With over a half-foot of rain measured already, what has been Philadelphia’s wettest month since March 2024 is very likely to become significantly wetter.
The National Weather Service has posted a flash flood watch effective from 8 a.m. Tuesday until 2 p.m. Wednesday for rain totals up to 3 inches, with downpours of 1 to 2 inches an hour possible.
The national Storm Prediction Center on Tuesday morning listed a 15% chance of severe storms, those with wind gusts approaching 60 mph, for the entire region, with an outside shot of tornadoes. The Weather Prediction Center has a 40% chance of flooding downpours.
Some appetizers — localized downpours — popped up Monday afternoon, prompting flood warnings for Philly and neighboring sections of Montgomery County, and parts of Gloucester and Atlantic Counties in New Jersey.
Floodwaters swamped downtown Hammonton, Atlantic County, with “numerous” cars stranded on the roads, the weather service reported. The Pennypack Creek in Northeast Philly crested above “minor” flood stage.
Moth-ball-size hail pelted Chestnut Hill, and hail twice that size was sighted in Williamstown, Gloucester County, and in the vicinity of Washington Crossing State Park on the Jersey side of the Delaware River.
Storm coverage on Tuesday is expected to be far more extensive, and potentially more disruptive, with a “few tornadoes” possible, the weather service warned.
Storm activity is likely to linger into Wednesday, said Mike Lee, meteorologist in the weather service’s Mount Holly office, with more showers in the forecasts for Thursday.
What time the storms will arrive in Philly
Late July still is very much the lottery-ball season for damaging downpours, and that again likely will be very much in evidence this week. Rainfall totals in the last 30 days have ranged from 137% of normal in Gloucester County to 79% of normal in Montgomery County, according to the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center.
Thunderstorms are possible as early as midmorning, but expect “repeated rounds” during the afternoon, said Matt Benz, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.
The highest probability for severe storms, those with wind gusts near 60 mph, would be in South Jersey and Delaware, although they could nose into Philly, said the weather service’s Lee.
The storms could continue well into the night, and additional rains are expected Wednesday afternoon.
The rain totals again are likely to vary widely; however, a general 1 to 2 inches is expected across the region.
Whatever happened to the drought?
It hasn’t gone anywhere — yet.
All of New Jersey and Chester County remain under state-declared drought warnings. In the latest interagency U.S. Drought Monitor update, conditions in the entire region remain from “abnormally dry” to severe drought.
All that may change by week’s end.
Through Sunday, officially 6.37 inches of rain habr been measured at Philadelphia International Airport this month. That is the highest monthly precipitation total since March 2024.
July’s rains have ended a run of 16 straight months of below-normal precipitation in Philly.
Said Benz: “It’s an old saying that all droughts end on a flood. That’s kind of what we’re seeing right now.”
LeBron James explained in great detail his decision to join the 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal.
There were many layers to consider, including money, family, and legacy. James shared that he pondered retirement and thought he was “done when the season ended.” He also called this his last decision, which meant he needed to see several factors to feel like he was selecting the right team for the final years of his career.
I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love
Picking the Sixers makes sense from that framework. Even before the news broke Friday, the Sixers were considered competitors in the Eastern Conference. Of course, James’ addition raises those expectations and the pressure is on to get the task done with him in Philly.
So what were the things that made James so sure about the Sixers? Here’s a look at potential contributing factors to James picking them over suitors like the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Miami Heat:
The Tyrese Maxey relationship
Rich Paul, Klutch Sports’ CEO and James’ agent, made it clear that Tyrese Maxey was a major reason the Sixers landed the NBA legend. Maxey, who also is a Klutch client, slipped in the 2020 draft and was drafted by the Sixers 21st overall out of Kentucky.
Since then, the point guard has developed into an All-Star and All-NBA talent. He entered this summer as the Sixers’ unquestioned leader on and off the court and now will have company with James and Jaylen Brown, who was acquired in a trade earlier this month. And while Maxey has been described as James’ “little brother,” it didn’t hurt that he averaged 28.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists last season.
Win-ready roster
The Sixers entered this summer in dire straits. While they had advanced from the play-in to upset the Celtics before a second-round exit, the reality was that they were stuck with a top-heavy roster. With Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid on max deals, the majority of their salary-cap space was dedicated to three players, which is an unenviable place to be with league’s more punitive luxury tax.
Then, as Paul said, “everything changed” when the Sixers traded George and acquired Brown, who is fresh off his most productive NBA season. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, while leading the Boston Celtics to the playoffs as former running mate Jayson Tatum recovered from an Achilles injury. New president of basketball operations Mike Gansey and the Sixers front office added Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons to complete a roster centered on Brown, Embiid, Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and rookie Labaron Philon Jr.
The Sixers were expected to compete in the East as constructed. And James pushed those expectations over the edge.
LeBron James adds even more firepower to an already potent Sixers lineup.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Trustworthy front office
After parting ways with Daryl Morey, the Sixers changed how they approached the front office. They took on a more egalitarian approach, with Bob Myers as Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president of sports, Mike Gansey as president of basketball operations, and Jameer Nelson as executive vice president of basketball operations.
All three architects of the Sixers’ new-look roster have relationships with James and Paul. Gansey and James played high school basketball in Northeast Ohio in the same era and shared time in the Cavaliers organization. Myers, who ran the Golden State Warriors to four titles, was a respected rival of James’ — Golden State won three titles over his Cavaliers, while Cavs won in 2016. Myers also is friends with Paul and appeared on his Game Over podcast. Nelson, a former St. Joseph’s star, was an NBA contemporary of James. A source close to James also told The Inquirer on Friday that James has known Sixers co-owner David Blitzer for many years.
Those are deep roots. So while the Sixers might not have seemed like the obvious choice, the people in the franchise’s driver’s seat have run in the same circles as James and his confidants over the last two decades.
Mike Gansey (center), pictured with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president of sports Bob Myers and Sixers managing partner Josh Harris, played high school basketball in Northeast Ohio in the same era as LeBron James.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
A new challenge
The prevailing thought was that James would land with the Cavaliers or Heat, bookending his career with one of the teams on which he won three of his four NBA titles. But shocking free agency decisions aren’t new for James. No one expected him to leave the Cavaliers for the Heat, and his adventure in Los Angeles seemed even less likely. So this decision to join the Sixers and take on a new challenge follows a theme.
