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  • Data centers are good business but bad politics. Josh Shapiro tries to thread the needle. | Shackamaxon

    In this week’s Shackamaxon, the race for City Council kicks off, SEPTA police officers step in front of the cameras, and a Big Tech reckoning comes for the Ambitious Abingtonian.

    Councilmember Jeffery “Jay” Young Jr. during the Barber’s Hall community legacy celebration on Aug. 1.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Contrarian challenge

    In political circles, the legislative lineage of Philadelphia’s 5th Council District is one of the city’s most esteemed and iconic. The first person to represent the residents of the 5th in City Council was Raymond Pace Alexander, the civil rights leader who was later appointed as the first African American judge on the Court of Common Pleas. The seat has also been held by Cecil B. Moore, Ethel Allen, and John Street. Few other districts can boast such an impressive list of luminaries.

    Today, its occupant is someone very different, Council’s quarrelsome contrarian, Jeffery “Jay” Young Jr.

    Of course, there’s nothing wrong with “good trouble” or sticking out from the crowd. Moore himself was famously pugnacious, with the former Marine once quoted as saying that “The imported Gandhi philosophy of nonviolence that still exists in the South will not be accepted in Philadelphia, where we believe in self-help and self-defense.” Allen was also a maverick, styling herself as a “B.F.R. — a Black, female Republican, an entity as rare as a Black elephant and just as smart.”

    Moore and Allen, however, were quarrelsome on behalf of the people they represented, and contrarians at a time when Black Philadelphians were mostly excluded from the halls of power.

    Moore successfully desegregated Girard College, paving the way for Young himself to attend decades later.

    Allen broke barriers, too, becoming the first Black woman to hold a seat on City Council, and served the community directly as a physician.

    Young, however, starts fights that help nobody. Worse, no one seems to understand why he’s fighting in the first place.

    From delaying repairs at the Cecil B. Moore Library to blocking popular housing proposals, Young’s actions frequently bring him in conflict, rather than concert, with the community he was elected to represent.

    It is unsurprising, then, to see that he’s already attracted a declared challenger for his seat, months before election season kicks off in earnest.

    Jalon Alexander has a big advantage over the opponents Young (almost) faced in the past: He’s managed to successfully get onto the ballot before, during the 2023 City Council at-large election.

    While he brings his own ideas to the table, Alexander is also clearly running in opposition to Young’s choices. The cybersecurity attorney grew up in Strawberry Mansion, and still lives there, but is running a campaign built to find support across the district’s geographic and political spectrum.

    Kellan White, at this point a potential candidate, presents another strong alternative. White managed Rebecca Rhynhart’s 2023 mayoral campaign, which was successful across much of the 5th District. He has a deep knowledge of city politics and policy, and a Rolodex of contacts that any political journalist would be jealous of. Unlike Young, both Alexander and White are willing to answer the phone to talk to reporters, community leaders, and their constituents.

    At this point, even if a dozen candidates run against him and split the opposition vote, Young may still face an uphill battle.

    When I’ve criticized other Council members, I always get calls or emails from constituents who defend their choices. In nearly three years writing about Young, not a single person has offered a defense.

    A SEPTA Route 38 bus at 15th and Market Streets in May.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    Spotlight on SEPTA

    A few readers have asked me about film crews they’ve seen following SEPTA police around stations and transit vehicles recently. Media Relations Director Andrew Busch confirmed that the A&E Network is filming a docuseries, which will be broadcast next year.

    Personally, I’m looking forward to watching it. SEPTA’s roughly 250-strong police force is charged with patrolling more than 285 train and trolley stations, and nearly 3,000 vehicles. They are also in the midst of substantial declines in serious crime, which occurred alongside a crackdown on fare evasion and a surge in enforcement for quality-of-life issues. That’s a story worth showing.

    Less worthwhile would be a series focused on Kensington and the city’s drug epidemic. That’s a real part of SEPTA’s policing duties, but is often exploitative when told by outsiders.

    Gov. Josh Shapiro announces a $20 billion investment by Amazon in Pennsylvania data centers in Salem and Falls Townships in 2025.Commonwealth Media Services

    Data-driven

    Ever since the creation of the first computer, there have been concerns about its role in the future. It doesn’t help matters that many tech CEOs, like OpenAI’s Sam Altman, regularly express a kind of contemptuous attitude toward humanity and human needs. At one point, Altman said that artificial intelligence would “lead to the end of the world.” How inspiring!

    This has put public officials in a tough position over their support of data centers.

    For generations, states and cities have competed to attract investment. But these days, cash is flowing into an industry opposed by 74% of voters. Seeing an opportunity, challengers from across the political spectrum are using data centers in their political attack ads, while incumbents are scrambling to explain themselves.

    This isn’t run-of-the-mill NIMBYism, either. According to one report, only 8% of data center opponents live near one.

    Gov. Josh Shapiro, the Ambitious Abingtonian, exemplifies this conundrum. He was an early advocate for embracing data centers, but with polls tightening for his reelection efforts, he’s been forced to adapt.

    Of course, there’s a certain opportunism to state Treasurer Stacy Garrity’s embrace of the techlash.

    Her own party has been quite supportive of data centers. President Donald Trump has called them “tremendous.” Pennsylvania state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman has long advocated for the centers, which represent a particular opportunity for his own community, which has, in his words, “a long and storied history when it comes to the production of electricity.” U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, the highest-ranking Republican in Pennsylvania, is married to Meta executive Dina Powell McCormick. Meta is one of the four companies investing a total of $1.5 trillion in new data centers.

    Pennsylvania Senate Republicans declined to pursue Shapiro’s proposed “GRID” initiative, which would have required the centers to produce their own electricity, conform to environmental standards, and make community benefits agreements in exchange for permitting assistance.

    Many of the current pitchfork-wielding politicos may themselves be forced to pivot when in office. Voters may hate data centers, but they also hate tax increases and service cuts.

