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  • DA’s office says two prosecutors who said Krasner told them to ‘protect the office’ in controversial case are ‘ill-informed’

    DA’s office says two prosecutors who said Krasner told them to ‘protect the office’ in controversial case are ‘ill-informed’

    The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said Thursday that the two prosecutors who accused DA Larry Krasner of encouraging them to act unethically in a controversial appellate case did so in a court filing that was both unauthorized and “ill-informed.”

    In a court document filed late Thursday, written by Assistant District Attorney Thomas Gaeta and signed by Krasner, the office said prosecutors Katherine Ernst and Steven J. Wildberger acted inappropriately and without Krasner’s permission when they filed a brief Monday saying the office had a conflict in the appeal of Dennis Johnson, who is seeking to have his murder conviction overturned.

    The office said it had taken steps to address all of the issues it saw with Johnson’s case, and that Ernst and Wildberger’s assertions were “ill-informed” and made without firsthand knowledge because they were no longer a part of the case.

    The filing primarily focused on the steps the office took to ensure it was handling the case in a legal and ethical manner — and did not directly address the two prosecutors’ contentions that Krasner had asked them to “protect the office.”

    In their filing Monday, Ernst and Wildberger said they tried to persuade Krasner to allow the state attorney general’s office to take over Johnson’s appeal after the prosecutor previously assigned to the case, Jaclyn Mason, recommended that his case be overturned — a recommendation the office later sought to reverse, saying Mason’s filing was full of false statements.

    A former prosecutor said DA Larry Krasner’s Office colluded with defense attorneys to try to overturn a murder conviction

    U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond then ordered a hearing on the matter. And in explosive testimony in federal court last week, Mason said she had sought to vacate Johnson’s conviction at the direction of her boss, Matt Stiegler — whom she accused of colluding with defense attorneys. Stiegler has said that was not the case.

    Mason, who has since resigned, also said she was later told to lie about the case to minimize scrutiny of the office.

    District Attorney Larry Krasner at a 2025 press conference. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Ernst and Wildberger, who work in the law division of the DA’s office, said that as they were evaluating the case in the spring, they tried to encourage Krasner to refer the case to the state attorney general because of issues with how it was handled.

    For example, they said, Stiegler, the supervisor who they believed had made mistakes while overseeing the case, was still offering legal advice about it from a different role in the office, which Ernst and Wildberger viewed as self-interested and “inappropriate” because of his potential interest in clearing his name rather than evaluating the case on its merits.

    But Krasner’s office kept the case. And as they deliberated how to move forward, the two prosecutors wrote, Krasner told them “to litigate the case in a manner to ‘protect the office.’”

    Then, in late June, Ernst and Wildberger wrote, they again asked Krasner to refer the matter to state prosecutors, but “DA Krasner stated that there would be ‘consequences’ for anyone who notified the court of the conflict issues.”

    Ernst and Wildberger then filed a notice in federal court saying they believed the DA’s office was beset by conflicts and should not handle Johnson’s appeal.

    Forceful Pa. Supreme Court ruling constrains one of DA Larry Krasner’s signature initiatives

    Krasner’s team, in its first response to the matter this week, said that was not true.

    Ernst and Wildberger, they said, were appropriately excluded from the case as soon as they disclosed a personal conflict with it, and did not have firsthand knowledge of the office’s discussions thereafter.

    The prosecutors “are disqualified from filing or speaking on behalf of the Commonwealth” and were not authorized to file the “notice of conflict” or to speak for the office about the matter, they said.

    Any discussions Ernst and Wildberger had with the office about the case are privileged conversations they should not be able to disclose, the DA’s filing said.

    To remedy the issue, the office said, it has hired a new prosecutor to handle the case who has been walled off from the ongoing conversations. Assistant District Attorney Jean Peters-Baker, who recently joined the office and has spent more than 25 years as a prosecutor, will review Johnson’s case and decide if it has merit, the filing said.

    Johnson was convicted of second-degree murder in 2009 in the shooting death of Kenyatta Smith during a robbery outside a North Philadelphia convenience store two years earlier. He was sentenced to life in prison.

    Johnson appealed his conviction, in part because he said his trial attorney was ineffective. Mason filed court documents in 2022 agreeing with that assertion and saying Johnson’s conviction should be overturned.

