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  • Israel’s Netanyahu, at U.N., calls accusations of genocide in Gaza ‘the biggest lie of the century’

    Israel’s Netanyahu, at U.N., calls accusations of genocide in Gaza ‘the biggest lie of the century’

    Allegations of Israeli genocide in Gaza are not only false but “the biggest lie of the century,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told world leaders Thursday in a defiant speech that asserted his nation’s right to wage war against Iran — and was not heard by scores of delegates who trooped out before he started speaking.

    Netanyahu, his voice rising in emphasis, said attacking Iran “was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make” and denounced as “moral cowards” a mass of delegates who walked out of the U.N. General Assembly when he took the podium to speak.

    “In defending itself, Israel is also also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall,” Netanyahu said. “In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thank us privately for taking out Iran’s nukes.”

    When Netanyahu walked to the rostrum, a mix of cheers, boos and mass walkouts erupted. Scores of delegates marched out and a majority of visible seats sat empty afterward. “Order in the hall, please,” General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman said repeatedly.

    “If there are any other moral cowards who have not yet left the hall, please do so now,” Netanyahu said.

    His remarks — which at times sounded like a stump speech as Israel gears up for elections — came after a week filled with speeches by world leaders accusing Israel of genocide and war crimes in Gaza.’’

    Palestinians had called for a mass walkout

    The Palestinian Mission to the U.N. said in a message to many of the 193 U.N. member nations to bring as many staff as possible to the assembly hall and “collectively walk out of the assembly” once the Israeli prime minister is announced.

    “This will send a clear message to Netanyahu and his government that no one is willing to aid, abet, or be complicit in its genocide and war crimes and illegal occupation, which all peace-loving states and peoples demand must come to an end,” the message said.

    Israel rejects allegations that it committed genocide and war crimes and is illegally occupying Palestinian territory. All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, but the Israeli government insists they are legal.

    Netanyahu, who is prone to using visual aids during his General Assembly speeches, at one point held up a pager while reminding the audience of Sept. 17, 2024, when Israel remotely detonated thousands of pagers that had been distributed to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. The pager attack wounded more than 3,000 people and killed 12, including two children.

    He reminded the assembly of the scale of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in which Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people. “This is equal to 40,000 innocent Americans slaughtered in less than 24 hours,” he said, or 16 times the death count on the 9/11 attacks that left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York.

    Netanyahu thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for taking decisive action against Iran, and he insisted Israel would prevail: “We will continue to win because we have no other choice.”

    Netanyahu followed the Palestinian president’s remote speech

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also addressed the U.N. General Assembly earlier Thursday, delivering prerecorded remarks from his office in Ramallah after the United States denied him and other top Palestinian officials visas to attend the gathering for the second year in a row.

    The 90-year-old leader’s popularity at home and relevance abroad have both waned. But in his remarks, Abbas made clear he did not intend to quietly accept being sidelined.

    “We will not leave our homeland. We will not accept displacement. And we will not allow anyone to decide our future on our behalf,” Abbas said.

    Though world leaders have repeatedly invoked the plight of Palestinians in speeches throughout the week, Abbas urged the international community to take more tangible action against Israel.

    “How long will some countries continue to remain silent about Israel, or continue supplying it with weapons that it uses against our people? The world has witnessed the enormous cost in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,” Abbas said. “What, then, is the international community waiting for before it acts to protect the Palestinian people?”

    Netanyahu is in the city of a mayor who wants him arrested

    In past years, Netanyahu has used his General Assembly speech to both denounce the United Nations as biased and make Israel’s case to world leaders. His address — scheduled for prime time in Israel — is the cornerstone of an abbreviated trip to the United States unfolding under the shadow of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani calling him a “war criminal” and pushing for his arrest.

    Mamdani has acknowledged that New York does not have the authority to execute an International Criminal Court warrant but urged federal authorities to do so.

    Israel has grown increasingly isolated throughout the war in Gaza. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapping 251. At least 73,922 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s subsequent offensive, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government whose numbers are generally considered reliable by the international community.

    A ceasefire agreed to by Israel and Hamas last October halted the heaviest of the fighting and led to the release of the remaining hostages yet further steps have since stalled. Israel maintains control of most of Gaza and continues to carry out airstrikes on Palestinians near military-held zones. Hamas not disarmed or relinquished power and there has been no progress toward reconstruction in the mostly destroyed territory.

    Netanyahu has said no Palestinian state will be established while he is Israel’s leader and has argued that the Palestinian Authority is not a partner for peace.

    Netanyahu dismissed incidents of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank as a “handful of young juvenile delinquents” throwing stones, chopping down olive trees and lighting fires.

    “I can’t stand that. I won’t stand for vigilantism,” the prime minister said before accusing foreign leaders and the international press of distorting the scale of violence in the West Bank.

    Netanyahu’s government is dominated by settlers and their allies, including the Cabinet minister who oversees the police. There have been few arrests of settlers involved in attacks on Palestinians.

    Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 war, and the Palestinians want both as part of their future state. The Palestinians and much of the international community view the settlements as illegal and as an obstacle to creating a viable, contiguous Palestinian state.