There’s also the chance to make history in Philly. James led Cleveland to its first sports title in 52 years when the Cavs won in 2016. He rescued the Heat after they fell on hard times and struggled to put a team together around Dwyane Wade. And he provided the Lakers a return to glory after they had gone a decade without a title. He can do that again in Philly. The Sixers haven’t won a title since 1983 and haven’t advanced past the second round since 2001. James even said it himself.
“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team,” James wrote, “and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”
LeBron James’ Friday morning news dump did not come via an ESPN television special or a Sports Illustrated open letter.
Or on his agent’s podcast, for that matter.
Instead, it was one post on X (formerly Twitter) from ESPN news-breaker Shams Charania. And another from James’ agency, Klutch Sports, with confirmation. Then a thread of posts on the platform from LeBron himself, with an initial explanation of what he is calling his final decision.
It was gargantuan nonetheless. For the NBA, which still hangs on James’ every move. And for Philly, which just landed a global superstar to bolster its championship quest.
LeBron James is a Sixer. So is Jaylen Brown. And Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe, for that matter. And it all brings together arguably the most improbable-yet-transformative offseason in franchise history under new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey.
James, who has agreed to sign a two-year, $8 million deal, The Inquirer confirmed, will finish his legendary career with a team with which he has far less prior connection than his other reported suitors. He did not choose the hometown Cleveland Cavaliers in what would have been a sentimental career bookend. Or the Miami Heat, where he won his first two NBA championships. Or even the Golden State Warriors, whose location is easily commutable by private jet from Los Angeles if his family chose to stay there.
But “everything changed,” agent Rich Paul said on his Game Over podcast, once the Sixers pulled off the blockbuster trade for Brown and vaulted into title contention.
Playing with the All-NBA guard Maxey, a fellow premier Klutch client who has worked out with James since Maxey’s pre-draft process, went from theoretical to realistic. Working with Edgecombe, who just completed a terrific rookie season, was intriguing to James, Paul said. A source close to James also told The Inquirer Friday that James has known Sixers co-owner David Blitzer for many years, and appreciates the franchise’s rich history and passionate fan base.
Still, James waited more than three weeks to pick his last basketball-playing destination.
Contenders brought their pitches, privately and publicly. As the NBA gathered in Las Vegas for Summer League, Sixers and Cavaliers representatives (and the occasional information-seeker) lingered in the lobby of the same luxury hotel. Elsewhere on the Strip, a Denver Nuggets staffer told a casually assembled group that the team was still hopeful about its chances to land James. But far more speculation than actual insight percolated from NBA team insiders and plugged-in followers.
The hovering buzz epitomized the magnitude of James’ presence and that he is still an excellent player, even entering his NBA-record 24th season. The league’s wait for James held up the second wave of free agency. Even commissioner Adam Silver publicly said the league could not finish creating its 2026-27 schedule until it knew for which team James would be playing.
LeBron James chose the Sixers over more predictable picks, like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Yet there was purpose behind James’ elongated, close-to-the-vest timeline, a source said.
James could take advantage because, unlike past spins in free agency, he was willing to sign for far less money than in his previously earned contracts and instead prioritized happiness and the opportunity to compete for a championship. He spent the past couple of days in Los Angeles with his family, the source said, and likely played some golf. He and his personal team did not plan a big announcement (or an announcement that an announcement would be announced).
Instead, James told Paul that he would call him when he had made his choice, and then Paul would call the team, the source said.
Once his choice became public, cue the evidence of James’ mainstream fame — with Philly now at the epicenter. His Sixers jersey sold out in all colors on the Fanatics website. Celebrities and normies alike rejoiced on social media. This reporter did a radio interview in Regina, Saskatchewan, while Inquirer colleagues ventured out into the streets to get immediate, unfiltered reactions.
That the Sixers were even in position to make their offseason splashes is the equivalent of a basketball roster-building miracle.
Remember, this team is less than 17 months removed from concluding a 2024-25 season with Marcus Bagley and Lonnie Walker IV in its starting lineup, after Embiid and Paul George’s constant health issues turned championship aspirations into disaster. They are less than three months removed from the jarring flip from the euphoria of rallying to beat the Boston Celtics in the playoffs’ first round to getting swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks. That sent the Sixers into the offseason with muted expectations, given Embiid and George had multiple years remaining on max contracts widely viewed as difficult to trade.
Then Gansey found perhaps the only scenario in which they could unload George’s albatross contract and upgrade, adding an All-NBA wing in Brown. And they landed James when he no longer cared about salary, but is still an All-Star-caliber player with exceptional basketball IQ and championship experience.
That all led to Friday morning’s series of social-media posts, and the capper on a transformative-yet-improbable offseason.
Jaylen Brown is a Sixer. So are Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe.
Philadelphia transformed Lemon Hill into the longest and one of thelargest World Cup watch parties in the country throughout the FIFA Fan Festival’s 39-day stay.
With the World Cup wrapped up, host committees throughout the country are taking stock of how many fans flocked to these festivals. Philly’s fan fest saw the second-highest number of attendees, with 575,304 between June 11 and July 19, according to the festival’s organizer, Philadelphia Soccer 2026.
Miami’s host committee was less precise in its count, but said its festival drew more than 600,000 guests.
Each one of the 11 host cities reported fan totals in the hundreds of thousands, but none quite reached the attendance levels of Philly and Miami.
However, despite South Florida’s high total numbers, Philadelphia set the record for most attendees throughout a single day at a U.S. fan festival with 55,000 attendees during the Brazil vs. Haiti group stage match on June 19. While Philadelphia’s fan festival operated for almost twice as long as Miami’s, opening every day of the tournament, Philadelphia worked with half the capacity limit that Miami did, capping crowds at 15,000 people at a time.
