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  • N.J. attorney general announces investigation into detainee deaths at Delaney Hall

    N.J. attorney general announces investigation into detainee deaths at Delaney Hall

    New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced Friday that her office’s civil rights division is investigating the operation of Delaney Hall, the privately run ICE facility in Newark where several detainees have died.

    Davenport said the investigation will look into how the facility is run by the GEO Group Inc. and whether its employees have violated the civil rights of people detained there, citing reports about conditions and the deaths.

    On Aug. 1, Edwin Jeovanny López Cornejo, 41, died in ICE custody after having a medical episode at Delaney Hall. His family said he had been living in the United States for two decades.

    Concerns have been raised about the death in December of Jean Wilson Brutus, a 41-year-old Haitian, shortly after he arrived at Delaney Hall.

    Congressional Democrats this week alleged that a third person at the facility had died.

    Critics say detainees at Delaney Hall endure poor conditions. The facility has been the subject of ongoing protests and clashes between federal officials and elected Democrats.

    File photo of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents watching protesters at Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center, in Newark, N.J., on June 7, 2026.LEXI PARRA

    “New Jersey has both a legal and a moral duty to stand up for the civil rights of people within our state,” Davenport said in a statement.

    “For people who are held involuntarily, including by a private corporation like GEO Group, those rights include the right to humane treatment and adequate medical care,” Davenport said.

    “We will take every action available under law to safeguard these core legal principles. We ask individuals to share their personal experiences with us so that we can take action to ensure that rights are protected,” she said.

    Anyone with information that could be helpful for the investigation can contact the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office Division of Civil Rights at AffirmativeEnforcement@njcivilrights.gov.

    A spokesperson for the GEO Group referred questions to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    Spokespersons for ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security could not be reached for comment Friday evening.

    The Trump administration has previously rejected calls for Delaney Hall to be closed as it pursues mass deportations.

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement that the investigation was necessary.

    “We’ve heard the reports of disturbing conditions and have been heartbroken by recent deaths of detainees at the facility,” Sherrill said.

    “ICE and The GEO Group have continued to block our efforts for a full health inspection and there are now reports that visitations have been stopped. We will not tolerate a facility that abdicates any transparency and accountability,” Sherrill said.

    “I have long opposed private detention facilities, and my position is clear that Delaney Hall should be closed. My administration will continue to do everything in our power to hold ICE and The GEO Group accountable to New Jersey laws,” the governor said.

    On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) called for the closure of Delaney Hall but was rebuffed by Senate Republicans.

    “A body count is not normal. A mother’s son whose face went numb the night before is not normal. Edwin Lopez Cornell’s death was preventable. Keeping Delaney Hall open is another deliberate decision to let it continuing,” Booker posted on social media.

    Also on Thursday, all nine House Democrats in New Jersey sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and acting ICE Director David J. Venturella asking for detailed information about the deaths and conditions at the facility.

    “Three deaths, repeated allegations of medical neglect, restricted oversight, and less public transparency are a terrible track record of care for individuals in your custody,” the Democrats wrote.

    “At this point, the question is no longer whether ICE knows what is happening inside Delaney Hall. It is, ‘why does ICE continue to allow the GEO Group to put lives at risk?’” they wrote.

  • Luis Arraez’s biggest strength made him a logical cleanup hitter for Don Mattingly. And it’s worked.

    Luis Arraez’s biggest strength made him a logical cleanup hitter for Don Mattingly. And it’s worked.

    After the Phillies traded for Luis Arraez, Don Mattingly began scratching out potential lineups. He settled on Kyle Schwarber in the leadoff spot and Arraez batting cleanup.

    Wait … what?

    Shouldn’t that be reversed?

    “It is different than when I played, for sure,” Mattingly said Friday. “You would never have thought about hitting [Arraez] fourth. It would’ve been Schwarb fourth, for sure.”

    Trea Turner isn’t moving off shortstop (yet). The Phillies’ goal for now: Help him get better.

    Indeed, for much of the peak of his 14-year playing career, Mattingly was the ideal No. 3 hitter in a Yankees batting order that featured classic profiles of a leadoff (Rickey Henderson) and cleanup (Dave Winfield) hitter.

    Arraez is a contact-hitting savant who rarely strikes out but also doesn’t hit for power. In 891 starts before joining the Phillies, he batted cleanup only 38 times. Schwarber is among the most feared home-run threats in the sport but also leads the majors in strikeouts.

    So, what prompted Mattingly to turn the stereotypical lineup construction on its ear?

    “Well, I think it puts Luis in a spot where hits create runs, right?“ Mattingly said. ”Schwarbs is an on-base guy. If we get guys on base, I feel like it’s protection for Bryce [Harper]. They really don’t want to pitch to Arraez, either, because they know the hits are coming, and you’re really not going to punch him out for the most part. He doesn’t really strike out.”

    With Luis Arraez in the lineup, the Phillies were 32-for-101 (.317) and scored 16 runs in the last three games.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    So far, it couldn’t be working out any better.

    Arraez’s first two at-bats with the Phillies came with runners on first and second base Tuesday night. In both cases, he drove in a run. Through three games entering Friday night, he was 5-for-13 with two doubles, one homer, and four RBIs — all while batting in the cleanup spot behind Harper.

    There’s more. Arraez swung at 28 pitches and made contact with all of them. And with him in the lineup, the Phillies were 32-for-101 (.317) and scored 16 runs in three games.

    Mattingly conceded that he debated between Schwarber or Arraez in the leadoff spot, with the other hitting cleanup.

    “And honestly,” he said, “I didn’t know which way was better. It’s worked out so far. We’ll see where it goes. But I like him there because he’s on base and he’s also driving in runs with hits.”

