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  • Jared Armstrong wants to create unity through basketball. The JAB Classic is his answer.

    Jared Armstrong wants to create unity through basketball. The JAB Classic is his answer.

    The JAB Classic, a three-day pro-am basketball tournament, is looking to use sports as a way to foster unity.

    JAB’s founder, Philadelphia native Jared Armstrong, brought the tournament to Penn following years of campus turmoil in the wake of the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza, which killed more than 70,000 Palestinian civilians.

    “I just think [combating] the rise of hate,” Armstrong said. “Whether it’s racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia — it’s going to start with the next generation and really educating them. It’s more than just basketball for me.”

    Penn, which was jolted into the national spotlight that year following the resignation of university president Liz Magill over backlash from her congressional testimony on antisemitism, saw a multitude of high-profile antisemitic incidents in the aftermath. In 2023, Penn Hillel was vandalized, a swastika was drawn inside of Weitzman School of Design, and a wall near a Jewish fraternity house was defaced with antisemitic graffiti.

    Jared Armstrong had to flee his dream job playing basketball in Israel | From 2023

    Eighty-five percent of respondents from a 2025 Penn Hillel survey of Jewish students marked that they had “experienced, heard about, or witnessed” antisemitism at Penn.

    Meanwhile, members of the Penn community who participated in pro-Palestinian protests received direct threats of violence, and an off-campus residence of pro-Palestinian students was controversially raided by Penn police officers, who said it was in connection to an alleged act of vandalism.

    “This mission is really focused on college campuses,” Armstrong said. “We actually have an idea to just take it not to just Penn, but other campuses. That brings the mixture of the message. You know, sports, culture, entertainment all in one. So kids can understand the importance organically, not being forced to sit in the classroom.”

    The eight-team tournament will tip off Friday and run through Sunday. Nine total games will be played over the weekend with Sunday boasting the Classic’s championship. Each team includes former and current NBA talent. Notable names participating include 76ers forward Dominick Barlow, two-time NBA champion Quinn Cook, two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo, and Philadelphia natives Markieff and Marcus Morris.

    In 2023, Jared Armstrong started the JAB Camp, a basketball program that uses sports to teach children about prejudice.Jared Armstrong

    The first-place team will take home $1 million, though Armstrong noted he hopes the event’s mission will entice players to participate.

    “Most athletes experience hate, whether it’s on or off the court,” Armstrong said. “We’re some of the most influential people in the world. I think every person in this tournament dealt with some sort of racism, and it’s not something new to us.”

    Additionally, the tournament will feature two musical performances. On Friday, Philadelphia rapper KUR will perform between games three and four. On Sunday, prominent Chicago rapper G Herbo will take the Palestra’s court.

    ‘Supporting all kids’

    Armstrong, a professional basketball player in Israel’s second division who played collegiately at Slippery Rock, was living in Ashkelon on Oct. 7, 2023, eight miles north of Gaza and the closest major city to the Gaza Strip.

    With his life in danger and Hamas-led attacks getting closer to his residence, Armstrong fled to Tel Aviv alongside his teammates. Armstrong later returned home to Philadelphia.

    When it was safe to go back to Israel to play, Armstrong witnessed the disarray the community was in. Looking to make a difference, he launched Jared Armstrong Basketball (JAB) Camp, a program that uses sports to teach children about prejudice. Additionally, Armstrong and JAB began renovating basketball courts in Israel and Philadelphia. To this day, 17 courts have been renovated, and this weekend’s classic will help fund another court in Philadelphia.

    Jared Armstrong played professional basketball in Israel.Courtesy of Jared Armstrong

    In the future, Armstrong is hoping to bring his mission to Gaza.

    “[Palestinian children] are going through struggles that kids in Israel during the war are going through,” Armstrong said. “I’m big on supporting all kids. Regardless of your skin color, where you’re from. Like I said, just keep trying to inspire them, giving them some sort of hope, some sort of sanity, and just trying to give them some sort of peace.”

    In the meantime, Armstrong is focused on helping heal the divide on Penn’s campus. A key figure in bringing JAB to the Palestra was Rev. Charles L. “Chaz” Howard, Penn’s university chaplain and vice president of social equity and community. Howard regularly holds interfaith dialogue on campus, focused on squashing prejudice.

    Jared Armstrong has renovated basketball courts in Israel and Philadelphia.Jared Armstrong

    “Penn is no island,” Howard said. “And the world has been a hard place the last several years.”

    Howard believes events like the JAB Classic can help “stitch back together some of the brokenness” the community has felt in recent years. The timing also worked out. Many incoming freshmen and their families are in the city, with first-year student move-in slated for next week.

    “I think what [Armstrong is] doing by using something like basketball as a dialogical space is brilliant,” Howard said. “It’s so simple, but it’s also brilliant. … And I’m a basketball man. So this is really exciting to me personally.”

  • Philly’s Jeremiah Wells learned to ‘be patient’ and ‘level up’ for his UFC 330 fight

    Philly’s Jeremiah Wells learned to ‘be patient’ and ‘level up’ for his UFC 330 fight

    Jeremiah Wells didn’t want any distractions leading up to his upcoming fight.

    The 39-year-old Philadelphia native knew he would have to be hyper-focused for fight camp as he prepared to compete against an opponent over a decade younger, 28-year-old Myktybek Orolbai. And what made matters even more pressing, the fight on Saturday night is in his own backyard at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in front of his friends and family.