Anu Akinlotan, 19, of Darby, Pa., (right), Sandra Olaniyi, 25, of Drexel Hill, Pa., (left), and her sister Victoria, 22, (center), watch the USA vs. Australia game at FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill Park in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, June 19, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
New York and New Jersey, home to the largest population among host cities and host of the World Cup final, netted more than one million fansacross their decentralized network of official fan zones. The San Francisco Bay Area host committee also chose not to do a single festival but rather a network of watch parties and events. Across those areas,900,000 people reportedly visited during World Cup games, according to CBS.
Philly’s million-square-foot watch party, akin to a Fairmount summer barbecue of epic proportions, featured large swaths of open space for fans to lay down blankets and picnic while they watched the game, with the Center City skyline as backdrop; mini soccer pitches to challenge friends to pickup games; and a line of sponsor exhibits, including one outrageously viral Bank of America bracelet-making workshop. Some later resold the bracelets online for upward of $150.
But the main course was the 60-foot-wide screen playing almost every 2026 World Cup game to a crowd of thousands. This is where Philadelphians and international tourists could experience the energy of the World Cup outside the pricey stadium seats.
Soccer fans gather to watch Mexico play South Africa on a giant screen during the opening day of the FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill on Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Philadelphia.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Philly and Miami may win out for the highest attendances, likely due to their singular locations and being open much longer than celebrations in other cities, which opted for shorter-lived festival days or decentralized events. Still, most of the U.S. host cities boasted impressive numbers at fan events.
Atlanta, Houston, and Seattle all reported having hosted at least 500,000 fans at their festivals. Kansas City was close behind, reaching 400,000 fans across its 18-day run. Los Angeles brought in 250,000 people to its festival. Boston hosted 155,000. Dallas’s host committee has not released official counts yet.
If LeBron James is to be believed, if he was telling the truth when he took to Twitter/X late Friday morning to explain why he had decided to shock the basketball world and sign with the 76ers, if he was speaking from the heart and not merely trying to sell a new city and fan base on his choice, then this could be a red-letter moment in the history of Philadelphia sports.
LeBron to the Sixers is unlike anything that has happened around here. Those with long memories like to think that back on Pete Rose’s signing with the Phillies in 1978 or the Sixers’ trading for Moses Malone in 1982 are comparable, and it’s understandable why. Those superstars provided exactly what those teams needed to win a championship, and each of those teams promptly won one — the Phillies in Rose’s second season, the Sixers in Malone’s first.
But James exists in a different stratosphere economically and culturally from the one Rose and Malone did then. His fame is global. His wealth makes him a multibillionaire. He is among the five best basketball players ever to walk the Earth and among the most famous people walking it now. And he is a perfect fit for this Sixers team, for a franchise that hasn’t won a championship since 1983 and is making an all-in move to end that drought.
I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love
The most heartening aspect of James’ decision isn’t even that, at 41 years old, he should be the ideal power forward/point guard to play alongside Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe. He is a player unlike any other; he can bring the ball up, get it out of Maxey’s hands, run a halfcourt offense, and play at any pace.
No, the encouraging thing about his announcement Friday was his reason for making it. He admitted that he had contemplated retiring, that he had spent time with his family and friends, “with all the people I love,” he wrote, “trying to figure it all out.” He wanted to keep playing, but he had to acknowledge to himself why.
“I’m not going for money,” he wrote, which partially explains why his contract with the Sixers reportedly is just two years long and worth just $8 million. “I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win, and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship. I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team, and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”
That desire — to win an NBA championship — really was the only factor that stood a chance of drawing James here, and there was a case to be made that the Sixers didn’t even offer the best opportunity for him to win his fifth ring. The Miami Heat have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo and Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra and that vaunted Heat culture, and the Cleveland Cavaliers were just in the Eastern Conference finals last season, and he was familiar with both franchises and revered in both markets. He could have gone to either of those teams for sentimental reasons alone, never mind the rosters and the possibilities on the court, and no one would have been surprised.
Instead, he chose a harder, more dramatic road. Assume he had decided to spend his final season or seasons with the Heat or the Cavaliers. Either of those teams could lose in the second round of the playoffs with him, and James’ legacy and reputation would remain untarnished. They love him in those places and always will. He helped build a dynasty in Miami. The championship he won in 2016 with the Cavs was Cleveland’s first in 52 years. Philadelphia is something else entirely, and not merely because the Sixers have gone so long without a parade.
A franchise that hasn’t won a championship in more than 43 years, that was expected to win a championship for more than a decade in the aftermath of The Process and never got all that close, will be expected to win one because of James’ presence. People here had grown jaded about the Sixers, about all these iterations of the team, about a franchise that hasn’t had an identity since Allen Iverson was sacrificing his body every night for the sake of scoring 40. James’ decision has blended that cynicism with hope and created a powerful concoction. Ticket sales surely are skyrocketing already. The Sixers will be at the center of every hoops-related talk show, podcast, international news story, and dinner table conversation into the foreseeable future. Their roster will be a fascinating study in leadership and group dynamics, and it will test coach Nick Nurse and his staff like nothing they’ve encountered in their careers. The pressure on this team will be withering.
LeBron James signed up for all of that. He did it because he wants to win and thinks he can with the Sixers. The stakes for this franchise, for pro basketball in this city, have never been higher. Get ready for a journey no one here has taken before. Get ready, win or lose with LeBron James, for the wildest ride you can imagine.
After the blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics that brought Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia, you might be forgiven for thinking new team president Mike Gansey was done adding stars. But that deal kicked off rumors that one of the game’s all-time greats, LeBron James, could also ply his trade in South Philly.
Despite the initial talk linking him with a return to Cleveland or Miami, “King James” confirmed on June 24 that he’ll be a Sixer. We tracked it all with our initially unscientific Bron-O-Meter. He’s how it all unfolded…
Latest updates
Here's a look back at all that's happened since James informed the Lakers on June 30 that he'd play his 24th NBA season elsewhere, and how each moment impacted the vibes around him potentially joining the Sixers …
news
July 24, 11:43 a.m.
This is not a drill.
In a series of posts on X, LeBron James confirmed that he is bringing his talents to South Broad. According to ESPN, he agreed to a two-year contract with the Sixers on Friday in one of the more improbable roster additions in Sixers history.
“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.” said James on X while confirming the news.