    Chase Utley, pictured at his retirement ceremony, was added to the Phillies’ Wall of Fame on Friday night.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Honoring Utley

    At Harper’s suggestion, the Phillies ditched their City Connect jerseys for the classic red pinstripes in honor of adding Chase Utley to the team’s Wall of Fame. Harper prompted the change with a text to owner John Middleton.

    Utley, meanwhile, briefly played for Mattingly after the Phillies traded him to the Dodgers in August 2015.

    “Just a guy that you love on your team and just kind of pure baseball, as much as anything,” Mattingly said. “It just seems like hard-nosed, straight-ahead, no-fluff baseball, and I love that.”

    Low on prospect capital, loaded with needs, the Phillies’ best asset at the deadline turned out to be … Bryce Harper

    Mattingly recalled seeing Utley in spring training early in his career, when “most people probably didn’t know about Chase.”

    “Those at-bats looked good,” Mattingly said. “You see it with young guys. You can tell certain guys, it’s just like, ‘OK, this is different.’ Right?”

    Mattingly would know. Utley finished his career with a .275 average, .823 OPS, and 1,885 hits in 7,863 plate appearances; Mattingly was a .307 hitter with an .830 OPS and 2,153 hits in 7,722 plate appearances.

    Extra bases

    Schwarber took grounders and practiced picking throws in the dirt at first base. The Phillies are planning to start him there — and get Harper a day as the DH — this weekend. … With rain in the forecast through Saturday, the Phillies scratched triple-A righty Alan Rangel from his start Friday night in Worcester, Mass., in case they need a fresh arm. It also covers them in the rotation, although Andrew Painter is expected to make his next start Monday night in St. Louis after exiting his last start due to left hamstring tightness. … Aaron Nola (3-9, 5.55 ERA) is scheduled to start at 6:05 p.m. Saturday against Blue Jays righty Max Scherzer (1-4, 7.92).

  • ‘A sense of urgency,’ focal point of the offense, and more takeaways from Penn State football’s media day

    ‘A sense of urgency,’ focal point of the offense, and more takeaways from Penn State football’s media day

    STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State football coach Matt Campbell said the theme for these next few weeks is “preparation for the journey” as his squad works toward a Week 1 matchup vs. Marshall on Sept. 5 (3:30 p.m., FS1).

    “We’ve grown,” Campbell said Friday at the team’s local media day. “It was great to see Practice 1 and 2 because there was great growth between Practice 1 and Practice 2, and we’re going to have to not miss a day as we continue. There’s a sense of urgency.”

    Besides Penn State’s continued preparation, here are three other takeaways from Friday’s availability:

    Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser doubles as Penn State’s tight ends coach.Craig Houtz / For The Inquirer

    Tight end takeover

    Campbell said 12- and even 13-personnel, meaning two or three tight ends on the field, is going to be prevalent in new offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser’s scheme, mostly because Campbell and Mouser want to design plays that highlight the team’s strengths.

    Tight end will be a focal point. Iowa State transfer Benjamin Brahmer was a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award for the nation’s top tight end last season, fellow Cyclones transfer Gabe Burkle is “the guy that cleans up the mess,” according to Mouser, and returnee Andrew Rappleyea began to break out at the end of 2025. Brahmer and Burkle were named to the Mackey Award watchlist earlier this week.

    Big Ten media day: Matt Campbell explains why Penn State was the right fit, keeping Terry Smith on staff, and more

    With that comes high expectations for the group, especially considering Mouser is also their position coach.

    “We think we’re the smartest on the offense, pretty much, so we always know what we’re doing, and if we do mess up, it’s our fault,” said Brahmer, a senior. “Or if anybody messes up, [Mouser] thinks it’s the tight ends’ fault because we’re kind of the central piece of that offense.”

    The idea of playing 12- and 13-personnel excites Rappleyea, who said the tight ends and wide receivers jokingly argue when Mouser calls for more tight ends during practice.

    “I think that [Mouser] realizes the way it is,” said Rappleyea, a junior. “The game’s evolving, and if you have big guys that can get open, we’re not going to complain about having two of us on the field instead of three receivers.”

    Consistency is key

    In any normal year, Campbell likely would have a general depth chart in his head for the season. But this is not a normal year, and Campbell is making every player earn their Week 1 spot.

    “Everybody’s either on a new team, at a new place, got new coaches, and everybody’s going in with kind of the same starting lines,” said Campbell, who’s entering his first season as the Nittany Lions’ coach after a decade in the same role at Iowa State. “You got to go earn it. To be honest with you, on a good team, some great teams that I’ve been a part of, championship ball, you kind of got to earn it because there’s enough good depth.”

    Penn State ranked No. 17 in preseason coaches’ poll

    Ultimately, Campbell emphasized that the players who separate themselves will be the consistent ones, particularly among the wide receivers. The Nittany Lions have developed a reputation for poor wide receiver play in recent years, but Iowa State transfers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen received high praise from Campbell on Friday, alongside returnee Koby Howard, a sophomore.

    “I think [Sowell and Eskildsen] give you proven reps that these guys can do it. Can they do it at the consistency now that the great ones look like?” Campbell said. “I think then you look the rest of the way, and you see a guy like Koby. You saw what he could do. I think the same thing I would say about Kobe, and it’s his challenge, and he and I talked about it, is consistency. Can you be the best version of you every day?”

    Wide receiver Koby Howard is back with Penn State.Craig Houtz / For The Inquirer

    Versatile defense

    Campbell has made it known that he believes the defense under new coordinator D’Anton Lynn can be “multiple” in scheme and features Nittany Lions who can play different positions.