    So if that meant he would have to take his 4-year-old French bulldog, Stardust, to live with his family in Hazleton, Pa., during camp, then he would do just that.

    “He’s a handful,” Wells said. “He’s a small little Frenchie. He’s like 4. He wants so much attention. He wants walks every day. I just can’t handle it, dragging him everywhere. … I had to wake up in the morning, take him for a walk, and then drag him to the gym, and then take him for a walk when we got back, all while he wanted me to pet him.”

    Wells has been fighting for nearly 15 years. He was introduced to the sport at 24 years old, watching a fight card with friends. At one point, he looked over and said, “I could do that.” Seconds later, his friends laughed at the thought.

    “They were just arrogant kids, that’s all it was,” Wells said. “I said I could do it, but they didn’t believe me. But now, they do.”

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

    Since then, Wells has competed in different promotions like PA Cage Fight and Cage Fury Fighting Championships. He made his UFC debut in 2021, defeating Warlley Alves by second-round knockout after replacing Ramazan Emeev on short notice at UFC Fight Night 190. But before making the transition to the UFC, Wells said there was one part of his game he really had to work on.

    “Be patient,” Wells said. “I always wanted it now, and wanted it now, and wanted it now. I thought it was, when you were young, this is going to happen, and then this is going to happen. Like, I always said I was going to be in the UFC in like three years. And it took me like, probably 10.”

    Jeremiah Wells (right) trains at Marquez MMA in Philadelphia for Saturday’s UFC fight.TYGER WILLIAMS / Staff Photographer

    Wells won four of his first six UFC fights, suffering consecutive losses to Carlston Harris and Max Griffin before returning to the win column against Themba Gorimbo in November 2025.

    But between the Griffin and Gorimbo fights, Wells faced one of his toughest challenges — a 21-month hiatus from fighting. Wells broke his hand in the Griffin fight. After recovering, he was supposed to fight Niko Price in June 2024, but he was forced to pull out after tearing his Achilles.

    “I went through hell just getting back mentally and physically,” Wells said. “It turned me into a different person, also. Just being grateful for so many things. I had to make a new person of myself. And I leveled up. I slowed everything down. Listened to my body, not overtraining, actually recovering and eating healthy. And also not partying. Just changing up my mindset, my mental clarity.”

    Training at Marquez MMA, located on Worth Street, Wells is surrounded by several Philly UFC fighters who have motivated him in his fight journey, including Pat Sabatini, Sean Brady, Joe Pyfer, and Andre Petroski.

    “All my teammates that started with me, they really love this,” Wells said. “They stuck to it. Everyone like Sean Brady, Pat Sabatini, that’s the ones I started with like day one at Gracie’s and they’re still here today. I’m happy that they’re still here and I’m proud. Definitely, the new guys too, like Pyfer and Andre Petroski. It means a lot to me to just share the mats with these guys.”

    UFC 330 will be the first numbered event and first title fight held in Philadelphia in a decade and a half, dating back to UFC 133 in 2011, which featured Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz as the main event. UFC returned to the city in 2019 for a Fight Night card at the then-Wells Fargo Center, featuring a main event between Justin Gaethje and Edson Barboza.

    Jeremiah Wells, a West Philadelphia native, watches Pat Sabatini, of Bristol, and Philly’s Sean Brady sparring. Sabatini and Brady have been big Wells supporters.TYGER WILLIAMS / Staff Photographer

    The last time UFC was in town, there wasn’t a single fighter from the area on the card, although former Philly fighter-turned-broadcaster Paul Felder was in the booth. This time, Wells will be the only Philly fighter featured, appearing as the first fight 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 is just, sometimes we get a little dirty. We get our hands dirty.”

    Wells has finished three of his seven UFC opponents through submission and knockouts. Once he decides to hang it up, the Philly native hopes to be remembered as a fighter whom the fans were looking forward to watching. And he’s hoping Saturday will be another example of that.

    ”I feel confident and ready,” Wells said. “[I want to be remembered as] that gritty fighter, explosive and always excited to see. To just put it on for the fans.”

  • Two decades ago, Rachael DeCecco reached the peak of women’s lacrosse. Now, she’s helping lead a pro league.

    Two decades ago, Rachael DeCecco reached the peak of women’s lacrosse. Now, she’s helping lead a pro league.

    Rachael DeCecco had long believed that her lacrosse career was over.

    After years of playing at Marple Newtown High School, then at Princeton and for the U.S. World Cup team in 2005, the Delaware County native had reached the pinnacle of women’s lacrosse at the time.

    She had made peace with that and transitioned to work in healthcare administration for senior living facilities. That was until over a decade later, when the Premier Lacrosse League helped her revive her lacrosse muscles, this time on the administrative side, in 2020.

    Now, DeCecco is the senior vice president of the PLL and Women’s Lacrosse League, helping pave the way for other women to continue their lacrosse careers with opportunities she didn’t have.

    “Playing professionally was never something that was even a whisper of possibility,” DeCecco said. “If it had been a real opportunity, I definitely would have tried.”

    Ashley Sessa is already leaving her mark with USA field hockey. Her next goal? Grow the game.

    Dozens of women have gotten the chance to do just that, and several will compete in the inaugural WLL championship game Saturday at Subaru Park in Chester. The Maryland Charm will face the California Palms (2 p.m., ESPN) at the home of the Union, and the venue was chosen to highlight the lacrosse culture in the Philadelphia area.

