Philadelphia City Council is already looking to 2027. And with all 17 seats on the ballot next spring, the elections are shaping up to be a pivotal test of whether the city’s established politicians can withstand a rising tide of frustration with the party among Democratic voters.
All of the incumbents have said they intend to run for reelection, and several are likely to face serious challenges from new candidates focused on grassroots organizing and progressive groups — hoping to seize the opportunity presented by a nationwide leftward shift amid President Donald Trump’s second term.
Three districts have emerged as key battlegrounds.
And the city’s progressive organizations, emboldened by a series of wins locally and nationally, are targeting two other districts: the 1st, which stretches from South Philadelphia to Fishtown and is represented by Councilmember Mark Squilla, and the 8th, which includes parts of North and Northwest Philadelphia and is represented by Councilmember Cindy Bass.
“We’re definitely feeling confident,” said Robert Saleem Holbrook, executive director of the progressive advocacy group Straight Ahead. “Anyone who is going to be running under a progressive banner or a progressive movement is going to have to be running against the establishment, not toward it.”
A competitive race also appears to be taking shape for the seven Council seats that represent the city at-large.
Five of those seats are all but certain to be won by Democrats, making the May 2027 primary the key election in deep-blue Philadelphia.
The other two at-large seats — set aside for Council members outside the majority party under the city’s Home Rule Charter — will be decided in the November 2027 general election. Currently, the two minority party seats are held by Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke of the left-leaning Working Families Party.
Jane Golden, founder and executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, takes the stage during the dedication of the Super Bowl LIX mural at Spike’s Trophies on June 17, 2025 in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Golden, 73, said last week that she is not currently running for Council, but acknowledged she has thought about it for years.
“It’s always something that is tempting to me, because I just love the city so much,” she said. “I feel honored that people even think of me.”
Progressives eye Bass’ North Philly seat
Philadelphia’s progressive activists this year see two key opportunities to expand the loosely organized left-leaning bloc on Council, which currently consists of four members. Winning additional seats could also grow their influence by enticing more moderate members to vote alongside them if they believe primary voters are moving left.
Leftists have notched high-profile wins in Democratic primaries across the country this year, including in Philadelphia, where democratic socialist State Rep. Chris Rabb (D., Philadelphia) bested more moderate candidates for a seat in Congress representing about half of the city. The district is one of the most Democratic in the nation.
Anderson-Oberman, 55, the executive director of the progressive group Reclaim Philadelphia, said last week that he is “leaning” toward taking another swing.
“We’re in a moment in this country and this city where people have had enough,” he said. “People are looking for new answers. … Cindy represents the old way of doing things.”
Union organizer Seth Anderson-Oberman, running for 8th District City Council, joins in a small rally with community and Happy Hollow Advisory Board members along Wayne Avenue at Happy Hollow Playground in Philadelphia on April 2, 2023.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Another Council run by Anderson-Oberman may test how far progressive momentum can go in Philadelphia. He was a member of the Communist Party USA in his 20s, and has said he is proud of that experience.
Bass, 58, said she is ready for the race no matter who her opponent is.
In June, she survived a contentious fight for another four-year term as Democratic leader of Mount Airy’s 22nd Ward. She was criticized for her handling of the process, and the party ordered a redo of the election.
She and her progressive opponent, Octavius Price, tied, then struck a power-sharing agreement. Through it all, Bass said, longtime residents stuck by her — and she is confident voters will do the same next year.
“My voters are people who are based in this community, committed to this community, intend to stay in the communities that they are in,” she said.
City Councilmember Cindy Bass (center) attends the watch party for Democratic candidate for mayor Cherelle L. Parker at Laborers 332 in Philadelphia on May 16, 2023.Heather Khalifa / Staff Photographer
Jeff Jones, a community leader and social justice advocate from Germantown, has also said he intends to run in the 8th District.
“I want to bring that new vision and a new voice to the 8th District, where residents and children and families can know that their voice matters, their concerns will be heard, and their challenges will be met,” said Jones, 61, a first-time political candidate.
Squilla could see a lefty challenger
Leftists are also eying Squilla’s seat, which represents the area along the Delaware River from Pennsport to Kensington. Since Squilla took office in 2012, the district has transformed from a bastion of working-class white voters to one of the most progressive swaths of the city.
Squilla, 63, who has strong labor ties and is one of the most pro-development district Council members, said being a centrist has likely put a target on his back in the 2027 election.
Another contributing factor may be Squilla’s support for controversial legislation in 2024 to approve the 76ers’ since-abandoned plan to build a new arena in Center City. The project, which would have been in Squilla’s 1st District, was opposed by advocates for Chinatown, which the arena would havebordered.
Councilmember Mark Squilla arrives in Council chambers on Nov. 12, 2024, before the start of a public hearing on a proposed Sixers arena.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
Despite the fierce objections, Council approved the project with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s support in December 2024. Weeks later, the basketball team announced it was abandoning its Center City plan and would instead build its next arena in South Philly.
Squilla said he is prepared to defend his actions, noting that he worked to ensure any arena deal would benefit his district and that many of those promises are moving forward despite the 76ers withdrawing their proposal.
“The goal as an elected official, and also as a leader, is not always to make the popular decision,” he said. “The goal is to have a process to make the decision that would be best for the people around it.”
One prominent opponent of the Center City arena plan was Will Gross, the owner of Ox Coffee in Queen Village and a progressive who is the Democratic leader of the 2nd Ward. He is seen by political insiders and progressive organizations as the most likely candidate to take on Squilla.
Gross declined to comment.
In this 2023 file photo, Will Gross and Kay Yoon, of the No Arena in Chinatown group, deliver petitions to Councilmember Mark Squilla. Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
A progressive challenger may also emerge in the North Philly and Kensington-based 7th District, which is represented by Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.
Some insiders have speculated that Celin may run again. He declined to comment.
Lozada, 55, said she “can’t focus” on potential challengers.
“If I spend my time listening to the buzz about who is running,” she said, “we won’t get any work done.”
A battle takes shape in the 5th District
In the 5th District, a seat that represents parts of North Philadelphia and Center City, a handful of Democratic challengers are lining up to take on Young, 40, who is seen as one of Council’s most vulnerable members.
That is in part because of the unusual way in which he was elected in 2023. He ended up being the only Democrat on the ballot after several others, including party officials’ preferred candidates, were removed amid legal challenges.
Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr. in chambers as City Council meets Dec. 11, 2025.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
One of those candidates was Curtis Wilkerson, who was chief of staff to former City Council President Darrell L. Clarke. Two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the campaign dynamics, said Wilkerson is considering running for the seat again next year.He did not respond to a request for comment.
Also likely to run is Jalon Alexander, an attorney who unsuccessfully ran for an at-large seat on Council in 2023. Alexander, 33, formed an exploratory committee last year and is expected to formally declare his candidacy later this summer.
Two others are also considering running.
Dustin Dove, a lawyer and the president of the Fairmount Civic Association, said neighbors and community leaders have encouraged him to get in the Council race, and he is “taking the possibility of running seriously.”
“I think our city government should work for everyone by keeping our neighborhoods safe and streets walkable, making housing affordable, and ensuring fairness and access in public services,” Dove, 38, said last week.
Jalon Alexander, an attorney and community advocate, speaks to attendees at a meeting about potential SEPTA budget cuts hosted at Garden of Prayer Church in Strawberry Mansion on June 9, 2025.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
And Max Tuttleman, 37, a philanthropist who unsuccessfully ran for an at-large seat in 2023, said he “cares deeply about the 5th District and would never close the door to serving Philadelphia.”
He added that “Center City and the neighborhoods around it should be growing faster than they are.”
Young said in an interview last weekthat he intends to run for reelection, but that challengers are not his focus.
“I‘m focused on serving my constituency, serving my community,” he said. “The work that we’ve been doing will hopefully earn the support of the residents of the 5th District.”
A smaller, but competitive, at-large field
Over the last several election cycles, dozens of candidates lined up to run for at-large seats during a time of immense turnover in Council.
But with seven incumbents all looking toward reelection in 2027, there may be fewer challengers who line up to take them on. So far, only Golden and a handful of others have emerged as possible contenders.
David Alexander Jenkins, a cultural strategist known for delivering impassioned speeches during Council’s public comment section, said he is considering a run, encouraged by fellow community members.
“When the community that is around you constantly pushes you to intercede on their behalf, then it’s because they have trusted you to do what it is that you do best,” Jenkins, 39, said. “I think it would be incredibly unwise to ignore that.”
And Jude Husein, 28, a Palestinian-born community activist who was raised in North Philly, has already launched her campaign. If her bid is successful, Husein, a former staffer for State Sen. Art Haywood, would be the first member of Gen Z on Council.
In this 2023 file photo, Jude Husein, of North Philadelphia, speaks at a rally for a Day of Solidarity event at the Art Museum steps.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Leaders of progressive organizations said they are closely watching her candidacy. However, Husein is not exactly running as a leftist. She said that her policy positions are varied and that she will seek endorsements from any institution that is “values-aligned.”
“I’m running because I think government should work for the people who pay for it, and should make neighborhoods affordable and safer,” she said.
Also in the running for Council at-large seats are Billy McCann, 46, a former teacher who lives in Port Richmond, and Isaiah T. Martin, 26, who lives in West Philly and leads a community development nonprofit. The pair, who both said they are progressive, have established something of a slate with Jones, who is challenging Bass in the 8th District.
They said they would prioritize public education, affordability, housing assistance, and government accountability, and they argued that establishment Democrats are failing to connect with voters.
“A new day is coming,” said Martin, another member of Gen Z who would make history on Council if elected. “It’s time we get people who are going to do the actual work and not just sit here and talk about it.”
