In the push to pass another late state budget, quality has been sacrificed. The product is more noteworthy for what it does not do than for what it accomplishes. It does not:
Increase Pennsylvania’s archaic minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, which has not budged since 2009.
Provide a reliable funding mechanism for essential public transit.
Reap tax dollars from legalizing the use of marijuana.
Tax skill games.
Sell off the state liquor stores to garner hundreds of millions of dollars.
Eliminate the state’s unique and cruel death (inheritance) tax.
Hike state taxes on tobacco products to discourage use and boost revenue.
Finally end the ridiculous ban on automobile dealers to conduct business on Sundays.
Eliminate price-fixing on dairy products, which keeps prices artificially high and out of step with neighboring states.
I find little to smile about in the new state budget.
Oren Spiegler,Peters Township
Firing four-star generals
Why doesn’t Congress demand to know why Pete Hegseth is gutting our military leadership of the best and the brightest, like Gen. Christopher Donahue? It isn’t patriotic; it’s idiotic.
Penny Stanger,Phoenixville
Dream job
I would like to know where else one can go to land a job like those in Congress.
One can be AWOL and not owe anyone an explanation, be absent for an indeterminate amount of time without being held accountable for that or what might have transpired during their absence, lose any salary, or be penalized in any way for not coming to work.
No one pushes back, questions what is going on, or insists on getting an explanation. One won’t be replaced or demoted, and whatever inconvenience your absence might have caused is of no consequence.
When the question does arise, perhaps a “Further information will be forthcoming” might be issued, but that means just about as much as no information. You can be totally incommunicado without any fear of retribution, censure, loss of a position, demotion, or cut in pay. You can just show up when you are good and ready, with no concern as to whether your absence has caused problems for the others who do show up every day.
When the rest of the government shuts down, these folks remain unscathed, as their paychecks just keep coming. There is always an impending “recess” that seems to come at the most convenient times. It doesn’t matter how much work needs to be done, nor how serious the matters at hand might be — when Congress is scheduled to leave town, that’s what they do. Everything else can just wait.
Sounds like nice work if you can get it.
Barbara Kotzin,Cheltenham
Shameful dismissal
The dismissal of the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy case is just another nail in the coffin of justice and another bitter pill the American people are forced to swallow by the present U.S. Department of Justice. It is a loathsome decision, and one that should be quickly overturned by another court.
Carol N. Wright, Malvern
Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). The image of an overhead shot is interesting because overhead views reveal relationships between things that are hard to see from ground level. When you’re in the maze, you see walls. When you’re above the maze, you see the route.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You think you know what you want, but since humans are famous for wanting what’s detrimental to their well-being, you’re open to suggestions from the wise. Hold desire firmly enough to pursue it and loosely enough to learn from it.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Even pleasant surprises can be off-putting when what you really want is stability. Given recent events, your desire for a more straightforward, no-nonsense, predictable sequence is understandable and the universe will comply.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). It’s worth it to build freshness and novelty into your plans because new environments will bring out a different side of everyone. Much can unfold in the spirit of discovery, including opportunity, growth, expansion, bonding and plain ol’ fun.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). A relationship is stuck in a back-and-forth pattern. Such a pattern requires participation. If you can’t yet see how you are contributing, a realization will change that. Though you don’t control the entire dance, you still control your next step.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Someone is getting in the way of your work by unnecessarily complicating things. They are not trying to solve the same puzzle as you. They are trying to solve the puzzle that is you. They are trying to impress you instead of understand you.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’re still learning a place. There’s more to be interested in than is readily apparent in these early stages. This environment will reveal itself to you over time. It’s as though you’re pressing on walls to find the secret doors.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You know so much and yet your mind is still open. That’s why you’re so valuable to a group. You model an ideal attitude and your input is vital. You’ll figure out how to help people work together.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You want a person to take a step, so make it easy. Before asking for movement, make sure there’s a clear, inviting next step available. People are more likely to advance when they can see where to place their foot.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s not what you say but the way you say it that determines what happens next. You’re very good at sensing the tone someone will respond to and delivering it just right. You’re nothing short of inspired.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ve felt as though you needed closure from someone before you could move forward. Consider that maybe this closure is less about getting your due or getting answers and more about dropping the expectations and questions.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). If you were floating down a river on a raft, you could leave the steering to the current. But this is no river. It’s pavement to be pounded. It’s signs to read. It’s decisions about right or left. Your instincts are golden.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 16). It’s your Year of the Sail. The wind is blowing toward your desired destination, and you catch it. And though your dreams are distant, this year closes the gap. The experiences so foreign to you in the beginning become your daily life. More highlights: A fresh source of income. Love you don’t have to translate or change yourself for in any way. Remarkable happenstance each season. Aquarius and Libra adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 12, 27, 4, 20 and 33.