    Loudoun County, Va., which is known as data center alley, has averted both. Local authorities have cut property tax rates by nearly 30% over the last decade, and the centers pay roughly half of the county’s property tax revenue. Given the increasing share of Pennsylvania’s budget that is paid through the extractive gambling industry, the need to invest more in schools and transportation, and the continuing structural deficit, it is no surprise politicians initially saw the AI boom as an opportunity.

    Now, state leaders will have to pick their poison.

    If they pursue data centers, they’ll face voter backlash. If they continue to embrace gambling, they’ll contribute to the impoverishment of their own constituents. If they stop investing in education or allow transit agencies to fail, they’ll weaken the commonwealth’s economy going forward. If they raise taxes, they’ll take the blame for that, too.

    While the data center surge may seem sudden to many, it is also a response to demand. Both businesses and individuals are increasingly using AI in daily life.

    Ironically, many social media posts about data centers include AI-generated text and images. It is a bit like if the Women’s Christian Temperance Union had fundraised with a booze cruise.

  • Hurricane warning is issued for the Big Island of Hawaii as Tropical Storm Lala approaches

    Hurricane warning is issued for the Big Island of Hawaii as Tropical Storm Lala approaches

    HONOLULU — Tropical Storm Lala formed Thursday in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to become a hurricane while approaching the Big Island of Hawaii, where it could bring heavy rain and flooding this weekend, forecasters said.

    The storm is forecast to bring rain to the Hawaiian Islands starting late Friday as well as high winds and dangerous surf, the National Hurricane Center said.

    A hurricane warning is in effect for Hawaii County and a tropical storm watch is in place for Maui County including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe, forecasters said.

    Lala was about 455 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and about 670 miles east-southeast of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph while moving west-northwest, the Miami-based center said.

    Lala is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches the Big Island. It’s expected to be near the island Saturday. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected, and it is typically issued 36 hours before potential tropical-storm-force winds.

    The system could bring rainfall totals of 8 inches to a foot across Maui and the Big Island, with as much as 25 inches possible across the Big Island, forecasters said. That could produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, the center said.

    Also in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Hernan formed Thursday but wasn’t threatening land and was weakening while moving south.

    Hernan was about 1,505 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico with maximum sustained winds around 40 mph, the center said.

    In the Atlantic Ocean, former Tropical Storm Cristobal weakened and degenerated into a post-tropical remnant low on Thursday, the center said. It was about 500 miles west of the Azores and didn’t threaten land.

  • American missionary kidnapped in Niger said to be released from captivity

    American missionary kidnapped in Niger said to be released from captivity

    Kevin Rideout, an American missionary pilot who was seized in Niger last fall, is in U.S. custody and on his way to the United States, two U.S. officials said on Thursday.

    The release of Rideout, a 50-year-old pilot who was kidnapped in October outside his home in Niger’s capital, Niamey, while working with an evangelical group, has been a priority for the White House and the military’s Africa Command since his abduction.

    Details of how and precisely where Rideout was released were unclear late Thursday, said the two officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters. It was also unclear which terrorist or criminal group held Rideout at the end of his captivity, as he may have been moved recently, one of the two officials said.

    Rideout was in FBI custody and in good health based on proof-of-live images that were provided to U.S. officials in the past 48 hours, one of the officials said.

    The White House and Pentagon did not respond immediately to requests for comment late Thursday.

    Rideout had been working in Niger as a Christian missionary for 19 years. He was also a pilot for Serving in Mission, an organization based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that describes itself as a “global mission family serving in 70 countries” with a focus on outreach to communities with few Christians.

    In the past year, the U.S. military has been helping neighboring Nigeria with training and surveillance in its fight against jihadis. Nigeria also allowed the United States to fly surveillance missions from its bases, in part to try to locate Rideout.

    In December, the United States carried out missile strikes in northwestern Nigeria that President Donald Trump said targeted Islamic State group fighters. That operation was in coordination with the Nigerian military, the Pentagon said at the time.

    Thousands of Christians and Muslims have been killed in Nigeria in land disputes, sectarian violence and terrorism, which Christian activists and Republican lawmakers in the United States have viewed as the persecution of Christians. There is no clear evidence to show that Christians are attacked more frequently than any other religious group in Nigeria, analysts say.

    In May, U.S. and Nigerian forces killed Abu Bilal al-Minuki, one of the Islamic State group’s highest-ranking leaders, in an operation in Nigeria.

    U.S. officials said that al-Minuki oversaw the Islamic State group’s global operations, media, recruitment and finances. In that position, the officials said, al-Minuki was directly involved in plots like the kidnapping of Rideout.

    This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

  • Trump would escape his endless war with Iran in a food truck if he could | Editorial

    Trump would escape his endless war with Iran in a food truck if he could | Editorial

    The nation just learned that last month, when we thought President Donald Trump had fled his Qatari-donated luxury plane for the relative safety of a proper Air Force One, he was actually on a third plane out of Turkey. Fearing an Iranian assassination attempt, military and security officials had secreted him off the official aircraft and onto an Air Force C-32A inside a catering container.

    That left a plane full of staff and press to fly to England — and potentially into the ayatollah’s crosshairs — as his unwitting sacrificial stand-ins.

    Trump’s non-daring escape is an apt analogy for his self-defeating war with Iran. The president has reached a point of desperation to retreat from the conflict and save what little is left of his political hide. The rest of us, meanwhile, will be the unwilling targets of whatever consequences may come.

    Trump’s frenetic ricocheting among ordering air attacks, leveling idle threats, and engaging in half-hearted diplomacy with the Islamic Republic has increasingly given way to a palpable apathy about the whole losing endeavor. A week after his latest empty vow to unleash more shock and awe, he told Axios that the administration is “low-keying” the conflict and “only semi-negotiating” with Iran, whatever that means.

    His gambit in this “chess game,” he added, is to bide his time while the economic pressure on Iran does the work for him — never mind that the extremist regime has weathered such stresses for decades.

    Trump’s vibes-based vaccine order promises to kill more kids | Editorial

    In reality, as Trump has essentially acknowledged in confessing his fear of becoming the next Herbert Hoover, it’s he who has been economically checkmated. Tehran underscored the strength of its position last weekend by demanding Washington meet a series of additional conditions before it loosens its choke hold on the crucial Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices upward.

