WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Monday barred the Trump administration from letting states query a centralized national database of citizens built for checking immigration status to screen their voter rolls, finding that the repurposing of the federal data to monitor voting violated at least three laws.
In a sharply worded ruling, Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan ordered the Department of Homeland Security to stop permitting states to search the data, which also incorporates Social Security records.
President Donald Trump had ordered several agencies last year to pool data that states could use to verify citizenship. The combined data set allows state and local election officials to search immigration records stored by Homeland Security about migrants, as well as a much larger database of information maintained by the Social Security Administration.
Sooknanan, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, wrote that the executive order had resulted in a rush by agencies to “haphazardly” adopt a system that they knew was flawed and that would flag eligible voters along with those who might have registered illegally. She warned that states were already “actively” using it to potentially purge eligible voters before an election.
“All in all, the federal government has knowingly trampled on the privacy rights of American citizens in a manner that threatens the sacred right to vote,” she wrote. “This court cannot stand idly by while that happens.”
Repurposing the immigration database — known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, system — into a tool to check voter eligibility unlawfully abused sensitive data stored by the government for other purposes, Sooknanan wrote. She added that federal agencies were joining to together over the last year to “create a centralized federal database that contains the private information of United States citizens, including Social Security numbers, citizenship status and other sensitive data” that violated protections Congress had intended to guard personal data.
Sooknanan wrote that evidence presented in the case showed Homeland Security officials acknowledged in internal communications that the infrastructure it had built violated federal privacy law and could incorrectly flag eligible voters as noncitizens. She wrote, for instance, that the database included outdated information that could result in naturalized citizens who had been assigned Social Security numbers long ago incorrectly appearing as ineligible to vote.
James Percival, the department’s general counsel, responded to the ruling on social media, calling it the “latest example” of “how hard the Left will fight to stop us from solving problems they insist do not exist.”
At Trump’s direction, the federal government has intensified efforts this year to intervene in state administration of elections, as he pushes discredited theories about voter fraud and claims that immigrants in the U.S. illegally and others who are ineligible to vote can be found on state rolls.
The Justice Department has also contributed to efforts to build a national voter database, suing a number of Democratic-led states that resisted the push to obtain their records.
Earlier on Monday, a federal judge in Maryland dismissed a lawsuit by the department seeking the state’s voter records, the latest of more than half a dozen decisions that have gone against the Trump administration.
The lawsuit before Sooknanan dates to an executive order Trump signed in March 2025 requiring more aggressive federal oversight of elections, inserting the federal government into roles historically reserved for states. Among other things, the order required Homeland Security and Social Security to collaborate to verify the immigration status of registered voters or new voters signing up.
The lawsuit was brought by the League of Women Voters, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and several members of those organizations who argued the Trump administration had unlawfully pooled their sensitive personal data into a tool that could be abused for voter suppression.
“As the Trump-Vance administration continues its attack on the right to vote, this is an important victory for the American people and our democracy,” said Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, which helped represent the coalition.
In November, Sooknanan initially denied a request by the groups to halt the overhaul of the SAVE system, writing that while she “doubts the lawfulness of the government’s actions,” it was unclear that the Trump administration had actually misused the data. But on Monday, she wrote that states, including Texas and Louisiana, had now started using the system to check voter registrations and had flagged eligible voters for removal.
Separately, at Trump’s direction, the U.S. Postal Service submitted a plan this month under which it could refuse to deliver mail ballots in states that decline to share their voter rolls with the federal government. The Postal Service is also facing pressure to assist with the creation of state-by-state voter lists that it could consult and use to justify refusing mail-in ballots of people left off the lists.
In May, Judge Carl J. Nichols declined to immediately block Homeland Security from compiling and distributing those lists to state election workers.
One of the biggest mistakes small business owners make is waiting too long to get legal advice. The problem is that many start-ups and entrepreneurs simply can’t afford it.
Two clinics at the University of Pennsylvania can help business owners overcome that challenge — and may be one of Philadelphia’s best-kept business resources.
One clinic offers help with general business issues, while the other is focused on intellectual property (IP) matters. Both offer their services at no charge for Philadelphia-area entrepreneurs and businesses. Services are delivered by Penn Carey Law students working under the supervision of experienced attorneys and professors and may not be the same level of service you would expect from a full-service law firm.
Admission to either program is competitive, with each clinic seeking businesses that create positive social and economic impact in Philadelphia communities. Applications are generally reviewed in August and December for the following fall and spring terms.
General legal help for Philly-area businesses
The Penn Carey Law Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic helps small-business owners by reviewing and creating formation documents, customer contracts, and governance documents, as well as vendor, operating, and employment agreements.
This clinic focuses on underresourced entrepreneurs who are “close to achieving something significant” but lack the legal support needed to move forward, said clinic director Praveen Kosuri.
His team gets involved with many early-stage businesses to help them decide on the right business structure and determine what kind of structure — partnership, corporation, etc. — is right for the long term.