    But then, this spring, others in the office reviewed the case and took the opposite view.

    Ernst and Wildberger said they were prepared to testify before Diamond about the situation. Others in the office are also expected to take the stand as the case proceeds.

    The judge has not yet scheduled a date for testimony.

  • Cecily Tynan is retiring from 6abc after three decades on Action News

    Cecily Tynan is retiring from 6abc after three decades on Action News

    The big story on Action News is the departure of Cecily Tynan.

    The beloved meteorologist is retiring after more than three decades at 6abc, a trailblazing career spanning major weather events, including Hurricane Sandy, the Blizzard of 1996, and devastating flooding in Philadelphia following Hurricane Ida.

    Tynan’s last day with the station will be Monday, Aug. 31.

    At the end of the 6 p.m. Thursday newscast, Tynan publicly confirmed her plans.

    “After more than 30 years at Action News, I will be retiring in a few weeks, and honestly, I’m thrilled about it,” Tynan, 57, said.

    “This has been in the works for a while. I’ve been counting down here at the station. Both my children have graduated from high school. My daughter is going to college in less than a month, and she’ll be running cross country and track. And my husband and I, we plan to attend every single one of her meets. So it’s the right time for me. It’s the right time for my family, and I’m so very thankful,” Tynan said.

    Responding to her announcement, anchor Brian Taff told Tynan: “You are a treasure, not just in this newsroom, of course, but among everybody out there watching who loves tuning in every night and feeling the comfort of having Cecily Tynan tell them what’s coming up.”

    In a written statement, Tynan said she was “honored” to have been a key part of the Action News team, where she began as the station’s first-ever weekend meteorologist before becoming its first female chief meteorologist in 2009, replacing the retiring Dave Roberts.

    “I’m proud of the work we’ve done and thankful to 6abc viewers for trusting me with their weather forecasts,” Tynan said, adding she plans to spend her winters “in Florida water skiing, traveling and having lots of quality time” with her family.

    Tynan is a mainstay in Philly’s closely watched TV news ecosystem, spending much of her career alongside famed anchor Jim Gardner on the 11 p.m. edition of Action News before his retirement in 2022.

    Cecily Tynan cleans a cab with former WIP host Howard Eskin during a fundraiser at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel in 1999.G.W. MILLER III / Philadelphia Daily News

    She began at the station in 1995 as a weekend weather anchor and reporter, parlaying a two-year contract into a multidecade career that also included the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts and a prime spot on the station’s Thanksgiving Day parade coverage.

    “From the moment she first walked off the elevator and joined Action News, Cecily has been a trusted voice for viewers, a leader in our newsroom, and one of the most talented broadcasters in Philadelphia,” John W. Morris, 6abc’s general manager, said in a statement. “Whether guiding us through storms or being part of our holiday traditions, Cecily has been a part of our lives for a long time.”

    On Oct. 9 last year, Tynan celebrated her 30th anniversary in a social media post, recalling that she had originally planned to stay with the ABC network’s Philadelphia station for three years.

    “That’s what happens when you find your ‘home,’ where your co-workers evolve into some of your closest friends,” Tynan wrote.

    “If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!” she added.

    Prior to landing in Philly, the Connecticut native made stops in Las Vegas and Roanoke, Va. She also previously hosted the public affairs show Primetime Weekend.

    “As much as our viewers are going to miss her, we will miss her even more,” Morris said.

    While Action News has been known for its stability, Philly’s most-watched news broadcast has said goodbye to a few notable people recently. Fellow meteorologist Chris Sowers left the station in 2024 to join the ABC affiliate in West Palm Beach, longtime general manager Bernie Prazenica retired in 2025, and Tom Davis, the station’s former vice president and news director, departed in March.

    There have also been a few departures on the sports side, including reporters Gabriella Galati, Jeff Skversky, and Jamie Apody. Both Skversky and Apody later landed at Fox 29.

    The station hasn’t yet announced Tynan’s replacement. Among the candidates are 6abc veterans Karen Rogers, Adam Joseph, and Brittany Boyer.

  • A presumed lightning strike forced 2 store closures on Maple Shade’s Main Street

    A presumed lightning strike forced 2 store closures on Maple Shade’s Main Street

    From this past December to April, Julie Hause took only three days off. The rest of her time was spent on Maple Shade’s Main Street, transforming the longstanding chocolate shop she purchased in 2023.

