osborne on Aug. 7). Williams co-headlines River Roads with 10,000 Maniacs, and the bill includes English punk-folk firebrand Billy Bragg and superb songwriter Amythyst Kiah. risingsunpresents.com
Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
All summer
The lineup at the Camden amphitheater with a lawn’s eye view of Center City spans genres. Hardy’s “The Country! Country! Tour!” is June 27, Dave Matthews Band’s two-night stand is July 10-11, and Tim McGraw plays July 23. Fresh from the Roots Picnic, Kehlani is Aug. 26, Chris Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” arrives Aug. 28-29, and TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, and En Vogue team up Sept. 13. FreedomMortgagePavilion.com
DJ Jazzy Jeff during the second day of the Roots Picnic on May 31 in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
One Philly: Unity Concert For America
July 4, Ben Franklin Parkway
Pittsburgh-raised Christina Aguilera tops the bill of the free 250th birthday party concert, and British pop star Seal and New York family band Infinity Song are toward the bottom. Otherwise, it’s an all-Philly affair with Jill Scott, plus the Roots performing and serving as a backup band for Will Smith. Then there’s DJ Jazzy Jeff, State Property, Kathy Sledge, and more. phila.gov
Paul Simon was supposed to play three shows on his “A Quiet Celebration” tour at the Academy of Music last year, but the final two were canceled due to his bad back. Now he’s back, in a larger space, and, as always, with a stellar band. highmarkmann.org
Patti LaBelle performs during the “Victory at Sea” concert at the Temple Performing Arts Center in 2025. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Patti LaBelle
July 9, Dell Music Center
The highlight of the Dell season is this America 250 concert with hometown hero LaBelle, who will be joined by Chester, Pa., Grammy-winning R&B singer Avery Sunshine. The Isley Brothers on Aug. 6 are also standouts on the old school R&B and hip-hop calendar. DellMusicCenter.com
Camden County Concerts
All summer, Cooper River Park, Haddon Lake Park, and Wiggins Park
Across the river on the Jersey side, multiple concert series feature national and local acts. The Haddon Lake Park Sundown Music Series has Delco native Devon Gilfillian on June 24 and Young Gun Silver Fox on Aug. 12. Cooper River Park presents Color Me Badd July 9, and Al Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band on July 16. And Wiggins Park has Will Calhoun celebrating Miles Davis on Aug. 24. They’re all free. camdencounty.com
Megan Moroney performing in Nashville in 2025. The country singer will headline Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philly in July. John Shearer / Getty Images
Megan Moroney
July 11, Xfinity Mobile Arena
The country songwriter, with sharp words for foolhardy dudes, is on her first arena tour behind her album Cloud 9. The presence of Musgraves and Ed Sheeran on the album shows how big a star Moroney has become. XfinityMobileArena.com
Todd Rundgren
July 11-12, Keswick Theatre
Upper Darby’s own reluctant Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is playing the hits. The “Damned If I Do” tour is subtitled “The Fan-Favorite Classics Return.” So get ready to “bang on the drum all day.” KeswickTheatre.com
Bryn Mawr Twilight Concerts
All summer
Acts hitting the under-the-gazebo stage on the Main Line include Shovels & Rope on July 12, John Gorka on July 24, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams with Mutlu on July 31, and Mdou Moctar on Sept. 11. brynmawrtwlightconcerts.com
Bob Dylan
July 14, TD Pavilion at the Highmark Mann
The world’s greatest living songwriter, who turned 85 this year, has been pulling surprises out of his hat of late, playing long-neglected songs like “You Ain’t Going Nowhere.” Jimmie Vaughan & the Tilt-A-Whirl Band and Brittney Spencer are also on the bill. highmarkmann.org
Lionel Richie at Union Transfer on March 29, 2025. Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
Ben Gibbard and Death Cab For Cutie sparkled at the NonCommvention this spring. The band is touring behind their excellent new I Built You a Tower, with Philly proud Michelle Zauner and Japanese Breakfast opening. HighmarkMann.org
Pavement will headline Connor Barwin’s Make The World Better Concert Weekend on Friday July 24 at the Dell Music Center.Courtesy of the Artist
Make The World Better Concert Weekend
July 24-25, Dell Music Center
After a year at FDR Park, former Eagle Connor Barwin’s fundraising event for his MTWB Foundation is back at the Dell. The Strawberry Mansion weekend’s bang-bang lineup features Pavement and Ratboys followed by Kurt Vile and the Violators with They Are Gutting A Body of Water and Twisted Teens. r5productions.com
Jill Scott is playing on the Ben Franklin Parkway on July Fourth and has four shows at the Met Philly later that month.Kennedi Carter
Jill Scott
July 24-25, and July 27 and July 29, The Met Philly
Multiple concerts will bring music to the Delaware River waterfront. Wild Pink plays July 23, Spirit of the Beehive is July 24, Snacktime plays Aug. 14. The 502s are Aug. 1, Ripe is Aug. 29, and Folk Bitch Trio is Sept. 26. delawareriverwaterfront.com
Morgan Wallen
July 31-Aug. 1, Lincoln Financial Field
The Sneedville, Tenn., country superstar’s South Philly weekend on his “Still The Problem” tour teams him with Brooks & Dunn on his first night at the Linc. Night two looks more enticing, with Ella Langley, whose Dandelion is the biggest country album of 2026. LincolnFinancialField.com
Dinner Party
Aug. 2, Heuser Park
Dinner Party, the supergroup that features adventurous jazz-funk-soul-hip-hop hyphenate Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, and Terrace Martin, have all of one date listed on their 2026 calendar. It’s in King of Prussia, with Digable Planets opening. RisingSunPresents.com/heuser-park
Lyle Lovett performs at the Lansdowne Theater on March 12.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Lyle Lovett & Esperanza Spalding
Aug. 4-6 and Aug. 25-26, City Winery
Two of the coolest, coziest indoor gigs of the summer. Lyle Lovett plays solo and tells tales in a three-night “Songs & Stories” stand. Then Esperanza Spalding, the jazz bassist and composer, plays two nights with her full band. citywinery.com/philadlelphia
Silvana Estrada plays Longwood Gardens on Aug. 13.Jesus Soto Fuentes
Arooj Aftab & Silvana Estrada
July 29 & Aug. 13, Longwood Gardens
World class global music-making women coming to Chester County. Arooj Aftab is a Pakistani American composer whose transporting 2024 album Night Reign features Chocolate Genius, Kaki King, and Philadelphians Moor Mother and Cautious Clay. Silvana Estrada, who grew up in rural Mexico, shines on Vendrán Suaves Lluvias, a luminous mixture of folk, jazz, and traditional Mexican musical forms. longwoodgardens.org
Jon Batiste performs at the Met in Philadelphia on Oct. 30, 2025.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Jon Batiste
Aug. 14, Highmark Mann
Jon Batiste’s joyous show at the Met Philly last fall ended with New Orleans’ second line parade out of the theater and onto Poplar Street. The bandleader will bring the life-affirming spirit of his 2025 album Big Money to Fairmount Park. HighmarkMann.org
Philadelphia Folk Festival
Aug. 14-16, Old Pool Farm
The storied Philly Folk Fest returns for its 63rd year with a lineup that includes progressive bluegrass innovator Sam Bush, tough-minded songwriter Mary Gauthier, brilliantly witty tunesmith Robbie Fulks, blue guitar wiz Eddie 9V, folk troubadour Tom Rush, and Philly’s the Tisburys. John Flynn will perform and emcee. FolkFest.org.
