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  • Sixers’ rookie Labaron Philon Jr. already had his welcome to the NBA moment with LeBron: ‘It’s here now’

    Sixers’ rookie Labaron Philon Jr. already had his welcome to the NBA moment with LeBron: ‘It’s here now’

    On the first day of 76ers training camp, Labaron Philon Jr. found himself backpedaling as LeBron James barreled toward him full-speed.

    “That’s when the moment really hit,” Philon said. “I was like, ‘All right, it’s here now.’”

    Consider it an early dose of “Welcome to the NBA” — and to the Sixers’ loaded roster — for the rookie point guard. But so far, Philon’s belief that he has been “able to stand [his] ground” against teammates with far more experience and established star power has been echoed by coach Nick Nurse. In these early practices, Nurse said he has been “super impressed” with Philon’s defensive competitiveness and ability to create offensively with the ball in his hands.

    “He’s really talented,” Nurse said. “But the vision is, like, I think really special.”

    Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti have battled since they were teenagers. Now, they are vying to be the Sixers’ backup center

    Nurse’s early praise for Philon should not be dismissed as a preseason pump-up. Two years ago, Jared McCain was lauded as the Sixers’ best player during training camp, then became an early NBA Rookie of the Year frontrunner before tearing his meniscus. Last year, Nurse had zero hesitation about immediately inserting VJ Edgecombe into the starting lineup following a preseason that confirmed his maturity and versatility.

    And it’s easy to forget that the Sixers’ wild offseason began when Philon slipped to them at No. 22 overall in the NBA draft.

    In a strong class of lead ballhandlers, ESPN commentator and longtime coach Fran Fraschilla said Philon had the potential to be the best of the bunch. After Philon went from defensive stopper as a freshman at Alabama to top offensive option as a sophomore — he averaged 22 points on 39.9% shooting from three-point range, along with 4.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 32 games in 2025-26 — Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey and Nurse said on draft night that they expected the 20-year-old to instantly contend for a rotation role. He then flashed his crafty ballhalding and fearless shot-taking during Las Vegas Summer League.

    “I think he’s going [up] quickly,” Nurse told a small group of reporters in Las Vegas in July. “I think he’s got some confidence to him that I don’t think he’ll be afraid. I think he’ll make the most of the opportunity.”

    The Sixers picked Lebaron Philon Jr. 22nd overall in the NBA draft.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    That Las Vegas stint came amid the Sixers’ stunning roster transformation. They traded for All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown, then signed the legendary James. They also added fellow guard Anfernee Simons along with wings Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as more proven role players.

    Still, Philon’s comments Friday — along with the occasional video clip posted by the Sixers’ social media team — suggested that he has been working in practice with the Sixers’ second unit. He said he has been building chemistry with Ariel Hukporti, who is the backup center while Adem Bona nurses a knee injury.

    The 6-foot-4, 176-pound Philon said his first on-court priority with this group is to be a “ball hawk,” in the right spot to swipe steals as part of Nurse’s aggressive defensive philosophy. On the offensive end, Philon credited Alabama coach Nate Oats’ NBA-style system with helping him arrive in Camden already comfortable enough to use his voice to direct older teammates and play “on the fly.” Though passing has always been one of Philon’s strengths, he emphasized the importance of making the “easiest” decisions.

    “Right now, I don’t really need no ‘showtime’ or kind of flashy plays,” he said. “The position I’m in right now, it’s, like, making the right play every time.”

    Jaylen Brown shares details of his onboarding process — on and off the court — with the Sixers

    As Philon continues his NBA transition, he vowed to “have questions ready every day” for his more experienced teammates. He recently asked Brown about how he remains focused to hit tough fadeaway jumpers through the defender’s contest. He wants to learn all of James’ secrets for career longevity. He has gotten tidbits from Edgecombe his rookie experience and on shaping his prepractice routine. And he has engaged in one-on-one conversations with All-NBA point guard Tyrese Maxey about proper reads to make when the first option is not available.

    “That takes a lot from everybody,” Philon said. “So I feel like I’ve been appreciating that, just being happy that those guys are here to help.”