    Hause spent months personally ripping up the worn green carpet by hand, installing laminate flooring, repainting, and more, breathing new life into the aging downtown staple.

    Now, her L&S Chocolates is closed with extensive smoke, water, and roof damage from a fire Tuesday night that is suspected to have been caused by lightning.

    “It was a group effort. My husband, my kids, my friends — everybody came in and we did it all ourselves. And that’s why I’m so devastated,” Hause said. “I put my blood, sweat, and tears into this. And now, I feel like it literally went up in smoke or washed away in a flood because that’s what I’m dealing with.”

    Hause was in her shop — which had been open for less than four months — when powerful storms rolled through South Jersey Tuesday evening and she heard a “very loud crack” that came from the back of the neighboring bakery, she said.

    The lights flickered in an unusual way, “a really quick stutter of flashing,” she said, before she smelled something burning. Hause quickly searched in her back workroom for the source of the fire before exiting the building and calling the fire department, she said.

    The official investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, Maple Shade Fire Marshal Matthew Orsini said.

    Firefighters responded to the scene at 5:53 p.m. Tuesday when they located the fire in “a small area involving the rear exterior wall and roof” of the bakery, Orsini said. The bulk of the fire was extinguished within 10 minutes, he said.

    “Damage was limited primarily to the vinyl siding on the rear exterior wall and an approximately 5-by-5-foot section of the roof,” Orsini said, noting that the concrete construction beneath the siding helped prevent the fire from extending into the interior of the building or the adjoining property.

    The National Weather Service confirmed there were lightning strikes in the area around the time of the fire but the agency does not collect the location-specific data needed to determine whether a particular building was struck or not, a meteorologist with the NWS office in Mount Holly said Thursday.

    Tis So Sweet, the adjoining bakery, posted on social media shortly after Tuesday’s storm announcing that it will be closed until further notice.

    “Unfortunately our Maple Shade store was struck by lightning during this evening’s storm and will be closed until we can clean up and repair damage,” the bakery wrote.

    By Thursday morning, cakes and cupcakes were still sitting in the display cases inside the shuttered bakery on the corner of Maple Avenue, and an “unsatisfactory” designation from the health department was taped to the front door. The bakery’s owners could not be reached for comment.

    L&S Chocolates is closed until further notice due to smoke and water damage from a suspected lightning-caused fire in Maple Shade on Tuesday.Lacey Latch

    Since the fire, Hause has spent nearly every waking moment trying to determine her next steps. Fielding visits and phone calls from the health department, multiple insurance adjusters, her landlord, and more, she said it will likely be at least four to six months before she can reopen the store.

    “It’s hard. I put so much work and effort into this. I cried most of last night, I’ve cried most of today,” Hause said Wednesday afternoon. “Maybe a couple days off of just breathing and relaxing, and then I’ll figure out my next steps.”

    Before the fire, Hause had begun developing ideas for classes and community events that she could host at the store, like cake decorating classes or a “Chocolate & Sip” wine night. Now, she’s just taking things “hour by hour” as she starts to rebuild.

    “I’m scared. I’m absolutely scared for my future now,” she said. “After putting everything into this and, overnight, it’s gone.”

  • Pa. lawmakers can’t agree on how to sentence second-degree murder cases. The state Supreme Court may extend their deadline.

    Pa. lawmakers can’t agree on how to sentence second-degree murder cases. The state Supreme Court may extend their deadline.

    HARRISBURG — As state legislators failed to reach an agreement on a new sentencing structure for second-degree murder convictions on the eve of a deadline imposed by Pennsylvania’s highest court, the Allegheny County district attorney has asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to extend its deadline 120 days.

    Unless the court agrees, the state’s divided legislature is all but guaranteed to not reach a deal by the Friday evening deadline set by the court, which ruled in March that mandatory life sentences for crimes of that category were ruled unconstitutional.

    That means that judges would begin to sentence individuals across the state without legislative guidance — and likely tees up about 1,100 individuals already serving life sentences for lengthy litigation over what comes next.