    Handing Iran this powerful weapon is the chief achievement of Trump’s war — and the main reason he hasn’t given up despite his fervent desire to do so. Bereft of international allies and domestic support, he has no solution to a problem he created.

    A ground invasion to secure the strait, which could dramatically compound the cost of a war that has already wasted tens of billions of dollars and thousands of lives, is politically untenable, and the only alternative in the short term is continued Iranian control of the strait. The region’s fossil fuel producers have recognized as much by accelerating spending on pipelines and other means of circumventing the route, with further consequences for the price of oil and everything that relies on it.

    It’s a dramatic deterioration from the international order that allowed about a fifth of the global oil supply to routinely transit the waterway before Trump undertook his second unauthorized war with Iran.

    Pennsylvania’s data center boom needs a pause | Editorial

    He has also exacerbated the threat of an Iranian nuclear bomb, the weapon that most worried the world before the regime could hold the global economy hostage.

    While Trump’s twin wars have degraded Iran’s nuclear sites, it still has substantial supplies of enriched uranium and no foreseeable international restrictions like those in place before the president dismantled them. And while Trump has continued to insist that preventing nuclear proliferation was the war’s primary purpose (among several other proposed rationales), he seems to be “low-keying” that mission, too, lately. The Wall Street Journal reported that he has told aides he is prepared to end the war without any agreement on the nuclear issue.

    Another oft-stated goal of the war, degrading Iran’s capacity to wage war and sponsor terrorism, looks similarly unrealized given the recently demonstrated ability of the regime and its proxies to endanger ships in the strait, U.S. bases and allies in the region, and even Trump himself.

    The image of the president of the United States being smuggled out of a NATO country in the back of a snack truck hardly suggests it’s the Iranian regime that has been humiliated.

    We should hope the administration gets our troops, as well as Trump, out of harm’s way by ending this war soon. The security and economic repercussions for America and the world, however, are bound to be far-reaching and long-lasting.

  • A sculpture by a ‘Monuments Man’ is dedicated at 30th Street Station on this week in Philly history

    A sculpture by a ‘Monuments Man’ is dedicated at 30th Street Station on this week in Philly history

    Not all Philadelphians who answered President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s call to action were soldiers and civilians.

    Even the artists went to war.

    Like renown sculptor — and local legend — Walker Kirtland Hancock, these educated Americans charged into the bomb-pocked battlefields of World War II to also confront unprecedented evil.

    Their task? Saving priceless pieces of art.

    Hancock was part of the “Monuments Men,” an outfit of about 345 men and women who were sent overseas to try to pry Europe’s cultural treasures from the grip of the Gestapo.

    “I was really prepared,” Hancock told the Daily News in 1991. “I knew where I was going and what I was looking for.”

    A group of “Monuments Men” retrieving stolen art in Germany in 1945. National Archives

    Hancock, who would become one of the United States’ most distinguished sculptors, attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and taught there from 1929 to 1967.

    He enlisted in the Army in his mid-40s and was trained as a medic, but later transferred to the Army’s Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives outfit.

    The unit’s monumental task: reclaim art the Germans had stolen and then hidden throughout the countryside in caves, on trains, in castles, and in hospitals.

    But it was in a salt mine in Bernterode, Germany where Hancock struck gold.

    Walker K. Hancock, considered the dean of American figurative sculpture, taught at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.Inquirer Archives

    The first painting he rescued was a work by Jean-Antoine Watteau, Embarkation for Cythera, what he described as “one of the greatest paintings” the artist ever completed.

    “The surprise was so enormous to see a very famous old friend like that standing on the ground without any frame on it,” he told the Daily News.

    The mine was also filled with other treasures: the great seal of Prussia; an emperor’s scepter; the art collection of Frederick the Great, which was considered to be the best collection of French paintings in the world; and palatial libraries.

    The group’s efforts to reclaim precious pieces of human achievement were documented in a 2009 best-selling book. In 2014, their tale was given the “based on a true story” treatment and made into a star-studded motion picture dubbed The Monuments Men, featuring names like George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, and John Goodman.

    Today, Hancock’s public works can be found all over the country, and locally, his most notable work sits at the east end of 30th Street Station.

    The Pennsylvania Railroad War Memorial (1950, installed 1952) by Walker Kirtland Hancock (1901 – 1998) in the lobby of 30th Street Station.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    The 39-foot-tall, 10½-ton Statue to War Dead depicts an angel holding a dying soldier. It commemorates in bronze the 1,307 employees of the Pennsylvania Railroad who died during World War II. Gen. Omar N. Bradley was on hand to help dedicate the artwork on Aug. 10, 1952.

    Hancock died in 1998 at age 97 but his sculpture remains the station’s monumental centerpiece.

  • Five fighters to know before UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena, from an Irish Eagles fan to a ‘jiujitsu girl’

    Five fighters to know before UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena, from an Irish Eagles fan to a ‘jiujitsu girl’

    It’s fight week in Philadelphia, with UFC 330 taking place on Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena. This will be the first numbered event and first title fight held in Philadelphia in a decade and a half.

    The card features 12 fights, including two championship bouts in the men’s welterweight division and the women’s strawweight division. With 24 fighters competing this weekend, here are five you should know before UFC 330 takes over South Philly …

    Ian Machado Garry, welterweight

    Twenty-eight year old Ian Machado Garry will fight No. 1 ranked pound-for-pound fighter Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title in the main event of UFC 330.

    UFC 330 is coming to Philadelphia this weekend. Here’s everything to know, from local fighters to the match schedule.

    Machado Garry is entering Saturday’s fight as a +270 underdog on DraftKings. Despite the odds, he showed complete confidence in himself before the fight by hanging up an empty frame for the championship belt in his home.

    “The empty frame, it’s a manifestation and a visualization that I’ve put in the back of my mind for a long time,” Machado Garry said. “When I signed to UFC, I told everybody now that I’m here, I’m going to be a world champion. It’s a matter of time. It’s inevitable.