MLB All-Star Week concludes Tuesday night with the 96th midsummer classic at Citizen’s Bank Park (Fox, 8 p.m.). The Phillies have six players representing the National League, including starting pitcher Cristopher Sànchez.
Kyle Schwarber loses Home Run Derby to Jordan Walker
Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran embraces teammate Kyle Schwarber during Monday’s derby.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Kyle Schwarber needed to take a breath.
Schwarber went deep seven times in a nine-swing span in the semifinals of Monday night’s Home Run Derby. With three swings left, he needed to regroup.
And so, Schwarber did what any slugger in a hometown Derby would. He took a beat and waved to the Phillies fans in sold-out Citizens Bank Park to make more noise.
Schwarber won the round and nearly the Derby. But the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker, who drew cheers from the 43,863 paying customers after each swing that didn’t result in a homer, smashed four homers in a row in bonus time to eke out a 12-11 victory in the finals.
St. Louis Cardinals Jordan Walker won the Home Run Derby in Philadelphia Monday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
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Second-round results
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First-round results
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Playoff atmosphere at The Bank thanks to Schwarber
Phillies fans cheer as Phillies Kyle Schwarber advances to the finals of the Home Run Derby.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Willson Contreras last ball at the second round of the Home Run Derby might as well have been the last out of the ninth inning of game seven of the World Series.
The crowd at Citizen Bank were locked in during the Red Sox first baseman head to head competition against Kyle Schwarber for a place in the final round.
Every shallow or foul ball was as met with mocking applauds, and every skipped pitch with roaring boos.
Contreras lost to South Philly’s Schwarbomb machine by one homer, and it was Bedlam at the Bank.
Kyle Schwarber swings his way into the Home Run Derby finals. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Kyle Schwarber will face Jordan Walker in the final round of the Home Run Derby.
Willson Contreras, booed often by the Philly crowd, was only able to hit 8 home runs, one shy of Schwarber’s nine.
Two Phillies players have won the Derby — Bobby Abreu in 2005 and Ryan Howard in 2006.
This is Schwarber’s third appearance in the event. He didn’t make it out of the first round in 2022, and finished second place to then-Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper in 2018.
Philly fans bring something new to the Home Run Derby – boos
A fan reacts after catching a home run during Monday night’s Derby. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Fans who traveled to Philadelphia for the Home Run Derby were introduced early to the city’s love language.
Phillies fans responded with deafening boos to the name of every player that isn’t called Bryce Harper or Kyle Schwarber during the pregame show.
And fans of other teams seem to like the passion.
“I think it’s awesome,” Pete Gibson said. “It’s sports. Support your team. Let’s go.”
The 35-year-old tattoo artist traveled from Nashville for the home run derby with his friend, Dave Putman, 33.
For the past five years, the duo has been attending the pre-All-Star game event, and they came up with a tradition. They each spin a wheel to determine what jersey they will wear. And the wheel chose the San Fransisco Giants for Gibson this year. But that didn’t stop him from also rocking a Kansas City Royals cap.
“We support on the head the teams we love, and on the body the teams we randomly draw,” Gibson said.
Carlos Luna, 34, also didn’t mind the boos. The New York Yankees fan came to Philly from the Big Apple, and said he enjoys the sense of rivalry Phillies fans brought to this derby.
“I see how you guys feel,” he said. “I don’t expect anything else.”
Had the derby took place in Yankee stadium, his fellow New Yorkers’ boos would be more targeted — “if it’s a Red Sox player, we probably boo him” — but Luna was okay with the Philadelphia’s blanket boo approach.
Phillies fans’ reputation, it turns out, precedes them. The city was welcoming, and the boos add to fun.
“I love me some overt negativity,” Orioles fan Connor Way, 31 from Maryland, said. “I feel like everyone knows Philly is like that.”
Schwarber hits 10 homers, setting up a showdown with Harper
Kyle Schwarber swings during his Home Run Derby at-bat. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Kyle Schwarber missed on his first five swings and only managed to hit 10 home runs during his first-round Home Run Derby appearance.
That leave Schwarber in fourth place with teammate Bryce Harper coming up to bat. Harper will either advance and knock out Schwarber, or come up short and be eliminated from the competition.
Either way, one Phillies player will make it to the second round.
Jac Calianone hits just 8 homers, but one goes into upper deck
Jac Caglianone watches one of his homers leave Citizens Bank Park.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Royals’ Jac Caglianone got off to a very slow start, but caught a groove with four straight homers — capped by a 477-foot shot to the third deck — that got the crowd back into it.
Caglione also sent one over the shrubbery in the batters’ eye that got a big cheer. He finished with eight, well behind Contreras and Walker.
Jordan Walker takes a swing during his Derby at-bat.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker got off to a hot start, but appeared to tire as his round went on.
He managed to tie Willson Contreras with his 13th homer with the “magenta ball,” which is used for the final swing of the round, sending it 382 feet into the left field seats.
Kyle Schwarber stands in a boxing ring during player introductions. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
This year’s Home Run Derby jumped to Netflix from ESPN, which had broadcast the event for more than 30 years.
While Barry Bonds and Anthony Rizzo were terrific on Netflix’s pregame show, a few technical glitches and unnecessary cross promotion rubbed some sports media pundits and fans the wrong way.
The most noticeable issue was Netflix turning to Will Ferrell and his costars from The Hawk (coming soon to the streamer) to help introduce the players. Maybe it was funny, but everything they said was drowned out by the crowd during the broadcast.
Will Ferrell introducing Bryce Harper at the #HRDerby:
Maybe I'm way off, but I don't think the Will Ferrell-Luke Wilson thing is working at all. (Honestly, I get the sense that *they* also know it isn't working.)
With Pa. budget approved, Lt. Gov. Davis takes in a ballgame
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov Austin Davis meets with Cowboys Hall of Famer Michael Irvin ahead of the Home Run Derby. Abraham Gutman / staff
The negotiations are over and the state budget is done — so Lt. Gov. Austin Davis is enjoying a change of pace at Citizen Bank Park.
The Democrat is in Philadelphia for the MLB Home Run Derby, the latest major sporting event Pennsylvania has hosted this year, following the NFL draft in Pittsburg and FIFA World Cup games in Philly. And the state’s second top executive has been proud.
“Pennsylvania this year really showed how diverse and how great our commonwealth is,” Davis said. “I think we absolutely rolled out the red carpet to welcome the country and the world.”
Wearing a Pittsburg Pirate’s polo, Davis stood behind home plate before the game to watch batting practice.
He roots for the Phillies — when they don’t play the Pirates, of course — but at the end of the day he’s a “Pittsburg boy through and through” and has to “fly the black and gold.”
Josh Shapiro’s second-in-command took in the carnival-like ambiance on the field, surrounded by baseball and sports royalty. He stopped Michael Irvin, former-Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, for a photo.
The prolonged budget season was so all consuming, Davis said, he didn’t have the mental space to think too much about who he thinks will win tonight’s Derby.
“It’s just going be a great time, to see so many folks come out tonight and enjoy this great ballpark,” he said
Phillies Bryce Harper (left) walks with his National League All Stars during batting practice Monday. Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerFans reach for a ball hit during batting practice at Citizens Bank Park. Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerKyle Schwarber speaks to reporters Monday afernoonMonica Herndon / Staff PhotographerPhillies interim manager Don Mattingly sports an All-Star cap.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerEagles general manager Howie Roseman takes in the festivities. Alex Coffey /
You can cross at least one name off the Phillies list of potential acquisitions at the trade deadline.
Before Monday’s Home Run Derby, Twins center fielder Byron Buxton made it clear that he would not consider waiving his no-trade clause even for a trade to a contender.
The 32-year-old center fielder has long been mentioned as an ideal trade target for a Phillies team that is in desperate need of right-handed pop. He certainly brings that in abundance, and at a premium position, with 25 home runs in 335 plate appearances thus far this season. But Buxton has been steadfast in his loyalty both to the state of Minnesota and to the organization that drafted him No. 2 overall in 2012.
“I’ve got family,” Buxton explained on Monday. “My family loves Minnesota. I’ve got two kids that grew up there, one of them was born there. It’s a special place not only for me but for my family. You’re not just moving me, you’re moving my whole family and what we have built in Minnesota.”
Buxton also sounded an optimistic note about the Twins, who have outperformed expectations with a 48=49 record despite last season’s firesale that included the trade of closer Jhoan Duran to the Phillies.
“What we have there and what we can accomplish, we’ve got something special going and it’s something I want to be a part of,” Buxton said.
Tigers rookie All Star Kevin McGonigle grew up in Delco and still has a Cole Hamels poster on his wall
Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle speak to reporters Monday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Kevin McGonigle idolized Chase Utley, went to Phillies games with his buddies, and had posters on the wall of his Delaware County bedroom.
“I still have a Cole Hamels poster on my wall,” McGonigle said on the eve of playing in Tuesday’s All Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies could have drafted McGonigle in 2023. They scouted him at Bonner-Prendergast, worked him out at the ballpark, and were well aware of the infielder from Ridley who grew up a diehard. But the Phillies passed on McGonigle and drafted Aidan Miller with the 27th overall pick while McGonigle went No. 37 to Detroit.
Kevin McGonigle is taking batting practice right now at CBP.
McGonigle, 21, is an All Star as a rookie with a .812 OPS while playing shortstop and third base. Miller, 22, has not played this season and underwent a procedure last month to address a recurring back issue. He’s expected to be sidelined until late July or early August.
“I knew the Phillies were coming up to pick but I didn’t get a phone call so I knew that wasn’t going to work out,” McGonigle said. “But it all worked out perfectly, I’d say. I’m in the spot I want to be in: Detroit. The city, the fans, it’s unbelievable with how they’ve treated me so far. Eight more years and hopefully more with that city. I can’t thank that fan base enough.”