DEAR ABBY: I’ve been with my wife for 23 years. We have three kids and are in our early 40s. My wife has always struggled with her weight, but two years ago she started a plan and has been successful. Her weight loss has prompted me to notice her more, and I’ve noticed as I’ve paid more attention to her in the last few years that she has a wandering eye. I think it is disrespectful.
To be clear, I’m fully aware that attractive people exist, and a quick look is fine with me. I’m not sure if this started after her weight loss, but it has caused issues at home. I’ve brought it up with her, and we’ve had several arguments. I’ve presented multiple examples, and she claims it’s my insecurities. While I do have insecurities, I would never jeopardize our relationship and only brought up this subject after multiple instances.
We are at a standstill. I suggested a therapist for her, and things have only gotten worse. The therapist has said I have “narcissistic traits,” and it’s creating a bigger wedge between us. I have thought about divorce multiple times. I need some advice, please.
— EYES ON HER IN CONNECTICUT
DEAR ‘EYES’: Has your wife’s therapist ever met you? It seems strange that a professional would diagnose a client’s husband from a distance as having “narcissistic traits” when the problem might be simple insecurity after your wife has become more attractive as a result of her weight loss.
Yes, attractive people get more attention. And yes, people who were once less attractive may revel in their new status. However, this does not mean they are cheating. Because you were so quick to suggest a therapist for your wife, please consider some counseling for yourself.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I host family birthday dinners for my two adult children, their spouses and my three grandchildren every year. This year, my son informed me that his son, the 8-year-old birthday boy, was having two friends (whom I had never met) sleep over and said they would also be at the birthday dinner. It was fine with me.
The three of them, plus my other two grandchildren (ages 5 and 10), were so excited that they ran through the house screaming when we weren’t eating. When we were seated at the table, they were still screaming. It was so loud you couldn’t talk to the person next to you. Before dinner, they picked food off the buffet with their bare hands. They acted like wild animals.
I didn’t say anything to the kids because I thought it was up to my son and his wife to do it. The next day, my husband told me I should have spoken up since I was the host. Should I have stepped in?
— FAILED HOST IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR HOST: Yes. The party was in your home, and your wishes and rules should have prevailed. Clearly those children had never been taught not to behave the way they did. Someone should have said something, and that someone was you.
The right time to become a Flyer. The right time to play center. And now it was the right time to lock him in.
Late on Wednesday, the Flyers inked Zegras to a four-year, $36.5 million extension with an annual average value of $9.125 million. He will be an unrestricted free agent when the contract expires on July 1, 2030, and according to a league source, Years 3 and 4 come with a limited no-trade clause.
“We’re thrilled to have Trevor committed to our organization for the next four years,” general manager Danny Brière said in the press release.
“The growth he showed this past season, proving that he is the skilled player he entered the league as, reinforced our belief that he will be an impact player for the Flyers for the years to come. He’s the type of player who can help take our team to the next level, and we’re excited to continue building alongside him.”
Zegras became a restricted free agent on July 1 and filed for salary arbitration on July 5, two days after the Flyers tendered a five-year, $90 million offer sheet to Leo Carlsson that the Anaheim Ducks matched. The deal avoids an arbitration hearing that was scheduled for next Wednesday and gives him the highest AAV on the Flyers.
“Personally, I would love that,” Zegras said of staying in Philly at his end-of-season media availability on May 12. “I would love to be here for a long time. … I love the fans. I love the group that we have, and that would be something I’m excited about.”
Acquired last June, on the heels of two tough, injury-plagued seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, Zegras refound his love for the game in Philly. He posted career highs in goals (26), power-play goals (10), points (67), power-play points (23), and shooting percentage (15.6%) in 81 regular-season games, missing only the inconsequential last game of the season to rest for the playoffs.
Best friends Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale have relished getting to play together again with the Flyers.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
After tallying six goals and 18 points during the Flyers’ post-Olympic push — trailing just Matvei Michkov and Noah Cates — he led the team in postseason scoring with six points (two goals, four assists) in 10 games. Zegras was one of several Flyers making their postseason debuts.
But this season wasn’t just about his point total, even if it was higher than when he was runner-up for the Calder Trophy in his rookie year, or his sophomore season of 2022-23. It was about a former first-round pick, a big personality, and a once-rising star in the NHL, rediscovering his love of the game.