    “It’s a no-brainer for me, personally,” DeCecco said of the decision. “Philly lacrosse has been something that’s been big forever. It’s a great sports market, and so many of the roots were born in Philly. … It does become sort of this generational expectation that you’re going to play lacrosse. It’s really fun to see that generation over generation.”

    Eight players and a coach from the Maryland Charm have ties to the area. Some of the game’s stars are among this group, including Marie McCool, a Moorestown native who recently became a three-time world champion with the U.S. women’s lacrosse team, which won its fifth consecutive championship Aug. 2 in Japan. Fifteen of the 22 players on the U.S. team now play in the WLL.

    Rachael DeCecco (left) presents a trophy to Moorestown native Marie McCool at the WLL All-Star Game.Women's Lacrosse League

    For DeCecco, who is a two-time NCAA champion and a silver medalist with the U.S. World Cup team in 2005, the WLL championship is an up-close view of female athletes who are playing at the highest level.

    “It’s going to be an incredible display of athleticism and skill and competition,” DeCecco said. “This is the beginning of something that everybody’s worked really hard to get to where we are. You only get one — they will be the first champions ever. That only happens once. It’s a really cool opportunity.”

    How Moorestown ‘shaped’ pro women’s lacrosse star Marie McCool

    Despite her playing days being “long gone,” she says she’s looking forward to watching some of her favorite players on the field.

    “Brigid Duffy, I watch her play and I’m like, ‘Is she on ice skates?’” DeCecco said. “She’s just gliding through it, and then she rips a shot and you’re like, ‘Wow.’”

    “I’m watching the games and helping run the games, and it’s really hard for me to not scream, ‘My gosh, did you see that?’ Like, that was one of the most athletic things I’ve ever seen, and it happens 10 times a game. So I’m a fan as well, but it’s hard. I have to keep my business face on.”

    Saturday’s championship caps a season that featured 10 games between the league’s four teams, both numbers DeCecco hopes will grow in years to come.

    “This isn’t the end goal,” she said. “I think and hope we’ll have more TV distribution, more games, more teams. In 10 years, I fully believe kids will grow up saying, ‘I want to be a professional lacrosse player.’ That didn’t exist before.”

  • The Sixers’ schedule release and the new challenge they face in a radically changing NBA

    The Sixers’ schedule release and the new challenge they face in a radically changing NBA

    The problem with most conspiracy theories is they assume a level of intelligence, cooperation, discretion, and selflessness that is completely at odds with the track record of large groups of humans. There may only be five people on planet Earth who possess the requisite skill set, let alone five who share a motivation to plot some nefarious deed.

    That being said …

    If you are the kind of person who tends to believe in dark, mysterious forces working in concert, you might want to give a little thought to the shifts in the NBA’s competitive environment over the last couple of years.

    Jaylen Brown’s Boston return, LeBron James’ tour, and more Sixers schedule observations

    The Luka Doncic and Jaylen Brown trades have plenty in common. Both were traded from teams less than two years removed from an NBA Finals appearance. Both for a pittance, and both to conference rivals. Of far greater significance is their dual place among the prime movers of a league that could be in the beginning stages of a renaissance.

    The Lakers’ acquisition of Doncic two years ago not only positioned a marquee franchise for a seamless transition into life after LeBron James, it effectively, if improbably, positioned the Mavericks to land the No. 1 overall draft pick that they used to select a generational talent in Cooper Flagg. Meanwhile, the Sixers’ acquisition of Brown was effectively coupled with the acquisition of James, whose minimum contract free-agent deal with the Sixers completed the organization’s wild and near-instant transformation from borderline irrelevance to legitimate title contender.

    New Sixer Jaylen Brown arrives for his introductory press conference at the Francis Myers Recreation Center on Aug. 6.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Doncic and Brown are just two of the deals that have dramatically flattened the NBA’s competitive landscape heading into the 2026-27 season. From perennial MVP finalist Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade to the Heat to the Raptors acquisition of Kawhi Leonard to Flagg and Victor Wembanyama’s presence in the West, the league is suddenly chock full of potential counterweights to its behemoths in New York, Oklahoma City, and Boston. The league’s release of its schedule on Thursday crystalized this. It also crystalized the challenge that will confront the Sixers as they embark on a season unlike any they’ve experienced prior. In fact, one need only look at the first 10 days of the season.

    Five of the Sixers’ first six games will come against the Knicks (twice), Cavs, Pistons and Pacers. That group includes the last two teams to advance to the NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference, plus two teams who have won 60+ games in one of the last two regular seasons.

    The schedule is full of these sorts of stretches. A month into the season, the Sixers will have played just four games against teams that didn’t win a first-round playoff series in either of the last two seasons. Mid-January brings Anthony Edwards’ Timberwolves to Philadelphia before a home/road back-to-back against the Hawks and Pacers, followed by a trip to Boston two days later. Really, you can pick any two or three-week stretch and find a preponderance of must-see matchups. On paper, at least.

    This is a good thing. For the NBA. For its fans. For commissioner Adam Silver, who has grown increasingly proactive in both word and deed regarding the on-court product during the regular season. It’s not premature to say that we are already seeing the impact of the NBA’s second apron penalties and its soon-to-be-instituted lottery reforms. Both played a role in the Sixers’ acquisition of Brown, whom they acquired for a package of draft picks that included a 2028 Clippers first-rounder that gained immense value from the new draft odds.