McGonigle went to a Phillies playoff game with his family in 2023, a month after he finished his first minor-league season with Detroit. A year earlier, he wore Phillies gear to Red October. But now the fan was employed by another team. He wore neutral colors that night but admitted it took some time to shed his fandom. But he’s not shedding his accent.
“Sometimes, I’ll say ‘Wooder’ and they’ll be like ‘What did you say?,’” McGonigle said. “And I’ll go, ‘I’m sorry. Wah-ter.’ It’s just how I grew up saying it. I’ll say some things differently being from Delaware County and they’ll give me crap about the way I say things. It’s just funny to me. I don’t even realize I say it in a different way. ‘What did you say?’ ‘What do you mean?”
McGonigle hung out Sunday night with his Delco buddies and slept Sunday night in his childhood bedroom, the one with the Hamels poster on the wall. For one day, the trip from Ridley to South Philly was his route to work. Perhaps it could have become his usual trip.
“It took a lot of work to get where I am today,” McGonigle said. “And the main reason is where I’m from. That’s Delco.”
In front of home crowd, Bryce Harper is ready to ‘launch’
Philadelphia Phillies infielder Bryce Harper speaks during the National League Media Availability at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Bryce Harper does not take batting practice outside often, as he prefers to finetune his swing before games in the ballpark’s indoor batting cages. But when he does swing outside, he acts like he’s in a Home Run Derby.
“When I go out for BP, I want to launch,” Harper said Monday, a few hours before he’ll take part in the derby at Citizens Bank Park. “That’s the only time I go out there, is to launch and feel that.”
Harper said he has hit batting practice homers at Citizens Bank Park into the third deck in right field and onto Ashburn Alley. So the Alley is in play on Tuesday?
“For sure,” Harper said.
Harper said Monday night’s event will be his last Home Run Derby, which he won in 2018 in Washington while playing for the Nationals. His opponent that night in the final? Kyle Schwarber, who was then playing for the Cubs.
“I just remember the cinematic movie thing,” Schwarber said. “… That last 45 seconds, he just catches fire and starts peeling them off left and right. You sit back and it’s like you’re watching a movie. It was made to be and it was really cool to see.”
Harper said he stopped regularly taking batting practice outside in 2015 at the suggestion of Matt Williams, who was then Washington’s hitting coach. He can still tell in the indoor cage if he hit a ball hard. But sometimes he does wander outside to put on a show. On Monday, the fans will get a glimpse of it.
“I hope everyone enjoys it,” Harper said. “I hope everyone sees what Philly is all about. Every year we get into the postseason, they see our fans. I think that’s a big look for free agents and possible trade targets and things like that. They see our fan base, the style our fan base has, and how loud it is. It’s just a lot of fun to be a part of.”
Giant blue baseball gloves take over Home Run Derby outfield seats
Don’t adjust your television sets — those are not tiny fans trying to catch home runs in the outfield seats. It’s the giant gloves, courtesy ofd Geico.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
There are going to be some massive gloves fielding home runs in the outfield seats at the Home Run Derby. Geico provided gigantic blue gloves for fans seated across 16 outfield sections at Citizens Bank Park.
But if you’re headed down to the park, don’t go discarding your regular-sized glove just yet. The gloves’ giant size makes them exceedingly hard to close. If you catch a home run inside it, it’ll probably just fall right out — if you can even hold it up.
Chase Utley: If I lived here, I’d work for the Phillies
Chase Utley poses for a selfie with a fan inside Sarcone’s Bakery on Monday.
Patrons of Sarcone’s Bakery — the 108-year-old South Philadelphia staple — are accustomed to seeing familiar faces behind the counter. On Monday, guests were served by a new member of the Sarcone’s family: Chase Utley.
The Phillies legend helped serve tomato pie to fans lined up around the corner as a part of the bakery’s partnership with sports apparel company ’47. The two companies teamed up to host a pop-up inside the bakery. Guests who purchased food received an exclusive Sarcone’s T-shirt and hat, produced by ’47.
After Utley finished up behind Sarcone’s counter, The Inquirer caught up with the former second baseman, who will be inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame next month …
Q: We’re at Sarcones today. You just got done serving and meeting some fans. Could you tell me a little about that experience?
It’s good to be back in Philadelphia in a historic place like Sarcone’s. It just brings back so many different memories. Interacting with all the fans, talking about some old times, some stories we had over the years was fantastic. I’m happy that Sarcone’s had me out here.
Once or twice a month I’d roll through this area, stop at Sarcone’s [Deli], and grab a pie or a cheesesteak. There was a certain point we would order a bunch for the clubhouse. They’ve done such a good job. The store has been here over 100 years, which is so unbelievable. They run a good ship.
Chase Utley works behind the counter at Sarcone’s Bakery in South Philly.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
Q: You recently were hired by the Dodgers as the team’s special assistant to the president of baseball operations. Can you talk about how that’s going so far?
I finished my career in Los Angeles. I live in Los Angeles, and I wanted to still be around baseball, but still be around my family and not travel too much. So it made sense just to get under their hood a little bit and understand what they’re doing. I get to sleep in my bed every single night, it’s a fantastic organization. I love Philadelphia and the Phillies organization. If I lived in Philadelphia, I would do the same thing.
Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper answers questions during All-Star media day at Citizens Bank Park.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Bryce Harper is flanked by Phillies media-relations director Kevin Gregg (left) and agent Scott Boras, who stand poised to pounce in case anyone utters the words “fan” and “duel.”
Bryce Harper joins the chorus of stars pitching LeBron James
Phillies outfield Bryce Harper was the latest Philly star to pitch NBA free agent and future Hall of Famer LeBron James on the idea of bringing his talents to South Philly, joining Saquon Barkley, Jaylen Brown, and others.
So what is Harper’s elevator pitch?
“Jaylen Brown, their whole team,” he told the media Monday. “They’ve got an opportunity. They’ve got four guys that are really good, got a great fan base.”
Bryce Harper Makes LeBron James free-agent pitch to come to Philly & Join Sixers
Mike Trout on Phillies: I’m an Angel, but ‘I love this city’
Angels outfielder and Vineland native Mike Trout, who will lead off for the American League at Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game, was asked Monday afternoon whether he’d ever like to play for the Phillies.
“I didn’t think I was going to hear this question,” he said sarcastically before continuing. “You know, I hear this a lot. Like I said before, I enjoy coming to Philly. I’m an Angel, obviously. I’ve got a no-trade clause, so it’s all my decision. But, like I said, I love this city.”
Chris Sale calls Zack Wheeler snub a ‘head-scratcher’
Phillies fans — and former players — aren’t alone in wondering why starting pitcher Zack Wheeler, who delivered another gem on Sunday against the Tigers, wasn’t among the players initially selected to represent the National League at this year’s MLB All-Star Game in home ballpark.
Braves starter Chris Sale, a 10-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner, said Monday during media day at Citizens Bank Park that the decision not to pick Wheeler, who ultimately turned down a last-minute invite from MLB, was a “head-scratcher, to say the least.”
Chris Sale says Zack Wheeler not making the All-Star team is a "head-scratcher, to say the least."
"His numbers are better than mine, and I'm sitting here. I'll leave it at that." pic.twitter.com/oKIJ63YoAx
While the 37-year-old Sale is having a All-Star season — 9-6 with a 2.20 ERA, 1.112 WHIP, and 4.68 strikeout/walk ratio — Wheeler has indeed been better, posting a 2.13 ERA, 0.892 WHIP, and a 4.91 SO/BB ratio.
Wheeler’s WAR for pitchers (4.8) is second in the national league to just Cristopher Sànchez.
Kyle Schwarber vs. Bryce Harper: Who wins in a Home Run Derby?
// Timestamp 07/13/26 2:22pm
Kyle Schwarber will lead off for National League; Marsh will bat seventh
Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber will hit leadoff for the National League at Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The starting lineups for Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game were revealed by the teams’ respective managers Monday at Citizens Bank Park.
The lineup behind Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez, who gets the start on the mound for the National League, will begin with his Phillies teammate, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. Outfielder Brandon Marsh will bat seventh for Dave Roberts’ NL squad. Here’s a look at the full order:
Kyle Schwarber, DH, Phillies
Juan Soto, LF, Mets
Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers
CJ Abrams, SS, Nationals
Max Muncy, 3B, Dodgers
Ozzie Albies, 2B, Braves
Brandon Marsh, RF, Phillies
Andy Pages, CF, Dodgers
Drake Baldwin, C, Braves
Meanwhile, here’s a look at the starting lineup for John Schneider’s American League side, behind starting pitcher Dylan Cease of the Blue Jays:
Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, and Bobby Witt Jr. meet fans in Center City
Bryce Harper’s night may be booked with the Home Run Derby, but the Phillies first baseman spent some time earlier on Monday meeting and taking pictures with fans at an Under Armour pop-up event in Center City.
The company announced on Instagram that Harper, Bobby Witt Jr., and Juan Soto would be making an appearance at the Under Armour Dugout at 1190 Market Street to meet fans. By the time the event got underway around 11:30 a.m., the line extended down the city block.
Bryce Harper, Bobby Witt Jr., and Juan Soto are appearing at the Under Armour Dugout on 12th & Market for a fan meet and greet starting at 11:30. With five minutes until the start, the line currently extends all the way down to 11th & Market. pic.twitter.com/YtU1Zob4AQ
Witt Jr. signed baseballs and took photos before showing off his skills — or rather lack of skill — with a few rounds of Backyard Baseball.