“Choosing the right entity structure, ownership arrangement, and governance framework early can prevent significant problems later involving taxes, control, financing, and succession planning,” he said. “We spend a lot of time helping entrepreneurs think through that to build the architecture that will let them grow the way that they want to grow.”
As a company grows it will likely need employees. And with this comes a new set of legal challenges. Many business owners aren’t prepared for the responsibilities of being employers, Kosuri noted.
“Most entrepreneurs understand how to be workers but not how to manage employees, comply with employment laws, and build appropriate workplace policies,” he said. “We talk a lot about the responsibilities of being an owner and an employer.”
The clinic’s lawyers work with business owners from start-up through growth with all the general legal issues that support expansion.
But many business owners have more technical concerns around their intellectual property.
An IP legal clinic for Philadelphia-area businesses
This clinic helps small-business clients protect and monetize trademarks, copyrights, patents, licensing, and technology agreements. Lawyers at this clinic can perform most services related to IP, which includes preparing licensing, nondisclosure, and consulting agreements, as well as filing patent applications and drafting or reviewing specific software or artificial intelligence technology contracts and creating governance policies.
“Business owners should ensure their name, logo, and branding can be legally protected and are not infringing on someone else’s rights,” said Cynthia Dahl, the director of the clinic.
“Unfortunately, many businesses inadvertently expose themselves to risk by using copyrighted content, adopting a conflicting brand name, or failing to secure ownership rights from contractors and employees,” Dahl noted. “We help founders identify and protect these assets before they become vulnerable.”
Dahl says her clients are often “incredibly underresourced, but on a precipice to do something really great — and if they only could afford the legal help, they could get over that hump.”
Dahl’s clinic helps create and implement an IP strategy, which includes knowing when not to pursue legal protection. Dahl’s attorneys provide that advice too.
“Many entrepreneurs assume they need patents but don’t understand the cost, complexity, or business value,” Dahl said. “Our clinic helps them determine whether patent protection is worthwhile.”
Both Kosuri and Dahl have a long list of success stories with entrepreneurs in the area.
For example, Kosuri’s clinic helped a nonprofit purchase a long-vacant grocery store in West Philadelphia and convert it into a food incubator.
“Over a five-year period of time we helped them negotiate to acquire the property, get zoning approvals, draft architecture contracts, create kitchen and customer rental agreements, and with other general business and governance matters,” he said.
Kosuri has also worked with companies on the other end of the life cycle with succession planning, ownership transitions, and best strategies for selling their businesses.
Dahl’s clinic has helped small businesses ranging from an educational curriculum company to a nonprofit that specialized in jazz recordings.
“For that client we helped document the rightful owners of more than 15 years of archived recordings, resolved inconsistent artist contracts, answered copyright ownership questions, and assisted in the plans to release a composition album,” she said.
“If a business owner or entrepreneur doesn’t have a lawyer in their life for even simple questions, both clinics can be a very valuable resource,” Dahl said.
Sixers take Labaron Philon Jr. from Alabama with the No. 22 pick
Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. is heading to Philly.Vasha Hunt
NEW YORK – The 76ers have selected Alabama guard Labaron Philon with the 22nd overall pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft.
This is the first draft pick for new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who was hired earlier this month to replace Daryl Morey. And they use it on a player that could be one of the draft’s biggest sleepers.
Philon declared for the draft after his freshman season last year, but returned to college to use the feedback he received from teams to become a player who shot 39.9% from three-point range and averaged five assists per game. He also upped his scoring average to 22 points per game and is regarded as a strong defensive player.
In a draft analyst panel Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Jay Bilas, and Fran Fraschilla all said he could be one of the more impactful players selected later in the first round.
“He could end up being the best point guard in this draft,” Fraschilla said.
With the pick, the Sixers will continue to lean on young (and smaller-statured) guards. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Philon adds to a backcourt already featuring All-NBA third-teamer Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, who finished third in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting after going third overall last year.
Philon joins a Sixers team in an interesting spot under Gansey, who ran the draft in his previous job as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ general manager. He also kept intact the bulk of the Sixers’ front office that has made strong selections in recent drafts, including Tyrese Maxey at 21 in 2020 and Edgecombe third overall last year.
The Sixers finished seventh in the Eastern Conference standings during the regular season. They then rallied from down three games to one to beat the Boston Celtics in the playoffs’ first round, before getting swept by the eventual NBA-champion New York Knicks.
They boast a dynamic young backcourt in All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, who finished third on a terrific Rookie of the Year ballot. Former perennial All-Stars Joel Embiid and Paul George are still effective – even fantastic – when available, but have struggled mightily to stay on the floor in recent seasons due to injury or, in George’s case, a 50-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.
The Sixers acquired the 22nd pick in the controversial Jared McCain trade at the February deadline. As of Tuesday night, they do not have a selection in Wednesday’s second round.
Philon selection will help dictate how the Sixers approach free agency. Starting wing Kelly Oubre Jr., sixth man Quentin Grimes, and reserve big man Andre Drummond are all unrestricted free agents. And the Sixers have limited financial flexibility with Maxey, Embiid, and George still on max contracts for multiple seasons.