  • Penn welcomes a top 10 opponent for home opener, but it’s not shying from the spotlight

    Penn welcomes a top 10 opponent for home opener, but it’s not shying from the spotlight

    The Ivy League was the last college football league to kick off its season, so Penn will play its second game against a team that has already played, and won, four.

    Penn welcomes Lehigh to Franklin Field on Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN+) for its first home game under new leadership in coach Rick Santos and freshman starting quarterback Miles Teodecki.

    “It is what it is,” Santos said of the Ivy League’s scheduling. “We don’t have as much access to the student-athletes in the summer. So you can look at it like it’s a competitive disadvantage, but for us, we always want to look at it [as], ‘What can we control?’”

    Penn kicks off milestone season in dominant fashion with season-opening win over Bucknell

    Senior defensive back and team captain Josh Narcisse also didn’t think the later start gave Penn a disadvantage.

    “Obviously, they have a few more weeks of film that we can watch on them, so if you want to talk about advantages, that’s one,” he said. “Then, obviously, we’re coming in probably a little bit healthier than they are. [They are] probably a little more banged up after four weeks.”

    Beginning next season, the Ivy League announced that it will start earlier, however. Week 1 will be Sept. 11, 2027, and there will be a bye week in October.

    “I think that’s pretty big for us as a program,” senior tight end Dante Barone said, “but … it doesn’t really change our mentality.”

    The mentality, according to Narcisse and Barone, is “to be great.”

    “To be a great team, you have to play great teams,” Barone said.

    Penn football coach Rick Santos is in his first year with the program.Penn Athletics

    Lehigh (4-0) currently is ranked sixth in the FCS and won back-to-back Patriot League championships in 2024 and 2025. The Mountain Hawks also have a new head coach, Richard Nagy, the team’s former defensive coordinator.

    “They are one of the best teams in the country in all three phases, extremely well-coached,” Santos said.
“I know Coach Nagy very well from battling against him. … So tough-nose[d] team, really well coached. They play hard.”

    Santos also mentioned Lehigh running back Luke Yoder, the 2025 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, who’s already rushed for 569 yards (142.3 per game), good for second in the FCS.

    “[Yoder] never gets tackled by the first guy,” he said, “So we need to wrap up. We need to rally the football. Stopping the run has to be our No. 1 priority this week.”

    Hayden Johnson, Lehigh’s starting quarterback, was injured against William & Mary on Sept. 12 and has not returned to action.

    “It will be interesting to see if their starting quarterback plays or not. I think both of those guys, though, their signal-callers are elite with their legs, and they can really run,” Santos said.

    First-year Penn coach Rick Santos makes major starting quarterback decision before season begins

    “With [Lehigh] running the ball as much as they do, they like to control the clock, so that’s going to be something for us is to sustain drives. … We got to make this a four-quarter game.”

    While Santos was “very, very encouraged” with Teodecki and the offense in last week’s 20-7 win over Bucknell, he also sees things to tighten up this weekend. The Quakers outgained the Bison, 367-124, and Teodecki threw for 197 yards on 18-of-34 passing with two touchdowns and an interception. He also was Penn’s leading rusher with 87 yards and another touchdown.

    “We’ll clean up some things mechanically in the passing game. …
We need to finish better in the red zone, and that starts with myself and our offensive staff in terms of play calling, putting the guys in better situations,” he said.

    For Narcisse and Barone, it will be their last home opener.

    “This is what we look forward to all season,” Narcisse said. “This is why you come out here in the winter when it’s 6 a.m. and nobody sees you working. You’re rolling around the snow. This is why you do that, right? For opportunities like this to shine when the lights are the brightest.”

  • Penn endowment increases 27.4%, or more than $6 billion. It’s the largest dollar jump in the university’s history.

    Penn endowment increases 27.4%, or more than $6 billion. It’s the largest dollar jump in the university’s history.

    The University of Pennsylvania’s endowment jumped 27.4% or $6.3 billion in the year ending June 30, 2026, university officials said Thursday.

    The university’s endowment, which supports financial aid, research, teaching, patient care, and other projects, increased from $24.8 billion in 2025 to $31.1 billion, said Mark Dingfield, Penn’s executive vice president.

    “The major story here was our exceptional endowment performance,” Dingfield told members of the university budget and finance committee Thursday, “… which leads to significant growth in our total net assets.”

    Penn says its finances are stronger than anticipated. More budget cuts are still coming.

    It’s the largest one-year dollar jump in the university’s history and compares to 12.2% or $2.5 billion in 2025. The largest percentage increase in the endowment was 50% in 1983, followed by 41.1% or $5.6 billion in 2021, a university spokesperson said.

    Dingfield noted that much of the endowment is restricted for specific uses, and that some of the gains will be absorbed by an increase in the federal excise tax on Penn’s endowment earnings. The tax rate increased on July 1 from 1% to 4%.

    Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr no longer have to pay tax on their endowments thanks to Trump’s budget bill. Penn will pay more.

    “So even though the endowment performance is exceptional and we’re celebrating, some of that will need to be going to paying off that tax liability under the new tax policy,” he said.

    The endowment’s performance capped an overall strong fiscal year for the university, Dingfield said. That follows an earlier period of fiscal uncertainty. The university in January made another round of budget cuts in response to President Donald Trump’s administration’s actions that threatened future federal funding and revenues, and because of rising legal and insurance expenses.