Get the latest on the Hall of Famer’s move to Philly in our live blog.
news
July 22, 8:32 a.m.
Talk about a whoopsie. A member of the Miami Heat’s social media staff posted a link Tuesday night for a July 27 livestream titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference.” The post was later deleted and a Heat spokesperson told ESPN that the team was preparing for the possibility of James signing in Miami and accidentally posted the link to the team’s YoutTube page.
Needless to say, the errant post sent the internet into a frenzy, but it’s not hard to imagine how it happened. All the teams reported to be finalists for James — and the news organizations that cover them — are similarly preparing just in case he picks their city. It’s just that one of them jumped the gun. The real question is whether it was truly an accident, or if Miami knows something the rest of us don’t.
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podcast
July 21, 11:47 a.m.
Mark J. Terrill
The waiting game continues. Rich Paul, LeBron James’ agent and longtime friend, reiterated that there’s no timetable for a decision from his client.
“We're not going to be rushed,” Paul said on the latest episode of his Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman, which was released Monday evening. “We're not going to be rushed. It's his choice to make and when he makes the choice, he'll make it.”
Paul added that a decision could come at any time — “It could be 48 seconds [from now]. It could be 48 minutes.” — and that there’s nothing teams can do at this point to sway King James.
“There's been several people to call and say, ‘Hey, Rich, is there anything more we should be doing? We could be doing?’” Paul said. “And my answer is, ‘No. We don't need you to go above and beyond about anything. We understand it. It's clear. All the messages have been sent.’”
If people were taking Tyrese Haliburton’s mention of “Year 76” as a possible hint that James is coming to Philly, then those same people might notice Paul twice mentioned the number 48. First seconds … then minutes … next would be hours. The 1982 movie 48 Hours was set in San Francisco. Is it a sign LeBron is headed to the Warriors? If we’re going to read the tea leaves, let’s read all the tea leaves.
report
July 20, 4:24 p.m.
After LeBron was spotted meeting Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sixers owner Josh Harris while in New York City for Fanatics Fest, it doesn't appear the prized free agent’s top three teams have changed. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the pitches are in and "the choice is LeBron James' right now." The Sixers, Cavaliers, and Heat remain the possible landing spots.
"All of the information is in, the teams are set, everyone has made their moves," Charania, who said he spoke with James' agent Rich Paul earlier on Monday, reported on NBA Today. "There is no decision or choice yet. There's no timetable on a choice of a team. … My understanding over the past couple weeks, that the focus has been primarily on the Eastern Conference teams, being Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia."
podcast
July 17, 1:34 p.m.
LeBron James continued making appearances at Fanatics Fest In New York City Friday, and during one of them — a live recording of The Shop — the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer sent the crowd into a frenzy when he said he wants to play for a team that “trusts the process.”
While “The Process” was both a rebuilding period for the Sixers and Joel Embiid’s nickname, James went on to say that he has been using the phrase for his entire career, and that it was not a reference to the Sixers or their former motto.
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podcast
July 17, 9:58 a.m.
LeBron James made a pair of appearances Thursday at Fanatics Fest, and shared his first public comments since his free agency began. While James didn’t say much at either — first on a live recording of Mind the Game podcast, and then on CNBC’s Boardroom — he did hint that a decision could be coming soon, saying that he “won’t hold you guys up too much longer.” He also hinted that his 24th NBA season may not be his last.
report
July 15, 12:53 p.m.
Chris Szagola / AP
ESPN reported that the Sixers’ three biggest stars have all been in touch with LeBron James, with Tyrese Maxey leading the team’s pitch to the superstar free agent.
“As LeBron James' free agency decision extends into its second week, the Philadelphia 76ers have kept up their pursuit of the four-time NBA champion through three of their players, league sources told ESPN,” Dave McMenamin wrote. “Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown have all been in communication with James, sources told ESPN on Tuesday, with Maxey leading the charge. … Sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday the Sixers remain one of the top potential destinations for James, along with the Cavaliers and the Miami Heat.”
reporting
July 14, 5:29 p.m.
Gansey told the Inquirer that “we’d love to have [LeBron] in Philly. I think he’d really, really help us and add to our group. But he’s making a big decision here. It’s wild [that], at his age, he’s playing at such a high level.”
“I have all the respect in the world for him, and he’s smart as heck. He’s going to figure it out and talk to his family, and we’ll be waiting. Whatever he decides, I know he’s going to make the right decision.”
interview
July 11, 11:34 a.m.
Rich Paul, LeBron James’ agent, is in Las Vegas for NBA Summer League, and joined ESPN Friday night to discuss James’ free agency. In addition to saying there’s no timeline for a decision — "I just tell him take your time, [and] whenever you’re ready, just let me know," he said — Paul added that his client and longtime friend isn’t “chasing a ring” and is “not worried about nobody’s opinions.”
That could be taken a couple of different ways by Sixers fans: a negative, since their team arguably gives him the best fit and best chance to win; or a positive, since some have said that LeBron finishing his career in Philly would be awkward, especially compared to places like Cleveland or Miami.
podcast
July 10, 4:22 p.m.
Rich Paul dropped another episode of his Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman on Friday, and was asked about Tyrese Maxey being the main draw in Philly. His response? “First of all, none of these lists [of teams] are accurate, what you’re seeing out there. No one knows what the list looks like.”
While that wasn’t the question — and was certainly an interesting start to his answer — Paul went on to outline some of the reasons Maxey is at the top of the list of reasons his client would want to play for the Sixers. But he also talked about Joel Embiid, the Jaylen Brown trade, and more.
report
July 10, 2:19 p.m.
While attempting to temper Cavaliers fans' expectations during a radio hit in Cleveland, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said he "had somebody on the phone with me today that I consider a good source who was swearing it's a done deal in another city [outside of Cleveland] a couple hours ago."
"And so, I am being very, very cautious. Right now, it's too scattered," Windhorst said. "I also know how LeBron has operated. They have kept their circle very tight. … I'm hearing rumors all day long, and all of them make some level of sense, and all of them make some level of not sense. So I'm just telling you: Cleveland is not the only place where there are rumors."
social
July 9, 5:26 p.m.