    There are bound to be more moments when Philon is caught backpedaling — figuratively and literally — during his rookie season on a Sixers team facing high pressure and expectations. But he already exudes the belief that he will continue standing his ground.

    It’s a confidence Nurse and teammates share.

    “Labaron’s good,” Simons matter-of-factly said at media day. “He’s good, for sure. … There are going to be times when, for sure, we’re going to need him.”

  • Pa. revokes license of Resources for Human Development after death of medically neglected Philadelphia resident

    Pa. revokes license of Resources for Human Development after death of medically neglected Philadelphia resident

    Pennsylvania regulators revoked Resources for Human Development’s license to operate homes for people with intellectual disabilities in Southeastern Pennsylvania after medical neglect led to the February death of a Philadelphia resident, state officials confirmed Friday.

    RHD, a Philadelphia-based human services provider with 91 homes in the region, has the right to appeal the revocation and to continuing operating during that process. The state, which will conduct more unannounced inspections during the appeal, said RHD serves 136 residents in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

    The Sept. 22 revocation comes about two years after RHD was taken over by fast-growing Reading nonprofit Inperium Inc.

    RHD it was on the verge of bankruptcy at the time. Inperium also owns Supportive Concepts for Families, a Reading nonprofit with services similar to RHD’s that has been operating under a revoked license since April 2025.

    Officials at Inperium and RHD did not respond Friday to emails or voicemails requesting comment.

    Inperium Inc. has had long-running regulatory woes.

    Investigators of the February death at an RHD house found “serious neglect and systemic failure by RHD to ensure health safety, timely medical intervention, and adherence to [individual support plan] requirements,” according to documents provided by the state Department of Human Services .

    The redacted documents did not reveal details on what had happened to the individual, who was found dead on the morning of Feb. 23.

    An assistant regional director had alerted RHD’s CEO and other top leaders in January to the individual’s need for therapeutic and behavioral support, but RHD did not seek a medical evaluation, the documents say.

    RHD provides services in 12 states, employs 2,800 people, and had $280 million in revenue in the year that ended June 30, 2025, according to a recent bond offering statement. Fiscal 2026 financial results are not yet public.

    Following the Philadelphia death, RHD management failed to submit an acceptable plan to correct regulatory violations, leading regulators to issue their own on Sept. 2. It’s not clear what happened in the period leading up to the revocation on Sept. 22.

    Last year, state regulators revoked Supportive Concepts’ license following at least four deaths, 11 abuse incidents, and dozens of cases of neglect at Supportive Concepts’ homes in the year ended February 2025.

    That revocation impacted operations in 15 northeastern Pennsylvania counties, including Berks. Under the terms of the revocation, the organization cannot open any new homes or accept new clients in existing properties.

    Seventeen Supportive concepts facilities in western Pennsylvania have been operating under provisional license since February. The provisional status requires them to implement a correction plan. As of August 26, the homes were still operating under a provisional license.

  • Christa Pike was unconscious and on ventilator after execution attempt

    Christa Pike was unconscious and on ventilator after execution attempt

    NASHVILLE — Christa Pike was unconscious, intubated, and on a ventilator in a Nashville hospital as of Thursday evening, a day after surviving a botched execution attempt, her lawyers said in a court filing.

    Ms. Pike, 50, was critically ill, they wrote in the Friday filing in Davidson County Chancery Court, and both of her arms were swollen, burned and blistered when she arrived at the hospital.

    Her condition, some legal experts said, raises questions about whether the state could try to execute her again if she is not fully cognizant or capable of understanding what is happening. Pike, convicted of the 1995 murder of a classmate, is believed to be the first person to have survived after receiving drugs during a lethal injection attempt in the modern era of capital punishment.

    The disclosure is the most detailed update on Pike’s health since she survived two rounds of pentobarbital, the drug used as part of Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol, on Wednesday evening.

    “Hospital staff are working to save Ms. Pike’s life and to clear the pentobarbital from her system,” the lawyers wrote. In a separate statement, they said she was also receiving treatment for “significant injuries to both arms.”

    In a statement, Luke Ihnen, who represents Pike through the Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee, said that “we are working closely with those closest to Christa to respect her wishes, safeguard her privacy and protect her rights as a patient during this extraordinarily difficult time.”