    Penn’s endowment grows 12.2% to $24.8 billion

    Penn’s schools and centers were directed to cut 4% from certain expenses and keep in place financial cutbacks instituted the prior year, including a staff hiring freeze and freezes on midyear adjustments in staff salaries.

    But the financial report on Thursday was bright.

    “The bottom line here is that we ended the year with really strong, both balance sheet and operating performance, which does give us some flexibility heading into FY27,” Dingfield said at the meeting.

    Yet, he said, “we are very much still focused on managing the risks that exist in our current environment.”

  • Senate rejects resolution to halt the Iran war as gas prices upend midterms

    Senate rejects resolution to halt the Iran war as gas prices upend midterms

    WASHINGTON — Despite rising political anxiety over the Iran war, senators on Thursday narrowly rejected a war powers resolution seeking to halt President Donald Trump‘s military action, which has been largely blamed for the spike in gas prices and become a flashpoint in the midterm election.

    The Senate tally, 49-50, coming days after Trump’s bombastic address to the United Nations in which he threatened to “annihilate” Iran, was likely the last chance for lawmakers to go on record about the war ahead of November. More Republicans are peeling away from the president as the war drags on and as they campaign for control of Congress. The Senate outcome fell short, with four GOP senators joining most Democrats in favor of the resolution.

    “They have been carrying water for this ridiculous and illegal war for months and months and months and not listening to their constituents,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D, Va.), who pushed the war powers resolution forward.

    About half of rural American voters believe the economy is worse off now than when Trump returned to office, according to a new survey from The Associated Press in partnership with KFF. The costs of groceries, gas, and healthcare rank as top pain points for the rural voters.

    “We’ve got to break the cycle,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R, N.C.), who joined in voting yes.

    Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul of Kentucky also voted for the resolution to end the war, as they have in many previous tallies. Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) voted against.

    This was the 14th time the Senate has considered a war powers resolution, since Trump launched the conflict on Feb. 28.

    War powers resolutions are largely political statements, without the full force of law, but stand among the sharper tools the House and Senate have to express disapproval of the White House, short of halting funds for Trump’s military actions. As resolutions, they do not go to the president’s desk for his signature.

    As gas prices climb, Republicans start to question the war

    Republicans in control of Congress have shied away from directly confronting Trump over the war, now stretching past the seven-month mark. But their unrest is surfacing as stubbornly high gas prices leave voters in a cash crunch back home.

    Diesel costs, in particular, have almost doubled, topping $6 a gallon, according to AAA.

    Just returning from a swing through Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska stumping for GOP candidates who are suddenly at risk in their elections, Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana called on Trump to hold a prime-time address to the nation to explain the Iran war strategy and the end game.

    “People are confused about the war and upset about the cost of living,” he said.

    But he and others were not yet ready to vote against the war.

    “My own view is that the focus right now needs to be on attacking the cost-of-living issues,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R, Mo.) who opposes the war powers resolution and believes the president is acting within his authority to conduct the military action.

    House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries scoffed at the handful of Republicans now trying to distance themselves from what he called Trump’s failed economy. “Now all of a sudden they’re waking up,” he said.

    Democrats keep pushing war powers votes in Congress

    Earlier this month, the House for a third time approved a war powers resolution, this time with seven Republicans joining the Democrats, including two from battleground Iowa, Rep. Zach Nunn and Rep. Mariannette Miller Meeks, where affordability issues among rural voters are dominating the campaigns.

    Senators, though, have rarely been able to confront Trump by passing a war powers resolution.

    In June, the Senate approved a war powers resolution after four GOP senators joined Democrats, but Republicans abruptly reversed course the next day after Trump berated them during a private lunch over the outcome.

    At the time, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, stood up to defend his vote only to end up in a shouting match with Trump. He later switched to oppose the war powers resolution after receiving a personal briefing from the White House.

    Thursday’s vote was on a resolution that had passed the House in July with GOP support. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who authored the House resolution, said the Senate outcome was “a slap in the face to the millions of American people who want this war to end.”

    Other options to halt the Iran war

    As the war drags on, costing $43.5 billion so far, Congress is also seeking other ways to force Trump to rethink his military strategy in Iran.

    Rep. Thomas Massie, the renegade Republican from Kentucky, pushed forward articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth before the GOP leadership abruptly adjourned the House and sent lawmakers home to campaign for the election, avoiding any potential vote on the matter.

    Lawmakers also have the power of the purse to curtail military spending, something Republicans have been reluctant to do but Democrats are sure to tackle if they win power in the midterm election. The White House’s request for an additional $87.6 billion funding package for the war and other needs has idled in Congress.

    First created in the aftermath of the Vietnam War as a way to hold a president accountable for military actions, the war powers act has long posed a test of the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of government.

    While the Constitution says only Congress can declare war, the president as commander-in-chief is also able to engage the military. The war powers act seeks to provide clarity by requiring the president, within 60 days of any such action, to seek approval — or risk disapproval — from Congress.

  • Despite the absence of key players, Union boss Ryan Richter remains ‘confident’ results will come against Orlando City

    Despite the absence of key players, Union boss Ryan Richter remains ‘confident’ results will come against Orlando City

    Ryan Richter said a variation of the word “confident” or “confidence” six times over the course of his weekly press conference on Thursday.