    “When we bought our home and I framed my Cage Warriors World Title, I knew that there was going to be space. I knew that there was going to be a frame for my UFC world title. And I wanted to see it empty because every time I see it, it’s going to push me to fill it. This weekend, I’m going to win that belt, I’m going to go straight home and I’m going to put that UFC title in that frame.”

    Machado Garry (17-1) is coming off a big decision win over Belal Muhammad. His only loss in his UFC career was to Shavkat Rahkmandov by decision in Dec. 2024. He is on a two-fight winning streak as he prepares to face his toughest challenge yet.

    “Right now he has absolutely earned and deserved the title as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the planet. It’s inarguable,” Garry said. “His record stands for itself. His achievements, his accolades. He’s done everything he’s needed to do to earn that. That is the exact person that I want to beat to prove that I’m the champion in the world. Because then there’s no doubt. There’s no excuses. It is undeniable that when I beat Islam [Mackhachev] on Saturday night, Ian Machado Garry is great.”

    Machado Garry is hoping his love for the Birds can get the crowd on his side.

    “I love the Eagles,” Garry said. “I’ve always liked the Eagles. I thought they were a phenomenal team. Saquon [Barkley] is absolutely one of my favorite players. I loved watching him when he signed — when he came out of the draft with the Giants, he was unbelievable. And then I thought he needed to go to a better team. And obviously, the second he did, he gets the 2,000 yards, he goes out and he wins the Super Bowl. It’s perfect.”

    Islam Makhachev, welterweight champion

    Saturday’s main event will be Makhachev’s second fight in the welterweight division.

    In his division debut, he defeated Jack Della Maddelana by decision to become the new welterweight champion last November. After completing his second fight camp at welterweight, Makhachev said he feels more comfortable this time around.

    ”[My] opponent is good,” Mackhachev said. “Good skills, good fighter. Has all the skills. And that’s why I think it’s going to be a good fight for all MMA fans. But I will be looking for a finish. Any chance I have, I will finish my opponent. And this Saturday I will show best performance.”

    Islam Makhachev is on a 16 match winning streak and will defend his welterweight title Saturday night in Xfinity Mobile Arena.Yuki Iwamura

    Makhachev (28-1) is cementing his legacy as an all-time great. The former lightweight champion successfully defended his title four times before moving to welterweight. And now, there’s more than just the title on the line. There’s a spot in the history books waiting for him to sign his name.

    Makhachev is currently tied with Anderson Silva for the longest winning streak in UFC history with 16 consecutive wins. With a win on Saturday, Makhachev will surpass that number.

    “I want to be in the history of this sport,” Islam said. “I want to be the best fighter in the world. I want to be in the Hall of Fame. My legacy is still growing and I will fight many years more.”

    Dana White announces two title fights for UFC 330 in Philly. But will a local fighter make the card?

    Mackenzie Dern, strawweight champion

    After winning the vacant women’s strawweight title in October 2025 with a five-round decision win over Virna Jandiroba, Mackenzie Dern, 33, will defend her title for the first time against Gillian Robertson (17-8).

    “I was telling my coaches right in the beginning of camp, man this feels so different than when I was trying to accomplish the belt,” Dern said. “But my level in striking, in grappling. I think taking that pressure out of my head and wondering the whole time if I would be able to become champion, gave a lot of space for me to get better on little things that we have been trying to get better at. So, my level has gone up so much just from this last camp.”

    UFC fighter Mackenzie Dern will defend her strawweight title for the first time on Saturday.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Both Dern (16-5) and Robertson are submission artists. Dern has eight submission victories while Robertson currently has nine — holding the women’s UFC record. Heading into Saturday, Dern is excited to face an opponent with a similar fighting style.

    “I’m super excited to fight another submission artist,” Dern said. “So, for me, being a jiujitsu girl, I’m usually trying to chase the person or they don’t really want to engage in the fight with me. I know that this is going to be very different and then also this being my first title defense, now the belt is mine. Before this, I was just trying to accomplish something.

    “Now, I’m like ‘OK, I got to defend it I don’t want anyone to come in and take what’s mine.’ So, there’s definitely this big motivation behind it but the pressure is off my shoulders and I’m super excited to be able to go and have fun and see who can submit who because I think we’re going to have a big exchange with jiujitsu.”

    Four UFC fighters hailed from the same Frankford gym

    Jeremiah Wells, welterweight

    Thirty-nine year old Jeremiah Wells is the only Philly native featured on the card. He is set to to fight 28-year-old Myktybek Orolbai (16-2) in the early prelims.

    “It means a lot, man,” Wells said. “It’s been a long time coming, just to fight in front of my family and my fans. I do [wish more Philly fighters were on the card], we just got that dog in us. That grit. This town — sometimes we get a little dirty. We get our hands dirty.”

    Wells (13-4-1) trains out of Marquez MMA, located on Worth Street, alongside other Philly UFC fighters, including Pat Sabatini, Sean Brady, Joe Pyfer, and Andre Petroski. He’s currently coming off a decision win to Themba Gorimbo (November 2025) after a 21-month break from competing due to a broken hand and torn Achilles.

    Edson Barboza will fight in his 33rd UFC fight on Saturday night.Jacqueline Larma

    Edson Barboza, lightweight

    Edson Barboza made his UFC debut in 2010, defeating Mike Lullo by TKO. Sixteen years later and the 40-year-old still gets the same “scary” feeling walking out to the octagon.

    “One-hundred percent,” Barboza said. “Always the same feeling. I think if I stopped feeling like that, I would stop fighting. It wouldn’t make sense any more. The same feeling, the same scary [feeling]. The part I really love is all the crazy feelings.”

    Barboza (24-14) is now entering his 33rd fight with the UFC as he prepares to compete against 30-year-old Esteban Ribovics at UFC 330.

    Barboza has given fans plenty of memorable moments throughout his 16-year UFC career. But perhaps his most memorable moment was when he delivered a historic UFC knockout, landing a spinning wheel kick knockout over Terry Etim at UFC 142 in 2012.