    The disclosure about Pike’s condition was part of an emergency filing in which her lawyers asked a Nashville judge to order the preservation of state prison records related to her attempted execution. The records were, they wrote, evidence of “incompetent and reckless actions.”

    The Tennessee Department of Correction declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. A spokeswoman for the Tennessee Attorney General, Jonathan Skrmetti, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, paused all executions through the end of the year and ordered an investigation into what went wrong Wednesday. But Lee is in the final months of his term.

    The front-runner to replace him, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, said in a statement she would try to execute Pike again.

    “This process has only extended the pain for the family of Colleen Slemmer,” she said. “Their family and the families of other victims deserve swift justice.”

    Pike’s lawyers have asked Mr. Lee to grant her clemency and allow her to serve the rest of her life in prison, condemning what they have called a cruel and torturous execution attempt.

    Two decades ago, the U.S. Supreme Court barred the execution of people with mental disabilities as a violation of the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The court has also barred the execution of people who lack a “rational understanding” of the reason they are to be put to death.

    “If you don’t understand you’re about to die, and do not understand you’re about to die because the state believes you have committed murder, then you may not be executed,” said Christopher Slobogin, the director of the Criminal Justice Program at Vanderbilt University.

    Pike’s medical condition also presents a difficult scenario for the medical staff working to save her life: If she recovers, Tennessee might try to kill her again.

    “Professionals in healthcare are faced with difficult moral situations all the time — this is a particularly challenging one,” said Jeff Khan, the director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. “I also think that they know that their job is to do the best they can for the patient in front of them and not to think about that.”

    This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

  • The N.J. education department will hold a public forum on school funding Monday

    The N.J. education department will hold a public forum on school funding Monday

    State funding for school budgets, a contentious topic among taxpayers and school boards, will be the focus of a public forum on Monday sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Education at Camden County College in Blackwood.

    Some complain their districts are shortchanged by state funding. Many district leaders fume that unpredictable funding levels make annual budgeting a guessing game.

    In Cherry Hill, the Fair Funding Cherry Hill Facebook page advocates for more funds for the district. On the page, a suggested note for residents to send to Gov. Mikie Sherrill in June said: “You stated that you fully funded education in NJ, but after drastically being underfunded for years and shortchanged almost $350M+, Cherry Hill residents need the relief that these restored funds will bring.”

    The Education Department forum, which runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Civic Hall, Gabriel E. Danch Center, 200 College Dr., will include an overview of school funding with public comments. The comments will be reviewed after all six forums as part of the School Funding Outreach Project, according to the Education Department. Registration for the forum is here.

    “Through a collaborative, stakeholder-driven process, NJDOE will work with families, educators, school leaders, legislators, advocates, and community partners to identify opportunities for improvement,” according to the education department.

    One regional forum was held in Edison in late September. Others, besides the one on Monday, are:

    • Oct. 14: Stockton University, Galloway
    • Oct. 22: Virtual statewide forum
    • Oct. 27: Essex County Donald M. Payne School of Technology, Newark
    • Nov. 12: Virtual statewide forum

    The sessions are each from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Email updates from the state about school funding are available through email by signing up here.

    70and73.com is a hyperlocal news site focused on South Jersey, including the communities of Cherry Hill, Evesham, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Medford, Medford Lakes, and Moorestown.

  • New Jersey’s drought officially is history, and the Atlantic hurricane season is making history

    New Jersey’s drought officially is history, and the Atlantic hurricane season is making history

    Go ahead New Jersey, drink up and wash the cars: After 300 days, the governor’s office has officially lifted the statewide drought warning.

    The decree came Thursday after three months that have featured an assortment of downpours and general rainfalls, with a bonus early-season nor’easter, throughout the Garden State and the Philadelphia region that may have had a lot of folks wondering when too much would be enough.

    The region has another shot at rain Sunday, but the atmosphere may be poised to flip into a radically different, season-changing, rain-repelling pattern.

    In fact, said Richard Bann, a meteorologist with the federal Weather Prediction Center, “If this were January, people would worry about how cold it would be.”

    Any rain Sunday would be the result of a stalled front and “a surge of tropical moisture from the Gulf,” distantly related to the remnants of Hurricane Polo, said Matt Benz, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.