“It was big,” he said when asked if it was reaffirming to him. “For me, having that excitement about the game was great. To find that passion for winning and success as a team was big. And I think I lost a little bit of that drive and passion to win and be a really good team, and we definitely had, in my opinion, a great, successful season.”
Part of that rejuvenation for the 25-year-old New York native came from his connection with his teammates, like his old friends, Jamie Drysdale, whom he played with in Anaheim, Cam York, his former teammate on the U.S. National Development Team and at World Juniors, and veteran Christian Dvorak, whom he met through Dvorak’s former Montreal Canadiens teammate Cole Caufield. And a lot of it came from his connection to coach Rick Tocchet, whom he affectionately nicknamed “Taco” in training camp.
“Obviously, Tocc is a great guy, to begin with. … He’s a good guy to talk to,” Zegras said the day after he and Tocchet were spotted having a heated exchange in Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes. “The one thing I have a ton of respect for is [that] he’ll get in your face and tell you stuff, but then he won’t ever like sit you down for shifts at a time.
“He puts you right back on the ice. Whether or not it puts fire in you, or fuel, or is teaching you something, he always gives you that chance to go let you prove yourself the next shift, which I love.”
Tocchet echoed the sentiment that day, after doing it all season long. He called him a “very coachable kid” after mentioning in training camp that he challenged him to approach the game not “for clicks on social media” but to win hockey games. “That’s what he wants,” Tocchet said, and it showed whether he played at center or wing.
Trevor Zegras ranked second on the team last season, his first with the team, in points (67) and third in goals (26).Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
But that’s the million-dollar question heading into the 2026-27 season: Do the Flyers view Zegras as a center or a winger? The consensus around the league is that the AAV he received is typically doled out to a center. As noted, Tyson Foerster recently signed an eight-year contract extension with the Flyers for an AAV of $7.1 million.
Zegras came to Philly excited for the opportunity to return to his natural center position after two years of being forced to the wing by former Ducks coach Greg Cronin. Management was hopeful he could be the answer for their No. 1 center spot, but for the majority of the season, he played on Dvorak’s wing.
He officially shifted back to the middle after the trade deadline and put up 17 points in 20 games — 12 at even strength with a plus-six rating. The only issue is his face-offs, which sat at 34.1% overall in the regular season, 35.1% across the final 20 games, and 44% in the postseason.
“I liked playing in the middle down the stretch, just because there’s a little bit more space and you can kind of pick and choose where you want to go a little bit more,” he said.
“I think playing center in the playoffs was a good experience for me, just in terms of how different it was, how hard battles are, and all that type of stuff. So that was good.”
The Flyers still have three restricted free agents to sign in Drysdale, forward Nikita Grebenkin, and defenseman Hunter McDonald. Drysdale has a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for Monday. Grebenkin was not eligible for salary arbitration, and McDonald did not file by the deadline.
Mark Donovan Hagins,56, an actor, teacher, and producer who knew everyone in Philadelphia’s theater community, from the upstarts to the grizzled veterans, died Wednesday, June 24, at his home. His family said his death was sudden but could not provide further details.
As a resident producer with the Philadelphia Young Playwrights nonprofit, Mr. Hagins mentored, educated, and staunchly advocated for countless young members of the city’s theater community. Mr. Hagins was known as a laid-back person who could calmly solve problems under pressure, while remaining curious and dedicated to serving his students. Those who worked with him said he was an imaginative, collaborative artist who understood the history of Black theater in Philadelphia and was interested in cultivating its future. He had a talent for bringing entertaining stories to life, with even the barest of tools.
His acting career included productions with Philadelphia’s Freedom Theatre, Azuka Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, and the Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts, appearances in the second season of the HBO show The Wire, and roles in other theater workshops, television shows, and independent films.
One of his first roles came in 1999, when he connected with Philadelphia Young Playwrights as a student at Temple University and performed in the organization’s annual New Voices festival. After graduating in 2000, Mr. Hagins joined the nonprofit as a teaching artist and classroom actor to guide young playwrights and actors, even while his own theater career was just beginning. He produced numerous works by the city’s youth, including through the New Voices festival, where middle, high school, and even elementary school playwrights have their works performed by adult actors.
Mark Donovan Harris teaching Philadelphia Young Playwrights students. He first connected with the organization when he was a student at Temple University in 1999.Philadelphia Young Playwrights
“He believed that coming back to North Philadelphia … could make a difference in young people’s lives. And he said, if you could get through them through acting … you could change their momentum. You could change their environment. You could change their way of thinking. When they became adults, you know they would be better people in the world. So he invested into them,” said his aunt Millicent Platt.