Mannequin Pussy’s Marisa Dabice performs at Union Transfer in 2024. The Philly band is scheduled to open for the Foo Fighters this summer.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Foo Fighters
Aug. 13, Lincoln Financial Field
The “Take Cover” tour brings Dave Grohl’s stadium rock band to the Linc behind the new Your Favorite Toy. It’s the band’s first time here with new drummer Ilan Rubin, who replaced Josh Freese, who briefly replaced Taylor Hawkins after his death in 2022. Openers are Queens of the Stone Age and Philly punks Mannequin Pussy, getting a deserved spot on the big stage. LincolnFinancialField.com
Rush
Aug. 21 & 23, Xfinity Mobile Arena
Rush fans are over the moon about the reunion of the Canadian prog-rock group. Core members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are back, with Loren Gold on keyboards and more importantly, new drummer Anika Nilles, who has won universal praise for taking on the daunting task of stepping in for Neil Peart, who died in 2020. XfinityMobileArena.com
Bruno Mars in Las Vegas on “Bruno Mars Day.” (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)Steve Marcus
Bruno Mars
Sept. 1-2, Lincoln Financial Field
The hits never stop coming for Bruno Mars, from “Just The Way You Are” in 2010 to his “Die With A Smile” with Lady Gaga and “APT” with Rosé in 2024. Fabulous British vocalist Raye opens, as does DJ Pee .Wee, who is Mars’ Silk Sonic partner Anderson .Paak in disguise. LincolnFinancialField.com
Kacey Musgraves
Sept. 4, Xfinity Mobile Arena
The Texas singer has circled back to her country roots on her self-reflecting new album Middle of Nowhere, which features collabs with Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, Billy Strings, and Philadelphia-raised singer Gregory Alan Isakov. XfinityMobileArena.com
Charli xcx performs during the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, Saturday, June 28, 2025. She opens her ‘Music, Fashion, Film’ tour in Philadelphia on Sept. 11. (Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)Scott A Garfitt
Charli XCX
Sept. 11, Xfinity Mobile Arena
Charli XCX is covering all the bases with her new album Music, Fashion, Film, which represents those realms with contributions from John Cale, Marc Jacobs, and Martin Scorsese. (Yes, really.) She opens her tour for the album, which drops July 24, in Philly. XfinityMobileArena.com
Angine de Poitrine plays Underground Arts on Sept. 16.Constantin Monfilliette
Angine de Poitrine
Sept. 16, Underground Arts
The masked Canadian math-rockers who hide their identities but not their musical prowess, are doing a UA basement show before returning to play Franklin Music Hall on Nov. 20. UndergroundArts.org
The WXPN-FM (88.5) weekend at Wiggins Park in Camden features headliners Dawes, Little Feat, Portugal. The Man, plus S.G. Goodman, Te Vista, Cyril Neville playing the Grateful Dead, Madison Cunningham, Sierra Hull, Rebirth Brass Band, and more. xpn.org/xpnfest
Lincoln Financial Field has been renamed “Philadelphia Stadium” for the duration of the World Cup. In addition to five group stage games, the city will host a Round of 16 game on July 4.
// Timestamp 06/19/26 10:38pm
Haiti first team eliminated from World Cup after losing to Brazil
Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior celebrates after scoring the third goal against Haiti Friday night. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Vinícius Júnior scored and assisted on one of Matheus Cunha’s two goals as five-time champion Brazil eliminated Haiti from the World Cup with a 3-0 victory on Friday night.
Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation that qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1974, became the first team guaranteed not to reach the knockout round. Meanwhile, the Seleção got the decisive performance they needed.
Cunha, the Manchester United standout, got the start and showed with every surf-and-slide goal celebration why he should have been in the starting lineup in Brazil’s listless 1-1 draw against Morocco. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti made the surprising decision in the opener to instead insert Cunha as a late substitute.
Cunha thrilled the Brazilian fans who made up the bulk of the 68,324 spectators at Lincoln Financial Field when he tapped in a rebound for his first career World Cup goal. He then sent a left-footed strike into the upper left corner for a 2-0 lead in the first half against the overmatched Haitians.
Brazil forward Raphinha, who was subbed out with an injury in the first half, had an early goal disallowed on an offside call that only temporarily muted the yellow-clad Seleção fans in an otherwise festive atmosphere at the home of the two-time Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles — whose cheerleaders did their part to rally the crowd.
Cunha added to the frivolity in Philadelphia, home to nearly 6,000 Brazilian immigrants, when he flashed his familiar surfing celebration.
— Associated Press
// Timestamp 06/19/26 10:14pm
A full house in South Philly
It’s a full house at the Philly World Cup. We’re like the dang Tanner Family up in here.
Fans at the World Cup are riding the waves and doing the wave – three times around Philadelphia Stadium. My favorite part was the fan who kept yelling “It’s coming! It’s coming!”
Brazil fans Miguel Sosa and his son, Enzo, of Nebraska, attend Friday’s match against Haiti at the Linc. David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerA happy Brazilian fan with a unique hat watches Brazil’s dominance in South Philly. Jose F. Moreno / Staff PhotographerA Brazil fan waves his national flag during Brazil vs. Haiti. Jose F. Moreno / Staff PhotographerFans navigate the stairs in the upper concourse of the Linc, which has been rebranded Philadelphia Stadium. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
SEATTLE — It turned out that the U.S. men’s soccer team didn’t need Christian Pulisic to beat Australia, and make history in doing so.
With the star playmaker unable to shake off a calf injury, the Americans used two first-half tallies and a raucous atmosphere in Seattle to earn a 2-0 win, before a packed-to-the-roof crowd of 66,925.
The win clinched qualification for the knockout rounds, and marked the first time since 1930 that the U.S. men’s program has won two games in a World Cup group stage.
The statisticians at TruMedia noted this marked the first time in World Cup history that one team benefited from own goals in consecutive games, following the opening tally of the U.S.’ win over Paraguay.
SEATTLE — I’ve just left the stadium here, three hours after the U.S. game ended, and all the sports bars across the street on Occidental Avenue are still packed.
The sun is shining, the temperature is in the 70s, there’s a breeze off the water, and it looks like the citywide party will keep going for a good while.
You can bet they’ll be watching Brazil-Haiti on the TVs here. And they’ll be watching the Mariners too, since they have a home game against the Red Sox in two hours. T-Mobile Park is a block south of Lumen Field, so there’s a mix of soccer and baseball fans around.
Emily Vanim of Pottstown welcomes fans to “FIFA-delphia” ahead of Friday night’s matchup betwen Brazil and Haiti.Stephanie Farr / Staff
Emily Vanim of Pottstown had one of the best FIFA volunteer jobs – sitting in a lifeguard chair with a megaphone welcoming fans to “FIFA-delphia” and answering all their questions.