Bennett Stirtz joining Jared McCain, not replacing him in Philly
Bennett Stirtz is heading to Oklahoma City. Jeffrey Becker, Jeffrey Becker-I
At media availability for the 2026 NBA Draft, The Inquirer talked to Bennett Stirtz about potentially joining the 76ers and replacing what the franchise lost when it traded Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Well, he’ll join him instead of replacing him. Stirtz was selected at No. 16 by the Memphis Grizzlies and will be traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a pick swap. That will make him a teammate of McCain in a backcourt full of talent with MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Lu Dort and former Sixer Isaiah Joe.
While Stirtz was excited about the idea of providing space on the court for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, he’ll surely excited to land at No. 16 and join a franchise one season removed from winning the NBA title.
It’s been quite the journey for Stirtz so it’s no surprise that his move to the Thunder came with an additional move. He started his career at Division II Northwest Missouri State before standout seasons with Drake and Iowa cemented his status as an NBA draft pick.
Pennsauken product Yaxel Lendeborg heading to the Warriors
Yaxel Lendeborg was selected with the No. 11 pick by the Golden State Warriors.Adam Hunger
Yaxel Lendeborg went from playing one varsity season at Pennsauken High School to an NBA draftee.
The 23-year-old forward, who starred at Michigan this past season, was picked No. 11 overall by the Golden State Warriors in the first round Tuesday night.
Lendeborg had an untraditional path to the draft.
He thought his basketball career was over, until an opportunity arose — thanks to his mother Yissel — at the junior college level with Arizona Western College.
He spent three seasons at Arizona Western, where he emerged as a star in his third year, averaging 17.2 points and 13 rebounds. In 2023, he transferred to Alabama-Birmingham and played two seasons with the Blazers.
In his final season, he averaged 17.7 points and 11.4 rebounds. He also named the American Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and an all-conference selection twice.
The 6-foot-9 Lendeborg graduated from UAB in 2025 and entered the transfer portal for his final year of of eligibility, which brought him to Michigan, where he won Big Ten Player of the Year and an NCAA title.
He also averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 40 games for the Wolverines under Dusty May, who recently took the head coaching job with the Dallas Mavericks.
Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. is heading to Dallas to play for his former coach, Dusty May. Michael Conroy
The Dusty May move from Michigan to Dallas has made its first imprint on the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Mavericks elected to select Morez Johnson Jr. after he averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists for the 2026 National Champions.
Morez Jr., was asked multiple times at Monday’s draft availability if he was aware of his coach’s move and consistently said he was surprised and didn’t have any inside information.
Previously slotted around No. 15 in the draft, he interviewed and worked out well and moved up draft boards in recent weeks. And, of course, no one had more of a window into Morez’s skills than May.
That Michigan squad has drawn comparisons to the ‘Nova Knicks, who entered the NBA in droves after playing for head coach Jay Wright and recently reconnected with the New York Knicks to win the 2026 NBA title.
Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. has drawn on-court comparisons to Hall of Famer Allen Iverson. Michael Woods
Another Philly connection comes off the board at No. 7 as Darius Acuff Jr., goes to the Sacramento Kings.
Acuff Jr., won MVP at the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic in 2025 and signed a Reebok deal during his lone season at Arkansas, taking pictures with Iverson to celebrate the moment.
He’s receive on-court comparisons to Iverson as well because of his explosiveness in the paint and ability to finish around the rim. Both were also extremely productive in their brief college careers, as Acuff averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists as he led his team to the Sweet 16.
The early picks of the 2026 NBA Draft went exactly as expected with AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer and Celeb Wilson occupying the top four spots.
And from there we will have an entirely open night before the Sixers finally make the first selection of the Mike Gansey era at No. 22.
There are a lot of options available for them, with holes on the perimeter and in the paint. The Sixers need shooting and rebounding so they will wait as names fly off the board and try to pick the best player available.
They could also make a move and try to move up the board to land a forward to complete their starting lineup or a shooter off the bench. Another approach is to find a big to take the backup spot behind Joel Embiid, who played only 38 games this past season and missed portions of the postseason.
AJ Dybantsa is headed to Washington as the No. 1 pick. Rob Gray
A Philly connection to top overall pick AJ Dybantsa: He played at BYU for former Sixers assistant coach Kevin Young.
At last year’s NCAA Tournament in Newark, Young called that stretch “the most important time of my life as a young coach.”
Young had been in the running for multiple NBA head-coaching jobs in recent years, before opting to take the job at BYU backed by lucrative NIL money and the resources to build a pro-style program. Last season, Young coached Egor Demin, who then was drafted eighth overall by the Brooklyn Nets.