    He name-checked junior safety Marcus Neal Jr., senior cornerback Zion Tracy, and redshirt junior linebacker Tony Rojas, but they aren’t the only ones adding versatility.

    Sophomore defensive end Yvan Kemajou said Lynn’s scheme gives “a lot of freedom to the D-line and linebackers.”

    “I feel like we’re very multiple. I like that,” Kemajou said. “So it’s just great learning his scheme, just learning his style of playing defense, and it’s been great.”

    Why did Iowa State players follow Matt Campbell to Penn State?

    Senior linebacker Caleb Bacon, another Iowa State transfer, can play at different spots and has been working out at defensive end to start fall camp. He doesn’t necessarily have a position preference and is more focused on doing what he can to help Penn State.

    “If we need edge rushers, if we need linebackers, I think I’m really just ready for whatever,” Bacon said. “Kind of knowing this scheme, it all really helps. And playing strict linebacker in spring ball, and now transitioning a little bit of a mixed role, I think has been super beneficial for my football IQ and just knowledge of the defense in general.”

  • Eagles practice observations: Jalen Hurts has a happy birthday; Johnny Wilson contests; What’s up with Willie Lampkin?

    Eagles practice observations: Jalen Hurts has a happy birthday; Johnny Wilson contests; What’s up with Willie Lampkin?

    The Eagles held the seventh practice of their 2026 training camp on Friday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 7 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6):

    Plenty Lane

    Lane Johnson returned after an excused four-practice absence for a noninjury related reason. The right tackle will need a ramp-up period and didn’t participate in team drills. Johnson didn’t speak with reporters after practice.

    Lane Johnson returned to Eagles practice on Friday. His teammates were grateful to welcome back their ‘cornerstone’

    The Eagles didn’t have additions to their list of players out after Wednesday’s light session and Thursday’s walkthrough. The following were sidelined: Wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring), receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), receiver Britain Covey (hamstring), outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle) and safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring).

    Linebacker Chance Campbell, who left early two days ago, was limited with a groin injury. Guard Micah Morris (shoulder) was also a partial participant.

    Nolan Smith Jr. took part in one-on-ones at Friday’s steamy practice. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The loneliest number

    Players were back in full pads for what was the hottest day of camp thus far. Eagles coaches continued to amp up the intensity with one-on-one drills between offensive and defensive linemen. Not many top-liners partook, but edges Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt had impressive pass rushes.

    The former bested tackle Myles Hinton with back-to-back inside-outside moves. Hinton rebounded in a later turn. Tackle Cameron Williams flashed his hands too early vs. Hunt and never stood a chance. He held up on the next turn, though.

    Center/guard Drew Kendall had a couple of strong blocks against defensive tackle Moro Ojomo. The Eagles currently have Kendall as the first guard off the bench, and it seems deserved. Could Morris push Kendall? He stood out in his two reps, although defensive tackle Ty Robinson isn’t quite in Ojomo’s class.

    Willie Lampkin has shown some ability as an interior offensive lineman. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Willie praise

    I’ve yet to write much about second-year offensive lineman Willie Lampkin. The Eagles signed the undrafted North Carolina product last August after camp and he spent all of last season on injured reserve. So we never got to see Lampkin practice. He’s clearly undersized at a generously-listed 5-foot-11, 290 pounds. But it’s easy to see why the team felt he was worth developing.

    Lampkin stoned undrafted rookie defensive tackle Zion Wilson in one-on-ones. He lined up mostly at center in the first week of camp, but he was at right guard on Friday. He’s a technically sound run blocker. He was able to move defensive tackle Byron Young. But he also didn’t cede much ground in pass protection.

    Lampkin may be too small to play guard. At center, he’d have problems against bigger nose tackles in pass pro. The Eagles would have to often slide help his way. But I’m not discounting the mauler’s chances of making the roster.

    Jalen Hurts (1) had a pleasant day at the office and was serenaded by his teammates. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Birthday gifts

    Birthday boy Jalen Hurts continued to show steady improvement in Sean Mannion’s new offense as the installation proceeds. The quarterback was especially sharp early in team drills. He got things rolling with what should be a staple of the scheme: a naked bootleg off under-center play action that is married with an outside zone-run fake. Elijah Moore was the target on the shallow crossing route and picked up an easy 10 yards or so — just as he did later on the same play.

    Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper takes pride in doing the dirty work. Will he be rewarded with a roster spot?

    Moore has been the primary slot receiver since Lemon got hurt almost a week ago. Later in the set, Hurts hit tight end Dallas Goedert on a hitch route in front of cornerback Riq Woolen. The Eagles ran more hitch routes than any team last season. The number is sure to decrease in the new system, but there’s always a time and place for an easy five yards.

    Later vs. the second-unit defense, Hurts didn’t have much on the first two reads to his left. But he checked to his third outlet on the right — receiver Hollywood Brown — for a short gain underneath. That might not sound sexy, but it was a successful play considering the coverage and Hurts going through his progression reads.

    Tyler Steen (56) was the only starter available on the offensive line at one point on Friday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Running lines

    Markel Bell was in Johnson’s place at right tackle once again. Fred Johnson spelled left tackle Jordan Mailata on occasion as did Kendall for Landon Dickerson at left guard. When Cam Jurgens left with an unspecified injury midway though the workout, Jake Majors stepped in at center. At one point that meant that right guard Tyler Steen was the only starter on the offensive line. It showed.

    I’m not sure what happened to Jurgens. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis had a would-be run stop and sack on consecutive plays early on — and beat Jurgens soundly on the second — and that was the last I saw of the center in team drills.