    Ten games to watch from the Sixers’ 2026-27 season, including the ‘Nova Knicks and LeBron James’ former teams

    This is also a good thing for the Sixers. Not just from an entertainment standpoint. After a six-year stretch where every NBA Finals featured either the Heat against the Spurs or the Warriors against the Cavs, eight different teams have appeared in the last four Finals. The Celtics are the only team to appear in more than one NBA Finals since 2022. When the league released its schedule on Thursday afternoon, half its teams had a Vegas win total over/under of at least 44.5. A healthy percentage of those teams will enter the season with a valid argument as a title contender. The Sixers are one of those teams.

    Whether they reach those heights will depend on plenty of factors even beyond their obvious health and age-related concerns. Basketball is a sport where rhythm, synergy and on-court chemistry play a huge role in differentiating talented teams from each other. The gauntlet of Eastern Conference rivals the Sixers will face in their first week-and-a-half only underscores the time crunch they’ll face once all of the new faces are on the court together in training camp.

    One way or another, it will be fascinating to watch.

  • Hundreds of Philly buildings rely on Vicinity’s steam plants. Their workers want better pay and safer facilities.

    Hundreds of Philly buildings rely on Vicinity’s steam plants. Their workers want better pay and safer facilities.

    Thomas White is a control room operator at a Philadelphia plant working with chillers and steam boilers to provide heat and air-conditioning for Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University. When he started his job some 18 years ago, he and many of his coworkers had served in the U.S. Navy.

    That shared experience was an advantage, he says, because they all came with the same training. The Navy used steam-driven ships.

    “You just had to learn where things were because you already knew what they did, you knew how to do it, spoke the language,” he said.

    White and his colleagues work around-the-clock shifts for Vicinity Energy, operating a system that generates steam and electricity to provide customers with heat, air-conditioning, and chilled water. In Philadelphia, Vicinity serves hundreds of buildings, including Two Liberty Place, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as well as the University of Pennsylvania, which buys over half the steam Vicinity sells in Philadelphia.

    Since he’s been on the job, White says the Navy-veteran hiring pool has shrunk, as the Navy moved away from steam and toward diesel and gas turbines. Now hires come from refineries shutting down or trash plants, and they need training.

    “There’s just a few of us older guys that are left over to try to pass this institutional knowledge down,” said White, who is a member of IBEW Local 614, along with 56 other Philadelphia employees of Vicinity. They do this training on their own time, White said, so they don’t get paid for it.

    Their union is negotiating a new contract and could go on strike if they can’t reach a deal. They want raises, better short-term disability pay, a safer workplace, and compensation for the time they spend training new hires. Their current agreement expired in March.

    “Vicinity Energy is committed to bargaining in good faith and believe those discussions belong at the bargaining table, not in the media,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement. “Throughout this process, the safety of our employees, customers, and the communities we serve remains our top priority, and we remain committed to safe, reliable operations.”

    Center City steam loop a ‘diamond in the rough,’ new CEO says as pressure builds to go green

    The steam plant workers voted to authorize a strike on Saturday if their union calls for it, with 77% participating in the vote, and 97% voting yes.

    If they do walk off the job, they’d be closely following in the footsteps of IBEW Local 614’s Peco employees, who recently went on strike before reaching a contract deal last month. A strike authorization vote doesn’t guarantee a strike will happen but can be used as leverage in bargaining.

    The union has alleged that a Vicinity supervisor threatened to “discharge” workers who strike, according to an unfair labor practice charge filed with the National Labor Relations Board earlier this month. Vicinity did not comment on the charge.

    The union is still bargaining in good faith, president Larry Anastasi said.

    Steam plants require human operators, so a strike could be very disruptive for steam-powered buildings across the city. Given that, Anastasi said, it’s important “that we do everything in our power” to keep a strike from happening.

    The Vicinity Energy cogeneration plant is pictured in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry section in 2020. The plant, originally opened by Philadelphia Electric, produces electricity and steam for heating Center City buildings.Tim Tai / Staff Photographer

    An old system changing hands

    Philadelphia’s steam system was originally built by Peco at the start of the 20th century.

    “Because it’s so old, I think people forgot its value,” Anastasi said.

    Veolia Energy bought the system in 2007. Vicinity’s parent company, private-equity firm Antin Infrastructure Partners, bought it from Veolia in 2019 as part of a larger deal valued at $1.25 billion. At the time, the company committed to $50 million in capital spending over five years in Philadelphia.

    Larry Anastasi, president of IBEW Local 614. The union leader also represents Peco employees who reached a new contract with the company in July. Allie Ippolito / For The Inquirer

    Boston-based Vicinity manages some 41 miles of underground pipe infrastructure in Philadelphia, according to the company’s website. The business services 400 buildings in Philadelphia, and its main plant is in Grays Ferry, at 2600 Christian St.

    Vicinity’s Philadelphia business brought in over $99 million in revenue last year but reported a net loss of $11 million in 2025 after paying for fuel, operating expenses, and other costs.

    The turbine hall is pictured inside the Vicinity Energy plant in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry section in 2020. Tim Tai / Staff Photographer

    What do workers want?

    After months of negotiations, it’s hard to keep morale up among workers, said Kenneth Gordy, a union shop steward and control room operator. Gordy said he feels workers are underpaid for the highly skilled and dangerous work they do.

    Operators typically clock in for 12-hour shifts beginning at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m. They get two weekends off per month.