Bobby Witt Jr. is a lot better at Major League Baseball than he is at Backyard Baseball. He put on a show for fans at the Under Armour meet and greet, but his skills were lacking. pic.twitter.com/HKug2HUN6D
And despite being a member of the rival New York Mets, there was love for Soto in Philly too, with fans lining up to take photos with him in front of the Under Armour logo.
Fans in Philly were also showing love to Juan Soto, taking pictures with him at the Under Armour store as well. pic.twitter.com/Z7i241dbxj
Harper and Soto will team up again tomorrow night when they represent the National League and go head-to-head with Witt and the American League in the All-Star Game.
— Mia Messina
// Timestamp 07/13/26 1:33pm
Exclusive All-Star Game merch is big business
Foocoos mini bobble head mystery boxes showcasing the few bobble heads you can open at the All Star Games Media Preview to showcase All-Star Week Events, New Food, and Commemorative Bell at the Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa., on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Take me out to the gift shop.
The MLB All-Star Game has become a temporary retail city built around exclusivity, collectibility, and host-city pride. Fanatics’ 16,000-square-foot flagship at the ticketed All-Star Village at the Convention Center carries more than 400 product styles, while Aramark’s 7,500-square-foot ballpark store (open to the public without a ticket) offers about 400 All-Star items, roughly 75% exclusive.
Across the ballpark, All-Star Village, and MLB’s online stores, fans can choose from about 600 products, from the wild (there’s a sports jacket covered in the logos of all 30 teams) to the Philly-themed (‘47 Sports “Hit That Jawn” T-shirt) to the routine (Foocoos mini bobblehead figures sold in blind boxes) to genuine objets d’art (original 3D pop-art posters by artist Charles Fazzino. And T-shirts and hats and jerseys, of course.
Why buy? The retail analysts we spoke to say it all boils down to one thing: You want to prove you were there.
Bryce Harper responds to Inquirer gambling video investigation
First baseman Bryce Harper is one of the Phillies’ six All-Stars.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Bryce Harper, the Phillies All-Star first basemen, claimed on Monday that he was unknowingly working on behalf of FanDuel when he recorded a personalized video for a man with a gambling addiction who had placed millions of dollars in bets on the site.
Harper said on his verified Instagram account that he had joined the messaging site Cameo to engage with fans with paid videos but that “what happened here went beyond anything I knew about or approved.”
“I did not know this video would be used for commercial purposes,” Harper wrote. “The request included a short script. I read it in good faith. FanDuel then put its own logo on the video and used it as a gambling promotion. I did not know FanDuel would do this, I did not consent to it, and FanDuel had no right to do it.”
The Inquirer obtained a copy of the 21-second video from November 2024, which is marked with a blue FanDuel logo and shows Harper offering a greeting to the bettor, Terry Thompson, and Thompson’s son, by name.
Harper’s statement also said he has no affiliation with FanDuel and that “Contrary to the Inquirer’s suggestion, I did not know that the Cameo video would be used for a FanDuel VIP promotion.”
However, in the video Harper states that he’s reaching out at the request of Thompson’s VIP manager — “your host Bryttanni at FanDuel.” Harper also posted the Cameo script, which included the language about FanDuel.
The Inquirer reported on the video on Thursday. Harper had declined to comment until today. His statement came ahead of Monday night’s 2026 MLB Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park. A media availability is planned for this afternoon.
The Inquirer will continue to report on issues related to the growth of gambling addiction — among teens and adults — across Pennsylvania. If you, or someone you know, wants to speak with a reporter, please contact David Gambacorta or William Bender at dgambacorta@inquirer.com and wbender@inquirer.com
Ryan Howard talks Home Run Derby: I hope someone ‘hits that bell on the fly’
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (center) watches as his home run sails out of PNC Park in Pittsburgh during the 2006 Home Run Derby.ASSOCIATED PRESS
Twenty years ago, Ryan Howard launched baseballs into the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh and won MLB’s annual Home Run Derby.
In some ways, it launched his career.
Howard was the National League’s Rookie of the Year in 2005. But his star turn at the 2006 Derby came in the midst of a season in which he won NL MVP and became the foremost power hitter in the sport for a six-year stretch.
As the All-Star Game returns to Philadelphia for the first time in 30 years, Howard sat down with Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast, to discuss the Phillies’ first half, his expectations for a Home Run Derby in Citizens Bank Park, and more.
Q: You played in three All-Star games in your career. You were the Home Run Derby champ in 2006. When I say All-Star Game, what sticks out to to you from your career?
A: When you say All-Star Game, it’s one of those things that when you’re younger, you always strive to want to be a part of. It’s kind of where, it’s the elite of the elite, if you will, and you’re always striving to try to make an All-Star team, and you’re always striving to try to win a championship. So to be able to participate on the All-Star teams and be recognized by the fans and your peers as one of the top players, in the middle of the season, is something that’s always such a great honor to have. And it means you’re doing something right. So you always want to continue to try to do something like that.
Q: How much are you looking forward to seeing what a Home Run Derby in Citizens Bank Park will look like?
A: I’m so excited to see what it’ll look like. This group of guys are just different. It’s a whole different level of strength, and these guys are bigger, stronger, faster. The ball just travels further, so I’m excited to see where the ball lands. Charlie [Manuel] always told Jimmy [Thome] and I that he saw Julio Franco hit a ball in batting practice that hit the bell. Now we’ve said that’s a little suspect, Charlie. There’s got to be like a 35 mph tail wind. He’s got to catch it and do the whole nine, but like it’ll be very interesting. I think somebody could potentially get close to trying to hit that bell, so I would love to see somebody hit a ball that goes up and hits that bell on the fly.
A: Kyle Schwarber is one of the preeminent sluggers of this generation, him and Aaron Judge, and certainly Shohei Ohtani. Is this the year that maybe Schwarber matches or tops your Phillies record 58 home runs in a season?
A: He’s must watch TV. You don’t want to miss his at-bat because of what he’s able to do with the swing of the bat — the ball comes off his bat different. It’s just so violent, and the swing is so … quick and it’s so violent off the bat that it’s so fun to watch. The ball he hit a few years ago in San Diego, people don’t do that. People don’t hit the ball like that, but Schwarber does. As far as the 58, it’s just a matter of him staying healthy and just continuing to stay consistent and do what he does. He got close last year [with 56]. Right now he’s at [32]. You just want him to stay healthy and be good for the stretch run, and he’s going to get those hot streaks where he’s dropping off like five, six, seven homers in a week, and again it’s like video game type stuff.
But it’s fun to watch. I like to call it kind of like some blackout moments where you’re like, I don’t even know what’s going on, but I’m not going to fight it. And he gets in those zones where it’s just like it feels like every time the bat comes off your shoulder, damage will be done, and usually it winds up on the other side of the fence.
The Schmitter returns to Citizens Bank Park tonight
The Schmitter sandwich displayed at the All Star Games Media Preview to showcase All-Star Week Events, New Food, and Commemorative Bell at the Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa., on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
One of Philadelphia’s signature sandwiches is heading back to Citizens Bank Park after a decade away.
The Schmitter, the classic cheesesteak-salami creation from McNally’s Tavern in Chestnut Hill, will return during the forthcoming Major League Baseball All-Star festivities, Aramark announced as it unveiled a lineup of foods and merchandise at the ballpark Wednesday.
The Schmitter, which has a spot on The Inquirer’s list of 76 essential foods, will be served at Pass & Stow, the sports bar accessible to ticketed fans, throughout All-Star Week. Aramark, the Phillies’ concessionaire, plans to keep it on the ballpark menu through at least the end of the season.
It joins a lineup of fan-voted creations and Philadelphia chef collaborations at Citizens Bank Park, which hosts four days of events starting with the HBCU Swingman Classic on Friday.
Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper will be first Phillies teammates to compete in Home Run Derby
Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber will compete in Monday’s Home Run Derby.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Phillies haven’t had a Home Run Derby champion since 2006, when Ryan Howard blasted 23 total to take the crown.
This year, at Monday’s competition at Citizens Bank Park, they will have double the chance. Because for the first time in the 41-year history of the Derby, the Phillies have a pair of teammates competing against each other. Kyle Schwarber announced Friday that he would officially be joining Bryce Harper in the event.
“I just wanted to make sure pretty much getting through that series in Cincinnati, make sure everything was good healthwise, and everything’s been trending the right way. So that’s when we pretty much made a decision to do it,” Schwarber said.
Schwarber and Harper have competed in the same Derby before in 2018, although they were representing different teams. With Harper in his final year with the Nationals and Schwarber playing with the Cubs, the future teammates found themselves in the final round together in Washington D.C. Harper bashed 19 homers to narrowly best Schwarber’s 18.
Schwarber hopes that this year ends with another rematch.
“I think it would be awesome, especially in Philadelphia, where our fans obviously are going to get the opportunity to really show out what they’re capable of and what we’ve seen for years and years of just pure electricity,” he said. “So I think it would be a pretty cool ending there if that could happen. But we’ll see what happens.”
One-time Phillies outfield Hunter Pence will be part of Netflix’s broadcast of the Derby
For the first time in more than 30 years, the Home Run Derby has a new broadcast home, and it won’t appear on either broadcast or cable TV.
Instead, it will stream exclusively on Netflix beginning at 8 p.m. Philly time as part of a three-year deal that also included MLB’s opening night back in March and next month’s Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa between the Phillies and Minnesota Twins.
Calling all the action will be Matt Vasgersian, with Elle Duncan and Lauren Shehadi also leading the coverage. Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Anthony Rizzo, CC Sabathia, and former Phillies outfielder Hunter Pence will also provide analysis.
“The Home Run Derby’s always been one of my favorite things as a kid,” Pence said. “I’m going to be in the stands a little bit. I’m going to be in the booth as well… Netflix definitely has some excitement up their sleeve.”