    The Union boss was referring to several different questions posed, but mainly to his ability to earn a result against a visiting Orlando City team without multiple Union players who have fueled an 11-game unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer since the break for the FIFA World Cup.

    The Union are changing the narrative around the fate of their season in real time

    Orlando enters Subaru Park on Saturday (7 p.m., Apple TV) looking to get back on track after having its five-game MLS unbeaten streak come to an end last weekend against New England. There’s also no guarantee that French star Antoine Griezmann will play this weekend as he picked up an injury during a midweek game against Columbus in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals.

    Griezmann has been a firecracker since arriving in Orlando during the summer transfer window with eight goals and three assists in just 10 games in all competitions. Whether or not Griezmann makes a return to Philly, Richter knows they are a club not to be taken lightly, but feels confident in who remains in the locker room and is ready for availability.

    ‘Brothers’ Cavan Sullivan, Frankie Westfield, and Neil Pierre getting called up to the USMNT together is ‘another level’

    The Union will be without five players due to international duty, which includes starting goalkeeper Andre Blake (Jamaica), defenders Frankie Westfield and Neil Pierre (U.S. men’s national team) and midfielders Danley Jean Jacques (Haiti) and teen phenom Cavan Sullivan, who, like Pierre and Westfield, are taking part in their first senior-level camp for the USMNT.

    “When I look at the team that we’re going to put out on Saturday, we still have a ton of quality,” Richter said. “Of course we’re missing players, and some guys [who] haven’t gotten much minutes lately. But when I look at the group, you’re talking about putting in national team-level players; you’re talking about putting in players that have a pretty good track record in this league and other leagues. So … I step in with full confidence and the message is the same; we attack this game, trying to win.”

    With two pieces of the backline gone, two things remain to be seen: whether defender Nathan Harriel will shift into center of defense with the absence of Pierre, or remain an outside back. Also, it’s expected that with Pierre out, the team will see the return of Japhet Sery Larsen in the middle, but who pairs alongside Larsen is very much a wait-and-see.

    Union defender Nathan Harriel is a strong presence at both center or as an outside back for the club. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    “We want to give the team consistency, that’s clear,” said Richter. “And one thing that we’re all confident in is that Nathan can do a great job at center back like he’s proven over the last couple of months. But as he’s proven over the last five years, he’s a great right back as well. So we’re totally confident in the group that we’re putting out there. And Nathan is going to be a key piece no matter what position he lines up in.”

    For all the hype, Cavan Sullivan has genuinely earned his moment on the USMNT’s biggest stage

    Offensively, much of the club’s firepower will be available this weekend, most notably forward Milan Iloski, who leads the team with 12 goals. The international window game also opens up an opportunity to see more of midfielder Quinn Sullivan, who has been electric off the bench following a long rehab from an ACL injury.

    Sullivan has started just one match in league play this season, but has contributed a goal and six assists in 11 matches, none more thrilling than his rabona pass for the game-tying goal in last week’s thriller on the road against Sporting Kansas City.

    Another player who the Union could certainly benefit from running back a breakthrough performance is forward Bruno Damiani. Damiani, who has eight goals on the year, five of which came in the last three matches including a hat trick in the club’s 5-0 rout of FC Cincinnati on Sept. 9, is someone who Richter felt was peaking at the right time.

    Now, it’s all about consistency.

    “He makes it a tough game for the center backs, and he gives us an outlet,” said Richter. “Any time we play direct, he’s the target. The main job of the striker is to score goals. And now he’s been doing all the other work. … But he can’t drop that. There will be a run where he doesn’t score again. That’s every player. That’s every striker, but as long as he keeps all the other good work that he’s doing [and] he continues to help the team in a really positive way … it’s incredibly important for the team.”

    Should they emerge with the result, the team will set a record for the longest unbeaten streak in club history at 12 straight. And while it appears that’s the last thing on Richter’s mind, it’s the reality the Union now inherits.

    Not a bad place to be, all things considered.

    MLS levies fines on Union, Sporting K.C.

    On Wednesday, MLS’s Disciplinary Committee issued fines to Damiani, Jean Jacques, Kai Wagner and athletic trainer Paul Rushing for their involvement in a scuffle as the two teams headed into the locker rooms at halftime of last Saturday’s 4-3 win over Sporting Kansas City. It marked the first time the Union had violated the league’s mass confrontation policy, which is surprising for those who remember the fracas that took place during the Union’s home match against Inter Miami on Aug. 19.

    Follow the Union’s complete coverage of Union soccer right here!
  • Amid rising political violence, N.J. passes bill that would allow campaigns to use funds for security

    Amid rising political violence, N.J. passes bill that would allow campaigns to use funds for security

    New Jersey is poised to allow political candidates to spend campaign donations on security guards and equipment, amid a rising toll of national violent threats and deadly attacks against politicians and their families.

    The 80-member state Assembly on Thursday gave final approval to a bill that would enable politicians to buy alarm and motion-detection systems and hire guards “provided that the security measures address ongoing dangers or threats that would not otherwise exist were it not for the individual’s status or duties as a candidate or officeholder.”