    Moro Ojomo found himself in the opposing backfield again on Friday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Under pressure

    The missing pieces up front made it more difficult on Hurts and Co. A faulty exchange between Majors and the quarterback interrupted the flow of a Saquon Barkley run. Ojomo used a swim move to penetrate into the backfield for a tackle for loss on the next Barkley carry.

    Smith split Fred Johnson and Kendall and notched a sack. Edge Arnold Ebiketie pressured Hurts out of the pocket. Ojomo jumped offside at one point. But Jalen Carter batted a Hurts pass after Ebiketie beat Bell once again from the outside.

    More than a week into Eagles training camp, Jalen Hurts and the new-look offense are ‘calibrating’

    Johnny on the spot

    I asked coach Nick Sirianni who he liked from his receiver group on contested balls. The subtext there could have been that the Eagles lost one of the strongest catch-point receivers in the NFL when A.J. Brown was traded. But they do have candidates beyond DeVonta Smith, who won in the air differently than Brown, who can pull in Hurts’ best throws.

    Sirianni mentioned Darius Cooper first before getting to Dontayvion Wicks, Lemon and Smith. Cooper probably is the closest to Brown in terms of his body shape. It wasn’t exactly a 50-50 ball, but Cooper hauled in a Hurts pass over the middle with cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in close quarters. The second-year receiver caught another pass near the hashes after Hurts escaped the pocket and threw across his body.

    Johnny Wilson is among those who could give the Eagles some size and help mitigate the departure of A.J. Brown. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Johnny Wilson wasn’t mentioned by Sirianni, but he has obvious size traits that should aid him on contested balls. The 6-6 receiver caught a deep pass from quarterback Andy Dalton after beating and boxing out cornerback Mac McWilliams. Wilson’s best moment of camp came when quarterback Tanner McKee went to him on a corner route in the end zone. He went up and over cornerback Jonathan Jones and got both feet inbounds.

    Tanner day

    McKee had maybe his best day in Mannion’s offense. He was first up with the second unit offense and connected on his first three passes — the best a pinpoint toss to receiver Danny Gray just out of corner Kelee Ringo’s reach. McKee would have gone 4 for 4 had receiver Erik Ezukanma not dropped one in his bread basket.

    In a later period, McKee found Cooper on a hitch route. He threw wide of Gray near the sideline, but had better luck with the same route when Cooper beat McWilliams and late-arriving safety Michael Carter II.

    Andy Dalton was solid Friday but might have seen Tanner McKee close the gap in their QB2 competition. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Still good Dalton

    Dalton didn’t necessarily have a bad day, but McKee may have closed the gap in the backup competition. Dalton heaved a pass to Samori Toure in traffic, but Carter ran step for step with the receiver and was awarded with a pass breakup. Tight end Eli Stowers was the check down on a few occasions.

    Dalton exposed Ambry Thomas when he completed back-to-back sideline tosses to Ezukanma and Brandon Hayes after each receiver turned the cornerback around. Rookie quarterback Cole Payton hasn’t gotten as many snaps over the last few practices. He nearly tossed another interception when Ringo jumped a route.

    Extra points

    Running back blocking has been sharp of late. Barkley, Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley all had successful blitz pickups. … Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. drew a false start when he feigned a blitz pre-snap. … Linebacker Smael Mondon tipped a ball at the line when he rushed. … Linebacker Deontae Lawson ripped the ball from tight end E.J. Jenkins for a fumble. … The Eagles sang “Happy Birthday” to the 28-year-old Hurts during the post-practice team huddle. … There was a Boston flavor to VIP guests at practice. Former Red Sox (and Cubs) general manager Theo Epstein, who is a friend of Eagles GM Howie Roseman, took in the action. New 76er (and former Celtic) Jaylen Brown showed up to the delight of many in attendance. … The Eagles return to practice on Saturday and will be off on Sunday.

  • Haverford College and Jewish group settle lawsuit over antisemitism allegations

    Haverford College and Jewish group settle lawsuit over antisemitism allegations

    Haverford College and a Jewish group suing the school over its handling of antisemitism allegations have reached a settlement, according to federal court documents.

    The documents in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania did not include details of the settlement, but a lawyer for the plaintiffs says Haverford President Wendy Raymond’s statement to the college community immediately following the settlement announcement Friday was part of it.

    “I want to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge that those members of our community with a commitment to the state of Israel as the Jewish homeland have been deeply hurt by events that have transpired on our campus since Oct. 7, 2023, and that that constitutes a failure on our part,” wrote Raymond, who leads the 1,470-student highly selective liberal arts college on the Main Line. “We commit ourselves to doing better going forward.”

    Jewish Haverford students file lawsuit against Haverford College alleging antisemitism

    The lawsuit was filed in May 2024 as tensions mounted on many college campuses, including Haverford, in the wake of the Israel-Gaza war, following Hamas’ 2023 attack on Israel. In their complaint, the plaintiffs, three students and the group Jews at Haverford, alleged that the college discriminated against Jews by tolerating antisemitic speech and failing to adequately support Jewish students, some of whom have been shunned on campus and prohibited from participating in group discussions where the war was discussed.

    They are represented by an attorney for The Deborah Project, a public interest think tank that defends the rights of Jewish people facing discrimination in the education system.

    Raymond, in her statement, repeatedly stated that students who support Zionism, which she defined as “the right of the Jewish people to self-determination and statehood in the land of Israel,” are welcome at Haverford and will have “equal access” to all educational programs and activities.

    “Harassing, excluding, or seeking to silence Jewish community members on the basis of their beliefs, their commitment to Jewish observance, or any other element of their Jewish identity, including Zionism, is anathema to the college’s core principles of trust, concern, and respect,” she wrote, noting that the policy applies to offices, classrooms, and student-led organizations and activities.