Netflix hasn’t offered many details about its plans for the Derby, but if its opening night telecast is anything to go by, expect a lot of stars. Among them will be former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin, who hosts The White House video podcast for Netflix.
Breakout White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami was the final player to join the Home Run Derby.Nam Y. Huh
Kyle Schwarber, Phillies
Bryce Harper, Phillies
Jordan Walker, Cardinals
Wilson Contreras, Red Sox
Munetaka Murakami, White Sox
Jac Caglianone, Royals
Ben Rice, Yankees
Junior Caminero, Rays
Not participating for the second straight season is Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso, one of only four players to win multiple Derby championships. Despite a strong first-half, Alonso wasn’t selected to this year’s All-Star Game.
Also not competing is last year’s winner, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who has struggled this year after being last year’s American League MVP runner-up.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh wears a large necklace after winning the Derby last year.Lindsey Wasson
This year’s Derby has a different format that previous years.
For starters, there won’t be a timer. Instead, each slugger will get a set number of swings each round — 20 in the first round and 15 in both the second and final rounds.
The last Derby without a clock was 2014.
There’s also a “keep going” rule. If the batter hits a homer on his final attempt, he’ll keeping swinging until he fails to blast out a home run.
“I love it,” said former Phillies outfielder Hunter Pence, who is calling the event on Netflix. “It’s really awesome for TV and healthier for the players. They’re not just having this endurance contest. We get to really feel each swing and each player.”
There also won’t be a bracket for the first round. Instead, the four sluggers will the most homers during the first round will move on to the second. There the competition shifts to head-to-head until a champion is crowned.
Philly road closures due to tonight’s Home Run Derby
Banners for The All Star Game hang at the Citizens Bank Park.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
On Monday, Independence Mall will see road closures starting at 5 a.m. to accommodate building out the MLB Red Carpet Show. Set to be in place through midnight, those closures will impact:
Fifth Street between Market and Chestnut Streets
Ludlow Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets
Randstead Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets
Independence Mall will remain tied up Tuesday for the MLB Red Carpet show itself, with closures again in place from 5 a.m. to midnight. Those closures will affect:
Fifth and Sixth Streets from Arch to Walnut Streets
Market and Chestnut Streets from Fourth to Seventh Streets
Ranstead and Sansom Streets from Sixth to Seventh Streets
Philadelphia police, the city said, may institute additional closures in the interest of public safety.
All roads affected by closures will also be temporary no-parking zones, the city said. If vehicles are parked in those locations during the times they are closed, the vehicles will be moved.
Drivers who may have had their cars moved should contact the police district of the area where their vehicle was parked, the city said.
To accommodate fans heading to Citizens Bank Park, SEPTA will run six additional express trains on the Broad Street Line, also known as the B Line, to NRG Station before and after the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game Monday and Tuesday.
Free rides on the line from NRG Station will also be available at select times during those events. Free rides begin after the second round of the Home Run Derby on Monday, and after the sixth inning of the All-Star Game Tuesday, the city said.
Soon after Aubrey Lee graduated college and moved to Queen Villagein 2021, she determined that her burgeoning career in marketing would be aided by time spent in an actual office.
Partly that’s because her first job was fully remote, and she was laid off after only five months. But she also found it alienating to fully work from home, with little chance to interact with coworkers.
So Lee prioritized finding jobs with in-office requirements, and her next one — secured two weeks later — allowed only one day of remote work a week.
“I feel like remote work, especially at such an early point in my career, made me more of a face on a Teams screen than an actual person,” said Lee, who is 27. “I’d also been inside, locked away from my senior year of college during COVID and feeling very isolated.”
Lee said her friends generally agree that working outside the office early in their careers was a hindrance.
“Working remotely can have stunting effects on people’s careers, in terms of both being laid off and not being promoted,” said Lee, whose current job at Publicis Health Media in Old City, is also four days a week in-office.
Remote work has many advantages, especially for those with physical disabilities, parents of small children, older workers, and those caring for elderly relatives. It also reduces time spent commuting and money spent eating at restaurants.
But soon after desks emptied in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, battle lines began forming over the future of the office.
Workers were generally seen as being in favor of the flexibility that comes with remote work, while many employers and managers wanted people back in the office soon after it was safe.
A recent burst of new academic research argues that remote work makes Americans lonelier — especially those who live alone — and that it disadvantages those starting out in the workforce.
Unemployment is relatively high among college graduates and nongraduates, unlike their older counterparts.
Several recent studies argue that the depressed labor market for younger workers — which is often attributed to the explosive growth of artificial intelligence — more neatly matches the rise of remote and hybrid work.
Economists Natalia Emanuel, Emma Harrington, and Amanda Pallais argue that “64% of the recent increase in unemployment among young college graduates is due to remote work.”
They found unemployment among recent college graduates in remote-capable jobs rose early in the pandemic and remains elevated, while those in nonremote capable jobs saw a larger spike in unemployment during lockdown and then a return to the norm.
More experienced remote-capable workers, meanwhile, saw their unemployment levels fall slightly in 2020 and remain lower than pre-pandemic.
“Our overall takeaway is that for young people specifically, it looks like this rise in remote work made it relatively difficult for them to find a job,” said Harrington, assistant professor of economics at the University of Virginia.
The researchers examined hiring at a Fortune 500 online retailer and found that young engineers who worked remotely would get 20% less feedback from their colleagues. They ended up writing lower-quality code, and the company hired fewer younger workers.
“If it’s going to be really hard to build talent internally, one reasonable response is, ‘Well, let’s just not do that,’” Harrington said. “Let’s try to buy talent that has already been built up. That’s consistent with what we’re seeing in the unemployment data.”
Remote work and loneliness
Harrington and Emanuel’s research also has found that remote work increases loneliness by making it harder for people to socialize or make friends in their adult lives, leading to negative effects on mental health.
That resonated with West Philadelphia engineerJohn Reid’s experience with an almost fully remote job he got in 2022. In his case, the company did have an office, in Valley Forge, but few people actually worked from there.
At first Reid, 38, enjoyed the remote work lifestyle, especially with a new child at home. But as the years wore on, that changed.
“I was mostly remote until late 2025, and I felt like I was getting weird from working at home all the time,” Reid said. “I still had a decent amount of interaction because we live in the city, and I was walking to daycare, but there was less serendipity or new connection than I was used to.”
Today Reid has a new engineeringjob in Center City, which requires three days a week in-office. He said he would prefer not to go back to fully remote work, nor to a job that was in-office five days a week.
Many workers have returned to offices since the pandemic, but remote work remains desirable to many.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
That’s largely the equilibrium that office work has settled into.
After a big push to get workers back to the office in 2022 and 2023, little has changed in recent years. Today, 26% of paid work days in the U.S. are worked from home. That’s up from 7% pre-pandemic, but down from 60% in April 2020.
Some negative aspects of remote work can be salved
There are still plenty of remote work enthusiasts among employees, bosses, and labor experts. After all, hybrid work has become the new norm and many still enjoy fully remote work, with a solid 10% of office workers still working from home, according to Nicholas Bloom, economist at Stanford University.
There are ways to mitigate the negative aspects of remote work, he said.
One recent study by Bloom and his coauthors published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, found that a fully remote firm in Turkey saw“weaker team cohesion, fewer opportunities for real-time coaching and persistent retention problems.”
But a control group of workers who began meeting just one day a month in the office saw increases in productivity and attrition decline by a third.
That suggests even a little team building, and in-person interaction, can go a long way.
When Jake Stein, the CEO of Common Paper, was planning to start his legal technology company before the pandemic, he wanted it to be fully remote. He lives in Society Hill and at his previous company had been frustrated by losing workers to cross-country moves.
He agrees that in-person work is a great bonding experience. Many of his closest friends date to his time at a five-day-a-week office job early in his career. But he doesn’t want to restrict his hiring to the talent pool that’s just within an hour drive of Philadelphia.
Instead, Stein strives to ameliorate the disadvantages of remote work by hosting regular get-togethers, including a weeklong company trip to Mexico City.
Common Paper also offers structured and recurring mentorship for their employees, with softwarecode review and feedback, as well as “lunch and learns” where workers educate one another.
Jake Stein outside his Philadelphia home.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
“Things that might happen organically, we’re trying to make them happen on a schedule and with a process,” Stein said. “These are things that you get [easily] in an in-person office. In many cases, they are gettable in a remote setting, but it requires a lot more deliberate effort.”
What about young workers?
Stein said the fully remote model has been successful, although he noted that he does tend to hire more veteran tech workers.
“There’s a bunch of factors, but it’s definitely true that if you look at the average age, it’s for sure higher in the remote setting,” said Stein, who has seven employees.
But he said its hard to know why that’s been the case. It’s probably also true that older workers, with kids or other family responsibilities, are more interested in applying for fully remote jobs.
Bloom agreed that on a larger scale, it’s hard to tell if remote work disadvantages younger people.
It’s probably part of the story, he said, but it’s hard to disentangle from other factors, including pandemic-era over-hiring in sectors like tech and finance, the disastrous effects of remote schooling during the pandemic, and the rise of artificial intelligence.
“Typically in economics when there are four factors, they all tend to be at play,” Bloom said. “They all look similar; they have similar timings, and similar effects.”
Bloom said his research has found little evidence that most workers want to return to the pre-pandemic norm of working in the office five days a week.
At the same time, remote work remains a boon to many, he said.
“Setting aside for young people, remote work almost surely has increased employment because there’s a lot of people that can’t work without it,” Bloom said.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board says it is examining a video of Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper that FanDuel sent in 2024 to a VIP bettor who was struggling with a gambling addiction.