    The bill passed 53-13 with eight abstentions.

    Majority Democrats did not speak during the debate. Some Republicans questioned why candidates’ safety should in any way depend on the size of their campaign fund. They recommended that concerned candidates apply for a firearm and protect themselves.

    Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia (R., Sussex) said she encountered “some real live wires out there” and has beefed up security in her own home. She has enlisted help from the state police and the attorney general’s office as well. But the bill still gave her pause.

    “I don’t believe anyone has ever donated to me … thinking, ‘I hope it keeps her alive,’” Fantasia said.

    Typically, candidates cannot not use political donations to cover personal expenses. But since the execution of New Jersey U.S. District Judge Esther Salas’ son in their Middlesex County home in 2020 by a self-described men’s rights lawyer, appointed and elected public officials nationwide have taken steps to protect their privacy.

    Those fears only multiplied after President Donald Trump was wounded during a shooting at a Pennsylvania campaign rally in 2024, last year’s arson attack at the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion while Gov. Josh Shapiro slept inside, and the 2025 assassination of Democratic Minnesota State Rep. and former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.

    This image provided by Commonwealth Media Services shows damage after a fire at the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion while Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside on Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (Commonwealth Media Services via AP)A

    New Jersey would be the 17th state to allow political contributions to be spent on security, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

    Rowan University political science professor Ben Dworkin called the need for such a bill “an unfortunate development in the hyper-partisan world we live in.”

    “For any number of years, protecting the candidate meant staff walking in a circle around them, creating a bubble, and moving through the crowd,” said Dworkin, the director of the Rowan Institute for Public Policy and Leadership. “It’s sad if we have gotten to the point the majority of the legislature needs professionals.”

    It is now up to Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill to decide whether to sign the legislation into law. The 40-member Senate passed the measure in June.

    The next major statewide election is next year, when all 120 seats in the legislature are on the ballot.

    The protections could extend to candidates’ immediate family members with whom they live. Security personnel could not be relatives, nor could candidates hire security companies owned by family, according to the bill.

    Security devices may be sold after the campaign, according to the bill.

    The state Election Law Enforcement Commission would implement the measure if Sherrill signs it.

  • Philly sports summer? It’s Philly sports fall with a deluge of big events for each of the city’s pro teams

    Philly sports summer? It’s Philly sports fall with a deluge of big events for each of the city’s pro teams

    Whatever plans you have this weekend, cancel them. There are more important things going on.

    Starting this weekend, all five major pro sports in Philly will have major things going on that carry into the week ahead.

    From sitting on the brink of another Red October to welcoming Philly’s newest superstar, here is what all five Philly teams have on the horizon:

    Phillies

    There is no phrase more indicative of the Phillies’ season than “the ebbs and flows of baseball.” This season, which started with a 9-19 record for the club’s worst 28-game start with Rob Thomson at the helm, has evolved into an 87-71 season under interim manager Don Mattingly.

    Just like when Thomson took over for Girardi in 2022 and led the Phillies to the postseason for the first time in 11 years, Mattingly is on the cusp of leading the Phillies to the postseason after taking over for Thomson, who was fired on April 28.

    With a magic number of two going into Thursday’s games, the most direct path to a postseason berth is a Phillies win and Diamondbacks or Padres loss. Sitting in the third and final NL wild card spot at the beginning of the day Thursday, the Phillies can lock in their fifth consecutive postseason.

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    Eagles

    After starting the season 2-0 with two- and four-point wins over the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans, respectively, the Eagles are gearing up for Monday Night Football in Week 3.

    As the Birds head to Chicago to take on the Bears (8:15 p.m., 6abc, ESPN), many questions surround the game, including the status of Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury.

    Eagles fans calling to ‘save Philadelphia tailgating’ after new guidelines proposed for sports complex

    While Williams is week to week for the Bears (1-1), Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is expected to be out for multiple weeks with an MCL injury. Enter Zach Ertz, who played eight-plus seasons with the Eagles and was signed to the practice squad on Monday.

    Murphy: With tight ends hurt and blockers struggling, the Eagles need Zach Ertz to be more than a good story

    Ertz, 35, was a free agent recovering from a torn ACL, LCL, and hamstring suffered in December 2025. Now back in green, Ertz is just 11 catches from breaking Harold Carmichael’s franchise career catch record.

    76ers

    No king is official without a coronation, and LeBron James is getting his Monday when he’s expected to speak for the first time as a 76er.

    After a long-awaited decision, “King James” signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Sixers on July 24, but he hasn’t had any public appearances with the team yet. However, the team will have its media day Monday, marking James’ anticipated first appearance and first time speaking as a part of the Sixers organization.

    The media day also will be the first in Philly for Jaylen Brown, who held his introductory news conference with the Sixers on Aug. 6.

    Jaylen Brown on Philly fans: 'The fan base here is incredible'
    Video: Jaylen Brown on Philly fans: ‘The fan base here is incredible’

    Flyers

    Last season, what many expected to be another year of rebuilding for the Flyers ended in the second round of the playoffs after being swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.

    Now, the hype around the Orange and Black has been established and is carrying into the team’s season opener Wednesday at Xfinity Mobile Arena when they take on the cross-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins after eliminating them in first round of last season’s playoffs, four games to two.