    In a filing with the court Thursday afternoon, Stephen Zappala, the Allegheny County district attorney, requested that the judges give the General Assembly the ability to continue debating new sentencing guidelines when they return in September from summer recess.

    Lawmakers were not due back to Harrisburg until the fall, but Senate and House Republicans lambasted House Democrats for failing to pass any legislation on second-degree murder. The House returned to the Capitol for a special session Thursday to vote on a Democrat-backed plan for second-degree murder sentencing.

    The passage of that bill, however, did not bring lawmakers closer to a deal.

    “We still want to have a legislative solution, we believe it is going to be the most equitable way statewide to address the issue of people who are currently serving unconstitutional sentences,” said Roxanne Horrell, the legislative director for Straight Ahead, a decarceration advocacy organization. “We are ready and willing to come to the negotiating table.”

    The House-advanced plan, which passed 102-100, would allow individuals who have already been convicted of second-degree murder to seek parole after serving 30 years. A decision on new sentencing guidelines would be left to the state’s Sentencing Commission.

    In a brief statement to reporters, House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery) said that bill “is a real attempt in the House to meet the Senate more than halfway.”

    In floor arguments that at times grew heated, House Republicans took issue with the outlining no minimum sentence for future cases and instead placing that decision in the hands of the Sentencing Commission.

    Republicans also criticized Democratic leadership for not taking a vote on the Senate-passed plan.

    That bill — which several Senate Democrats voted for — creates a sentencing minimum of 35 years to life for future cases. Individuals would be eligible for parole after serving 35 years, or after serving 20 years for those older than 70.

    “This is one of those issues that requires a great deal of thought, and it requires bringing in some of the stakeholders that we are hearing from that was opposed to this legislation today,” House Minority Leader Jesse Topper (R., Bedford) said. “Those are people who need to be in a room to come up with a solution, and unfortunately, that’s not what happened.”

    He called for party leaders, the state’s Fraternal Order of Police, Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Attorney General Dave Sunday to come together and reach an agreement instead of shuttling bills back and forth between both chambers.

    “When you don’t have that kind of collaboration to deal with an issue such as this,” Topper said, “nothing will be done.”

    Horrell said the decarceration organization would support discussions that include their input.

    In a letter on Thursday, the attorney general urged state representatives to vote against the plan backed by House Democrats.

    “This approach does not foster appropriate and thoughtful re-entry initiatives or put individuals on a path to success,” wrote Sunday, a Republican. “Thoughtful re-entry initiatives are necessary and important, and I support those initiatives. But not this approach, which ultimately fails to hold dangerous offenders accountable.”

    The plan advanced Thursday is the latest development in months of back and forth between Republicans and Democrats who have advanced differing visions for what the new sentencing parameters should be.

    Lawmakers were unable to reach a deal as part of budget negotiations that concluded earlier this month.

    “Today, the House took important action prior to the court-imposed deadline by passing a package to address this issue and it’s time for Senate Republicans to return to Harrisburg and bring this matter to conclusion rather than grandstand,” Shapiro said in a statement.

    The House-passed bill also expands the state’s compassionate release program. Under existing law, incarcerated individuals can only be candidates for release if doctors determine that they have less than a year to live.

    The bill would allow for an individual to be released if they have been diagnosed by a doctor with a terminal or life-threatening illness, or if a physician diagnoses them with an illness that could be treated better outside of a correctional facility.

    Democratic Rep. Rick Krajewski, who represents West Philadelphia, said that the program is designed for incarcerated individuals who are facing serious illnesses “that require real, complex medical care” that can’t be provided while an individual is serving out their sentence.

    “I am glad that the House was able to put a vision forward about how to fulfill our constitutional mandate and reform our carceral system generally,” he added.

    Several Republicans had supported Krajewski’s initial bill, which passed the house 111-92. The program is estimated to save $15 million a year in healthcare costs for incarcerated individuals, he said.

    Now that both the House and Senate have passed a bill, either could be amended and voted on by both chambers in a single day.

    “Instead of allowing a vote on either of the bipartisan bills passed by the Senate, [House Democrats] chose to engage in political theater and failed to produce any feasible product to protect our communities and victims’ families,” Senate Republican leaders wrote in a statement.

    A spokesperson for Senate Republican leadership did not respond to a request for comment on whether the chamber planned to return for a vote Friday.