Read more about Young’s tenure with the Sixers (and Delaware 87ers!) and its impact here:
Adam Silver bullish on new anti-tanking rules that begin next season
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ahead of the 2026 NBA draft speaks with Michael Rubin (left) and the Knicks’ Jose Alvarado. Yuki Iwamura
Appearing on ESPN less than an hour before the start of the 2026 NBA draft, Commissioner Adam Silver appeared bullish on new rules intended to prevent teams from tanking for a better shot at the No. 1 pick.
“We will not be returning to a system where there’s an incentive to be bad,” Silver told ESPN’s Malika Andrews. “I think it just caught up with us over the years. It was a practice by a very few teams over time.”
Silver didn’t mention the Sixers, who famously tanked for three straight seasons in the mid-2010s. Several teams were accused of tanking this season heading into a draft filled with a talented group of prospects, including the Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, and Washington Wizards, who landed the No. 1 pick.
The new “3-2-1 Lottery” rules, which will be implemented next season, expand the lottery to 16 teams but flatten the odds. The three worst teams will be “draft relegated” and their odds of winning the lottery will actually decrease.
Had those rules been in place this season, it would’ve been harder for the Wizards, Jazz, and Grizzlies to land top lottery picks.
Silver said the new rules offer “an actual incentive not to be really bad,” and will be in effect for at least the next three seasons.
“In essence, it’s grandfathered,” Silver said. “We all agree it would give us an opportunity to assess how this is working, and also look at some other approaches.”
Watch the First Round of the 2026 NBA Draft tonight at 8:00pm/et on ABC & ESPN! pic.twitter.com/MTBtMtK1ix
— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) June 23, 2026
// Timestamp 06/23/26 3:43pm
New Blazers coach is the father of a Phillies prospect
Happy belated Father’s Day, Micah Nori.
On Tuesday, the Portland Trail Blazers announced that Micah Nori will become the franchise’s next head coach. Micah is the father of Phillies outfield prospect Dante Nori, a 2024 first-round pick.
Nori previously served as the lead assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, supporting the development of star shooting guard Anthony Edwards. Notably, with head coach Chris Finch sidelined with a ruptured patellar tendon during the 2024 playoffs, Micah took over a majority of the game-day operations that postseason. The Timberwolves would go on to make the Western Conference final.
Just over a month after the Timberwolves fell to the Dallas Mavericks in that series, Nori was beside his son as Dante was drafted to the Phillies with the 27th pick. Dante, selected out of Northville (Mich.) High School, was just 19 at the time.
Earlier this week, prior to the Blazers announcement, Dante appeared on The Show before The Show, Minor League Baseball’s official podcast. On the podcast, he talked about the various NBA players he grew up around due to his father’s profession. When Nori coached for the Toronto Raptors, Dante got to hang out with Vince Carter. Then, when his father was hired by the Kings, he learned from DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins.
More recently, he has taken inspiration from Anthony Edwards’ work ethic.
“I mean, [Edwards is] a freak,” Dante said. “The most explosive athlete I’ve ever seen in my entire life. You see the way he takes care of his business. …
“When I go [to the Timberwolves practice facility], I’m always in there [at] like 5:00 a.m. lifting before they get in because I’m on their time. As soon as I’m done, [Edwards] is one of the first ones in. No matter what level you’re at, the work, he never stops. He always wants more.”
Nori inherits a Blazers team that finished 42-40 and is headlined by 25-year-old All-Star forward Deni Avdija and returning star Damiam Lillard. Portland found themselves in need of a coach after interim Tiago Splitter was hired by the Chicago Bulls. Last season, Splitter was elevated to lead the franchise after then-coach Chauncey Billups was arrested by the FBI following an investigation into illegal sports betting and rigged poker games.
Meanwhile, across the country, Dante is 52 games into his season with the double-A Reading Fightin Phil. Dante is batting .245 and has registered 53 total hits and 20 RBI.
Duke guard Isaiah Evans shoots over Siena guard Gavin Doty during the first round of the NCAA Tournament.Brynn Anderson
NEW YORK – One of the prospects who visited the Sixers last week was Isaiah Evans, a sharpshooting wing from Duke.
Sound familiar?
It would be some strange symmetry if the pick the Sixers acquired in the controversial Jared McCain deadline trade was used on Evans. But Evans shot 36.1% on 100 three-point attempts last season, and excelled at on-the-move looks. That would boost a Sixers team that struggled from beyond the arc last season, ranking in the NBA’s bottom third in attempts and makes.
Evans was a complementary player on two star-studded Duke teams, first with Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel and then with Cameron Boozer. He believes that college environment will ease his transition to the NBA because, he said, “minutes are tight, so you’ve got to scratch and claw for everything.”
“The bar was really high for competitiveness and how to think [about] the game,” Evans added.
Evans, who has a wiry 6-foot-6, 180-pound frame, likely will need to develop defensively and as a playmaker at the next level. But he has a bona fide skill that some draft evaluators also compare to Isaiah Joe, the former Sixers’ second-round pick who has since carved out a rotation role for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Can’t make this stuff up.