    Eyes are on goalie Dan Vladař, who played a big role in the Flyers’ success last season but left Tuesday’s preseason 5-1 loss to the Bruins with an upper-body injury. Porter Martone, the 19-year-old right winger who played nine regular-season games and all 10 playoff games, also brings his own level of fanfare to the team.

    Flyers goalie Joseph Woll says Dan Vladař’s injury doesn’t ‘change my process’ or ‘mindset’

    Union

    This summer was big for soccer in Philadelphia as it hosted six World Cup games. But even after the tourists retreated and Philadelphia Stadium became Lincoln Financial Field again, soccer has remained relevant in the city.

    The Union have gone 9-0-2 in Major League Soccer since the World Cup break after firing manager Bradley Carnell on May 27.

    Currently sixth in the Eastern Conference with 36 points and sitting in a playoff spot, Cavan Sullivan, the 16-year-old homegrown star, has brought even more attention to the team after being called up to the U.S. men’s national team alongside teammates Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield.

    Sullivan, Pierre, and Westfield could make their USMNT debuts Saturday vs. Peru in Orlando (4:30 p.m., TNT). Meanwhile, the Union will look to improve to an unbeaten streak of 12 when they host Orlando City at Subaru Park on Saturday.

    Union star Cavan Sullivan (front) is in his first camp with the senior U.S. men’s national team.Jonathan Tannenwald
  • Trump hails deep friendship with Xi as China’s leader urges ‘healthy’ competition between 2 powers

    Trump hails deep friendship with Xi as China’s leader urges ‘healthy’ competition between 2 powers

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday hailed the “truly great friendship” he has forged with Xi Jinping as the Chinese leader began his highly anticipated state visit by pressing for the world’s two biggest economies to work more closely together to avoid friction as they compete.

    While Trump has many thorny issues to discuss with the president of America’s biggest economic rival, he focused on his long relationship with Xi as the two gathered with aides for opening remarks before formal talks.

    “From the time of my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship, actually, built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people,” Trump said.

    China has resisted the Trump administration’s urgings — and economic threats — to use its considerable leverage to prod Iran to agree to U.S. terms to end the nearly seven-month war. Xi wants to see Trump permanently halt arms sales to Taiwan and loosen export restrictions on cutting-edge advanced chips. The two sides on Wednesday agreed to extend by two months a one-year trade truce that was set to expire Nov. 10 as they work to find a more durable agreement.

    Xi presses Trump on Taiwan

    In their private conversation, Xi also urged Trump to “prudently handle the Taiwan issue,” according to the Chinese state media outlet Xinhua.

    China has made clear it views Taiwan as the most sensitive issue in the U.S.-China relationship. Beijing considers Taiwan to be Chinese territory and vows to annex the island by force if necessary. The United States is obligated by law to provide Taiwan with sufficient hardware to deter any armed attack from the mainland. The U.S. has said it opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side.

    China has repeatedly pressed Washington to permanently halt the arms sales, including when Trump and Xi met in Beijing in May.

    After that meeting, Trump said he was holding off on final approval for a record $14 billion arms package that was in the pipeline. He also described arms sales to Taiwan as a “very good negotiating chip” with China.

    Chinese president once more invokes the ‘Thucydides trap”

    Xi was also more pointed than Trump in his public remarks, saying Chinese and American interests are “deeply intertwined” and that the “competition should be a healthy one and should be kept within bounds.”

    He also reiterated his warning that the U.S. and China must avoid the ” Thucydides trap,” referring to the idea that when a rising power threatens to displace an established one, the result is often war. Xi offered a similar warning when Trump visited Beijing in May.

    “It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses,” Xi added.

    Xi also announced that China will invite 100,000 American youth to come to his country for studies and exchanges in the next five years and that China will send two pandas to the zoo in Atlanta. He called the beloved animals an “envoy of friendship” and that they will meet the American people in a “few days.”

    Xi says China and U.S. should make sure AI is ‘always under human control’

    Trump said in a social media post earlier Thursday that artificial intelligence — “superintelligence” as he is trying to rebrand it — will be high on the agenda amid growing global anxiety that the technology will kill jobs or potentially even wipe out humanity.

    “I want to leave it exactly where it is,” Trump wrote. “That is China’s position also.”

    Xi also touched on AI in his opening comments, saying that the two countries had a responsibility to ensure that humans always operate AI.

    “We have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good and ensure that a development of AI is always under human control and serves the well being of the people,” the Chinese leader said.

    The two countries’ finance ministers met earlier this week, with the U.S. proposing a new “notification mechanism” for AI incidents between the two nations.

    Trump rolls out the red carpet for Xi and faces criticism from some White House allies

    Trump has made clear he wants to impress Xi with the visit. The Republican president made sure construction of a new helicopter landing pad on the White House’s South Lawn was completed before the visit and he met Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, on Wednesday evening when they flew into Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.

    The White House also arranged for an elaborate military review that the leaders and their spouses observed before the Oval Office talks. Following the military review, first lady Melania Trump accompanied Peng for a visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art.