“Never give a teacher a megaphone,” she said.
The sixth grade teacher said she’s met the best people as a FIFA volunteer.
“We’re friends for life and we’re having an awesome time,” she said. “It’s surreal and the fans are outstanding.”
Brazil fans tries to use Rocky curse against Argentina
🥊 🇦🇷 Nos Estados Unidos, é tradição entre torcedores rivais colocar bandeiras ou camisas na estátua de Rocky Balboa, em Filadélfia, para tentar dar azar ao adversário. Entrando na brincadeira, um torcedor brasileiro decidiu dar uma “forcinha” aos argentinos nesta Copa do Mundo.… pic.twitter.com/xvWKunH4It
Things got chippy towards the end of the U.S. men’s national team second group match against Australia, but it was forward Florian Balogun who kept composure in the face of a second yellow card.
Going in for a challenge in the 88th minute, Balogun and Australian defender Harry Souttar got tangled in the air and found Souttar with his arm wrapped around the neck of Balogun on the way down. Instead of reacting to the bait, Balogun who picked up a yellow card earlier in the match was smart to walk away.
It led commentator Stu Holden to say: “The Australians have come here to have a rugby match, but to have restraint in these moments, to not swing an arm and punch back. Souttar is trying to get under his skin.
It kicked off a string of chippy plays down the stretch, but in the end, the U.S. men picked up their second win in this World Cup, securing a berth into the knockout round of 32.
Depending on the result of tonight’s match between Turkey and Paraguay (11 p.m., FS1), should that game end in a draw, the U.S. will win Group D outright.
A lot of love in Philly as Brazil and Haiti fans get together
Bob Travers, 78, of Southhampton, was among tailgaters accepting high-fives at Lot L outside Philadelphia Stadium.
Travers wore a Brasil jersey and a hat that said “Dysfunctional Veteran.” This was his second World Cup, having gone to one in 1994. This one was better already though, he said, because he was accompanied by his sons and grandson.
“I love it,” he said “The atmosphere is fantastic!”
Perhaps the only time fans of opposing teams have gotten along while tailgating at the Linc, aka Philadelphia Stadium for the World Cup. The vibes are immaculate.
How bad was it for Australia? They made three subs at halftime.
Australia’s Paul Okon-Engstler reacts after a collision with a U.S. player. Lindsey Wasson
SEATTLE – You know a first half went badly for a team when it makes three substitutions at halftime.
That’s what Australia did, with the biggest one being Nestory Irankunda replacing Mohamed Touré up front. Why Iranknunda didn’t start, as one of the Socceroos’ rising stars, was a big question among the Australian media before kickoff.
The other moves were Jason Geria replacing the yellow-carded Cameron Burgess on the back line, and Connor Metcalfe replacing Nishan Velupillay in midfield.
Alex Freeman doubled the U.S. lead in the 43rd minute off a free kick play. But it wasn’t surprising the offside flag was up initially, and by the rules it could have stayed that way.
When Sergiño Dest took the initial shot that deflected up in the air, Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie were clearly offside, while Freeman was not. And when the ball came down, Balogun was right next to Freeman, in close range to the goalkeeper.
Though Balogun didn’t touch the ball, his presence there could be called interfering with the goalkeeper, and that’s grounds for keeping the flag up. But the video review crew decided that Balogun didn’t interfere enough, so they let the goal stand.
Double celebration for Alex Freeman’s goal to put the U.S. up 2-0 before the half — once before the VAR, and once after
‘It’s such a dream’: Brazil fans take over Stateside Live!
Brazil fans at Stateside Live! in Philadelphia hours before their country takes on Haiti.Stephanie Farr / Staff
Stateside Live! turned into Brasil Live! Friday as a sea of fans descended on the stadium bar complex prior to their team’s World Cup game against Haiti at nearby Philadelphia Stadium.
By 3 p.m., the entire complex was a sea of yellow-and-green, dotted with islands of Haiti fans (and a few team USA fans) in red, white, and blue.
Belange Pierre, 54, of Ottawa, Canada, waved a Haitian flag outside the gates. He drove to Philly with four friends to catch his team’s first World Cup game in 50 years. They were confident they’d be driving back to Canada with a win under their belts after the game.
“Allons-y!” the group shouted, which is French for “Let’s go!”
Andre Magalhaes and his wife, Kelly Bennett, traveled from Orlando to watch Friday’s Brazil-Haiti game.Stephanie Farr / Staff
Andre Magalhaes, 47, a native of Brazil now living in Orlando, was counting down the hours until his first World Cup game at Stateside Live! Friday.
“It’s a child’s dream come true,” he said of attending his first World Cup match. “I’ve waited for this moment my entire life to be here.”
Magalhaes wore a leather cangaceiro, a traditional hat from Northeast Brazil. His wife, Kelly Bennett, 44, wore a team Brasil shirt a U.S. flag as a cape.
“We’re going to watch the game here then I’m going to fold up the flag and I’m going into the stadium and root for Brazil,” she said.
The couple, who are only in town for the three days, said they loved Philly’s sports complex.
“You have all three stadiums and public transit right here!” Bennett said. “It’s such a dream, especially coming from Orlando.”
SEATTLE – It didn’t take long for the United States’ shift to a two-striker front line to pay off.
Folarin Balogun’s hot form continued just 11 minutes in, as he forced an own goal off Cameron Burgess to put the Americans ahead. Antonee Robinson sprung Balogun down the left flank, and he sprinted almost all the way to the end line, then laid a pass into the middle for Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest’s late runs.
But the ball hit Australian centerback Cameron Burgess near the six-yard box instead, and pinged right into the net.
The crowd was thrilled, and the hosts were off and running again.
Lumen Field, known as Seattle Stadium during the World Cup, ahead of U.S. vs. Australia Friday.Jonathan Tannenwald / Staff
SEATTLE – Like most NFL stadiums, Seattle’s press box is glass-enclosed, though it least it has some small windows that open to pick up a bit of the atmosphere.
But I wanted the real thing for a moment. So I snuck outside to the seating bowl for the players’ walkout and the national anthems.
Both sets of fans belted out their national anthems, with the Star-Spangled Banner ringing around the entire stadium. You could probably hear it up the street at the ferry terminal.
Media aren’t allowed to take videos inside the stadium unless they’re rightsholders, a FIFA rule I’ve lived with at every World Cup I’ve covered. But we can take photos, so here’s mine of what it looked like.
At Fan Fest, Mayor Parker thrilled to share ‘Philly-ness with the world’
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker at the opening of the FIFA Fan Festival in Fairmount Park Friday.Owen Hewitt / Staff
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker helped open the gates of the FIFA Fan Festival ahead of the U.S.’s clash with Australia at 3 p.m.
Parker stepped out into the crowd waiting at the festival’s main gate and posed for photos with fans waiting in line, including one with a group of traveling Scottish supporters.
Before the gates opened, Parker said she was appreciative that fans are showing up to the city and the festival “authentically, as themselves.”
“We are a global culture, and we are one people,” Parker said. “What makes America and the world so amazing, is that all of us, no matter the fabric, no matter the patchwork in our quilt, we make up a global humanity, and an American community that’s representative of everyone. I’m excited about it all.”