    Operators earn roughly around $50 an hour, said Anastasi. He said “substandard” wages and benefits have led to turnover.

    “We want our wages to reflect the knowledge, the level, the skills, the things that we do. We’re not asking for extraordinary things,” White said.

    Union members also want fully funded short-term disability. They used to be able to get 100% pay during short-term disability years ago, but they now get around 60% during such leave, Anastasi said.

    “Guys are using their bodies in this plant. We’re beating ourselves up,” said Sean Finnegan, an auxiliary operator who maintains equipment.

    The workers also want their employer to make repairs to the plants where they work, citing unsafe conditions such as asbestos, as well as standing water in work areas, Anastasi said. Part of the ceiling was falling down in one area recently, White recalled.

    “A new private equity firm takes over, and none of the repairs get made,” Anastasi said.

    Control room operators work at the Vicinity Energy cogeneration plant in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry section in 2020. Tim Tai / Staff Photographer

    Anastasi also wants to improve retirement benefits for the Vicinity workers. He wants their employer to contribute to the union’s annuity program, so workers can get monthly payments upon retirement.

    Anastasi is coming off a retirement win for his union’s Peco members, who clawed back pensions in their recent contract with the energy company. The union heralded the deal as a “historic contract victory.”

    The steam plant workers’ most recent bargaining session was Aug. 3. The next session has yet to be scheduled, the union said Thursday.

  • Letters to the Editor | Aug. 14, 2026

    Letters to the Editor | Aug. 14, 2026

    Plutocracy

    Two hundred and fifty years ago, our city’s favorite son, Ben Franklin, warned us that our country is a “republic, if you can keep it.” Sadly, it appears we are failing to heed his wise counsel. We are evolving into a plutocracy, defined as “a state or society governed by the wealthy.” Dark money has flooded and controlled the electoral process. A substantial majority of Americans want universal background checks for gun buyers after numerous mass shootings, yet all such reform efforts fail. A majority of Americans want a woman to have the right to have a choice in health matters, yet the U.S. Supreme Court says otherwise, and several states are criminalizing such conduct. A majority of us believe global warming is real as enhanced natural disasters continue unabated, yet governments ignore it and continue to denigrate the environment. A majority of Americans support scientific research and adequate funding for the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, yet funds are being cut, scientists laid off, and Anthony Fauci was threatened with jail time. With unlimited campaign funds and sophisticated marketing injected into our political process, a simple majority no longer rules. We are slipping into a plutocracy in which tech billionaires, Elon Musk, Big Pharma, Big Oil, and other financial powerhouses are in control. Fortunately, the forthcoming midterm elections give us perhaps a last opportunity to live up to Franklin’s ideals. Let’s restore checks and balances come Nov. 3.

    Angus Love, Narberth, anguslove76@gmail.com

    Willful ignorance

    I’m fascinated by the fact, as reported recently, that Donald Trump is angry at Pete Hegseth for keeping him “in the dark” about the dearth of munitions available to our military, which might hamper Trump’s ability to continue bombing Iran. I’m a retired teacher, and I knew about this “munitions problem” a long time ago. How can this be explained? Am I really intelligent? A genius? Or is the president of this country willfully ignorant? Or is he kept in a bubble? It reminds me of the time — a few days before Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans — when I turned to my wife and said something to the effect of: “My God, this storm could literally obliterate New Orleans from the earth. The city is literally under sea level and this is a Category 5 storm!” and then hearing President George W. Bush, after the destruction, telling us that no one could have predicted the damage. Really? Do Republican presidents always have to be so dangerously obtuse? Do Republicans only vote for their own little “bubble boys?”

    John McLaughlin, Philadelphia

    Not to be outdone

    Remember how we felt pre-COVID-19 when Phillies rightfielder Bryce Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million no-trade, no-opt-out-option contract in winter 2019? It seemed like a Phillies World Series championship guarantee.

    Then, we were not disheartened by a narrow Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in February 2023 — enough so to sign Jalen Hurts to a five-year, $255 million contract extension. Two years later, the Eagles returned to the Super Bowl and won it.

    So when the Sixers took it to the next level by taking our breaths away this summer by assembling the finest starting lineup in NBA history with the addition of LeBron James, you just knew something else was coming.

    It turns out that you didn’t have long to wait. The finest defensive tackle in the NFL is now the highest-paid one in NFL history. One year after sending projectile sputum into the South Philadelphia night sky that landed on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter signed a $152 million contract extension.

    It places him in Philly until 2031, just like Harper. Imagine what other big news we’ll have by then.

    Michael Thomas Leibrandt, Abington

    Protect Head Start

    As the former regional program manager for Head Start in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Philadelphia regional office, I am appalled that the Trump administration is proposing new rules that would impede this popular, successful program. The program, promulgated in 1965 during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration, has provided low-income families with enhanced childcare to more than 700,000 preschoolers nationwide, 65,000 in our six-state region.

    Historically, Head Start has contributed to lowering rates of delinquency and teen pregnancy. Head Start kids have a higher propensity to graduate from high school.

    A notable hindrance prohibits the enrollment of children who don’t have at least one parent who was born in the U.S. This would deny Head Start benefits to some children who are U.S.-born. The rule also eliminates access for children with disabilities. Currently, 10% of enrollment includes children with disabilities.

    Previously, the administration called for zero funding for Head Start, but withdrew that proposal because of political pressure. However, the White House did close half the nation’s 10 Head Start federal regional offices, leaving local Head Start programs without crucial guidance and technical assistance.