    On Thursday morning, Topper morning said that he hoped the legislature could come to an agreement in the coming weeks if an agreement could not be reached by the deadline.

    However, speaking to reporters after the House adjourned, Topper said the decision to advance the House bill without a vote on the Senate bill on Thursday “sets things back considerably.”

    Ethan Young is an intern with the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents’ Association. He can be reached at ethanmyoung@gmail.com.

  • St. Joseph’s becomes the first college in Pennsylvania to add a jersey patch sponsor

    St. Joseph’s becomes the first college in Pennsylvania to add a jersey patch sponsor

    The uniforms of many St. Joseph’s teams will have a slight change this fall — it will feature a sponsored jersey patch.

    On Wednesday, St. Joe’s announced a partnership with Main Line Health to feature the local healthcare company’s logo on the school’s uniforms. The new uniform emblem was made possible after the NCAA Division I Cabinet approved the addition of “commercial logos or patches” on team uniforms in January.

    St. Joe’s is the first athletic program in Pennsylvania to publicly announce a jersey sponsorship for the upcoming academic year. The Hawks field 21 teams, but the patch won’t be on all of them.

    “We’re going to be a leader amongst all this change,” St. Joe’s athletic director Ashwin Puri told the Inquirer. “We’re going to embrace it. We are going to be uniquely St. Joseph’s in all this legislative change and this … transformation — we’re going to do it our way.”

    Jersey patches, although new to college, have become a lucrative endeavor for professional sports teams in the United States. The MLS, MLB, NHL, and NBA all allow its franchises to strike uniform sponsorship deals. Recently, the Golden State Warriors made headlines after partnering with IREN to make the Artificial Intelligence company the team’s primary jersey sponsor. The deal was reported to be worth more than $50 million a year.

    Meanwhile, in college, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, reportedly inked a deal with the medicine company Acesso worth $11 million over the next five years.

    St. Joe’s did not state how much the deal is worth, but it is expected to bring the school increased financial flexibility. Last year, St. Joe’s opted in to the House v. NCAA settlement, meaning the school is now required to share revenue directly with its student-athletes.

    For Puri, the recent changes to college athletics — from the rise of Name, Image, and Likeness deals to the onset of jersey sponsors — are “all related.”

    “We are going to prioritize our student-athletes first and obviously the greater university community by finding partnerships that benefit everybody,” Ash said. “It’s holistic.”

    HBCU football is returning to the Linc this fall when Lincoln University hosts Virginia Union

    Eric Laudano, the Hawks’ executive senior associate athletic director, spearheaded the deal with Main Line Health, alongside Mark Donley and Steven Brown, both hailing from the school’s multimedia rights operator Van Wagner. Main Line Health will now also serve as the exclusive medical provider for St. Joe’s athletics. Puri explained that this was the original goal of the partnership, noting it “wasn’t about the patch” at first.

    “The conversation started with, ‘How can we bring everything together under one integrated healthcare system?’” Puri said. “Hospital, orthopedic, primary, physical therapy, athletic training, radiology, all the medical specialists — that was the goal. So the conversation purely started with what’s in the best interest of our student athletes.”

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of college athletics right here!
  • Jefferson Health sued IBX, claiming payment changes cost it nearly $100 million this year

    Jefferson Health sued IBX, claiming payment changes cost it nearly $100 million this year

    Jefferson Health says it has incurred nearly $100 million in financial losses this year because of policy changes by Independence Blue Cross in a lawsuit filed this week.

    The lawsuit, submitted Wednesday in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, detailed five policy shifts — including two impacting when IBX pays higher inpatient rates for hospital stays — that Jefferson says amount to breaches of the current contract between the region’s largest health system and its largest insurer.

    “IBX has attempted to use policy changes to — over time — effectively rewrite the contract” and pay less than agreed to in the contract, Jefferson’s lawsuit said.

    The suit comes less than six months before its IBX contract expires Dec. 31, adding pressure to negotiations over a new deal. Jefferson said it cared for more than 300,000 people with IBX insurance last year.

    In the last year, the nonprofit health system has shown its willingness to challenge major insurers at a time of increasing financial strain on both insurers and healthcare providers nationally.