    She said such behavior is a violation of college policy and that those who engage in it would be subject to disciplinary action, and that no Haverford professor can discriminate against or treat differently students based on their commitment to Judaism, Israel, or Zionism.

    Support of Zionism has been a flashpoint in the debate over what constitutes antisemitism, with some arguing it’s wrong to conflate antisemitism with anti-Zionism.

    Lori Lowenthal Marcus, an attorney for The Deborah Project, which represents plaintiffs, called the settlement “fantastic.” She said Raymond’s statement was part of the settlement, and Marcus said she would be releasing more details on Saturday.

    “Plaintiffs are very pleased that they will be protected and respected on Haverford’s campus,” Marcus said Friday.

    Stating that students who support Zionism will be protected was important to plaintiffs, she said.

    “It’s a new form of antisemitism, saying, ‘Oh, no, I don’t hate Jews, I just hate Zionists,’” she said. “For a Jew to hear that was incredibly painful and led to students really hiding their identities when no one should be forced in any way to hide their identity, including Jewish students who believe in the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state.”

    When the complaint was initially filed in May 2024, one student, Ally Landau, a women’s basketball player who has since graduated, was named in addition to the group Jews at Haverford. Since then, two others were added with their initials.

    In their complaint, plaintiffs said, the college failed to condemn Hamas’ attacks on Israel even though it had issued past statements in support of other minority groups, including Black people following the murder of George Floyd by police.

    Among other allegations, the group said that a professor called students who supported Israel “racist genocidaires,” which the college did not challenge, and that the school allowed students to host an event where it was asserted that Israel had intentionally infected Palestinians with the coronavirus.

    Haverford at the time declined to comment on the lawsuit.

    Federal judge dismisses lawsuit alleging antisemitism at Haverford College

    A federal court in February 2025 dismissed the lawsuit, calling the complaint “sprawling and disorganized,” but the plaintiffs refiled.

    In May 2025, Raymond was grilled by a congressional committee investigating colleges’ handling of campus antisemitism allegations. She drew fire for reluctance to answer questions about discipline in such incidents, especially in specific cases.

    She also issued a statement at that time, saying that the college “came up short” in dealing with the conflict and said both she and Haverford can do better.

    Haverford president gets the worst of the grilling at congressional hearing on antisemitism

    “To Jewish members of our community who felt as if the college was not there for you, I am sorry that my actions and my leadership let you down,” she wrote at the time.

    The Haverford chapter of the American Association of University Professors, a group of nine Jewish faculty and staff, and more than 50 Jewish students at Haverford had written letters to the committee or issued statements in support of Haverford.

    The faculty and staff group, noting they are diverse with some supporting Israel and others not, said at that time they “do not feel that our college is a hotbed of antisemitism.”

    “We are all deeply concerned by how you are weaponizing our pain and anguish for your own purposes …,” the students wrote to the congressional committee. “It is a blatant assault on our Black, Brown, transgender, queer, noncitizen, and Palestinian peers.”

    Haverford College vows to make changes to its events policy following disturbance at Israeli journalist talk

    Since the congressional committee hearing, tensions have at times continued to flare. Earlier this year, Haverford vowed to make changes in its event policies after a talk by an Israeli journalist speaking on campus was disrupted, including by a protester who shouted through a bullhorn “Death to IOF,” or Israeli Occupying Forces, a name critics use to refer to Israel Defense Forces, and “Shame.”

    In her statement to the campus community Friday, Raymond said it is never acceptable to let disagreements over the policies and actions of government “descend into the realm of discrimination, harassment, or bias.

    “All members of the Haverford community who wish to express their considered perspectives must do so respectfully while allowing others to do the same.”

    Haverford College president to step down in 2027

    The two sides said in court documents they agreed to settle in order “to avoid the further expense, disruption, and uncertainty of litigation, all without admitting liability.”

    Raymond, a molecular biologist who has led the college since July 2019, announced last November that she would step down in June 2027.

  • Gov. Shapiro makes an unexpected cameo in his friend and fellow criminal justice reform advocate Meek Mill’s new music video

    Gov. Shapiro makes an unexpected cameo in his friend and fellow criminal justice reform advocate Meek Mill’s new music video

    Meek Mill’s newest single “Nightmares to Dreams” has a surprising cameo star: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

    The North Philly rapper calls it a “full circle Philly moment.”

    Shapiro appears a little more than a minute into the music video, hugging and conversing with the rapper, with whom he’s built a friendship over the past decade.

    The clip of Shapiro and Meek Mill is from a brief meeting the two had before Meek took the stage July 4 at the One Philly: Unity Concert for America, according to state officials.

    The song is a spirited sequel to Meek’s 2012 anthem and title track of his debut studio album, Dreams and Nightmares.

    The update features a similar melody as the original but with a more frenetic, more menacing instrumental on the song’s back half. Shapiro’s appearance in the song’s music video marks a convergence of some key themes in Meek’s life and music career.

    “‘Nightmares to Dreams’ is about coming from North Philly, surviving everything that came with that, chasing a dream, and then using what I built to create opportunities and make change for other people,” Meek, also a criminal justice reform advocate, said in a written statement to The Inquirer.

    With “Dreams and Nightmares,” the career of the rapper born Robert Rihmeek Williams began to take off. But he remained on probation with a decade of legal woes stemming from a 2008 drug and gun charge. Court-imposed restrictions disrupted his ability to travel and work, he said, and years of supervision limited his freedom and his musical ascension.

    “I was selling out shows, taking care of my family, and representing my city, yet the system still controlled my life,” Meek said in the statement. “That probation nightmare followed me for years and sent me back to prison because of technical violations.”