    Despite earning 10 Fight of the Night bonuses, there’s only one way he wants to be remembered.

    “I want to be remembered as the guy that really loved my job,” Barboza said. “I really love fighting, guys. I really love it. Every time I step into the octagon, it’s not about the money, it’s about the love. I really love this.”

  • 📍Weekend sports guide | Sports Daily Newsletter

    📍Weekend sports guide | Sports Daily Newsletter

    Three of Philadelphia’s five professional sport teams are not in season yet, but there’s still plenty of sports action happening around the area this weekend.

    First, let’s talk about UFC 330. On Saturday night, Xfinity Mobile Arena will host the city’s first numbered event since 2011. The 12-fight slate includes two title bouts, with the main event featuring Russia’s Islam Makhachev and Irish challenger Ian Machado Garry in the men’s welterweight championship.

    Ariel Simpson tells us more about those fighters, plus other names to know. The main card begins at 8 p.m., you’ll need a Paramount+ account to watch from home.

    Earlier that day, the inaugural Women’s Lacrosse League championship is in town at Subaru Park (2 p.m., ESPN). Becca O’Reilly chatted with Rachael DeCecco, a Delco native who is the senior vice president of the Premier Lacrosse League and WLL, about paving the way for more opportunities in the sport.

    And it’s that time of the year again. The Little League World Series starts next Wednesday. If this team from West Chester wins on Friday, they’ll advance to Williamsport.

    Oh! The Eagles preseason opener is also Saturday night in Baltimore — after Thursday’s heated fight in training camp, the Birds could use some time playing a different team.

    — Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Competing for a spot

    Rookie tackle Markel Bell has had an impressive training camp so far. How will he look in his first game action on Saturday night?Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Preseason games are generally meaningless from the standpoint that they don’t count toward a team’s regular-season record, but when the Eagles face the Ravens on Saturday, some players will be fighting to make the initial 53-man roster or the practice squad. Here’s 12 who will have the most on the line.

    And Andrew Mukuba is ready to move on after a fractured fibula ruined his rookie season. His resurgence would be crucial to the Eagles finding success in the safety room.

    What we’re …

    🏀 Learning: Archbishop Wood’s Caleb Lundy is staying home to play basketball at Drexel. He’s the Dragons’ first verbal pledge in the 2027 class.

    👕 Donning: The Union unveiled a third new kit, which pays tribute to the rest of Philly’s sports scene. They’ll debut it next Wednesday.

    🏈 Watching: Eagles fans are freaking out after the team posted a video with a helmet they haven’t worn since 1973.

    📖 Reading: While ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson is known for ‘Field of Dreams’ and the Black Sox, his career started in Philly.

    Breaking out of their rut

    Phillies and Twins players walk on to the field from the cornfield before the start of the Field of Dreams game on Thursday in Dyersville, Iowa.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Long before he was a major league manager, Don Mattingly was a kid playing baseball in Indiana.

    One of the ballparks he played in with his brothers, growing up in Evansville, was down a dirt road surrounded by cornfields. And he couldn’t help but be reminded of it as the Phillies filed off their bus Thursday afternoon in Dyersville, Iowa, at the site of their Field of Dreams game.

    The team explored Field of Dreams site like fans pregame, and even played a game of catch with their families.

    “Just kind of seeing the house and making sure when I crossed over the chalk line, I didn’t turn into a normal human being,” Bryce Harper said pregame. “Seeing just all of it. Just really cool to be able to be part of it, and be here, and enjoy it.”

    An excursion to Iowa seemed to be the cure for the Phillies’ recent woes as they delivered a much-needed 7-1 win against the Twins, led by two homers from Kyle Schwarber.

    Schedule observations

    VJ Edgecombe (left), Jaylen Brown and the Sixers will visit Boston on Jan. 21.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The NBA schedule dropped Thursday, and there are several marquee games to look out for this season. The Sixers are viewed as preseason championship contenders, thanks to the addition of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.

    The pair will come across their former teams during the season. The Sixers will go to Boston on Jan. 21, and they’ll travel to Cleveland on Nov. 6 and March 1, and Miami on Jan. 30 and April 8.

    Gina Mizell further details the highlights from the remaining slate of games.

    Mike Sielski’s take

    The hazing incident at Cheltenham High School and alleged assaults at Cheltenham Elementary School are not two crises on distinct, parallel tracks. They are linked.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    One parent after another stepped to a lectern at a Cheltenham school board meeting Tuesday night, each of them bemoaning the district’s handling of either the recent hazing incident within the high school’s football program or a string of student-on-student assaults at Cheltenham Elementary.

    In youth and high school athletics, certain patterns, even the worst kind, tend to repeat themselves, especially without proper oversight from the adults who are supposed to be in charge, writes columnist Mike Sielski.

    What you’re saying about favorite sports movie

    We asked: What is your favorite sports movie? Among your responses:

    Without a doubt “The Natural.” Followed by: “Hoosiers,” “Bad News Bears,” “Fear Strikes Out,” and “Rocky.” — Bob A.

    Field of Dreams with James Earl Jones and Kevin Costner is hard to beat, but when you asked this question previously my daughter Lisa reminded me to not forget the classic Brian’s Song, the story of the cancer stricken Chicago Bear’s player Brian Piccolo and his devoted super star friend Gale Sayers. This is the movie that Howard Cosell said allowed men to know it was ok to cry. — Everett S.

    My favorite sports movie was about Shoeless Joe and the Black Sox, “Eight Men Out”. It didn’t excuse their actions but showed how the mostly uneducated players were treated and underpaid was one of the reasons they gave in to gamblers. A close second would be “The Natural”. The ending was a little silly but uplifting just the same – a very entertaining movie. — Tom E.