“We are aware of the situation and are reviewing it,” Doug Harbach, a spokesperson for the board, said Friday. “I can’t comment beyond that at this juncture.”
It’s unclear if the gaming control board, which regulates casinos, online gambling and sports wagering, has contacted FanDuel or Harper. David Purdum of ESPN first reported the gaming board’s interest in the situation.
The Inquirer obtained the 21-second video, which shows Harper greeting the bettor, Terry Thompson, and Thompson’s son, and ends with Harper thanking Thompson for his support.
Harper is not wearing FanDuel merchandise in the video, but it is marked with the company’s logo. Harper mentions that he was reaching out at the request of Thompson’s VIP manager — “your host Bryttanni at FanDuel” — who wanted to ensure that Thompson had an “extra special Thanksgiving.”
The Inquirer could find no evidence that Harper has a business relationship with FanDuel, nor that he was aware Thompson had a gambling addiction. Harper declined through the Phillies on Thursday to comment.
FanDuel obtained the video from Cameo, a source familiar with the matter said Friday.
The company allows users to pay athletes, celebrities and musicians to record personal messages for them.
On its website Cameo notes that celebrities don’t necessarily have to follow a purchaser’s instructions.
“You acknowledge and agree that the Talent User has sole discretion to determine how to fulfill your request and the content of the CAMEO Video created, and may not follow your request exactly,” reads part of its terms of services.
Cameo did not respond Friday to multiple requests from The Inquirer for comment.
A video of Harper addressing an individual can be purchased from Cameo for $899. He also offers recordings for businesses for $9,999.
The Inquirer earlier in the week shared the FanDuel video with Harper’s longtime agent, Scott Boras, the Phillies, and Major League Baseball. Each declined to comment.
Beginning in 2020, Thompson wagered $18.5 million with FanDuel and lost $1.5 million, according to a lawsuit that the Public Health Advocacy Institute filed in March in Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia on behalf of Thompson and against FanDuel and DraftKings, to which Thompson also lost money.
Harper is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Thompson’s attorneys allege that he became addicted to placing microbets — in-game wagers on something as minor as the speed of a pitch during a baseball game — until he gambled away his final $10,000 on a DraftKings parlay bet in February.
Broke and afraid of disclosing the scope of his losses to his family, Thompson contacted his therapist and indicated that he planned to take his life.
He typically announces new endorsement deals, which in the past have included companies such as Under Armour, Gatorade, and Dairy Queen.
The Inquirer will continue to report on issues related to the growth of gambling addiction — among teens and adults — across Pennsylvania. If you, or someone you know, would like to speak with a reporter, please contact David Gambacorta or William Bender at dgambacorta@inquirer.com or wbender@inquirer.com
Paul Carpenter grew up in Northwest Philly watching the 1993 Phillies take over the city as they claimed the National League East title.
Witnessing their success gave him inspiration for his first big project. At just 8 years old, the young artist stared at his bedroom wall, visualizing a blank canvas for his very first mural: a painting of the NL East champions.
Now, over three decades later, Carpenter has landed his “dream job,” designing Deer Park’s limited-edition All-Star Game aluminum bottles as the midsummer classic makes its way to Philadelphia.
“This just aligned perfectly for me,” Carpenter said. “Obviously, I’m a die-hard Philly sports fan. This being the All-Star Game, such a high-profile game, it’s just mind-blowing. A really great opportunity for me.”
Paul Carpenter created the design on the Deer Park limited-edition 2026 MLB All-Star aluminum bottles.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Carpenter has created art his whole life and studied illustration in college at Delaware. After years doing design work for La Vida Hospitality and Liquid, Surf, Skate, Snow in Delaware, he made his way back to Philly in 2009.
Despite his experience designing beer cans for Crooked Hammock Brewery, there still were challenges printing the design.
“The scale was pretty hard to envision, and making sure that everything still’s readable, that the hierarchy of the design holds up and that the different layers of color came out correctly to make the design look exciting and make Philadelphia look great nationally,” Carpenter said. “But, basically, it’s a love letter to Philadelphia. I wanted to capture all the things that really resonate with our cultural fabric as a city.”
The design features iconic monuments like the Liberty Bell and Ben Franklin holding a baseball bat. The city’s food culture is represented with images of cheesesteaks, crab fries, and soft pretzels. And there are plenty of Easter eggs for Philly natives — including a reference to the “Woohoo guy” and the William Penn curse.
“This was easy,” Carpenter said. “This was all low-hanging fruit. It’s all stuff that’s in my lexicon and visual language at this point.”
Now, Carpenter has a new challenge presented to him: recreating the design in mural form.
Carpenter has created over 30 murals — not including the one from his childhood bedroom — many of which are in the Philadelphia area, including 11 pillars at Xfinity Mobile Arena and one at Citizens Bank Park.
The toughest part about this the mural? “The scale.”
“They’re almost polar opposites,” Carpenter said. “The bottle is very small, 12 inches high, and vertically orientated. And the wall, we got is 2,700 square feet. So, basically, it was like cutting, chopping up the design, and redesigning it to a much different scale.
“When it’s on a scale of this magnitude and you’re walking down the street, it definitely impacts you differently. All of a sudden, instead of the water ice being tiny, it’s six feet tall.”
The design features iconic monuments like the Liberty Bell and Ben Franklin holding a baseball bat, the city’s food culture, and plenty of Easter eggs for Philly natives — including a reference to the “Woohoo guy” and the William Penn curse.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
It will take nearly two weeks for Carpenter to finish the mural, known as Hometown Grit, located on Oregon Avenue and South 20th Street. Throughout the process, he painted through all the elements, from thunderstorms to 100 degree heat. The finished product will be unveiled around 2 p.m. Saturday.
“I’m really looking forward to the interaction of seeing the neighborhood come together,” Carpenter said. “We’ve been interacting with people all week, and it’s really cool because a lot of the work is bringing the local culture and community together. That’s really the big part of my work, celebrating the city, and the people, and the cultural fabric of the city. There’s so much pride in Philadelphia. It’ll be cool to see that in real time.”
Philadelphia almost certainly will have set more temperature records over the next two days — but maybe not during the steam-bath afternoons.
Nature’s natural cooling system, nightfall, is having a hard time getting it done with the atmosphere so swollen with water vapor. It didn’t get lower than 82 Friday morning and an encore is expected the morning of the Fourth.
Both would be record-high minimum temperatures for the dates in Philadelphia. That record bar is considerably lower than for the high-temperature records — 104 degreesfor Friday, and 103 forSaturday — set during the sizzling 1966 Independence week. A late-day thunderstorm could knock back Saturday’s temperatures, and storms Saturday night are “likely.”
Thursday’s high, 103, tied the record set in 1901, when the nation was a mere 125 years old.
Those potential century-plus readings are attention-getting, but health officials have long held that for heat-related mortality, consistently warm nights are more dangerous than the days, particularly for older people who live alone in brick rowhouses in the city. As a former Philadelphia health official has observed, without nighttime cooling, they can become “brick ovens.”
“The intensity and length of the extreme heat will exacerbate impacts to both people and infrastructure,” the weather service warned.
The sequence of hot nights “are particularly harmful because the body doesn’t have a chance to recover,” said Kraftin Schreyer, associate professor of emergency medicine at Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine. Extreme heat can exacerbate circulatory and lung conditions, and certain mental disorders, she added.
But she and other health experts say the detrimental effects may be modified by the heat the region already has experienced this year.
The Philly forecast for the 250 climax
Friday’s high is expected to challenge the reigning champ, the 104 set during a blistering heat wave in 1966, when the nation was a mere 190 years old.
On Saturday, when Philly celebrates the nation’s 250th birthday, the high may fall just short of 100, said Matt Benz, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, as the high pressure “heat dome” covering much of the nation loses some of its protective power over Philly.
That also could be a window for “ring of fire” thunderstorms that could be nasty. The federal Storm Prediction Center sees a 15% chance that any storms on Saturday could become “severe,” with wind gusts up to 60 mph. The National Weather sees a 60% chance of storms Saturday night.
By Sunday, highs will be backing off to the 90s, however the sequence of warm nights probably will persist, at least in areas of Philadelphia most affected by the urban heat island effect.
The urban heat island and heat-health dangers
The world has been getting warmer, but cities long ago got the jump on climate change, and their impacts on temperature were observed in the 19th century and documented in a famous experiment in the 1950s by legendary climatologist Helmut Landsberg.
Landsberg, who observed temperatures had fallen in some European cities after World War II bombings destroyed buildings, set up instrument arrays in an area of Maryland that was undergoing rapid development. As surfaces were paved and structures erected, he recorded significant localized temperature increases.
In Philly, dense neighborhoods can be several degrees warmer than other areas even within the city. Urban areas reduce cooling at night because they are efficient at storing the sun’s energy and slower to release heat after sunset.
The heat-death tolls in Paris in 2003, Chicago in 1995, and Philadelphia in 1993 underscored the urban heat hazards.
It’s warmer, but heat deaths have dropped dramatically in Philly
“We’ve been really lucky,” said Samuel Eldrich, medical director of the Temple Health-Chestnut Hill Hospital Emergency Department
The decline has a lot do with Philadelphia and that summer of 1993, Eldrich added.
That year, Philadelphia was under fire because it was the only major Eastern city reporting significant numbers of heat deaths. The medical examiner’s office was using forensic evidence, such as closed windows, in determining heat deaths.
The reasoning: With so many people dying, doctors wouldn’t be able to get to the bodies in time to verify core body temperatures of 105 degrees, the standard for hyperthermia. The Centers for Disease Control later decreed Philadelphia’s method was correct, and it was adopted elsewhere.