    Meek Mill closes day 2 of the Roots Picnic 2025 while performing on the Fairmount Park Stage at the Mann Center on Sunday, June 1, 2025.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    In November 2017, the rapper was sentenced to two to four years in state prison following a string of nonviolent technical probation violations.

    It was this court decision by former Common Pleas Court Judge Genece E. Brinkley that brought the incident to then state attorney general Shapiro’s attention.

    “Meek got a real raw deal,” Shapiro said in an appearance on the Higher Learning podcast in March.

    After Meek’s sentencing, Michael Rubin, founder and CEO of the sports platform Fanatics and a mutual friend of Meek’s and Shapiro’s, urged Shapiro to look closely into Meek’s legal battle.

    The #FreeMeek campaign was launched soon after Meek’s sentencing and Shapiro urged Rubin to broaden the mission of the movement, he said on the podcast. The campaign became a national push for criminal justice reform for those who fell victim to systemic corruption.

    Meek Mill in Amazon’s Free MeekAmazon

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered Meek to be released from prison on bail in April 2018. In January 2019, he cofounded the nonprofit Reform Alliance, with Rubin, Robert Kraft, and Jay-Z. The aim was to mount a five-year campaign to overhaul Pennsylvania’s probation system.

    “What happened to me wasn’t just my story,” Meek said. “It was happening to millions of people across this country. That’s why we created Reform Alliance. We wanted to turn one person’s experience into a movement that changes the system for everyone.

    “Gov. Shapiro understood this issue was bigger than me” said Meek, “He told us to put a bill on his desk, and when we did, he kept his word.”

    Shapiro signed Act 44 into law in December 2023. It creates new pathways for eligible Pennsylvanians to receive early termination hearings, finish probation after demonstrating sustained progress, and limits incarceration for technical violations of probation.

    The act “created a more proportionate approach to technical violations, the same kind of noncriminal missteps that repeatedly sent Meek back to prison and derailed the progress of too many others,” Reform Alliance CEO Jessica Jackson said in a statement.

    Rapper Meek Mill (center left) and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro move to embrace during a ceremonial bill signing in Philadelphia, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. More criminal records in Pennsylvania can be sealed from public view and fewer people might be kept on probation or in county jails, under legislation signed by Shapiro. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)Matt Rourke

    Shapiro commends Meek for opening his eyes to the failures of the Pennsylvania criminal justice system and for working to ensure others didn’t face the same barriers as him.

    “I’m a more compassionate person and understanding person for what he’s taught me over the years. And I appreciate him,” Shapiro said to Higher Learning podcast hosts Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay. “There are a whole lot of people who are no longer incarcerated, who shouldn’t have been incarcerated in the first place, because of policies I’ve changed in Pennsylvania, decisions I’ve made on pardons and clemencies because of lessons Meek has taught me.”

    Meek has even informed his musical tastes, the governor said.

    When they first sat down for a dinner at Rubin’s house, Shapiro admitted he wasn’t a fan of the rapper’s music. “I really find a lot of your music quite offensive,” Shapiro recounted telling Meek.

    Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro addresses the audience during a rally for Congressional candidate Bob Brooks at the United Steelworkers Union Hall in Bethlehem, Pa., on Sunday, July 26, 2026.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    But after Meek played his songs and explained the meaning behind the lyrics, “it opened up my eyes a lot more into understanding his music, the way he thinks, the way he approaches things,” Shapiro said.

    Years later, Meek said his music and circumstances have changed vastly.

    That is what is reflected in the video to “Nightmares to Dreams,” which includes Philly landmarks and other high-profile cameos from the likes of Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and Million Dollaz Worth of Game hosts Wallo267 and Gillie da King.

    It illuminates his North Philly roots, the distance he has traveled, and the change his advocacy has inspired.

    What was once a nightmare is shaping up to be a dream, with a friendship with the governor to boot.

  • Chester County police are investigating a shooting that left a woman dead, 9-year-old girl wounded

    Chester County police are investigating a shooting that left a woman dead, 9-year-old girl wounded

    A woman was killed and 9-year-old girl was wounded in a shooting at a home in East Goshen Friday morning, according to Chester County investigators.

    Officers from the Westtown-East Goshen Police Department were dispatched just before 11 a.m. to a unit at the Summit House condominium complex on West Chester Pike for reports of a shooting, Chief David Leahy said.

    Inside the unit, the officers found a woman in her 40s dead from a single gunshot wound, he said. Authorities did not release the woman’s identity. The girl, who was also shot, was treated at the scene by paramedics, and was alert, conscious and able to speak with investigators, he said.

    Investigators found a gun not far from the woman’s body that they believe was used in the shooting.

    There was no information available on a motive or a potential suspect in the case.

    District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe said there is no threat to the public, and declined to comment further, citing the active investigation.

    “We have just as many questions as you do, and we don’t want to put out any incorrect information,” de Barrena-Sarobe said.

    He said his heart goes out to the family of the victims.

  • Lane Johnson returned to Eagles practice on Friday. His teammates were grateful to welcome back their ‘cornerstone’

    Lane Johnson returned to Eagles practice on Friday. His teammates were grateful to welcome back their ‘cornerstone’

    Lane Johnson returned to Eagles training camp practice on Friday after he missed the last four sessions with an excused absence that was not injury-related.

    Johnson, the six-time Pro Bowl, two-time All-Pro right tackle, was a limited participant in his first practice back from roughly a weeklong hiatus. He participated in individual drills to start the day, then observed from the side during team drills, as the Eagles are gradually progressing his workload.

    The team has not disclosed the specific reason for Johnson’s absence.

    Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper takes pride in doing the dirty work. Will he be rewarded with a roster spot?