Two Philly sports stars — including one of the newest Sixers — made public pitches to James on Thursday. First up was Saquon Barkley, who said he’d tell LeBron that he’ll be “remembered forever” if he brings a championship to Philly.
Later in the day, Jaylen Brown used an appearance with streamer iShowSpeed during the France-Morocco World Cup quarterfinal to have Speed, an Ohio native whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., to court James to the Sixers.
report
July 9, 8:06 a.m.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst reiterated how impactful Tyrese Maxey could be in the Sixers' recruitment of James, but also said on First Take that other teams “are skeptical” they can compete with Cleveland in the recruiting process. He did, however, point out another reason the Sixers are a compelling option:
"What I suspect is going to be important to him is he is going to get through the regular season without having to go to extraordinary measures. Without having to play 38 minutes per game, take 25 shots. I think Philly can make a compelling case that they would not tax him too much, that he could save up his body for the postseason. … But so can Cleveland. Cleveland has a buildout just as strong as Philly and they are home. That's what everybody out there is worried about. Can anybody make a more compelling case on the roster than Cleveland and more compelling on the home front than Cleveland? The teams out there that I've talked to are skeptical. They don't know for sure, but they're skeptical."
opinion
July 9, 5:01 a.m.
Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayesisn't buying the hype, and outlined all the reasons why he believes James doesn't actually want to be in Philly, adding that "LeBron’s representatives are using this (feigned) interest as leverage to land the King elsewhere."
"I don’t think he wants to be in Philadelphia, which is a much tougher city than anywhere else he’s played. I don’t think he wants to deal with an organization with anabsentee owner and afirst-time top executive. I don’t think he wants to be associated or represent one of the most dysfunctional organizations in major league sports over the past 14 years, and with the NFL’s Jets, Raiders, and Browns in that mix, that’s quite an accomplishment. I don’t think he wants to play for the NBA veteran minimum, which is all he’d get at this point."
While not ruling the Sixers out, Brian Windhorst reported Tuesday thatthere is a "vibe" suggesting the Cavaliers are the most likely destination for James. He also added some more teams — the Warriors, Nuggets, and Timberwolves — back into the mix.
“While there is a ‘vibe’ pointing toward the Cavs, coming off their best non-LeBron season in more than 30 years and signing Donovan Mitchell to a four-year maximum contract extension, other teams are not counting themselves out,” Windhorstwrote. “The Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Philadelphia 76ers each believe they have a compelling case, per sources."
He doubled down on Wednesday:
podcast
July 8, 9:00 a.m.
Bob Myers, the president of sports for HBSE and the man who led the search to replace Daryl Morey (and hire Mike Gansey), was a guest on the Game Over podcast andpitches the Sixers directly to LeBron's agent and longtime friend, Rich Paul.
“If he was here, I’d say I honestly believe [Philly] is your best chance to win,” Myers said. “… What I would just say is, if it’s about winning, let’s talk about this team. Because you can win here in Philly.”
report
July 7, 6:24 p.m.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Sixers are one of the top-three teams in the running to land James, along with the Cavaliers and Heat.
analysis
July 7, 5:01 a.m.
Gina Mizellbroke down some backup options for the Sixers if their pursuit of James comes up empty. Obviously none are as impactful as the four-time MVP, but there are still some quality veterans — and familiar faces — available on the free-agent market.
opinion
July 6, 5:01 a.m.
Inquirer columnist David Murphy outlinedwhy you can't rule out LeBron to Philly: "The Sixers do offer James a chance to do something novel. You can’t say that about many of his potential landing spots."
social
July 4, 10:21 p.m.
James was spotted in Cleveland over July Fourth weekend with some former high school teammates, including with Cavaliers assistant GM (and longtime friend) Brandon Weems, whom Paul previous said was "basically LeBron's brother."
podcast
July 3, 6:00 a.m.
Paul outlined James' possible landing spots on Game Over, and included the Sixers among them,launching a million consipiracy theories and causing Sixers fans to ask, "Why was Maxey the only player with a star next to his name?" and, "Why were the Sixers the first team added to the board?" The four other teams listed among the top contenders were the Cavaliers, Heat, Timberwolves, and Nuggets.
report
July 2, 3:30 p.m.
ESPN's Shams Charania and Brian Windhorstboth signal the Sixers are seriously in the mix for James and outline their potential pitch.
social
July 1, 8:11 p.m.
Steven Gansey, the younger brother of new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey,posted a photo on X of his sibling alongside James during their time as high school basketball players in Ohio.
news
July 1, 6:33 p.m.
The Inquirer confirmed that the Sixersacquired Jaylen Brown from the Celtics in exchange for Paul George and four draft picks.
report
July 1, 11:04 a.m.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that James is willing to play for a veteran minimum.
podcast
July 1, 6:00 a.m.
Paul told Game Over podcast cohost Max Kellerman thatbetween 12 and 14 teams have reached out about his client, and says that it's not about money.
report
June 30, 1:07 p.m.
The Cavaliers, Heat and Warriorsemerged as the initial suitors for James, according to NBA insiders Chris Haynes (NBA on Prime), Jake Fischer (SteinLine), and Brian Windhorst (ESPN).
report
June 30, 12:03 p.m.
James informed the Lakers he's leaving Los Angeles and will play his 24th NBA season elsewhere.
Staff Contributors
Design and Development: Sam Morris
Reporting: Matt Mullin
Editing: Matt Mullin, Sam Morris, and DeAntae Prince
Photography: AP
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said Thursday that the two prosecutors who accused DA Larry Krasner of encouraging them to act unethically in a controversial appellate case did so in a court filing that was both unauthorized and “ill-informed.”
In a court document filed late Thursday, written by Assistant District Attorney Thomas Gaeta and signed by Krasner, the office said prosecutors Katherine Ernst and Steven J. Wildberger acted inappropriately and without Krasner’s permission when they filed a brief Monday saying the office had a conflict in the appeal of Dennis Johnson, who is seeking to have his murder conviction overturned.
The office said it had taken steps to address all of the issues it saw with Johnson’s case, and that Ernst and Wildberger’s assertions were “ill-informed” and made without firsthand knowledge because they were no longer a part of the case.