    If you agree that these proposed rules should not be enacted, let your voice be heard. Contact your local congressional representative.

    Ed Vreeswyk, Head Start regional program manager (retired), HHS Region 3, Philadelphia

    Exercise rights

    A recent article from The Inquirer summarizes new findings from a report on high school sports participation across Pennsylvania. As a pediatric resident who counsels patients and families weekly about the importance of exercise, I was disappointed by the results. While some districts have participation rates above 40%, many had rates of less than 10%. Unfortunately, low participation was also found to be correlated with fewer sports being offered and less funding for sports programs.

    No matter where a student lives, all children 6 years and older need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days of the week, according to recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Not only does exercise help prevent long-term chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, but it also benefits kids now. Kids who exercise have improved focus in school, better sleep, and for teens, exercise can help avoid risk-taking behaviors like smoking, drinking, and using drugs.

    This report highlights the need for both more funding and programs for students to participate in school sports. My recommendations as a pediatrician can only go so far if my patients do not have adequate access or equal opportunities to exercise.

    Julianna Lee, Philadelphia

    End removal delays

    There seems to be a wide consensus among residents, civic groups, and even an article in this newspaper that abandoned automobile removal has ceased to be a relatively efficient city service.

    The mayor has made clear she gives cleaning up the city a high priority. Whatever debate this may generate about its efficacy thus far, it was Mayor John F. Street who, over two decades ago, declared war on abandoned cars. He successfully made headway at improving this service. What has changed, then, if residents have to wait up to 120 days for completion of the removals?

    A clear explanation from the mayor — this should come from the top — needs to be given about this. Philadelphia cannot afford to step backward on any code/sanitation/safety-related service provision, especially where significant progress had been made.

    Fortunately, we still have the graffiti abatement team to show us all what efficient and effective service provision looks like each day.

    Ryan Caviglia, Philadelphia

    Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.

  • Dear Abby | Support for some charities can result in a busy mailbox

    DEAR ABBY: Do charities and nonprofits share or sell donor information? For years, maybe decades, I’ve made quarterly contributions to two well-known charities for children’s cancer research hospitals, and I truly believe in what they do. However, over the last few years, I have started receiving an increasing number of requests for money.

    One continues to send me quarterly requests, and I promptly write a check. But the other one started sending mailings every month, then every week and now multiple times a week, not to mention the newer “legacy program” (naming them in my will). I have also received messages on my landline phone, text messages and emails, and none of this contact information has previously been given to them, only my mailing address.

    Today, I received seven pieces of mail. Six were requests for donations, five of which I’m not familiar with, and I have gotten the feeling my name and address have been sold or shared with other nonprofits. It feels to me as if they’re spending the money I’ve donated to print and mail even more requests, and I’ll no longer donate to them. I will increase the amount of donations to local school programs.

    Is there a way to get them to stop mailing me? Maybe they’ll read this and think twice about bombarding people to the point they no longer will support them.

    — FULL MAILBOX IN CALIFORNIA

    DEAR FULL MAILBOX: According to Give.org, businesses and charitable organizations do sell their clients’ or donors’ contact information to other organizations. If your name is on a list of subscribers to a special interest magazine or buyers of a certain product or service, it may wind up on a list used by various charities. You may be able to lessen the onslaught of appeals you receive by writing directly to the charities whose mail you don’t want and asking them to delete your name from the mailing lists they rent or exchange. (A Better Business Bureau standard requires that a charity offer contributors an opt-out opportunity in its appeals at least once a year.)

    Enclose the mailing label or return card that came with your appeal when you contact the charity. Be sure to add the correct postage to their envelope on which you have written “delete my name” or “return to sender” because charities’ nonprofit mailing rates do not pay for returns.

    For more information on this subject, visit Give.org.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: My mom passed last year. I’m 50, and my brother is 52. He has never been good with money. He’s gullible and lets people take advantage of him. He will not let me help him.

    Should I get a guardianship for him or let him fend for himself? We already have a rocky relationship. I worry that taking control of his finances will make it worse. However, I would feel guilty if he mismanaged his money, and I think Mom would want me to help him. What should I do?

    — MY BROTHER’S KEEPER

    DEAR BROTHER’S KEEPER: Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your mother. It’s unfortunate these questions weren’t settled before her passing. Because your brother needs someone to look out for him, and you are the only one who can fill this role with his best interests in mind, discuss this with an attorney. Of course, it will need to be explained to your brother. Don’t put off talking with him, even if the subject is uncomfortable for one or both of you.

  • Horoscopes: Friday, Aug. 14, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). Additions and subtractions from the collective unconscious happens one song, one joke, one invention, one conversation at a time. Your contribution doesn’t have to dominate the scene to make an impact. It just has to lodge itself in somebody’s imagination.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Entertainment is never just background. Media becomes habit, sets your standards, shapes your aspirations and influences your definition of things like “normalcy” and “acceptable behavior.” Pay attention to what you invite into your mind and your daily routine.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). When it’s not going as planned, it still could be going exactly right. Either way, a simple nod to the universe sets your emotional weather back to breezy. Nothing fancy. “Thanks for everything” will do.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). Disappointment can feel tragic for a moment, as though you’re a child who dropped the ice cream cone or let go of the helium balloon. But then you remember you’re not a child. You have money. You can buy a new treat.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Even though you have plenty to do to further your own interests, you feel drawn to pause and help someone. Trust that instinct. You will find a route to your own goals as you detour through someone else’s.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). It’s easy to stand by your principles when nothing is at stake. The real test comes when doing the right thing costs you money, status, convenience or approval. Which values are you willing to pay for?