Mr. Hagins was born July 2, 1969. He grew up in the Hartranft section of North Philadelphia with his parents, the Rev. Paul Hagins and Vermell Hagins, and sister, Ramona Johnson, and spent his summers visiting family in North Carolina. Mr. Hagins, who went by his middle name, Donovan, in the theater world, always was interested in theater, but found it to be his passion once he enrolled at Temple, his family said.
“A fixture of our Temple Theaters community, Donovan was a proud Temple alum invariably seen repping his school with a hat or shirt,” Temple Theaters posted in an online tribute. “He lived in Cherry and White. Donovan embodied the values of generosity and collaboration, showing an unwavering belief in the power of young voices.”
Professional actors who worked with him spoke highly of how he curated and directed student productions, said LaNeshe Miller-White, executive director of Philadelphia Young Playwrights. While he had a calming, comforting presence around people, Mr. Hagins was always willing to have fun, too, whether it be playing a silly character written by a student or taking hold of the microphone for his weekly karaoke outing, she said. He took his relationships with students seriously, and stayed in touch with some of his mentees long after their time with the program ended.
“Donovan’s dedication to young artists and to PYP was unwavering, and his generosity, wisdom, and kindness touched countless students and colleagues across Philadelphia and beyond,” her organization wrote after his passing.
Mark Donovan Hagins stands with Philadelphia Young Playwrights operations manager Ali Nebistinsky.Philadelphia Young Playwrights
And while playwriting and theater drove him, Platt said, Mr. Hagins’ niece, Ragan Johnson, 25, and his nephew, Gregory Johnson III, 22, were his heart.
His niece remembered visiting her uncle in Philadelphia, where they would eat cheesesteaks or visit Reading Terminal Market, and bond over Michael Jackson’s music. She said he was a great listener, and recalled how fun it was to watch him perform onstage in Washington during a period when he lived with her family. She will miss their phone calls, she said, when they used to go over her schoolwork together.
Mr. Hagins’ parents and sister died earlier. He is survived by his niece and nephew; Platt and another aunt,Ella Mae Frederick; an uncle, Phillip Platt; a brother-in-law, Gregory Johnson II; and other family members.
His family will hold a memorial service, open to the public, on Saturday, July 18, at 11 a.m. at Nix & Nix Event Venue, 1525 W. Dauphin St., Philadelphia.
The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner on Wednesday, ordering him to turn over documents related to his office’s handling of immigration matters and criticizing what it called the prosecutor’s “pro-illegal-alien policies.”
The Republican-led Congressional committee said in a letter that it sent the subpoena after Krasner, a Democrat, promised but failed to provide materials that were requested in May.
The committee, in a letter signed by Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio), its chair, accused Krasner of declining to prosecute or under-prosecuting foreign nationals so that they could avoid consequences connected to their immigration status. The committee said it was asserting its authority to try to end sanctuary-city policies in cities including Philadelphia.
In response, Krasner called the subpoena “yet another step in authoritarian efforts to do dirt in the dark” and to put pressure on state prosecutors.
“We have always complied with the law and will continue to do that,” Krasner said Wednesday. “That makes us different from [President Donald] Trump, who spends all day, every day, violating the law of the U.S. Constitution ― and morality.“
Krasner and the House committee have sparred since May, when the panel accused top city law enforcement officials of shielding criminal immigrants through sanctuary policies and demanded that they quickly turn over a trove of related records and correspondence.
That represented an escalation by Trump-allied Republicans in their criticism of Philadelphia government on rules concerning undocumented residents, particularly around limiting city cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In May, in letters to Krasner, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, and Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, the Judiciary Committee accused each of hindering federal immigration enforcement. Each letter sought up to six years of immigration communications between their agencies and immigration officials and, in the sheriff’s case, with activist groups including No ICE Philly, Juntos, Asian Americans United, and others.
The Trump administration has clashed with cities and states that embrace sanctuary policies, contending they are hurting Americans and threatening to cut their federal funding. Philadelphia has long been among the targets.
Krasner had responded by telling the committee, which said it was conducting oversight of state and local jurisdictions that it believes endanger Americans by not assisting immigration agents, that such policing powers belong to the city.
“The legal errors are unsurprising,” Krasner wrote to Jordan and to Rep. Tom McClintock (R., Calif.), chair of the subcommittee on immigration, noting that neither had passed the bar. “The factual errors are also unsurprising, given your histories of adhering to wholly repudiated, counterfactual and unscientific election denialism, climate change denialism, and the like.”