    Polo, of course, originated in the Pacific, which has been on fire with tropical activity — the mirror opposite of the Atlantic.

    The Atlantic Basin, which includes the Gulf and the Caribbean, hasn’t spawned a single hurricane this season, and this has a shot at becoming the first season without a verified hurricane in 132 years.

    One extraordinary feature of the Philly region’s remarkable turn in rain fortunes has been the absolute absence of tropical-storm related rainfall, which often has been an important source of late summer and early fall rainfall around here.

    The weekend outlook for the Philadelphia region

    On the subject of turnabouts, that was the sun that reappeared in the skies over Philly Thursday and Friday after a September in which it seemed as if the region was living under a dropped ceiling. For the month, Philly officially had three clear days.

    The average is about eight during one of the sunnier and drier months of the year.

    One of the gloomier Septembers on record in Philly has come to a merciful end

    As though the sun was making up for lost time, on Friday temperatures in Philly shot into the mid-80s. While that’s not a record for the date — that would be 95 degrees, set in 2019 — the normal high for the date is 73.

    And that’s about what is forecast for Saturday, which should be a fabulous day for hay-riders and corn-maze enthusiasts.

    A storm was expected to form along as stalled front and move near the region and was likely generate showers on a Sunday afternoon that would be several degrees cooler than Saturday.

    And October weather really arrives with the workweek, said Benz.

    Next week is looking sunny and dry with daytime highs that might not get much past 60 degrees Tuesday and Wednesday, and fall into the 40s both mornings. If the foliage experts are right, those sunny days and cool nights should be ideal for the leaf-color.

    A fond farewell to the drought

    At least the trees won’t be moisture-starved.

    It may be hard to remember that on July 1, Philadelphia officially had experienced 16 consecutive months of below-normal precipitation.

    Antecedent dryness was one thing that moved New Jersey to declare a drought “warning,” asking residents to conserve water voluntarily, on Dec. 5.

    On June 1, Philadelphia, its seven neighboring counties, and all of New Jersey were in states of at least “moderate drought,” according to the interagency U.S. Drought Monitor.

    However, in June, the celestial faucets turned on again, and the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly issued a record number of flood warnings.

    The Philly region has been a national hot spot this year — for flood warnings

    Through Wednesday, rain totals in all the counties of New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania were well above normal during the previous 90 days, according to the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center.

  • New Jersey’s drought officially is history, and so is the Atlantic hurricane season

    New Jersey’s drought officially is history, and so is the Atlantic hurricane season

    Go ahead New Jersey, drink up and wash the cars: After 300 days, the governor’s office on Thursday officially lifted the statewide drought warning.

    The decree comes after three months that have featured an assortment of downpours and general rainfalls, with a bonus early-season nor’easter, throughout the Garden State and the Philadelphia region that may have had a lot of folks wondering when too much would be enough.

    The region has another shot at rain during the weekend, but the atmosphere may be poised to flip into a radically different, season-changing, rain-repelling pattern.

    In fact, said Richard Bann, a meteorologist with the federal Weather Prediction Center, “If this were January, people would worry about how cold it would be.”

    Any rain this weekend would be the result of a stalled front and “a surge of tropical moisture from the Gulf,” distantly related to the remnants of Hurricane Polo, said Matt Benz, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.

    Polo, of course, originated in the Pacific, which has been on fire with tropical activity — the mirror opposite of the Atlantic.

    The Atlantic Basin, which includes the Gulf and the Caribbean, hasn’t spawned a single hurricane this season, and this has a shot at becoming the first season without a verified hurricane in 132 years.

    One extraordinary feature of the Philly region’s remarkable turn in rain fortunes has been the absolute absence of tropical-storm related rainfall, which often has been an important source of late summer and early fall rainfall around here.

    The weekend outlook for the Philadelphia region

    On the subject of turnabouts, that was the sun that reappeared in the skies over Philly after a September in which it seemed as if the region was living under a dropped ceiling. For the month, Philly officially had three clear days.

    The average is about eight during one of the sunnier and drier months of the year.