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). As for that message that makes perfect sense in your own head but nowhere else, it’s time to put it on paper. There it will be easier to break it down and examine it piece by piece to determine where the logic cracks.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). A full schedule can create the illusion of progress without actually progressing. Before you add another task, appointment or obligation, pause to consider what the addition will do for you. It’s not a selfish question.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Having a peaceful home doesn’t guarantee happiness or solve every problem, but it sure does put you in a better mood and mindset to work on solutions and cultivate joy. Kindnesses at the kitchen table will lead to victories elsewhere.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Your venture is in an exciting stage of uncertainty. It’s too early to turn back. Focus instead on your first small win. It will change your definition of what’s possible. After that, your ambitions begin negotiating with a larger imagination.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It may seem the work is easier, the industry is more welcoming or the prospects more promising “over there.” But competition and drama exist in every line of work. They just wear job-specific uniforms.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It’s fun to make the audience listen, laugh or learn, but it only happens when the group is a good match for what you give. Research will be worth it. The ideal room is out there, waiting to be found.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 14). It’s your Year of the Crown Jewel. Every collection has one piece people cross distances to admire. You attract like that piece. Cameras find you, people admire your shine and feel more special just for spending time with you. More highlights: Your reputation precedes you, and you can afford to be “expensive” in the ways that matter to you. A victory for the team. You’ll know you’re loved. Sagittarius and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 16, 28, 11 and 37.

  • Mike Schmidt among 26 Hall of Famers to emerge from Field of Dreams cornfield: ‘Felt like I was in a movie’

    Mike Schmidt among 26 Hall of Famers to emerge from Field of Dreams cornfield: ‘Felt like I was in a movie’

    DYERSVILLE, Iowa — Mike Schmidt was among the first to appear.

    After the modern-day Phillies and Twins had emerged from the cornfields in right field, had crossed the grass, and lined up along the baselines, they turned back to look.

    A steady stream of Hall of Famers from across multiple generations had followed them out of the stalks. Ahead of Thursday’s Field of Dreams game, it was a nod to the scene in the 1989 film where ghostly versions of the 1919 White Sox materialize between rows of corn and walk on a ball field built by Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella. Only instead of ghosts, these were living legends.

    The Phillies break out of their rut enjoying the sights of Field of Dreams — and deliver a needed win

    A group of 26 Hall of Famers took part in the ceremony, including Schmidt and fellow former Phillies Steve Carlton, Jim Thome, Billy Wagner, Scott Rolen, Jim Kaat, Tony Pérez, and Ferguson Jenkins.

    “I felt like I was in a movie,” Schmidt said. “I’m looking around at the guys, and I didn’t want to get too far ahead. I was behind them. You know, I really felt like I was Joe Jackson or something walking on the field.”

    While they waited for the ceremony to start, ballplayers past and present had milled about together in the clearing beyond the corn.

    Interim manager Don Mattingly saw many old friends. Brandon Marsh was starstruck by his childhood idol, former Brave Andruw Jones. Kyle Schwarber reunited with some former Cubs who visited spring training during his time in Chicago, and he made some new connections as well.

    “It was really cool to us, a lot of the guys that I haven’t gotten to meet before, just to shake their hands and introduce who I am and say how big of fans we are of them,” Schwarber said. “These guys all laid the groundwork for us before we even thought about playing baseball, or while we were growing up.”

    It was an equally special experience for the old-timers to witness the new generation, and see who might be following in their footsteps.

    Phillies explore Field of Dreams site like fans, and have a catch: ‘Really cool to be able to be part of it’

    “It’s kind of almost like a passing of the torch,” said former Twins catcher Joe Mauer. “Those guys on the first and third baselines, maybe a few of them join this group.

    “That’s why I think the game is so special. They honor the traditions, the people that have come before you and made an impact on this game, and we hope to leave an imprint on the game and make it better than when you found it.”

    Thome’s 18-year-old son Landon was just selected 34th overall by the White Sox in the MLB draft last month. Jim has been spending time with him celebrating that milestone, but couldn’t pass up an opportunity to be a part of a game like Thursday’s, especially considering that his Hall of Fame career included stints in Minnesota and Philadelphia.

    “The word for me is thankful,” Thome said. “Thankful for being able to be in this great fraternity with really special men.”

    Thome, a Midwest native from Peoria, Ill., attended the inaugural MLB at Field of Dreams game between the White Sox and Yankees in 2021. He played catch with Landon by the cornfields, and then they watched the game together.

    He never foresaw a moment like the one on Thursday when he passed through the stalks with fellow all-time greats walking next to him.

    ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson is known for ‘Field of Dreams’ and the Black Sox. But his career started in Philly.

    “In your career, you have moments where it kind of feels like things slow down,” Thome said. “It felt like you just kind of strolled out with these great players, and it just kind of slowed down.”

    The gathering of 26 is believed to be the most Hall of Famers together at one game since the 2008 All-Star Game, which brought together 49 at Yankee Stadium. It accounted for just over one-third of all living members enshrined in Cooperstown.

    “The one constant through all the years, Ray,” James Earl Jones’ character, Terence Mann, says in the movie, “has been baseball.”