The dramatically high death toll was the impetus for the city’s emergency response plan, lauded by CDC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that lauded as a national prototype.
It includes opening cooling centers and nudging residents to look in on older neighbors, and having the Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging operate a “heat line,” 215-765-9040. It will be operating daily from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and the agency “can also assist callers reporting concerns about vulnerable neighbors, family members, or community members,” said spokesperson Bill Conallen.
Citing Census figures, the Corporation for Aging says about 95,000 people 65 and older live alone in the city.
‘This is temporary’
Subject to change, the heat wave is due to end Monday, with highs in the lower 80s (remember when that seemed hot?).
In the meantime the experts are offering coping tips, the three most-important being hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
How much water should you drink? More than you think, said Schreyer. Men should drink about a gallon a day, women three quarts, but four to eight cups additional wouldn’t hurt. Sip, don’t guzzle, she said.
At a time when everyone wants to be outside, it’s critical to take breaks in air-conditioned stores, malls, or wherever, even for a few minutes, Eldrich said. “It gives your body a chance to recover,” he said.
Sunny G. Hallowell, associate professor of nursing at Villanova University, recommends cool showers and tepid baths. Also, especially with storms threatened, be prepared for power outages. She suggested storing damp towels in the refrigerator or freezer as a quick cool-down resource should the A/C go off.
She also recommends keeping a cool attitude. “This is temporary,” she said, and if the temperature hits a record, that’s “something to brag about.”
And if you’ve had it with the heat, think back to your misery during the Arctic freezes, and think that with the heat, “You got your wish.”
The region may be getting some significant drought relief during the weekend, and then it may be some time before it gets relief from heat that could persist through July Fourth.
Rounds of showers — possible Friday night into Saturday evening when Croatia and Ghana meet in a World Cup match in South Philly — should be more widespread across the region than Monday’s scattershot downpours, said Brian Hurley, senior branch forecaster with the Weather Prediction Center, in College Park, Md.
The severe storms likely would stay well to the south of Washington, D.C. However, “you always have potential” for a few thunderstorms, he said.
Then, after two decent days Sunday and Monday, what is looking like the longest-lasting hot spell of the season to date is due to get underway Tuesday as temperatures head to the mid-90s.
“That’s going to be main story,” said Hurley.
The wild card for the duration would be the possibility of “ring of fire” thunderstorms, forecasters said, which might have temporary cooling effects. Those are storms that form along the boundaries of high-pressure heat domes, and Philly may be near the eastern edge.
How hot might it get next week in Philly?
Expect some tweaking during the next few days, but with “increasing confidence” the National Weather Service in Mount Holly was seeing heat indexes in the triple figures next week.
Come Tuesday, daytime temperatures should be “off to the races,” said Bill Deger, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc., which has forecast highs up to 98 degrees late in the workweek.
It also will be steamy, and that will inhibit nighttime cooling as water vapor slows the escape of daytime warning. Readings are unlikely to get lower than the 70s Wednesday through at least next Saturday.
The heat could lap into the following week, said Deger. “It shows some staying power,” he said.
The region already has had 14 days with official temperatures of 90 or higher in 2026, about half the average total for an entire year.
The potential for those ring-of-fire storms would be a wild card, said Hurley and Deger.
Cooling thunderstorms can break heat waves, although they may come with a price. Ring-of-fire storms in July 2020 wrung out as much as 6 inches of rain that set off widespread flooding.
As drought continues, the Philly region could use more rain
Six inches might be a bit over the top, but the region could use more rain to ease the ongoing drought conditions.
Some areas received close to 2 inches on Monday and Tuesday; however, the jackpot zones eluded areas where the dry conditions have been most intense — parts of South Jersey and Chester County.
The entire region remained in some state of drought according to the interagency U.S. Drought Monitor, but Chester County was in “severe drought,” along with small pieces of Bucks and Delaware Counties. In “extreme drought” were all of Cape May County, other Jersey Shore towns, and areas bordering Delaware Bay.
In an analysis based on a network of measuring stations throughout the counties, the weather service’s Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center calculated that Cape May County received less than a half inch of rain, and Cumberland and Salem Counties about 0.6 inches.
In contrast, Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties weighed in with well over an inch.
On the other side of the river, Philly’s total was 1.28 inches, compared with 0.71 for Chesco, which, like New Jersey, is under a state-declared drought emergency.
By the time you read this, Philadelphia will have hosted two matches in the FIFA World Cup and will be steadfastly preparing for a third in quick succession come Monday.
France, a favorite by many to win the whole tournament, will take on Iraq in the second game of Group I, but if it’s anything like the previous two matches, the game itself will once again not be the story.
Because for the past two games, the attraction has been that of the fans, and the unbridled passion people have for not just a team and its players, but the nation so many have bought jerseys for, the emblem they proudly wear above their heart, or in the middle of their chest.
The heart of Brazil is in Philadelphia ahead of their match against Haiti
This spectacle of what will result in 104 matches of underdogs becoming story lines, a U.S. men’s national team exercising the type of dominance very few expected, has also seen Philly lead the way on the main stage, creating lasting memories for thousands of fans who have flocked to the city, all while becoming lore, in the process.
In the lead-up to the World Cup, the story lines circulated the unforeseen, the question marks that surrounded what the World Cup’s return to the United States would look like.
It came on the heels of perceived rampant greed from FIFA, which enacted dynamic pricing for the first time, sending ticket prices soaring to the highest they’ve ever been. They opened the door for broadcasters to run advertisements midgame, under the guise of hydrating tired players.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino (right) gives President Donald Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw last December.Chris Carlson
Let’s not forget the lobbying of the sitting U.S. president in the process, going as far as to create an inaugural peace prize for him while his administration destabilized governments and enabled a war in the Middle East.
But look at how quickly all of that has fallen into the backdrop.
Soccer in its purest form has provided an escape for a nation that desperately needed one. And what it’s also proved in the process is that people of different races, colors, and creeds don’t hate each other as much as their social media algorithms might suggest.
Proof was on display right here in Philly in the form of fans who packed the stands over the last two matches.
Fans like Maxence Jeanty, a 41-year-old Haitian native living in Chicago who traveled to Philly from the Windy City, dressed in a suit depicting liberator Jean-Jacques Dessalines, a key figure of the Haitian Revolution.
Maxence Jeanty, 41, a fan from Chicago arrived at the FIFA World Cup game between Brazil and Haiti, dressed as Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the leader of the Haitian revolution.Kerith Gabriel / Staff
“When I was growing up in Haiti as a kid, I watched the World Cup, and I’ll never forget watching the 1994 World Cup,” Jeanty said. “It’s been so long that my people haven’t made it to the World Cup that the choice was to choose either Brazil or Argentina [as the nation to support]. But now, we’re stepping on the field as equals, and no matter what happens, we’re stepping on the field as equals. The pride that brings to me and to every Haitian fan here, man, that’s indescribable.”
We witnessed massive gatherings on the most iconic steps of our fair city from supporters who, like Jeanty, boarded planes just to be a part of the moment.
Haiti fans celebrate during Friday’s FIFA World Cup Group C soccer match against Brazil.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Only a week and a half in, the World Cup has become for so many a momentary cure for what ails, the escape we didn’t know we needed. Lifelong supporters hang onto every kick, and casual fans are amazed by the sights and sounds.
Along the way, we’ve met supporters of other nations who’ve never met and have become instant friends. We saw dance parties on subway cars, in parking lots, and in the middle of streets.
Lucas Maninhu, 31, who arrived from New York and was draped in Brazil’s jersey, wanted to introduce me to his “new best friend,” a Haitian man who only wanted to go by Greguity. The two met in the parking lot on the day of the Brazil-Haiti match, struck up a conversation, walked into the stadium, and watched most of the game together.
Brazil fan Lucas Maninhu (right) and Haitian fan Greguity met at the World Cup match in Philly between Brazil and Haiti. Both said they’ve become “best friends” in the process.Kerith Gabriel / Staff
“We met tonight,” Maninhu said. “We are here for different teams, but it doesn’t matter, tonight this is my boy. We’re all here for the same reason.”
And look, FIFA knows this. It knows the unifying power this tournament has had on the masses since before the end of the Second World War.
It’s why, despite laying the claim of being “Football for All,” this edition of the World Cup, from a financial perspective, has felt like football for the few.
But those few continue to sell out arenas, flock to stadium stores to buy World Cup merchandise, and drink $7 purified water. Outside the stadium, games are setting broadcast records, and people are filling the bars and restaurants across North America. There’s money to be made all around.
Let’s not forget the FIFA Fan Festivals, the official watch party situated in Philly at Lemon Hill. It’s made that neighborhood a noisy one, but it’s a good noise.
Think about it. At its core, the first 10 days of the World Cup have allowed many Americans to take a sigh of relief, to have something to look forward to, or have on in the background while life is happening in real time.
Cam Gorman, 23, of Gilbertsville, Pa., cheering with Philly Sports Guy Jamie Pagliei (front, center) at the FIFA Fan Festival in Lemon Hill as the U.S. beat Australia on Friday.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Here at home, you can try to equate the fervor to the Eagles winning it all in 2018, and then again in 2024, but it’s a different vibe, because this isn’t about wins or losses. To many fans, this is about the sheer joy that having the sport in their backyard has delivered.
It feels like the reprieve America needed, and Philly’s place in all of it has not gone unnoticed.
The United States’ dream start to the FIFA World Cup continued with a 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle that secured the Americans’ place in the knockout round.
Fans in Philadelphia packed the FIFA Fan Festival in Lemon Hill on Friday to take in the match.