    Before practice, Nick Sirianni expressed a sense of confidence in the 36-year-old Johnson as he returns to an Eagles team that is in the process of learning a new offense orchestrated by Sean Mannion.

    “Lane can pick things up very fast,” the Eagles head coach said. “Phenomenal football player. I’m not concerned there. You get to see a little portion of each day out at practice. But there’s 12 more hours of the day where they’re in walkthroughs, they’re in meetings, and things like that, so there’s so much more going on than some of the things you guys get to see here.”

    Lane Johnson was excused from four practices for undisclosed, non-injury-related reasons. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Even though Johnson did not participate in team drills, his teammates still felt — and appreciated — his presence.

    “He has a calming presence,” Jordan Davis said. “When I see him, I’m like, ‘All right, this is Lane.’ And one day, I’m not going to be able to say that I have him in the locker room. It’s just very good to have him out here. And everybody knows he’s a baller, man. He’s a f— baller. Lane, man, he’s a cornerstone, bro.”

    The Eagles have been forced to replace their cornerstone at right tackle in team drills over the past week. On Friday, third-round rookie Markel Bell commanded those snaps with the starting offense. Bell, who is the tallest player on the team at 6-foot-9, 346 pounds, is relatively new to the position, as he primarily played at left tackle through two seasons of junior college and two seasons at Miami.

    More than a week into Eagles training camp, Jalen Hurts and the new-look offense are ‘calibrating’

    “I think what you see with Markel is just his length and how big he is and how hard he is to get around in the pass rush,” Sirianni said. “Just working on getting on the same page with the combination blocks. There’s so many things that go on there with the offensive line of having to work in tandem.

    “I’ve seen progression there, and that’s what you want with all your players.”

    Davis growing as a pass rusher

    Speaking of progression, the Eagles are looking for Davis to continue to evolve his pass-rush game as he enters Year 5.

    He has made gradual improvement, which Vic Fangio said dates back to the end of the 2024 season. Around that time, the 6-6, 336-pound Davis improved his conditioning, allowing him to move better on the field.

    “He needs to be 6-6 when it’s to his advantage, and he needs to bend his knees and be 6-3 when he needs to be,” Fangio said on Wednesday. “When you’re in better shape, weighing less, that’s easier to do and you can do it for a longer time. That’s what’s made his game take off.”

    Jordan Davis (90) emphasized the need to stay low when rushing the passer. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Davis flashed his progress in practice on Friday, bolting into the backfield in 11-on-11s for a would-be sack of Jalen Hurts. More sacks could be in store for Davis in 2026. When the season begins, he will have the opportunity to build on his career-high 4½ sacks from last season.

    Davis likely couldn’t have fathomed that total during his rookie season, as the run-stuffing defensive tackle didn’t notch a sack all year.

    “Even when we watch our old film from Year 1, Year 2, it’s a crazy experience just to see how far I came,” Davis said. “But I think the beautiful part about this game is that we still have so much further to go. We just keep working at it.

    Eli Stowers opens up about early camp struggles: ‘It’s a mental challenge’

    “I always say Rome isn’t built in a day. You have to keep working at it, and Rome is an empire [that] lasted for a very long time. So we just got to keep building that so it can be sustainable and still be long-lasting.”

    Davis has learned that the low man often wins in the trenches. He credited defensive line coach Clint Hurtt with helping him feel at ease in uncomfortable positions by running drills that utilize a lineman chute, which enforces the importance of keeping a low pad level.

    “When you’re a pass rusher, you always want to be low,” Davis said. “You want to keep your center of gravity low … And I also notice it now when I’m driving and I’m bull rushing. I’m not bull rushing up high. I’m bull rushing more low.

    “Sometimes I feel like I’m about to tilt over, bro. And [when] I feel like I’m about to tilt over, I know I’m at the perfect height.”

  • Commodore Barry Bridge is getting a paint job and restoration, and traffic is jammed

    Commodore Barry Bridge is getting a paint job and restoration, and traffic is jammed

    Canvas shrouds the Commodore Barry Bridge as workers blast clean and repaint the high steel trusses holding up the roadway.

    The $220 million project, expected to finish in 2028, has caused havoc this summer with commuter and Shore-bound traffic on a crucial link between Delaware and Gloucester Counties.

    Traffic is squeezed into one lane in each direction from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., and residual morning delays have been reported. Crews sometimes also have to close lanes or temporarily stop all traffic during daytime to move equipment and materials.

    It is a major undertaking for the Delaware River Port Authority, the bistate agency that owns and runs the Commodore Barry, as well as the Walt Whitman, Ben Franklin, and Betsy Ross Bridges.

    As they move along the 13,912 feet of the bridge, industrial painting crews first sandblast layers of old paint and protective coatings that have built up over the years.

    They work from suspended platforms in enclosed spaces of canvas, with containment systems that capture the gritty material used to clean the steel, lead-based paint, and other grime.

    Although that up-in-the-air work is most visible to motorists, massive repairs are going on underneath, on the deck, and in the support structures below that, including the piers in the river.

    Crews are removing crumbling concrete and replacing it, repairing the drainage system, and installing 14,000 feet of new electrical conduits and wire, DRPA officials say.

    The rehab began in spring 2025, with replacement of the movable “zipper” barrier that separates lanes of bridge traffic. It was finished last summer.

    The bridge opened in 1974 after five years of construction.

    Earlier, people relied on ferries to cross from one state to another.

    In 1930, the Chester-Bridgeport Ferry began running, with a capacity of 60 cars per trip. Six years later, the ferry’s boats were added to the federal highway system, as moveable parts of U.S. Route 332.