Krasner wrote that he needed time to address each of the committee’s allegations and requests, and was working to hire a lawyer who would be in touch soon.
In July, Krasner wrote the committee and encouraged it to “question me in public so all Americans are able to see who is telling the truth.”
The committee’s “fear of such a public airing only makes clearer your lack of real purpose and your complicity in peddling lies,” such as, he said, that local and state prosecutors “rather than President Trump’s ill-conceived deportation actions are responsible for criminals going free.”
Immigrants are far less likely to commit and be arrested for crimes than U.S. citizens, Krasner noted. But the small number of immigrants who commit serious crimes are being deported by ICE before they can stand trial and be sentenced, given “a ‘get out of jail free’ card and a plane ride to another country, a country where they will never face American justice.”
The committee told Krasner on Wednesday that time to provide the requested records had run out. Its subpoena directs him to turn over the materials by July 29.
“Although you may disagree about the need to reform federal law to end sanctuary policies … you cannot seriously contend that the committee lacks the authority to do so,” the committee wrote, adding that Congress may amend statutes “to ensure that prosecutors cannot circumvent immigration law and allow aliens to escape accountability for their crimes.”
Almost half of Pennsylvania voters say they are worse off financially compared with one year ago, while nearly 3 in 4 say they do not want an artificial intelligence data center in their backyard, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
The Quinnipiac University survey of 895 registered Pennsylvania voters has a 4.3-percentage-point margin of error.
According to the poll, 44% of Pennsylvania voters believe they are financially worse off than a year ago, as gas prices have fluctuated amid the ongoing war between the United States and Iran. That opinion was politically split, as 64% of Democrats said they are financially worse off now, while 61% of Republican voters polled said they are better off this year than last. Just 34% of respondents said the nation’s economy is excellent or good, while 53% think it is getting worse.
Meanwhile, 76% Pennsylvania voters said they would oppose data center construction in their communities — a broad swath that includes Democrats, Republicans, and independents.
Almost half of the voters polled have an unfavorable opinion of artificial intelligence itself.
“People are really troubled by this new industry,” said Tim Malloy, a polling analyst at Quinnipiac. “It’s about noise, it’s about water, it’s about taxes, and it’s about… not understanding exactly what it is.”
Quinnipiac’s poll also shows Pennsylvania voters have not been satisfied with the state’s policy responses so far. When asked if they approve of “the way Gov. Josh Shapiro is handling data centers in Pennsylvania,” just 24% of the surveyed voters said they approve. Among the Democrats polled, 40% said they approve.
Starting next summer, data centers will be required to submit information about their energy and water usage to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection annually. Those reports will be available to the public, and data center operators that do not comply will be fined $10,000 per day.
But other restrictions on data centers that saw bipartisan support ultimately failed to pass in the budget package and will remain on the table when legislators return this fall.
Those include an effort championed by Shapiro to limit sales and use tax exemptions benefiting developers, though it would not apply to the $20 billion Amazon project already underway, including a data center in Falls Township.
Efforts to enact local or statewide moratoriums on data center development were not included in the final state budget, either.
AI data centers also remain top-of-mind for the voters polled by Quinnipiac, with 76% saying they are following news about them very closely or somewhat closely. The centers ranked among voters’ top issues, with 42% saying they factor into their decision about whom to vote for in the election for governor.
But other issues — namely the economy and cost of living — top the list, with healthcare just behind.
Shapiro stays popular
Shapiro otherwise remains popular among Pennsylvania voters.
In the poll, 51% of respondents reported having a favorable opinion of Shapiro, and 56% approve of the way he is handling his job as governor.
“Pennsylvanians agree that Governor Josh Shapiro is delivering results for families, seniors, and businesses all across the Commonwealth by showing up, listening, and getting stuff done,” his campaign said in a statement.
Gov. Josh Shapiro arrives for the MLB All-Star Game red carpet at Independence National Historical Park on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Shapiro, a first-term Democrat, is seeking reelection in November, running against Republican State Treasurer Stacy Garrity. The poll released Wednesday found that 53% of those surveyed would vote for Shapiro, while 40% said they would vote for Garrity. That is a slight change from Quinnipiac’s February poll, when 55% of voters supported Shapiro and 37% said they favored Garrity.
Garrity, meanwhile, appears to be struggling to gain traction. Just 22% of Pennsylvania voters have a favorable opinion of her, according to the latest poll, while 58% said they have not heard enough about her. Half of the Republicans surveyed said they did not know her well enough to give an opinion.