    Byron Buxton, addressing the crowd with a microphone alongside Schwarber during the pregame festivities, referenced that line to prompt the baseball legends to step through the corn.

    “I guess to sum it all up,” Schmidt said, “is if I could see my father walk through the cornfields, I tell you what, I’d love to play catch with him.”

  • King of Prussia data center complex is rejected by Upper Merion Township officials

    King of Prussia data center complex is rejected by Upper Merion Township officials

    The Upper Merion Township Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected a proposed 5-million-square-foot AI data-center campus that had sparked pushback from residents, a lawsuit from the developer, and accusations of mistreatment and intimidation.

    After the decision was made at a Thursday night meeting, some in the crowd applauded, danced, and high-fived one another. The rejection came after three hours of fiery exchanges between the developer, Brian O’Neill, and township officials.

    O’Neill and his team said they were prepared to go over each of the township’s comments about his five proposed sites in the King of Prussia area. But officials said it was too little, too late, and asked if O’Neill’s team was “filibustering.”

    “Are you asking us to not present those facts in defense of those plans when it’s clear all you want to do is deny our plan and go home tonight?” said O’Neill. He later said township officials were violating state and local planning codes, an allegation they denied.

    “Your attempt here to lecture us is considered an intimidation. And I don’t want to see our professional staff bullied or coerced,” said William Jenaway, vice chair of the Upper Merion Township Board of Supervisors. “Intimidation, coercion and bullying are not good qualities in a professional leader.”

    O’Neill, a longtime real-estate developer, has recently turned his sights to data centers. He first proposed building one of the controversial cloud-storage facilities in nearby Plymouth Township. In Upper Merion, he wants to build a data center complex on five properties in the township’s Swedeland section, a small residential and industrial area between West Conshohocken and Bridgeport.

    A map of the proposed data centers in Upper Merion and Plymouth TownshipsJohn Duchneskie

    Those projects aren’t dead: O’Neill can appeal the board’s denial, as chair Tina Garzillo told him Thursday.

    “Don’t you worry about that,” said O’Neill, before walking out of the Upper Merion Area Middle School auditorium to a chorus of boos.

    The board’s decision came after months of contention and a whirlwind two days of legal back-and-forth.

    O’Neill on Wednesday sued the township, its planning commission, and its board of supervisors, saying they violated his legal right to an extension and treated him unfairly during the development review process. Soon after, Montgomery County Court Judge Garrett D. Page ordered the township to halt proceedings and decisions related to the data centers until a hearing next week.

    Citing the ruling, Edmund J. Campbell, an attorney for O’Neill, declined to make a presentation on two of the five proposed data-center sites at an Upper Merion Township Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday night.

    Human reporters explain why AI data centers are so controversial in the Philly suburbs and beyond

    Late Thursday afternoon, however, Page vacated his previous order, allowing the township board of supervisors to proceed with its meeting as planned. On the agenda: A vote on O’Neill’s request for an extension until Sept. 30, and votes on the five proposed data centers.

    After an hour of public comment, all but one of which was from residents opposing the data centers, the township’s board of supervisors voted to deny O’Neill’s extension requests. The board then moved on to vote on the land development plans for each of the five sites.

    One by one, the plans were denied unanimously by the five-person board.

    Each vote was met with loud cheers from attendees.

    For months, residents have rallied against O’Neill’s plans, packing township meetings and putting up bright orange lawn signs opposing the projects. About 18,000 people had signed a Change.org petition against the Upper Merion data centers as of Thursday. Some neighbors have expressed concerns about pollution, light, noise, electricity prices, property values, and quality of life.

    Upper Merion residents opposed to the data centers have put up these lawn signs.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    “I’m really proud to stand here tonight with each and every other concerned resident,” Courtney Smith said Thursday. “We all have something important here to fight for.”

    “The people here are here because they care deeply about the long-term interest of our communities,” Montgomery County Commissioner Neil K. Makhija said during his comments in opposition of the plan. The commissioner said the supervisors’ decision would have ramifications beyond the county, as communities across the region and the country weigh data-center development.

    O’Neil has said his data centers would benefit Upper Merion and “change the world for the better.” While the developer has declined to specify who exactly would operate the centers, he has indicated the facilities would use AI-powered biotech in conjunction with his existing life-sciences complex, Discovery Labs.

    One of the sites where Brian O’Neill wanted to build a data center in Upper Merion.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    O’Neill has said his data centers would comply with the highest environmental standards, emitting little light and noise. They would operate on a closed-loop system, requiring no outside water, he said, and provide their own power.

    The developer has also said they’d be an economic boon to the area. Last week, he released an economic impact study that said the Upper Merion centers would result in more than 10,000 jobs during its construction and then generate more than $55 million a year in local tax revenue.

    At Thursday’s board of supervisors meeting, however, Upper Merion Township Tax Collector Evelyn Ankers disputed those figures, and said O’Neill has failed to pay taxes on his properties in the past.

    Across the Schuylkill, a data-center fight rages on between O’Neill and some residents of Plymouth Township, where the developer wants to build a 2-million-square-foot facility on a shuttered steel mill outside Conshohocken.

    The developer recently filed a legal challenge to the Plymouth Township zoning ordinance, and has exchanged accusations of mistreatment with township leaders. News of O’Neill’s actions in Plymouth Township prompted a rebuke from Gov. Josh Shapiro, who had previously encouraged data center development in the commonwealth.

    A date has not been set for the next Plymouth Township meeting, though officials indicated it would be sometime in September.