The filing primarily focused on the steps the office took to ensure it was handling the case in a legal and ethical manner — and did not directly address the two prosecutors’ contentions that Krasner had asked them to “protect the office.”
In their filing Monday, Ernst and Wildberger said they tried to persuade Krasner to allow the state attorney general’s office to take over Johnson’s appeal after the prosecutor previously assigned to the case, Jaclyn Mason, recommended that his case be overturned — a recommendation the office later sought to reverse, saying Mason’s filing was full of false statements.
U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond then ordered a hearing on the matter. And in explosive testimony in federal court last week, Mason said she had sought to vacate Johnson’s conviction at the direction of her boss, Matt Stiegler — whom she accused of colluding with defense attorneys. Stiegler has said that was not the case.
Mason, who has since resigned, also said she was later told to lie about the case to minimize scrutiny of the office.
District Attorney Larry Krasner at a 2025 press conference. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Ernst and Wildberger, who work in the law division of the DA’s office, said that as they were evaluating the case in the spring, they tried to encourage Krasner to refer the case to the state attorney general because of issues with how it was handled.
For example, they said, Stiegler, the supervisor who they believed had made mistakes while overseeing the case, was still offering legal advice about it from a different role in the office, which Ernst and Wildberger viewed as self-interested and “inappropriate” because of his potential interest in clearing his name rather than evaluating the case on its merits.
But Krasner’s office kept the case. And as they deliberated how to move forward, the two prosecutors wrote, Krasner told them “to litigate the case in a manner to ‘protect the office.’”
Then, in late June, Ernst and Wildberger wrote, they again asked Krasner to refer the matter to state prosecutors, but “DA Krasner stated that there would be ‘consequences’ for anyone who notified the court of the conflict issues.”
Ernst and Wildberger then filed a notice in federal court saying they believed the DA’s office was beset by conflicts and should not handle Johnson’s appeal.
Krasner’s team, in its first response to the matter this week, said that was not true.
Ernst and Wildberger, they said, were appropriately excluded from the case as soon as they disclosed a personal conflict with it, and did not have firsthand knowledge of the office’s discussions thereafter.
The prosecutors “are disqualified from filing or speaking on behalf of the Commonwealth” and were not authorized to file the “notice of conflict” or to speak for the office about the matter, they said.
Any discussions Ernst and Wildberger had with the office about the case are privileged conversations they should not be able to disclose, the DA’s filing said.
To remedy the issue, the office said, it has hired a new prosecutor to handle the case who has been walled off from the ongoing conversations. Assistant District Attorney Jean Peters-Baker, who recently joined the office and has spent more than 25 years as a prosecutor, will review Johnson’s case and decide if it has merit, the filing said.
Johnson was convicted of second-degree murder in 2009 in the shooting death of Kenyatta Smith during a robbery outside a North Philadelphia convenience store two years earlier. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Johnson appealed his conviction, in part because he said his trial attorney was ineffective. Mason filed court documents in 2022 agreeing with that assertion and saying Johnson’s conviction should be overturned.
But then, this spring, others in the office reviewed the case and took the opposite view.
Ernst and Wildberger said they were prepared to testify before Diamond about the situation. Others in the office are also expected to take the stand as the case proceeds.
The judge has not yet scheduled a date for testimony.
DraftKings, one of the nation’s biggest sports betting companies, is suing the city of Philadelphia in an effort to stop an investigation into the company.
The city is investigating whether DraftKings has violated the Philadelphia Consumer Protection Ordinance, a 2024 law designed to protect Philadelphians from deceptive business practices, according to the lawsuit and accompanying documents.
In response, DraftKings contends a state law, the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, preempts the city‘s ordinance. The Boston-based company argues in the suit filed Thursday in federal court in Philadelphia that the city is trying to usurp the state’s authority through its investigation.
“DraftKings filed a lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia because we believe the City has acted beyond the scope of its authority on matters governed by state law and regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board,” the company said in a statement. “DraftKings remains committed to operating responsibly and in full compliance with Pennsylvania law, and we look forward to addressing this issue through the legal process.”
The city declined to comment due to litigation being ongoing.
The legal sparring match comes as sports betting companies have come under fire locally in recent weeks due to tactics they’ve used to entice bettors to keep wagering money on their sites.
Last week, The Inquirer reported on a personalized video that FanDuel, another sports betting company, sent to a bettor featuring Phillies star Bryce Harper. A lawsuit filed by the nonprofit Public Health Advocacy Institute on behalf of that bettor and another alleges the Harper video is only one of a series of incentives sports betting companies offer to patrons to keep them hooked.
A subpoena attached to the DraftKings case shows the city requested a host of documentation from the company by May 24. That included requests for details on how much money Philadelphians have wagered in the past three years, how many Philadelphians have placed bets on DraftKings in the past three years, and what kinds of marketing materials have been used with Philadelphians.
It’s unclear what, if any, of the documentation DraftKings provided the city.
The city had no right to request such documents due to the state law superseding the city’s version, DraftKings said in its lawsuit. It’s now asking the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to rule that the city overstepped and let DraftKings off the hook for complying with the subpoena.
Impacts from Canadian wildfire smoke increased throughout the Philadelphia region Friday, degrading air quality enough to prompt a code purple alert, and force the closure or suspension of some city amenities and services.
It was the latest bad weather event in Philadelphia’s run of tough luck in July, which has so far resulted in record-setting heat and destructive storms that have marred back-to-back weekends. Smoky conditions arrived Thursday, and were bad enough Friday to prompt the closure of city pools and spraygrounds, and temporarily stop trash pickup.
“Our worsening air quality is a dangerous development,” Palak Raval-Nelson, commissioner of the city Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “I strongly encourage all residents to take action to protect themselves by staying indoors, unless they need to be outdoors.”
Likewise, the Philadelphia Zoo remained closed Friday, saying in a statement that its animals were being “closely monitored.” The city, however, stopped short of recommending the cancellation of outdoor events, and large productions like comedian Shane Gillis’ performance at Lincoln Financial Field and a Death Cab for Cutie performance at the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts were still set to go on as of late afternoon.