    IBX introduced a series of payment changes impacting both commercial and private Medicare plans this year as it faces intense pressure from employers to slow the growth of healthcare expenses and from the federal government, which is trying to trim spending in Medicare Advantage plans.

    Independence declined in an email to comment on the claims in the lawsuit: “We value our provider partners, honor our contractual commitments with them, and regularly discuss any issues. It’s unfortunate that Jefferson chooses to do this in the public arena but if you’ve kept up with the news you can see this is typical of their playbook.”

    A series of reimbursement shifts

    The biggest financial impact came from IBX’s requirement, effective June 1, that certain procedures be performed in lower-cost freestanding ambulatory surgery centers, rather than in hospital outpatient departments, which often get paid twice as much for the same work.

    Jefferson estimated damages from the ambulatory surgery center rule at $35.4 million.

    Two policies affecting when IBX pays inpatient rates cost Jefferson a combined $35.5 million, according to the complaint.

    Jefferson sued Aetna in April over a similar policy that reduces payments for Medicare Advantage plans if Aetna considers patients not sick enough to qualify for full payment.

    The complaint says a policy that eliminated payment for hospital readmissions up to 30 days after discharge cost Jefferson $18.3 million. Since 2017, Penn Medicine has had a contract with IBX that does not pay Penn when patients return to the hospital within a month of being discharged.

    Finally, Jefferson said IBX has failed to pay more than $7.2 million owed under a controversial federal drug discount program known as 340B.

    “After trying to work directly with Independence Blue Cross to resolve these breaches of contract, we have been forced to take this action on behalf of our patients,” Jefferson’s vice president for payer relations, Allison Yudt, said in an email. “This action is the result of a pattern that has repeated itself time and again.”

    IBX said in its statement that it “acts in the best interest of our customers and members and protects their access to high quality affordable care.”

    Jefferson’s harder line with insurers

    Jefferson has expanded through acquisitions from three hospitals to 33 since 2015. The most recent acquisition was Lehigh Valley Health Network two years ago, creating a network that stretches from South Jersey to near Scranton.

    Amid significant losses in recent years, Jefferson has been taking an aggressive approach with insurers when it believes they are paying it less than contractually required.

    This year, Jefferson’s Lehigh Valley Health went out-of-network with UnitedHealthcare for commercial and Medicare Advantage plans. Last year, Jefferson went out-of-network with Cigna for a few weeks before reaching a deal.

  • Josh Shapiro joins lawsuit against Trump administration’s plan to withhold disaster aid to pressure states on voter data

    Josh Shapiro joins lawsuit against Trump administration’s plan to withhold disaster aid to pressure states on voter data

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was one of 26 Democratic officials from across the nation to join a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s administration over its efforts to compel states into sharing raw voter data by threatening federal funding for natural disasters.

    “Withholding this funding will make our communities less safe and would be dangerous under any circumstance, but doing this in an attempt to undermine states’ authority over elections is reckless and unconstitutional,” Shapiro in a statement Thursday.

    New Jersey and Delaware are among the other states on the Illinois-led lawsuit. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, comes amid escalating tensions between Democratic-run states and the federal government over how best to ensure noncitizens are not voting in any elections — a situation these states say happens extremely rarely.

    But New Jersey’s admission Tuesday that about 6,600 noncitizens were inadvertently added to the state’s voter rolls, due to a system error in the state’s department of motor vehicles voter registration program, has thrust the issue into the national spotlight as these efforts were already underway.

    The Department of Homeland Security announced earlier this month that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would require states to hand over their unredacted voter rolls and adhere to significant changes in their election administration in order to receive funding for preparation and recovery from catastrophic disasters, such as major storms.

    The policy puts nearly $6 million in federal aid at jeopardy for Pennsylvania, according to Shapiro.

    Shapiro has routinely signed on to lawsuits against the Trump’s administration, particularly when federal funding to the state has come under threat.

    Pennsylvania election officials have repeatedly declined to hand over unredacted voter rolls to the Trump administration, citing privacy concerns.

    New Jersey has also refused to provide voter roll data to the Trump administration, though the federal government is using the state’s registration mishap to justify its request.

    “We are not in the practice of turning this kind of personally identifying data over to the federal government because we have seen them weaponize it … and they don’t have a reputation for keeping it private, either,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said after a news conference Thursday.