After greeting the line of fans waiting to get into the festival on Sedgley Drive, Parker walked into the festival to greet a few vendors. She stopped at the Bank of America tent to make a bracelet – she chose a black band with all the Philly-specific charms and a World Cup trophy charm – then stopped into the FIFA store on the festival grounds.
With the help of a few store associates, Parker picked out some kits and World Cup merch, including both Brazil jerseys, a seafoam France away jersey, a yellow Curaçao jersey, two World Cup logo shirts and a stripes U.S. jersey.
Parker said she’s enjoyed seeing soccer fans out and about in the city – especially Brazilian fans, whose team will take the field against Haiti at Lincoln Financial Field at 8:30 p.m.
“We were on the parkway, and Brazil was turning it out and up,” Parker said. “Everywhere we’ve been, they’re like, ‘Philadelphia is beautiful, the experience is great.’ You can be a visitor one time, but they’ll feel Philadelphia.
“You have to feel the energy here. We are not like any other city in the nation. There is something special about Philadelphia, and being able to share that Philly-ness with the world is something really exciting.”
Check out The Inquirer’s all-new pop-up soccer show!
Ahead of today’s pivotal World Cup matches, get up to speed on all things soccer with the Inquirer’s Soccer Extra, our pop-up soccer show during the matches here in Philly, featuring writer Jonathan Tannenwald and host Lisa Carlin.
Catch the show Thursdays at 11 a.m., until the final match at Philadelphia Stadium (aka the Linc) through July 4. In their second episode, the duo take a look at this first week of World Cup action and look ahead to Philly’s upcoming matches in Brazil-Haiti tonight and France-Iraq on Monday.
— Inquirer sports staff
// Timestamp 06/19/26 2:35pm
Like Philly, Seattle putting the ‘city’ in ‘World Cup host city’
Seattle Stadium, usually called Lumen Field, as fans arrive for the World Cup match between the U.S. and Australia Friday.Jonathan Tannenwald
SEATTLE – You might not think that Philadelphia and Seattle have much in common, thousands of miles apart and with different cultural vibes. But during this World Cup, it feels like they have a lot in common.
It’s not just that the U.S.-Australia and Brazil-Haiti games are on the same day, which has put the two cities at the top of the World Cup’s headlines. It’s that they’re true cities, the kind where you can feel the energy of a big event just by being there.
That’s how a World Cup is supposed to be, and has been at all the other ones I’ve been to. The sights and sounds of big fan gatherings are as important as the games themselves.
Philadelphia has seen that a few times now, from the Club World Cup last summer to the masses of Ecuador and Brazil fans in recent days. Soccer brings people together from all over the place like nothing else, even in a city where other sports are more important.
Another thing you can tell out here is how different things are from the first U.S. game in suburban Los Angeles. The stadium is exceptional and the atmosphere was great, but there just wasn’t the same kind of buzz beyond the game because L.A. isn’t the same kind of city.
Fans at Pioneer Square in Seattle.Jonathan Tannenwald
The downtown doesn’t matter as much, and everything else is way too sprawling – and that’s before getting to the U.S. camp being over an hour south in Orange County. You’re never going to have the same kind of buzz when everything around is highways and shopping centers.
In Philadelphia, you can walk anywhere in Center City, then take a quick subway ride to the game. Here, you can walk from the waterfront to the stadium, and there’s a light rail line across town too.
I made that walk this morning, and saw thousands of fans going in both directions. A “Men in Blazers” live show on one of the piers drew a huge crowd that filled the plaza and the sidewalks beyond it.
The big crowd here isn’t just wearing red, white, and blue. There are plenty of Australia backers too, all in their traditional green and gold. You’ll see them behind one end zone, behind the team’s bench, and in a few sections of the upper deck.
I unexpectedly walked through their fan march on the way to the stadium. Everyone was in good spirits, including the U.S. fans at bars nearby who responded with lighthearted boos and “USA!” chants.
One Socceroos fan carried the amusing sign you see above. A bunning snag is Australia’s similar culinary tradition, a grilled sausage in a folded piece of white bread topped with grilled onions, then ketchup and/or mustard.
SEATTLE – Christian Pulisic will not play in the U.S.-Australia game, as he hasn’t recovered enough from his calf injury to make the squad.
“Christian is not available,” U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino told Fox Sports’ broadcast moments before FIFA published the teams’ starting lineups. “Let’s hope that as soon as possible he can be ready to be selected again, and to be part of the team. Now we need to be focused on our team, and the players that are going to play. We have ahead very important game – Australia is going to be really tough.”
Pochettino said Pulisic trained Friday morning and “the feelings are good” on the star playmaker’s overall recovery.
“A little bit sad,” Pochettino admitted. “He wanted to participate today. But it’s still [too] early.”
EXCLUSIVE: USA star Christian Pulisic is OUT today with a calf injury against Australia and Ricardo Pepi will get the start, USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino tells FOX Sports’ @JennyTaft. pic.twitter.com/ZobSiOfjYx
Ricardo Pepi comes into the U.S. lineup, and that means a tactical shift with two strikers on the field. My guess is the Americans will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation that looks like this:
Australia has all of its players healthy. The Socceroos’ starting lineup is headlined by rising star striker Nestory Irankunda and 6-foot-6 centerback Harry Souttar. There’s also a familiar face from MLS in New York City FC midfielder Aiden O’Neill.
The #USMNT starting lineup with Christian Pulisic out – Ricardo Pepi comes in to throw two strikers at Australia.
I am guessing it will look like this formation-wise…
Fans from all over gather for entrance into the FIFA Fan Festival
Fans wait to enter FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill in East Fairmount Park Friday.Owen Hewitt / Staff
The gates of the FIFA Fan Festival don’t open to visitors until 2 p.m., but a line has already started to form at the main gate.
Gus Sanchez said he and his family had been in line since about noon after biking over from Northeast Philly.
Sanchez said he wanted to watch the U.S. men’s team take on Australia with a crowd, leading him to come over to the Fan Festival.
“It’s something I can’t explain,” Sanchez, 53, said. “Seeing people from different countries getting together, having fun, enjoying the game.”
The crowd is full of U.S. kits, but other nations are represented, too. Kits from Haiti and Brazil, which will face off tonight at Lincoln Financial Stadium, can be spotted in the line, as well as fans from Scotland.
Alex Nelson said he traveled from Prestwick to the U.S. to soak in the environment of the World Cup.
He traveled from Boston, where the Scots played Haiti on Saturday, to Philadelphia to take in Scotland-Morocco at the Fan Festival.
Nelson, sporting a tartan kilt, said he’s loved his time in Philly so far.
“Very clean city,” Nelson said. “Everybody has been so helpful. Everybody’s mixed in —the Brazilians, the Moroccans, U.S.A., all mixed. That’s what it’s all about.”