// Timestamp 06/23/26 1:18pm
Sixers could find rebounding help in first round
Washington forward Hannes Steinbach could be an option for the Sixers if they look add rebounding help.Jason Redmond
The 76ers found a few gems at the forward position when they signed Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to two-way deals and locked them in with standard contracts.
That said, the Sixers could still use top-end talent at the position. While Barlow and Walker filled a void, more help is needed for a Sixers team that struggled to rebound all season.
That became even more of an issue in the playoffs, where the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks dominated the boards. The Sixers also often opted for four-out lineup with Joel Embiid accompanied by Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre, and Paul George.
This is a deep draft with a number of players at the forward position who could help the Sixers if they fall to No. 22 — or if new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey values the position enough to move up. Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., Washington’s Hannes Steinbach, Santa Clara’s Allen Graves, and Arizona’s Koa Peat are all players could potentially land within the Sixers’ range in the draft.
Steinbach believes he could be an option to play forward and fill in when Embiid goes to the bench or misses games, the latter of which has also become an important spot with the limitations of Adem Bona and Andre Drummond, who is set to enter free agency.
“Me being able to play the four and the five and multiple positions definitely allows me to fit in with many teams,” Steinbach said. “It’s important to have a big that puts pressure on the rim and outside and being able to stretch the floor.”
Steinbach could be gone as soon as pick No. 14, but he has credentials to match this description. The Washington big man averaged 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds, and knocked down 34% of his threes at 6-foot-10.
Sixers center Joel Embiid has been with the Sixers since 2014.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
With Giannis Antetokounmpo heading to Miami, Joel Embiid has a new title.
The Sixers center, who was drafted by the franchise in 2014, is now the longest tenured player with a single team in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo, the previous title holder, was selected by the Bucks a year prior. Just two players have been with a team longer than Embiid in the entire NBA: Stephen Curry (2009) and Draymond Green (2012) of the Golden State Warriors.
Led by Embiid, the Sixers have made the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons. However, come playoff time, Embiid has been repeatedly sidelined by injuries. This year, after returning from an appendectomy to help defeat the Boston Celtics in seven games, Embiid missed Game 2 of the Sixers’ second-round series against the New York Knicks. The Sixers went on to lose the series in four.
During his introductory press conference on June 8, new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey was asked if the franchise was committed to sticking with Embiid long-term under his leadership.
“Obviously we have Joel,” Gansey responded. “I’ve had a lot of good conversations with him so far. Excited to meet with him this week. But with him and the roster we have, that’s who we have. We got to get those guys on the floor. We got to create an identity and just get them to play basketball.”
“Paul [George] and Joel can still play at a high level,” Gansey added later. “We were 24-14 when Joel played and obviously in the playoffs, coming back from Boston.”
— Conor Smith
// Timestamp 06/23/26 12:05pm
Allen Graves is an ‘analytics darling’ and a Renaissance man
Santa Clara’s Allen Graves (right) battles for a loose ball with Kentucky’s Mouhamed Dioubate (left).Ali Overstreet
NEW YORK — Allen Graves chuckled when asked about the “analytics darling” descriptor that is consistently attached to him in draft scouting reports.
“I’ll take the title,” Graves said during Monday’s media availability. “I love it. … That’s just how I played my whole life. I pride myself on playing basketball, and if it shows up analytically, I guess that’s what it does.
“But I’m definitely grateful to have it, because it’s gotten me this far and I know how big of an impact it’s had on NBA scouts.
So impactful that the 6-foot-9, 225-pound Graves is one of this draft class’ more fascinating prospects — on and off the floor.
He reshirted his 2024-25 season at Santa Clara and did not start this past season. Yet he has become a rapid riser up draft boards because of his efficiency, basketball IQ, and old-school style that could make him a complementary fit on playoff teams deeper in the first round. He averaged 11.8 points on 51.2% shooting, and added 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
Graves said Monday that natural feel for the game comes from his older brother, Marshall, who played at LSU, and sister, Amoura, who played at Auburn. Allen recalled tagging along to LSU practices, which at the time featured future NBA Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid.
“My brother and I, we butted heads a lot,” Graves said, “because he’d come home and make me do LSU’s boot camp [workouts] and everything. But [those] definitely prepared me for who I am today and prepared me for my game today.”
Graves also has eclectic non-basketball interests. He has a collection of around 30 backpacks with cartoon designs, ranging from Anime to Rugrats. He grew up fixing cars with his father, also named Marshall, at the family automotive shop in Ponchatoula, La. His current project? A 1994 Ford F150 he has named Gloria.
“Fixed her up,” Graves said. “ … Trying to get her back running and in perfect condition.”
And perhaps Graves’ ability to process quickly showed up in a game an unnamed NBA team asked him to play during his interview circuit at last month’s combine in Chicago. He said it involved taking one or two sugar packets out of a group, and whoever was left with the last one was the loser.
“I figured out the person that goes first wins every time,” Graves said. “So I told them that.”
Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. has been compared to Allen Iverson.Amanda Loman
While the 76ers won’t be selecting in the lottery this year, there is a Philly connection at the top of the draft.
Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr., who is expected to be a top-10 pick, has been linked to Allen Iverson, drawing on-court comparisons to the Hall of Famer after winning MVP at the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic and putting together a stellar freshman season. He also sports braids like Iverson famously has for the better part of 30 years and signed a deal with Reebok before finishing his one season in college.
And while Acuff doesn’t speak to Iverson often, he did receive valuable advice from the Sixers legend.
“The first time I ever met him he just told me play every game like it’s your last,” Acuff said. “I definitely take that with me. It’s great to see him. He always shows love to everybody, not just me.”
He must’ve took that to heart. Acuff did just that as he averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds for Arkansas as he carried them to an appearance in the Sweet 16. And he did that with a little bit of Iverson in his game.
Asked what he took most from the legendary guard, Acuff said, “I like his midrange scoring, the way he can touch the paint and how he can do different things once he gets two feet in the paint. So just taking different floaters, different fadeaways from him for sure.
Sixers could add another explosive perimeter player in Dailyn Swain
Texas wing Dailyn Swain could be a fit for the Sixers at No. 22.Craig Mitchelldyer
NEW YORK — Could the Sixers use the draft to continue adding to an explosive young perimeter group already spearheaded by Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe?
Dailyn Swain would fit the bill, and is projected to the Sixers at No. 22 in ESPN’s most recent mock draft released Tuesday morning. The 6-foot-6, 211-pound attacking wing from Texas averaged 17.3 points on 54% shooting — primarily as an isolation scorer and finisher — along with 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Swain also has flashed the defensive playmaking that could excel in Sixers coach Nick Nurse’s aggressive scheme.
Swain, who turns 21 next month, also would provide some insurance if the Sixers lose starter Kelly Oubre Jr. or sixth man Quentin Grimes in free agency, which begins June 30.
The biggest question surrounding Swain is his shooting, though that did improve during his college career that began at Xavier before following coach Sean Miller to Texas. Swain shot 34.4% on 93 attempts last season, but still has a slower release. Swain said Monday that, during workouts, he has aimed to prove he can shoot efficiently while tired after a long segment.
“It’s just confidence and shooting it the same every time,” Swain said from Monday’s media availability.
Swain had an in-person workout with the Sixers last week, posting a photo on his Instagram of the Philly skyline. He added he has tried to demonstrate his vocal leadership and competitiveness by being “the loudest guy” in those sessions.
Could the ‘Michigan Mavs’ be the next ‘Nova Knicks?
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) gives a high-five to Wolverines coach Dusty May, who is now the coach of the Dallas Mavericks.Yuki Iwamura
NEW YORK – After the ‘Nova Knicks won the NBA title, could the “Michigan Mavs” be next?
That was a popular topic during Monday’s draft prospect media session, which occurred just after news broke that Michigan coach Dusty May had been hired by the Dallas Mavericks.
After leading the Wolverines to the national championship in March, Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, and Aday Mara are all projected to go in Tuesday’s first round. When asked about following in the footsteps of former Villanova standouts Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart — who ended the Knicks’ 53-year title drought less than two weeks ago — Lendeborg grinned and laughed.
“If we all get to go to the Mavs and we get to do that,” he said through the chuckles, “we’re definitely going to turn the city up, just like they did here. I would love to do that.”
The Mavericks entered Tuesday with the ninth overall pick. Lendeborg joked that he planned to tell May that “he better pick me up. If he doesn’t, I’m going to be mad. I might block him.” Then Lendeborg’s tone turned sincere, saying “it would be amazing being able to stick with [May].”
“[The Mavericks are] getting an awesome guy,” Lendeborg said. “A guy who cares about everybody else’s issues rather than themselves, in a way. Just super genuine, super humble, and a hardworking guy. He loves the game. He loves what he does, and I feel like he’s going to be a great team connector
Will ‘role player’ Zuby Ejiofor be available for the Sixers at 22?
St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino speaks with forward Zuby Ejiofor during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.Mark J. Terrill
NEW YORK — During a Monday gathering of basketball experts that also included ESPN’s Jay Bilas and Bobby Marks, Fran Fraschilla also was asked about St. John’s big man Zuby Ejiofor, who reportedly worked out for the Sixers last week. Fraschilla, a longtime coach, said Ejiofor has “all the attributes you want from a role player.”
“There’s only 25 stars in the league, and there’s 425 role players,” Fraschilla said. “And he’s the epitome of a guy that will defend, rebound, catch lobs, maybe make a jump shot here and there. But [he’s] a great teammate.
“I expect that there’s a possibility he could sneak into the end of the first round because he’s going to go to a playoff team more than likely there, where he fits the culture … When you get a kid from Rick Pitino’s program, you’re not worried about how hard he’s gonna work.”
Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz thinks he’s the sharpshooter the Sixers need
Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz (left) shoots during a game between against Rutgers.Nick Rohlman
The 76ers’ season ended with a four-game sweep against the eventual champion New York Knicks.