    As for the FEMA funding, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a social media post Thursday that the Trump administration “threatens our safety when it plays politics with these funds.”

    While most of the plaintiffs are attorneys general, Shapiro was one of two governors to join the complaint, along with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, another potential 2028 presidential contender who also leads a state with a Republican attorney general.

    In a prime-time address last week, Trump called for an overhaul of U.S. election administration and ticked through old debunked claims about his 2020 election loss.

    Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among four states — along with California and Nevada, which also joined the suit — that the Trump administration is targeting for additional scrutiny over their voter rolls, according to a document posted to the White House website last week. The one-pager claimed widespread instances of noncitizen voting, much broader than what New Jersey said it uncovered, though election experts have suggested caution when examining these numbers.

    “The Trump Administration is holding critical funding for homeland security and disaster response hostage in their latest attempt to take over our elections and perpetuate baseless conspiracy theories,” Shapiro said in his statement Thursday.

  • Philadelphia dental clinic reopens two months after patients were urged to get tested for HIV

    Philadelphia dental clinic reopens two months after patients were urged to get tested for HIV

    A Center City dentist is reopening her practice this week after correcting infection-control lapses that health inspectors say put patients at risk of HIV and other communicable diseases.

    Kirti Chopra’s license was temporarily suspended in May after an inspection by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health found she was not following sterilization protocol.

    She was ordered to temporarily close her practice, Smiles at Rittenhouse Square, located at 255 S. 17th St., Suite 2507. The practice is also known as Smiles on the Square.

    HIV, hepatitis testing urged for patients of a dental practice in Philadelphia, health department says

    The Pennsylvania Board of Dentistry reinstated her license under probation earlier this month after she agreed to four years’ probation and a $10,000 civil fine, plus about $4,400 in fees to cover the cost of the investigation.

    Chopra told The Inquirer she resumed seeing patients on Thursday.

    Chopra also hired a consultant to oversee infection-control improvements, including new policies for storing sterile supplies and staff training on sanitation protocol.

    “I will work tirelessly to rebuild trust with my patients and demonstrate accountability,” Chopra said in a statement.

    She said she was “deeply sorry” to her patients and grateful to the health department for working with her to reopen.

    Sterilization problems lead to shutdown

    The Philadelphia health department said Thursday its recommendations had been “satisfactorily implemented.”

    “We are not opposed to the practice reopening, subject to continued compliance with their agreement with the state,” James Garrow, deputy health commissioner, said in a statement.

    In March, the health department had cited the clinic for reusing saline bags and a vial of septocaine, a local anesthetic, that were supposed to be thrown out after having been used on a patient.

    During its investigation, the Pennsylvania Board of Dentistry did not find evidence the partially used vial of septocaine had been reused with another patient.

    Reusing these types of single-use medical supplies can expose patients to HIV, hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and other diseases that are transmitted through blood or saliva.

    She was ordered to shut down the practice in May, when the Pennsylvania Department of State temporarily suspended her license pending an investigation by the dentistry board.

    The Philadelphia health department in May issued a public notice urging Chopra’s patients to get tested for HIV, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B.

    Reopening with safety improvements

    In an interview with The Inquirer, Chopra said she began addressing the health department’s concerns immediately after the March citation.

    She overhauled sanitation policies, set up new procedures to ensure used dental tools are kept separate from sterile instruments, and purchased a new ultrasonic cleaner. The independent consultant she hired to oversee that work will conduct quarterly inspections, she said.

    “The goal is to not look at the past but outlook at the future, and the future is to provide quality care to my patients,” Chopra said. “This is the most humbling experience of my life, and I’ve learned my lesson the hard way.”

    Chopra has been licensed to practice dentistry in Pennsylvania since 2021 and purchased her Rittenhouse Square practice in April 2025.

    Staff were trained on the new protocols and equipment, and Chopra plans to work with Learn2Prevent, a dental compliance and education company, to provide annual infection-control training.

    Under her agreement with the Pennsylvania Board of Dentistry, Chopra’s practice will be monitored for infection-control safety and is subject to unannounced inspections.

  • Philadelphia man charged with murder for the third time, Pa. Attorney General’s Office says

    Philadelphia man charged with murder for the third time, Pa. Attorney General’s Office says

    A Philadelphia man has been charged with fatally gunning down another man three years ago on a North Philadelphia street, authorities said Thursday.