    It has to be “The Natural”. I get chills when I remember Roy Hobbs saying something like “When I walk down the street I want people to say There goes Roy Hobbs – The best there ever was in the game.” Somebody did a youtube post using Randy Newman’s musical theme with Matt Stairs 2008 bomb at Dodger Stadium. If you don’t get chills watching that you’re dead! — Jerry Miller

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Sielski, Matt Breen, Scott Lauber, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane, Lochlahn March, Gina Mizell, Ariel Simpson, Conor Smith, Becca O’Reilly, Owen Hewitt, and Jonathan Tannenwald.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    Thanks for closing out the week with me. Have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll be back in your inbox on Monday. — Bella

  • What does a black hole sound like? A Villanova scientist’s answer was turned into music.

    What does a black hole sound like? A Villanova scientist’s answer was turned into music.

    Villanova astrophysicist Becka Phillipson wondered what a black hole might sound like.

    She found an answer by translating X-ray data from a black hole system into musical notes.

    The first time she listened to the audio, the cacophony reminded her of someone pressing every key on an organ at once.

    After roughly 30 seconds of this “chaos,” she heard a “coherent, beautiful major chord” ring out.

    Her research formed the backdrop for a 13-minute musical composition performed on Saturday at the Chestnut Hill Skyspace, a venue and art installation. The black hole-inspired piece was one of three in an immersive concert, called “This Silent Music,” centered on collective listening.

    The concert intended to create a space where people could sit with and work through discomfort, especially at a time when many feel overwhelmed and disconnected, said cocreator Liz Lang.

    “I personally feel like I want to scream every time I open the news,” she said.

    Liz Lang minutes before performing during a rehearsal of “At the End of It All,” a 13-minute musical composition that incorporates sounds created by sonifying black holes.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Massachusetts-based composer LJ White used black holes as a metaphor for this theme. He paired Phillipson’s sounds with singing, a marimba, and suspended cymbals.

    To him, the chaos of the cosmic phenomenon reflected how marginalized groups can feel powerless and frustrated in society.

    The title of his piece, “At the End of it All,” comes from the poem of the same name by Nicole M. Young-Martin, which is “about not being able to predict or control anything, but trying to be your best person regardless,” White said.

    Sonifying a black hole

    Coming from a family of professional musicians and singers, Phillipson felt like the odd one out in choosing a career in science.

    She gravitated to researching black holes — areas of space where gravity is so strong, even light cannot escape.

    She thought sonifying black holes could make for an interesting outreach activity for students, while also helping scientists uncover novel information about black holes.

    When scientists sonify a black hole, they are not literally recording sound. Most of space is empty and “deathly silent,” Phillipson said.

    Instead, they are interpreting the interactions around the black hole.

    Using telescopes pointed at the night sky, scientists can collect information in the form of images. Those visual cues, such as brightness, can then be translated into sound. For example, Phillipson decided that, if something brightened, that would translate to a higher-pitched sound.

    The environment around a black hole gets brighter and dimmer over time as material interacts with it — akin to a campfire brightening after being fed a log.

    “I’m a translator between the light and the sound,” she said.

    Scientist Becka Phillipson lis photographed before a music rehearsal named “At the End of It All,” a 13-minute musical composition that incorporates sounds created by sonifying black holes, at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. The piece also includes narration about black holes by Phillipson.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    A metaphor

    White produced and mixed Phillipson’s black hole sounds — piecing them together into a collage that served as the background of his 13-minute composition.

    The audio had a “sort of circular sound” and “a lot of swooping,” he said, emulating the spin of a black hole. There was a sense of “things moving around you in a somewhat chaotic way,” he added.

    In this, he saw a metaphor for the experiences of marginalized groups who may feel frustrated and helpless.

    The piece featured parts where the singers scream with wild, unbridled vocals, as if reacting to catastrophe. Other sounds are associated with mourning.

    “Things are happening that they can’t predict or control,” he said. “I want [the piece] to be cathartic in some way.”

    It’s also meant to inspire.

    Beneath the chaos of a black hole lies untapped energy that can suck objects inside if one gets close enough, White said.

    A black hole behaves like an “infinitely deep funnel,” Phillipson said in narration included in the performance. Throw an object in, and it won’t come back out.

    Black holes are also invisible — only detected by their interactions with other things.

    “It’s not an energy source that is well understood or can be taken control of,” White said.

    The same concept of invisibility could extend to groups of people who aren’t in power right now, White said. For example, he identifies with the transgender community, which he says frequently gets talked about in relation to mainstream society, but often remains misunderstood.

    He hopes the piece helps people appreciate the power they have.

    “There’s all this latent energy that we have that we could harness,” White said. “We’re not helpless.”

    Producer and Soprano Katy Avery rehearses “At the End of It All” at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia. The actual concert took place in the Chestnut Hill Skyspace.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Lang hopes to expand beyond last weekend’s sold-out concert to perform in other Skyspace locations around the world. Light artist James Turrell has designed 100 Skyspaces globally, all featuring a room with an aperture in the roof, facing the sky.

    Cocreator Katy Avery was moved by the audience’s reactions at the Philadelphia concert. People found themselves growling along and wanting to vocalize with the performers, embodying the kind of communal atmosphere she had hoped for.

    The person sitting next to Phillipson told her he felt like he had to hold his breath the whole time. It was a “feeling like you have a strong emotion and you don’t know what to do with it,” Phillipson said.

    She compared her own emotional experience to riding Space Mountain at Disneyland. At first it’s dark around the roller coaster, with eerie, ethereal, sci-fi sounds — much like the soundscape created with her black hole sounds. Unable to see the tracks, the rider feels as if they are going into darkness.

    At some point in the piece, the singers came in with somber voices suggesting grief and mourning, with screams reminiscent of metal music.

    Those tumultuous sounds gave way to an ending note of hope and power.

    The two pieces that followed in the concert were more calming and contemplative.

    The black hole composition “was like the precursor to meditation,” she said. “First you have to cry before you can calm down.”

  • The hazing at Cheltenham follows a pattern seen at other schools. The district missed its chance to stop it.

    The hazing at Cheltenham follows a pattern seen at other schools. The district missed its chance to stop it.

    The connection was obvious for anyone who cared to see it.