More than half of independent voters, 58%, said they would vote for Shapiro in a head-to-head matchup.
“Usually, it’s not the death knell when not enough people know enough about you, but it sure as heck doesn’t help, and the election’s not that far away,” Malloy said. “Barring some dramatic change in opinion about the current governor, or something that she does or says which just catches fire with people, she’s got a huge uphill climb.”
Though he has brushed off questions about potential presidential ambitions, insisting he is focused on the state election in November, Shapiro has continued to build a national profile, with media appearances and a book tour.
Trump approval remains low
Though he remains strong with the Republican base, only 39% of Pennsylvania voters polled said they would give President Donald Trump a positive job approval. His approval is nearly nonexistent with Democrats at 2%, but even among independents, only 31% rate him well.
President Donald Trump appears at a Defense and Innovation Summit hosted by U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick at the US Army War College in Carlisle Wednesday, July 15, 2026.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
In the forthcoming midterm elections, Pennsylvania voters gave Democrats the slight edge — 49% to 43% — as their preference to control the U.S. House of Representatives over the Republican Party.
The Quinnipiac poll also showed voters are able to distinguish between state level and national concerns, with 53% saying they are very or somewhat satisfied with how things are going in Pennsylvania.
CARLISLE, Pa. — President Donald Trump — as fighting resumes in Iran and his administration’s request for $1.5 trillion in defense funding stalls in Washington — used a Wednesday appearance at a defense industry summit in central Pennsylvania mostly to boast about his perceived foreign and domestic achievements, from the oil business in Venezuela to the National Guard’s security work during Mardi Gras.
In a 53-minute speech that was set up as a roundtable conversation, Trump occasionally applauded the latest investments in Pennsylvania’s defense manufacturing and research, which was the focus of the two-day Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit organized by U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa.).
He also acknowledged the setbacks in Iran and the widely recognized need for the country to more quickly build items like submarines and munitions.
But in his second stop in three weeks in Pennsylvania — and specifically in a Republican-held U.S. House district that is critical to his party keeping control in the midterm elections — Trump also weaved through a wide range of topics.
“This guy Shapiro is totally overrated. I watched him the other night doing a speech, and he does not have what it takes,” Trump said in Carlisle. “Maybe he’ll win, and he’s expected to win, but I hear things about Stacy, and I’m hearing some poll numbers that are very good. But Shapiro is — he doesn’t have what it takes.”
Shapiro, who also attended the summit, held back from pointedly criticizing Trump’s foreign aggression during his panel, and he left the summit before the president’s appearance.
While most panelists and convention-goers praised the federal government’s focus on military investment, there was little discussion about specific developments abroad or controversies around Trump’s use of the armed forces.
Just this week, fighting in Iran resumed after a tentative ceasefire was reached and then fell apart. The U.S. Senate, which had previously voted — in a mostly symbolic gesture — to restrict Trump’s actions in Iran, has meanwhile stalled the president’s defense budget as Democrats attempt to exert more leverage to wind down the conflict.
“This war continues to be a costly blunder that has only made us worse off than before,” U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat who served as a diplomat before entering Congress, said on social media this week as Trump continued the war effort.
The bombing campaign that began in late February has been both unpopular — a Fox News poll in June found 58% think the U.S. made the wrong decision by starting it — and costly, as gas prices have remained elevated and the nation’s arsenal of Tomahawk cruise missiles has depleted. It will take years to replenish the stockpile, according to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
McCormick, who has supported Trump’s efforts in Iran, said in opening the summit on Tuesday that the gathering came “in a moment as consequential as any moment in American history, and maybe in human history.”
“President Trump’s vision of peace through strength demands new players and new ways of doing business,” McCormick said. “Such radical new thinking has never been more needed in America’s history, in the history of our military. China, Iran, Russia, North Korea: They all share one objective — a weakened United States. And they’re actively working together toward that end.”
But Shapiro said he believed the administration’s antagonistic relationship with longtime allies is a risk to national security, though he did not specifically frame his comments around the wars in Iran or Ukraine.
“Candidly, I get a little bit concerned when our administration pokes their finger in the eye of our allies,” Shapiro said. “That undermines our ability to innovate, and it undermines our ability to be stronger with our national defense and to have a deterrence that is going to protect the American people and protect our interests abroad.”
McCormick, a U.S. Army veteran and former hedge fund CEO, organized the 1,300-person gathering to bring defense contractors and other companies together with government officials, military leaders, and research institutions.