    A grand jury on Wednesday indicted Richard Pridgen, 21, on charges of murder, attempted murder, and related crimes for the 2023 shooting death of George Smith, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

    The case marks the third time state prosecutors have charged Pridgen with murder. He is currently serving a 17-year federal prison sentence for a separate crime.

    In a news release Thursday, state prosecutors said Pridgen is a member of the “Backblock” gang, a violent North Philadelphia group that has been at the center of joint investigations by the attorney general’s office, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for years.

    Just before midnight on April 22, 2023, two people attacked Smith, 27, in the 2400 block of North 17th Street, state prosecutors said. Surveillance cameras captured the killing, and showed one of the men — whom state prosecutors identified as Pridgen — firing multiple shots into Smith’s body before fleeing in a vehicle driven by a third person.

    That vehicle, state prosecutors said, had been stolen at gunpoint the day before in the 2500 block of East Monmouth Street, less than four miles away.

    The two other homicides Pridgen is accused of committing also occurred in 2023 in Philadelphia, state prosecutors said.

    In one case, Pridgen is accused of shooting Hassan German, 31, and another man, who survived, on May 24, 2023, at the intersection of North Gratz Street and Susquehanna Avenue in North Philadelphia. The details of the other case were not immediately available on Thursday.

    “There are public dangers, and then there is Richard Pridgen — for whom killing, stealing, and harming people is a way of life,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said in the news release.

    Pridgen has pleaded not guilty in both prior murder cases.

    A spokesperson for the Defender Association of Philadelphia, which is representing Pridgen in those cases, declined to comment.

    In February, Pridgen was convicted in federal court of two carjackings and sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison.

    In the carjackings — which also took place in 2023 in Philadelphia — Pridgen robbed two men of their vehicles at gunpoint, federal prosecutors said. Neither man was injured.

  • Jaylen Brown to the Phillies? The Sixers’ new star was spotted playing baseball in the Dominican Republic.

    Jaylen Brown to the Phillies? The Sixers’ new star was spotted playing baseball in the Dominican Republic.

    Between warm nights at Citizens Bank Park and a week of All-Star festivities, it’s a certified baseball summer for Philadelphia. Even Jaylen Brown, one of our area’s newest residents, couldn’t resist America’s pastime.

    Videos of Brown playing baseball in the Dominican Republic circulated Wednesday on social media. Decked out in a La Javilla Academy uniform, the 76ers’ high-profile summer acquisition singled as a chorus of kids chanted “Philadelphia.”

    La Javilla Academy is a prominent baseball facility in Santo Domingo Este. Founded in 1958, the program is run by former MLB player Alberto Castillo and has produced players like New York Yankees infielder Amed Rosario.

    Brown seems unable to stay away from a good game, no matter the sport — he also was spotted boxing locals in Morocco this summer.

    The athleticism must run in his blood. Brown recently revealed that he and former Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown are cousins. A.J. Brown, who was traded to the New England Patriots on June 1, has a history with baseball himself; he was drafted in the 19th round the San Diego Padres in 2016 before he decided to focus on football.

    Jaylen Brown is much more well-known for his basketball prowess than his swing, but he looked at home in the batter’s box, soaking up the Dominican Republic’s love for baseball. The 6-foot-6 wing isn’t the first Sixer to pick up a pair of cleats, however.

    Mike Gansey ‘never would have envisioned’ landing Jaylen Brown in his first Sixers offseason

    Mark Hendrickson, who played his rookie season in Philly (1996-97), also was a 10-year MLB veteran as a left-handed pitcher. He was drafted in the 20th round by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997 and broke into the majors in 2002, two years after his four-season NBA career ended.

    Could Brown be the Phillies’ solution to that fifth spot in the starting rotation?

    Probably not.

    And as Brown enjoys the offseason, the Sixers still trying to take shape amid free agency as they await a decision by a certain former Laker.

    No matter how things play out, fans will first see Brown in a Sixers jersey in the preseason opener on the road against his old team, the Boston Celtics, on Oct. 10. Boston then will come to Xfinity Mobile Arena on Oct. 16 for another preseason contest.

    Until then, Brown can continue to enjoy the Caribbean and practice his swing instead of his shot.