    After about 90 minutes of talks, the leaders stepped out to the South Lawn so Trump could show off the new White House helipad and give Xi a tour of Marine One, the presidential helicopter. Trump and Xi also appeared to peer at the ballroom construction site from afar. Xi left the White House shortly after the quick tour and is to return in the evening for the state dinner.

    “We had a great meeting,” Trump said in a brief exchange with reporters after the tour.

    Later, the leaders will dine on sea bass at a black-tie dinner in the White House East Room, featuring red décor and a toast honoring the late President Richard Nixon, whose 1972 trip to China led to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979 and the parallel severing of formal ties with Taiwan.

    Trump’s decision to roll out the red carpet for Xi has spurred criticism from lawmakers in both parties and some White House allies.

    “Quite frankly, had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

    Xi urges U.S. and Iran to return to interim agreement

    The two sides also discussed the ongoing conflict in Iran, according to Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television.

    Trump has argued to little effect that China, which is far more dependent on Gulf oil than the U.S., has plenty of incentive to use its sway with Tehran to help force an end to the conflict.

    But Trump’s war of choice has unnerved Beijing, with the government condemning the U.S. and Israeli military action and Xi previously expressing concerns the conflict signaled a return to what he called the “law of the jungle.” The U.S. administration has warned China, Tehran’s biggest trading partner, not to aid Iran’s military effort.

    Xi, during Thursday’s talks, said China supports the U.S. and Iran returning to a short-lived interim deal from the summer in an effort to wind down the war, according to CCTV. That agreement broke down soon after it was signed in June as the countries traded renewed fire over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for energy shipments.

  • Koby Howard to miss ‘extended’ time as Penn State faces first true test against Wisconsin

    Koby Howard to miss ‘extended’ time as Penn State faces first true test against Wisconsin

    After Penn State’s rout of Buffalo, head coach Matt Campbell was asked how he views his team ahead of its first Big Ten matchup of the season against Wisconsin.

    “Not where we need to be,” Campbell said.

    Although the Nittany Lions are No. 13 in the AP Poll and unbeaten after three lopsided nonconference wins, it remains unclear what they’re truly capable of at this stage of the season. But conference play will answer that question. They might have to do that without star wide receiver Koby Howard, who is out with an undisclosed injury.

    Campbell said he split the season up for his team into four quarters. The first was from fall camp through the first three games of the year. The second starts Saturday against the Badgers (5 p.m., Peacock), and Penn State faces a tougher challenge with Howard sidelined.

    Penn State starts hot, runs away with a 55-13 win over Buffalo

    “It’s what you want to be a part of, is these special opportunities, starting this week, to play great teams, great coaches, great opponents, and what’s it going to take?” Campbell said Tuesday. “It’s going to take everything you learned from the first quarter of the season, and that starts with a great practice on Tuesday, and it continues to have a great practice on Wednesday if you want to be your best in the moments on Saturday.”

    Howard out for ‘extended period’

    Penn State will be without its top offensive playmaker on Saturday. Campbell said that Howard will be out “for an extended period of time.”

    “Obviously, disappointing for Koby, but he’s handled it really well,” Campbell said. “I think the best interest of him going forward, making sure we do right by him and certainly our football team.”

    Howard currently leads the Nittany Lions with 344 receiving yards and has three total touchdowns this season. He’s targeting to return for Penn State’s matchup at Michigan on Oct. 17.

    Penn State wide receiver Koby Howard has scored three total touchdowns so far this season.Barry Reeger

    Penn State is in a better position to handle an injury, as it has plenty of other weapons it can look to in Howard’s absence, including Iowa State transfer wide receivers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen.

    Eskildsen has been “dinged up” the last two weeks, Campbell said Tuesday, but he confirmed he’s back at full health ahead of Wisconsin. The junior’s speed is unmatched across the roster, which should provide a huge boost to the offense moving forward.

    “Every opportunity he’s got, he’s made some dynamic things happen,” Campbell said.

    Pass rush vs. offensive line

    Through three nonconference games, Penn State has five sacks, but only two of those came from its edge rushers.

    It’ll be important for Penn State’s defensive line to succeed in rushing the passer this weekend at a higher clip, considering Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph’s dual-threat capabilities.

    “I think growth will have to continue to happen,” Campbell said Tuesday. “You’re playing a dynamic playmaker and a guy that can make you pay with his feet really fast, and so I just think us continuing to grow forward. I don’t know if it’ll ever be just one [guy making an impact], and I think that’s a positive thing.”

    Taylor Mouser wants more from Penn State’s run game: ‘There’s a lot of growth to be had’

    But the Nittany Lions’ are facing their toughest test yet in the trenches, as Wisconsin’s offensive line features bigger and experienced players compared to what Penn State has seen this year.

    That includes Pope John Paul II graduate Kevin Heywood, a right tackle who missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL but has impressed so far in his return.

    Familiarity for Abu Sama III

    Campbell will see a few familiar faces on the opposite sideline at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, including running back Abu Sama III.

    The senior spent the last three years at Iowa State, where he rushed for 732 yards and five touchdowns. Sama opted to not follow Campbell to Penn State and became the Badgers’ starting running back instead.

    “Abu’s a good player,” Rocco Becht said Tuesday. “He’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen. But he does like to get to the outside. He gets east and west, and he tries to bounce it outside and get north quick, and so he’s a strong back. Going to be harder for us on the defensive side to bring him down.”