Brazil fans bring the party to Philly’s Rocky steps
// Timestamp 06/19/26 9:36am
Photos: Brazil fans take over Philly
Brazil fans play a little soccer as they rally at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Thursday. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff PhotographerThousands of Brazil fans swarmed the streets ahead of their team’s matchup against Haiti in Philly. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff PhotographerBrazil’s Lucas Paquetá poses for a photo with fans outside the Sofitel Philadelphia at Rittenhouse Square.Jose F. Moreno / Staff PhotographerBrazil soccer fans wait outside of the Sofitel Philadelphia at Rittenhouse Square to greet the players. Aidan T. Gallo / Staff PhotographerA Brazil soccer fan cheers outside the Sofitel Philadelphia at Rittenhouse Square. Aidan T. Gallo / Staff PhotographerBrazil fans are hoping for the team’s first 2026 World Cup win in Philly. Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
// Timestamp 06/19/26 8:09am
Everything you need to know about the World Cup in Philly
Philadelphia’s second World Cup game is Sunday night.
Brazil fans work to avoid Rocky curse again of Philly game
Brazil fans guard the Rocky statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art to prevent being jinxed.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
International soccer supporters, be warned — clothe the Rocky statue at your own risk.
The fans of the Ecuadorian national team learned Sunday what many NFL fans already know about draping their colors over the statue of Rocky on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum.
Ecuadorian supporters fitted Rocky with a yellow La Tri kit, then saw their team concede a 90th-minute winner in its FIFA World Cup group-stage opener against Ivory Coast on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field (aka Philadelphia Stadium).
The effects of the “Rocky curse” are well-documented when it comes to football, but it was relatively untested on the beautiful game. Ecuador lost, 1-0, to the Ivorian side, which entered the tournament ranked 10 spots behind La Tri in the FIFA World Ranking.
With Brazil coming to Philly for a Group C match against Haiti on Friday (8:30 p.m., Fox29), Movimento Verde Amarelo, Brazil’s main supporters’ group, went to great lengths to ensure the yellow and green of the Canarinho stayed off the Rocky statue.
The Rocky statue was roped off with a four-post retractable nylon stanchion, with four members of MVA, sunglasses on and earpiece in, standing at attention at each corner as Brazilian fans gathered for a rally in front of the Art Museum.
The bodyguards discouraged fans from draping any Brazilian garb on the statue, holding signs that read:
“Operation Rocky Protectors — Attention: it is forbidden to put Brazilian colors on the statue.”
Matheus Henrique, 30, was one of the MVA members protecting the statue. Henrique, a native of Belém, Brazil, moved to Los Angeles a decade ago for college.
Henrique is friends with the person who helped organize Brazil’s takeover of the steps and responded when a call went out for volunteers to guard the statue.
“It’s a superstition, we heard,” Henrique said. “We’re enjoying the event as well.”
Christian Pulisic’s status a mystery ahead of USMNT-Australia
Christian Pulisic during a United States men’s national soccer team in Seattle Thursday.Jonathan Tannenwald
There was no surprise news about Christian Pulisic from U.S. men’s soccer team manager Mauricio Pochettino in his news conference before Friday’s game against Australia (3 p.m., Fox29, Telemundo 62). Pochettino did not rule the star playmaker in or out, and that was not surprising.
“As you know, he was training in an individual way the whole week,” Pochettino said. “But like always, I think tonight, the day before the game, we have a meeting with our medical area, and we will assess the whole group, the players, and tomorrow we will communicate all the things that we can agree tonight.”
Pulisic was seen briefly at the start of Thursday’s practice, then headed off to work on his own. When he arrived, he wasn’t wearing the sleeve over his injured left calf that he sported on Wednesday. But after a few minutes, he sat down on a bench by the sideline and put it on.
“He is evolving, he is much better from [last] Friday,” Pochettino said. “I think at the moment we’ll see. … He’s doing a massive effort trying to be ready.”
The manager also praised Pulisic for being “strong and with a great mentality” as the Hershey native works to be ready for kickoff.
Asked who might play if Pulisic can’t go, Pochettino didn’t answer. This was no surprise either.
“I will tell tomorrow if that is the situation,” he said. “At the moment, we are evaluating all the possibilities just in case, and then we will decide when we have the confirmation in one or another direction tonight.”
Former U.S. men’s star Landon Donovan will be on the call for Brazil vs. Haiti in Philly Friday night.Katharine Lotze
The second of six World Cup matches will take place Friday night in Philadelphia, with Brazil taking on Haiti (8:30 p.m., Fox) in Group C action.
Calling the game on Fox tonight will be veteran soccer announcer Ian Darke, joined by former U.S. men’s national great Landon Donovan. Natalie Gedra will handle reporting at Philadelphia Stadium, otherwise known as Lincoln Financial Field.
Brazil vs Haiti
Time: 8:30 p.m. Philly time
Location: Philadelphia Stadium (Lincoln Financial Field)
TV: Fox (Ian Darke, Landon Donovan)
Spanish: Telemundo (Luis Omar Tapia, Diego Balado)
Philly hosted its first-ever men’s World Cup match last week, with Ivory Coast topping Ecuador.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia was the star during its first 2026 World Cup match, which featured an Ivory Coast upset in front of a re-branding Lincoln Financal Field filled with Ecuador fans.
Philadelphia Stadium, as it’s called during the tournament, will host five more World Cup games, including a Round of 16 matchup on July 4.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court finally made clear what has been obvious to every other commonsense observer: Skill games are slot machines.
The question now is what will the General Assembly do about the estimated 70,000 skill games that it irresponsibly allowed to proliferate across the commonwealth?
If Gov. Josh Shapiro and state lawmakers place public health and safety above raking in more tax revenue, they will follow Kentucky’s lead and ban skill games.
But don’t expect Harrisburg to do the right thing when it comes to gambling. Governors and state legislators here have been hooked on gambling for two decades.
They view the billions in tax revenue that comes from gambling as easy money that helps avoid raising taxes or operating the government more efficiently. But they ignore the hard truth that much of that tax revenue comes from billions of dollars in losses from repeat and problem gamblers.
Research has found that slot machines are designed to addict users. Indeed, some Pennsylvania casino operators boasted early on that many customers came as often as six times a week.
The explosion of online gambling apps — especially on sports — via smartphones, is even more addictive. One Pennsylvania man said he sometimes placed 500 bets a day.
Unregulated gaming devices known as “skill games” inside a convenience store in Philadelphia. The State Supreme Court recently ruled the devices are slot machines.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Studies have linked problem gambling to job loss, depression, suicide, domestic violence, and divorce. But lawmakers continue to ignore the growing public health crisis that impacts broader society. That’s because the same lawmakers are also in the vise grip of the influential gambling lobby that pours millions into their campaign coffers.
Recall that the gambling lobby helped write the law that legalized slot machines in Pennsylvania back in 2004. Then-Gov. Ed Rendell and former State Sen. Vince Fumo (D., Philadelphia) pushed through the measure with little debate. They morphed a 33-line document about background checks at horse racetracks into a 145-page bill known as Act 71, which cleared the way for up to 61,000 slot machines in 14 locations.
In the ensuing years, Harrisburg lawmakers have legalized more and more gambling, adding table games, online betting, and sports betting.
Pennsylvania now leads the country in gambling revenues it takes in, thanks to a surge in online betting that is reaching teens and kids as young as 11.