  • Chris Rabb warns of ‘great peril’ for Democrats if party ignores Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed and other progressive wins

    Chris Rabb warns of ‘great peril’ for Democrats if party ignores Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed and other progressive wins

    WASHINGTON — Chris Rabb is on a winning streak.

    Since his victory in Philadelphia’s highly contested Democratic congressional primary in May, the state lawmaker and presumptive successor to retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans has campaigned across the country — going nine for 10 in races where he’s supported progressives against more establishment-backed, moderate Democrats.

    That wave of momentum — for a left-leaning faction hoping to transform the next generation of the Democratic Party — culminated this week in Michigan, where Dr. Abdul El-Sayed won a consequential U.S. Senate primary in the key swing state.

    Though not a self-described democratic socialist like Rabb, El-Sayed ran on a similar anti-corporation, anti-Israel platform that focused on enacting policies like Medicare for All and dismantling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    Rabb, who was on the ground in Detroit for the final push of the campaign and at El-Sayed’s victory party on Tuesday, said the Michigander prevailed “against extraordinary odds.”

    U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, with establishment support and about $62 million in outside spending on her behalf, had a roughly 9-to-1 spending advantage over El-Sayed, according to The New York Times. Her loss amid that kind of massive spending “is a testament to the power of economic populism and the growing frustration with incrementalism,” Rabb said.

    “His primary win proves that economic populism and bold progressivism has growing support across the ideological spectrum among Democrats whether they’re voting in Michigan or Pennsylvania,” Rabb said.

    The five-term state representative from East Mount Airy has thrown his energy into other campaigns as his own is pretty much complete. In one of the bluest in the country, he defeated a pair of more moderate Democrats — State Sen. Sharif Street and physician Ala Stanford — and will not face a Republican opponent in the November election. The district covers about half of the city, from South Philadelphia through the Northwest.

    Rabb began looking beyond his district borders almost immediately after the primary.

    In New Jersey’s Trenton-based congressional district, he campaigned for Dr. Adam Hamawy, a former combat surgeon who has also provided medical care to Gazans during the war with Israel. In New York, he threw his weight behind Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, two of the democratic socialists also backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

    He turned to other candidates in California, Colorado and Michigan as he door-knocked, called voters and appeared in virtual events.

    “Ever since May 19, which was the night I won, I’ve been paying it forward with so many amazing candidates,” Rabb said during a recent virtual fundraiser for El-Sayed in which Rabb said he was signing and giving away the pink “Philadelphia” baseball hat he was wearing to a lucky donor.

    Rabb hasn’t weighed in on every battle between progressives and moderates. He did not endorse Cori Bush, the former member of Congress and democratic socialist who failed in her attempt at a comeback in Missouri this week. He also has not endorsed every congressional candidate promoted by two key national coalitions that supported him — Justice Democrats, which has been a force behind the election of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others, and the Democratic Socialists of America.

    The one candidate he endorsed who did not win was Saikat Chakrabarti, a former campaign manager and chief of staff to Ocasio-Cortez who tried to beat former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s hand-picked successor in San Francisco.

    And not all of Rabb’s endorsees are guaranteed to join him in Congress next year. Justin Pearson, a Tennessee state lawmaker who won a U.S. House primary on Thursday, will be the nominee in a state where Republicans redistricted this year in an attempt to root out Democratic incumbents. Pearson’s district is considered “solid Republican” by the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan group that rates competitive districts.

    While some Democrats have questioned whether progressives can win competitive general election races, Rabb said he was “confident that strategically supporting anti-establishment populist candidates who bring with them new, more active and enthusiastic voters will significantly increase turnout in November.”

    “Ignoring the unique strengths of such candidates and campaigns will be at the Democratic Party’s great peril,” he added.

    That sentiment echoed other comments he’s made in recent months as more centrist leaders in his party questioned the progressive momentum. In June, he responded to an interview in which Gov. Josh Shapiro called the democratic socialists who won in New York an example of “performative politics.” Those candidates would now need to govern effectively, he said, adding that they were not indicative of the types of Democrats winning in Pennsylvania.

    “You’re seeing very different-looking congressional races, and certainly very different Democratic candidates here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro told CNN, prompting Rabb to respond on social media with, “Ummm…”

    Shapiro, a popular figure as he seeks reelection this fall, has been lending his support to Democrats in four competitive congressional seats in Pennsylvania that are held by Republicans, including a swing district in suburban Bucks County. Flipping those seats in a way that could help Democrats capture the U.S. House majority has been a top priority and has further fueled speculation that Shapiro is eyeing a run for the White House in 2028.

    At the same time, Shapiro has not appeared with or supported Rabb during his campaign, though his team has said the governor looks forward to working with whoever replaces Evans.

    As Rabb has crisscrossed the country, he’s also drawn more ire from the state’s other most nationally prominent Democrat — U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, who Rabb dismissively refers to as “the F word.”

    Fetterman has included Rabb in his broad denouncements of progressives who are winning Democratic primaries. Progressives like Rabb, meanwhile, have indicated they hope to replace Fetterman with a progressive candidate in 2028.

    “Rabb, he won, and he ran on being a very, very anti-Israel guy,” Fetterman said in early June at an American Jewish Committee conference in Washington. “It’s actually a virtue (in the modern Democratic Party)… It’s heartbreaking for me.”

    After El-Sayed’s win this week against a candidate who received more money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee than possibly any other candidate on record, Rabb and the coalition behind him have shown no signs of slowing down.

    “Ground Zero was Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, winning a key congressional primary,” Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee said on the livestreamed fundraiser with Rabb this week.

    The “ripple effects of winning a battleground Senate contest,” like in Michigan, Green said, will be significant.

    “The message will be undebatable that we won, that we’re on the rise, and that we can win anywhere,” he said.