    One of the gloomier Septembers on record in Philly has come to a merciful end

    The sun is due for an encore during a summery Friday, with highs expected in the mid-80s, but as an autumnal front approaches, showers are possible at night.

    Saturday should be a fabulous day for hay-riders and corn-maze enthusiasts, with sun and highs expected to be more October-like, perhaps 15 degrees cooler than Friday’s.

    A storm is expected to form along the front as it stalls and moves toward the region, perhaps transporting some of Polo’s leftovers, and showers again are possible Sunday and Sunday night.

    But October weather really arrives with the workweek, said Benz.

    Next week is looking sunny and dry with daytime highs that might not get much past 60 degrees Tuesday and Wednesday, and fall into the 40s both mornings. If the foliage experts are right, those sunny days and cool nights should be ideal for the leaf-color.

    A fond farewell to the drought

    At least the trees won’t be moisture-starved.

    It may be hard to remember that on July 1, Philadelphia officially had experienced 16 consecutive months of below-normal precipitation.

    Antecedent dryness was one thing that moved New Jersey to declare a drought “warning,” asking residents to conserve water voluntarily, on Dec. 5.

    On June 1, Philadelphia, its seven neighboring counties, and all of New Jersey were in states of at least “moderate drought,” according to the interagency U.S. Drought Monitor.

    However, in June, the celestial faucets turned on again, and the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly issued a record number of flood warnings.

    The Philly region has been a national hot spot this year — for flood warnings

    Through Wednesday, rain totals in all the counties of New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania were well above normal during the previous 90 days, according to the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center.

  • Meldoria Miles, award-winning cosmetologist and retired salon owner, has died at 88

    Meldoria Miles, award-winning cosmetologist and retired salon owner, has died at 88

    Meldoria Miles, 88, of Philadelphia, award-winning cosmetologist, longtime beauty school instructor, retired salon owner, mentor, and big sister extraordinaire, died Wednesday, Aug. 26, of heart and lung disease at Jefferson Abington Hospital.

    The oldest of 11 children, Ms. Miles grew up in a two-room farm house in rural Mercer County, Kentucky. Naturally affable and supportive, she not only helped her mother with the household chores, she mentored her younger siblings, giving good advice, styling their hair, and generally making life more pleasant.

    “She always helped people,” her sister, Maureen Meaux, said. “She listened to people. She was beautiful inside and out.”

    After high school, Ms. Miles moved to Louisville, went to beauty school, and styled hair for clients at a salon and privately in her home. She left for Philadelphia in 1971 to work for Luster Products Inc. and became so proficient at developing, testing, selling, and demonstrating personal care products that Luster sent her to workshops, demonstrations, competitions, trade shows, and conventions across the country and around the world.

    Ms. Miles was at home in her shop, El Salon, (above) and at personal care product events (center below).Courtesy of the family

    She was especially skilled at matching colors with style, and anticipating ever-changing cosmetic trends. In 1971, she was named dean of technicians at Luster. She helped develop its groundbreaking hair relaxing formula in the 1980s and was named educational director in 1991.

    For decades, Ms. Miles, often with her sister Maureen along as her model, traveled to cosmetology events in Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, Africa, and elsewhere. She was dynamic in front of crowds, her family said, and won competitions for her use of cosmetics and wigs, and awards for her innovation.

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    In 1996, she was named Philadelphia’s hair dresser of the year by the Affirm hair care line.

    Ms. Miles opened her own five-seat shop, El Salon, in 1973 on East Washington Lane in West Oak Lane and managed it for 37 years. Before Philadelphia, she worked in sales and product development for two companies in Louisville.

    Above, Ms. Miles (front right) attended several beauty schools. Below, she (right) won several competitions for personal care skills.Courtesy of the family

    In 1974, Ms. Miles earned her teaching certification at the old Wilfred Academy of Hair and Beauty in Philadelphia. She went on to teach chemical hair relaxing, manicuring, and other personal care skills for decades at Wilfred, Devine, Pearson VUE, and Gordon Phillips beauty schools in Philadelphia, the National Beauty Culture League in Washington D.C., Clairol in New York, and Pivot Point Academy in Chicago.