    Former Iowa State running back Abu Sama III (photographed on Sept. 13, 2025) is Wisconsin’s starter in the back field.Michael Woods

    Becht said the defensive players who came over from the Cyclones have been relaying what they know about Sama to the defensive staff. It remains unclear, though, if Sama will actually suit up against his former coach, as he currently has the “questionable” tag on the Big Ten availability report.

    “I’m excited to get on the field with him on Saturday,” former Iowa State linebacker Kooper Ebel said. “I’m sure we’ll see a lot of each other.”

  • Penn Medicine and IBX form new company to open Philly-area ambulatory surgery centers

    Penn Medicine and IBX form new company to open Philly-area ambulatory surgery centers

    The University of Pennsylvania Health System and Independence Blue Cross, the Philadelphia area’s largest insurer, have formed a new company with plans to open at least 18 regional surgery centers.

    The for-profit company announced Thursday is part of an effort by Penn and IBX to bring lower-cost procedures closer to patients, while maintaining quality and safety, officials said.

    For Penn, the venture represents a financial leap, because it means the nonprofit health system will intentionally accept significantly lower payments for part of its business.

    “We need to work on affordability in healthcare. It’s too expensive. It’s bankrupting families,” Penn health system CEO Kevin Mahoney said.

    Medicare and private insurers like IBX who pay the healthcare bills “want to move to less costly settings,” he said, and Penn needs to be ready to capture that business.

    IBX’s CEO Kelly Munson emphasized the importance of partnerships to tackle rising healthcare costs. She noted that shifting care to ambulatory surgery centers from hospital departments can generate as much as a 50% discount.

    “The healthcare affordability crisis won’t be solved alone,” Munson said.

    A third investor in the company is Regent Surgical, a Tennessee firm with private equity investors that will manage the local centers. Its tasks include forcing efficiency. Regent already manages 40 sites in 15 states. Penn clinicians will provide services.

    Regent’s CEO, Travis Messina, called the new company the first of its kind nationally. “I’ve yet to see one that has involved both a payer, a provider, as well as a management company,” he said.

    Key details — such as the for-profit company’s name, the ownership percentages, and the time frame for opening the anticipated facilities — were not disclosed.

    The first local facility is expected to open next year, but officials did not say where.

    The Penn-IBX initiative doesn’t fit into the typical playbook for ASCs, said Dan Grauman, a healthcare consultant based in the Philadelphia area.

    Usually, physicians are also involved as owners. “They’re part owners of these surgery centers, and they drive the volume,” said Grauman, a managing director at VMG Health, a national healthcare consulting firm.

    Asked if non-Penn doctors could be involved in or be investors in the new centers, Penn and IBX said they are evaluating all options for future growth.

    The case for more ASCs in the Philadelphia region

    Southeastern Pennsylvania already has more than 100 ambulatory surgery centers, many of them specialized in gastroenterology and mainly focused on colonoscopies, state heath department data show.

    Yet the region lags the nation in the shift to lower-cost surgery centers.

    Data provided by Regent show that in 2023 and 2024 only 33% of ASC-eligible procedures in the Philadelphia region had migrated to the ASCs, compared to 56% nationally. Regent uses data from Kythera Labs, a company that analyzes health insurance claims.

    Messina attributed the slower adoption of surgery centers to the concentration of physicians employed by local health systems. “That tends to limit the amount of ASC availability in markets across the country,” he said.

    Historically, Philadelphia-area health systems tended to concentrate services in their hospitals, which have expensive fixed overhead, and in facilities that charge hospital rates. Executives focused on protecting revenue, so they could maintain broad hospital offerings, rather than on offering lower-cost options.

    Healthcare trends now increasingly are pushing care into the community. Mahoney noted that half of Penn’s chemotherapy and infusion services are provided in patients’ homes. Close to two thirds of Penn’s $13.6 billion in revenue is from outpatient care, he said.

    “We’ve been trying to deconstruct away from hospitals for a long time, and this is a natural step on that continuum,” he said.

    Penn previously invested an undisclosed amount of money in the Ambulatory Cardiovascular Center of Pennsylvania near King of Prussia. That facility is a partnership that also includes Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia, Cardiovascular Logistics, and SCA Health.

    To incentivize more surgery centers and reduce costs for employers, IBX introduced a policy this year that it will only pay for certain procedures if they are done in a low-cost ASC. At the same time, IBX does not force patients to change doctors if their provider does not have privileges at an appropriate ASC.

    How Penn could go about opening centers

    Mahoney called the initial target of 18 locations the start.

    “Eighteen is half of what I want to do. These are not mega hospital buildings,” he said. “They’re going to be convenient. They’re going to be spread throughout the five counties, easy for people to get to, close to their homes.”

    The new centers won’t always require new construction, as is typically the case for Penn’s large outpatient centers, such as the one going up in Montgomeryville.

    The new ASC company could also acquire existing ASCs or change the billing practice at a Penn surgery center that currently charges higher hospital rates, Messina said.

    A surgery center on the campus of Penn’s Doylestown Hospital closed last year. Penn could relaunch it under the new company.

    New Jersey could also see new surgery centers from the Penn expansion.