    One parent after another stepped to a lectern at a Cheltenham school board meeting Tuesday night, each of them bemoaning the district’s handling of either the recent hazing scandal within the high school’s football program or a string of student-on-student assaults at Cheltenham Elementary. The alleged hazing led to criminal charges against four coaches and six players and was brutal: teammates holding down a 15-year-old sophomore so they could step on him with football spikes and poke at his buttocks with a broomstick. The alleged assaults at the elementary school, involving children in kindergarten and second grade, involved conduct and comments that were sexual in nature.

    Leah Mulhearn, the board’s president, announced that the district would review its safety policies and that “football will not return until we address this,” only to duck behind the protective shield of the passive voice — “Mistakes were made” — when it came time to assign responsibility for the dual disasters. The anger among the meeting’s attendees was palpable and universal, and it was justified. These are not two crises on distinct, parallel tracks. They are linked, and there is no separating them.

    As Cheltenham’s superintendent resigns, families say safety problems extended beyond football program

    It was impossible, after listening to some of those parents describe the abuse accusations at Cheltenham Elementary, not to think, What kind of school leaders ignore these incidents? The kind likely to ignore a parent who reports a violent attack in the football locker room. The Cheltenham school district has a culture problem, and that problem isn’t new. Does that assertion seem outlandish? It isn’t. In youth and high school athletics, certain patterns, even the worst kind, tend to repeat and perpetuate themselves.

    “It seems some sort of disconnect,” the author Hank Nuwer, who for decades has been tracking hazing-related incidents and deaths, once told me. “You have to look at it from the outsider position and the insider position. The outsider sees it as sadistic. The people on the inside have the disconnect, particularly if they’ve gone through it themselves. ‘This needs to be done because it has been done to me. So we’re doing it to someone else.’”

    Go to 2002, to Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, where two football players were charged with sexual assault after allegedly holding down a 15-year-old teammate and slapping him in the face with their genitals.

    Go to West Chester’s Arrowhead Day Camp in 1966. The Roman Catholic High School football team was there for training camp. In a hazing prank, three players carried sophomore Lamonte Jenkins to a swimming pool sometime after the pool’s 8:30 p.m. closure, threw him in, then scurried back to their bunks. Jenkins drowned.

    Go back to Pittsburgh, in 1962, when Richard Metz, 16, tried out for the Allegheny High School football team and, after the first day of practice, stayed out of the locker room showers to avoid being hazed. The next day, when two players wielded a pair of scissors and threatened to cut his hair, Metz pulled out a .22-caliber pistol that he had ordered in the mail and fired three shots at the players, hitting one of them in the right thigh. Six weeks later, Metz shot himself.

    In 1962, Richard Metz shot a gun at two football players who attempted to haze him at Allegheny High School.Newspapers.com

    A “psychiatrist’s report showed that Richard had an inability to meet a crisis,” the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Alvin Rosensweet wrote on Oct. 1, 1962, the day after Metz’s death. “He felt he was only defending himself when his teammates goaded him into shooting.”

    A young, troubled man who brings a gun to school … and turns it on other students … then dies by suicide. It doesn’t sound like something from the distant past. It sounds like the sort of atrocity too common in our time.

    Yes, these episodes are anecdotal. They’re also predictable without proper oversight from the adults who are supposed to be in charge, without awareness and understanding of the conditions that can create them. One would think the omnipresence of smartphones and social media and the possibility that such abhorrent acts would be captured on camera and blasted out to the world would serve as deterrents to hazing. They don’t, and the additional, necessary guardrails didn’t exist at Cheltenham and don’t in too many other locker rooms. Incidents like these seem rare, but there’s no telling how often they actually occur.

    The Cheltenham High hazing incident is another failure of adult leadership. When does this stop?

    “How likely,” Nuwer said, “are students to report this?”

    They’re not likely at all. The victims are often too humiliated to reveal the abuse, and you can be sure that the perpetrators won’t be quick to confess. Somehow those lasting lessons weren’t delivered to enough Cheltenham football coaches and players, and based on the abuse parents described Tuesday night, those responsible for the district’s youngest students need to learn them, too.

    There will be a review of the district from an outside attorney, and the high school football season has already been canceled, just as last season’s was. These are half-measures, and too late at that. Curtailing such cruelty comes down to stopping it before it starts, to cultivating an environment where everyone understands that there will be consequences for those who don’t meet the baseline for basic human decency.

    It takes elected leaders who actually lead. It takes educators and administrators who wield wisdom and compassion and discipline in the proper proportions. It takes parents and students with the willingness to speak up, and it takes parents who have the strength, the humility, and the self-awareness to recognize that their children might be causing the chaos — and who take the steps to stop it. It takes a lot of elements that right now seem in short supply in the Cheltenham school district.

    This column has been updated to reflect the outcome of one accusation of hazing.

  • The Eagles’ preseason slate starts Saturday. These 12 players will have the most on the line vs. the Ravens.

    The Eagles’ preseason slate starts Saturday. These 12 players will have the most on the line vs. the Ravens.

    Preseason games are generally meaningless from the standpoint that they don’t count toward a team’s regular-season record.

    But for nearly half the players on any training camp roster, these games are some of the most important of their careers.

    When the Eagles face the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday in their preseason opener, some players will be fighting to make the initial 53-man roster or the practice squad — either with the Eagles or another team. Others are Eagles roster locks, but they might be in competition for a prominent role.

    Here are 12 Eagles players that have something to prove in the first preseason game:

    Darius Cooper has been a trusted target for Jalen Hurts in camp. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Darius Cooper, WR

    Cooper is practically a roster lock at this point. The 2025 undrafted free agent out of Tarleton State has made the most of his opportunities — arguably more so than any other receiver — in the absence of DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon, who are dealing with hamstring injuries.

    Last year, Cooper was primarily a “dirty work” receiver, as Nick Sirianni described him, responsible for blocking and running clear-out routes. Has he shown in camp that he’s ready for more playing time in Year 2?

    “He’s having a good camp,” Sirianni said Thursday. “There’s still a lot of time left. It’s about being consistent on a daily basis. He’s done a good job being consistent on a daily basis and he makes really good catches, really elite hands and we know he’s tough and things that he can do. But I’ve been pleased with where he is.”