    In addition to Wilfred, she studied at the National Beauty Culture League, Pivot Point, and Vidal Sassoon in Paris. In 1980, she took business management classes at the University of Colorado.

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    She was good at everything, her sister said, but “she dedicated herself to hair.”

    Meldoria Louise Meaux was born Sept. 12, 1937. She moved to Louisville after high school and spent a year at the old Tucker’s Beauty & Barber School.

    Above, Ms. Miles sits with her children. Below, she (right) stands with Muhammad Ali (second from left) and others. Courtesy of the family

    She married James Miles, and they had a daughter, Lamarr, and a son, Gary. She and her husband divorced later. She married Jerome Wortham, and they divorced later.

    Ms. Miles lived in West Philadelphia and Mount Airy. She was active at church, taught Sunday School, and doted on her family. “She built a life of purpose, service, and faith,” her family said in a tribute.

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    A friend said: “Mel was my teacher, mentor, friend, and I will miss our monthly visits and conversations.” Her daughter said: “She was the most caring, giving, positive, beautiful soul. She was effervescent. Her smile lit up the room.”

    In addition to her children, Ms. Miles is survived by four grandchildren, six siblings, and other relatives. Her first husband died earlier.

    Memorial services were held earlier.

    Ms. Miles “built a life of purpose, service, and faith,” her family said in a tribute.Courtesy of the family
  • Judge orders new trial for former Philadelphia officer over juror’s ties to DA’s office

    Judge orders new trial for former Philadelphia officer over juror’s ties to DA’s office

    A Philadelphia judge has ordered a new trial for a former city police officer who was convicted of perjury, finding that one of the jurors on the case failed to disclose ties to a law firm representing the district attorney’s office — an association she said deprived the officer of a fair trial.

    Daniel Levitt, 52, was found guilty of perjury in June for lying under oath about how he recovered a gun during a 2021 traffic stop. But on Thursday, Common Pleas Court Judge Natasha Taylor-Smith vacated the conviction and ordered that Levitt be retried.

    Her ruling centered on the jury foreman, a personal injury lawyer who did not disclose that his law firm was representing the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office in ongoing civil litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

    The foreman’s relationship to the law firm became public moments after the jury returned its verdict. Taylor-Smith questioned the jurors and concluded that the foreman’s affiliation had not affected the verdict.

    In a letter to the court earlier this month, Levitt’s attorney, Coley Reynolds said he would have exercised a peremptory challenge to strike the juror had he known about the firm’s work for the district attorney’s office.

    On Thursday, Taylor-Smith reversed her earlier decision and granted Levitt a new trial.

    Reynolds welcomed the ruling, saying, “We believe he did not get a fair trial.”

    District Attorney Larry Krasner said Friday that his office would appeal the ruling and if necessary, retry the case.

    Prosecutors said Levitt found an illegal firearm inside a bag that he did not have probable cause or a warrant to search during an April 2021 traffic stop. Then, they said, he lied about how he found it during the prosecution of the man he arrested.

    Levitt, a 12-year veteran of the force, was the first officer charged after a department review raised concerns that some officers had conducted unlawful searches of people and vehicles before recovering guns. He was fired following his arrest.

  • Eagles tailgaters got ‘a seat at the table’ after surprising changes were announced. What did they accomplish?

    Eagles tailgaters got ‘a seat at the table’ after surprising changes were announced. What did they accomplish?

    Last week, with impending tailgate restrictions on the horizon, a group of Eagles fans held a news conference at South Philly Boxing Gym. The collective, headed by Washington Township native Carmen “Big Carm” Conti, repeatedly requested “a seat at the table” to discuss prospective changes to the tradition.

    They got one.

    On Friday, Comcast Spectacor, Sports Complex Parking Venture, and the newly formed Philadelphia Association of Tailgaters held a joint news conference at Xfinity Mobile Arena’s Lot D to announce the impending changes. The new rules will go into effect when the Eagles host the Rams on Sunday (1 p.m., Fox29).

    Big changes are coming to the Eagles tailgating experience starting Sunday. Here’s what we know.

    “For them to be [willing] to sit down with us and hear our gripes and complaints is huge,” Conti said. “Before we did all this, there wasn’t a voice for the Philadelphia tailgaters. Now we established that we have a line of communication with the Eagles, with Comcast. … So we’re having a lot of ideas exchanged, and we’re going to see what works.”