The crowd on hand for U.S.-Australia, the first World Cup match of the day on Friday, was in favor of the Stars and Stripes, but Haitian and Brazilian fans took in the spectacle before their squads’ scheduled meeting at Philadelphia Stadium (8:30 p.m., Fox29).
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker helped open the gates of the fan festival before the USMNT’s clash with Australia.
Parker walked into the crowd waiting at the festival’s main gate and posed for photos with fans waiting in line, including one with a group of traveling Scottish supporters.
Parker said she was appreciative that fans are showing up to the city and the festival “authentically, as themselves.”
“We are a global culture, and we are one people,” Parker said. “What makes America and the world so amazing, is that all of us, no matter the fabric, no matter the patchwork in our quilt, we make up a global humanity, and an American community that’s representative of everyone. I’m excited about it all.”
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker at the opening of the FIFA Fan Festival.Owen Hewitt / Staff
After greeting fans waiting to get into the festival on Sedgley Drive, Parker greeted a few vendors inside the festival. She stopped at the Bank of America tent to make a bracelet — she chose a black band with all the Philly-specific charms and a World Cup trophy charm — then stopped into the FIFA store on the festival grounds.
With the help of a few store associates, Parker picked out some kits and World Cup merchandise, including both Brazil jerseys, a sea foam France away jersey, a yellow Curaçao jersey, two World Cup logo shirts, and a stripes U.S. jersey.
Parker said she’s enjoyed seeing soccer fans out and about in the city.
“We were on the parkway, and Brazil was turning it out and up,” Parker said. “Everywhere we’ve been, they’re like, ‘Philadelphia is beautiful, the experience is great.’ You can be a visitor one time, but they’ll feel Philadelphia.
“You have to feel the energy here. We are not like any other city in the nation. There is something special about Philadelphia, and being able to share that Philly-ness with the world is something really exciting.”
Moses Bango, 8, (center), playing with his friends Rudy Townsend, 8, (right), and Quinn Medaglia, 9, (left), at the FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill Park on Friday.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Early arrivals
A line to enter the festival had already formed an hour before it opened to spectators at 2 p.m.
Friday was the first time a U.S. match coincided with a match being played in Philadelphia, making the fan festival a watch party for American fans and a prematch hangout for Brazilian and Haitian fans.
The festival is free to the public with registration, but only 15,000 people can be on the festival grounds at once.
The festival did not reach full capacity during the U.S. match, but it got close. Festival organizers said attendance peaked at 14,000.
According to the festival, more than 100,000 people entered its grounds in its first three days of operation.
Gus Sanchez, who stood near the front of the line on Friday afternoon, said he and his family arrived around noon after biking over from Northeast Philly.
Sanchez said he wanted to watch the U.S. men’s team take on Australia with a crowd, leading him to come over to the festival.
“It’s something I can’t explain,” Sanchez, 53, said. “Seeing people from different countries getting together, having fun, enjoying the game.”
Most of the fans waiting to enter the festival were wearing U.S. garb, but fans of Haiti, Brazil, and even Scotland, which kicked off with Morocco at 6 p.m., were represented.
Alex Nelson said he traveled from Prestwick, Scotland, about 30 miles south of Glasgow, to the U.S. to experience the environment of the World Cup.
He arrived in Philadelphia from Boston, where the Scots played Haiti last Saturday, to take in Scotland-Morocco at the fan festival on Friday.
Nelson, sporting a tartan kilt, said he’s loved his time in Philly so far.
“Very clean city,” Nelson said. “Everybody has been so helpful. Everybody’s mixed in — the Brazilians, the Moroccans, USA, all mixed. That’s what it’s all about.”
Alex Nelson poses with his wife before entering the FIFA Fan Festival on Friday afternoon.Owen Hewitt
Match moments
The lively crowd had plenty to celebrate, as the U.S. went up, 1-0, after Cameron Burgess knocked in an Australian own goal in the 11th minute.
The crowd erupted as the States took the lead, with chants of “U-S-A” following a frenetic celebration.
The crowd at the Fan Festival goes wild as the U.S. goes up, 1-0, on an Australian own goal.
American fans celebrated again as Alex Freeman doubled the States’ lead with a goal in the 43rd minute.
Their celebration was placed on a temporary hold, as the goal was called offside on the field and disallowed, but after a Video Assistant Referee check confirmed Freeman’s goal counted, the crowd got another opportunity to cheer.
Double celebration for Alex Freeman’s goal to put the U.S. up 2-0 before the half — once before the VAR, and once after
Fans looked on nervously as Australia angled to get back into the match in its final 20 minutes, and they shouted when the game got chippy in its closing moments.
The U.S. is through to the knockouts, and the crowd at the Fan Festival is loving it:
Shelly Gaither, 51, of Cheltenham, makes sure her three sons, ages 6, 9, and 18, get their meals while she manages with whatever is left over — if anything ever is.
“Oh, my God, groceries are too expensive,” said Gaither, a former data analyst who suffers from a disability that makes working difficult. She visits a food pantry regularly to make sure her kids eat chicken when they can. Her monthly SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits were reduced from $400 to $200 earlier this year because of changes to the programunder President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
“I don’t think there’s hope,” she said. “I feel guilty for bringing children into a world that doesn’t want them to exist because the government makes cuts that take away their food and their healthcare.”
For people like Gaither throughout the United States, levels of food insecurity have seen a “remarkable” rise since the pandemic in 2020, according to a national survey taken earlier this year and released in late May by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Around 10% of 1,300 heads of households polled in February reported a lack of enough food and said their children were missing meals, according to the survey. Nearly 16% relied on food donations. Among families taking in less than $50,000 a year, almost 20% reported being forced to skip meals or go without.
In 2020, when the federal government stepped in to help families at the height of the pandemic, just 4% of households reported missing meals, including less than 7% of families earning less than $50,000 a year, according to the survey.
At that time, temporary supplemental unemployment benefits, expanded SNAP payments, and direct government relief payments helped stave off hunger among Americans. Food insecurity increased after COVID-19 relief expired, according to the Urban Institute.
But the recent surge in hunger has also been attributed to the sweeping law Trump signed last year, whichreduces SNAP benefits and other safety net programs to help pay for his tax cut.
Findings in the bank’sreport also reflect Gaither’s sense of despair, a pessimism about personal finances and the overall economy among people with low incomes. That same group exhibits diminished expectations for finding a job and declining levels of consumer confidence, the survey says.
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According to thereserve bank’s report, non-white Americans have been especially hard hit. The number of such households that reported missing meals increased from 4% in 2020 to 19% in February. At the same time, the number of non-white people receiving SNAP benefits jumped from 14% to more than 26%.
Overall, the survey found food insecurity was particularly acute among lower-educated and lower-income households, as well as households with young children. Many families are experiencing financial stress due to the high cost of living, persistent inflation, and high interest rates, even as the stock market has been steadily rising, according to the survey.
Pantries struggle to keep up with demand
More people are flocking to food pantries, but they are not equipped to take up the slack of reduced SNAP benefits.
“Pantries across the state are in perpetual crisis mode,” said Stuart Haniff, CEO of Hunger-Free Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh. Add to that the advent of summer, when kids are no longer receiving free breakfast and lunch at school. “Families must now provide those 60 to 80 meals a month,” Haniff said.
In Norristown, “immense need” has increased the number of people frequenting Martha’s Choice Marketplace, the largest food pantry in Montgomery County, by 100% since 2022, said Patrick Walsh, director of programs. “And I don’t expect things to get better.”
Food prices are also up 3.2% this spring over last, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures,exacerbating the issue.
In South Jersey, “we are seeing record numbers at our food distributions,” said Jane Asselta, president and CEO of the Food Bank of South Jersey, in a statement to The Inquirer. “Life is getting harder to afford for more and more people.”
Matt McDevitt (left) and Michael Hickey load their vehicle at the Food Bank of South Jersey Thursday, June 11, 2026. The men are volunteers at the Temple Lutheran Church in Pennsauken and their food bank is open from 5-6 p.m. every Thursday.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Asselta said the Federal Reserve Bank’s report “mirrors” what her organization has observed through its network of 300 community partners.
“Hunger has never been higher,” said Pastor Sonita Johnson, who runs the food pantry at St. John’s Pentecostal Outreach Church in Salem City, Salem County. “Food prices are high, and the lines you see you would not believe — a 50% increase in people just over the last two months.”
Nationwide, between January 2025 and January 2026, SNAP rolls decreased by more than 4 million people — from 42 million to 38 million — according to USDA figures.
Between last September and April of this year, nearly 90,000 Pennsylvanians lost SNAP benefits due to new eligibility requirements stipulated by the Trump administration, according to an analysis by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS).
And between December 2025 and last month, more than 32,000 Philadelphians lost benefits, DHS figures show.
In New Jersey, SNAP participation has fallen by more than 50,000 individuals between March 2025 and March of this year, New Jersey Department of Human Services figures show.
The Trump administration’s SNAP changes include an expansion of work requirements for people who receive SNAP benefits and increased documentation requirements “designed to make maintaining eligibility increasingly difficult,” according to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), the largest anti-hunger lobby in the United States.
Deputy White House press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement that Trump signed the changes to strengthen SNAP and to ensure that it is “sustainable for future generations.” She added that Trump was “elected to eliminate runaway spending across the federal government.”
William Meo works on the loading dock at the Food Bank of South Jersey Thursday, June 11, 2026. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
For people like Shelley Gaither, how her reduced SNAP benefits could be seen as part of “runaway spending” is tough for her to figure, given her needs. To survive this precarious moment, Gaither said, she will do whatever she can.
“We eat more vegetarian meals and I don’t buy my kids cookies or snacks,” she said. “If I drink enough coffee, maybe I just need one meal a day. This is our existence now. This is how we live.”