    If he plays on Saturday, Cooper has an opportunity to show why he’s capable of taking on a bigger role in the offense.

    Elijah Moore, WR

    Cooper isn’t the only receiver with something to prove. Moore, entering Year 6 in the NFL and his first with the Eagles, is also battling for a roster spot in a crowded room.

    He’s been showing why he deserves one lately, as his chemistry with Jalen Hurts continues to build. His latest standout moment came Tuesday when he caught a deep touchdown pass from Hurts in an 11-on-11 session.

    While Moore’s stock has risen, eighth-year veteran Hollywood Brown hasn’t made much noise. Hurts has been picked off in consecutive practices while targeting Brown, the latest instance occurring on Thursday in seven-on-sevens when Mac McWilliams undercut the receiver’s route in the end zone.

    Saturday’s game could provide Moore with a chance to further his case for a spot on the initial 53, especially while Brown’s stock is slipping.

    Mac McWilliams is trying to lay claim to a spot in the cornerback rotation. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Mac McWilliams, CB

    Speaking of McWilliams, the 2025 fifth-rounder out of Central Florida has been the first outside cornerback off the bench for the last three practices as Jonathan Jones deals with a shoulder injury.

    McWilliams got more work with the starting defense opposite Riq Woolen with Quinyon Mitchell sidelined Thursday due to a glute injury. He also took reps at nickel cornerback. Vic Fangio said on Tuesday that McWilliams has “matured” since last season, leading to improvement in his game during the offseason program and training camp.

    Fangio also acknowledged that Jones could “miss some time” due to injury. McWilliams could assert himself as a frontrunner for the backup job in a crowded room that also includes Jakorian Bennett and Kelee Ringo.

    Andrew Mukuba, S

    Mukuba, the 2025 second-rounder out of Texas, is in line to start at safety. But it’s been nearly nine months since he played his last game.

    Saturday could mark his first game since his season-ending fibula fracture in a Week 11 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. But Mukuba, who would not reveal on Thursday whether he’ll playing against the Ravens, said that he isn’t looking at the opportunity through that lens.

    “I’ve already put everything behind me, to be honest with you,” Mukuba said. “I feel comfortable out here. Despite what I had going on, I feel comfortable and I’ve already put everything behind me. Just focused on what’s next and what’s in front of me.”

    Marcus Epps is looking to lock up a starting safety job. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Marcus Epps, S

    Primarily playing alongside Mukuba at safety with the starting defense in camp has been Epps, the 30-year-old veteran. Epps has two seasons of experience as a full-time starter (17 games in 2022 with the Eagles and 17 games in 2023 with the Las Vegas Raiders), plus he also started five games last season (including the playoffs) in Mukuba’s absence.

    Michael Carter II is in competition for the gig, too, but Epps has commanded most of the starting reps with Mukuba in camp. Epps could potentially have an opportunity to tighten his grip on the starting role with a solid preseason performance.

    Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee, QBs

    McKee, 26, was Hurts’ full-time backup in 2025. Could this year be different for the 2023 sixth-rounder out of Stanford?

    The Eagles acquired Dalton via trade with the Carolina Panthers in the offseason, appearing to identify their QB3. But Dalton and McKee have split reps with the second-team offense in the offseason program and in training camp, a reflection of the open competition for the top backup job.

    Andy Dalton will likely see game action as an Eagle for the first time. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Early in camp, Dalton seemed like the better of the two quarterbacks, but he has appeared to falter this week. On Monday, he had a handful of errant throws during team drills. He was picked off on Tuesday in 11-on-11 by Cooper DeJean and the starting defense. Dalton missed a wide-open Danny Gray in the end zone with an overthrown pass on Thursday.

    The competition between Dalton and McKee could continue to play out in the preseason. It’s also worth acknowledging that their preseason performances could serve as auditions for other teams if the Eagles decide to move either player in a trade.

    Eli Stowers (87) has been slow to acclimate to the NFL and will try to make an impact on Saturday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Eli Stowers, TE

    Stowers, the second-round tight end out of Vanderbilt, could make his NFL (preseason) debut on Saturday. He has had a relatively quiet camp so far, but he has been reliable lately when the ball has come his way. The preseason could offer him more opportunities to showcase his game, especially his athleticism, which was his calling card coming out of college.

    Markel Bell, T

    Bell, the 6-foot-9, 346-pound tackle, will be another rookie to watch. The Eagles have been evaluating him at right tackle, where he could serve as the primary backup to Lane Johnson if he beats out incumbent Fred Johnson. Saturday could be Bell’s first game at right tackle ever, as he mostly played on the left side throughout college.

    Uar Bernard could play in a football game for the first time at any level on Saturday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Uar Bernard, DL

    Bernard has experienced plenty of firsts since he was drafted by the Eagles in the seventh round out of the International Player Pathway program. Is he ready for his first football game ever? Sirianni didn’t directly say whether Bernard would play on Saturday, but he acknowledged how important it is that he goes through a pregame routine for the first time before the season starts.

    Ty Robinson, DL

    Robinson may have begun camp with the developmental defense in team drills, but he has been moving his way up the depth chart recently. The 2025 fourth-rounder out of Nebraska had a strong showing on Monday as a pass rusher, forcing his way into the backfield on multiple occasions against the second-string offense. Robinson could use some standout preseason performances if he wants to make a case for the initial 53.

    Willie Lampkin has had a strong camp despite unconventional size for a lineman. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Willie Lampkin, OL

    Lampkin hasn’t played a football game since Aug. 16, 2025. At that time, the 2025 undrafted free agent out of North Carolina was a member of the Los Angeles Rams. He had a strong start to camp, especially in the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys. But Lampkin was injured in the second game of the preseason against the Los Angeles Chargers, and he was ultimately waived at the end of camp with an injury designation.

    The Eagles signed him to the active roster and placed him on injured reserve for the rest of the year. Now, Lampkin is set to return to action this preseason as he vies for a depth role, at both center and guard.