    President of the Eagles Tailgate Association Carmen Conti helped create “a line of communication” regarding tailgating.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    The changes mostly pertain to new regulations on oversized vehicles, which accompany large tailgates. These vehicles are now limited to Lot D (inside the Xfinity Mobile Arena parking lots), the upper section of Lot N (facing 7th & Pattison Avenues), and Lot P (inside the Citizens Bank Park parking lots). The inclusion of Lot P, a prominent location for large tailgates, came only after the tailgating coalition met with representatives from the Eagles and Comcast Spectacor.

    Another change to the guidelines due to tailgater persistence involves drop-offs by companion cars. Now, additional vehicles that carry people and supplies are permitted to accompany an oversized vehicle for a tailgate setup. However, the cars must move after one hour.

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    “We got leeway letting companion vehicles come in for an hour to help set up,” Conti said. “That’s a big, big help, especially with larger tailgates. … Instead of leaving the companion vehicles, some of them can park here in a single spot, which is a big help because they don’t have to fight the traffic out to get into another lot.”

    Eagles tailgaters Eric Wayne (left) and Michael Rudolph gather at a meeting with representatives from the Eagles and Comcast Spectacor on Friday.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Added Louis Jordan, a member of Hungry Dawgs tailgate: “That was a big thing because my tailgate is a very large tailgate, and we pretty much have about four or five cars that hold everything, so that’s a pretty big deal on our end. It took about 30 to 40 minutes of going back and forth, trying to explain to them.”

    While concessions were made, negotiations between the tailgaters and the lots’ owners are ongoing. “Hand parking” or assigned parking, a new rule, will remain in place, despite pushback by frequent tailgaters. Additionally, some are hoping for less restrictive rules relating to the amount of parking spaces a tailgate can take up.

    “For instance, 10-by-10 tents won’t fit into one parking spot,” Jordan said. “Obviously, these parking spots are roughly eight feet wide. So if they’re eight feet wide, you’ve got about [a foot and a half to] two feet of clearance; you’re going to end up having to buy the extra spaces. We already talked to them about that right now. They want to let it go for just this game. We’re going to take everything back for the next meeting, and we’ll talk it out.”

    “Is it fair? In the long run, no. … With them, they’re trying to fit as many butts into the seats as possible, right? That’s their job. Our job is to have the Philadelphia Eagles tailgaters in mind. When we have these tailgaters in mind, the whole point of this is to speak for everyone.”

    Last week, at the tailgaters’ news conference at the South Philly Boxing Gym, affordability was a major topic. Multiple speakers pointed out that the large tailgates offer a cheaper alternative for families who cannot afford to attend Eagles games. A single ticket to an Eagles game averages $220-350, according to Ticketmaster. Some worried the alternative of tailgating would not be possible under new restrictions.

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    “We love all Eagles fans; we want to do right by all Eagles fans,” Eagles chief operating officer Frank Gumienny said Friday. “One of the challenges we have, the parking lots down here need to accommodate the 70,000 people that will be inside the building. We’ve expressed that directly to the tailgaters. We love the tailgate culture. … We do have to work to get all 70,000 people that are attending the games here parked safely and inside, so that needs to be a focus.”

    Fans and media gathered for a press conference on Friday to discuss new rules regarding oversized vehicles and tailgating on Eagles game days. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    This time next week, there could be more changes to tailgating rules. Dwayne Ross, a member of the Philadelphia Association of Tailgaters, is looking to collect feedback from tailgaters from every lot this weekend before meeting with Comcast Spectacor and the Sports Complex Parking Venture again.

    “We get a bad rep, obviously across the NFL, about our fandom for our team, but as you can see by this situation, we’re not all bad guys,” Ross said. “We’re not throwing batteries at Santa, you know, we’re having a good time. We’re trying to figure things out. The Eagles love our tailgates. We love the Eagles. We’re going to work together and come to a resolution.”