Officials said that venue owners had been advised of the conditions, and were able to make their own decisions as to whether those events would happen.
Trash collection in the city was expected to cautiously resume Saturday, officials said. Resumption of services was contingent upon improvement in air quality conditions, which vacillated between code purple and the comparatively less severe code red Friday.
“We will make judgment decisions as to when we will resume collections in terms of a start time tomorrow,” said Carlton Williams, director of the Philadelphia Office of Clean and Green Initiatives. “But we do plan on working all day Saturday and Sunday to ensure that last week’s trash and recycling is collected in time for our services to be on a regular schedule starting Monday.”
Pools would reopen Saturday if air conditions were code red or below, said Susan Slawson, commissioner for Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said the Philadelphia region would be under a code orange air quality alert Saturday, marking a decrease in smoke pollution. That alert level, described as “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” is the lowest it has been since the wildfire smoke arrived this week.
Air quality conditions in the area were poor Friday morning. The city’s air quality index stood at about 267 as of 7 a.m. Friday — a figure that put it solidly in the “very unhealthy” range, meaning the general public was at risk for serious health effects. It later moved into the code red — or “unhealthy” — range, but stood to potentially again become more severe as the day wore on, Raval-Nelson said.
The city of Chester, however, recorded an air quality index of 312 early Friday, putting it in the “hazardous” range — the highest on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s scale. It later dipped into the “very unhealthy” range.
The region’s smoky conditions were expected to last at least until Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly said. The sky’s hazy appearance, according to meteorologists, came from northwest winds that blanketed the region with particulate-filled air that was expected to stick around through the start of the weekend.
However, by Saturday, an anticipated storm system should clear the smoke out — though that development would likely come with its own risks. That system, said weather service meteorologist Joe DeSilva, could also bring “multiple rounds” of showers and thunderstorms, as well as the potential for flash flooding and possibly damaging winds — as well as a potential tornado.
“It definitely looks like damaging winds will be the primary hazard type,” he said.
City officials warned residents to prepare for potential flooding due to heavy rainfall Saturday. A flood watch will be in effect from 10 a.m. Saturday through 2 a.m. Sunday, the city’s Office of Emergency Management said, as storms could produce up to 2 or 3 inches of rain per hour.
Philadelphia is not the only area at risk this weekend. Berks, Carbon, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Lehigh, Bucks, Monroe, and Northampton Counties also face dangers from the storm, as do portions of northern Delaware and parts of New Jersey including Camden and Gloucester Counties.
“Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” the city said. “Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.”
The risk of storm damage Saturday comes a week after high winds and four “microburst” storms downed nearly 300 trees in the city, and left tens of thousands of residents without electricity. As a result of that storm, Philadelphia still remains under a disaster emergency declaration amid its ongoing recovery.
On Friday, officials encouraged city residents to “do what you have been doing since last week’s storm” in the face of renewed threats.
“As Mayor Parker constantly reminds us, we are one Philly,” said Adam Thiel, managing director of the city of Philadelphia. “We are a united city, as our entire city workforce, along with our residents, our neighbors, our communities, continue to move us forward through this unprecedented year.”
Staff writers Rob Tornoe and Emily Bloch contributed to this article.
An Inquirer staffer’s interview notes came into the possession of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office during an investigation that led to the high-profile, and recently abandoned, racketeering indictment against South Jersey power broker George E. Norcross III.
News organizations typically treat unpublished reporting material as confidential and often fight government demands for it in court.
Inquirer editor and senior vice president Gabriel Escobar on Wednesday confirmed that state investigators had obtained interview notes typed in 2019 by Nancy Phillips, who currently edits the Justice and Injustice Team. The Inquirer “did not turn over notes to state prosecutors” and was never subpoenaed by authorities for them, Escobar wrote in a note to the newsroom.
“We do not definitively know how the notes ended up with the state, but we do know it was not from us,” Escobar said in response to questions from an Inquirer reporter.
A person with firsthand knowledge of how the notes came into the possession of the authorities said Phillips had shared the notes with someone outside The Inquirer.
“Nancy Phillips shared the notes with a third party. It was not for the purpose of sharing the notes with authorities. It was for her own edification,” said the source, who is not an Inquirer employee and requested anonymity due to ongoing litigation threats related to the case. “The state did not receive the notes from Nancy Phillips directly.”
A second source with direct knowledge of the evidence discovery file related to the Norcross investigation said the interview notes were included in an electronic file titled “Stier Documents.”
Edwin Stier, a former state and federal prosecutor in New Jersey, has been quoted previously in The Inquirer, including as part of its coverage of Norcross. He is mentioned elsewhere in the discovery file, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to publicly discuss the discovery material.
Stier declined to comment on why his name appears in the evidentiary documents.
Phillips declined to comment, saying she was “not comfortable talking about the process of newsgathering.”
Gabriel Escobar became The Inquirer’s top editor in 2020.JESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer
Escobar — who joined The Inquirer in 2007 as metropolitan editor and was appointed its top editor in 2020 — declined to respond to questions about whether Phillips shared the notes with anyone outside the newsroom, including Stier. Escobar did not respond to a request for a phone interview and instead answered questions in writing.
‘False and outrageous’
BigTrial, a blog authored by former Inquirer reporter Ralph Cipriano, first reported on Wednesday that the 10-page typed interview notes were in the state’s hands. Norcross’ legal team obtained the notes from the state through evidence discovery, and Norcross is considering a lawsuit against the state for malicious prosecution, BigTrial reported.
The notes do not indicate the name of the author but appeared to summarize August 2019 meetings between a journalist and longtime Cherry Hill mayor Susan Bass Levin, who shared information critical of Norcross, according to the BigTrial report. Bass Levin is the former president and CEO of Cooper University Health System’s Cooper Foundation, where Norcross serves as a board member.
“I have never seen the notes,” Bass Levin said. She declined to comment further.
An Inquirer reporter was not able to obtain a copy of the notes. Escobar said he did not have a copy of them.
Cipriano’s report claims that there are “only a couple possible explanations” for how prosecutors obtained the notes: The Inquirer supplied the notes in response to a subpoena; or Phillips was “voluntarily helping the investigators trying to pin a racketeering indictment on Norcross and associates.”