Casino backers argue that problem gambling only affects around 3% of the population. But that includes most people who do not gamble.
Advertisements for sports betting apps are seen in downtown Kansas City, Mo., in November.Charlie Riedel
Studies found 60% to 90% of casino revenues come from problem or at-risk gamblers. When it comes to sports betting, 86% of the revenues come from just 5% of the gamblers. So, the business model essentially depends on problem gamblers.
But as Harrisburg lawmakers rushed to legalize additional gambling options, they looked the other way as thousands of skill games popped up in local taverns, gas stations, laundromats, convenience stores, and social clubs, like VFW halls.
In the gambling industry food chain that preys on the most vulnerable, skill games are among the bottom-feeders.
But skill games have been allowed to operate for years with no regulation or taxation. Many machines are in poor neighborhoods in Philadelphia and small towns.
Some small business owners — such as the corner taverns and social clubs — argue that skill games help attract customers. But if a business is dependent on repeat gamblers mindlessly pumping money into a machine, it is time to innovate.
In addition, skill games have been linked to increased crime, including armed robbery and murder.
Last year, a Philadelphia jury ordered Pace-O-Matic, the leading skill game maker, to pay $15.3 million to the estate of a Hazleton store clerk killed during a 2020 robbery.
A convenience store clerk in Frankford who was shot during an armed robbery recently sued Banilla Gaming, a North Carolina-based skill games manufacturer, alleging it enticed the robbery because of the large amounts of cash the store maintained to pay gamblers.
Skill game devices inside Philly Market in the city’s Frankford section.Court records
In 2024, the Philadelphia City Council voted to ban skill games because they attracted crime, but the Commonwealth Court quickly lifted the ban.
Now, it is up to the General Assembly’s lawmakers to fix what they have long ignored.
Shapiro has proposed regulating and taxing skill games at 52% — the same rate as slot machines in casinos. Before becoming governor, he expressed disdain for gambling, but now he is all in. Shapiro estimated skill games could bring in $2 billion in revenue for the state — glossing over that the money comes from individual gambling losses. (The state doesn’t even use the word gambling; they call it “gaming” as if it is all good, clean fun.)
Pace-O-Matic, the most influential skill game player, wants a much lower tax rate of around 16%. Its army of lobbyists — and lawmakers willing to do their bidding — will surely have a lot to say about what comes next. So will the lawmakers on the side of the casino lobby, which wants an even playing field.
Average citizens don’t have a voice in this fight.
The state Supreme Court gave the General Assembly 120 days to figure out what to do next. If the legislature fails to act within that period, the skill games will be deemed illegal and could be subject to seizure.
During the 2023-2024 session, three state Senate Democrats introduced a bill that called for banning skill games. That remains the best path forward.
But expecting Harrisburg to protect citizens from gambling ills is a long shot.
Mike Schmidt returned to the Phillies television booth Thursday night, but not to call the game.
The Phillies legend walked away from NBC Sports Philadelphia this season after 12 years as a part-time announcer, but jumped back in the booth Thursday night to spend the fourth inning with Tom McCarthy, John Kruk, and fellow Hall of Famer George Brett.
It was a fascinating way to spend 20 minutes, especially considering the many ways Schmidt and Brett are linked. Two of the best third baseman in the history of the game, taken one behind the other in the 1971 MLB draft. Brett had 1,596 career RBIs, while Schmidt had 1,595 (Brett “hired someone to go back through his career and find an RBI” Schmidt once jokingly claimed).
And of course, there’s the 1980 World Series, where the Phillies defeated the Royals and Schmidt was named MVP, which Brett said was “hard to swallow.” They were both named the respective MVPs of their leagues that season, with Brett ending the season with a batting average of .390.
George Brett and Mike Schmidt, seen here ahead of Game 1 of the 1980 World Series.
“By the way, I had .260 in the bag,” Schmidt joked. “I went 0-10 in the last series and dropped down to .250.”
“I feel so bad for you, Mike. You only had 50 home runs that season,” Brett shot back.
For the record, Schmidt ended the 1980 season with 48 home runs and 121 RBIs.
Schmidt and Brett compared stats, busted chops, and shared a life-long friendship borne through intense competition on the field.
“I hated him. I didn’t like him at all,” Brett said, noting Schmidt beat him “every time I played against him.”
At one point, Phillies announcer Ben Davis, positioned in the dugout during the game, chimed in to note that between Schmidt, Brett, Phillies manager Don Mattingly, and Mets announcer Keith Hernandez, there were 31 Gold Gloves and 9,723 hits in the building.
“Who’s that talking?” Brett jokingly replied before taking a shot at himself.
“They always say you got 3,000 hits. I say, ‘No, I made 7,000 outs,’” Brett said, turning to Schmidt. “How many outs do you think you made?”
“Well, I know I made 7,000 strikeouts. I mean, I can count those,” Schmidt said.
The two even joked about their current roles. Brett serves as the Royals’ vice president of baseball operations, while Schmidt complained he can’t get a title with the Phillies.
“John Middletown, if you’re listening, give Mike a title,” Brett said. “I’m Mike Schmidt, and I own this stadium.”
So why was Brett in town for a Phillies-Mets game? To help Schmidt promote his “Play Sun Safe” skin cancer awareness campaign, something he’s been passionate about since being diagnosed with melanoma in 2013. As part of his partnership with the Phillies, 12 sunscreen stations have been placed across Citizens Bank Park during games.
As interesting as the pairing and the history was, the broadcast did lose focus of the game at times. Thankfully, McCarthy and company refocused after Derek Hill drove in Bryson Stott to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth.
Phillies head to national TV, but Kruk will still be around
John Kruk will jump to NBC Sunday to call the Phillies on national TV. NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Phillies have Friday night off, but NBC Sports Philadelphia won’t be broadcasting the team again until Monday.
Saturday night’s game will air on Fox, with Joe Davis and John Smoltz calling the game and Ken Rosenthal reporting from Citizens Bank Park. Chris O’Connor, the brother of Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Timothy O’Connor, who was shot and killed during a Chester County traffic stop in March, will throw a ceremonial first pitch.
NBC will take over for Sunday Night Baseball, with Kruk back on the network to broadcast the game alongside play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti and former Mets pitcher John Franco.
While Benetti is the voice of baseball on NBC, the network decided to turn to a rotating crew of analysts to call each game, one representing each team on the field. It’s largely a response to the biggest complaint networks hear when broadcasting baseball games — fans just want to hear their local announcers.
It’s the second game Kruk has called for NBC this season, though the first — an April loss to the Atlanta Braves — only streamed on Peacock. Hopefully this time Kruk will be a bit luckier for the Phillies. Having Zack Wheeler (6-1, 2.01 ERA) on the mound should help.
The Phillies will be back on Peacock July 5 when they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates, but they won’t be alone. Peacock will exclusively stream 13 baseball games that day as part of an event NBC is calling “Star-Spangled Sunday.”
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Phillies news
Andrew Painter has a 1-8 record and 7.06 ERA, and opponents are batting .404. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Vineland’s public school teachers are having an easier timewith the question of what to wear to work — at least for the final days of the school year.