  • Democrats add Zack Mullock’s challenge of Jeff Van Drew in South Jersey to their ‘districts in play’ list

    Democrats add Zack Mullock’s challenge of Jeff Van Drew in South Jersey to their ‘districts in play’ list

    National Democrats added U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s South Jersey district on Friday to a list of their target races to flip, signaling they’re taking Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock’s candidacy more seriously than before.

    Mullock decisively won a crowded primary in June to face Van Drew, a Cape May County Republican.

    Van Drew has comfortably warded off challengers in recent years. He was first elected as a Democrat in 2018, but then declared his loyalty to President Donald Trump and switched parties a year later.

    The designation was a long time coming for Mullock, as mail ballots have already begun to come in 32 days before the Nov. 3 election.

    Still, it came as a surprise to him. He learned on Friday he made the cut at the same time everyone else did, through social media, he said.

    “We may be purplish-red, but you know, we are not a just ‘go with whatever the president says’ kind of district,” Mullock said in a phone call. “We voted for Obama twice. We voted for Jeff Van Drew as a Democrat.”

    Local Democrats have been optimistic that Mullock is their best shot yet at ousting Van Drew, but the race had flown under the national radar. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the party’s main campaign arm in House races, had excluded the district from its “2026 Districts in Play” map until Friday morning.

    The announcement likely indicates that the national committee will send resources to Mullock’s campaign, such as staff support, but it does not come with the funding that the most competitive “Red to Blue” seats get.

    Still, it serves as a nudge to donors to take the race seriously.

    U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew speaks next to President Donald Trump at a Keep America Great campaign rally in Wildwood, NJ on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020.HEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

    Van Drew’s district was one of eight districts across the country added to the battleground list, showing that Democrats see a blue wave as increasingly likely as Trump’s popularity suffers amid the Iran war and inflation.

    National Democrats are now targeting a total of 66 House races, which they say is nearly double as many as in 2024 when Republicans maintained control of the chamber.

    Van Drew’s campaign spokesperson Ron Filan, in a statement, said Democrats make the race seem competitive every cycle as a “fundraising ploy,” and that Van Drew “proves them wrong” each time.

    “We predicted back in June they would follow this same playbook and appreciate them proving us right,” Filan said. “The DCCC has about a third of House Republicans on one of their silly wish lists or another.”

    Van Drew has been thrusting out attack ads as Mullock campaigns across the district, showing that he sees the local mayor as a threat. Filan noted that Van Drew “doesn’t take anything for granted and will continue to campaign as hard as he always has.”

    Previously, the only seat in the Garden State on the DCCC’s battleground list was U.S. Rep. Tom Kean’s 7th District in Central Jersey, which is still the only one on the “Red to Blue” list. Kean, who was absent from Congress for months without explanation until he revealed it was for depression, is viewed as highly vulnerable as Democrat Rebecca Bennett tries to oust him.

    The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has rated the 7th District as leaning toward Democrats, but Van Drew’s “solidly Republican” seat will be a more difficult challenge to flip.

    The Cape May lawmaker’s closest challenge was in 2020 from Amy Kennedy, who still fell nearly 6 points behind him. He was reelected in 2022 by 19 points and in 2024 by 17 points.

    National Republicans cite a double-digit win for Trump in the district in 2024, but Democrats note Gov. Mikie Sherrill came within single digits of her Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli in the district last year as she reversed red shifts in the state while consistently attacking Trump.

    Mullock said he thinks constituents are becoming disillusioned about Van Drew’s support of Trump.

    “I think people are realizing what I realized … I thought Jeff was a moderate Democrat that became a moderate Republican, and that is just not what he has become,” the Democrat said.

    The 2nd Congressional District spans several South Jersey counties, extending from the Jersey Shore to rural farmland and the Philadelphia suburbs.

    DCCC chair Suzan DelBene said in a statement that voters will send Van Drew “packing” because he “prioritizes tax breaks for the wealthiest few while gutting healthcare and raising costs for his constituents.”

    The National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC), meanwhile, is focused on defending Kean’s district, the only Jersey seat on its “Patriots” list.

    NRCC spokesperson Maureen O’Toole said in a statement that “Democrats are living in a fantasy.”

    “New Jersey families know Jeff Van Drew delivers results, they trust him, and they’ll proudly reelect him in November,” she said.