Cipriano included no evidence to support either claim.
In his email to the newsroom, Escobar wrote that Cipriano’s theories amounted to “unfounded and irresponsible speculation.”
“Speculation that Nancy Phillips, who has a long and distinguished track record as a reporter and editor, was working with state prosecutors is both false and outrageous,” Escobar wrote. “When we learned that state investigators had the notes, we conducted an inquiry and determined that the material was not provided to them by The Inquirer.”
He declined to give further details.
(Escobar recused himself from involvement in this story, as did the reporters and editors who led The Inquirer’s coverage in 2019 of the investigation into Norcross.)
Asked whether Phillips or any other staffer had faced discipline after the internal inquiry, Escobar wrote: “We do not comment on personnel matters.”
Norcross spokesperson Dan Fee said Norcross’ legal team was not aware of how the state obtained the notes.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office declined to comment.
The Norcross investigation
New Jersey state prosecutors, led by then-Attorney General Matthew Platkin, in 2024 indicted Norcross and five others in a racketeering case centered on alleged corruption in economic development tax breaks for projects connected to Norcross in Camden.
Beginning in 2019, Inquirer reporters Andrew Seidman and Catherine Dunn wrote a series of articles on the tax break deals and the investigation into Norcross.
Norcross spokesperson Fee said Seidman told him at the time that Phillips was not involved in the coverage. Phillips had a longtime romantic relationship with the late New Jersey billionaire Lewis Katz, who clashed with Norcross when both were co-owners of The Inquirer in the early 2010s.
The combination of the notes and subsequent stories in The Inquirer indicate that Phillips had not just met with Bass Levin but also passed her notes to the reporters covering the story, showing that Phillips did play a role in coverage of Norcross, Fee said.
Fee said Wednesday that Escobar’s statement “confirms the two most important things in the BigTrial story: Nancy Phillips’ notes ended up in the hands of prosecutors and that despite her bias against George Norcross being clear and known, Phillips was part of the reporting on stories involving him.”
He called on Inquirer leadership to conduct a “public investigation” and questioned whether “there will be some effort to cover everything up.”
Cipriano’s report quoted brief portions of the notes, including that Bass Levin suggested requesting certain public records, and that an Inquirer reporter later requested those records.
Escobar’s note to the newsroom Wednesday said that Phillips “was not directly involved in the [Norcross] coverage but served as a conduit for information only she could access.”
“Nancy has established a network of sources in her long career, and the information she has been able to gather has aided our journalism across many fronts,” Escobar wrote. “In 2019, she was approached by a source who was offering unique insights on a significant and running story. Nancy conducted an interview, typed up the notes, and then shared them with two Inquirer reporters who were working on the story.”
Inquirer staffer Nancy Phillips walks alongside H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest, the newspaper’s late owner. ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer
Cipriano, Norcross, and Phillips each have complicated Inquirer tenures.
Cipriano, who was fired from The Inquirer in 1998, sued his editor for libel following a dispute over his coverage of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The suit was settled in 2001 with both sides declining to disclose the terms of the agreement, according to a New York Times report. Cipriano frequently criticizes The Inquirer’s coverage and its reporters and editors on his blog.
Norcross was a co-owner of The Inquirer from 2012 to 2014, a tumultuous period in which he battled with Katz over control of the company.
And Phillips, who scored legendary scoops as a crime reporter and now edits the Justice and Injustice Team, was involved in a relationship with Katz during his public fight with Norcross.
Katz and cable mogul-turned-philanthropistH.F. “Gerry” Lenfest ultimately prevailed in the dispute over who would own The Inquirer. Katz died in a 2014 plane crash, just days after he and Lenfest bested Norcross in an auction organized to settle the ownership matter. (The Inquirer since 2016 has been owned by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, a nonprofit endowed by its namesake before he died in 2018.)
Camden coverage
Escobar, who did not become The Inquirer’s top editor until a year after Phillips’ meeting with Bass Levin, said that he “did not have firsthand knowledge” of any arrangement barring Phillips from involvement in Norcross coverage.
“But I could see a situation where a judgment call was made that placed priority on gathering information in a limited way,” Escobar said.
He added in a separate response: “Gathering information from all quarters on a story always yields better and more complete journalism and, as the [newsroom] note says, this particular source was in a position to know and would only provide it to Nancy.”
At the time of the 2019 interview, Phillips was a deputy regional editor overseeing reporters covering the Pennsylvania and New Jersey suburbs. In that role, Phillips would not normally be involved with stories concerning the Norcross investigation, which was handled by reporters from the politics and business desks.
In a statement, Seidman noted that Norcross and the Camden tax breaks became a matter of public debate in the spring of 2019 and that he and Dunn began their reporting in May of that year — three months before Phillips met with Bass Levin.
“Our reporting was based on interviews, emails, bank documents, property records, appraisals, and other government documents,” Seidman said. “I stand by it 100%.”
Dunn, who left The Inquirer in 2022 and has been a reporter at Barron’s for about four years, declined to comment.
Fee said he repeatedly disputed Seidman’s and Dunn’s coverage of Norcross, including an October 2019 article Cipriano highlighted regarding a land deal in Camden.
The Inquirer publishes corrections when it discovers that its reporting contained factually inaccurate information. No corrections were made to the 2019 article.
Former Inquirer editor John P. Martin, who was the lead editor on that story, said he and the reporters “talked at length with Mr. Norcross’ spokesman and several lawyers representing him.”
“At no point, to my recollection, did Nancy Phillips offer input, advice, editing help, ask questions, or even engage in small chat about that story or any involving Mr. Norcross,” said Martin, who is now with Bloomberg.
Escobar concluded his note to the newsroom by saying the episode offered “an important lesson.”
“The information we gather in the course of reporting should always be safeguarded,” he said. “And no matter how well established a source-reporter relationship is, each interaction should establish clear parameters for the use of the information.”
Asked for clarity on how those comments related to prosecutors obtaining Phillips’ notes, Escobar wrote: “The notes ended up with the state so something went awry. That part of the message is intended as a general reminder and not specific to the circumstances.”