In a move to boost morale in the South Jersey school system and make teachers’ lives easier this spring during a hectic testing period, the district eased its dress policy to allow denim jeans until the end of the school year on June 25.
Teachers love it and hope it will continue in September.
“It’s one small way to make the world of work a little friendlier,” said Vineland Education Association president Louis Russo, a social studies teacher. “It’s one small thing off of their shoulders.”
Teachers Andrea Ruiz (left) and Elaine Petrini (right) at Rossi Elementary in Vineland on June 9. The teachers are allowed to wear jeans until the end of the school year.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
School board president Cedric Holmes said the Cumberland County district notified employees when they returned from spring break in April that they could wear jeans any day of the week under a pilot program.
Holmes said there had been rumblings among staff because the district — the largest in Cumberland County, with 11,000 students — had to extend the school year to make up snow days. Vineland‘s June 25 last day of school isamong the latest in the region.
The months following spring break are among the toughest with students undergoing standardized state testing, Holmes said. There are also end-of-the year field trips and outings when it makes sense to allow more relaxed clothing, he said.
“It was important to the board that staff felt that we saw the stress of all of that of this as a practical way to give a morale boost for the end of the year,” Holmes said.
Teachers typically dress a bit more formally for school.According to Vineland’s policy, female teachers must wear skirts, slacks, skorts, or dresses with blouses or sweaters, or school uniform. The skirt, skort, or dress should not exceed three inches above the knee.
Male staffers can wear suits or slacks with jackets and ties, sweaters, school uniform, or sports or dress shirts. Deemed unacceptable for both are sneakers, flip-flops, bedroom slippers, combat boots, and work boots. There are exceptions for teachers attending field trips or who work in specialized areas such as health and physical education or arts.
The district also has a uniform policy for students, but Holmes said that has been relaxed and the board also plans to reexamine that policy.
New Jersey’s 600 school districts set their own policies for staff and students.
Steve Baker, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Education Association, which represents 200,000 teachers and support staff, said the union supports the efforts in Vineland “to develop policies that help create a positive learning and working environment for students and staff.“
On a busy morning last week at Anthony Rossi Elementary in Vineland, third-grade teacher Jeffrey Martine stood in front of the class dressed in khaki shorts, a button-down blue dress shirt, and slip-on loafers. As an added bonus, it was a dress-down day, which allowed teachers to wear casual attire beyond jeans.
Jeffrey Martine, a teacher at Rossi Elementary in Vineland, greets a student at the school last week.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
“If you do your job well, you have to be able to move,” Martine said. “I’m all about comfort.”
Students in Martine’s gifted and talented class were spread around the room working on a project in small groups. Some sat at desks making posters, while others were stretched out on the floor.
“I don’t think professionalism and comfort are mutually exclusive,” Martine said. “Teachers should be judged more on how they interact with their students than the pants they select.”
Holmes acknowledged the dress code was outdated and revisions are needed. The board plans to review the changes implemented this spring and may allow teachers to wear jeans during the new school year, he said.
“It was time for a change,” said Kaitlynn Rossi, a long-term substitute teacher. “People don’t dress like that.”
Teacher dress codes have evolved nationally over the years, especially during the pandemic, when more casual attire was the norm.
Based on responses from teachers around the world, the website We are Teachers in 2024 compiled a list of “16 Ridiculous Dress Code Rules for Teachers You Won’t Believe Are Real.” The list included prohibiting hats, capri pants, pants with pockets, UGGs, hoodies, or dark underwear.
In Philadelphia, where classes ended last week, there is no system-wide dress code for staff. Arthur Steinberg, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, which represents about 14,000 teachers, counselors, nurses, secretaries, and other workers, said employee dress typically does not come up as an issue.
School board president Cedric Holmes at Rossi Elementary in Vineland last week. Holmes said the teacher dress code policy was relaxed in an effort to improve morale at the end of the school year.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Holmes said teachers have responded well to the changes in Vineland and there have been few infractions, like torn or ripped jeans.
Before Vineland implemented the pilot dress code, teachers were allowed to wear jeans only for special days. The schools sponsor fundraisers that allow teachers to pay $2 to wear jeans. Students are allowed to wear jeans on dress-down days determined by their school principal, and they do not have to pay.
Fourth-grade teacher Andrea Ruiz said dressing more casually helps her students see her differently. A sign in her classroom says: “Be the best version of you.” She enjoys sitting with students on the carpet in her classroom or playing kickball on the playground.
“We’re meeting them where they are,” said Ruiz, who was wearing a gray T-shirt and striped pants. “It’s definitely something different for us.”
Teacher Kaitlynn Rossi with students at Rossi Elementary in Vineland last week.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Timothy Purnell, executive director of the New Jersey School Boards Association, said a decision as simple as allowing jeans can have an impact on the learning environment.
“If jeans support a positive environment during testing, that’s a local call we respect,” Purnell said.
Russo believes a less-stringent dress code will help attract and retain younger teachers amid a national teacher shortage. He wants them to still dress in a manner that gets respect from students.
“We just have to find the right balance,” Russo said.
Staff writer Kristen A. Graham contributed to this article.
“This is the day he will die,” thought Roy Reed, a reporter for the New York Times.
On June 21, 1966, Reed was standing behind Martin Luther King Jr., who was surrounded by about 300 hostile white people in Philadelphia, Miss. King had led a delegation from the Meredith March Against Fear to commemorate the second anniversary of the killings of the civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Mickey Schwerner.
King was trying to navigate a rocky path full of obstacles: the threats of southern racists, a frayed alliance with President Lyndon B. Johnson and dissent within the civil rights movement.
His response showcased his greatest gifts — and his actions on June 21 painted a nuanced picture of what made King so influential. Much of our historical memory of the civil rights leader deifies him, a marker of the nation’s racial progress. It also, however, dramatically oversimplifies the man and the movement he helped lead. It cloaks the divisions within the civil rights movement, along with King’s struggle to harness different factions and tactics toward his goals.
The enshrinement of King also prevents Americans from seeing just how he married the ideals of American democracy with the righteous struggles of Black Americans. It eludes how he exhibited both spiritual power and political acumen. Looking at King’s actions during the Meredith March, by contrast, spotlights three of his most important roles in the civil rights movement: as an icon of moral courage, as a lodestone for Black activism and as an architect of sustainable ideals for a social justice movement.
All of these qualities were on display on the extraordinary day of June 21, 1966.
The Meredith March began on June 5 with one man, James Meredith, who had planned to walk from Memphis to Jackson, encouraging voter registration. On the second day, he got shot, and though he survived, the major civil rights organizations transformed his quest into a mass march.
By the time King gathered with the activists in Mississippi two weeks later, the big story was Black Power. On June 16, Stokely Carmichael introduced the new slogan as a message of self-determination. It implicitly criticized King’s bedrock values of nonviolence and racial integration.
On the morning of June 21, King met the marchers at a Black church — and he looked scared, with good reason. Philadelphia, in west-central Mississippi, was off the main route of the march. Instead of protection from the state police, the marchers were under the jurisdiction of Cecil Price, the deputy sheriff at the center of the federal conspiracy trial the three civil rights activists’ killing.