As at a similar energy- and technology-focused event last year, McCormick used the event to highlight what he described as about $10 billion worth of investments in the state.
The list featured several ongoing Philadelphia efforts — including new ship orders at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard that McCormick valued at $1.5 billion, and a 10-year, $2.5 billion agreement to support submarine construction by Rhoads Industries and General Dynamics.
Day & Zimmermann, a Philadelphia-based and family-owned conglomerate that is one of the Army’s largest ammunition suppliers, also won a $2.3 billion contract to update, operate, and run the Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada, according to McCormick.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. chief executive Jamie Dimon, who visited the Navy Yard on Wednesday ahead of the conference, also appeared in Carlisle to discuss $13 million in financing his company is providing to Rhoads’ ongoing project.
Not all of the announcements are new or immediate — such as a recent $84 million order of heavy dump trucks from Mack Defense, which is part of a five-year, $221.8 million contract signed last year and that Trump touted in Macungie last month.
Trump called the announcements “a colossal victory for this commonwealth and for the entire nation.”
“Pennsylvania workers will build the ships, submarines, trucks, weapons and industries that will ensure America remains the strongest and the most powerful nation in the history of the world,” Trump said.
In between diversions about the 2024 election, COVID-19, and claiming — as he has before during rallies in Pennsylvania — that affordability concerns are “fake,” Trump also addressed the focus of the gathering by stressing the need for a faster buildup of military equipment.
“We used to make a ship a day, and now we’re a laggard in that department,” he said while asking the submarine construction workers in Philadelphia to pick up the pace. “We do lots of great things, but we’re a laggard there.”
Like his rally in Lehigh County in June, Trump’s speech on Wednesday was located in a congressional district with one of the most competitive races — both in Pennsylvania and nationally — this year.
U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, a York County Republican, is seeking an eighth term in the 10th Congressional District, which covers all of Dauphin County and parts of York and Cumberland Counties. Perry narrowly fended off a challenge from former local television anchor Janelle Stelson in 2024 and is facing her again as Democrats invest more into the race.
As polls show Democrats have some broad momentum in the midterms, a new Pennsylvania poll released Wednesday found 39% of voters in the state approve and 58% disapprove of the president’s job performance.
The same poll from Quinnipiac University found 40% approve of McCormick’s job performance, 33% disapprove, and 28% had no opinion.
The event Wednesday and the energy-focused summit in Pittsburgh last July have spotlighted McCormick in rare, high-profile ways for a freshman senator. The former CEO of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, has also developed a close alliance with Trump in ways that have elevated his political stature.
“Hopefully we’ll fix some of these societal problems,” Dimon, one of the country’s most powerful executives, said when McCormick asked him onstage what the next decade would look like. “And Secretary of Treasury Dimon will be happy to report to you, will be happy to report to President McCormick.”
McCormick has not publicly expressed an interest in running for president — though at least one widely expected 2028 contender was in attendance Wednesday at his invitation.
“Defense is critical to the future growth of this commonwealth,” Shapiro said, while praising McCormick in a bipartisan showing.
Shapiro spoke emphatically about bolstering the state’s role in the defense industrial base and said he is doing what he can to have the state benefit from defense-related jobs and a federal focus on national security.
Shapiro also appeared at the conference at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle earlier in the day. In a panel conversation there, he did not criticize Trump by name as he fully endorsed the summit’s goal of supercharging the defense industry and placing Pennsylvania at the center of the expansion.
President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (right) are on stage at a Defense and Innovation Summit hosted by U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick at the US Army War College in Carlisle Wednesday, July 15, 2026.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Those jobs include about 2,200 at General Dynamics, a global corporation whose Pennsylvania employees work on everything from sonar and artificial intelligence to submarine defensive systems and electronic warfare, the company’s president, Danny Deep, said while sitting alongside Shapiro.
Deep referenced the governor’s 2024 visit to the General Dynamics munitions manufacturing plant in Scranton, when Shapiro and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed both empty artillery shells and agreements to work together. Because of the demand during Ukraine’s war with Russia, the company has ramped up its monthly munitions production from 14,000 to 50,000 — a move that Deep said was possible only with help from the state.
“That’s because of this public-private partnership, and that’s what makes Pennsylvania so special,” he said.
President Donald Trump leaves the stage at the end of a Defense and Innovation Summit hosted by U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick at the US Army War College in Carlisle Wednesday, July 15, 2026.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Michael Coulter, president and CEO of Hanwha Defense USA, likewise said on the panel that the cross-party and cross-government support is essential in the company’s continued expansion at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia. The investments announced by McCormick on Wednesday included a federal government order of new ships that was valued at $1.5 billion and supporting more than 2,000 jobs in Philadelphia.