After the two teams had battled in a first-round series two years earlier, the expectation was that the Sixers would give the Knicks a tough test just like the Atlanta Hawks had in this year’s postseason.
Not quite. The Sixers looked like they gave all they had to comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Boston Celtics, and the most obvious sign of that came at the three-point line.
The Sixers shot 31.3% for the series while New York knocked down a blistering 44.8% from deep. And the Sixers’ principal players — Tyrese Maxey (15.8%), VJ Edgecombe (26.1%), and Joel Embiid (25%) — struggled to find their legs. Only Kelly Oubre Jr., and Paul George consistently hit open looks.
Players in this year’s draft were at home watching the postseason and gathering where they might fit with NBA teams. And Iowa sharpshooter Bennett Stirtz saw a clear need for the Sixers, one previously filled by Jared McCain before he was traded at the previous deadline.
“With that series, kind of release pressure off Tyrese and VJ because I can play off the ball, I can play on the ball,” Stirtz said. “I create space out there on the floor. I just think every team needs another ballhandler and shooter.”
The interest is mutual as the Sixers interviewed Stirtz twice during the draft process. The Sixers pick at No. 22, however, and there’s a chance he could go sooner after averaging 19.8 points and shooting 35.8% from three in one season at Iowa. Prior to that, he similar success at Drake after transferring up from Division II Northwest Missouri State.
Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. could be the “best point guard in the draft” according to Fran Fraschilla.John Raoux
NEW YORK – Who are some sleeper prospects who could be in the range for the Sixers to draft at 22?
That topic was posed to a panel of basketball experts — ESPN’s Jay Bilas and Bobby Marks, and Fran Fraschilla — on Monday afternoon at the Lotte New York Palace hotel.
Marks, the former general manager of the New Jersey Nets, first mentioned Alabama guard Labaron Philon. Marks said he appreciated that, after declaring for last year’s draft, Philon returned to college to use the feedback he had received from teams to become a player who shot 39.9% from three-point range and averaged five assists per game. Bilas and Fraschilla agreed with that choice, but noted Philon may still go off the board in the lottery.
“He could end up being the best point guard in this draft,” Fraschilla said of Philon.
Fraschilla also highlighted Baylor’s Cam Carr, whom he called “maybe the best athlete in the draft.” Bilas mentioned Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz’s shooting and ability to play in the pick and roll, comparing him to former Sixer Kyle Korver. NBC play-by-play broadcaster John Fanta, who hosted the panel, mentioned Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr., saying, “If he’s still there, man, snatch him. Upside is there.”
“Cenac has been an exceptionally difficult prospect to find a home for. The consensus seems to be that he’s going to go somewhere in the top 20, and he was among the second batch of players invited to the green room. However, the feedback I get from teams is that he’s more like a late first-rounder. He’s seen as a high-upside swing for teams that can afford to be patient and wait for him to improve his feel for the game.
The 76ers need another big, and Cenac could potentially slide to the four at times if his feel for the game improves. But he is more of a project than some of the other players the 76ers could take. This is a very difficult team to mock right now, as sources around the league are still trying to figure out what new head of basketball operations Mike Gansey’s type will be.
“Okorie has put himself firmly in the first round after going through a wide range of workouts, drawing looks as high as the teens and earning a green room invitation. Some teams love his elusiveness off the dribble and scoring ability, but there are concerns about his size. Whether he can jump Christian Anderson, Labaron Philon Jr. or Bennett Stirtz in the point guard hierarchy remains to be seen, but he’s in the conversation.
The 76ers brought in a range of candidates for this pick last week and can go best-available at this spot in new president Mike Gansey’s first draft at the helm. Finding an immediate contributor at this spot would be a win, with much of Philadelphia’s salary structure tied up in Joel Embiid and Paul George, and cultivating depth behind them is likely a priority.”
“The Sixers are in the unique situation of having a dominant center who likes to score near the rim sometimes and doesn’t have an appetite for the grittier work in the paint. So I get the sense that they are looking for a convergence of exceptional physicality, the ability to create offense in the paint and near the rim, and skill and versatility at the 4. Luckily, there are a number of candidates who can help them with that at this stage of the draft. Peat has an unusual cross section of lateral quickness and brute strength on the defensive end, and he’s also a pretty terrific passer once he’s caught the ball on the move inside the arc. “
North Carolina center Henri VeesaarChris Seward
Henri Veesaar, center, North Carolina (Yahoo! Sports)
“Finding a center to play behind Joel Embiid needs to be prioritized. Embiid simply cannot be trusted to stay on the floor. Veesaar is an agile big with real shooting touch, connective playmaking, and baseline big skills with the ability to set screens and catch lobs. He also offers rim protection and is a locked-in help defender. He could even play next to Embiid. In all three of his collegiate seasons, he made a massive leap in production each year. The Sixers would need that ascent to continue.”
What can the Sixers expect with the No. 22 draft pick?
Sixers star Tyrese Maxey was selected with the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Tyrese Maxey is a prime example of the caliber of player a team could snag in the early 20s of the NBA draft.