During their procession to Philadelphia’s town square, the marchers were jeered, spat upon and sprayed with hoses. The air was thick with danger.
Surrounded by his flock and his foes, King steeled himself. “I am not afraid of any man,” he proclaimed. “We are going to work together for freedom. We are here to save America.”
Despite the hostile crowd, King didn’t duck the heinous violence that the march was commemorating. He remembered the movement’s martyrs. “I believe in my heart that the murderers are somewhere around me,” he intoned.
“They’re right behind you!” shouted a white boy. The mob hooted. Price smirked.
As the activists left, the mob tossed eggs, rocks and bottles. Scuffles broke out. The marchers reached the Black district just before some white toughs arrived, brandishing knives, wrenches and ax handles.
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Confronted by murderous hatred, he was a model of resolve and principle. His fortitude reassured his fellow marchers and it projected the movement’s integrity to the broader public.
After his speech in Philadelphia, King boarded a tiny, twin-engine plane for Sunflower County, in the Mississippi Delta, to speak at a voter registration rally.
“It was like a messiah walking through the community,” recalled local organizer Charles McLaurin. Alongside the legendary Fannie Lou Hamer, McLaurin had led a 10-mile march from the town of Sunflower to the county courthouse in Indianola.
There, King revealed his magnetic power. Wherever he went, Black folks followed. Because he was in Indianola, over 300 people attended the rally. As was the case throughout King’s life, his reputation attracted a big turnout and his charisma compelled political participation. More than any other figure, he drew people into the southern civil rights movement.
King’s day was not yet done. He got back on the plane, headed for Yazoo City, on the southern edge of the Delta, where the Meredith Marchers had stopped for the night.
King arrived for a nighttime rally in a public park. Radical activists gave speeches promising bloody retaliation if white people attacked them again. They won roars from the large crowd. Black Power, with its vows for self-defense and independence, struck emotional chords that exposed the widening fault lines in the movement.
Yet, even as the crowd cheered the rhetoric of Black militants, it reserved its greatest adoration for King. To reach the podium, he waded through the masses. Old ladies jostled each other to touch him, while weathered farmers pressed their palms into his.
And as this tumultuous, grueling day turned into a sweaty, bug-filled night, King painted a vision for the movement. He understood the need for Black political power. He acknowledged that Mississippi was afflicted by oppression. But segregation and violence were plagues on everyone, Black and white. To survive, to thrive, Black people needed a “coalition of conscience.”
“Now,” he said, “I’m ready to die myself.” In his classic style, he weaved together the rhythms of the pulpit with the ideals of American democracy.
“When I die I’m going to die for something, and at that moment, I guess, it will be necessary, but I’m trying to say something to you, my friends, that I hope we will all gain tonight, and that is that we have a power.” He recalled the movement’s great triumphs and celebrated their destiny to redeem the nation. In the process, he touched people’s souls.
By insisting on his ideals, and by summoning his greatest oratorical powers, King maintained his slippery grasp on the march’s message. In its final days, the Meredith March encountered more violence, including a tear gas attack in the town of Canton. Yet amid the cries of Black Power, the marchers maintained the discipline of nonviolence. They arrived in the capital city of Jackson for the largest civil rights demonstration in the history of Mississippi, signaling the resonance of mass protest in the lives of Black Americans
On the Meredith March, King illustrated why his birthday is a federal holiday, a memorial in the National Mall’s Tidal Basin celebrates his legacy and nearly 1,000 streets bear his name. He was neither a saint nor the movement’s single leader. But he exhibited the qualities of leadership, in the service of forging a genuine democracy.
King demonstrated profound courage, setting a meaningful example. He pulled followers into his orbit, articulating principles that resonated with people. And he insisted that a crusade for justice demanded the best of its advocates, investing their cause with the deepest meaning.
Throughout his glorious and tragic journey with the civil rights movement, King shared these blessings. Sometimes he did it all on one single day.
Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of The Inquirer.
Plus, officials chose a design for a new Delaware River bridge linking Bucks and Burlington Counties, and more news of the day.
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Lawnside, originally settled by freed and runaway enslaved people, is known for being the first independent African American community to govern themselves above the Mason-Dixon line.
Inside this borough is the Peter Mott House, believed to have once been a refuge as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
For almost two centuries, it has remained resilient against potential threats such as the construction of the New Jersey Turnpike nearby in the 1950s, a developer’s desire to dismantle the structure in the 1980s, and a three-year closure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Its next challenge looks as if it might be the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s $2 billion expansion project that a group of Lawnside residents say could endanger the historic house.
Owner Danny DiGiampietro is opening a new branch of his famous pizza and cheesesteak shop.
Construction work has begun at the future location in the West Collingswood Heights neighborhood of Haddon Township. When finished — hopefully in the next few months, he says — it will become a full-service shop, with table seating and a counter overlooking the kitchen.
The first Angelo’s opened in Haddonfield in 2013 but DiGiampietro closed it in 2018 to pivot to the South Philly location.
The local wrestling community is mourning 16-year-old wrestler Chase Sudano. He died earlier this week while driving an electric bike that was involved in a crash with a UPS truck in Southampton Township near Route 70.
New Jersey U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, who has several years of career experience with national security issues in the Middle East, said he has “no confidence in any aspect” of President Donald Trump’s deal to end the war in Iran.
The officials of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Turnpikes chose a design for a new $1.6 billion Delaware River bridge that will link toll roads between Bristol in Bucks County and Florence in Burlington County.
The New York Times reports that federal prosecutors charged a man after he hit an ICE agent with a vehicle in Ocean County. The criminal complaint says the suspect refused to roll down the window during a traffic stop and then struck the officer while driving away.
The Haddonfield Board of Education is grappling with how to balance screen time for district students, including the possibility of implementing screen time limits, according to South Jersey Media.
For the past 10 days, several peacocks have been wandering Berlin Borough. No one knows where they came from.
🧠Trivia time
The former owner of Famous 4th Street Deli in Philly has had success across the bridge with his new destination deli, Radin’s Delicatessen. It even made our list for the area’s essential restaurants, The 76. Where is it located?
Using the new Shore Line group chat, we asked readers if it’s alright to reserve spots on the beach by marking their territory with chairs and a canopy. Here are some of the responses:
Yes, good for them for motivating early in the day!
I hate when people do that. And 9 times out of 10 when they do it, they are obnoxiously large reservations. Putting up multiple beach cabanas, etc.
It depends on how long they’ve been gone. If they don’t show up for an hour, you could just fold their stuff up in a nice little pile. I’d be okay with that.
No problem with that at all. But those people can’t get upset if another group sets up close to them in their absence.
Where do you land? Are you pro or anti saving prime beach space? Or somewhere in between? Have another etiquette concern? Email Rosenberg at downtheshore@inquirer.com.
📸 Photo of the week
Amy and Zachary Bell of Hammonton sit in the backyard of their Ventnor beach home with Claire, a 3-year-old beagle, and Connie, a 14-year-old Yorkshire terrier.Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer
🐕 One last furry thing: When the Inquirer visits a local home every week, our lovely photographers meet the pets as well. Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com.
Have a wonderful weekend! I’ll be back in your inbox on Monday.
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