“We are foot-on-the-throttle to make shipbuilding great again,” Coulter said. “And Pennsylvania’s the heart of that.”
Staff writer Joseph N. DiStefano contributed to this article.
Monell Chemical Senses Center is relocating to a new facility in University Cityto expand its operations and evolve its science, officials announced Wednesday.
The nonprofit research institute dedicated to studying taste and smell signed a 20-year lease at One uCity Square, a 13-story research hub, that will include more than $30 million worth of new infrastructure and facility improvements.
The new location at 25 N. 38th Street is a roughly seven-minute walk from the current home at 3500 Market St., where Monell has resided since 1971.
Monell plans to finish moving into the new space in early 2027.
“We’re just at capacity. We don’t have the facilities that are going to push us forward into the future,” said Benjamin Smith, Monell’s executive director and president.
The move has been a long time coming, as the center’s more than 150 scientists and staff have outgrown its space over the last 50-plus years.
For example, more scientists have wanted to use newer research methods, such as organoids — miniature versions of organs grown in the lab, he said. However, the current building has limited cell culture space and imaging capabilities.
“Our people are excited because we’re moving to facilities that are going to help them do more of the work that they want to do,” Smith said.
Benjamin Smith is the executive director and president of Monell.Courtesy of Monell Chemical Senses Center
More shared space, room for growth
The new space, which spans 64,000-square feet across three floors, is technically smaller than Monell’s current building. However, the design will allow for more efficient use of lab space.
The modern facility has an open layout filled with shared spaces, “as opposed to the old sort of academic lab where you were in one corner of a basement or one corner of a building and you locked your door,” Smith said.
He hopes this will encourage collaborations and interactions between scientists. That includes both within Monell and with other groups in the building.
Its neighbors within One uCity will include Dispatch Bio, Century Therapeutics, Penn NSF AIRFoundry, among other research and biotech companies. The office building opened in 2023 and is now roughly 90% occupied.
Monell’s iconic “Face Fragment” sculpture, perched outside its current building, will move, too. The giant nose and mouth will be featured at the front of the One uCity building, looking out at the lawn.
“We’re making sure that we don’t lose that legacy,” Smith said. “We take our culture and we move it into the new building and we grow it.”
The Philadelphia region is under an extreme heat warning Wednesday, leading transit agencies to slow down trains to ensure safe travel amid a high of 98 degrees.
Amtrak and SEPTA were slowing trains down by 5 to 10 mph, and Amtrak was canceling some Acela and Northeast Regional train trips due to the heat, officials said.
Amtrak plans to reduce train speeds through Friday, in addition to canceling at least a dozen trains each day Wednesday and Thursday.
“While these measures are intended to maintain safe and reliable operations, customers traveling during these hours should continue to monitor their train status for the latest updates,” an Amtrak spokesperson said.
Regional rail train heading to Philadelphia Airport stopping at Jefferson Station. SEPTA Regional rail riders at Jefferson Station, Philadelphia, Tuesday, October 7, 2025.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
SEPTA has not canceled trips, but it was operating trains at a slower speed, which could lead to delays of up to 15 minutes on Regional Rail and trolleys, SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said. Subway lines were also running slower but were less affected since they are not exposed to direct sunlight as often as other services.
“Bringing speeds 5 to 10 mph slower from their top speed is not always very noticeable to customers, but it can cause some minor delays,” Busch said. “Extreme heat like this makes the tracks more susceptible to damage, and by slowing down the speeds you can help prevent that.”
In extreme heat, rails can begin to warp and eventually crack, creating dangerous circumstances. The wires that hang overhead to power the trains also begin to “sag” in extreme heat, Busch said. The heat also affects electrical equipment like signals and switches, similar to how many across the region can experience power outages in extreme heat.
When temperatures reach 88 degrees, all of these potential safety hazards intensify, Busch said. That is the threshold for when transit agencies begin monitoring their rail systems to see if adjustments are needed.
These safety measures are expected into Thursday and Friday as temperatures are expected to reach 96 and 92 degrees, respectively, according to the National Weather Service. Philadelphia has hit the 100-degree mark three times in 2026, just two shy of the record number for most 100-degree days, according to the weather service.
While the city has not declared a heat emergency, the Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services declared a “code red,” meaning additional outreach was being done to connect those in need to services.