But Jameer Nelson, the 76ers’ newly promoted executive vice president of basketball operations, also was quick to note that Maxey is the exception, not the rule.
“We got lucky with the person,” Nelson recently said of Maxey, the All-NBA point guard whom the Sixers drafted 21st in 2020. “We got lucky with the player.”
The Sixers are in a similar spot this year, holding the No. 22 overall pick entering Tuesday’s first round. It has been a sped-up process for new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who was formally introduced last week after spearheading the draft in his previous job as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ general manager.
To further illustrate the uncertainty that comes with selecting at this point in the draft, here’s a look back at pick Nos. 21 through 23 the last five years. It offers a collection of success stories, and players who have since fallen out of the league.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is headed to Miami.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Giannis Antetokounmpo wants more championships. So do the Miami Heat.
Their interests are officially aligned — and the Heat finally have another superstar.
Ending a marathon watch for the next great Miami get, the Heat landed Antetokounmpo — a two-time NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star — from the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in exchange for a massive haul of players and draft picks.
The terms, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move had yet to receive the required league approval: Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis are heading to Miami for Wisconsin native Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis.
Milwaukee also gets the No. 13 selection that will be made in Tuesday night’s NBA draft, along with a first-round pick swap in 2030, first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and a second-rounder in 2033, the person said.
Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee to the 2021 NBA title, was on the NBA’s 75th anniversary list of its greatest players ever, is a nine-time All-NBA selection and is coming off an injury-shortened season in which he averaged 27.6 points per game.
— Associated Press
// Timestamp 06/23/26 7:47am
2026 NBA Draft: Start time, channel, how to watch and stream
Kevin Negandhi, a Phoenixville native, is back covering the NBA draft.ESPN Images
The NBA draft begins Wednesday, and for the third straight year it will be divided over two days.
The first round of the draft begins tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern, while the second round will take place on Thursday beginning at 8 p.m.
For the sixth straight year, fans will have their choice of watching the first round of draft on two different networks — ABC and ESPN.
Over on ESPN, Malika Andrews will host alongside analysts Jay Bilas, Tim Legler, Andraya Carter, and front office insider Bobby Marks. The broadcast will also feature news-breaker Shams Charania and King of Prussia native Lisa Salters reporting from the Barclay Center.
One name not mentioned in ESPN’s coverage plans? First Take host and former Inquirer columnist Stephen A. Smith, who was part of the network’s ABC broadcast with Negandhi last year.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft:
The Sixers enter Tuesday with the No. 22 pick in Tuesday night’s NBA draft, but no second-round pick.
The Washington Wizards have the No. 1 pick, and they’re expected to take either BYU forward AJ Dybantsa or Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.
The last time the Wizards has the top pick was 2010, when they took Kentucky’s John Wall, whose career was slowed by a series of injuries.
As for the No. 13 pick, it belongs to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but it will need to be made by the Miami Heat because the deal won’t be official until early July after the start of a new cap year. Ah, the NBA.
On Tuesday night, Yaxel Lendeborg will likely be a first-round pick in the NBA draft.
But the Pennsauken High graduate’s basketball career nearly ended after playing just 11 varsity games. If not for his mom, Yissel, Lendeborg might not ever have played Division I basketball, much less become a lottery pick.
“Seeing him, and seeing his mother, and how much she has [meant] to him, and how much work she’s done to be able to help guide him mentally, and obviously on the court, it’s been the honor of my coaching career,” Pennsauken coach Harrison Carsillo said.
Lendeborg wasn’t academically eligible to play basketball for a large portion of high school. He played on Pennsauken’s freshman team, but was held out for his sophomore and junior seasons, and most of senior year. He trained in the summer with coaches and friends from Pennsauken, but watched from the sidelines during the school year.
In a Players’ Tribune article, Lendeborg said that the turning point for him was during his senior year. One night, after staying out late with his friends playing video games, his mom confronted him and told him that he needed to focus to even graduate from Pennsauken, much less play basketball.
“This is no joke right now,” Lendeborg said in the article. “Nobody is smiling here. You have your mom up in this minivan crying her eyes out because you don’t know how to be a good son. Your own mom! Who does everything for you. Works two jobs. Shows you love no matter what. And this is how you’re being?!?!?!”
Yaxel Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 40 games for Michigan last season.Lon Horwedel
During that final year, Lendeborg improved his grades enough to play the final 11 games of the high school season, even competing in the NJSIAA playoffs. But he thought his basketball career was over, until his mom set him up to attend junior college at Arizona Western College. Lendeborg wrote that she planned the going-away party without even telling him he was going, because she knew he needed that push.
From there, Lendeborg had one of the most improbable rises to the draft, transferring to Alabama-Birmingham in 2023 and then Michigan before last season, where he won Big Ten Player of the Year and an NCAA title. Lendeborg, a 6-foot-9 forward, averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 40 games for the Wolverines.
Lendeborg was always talented, Carsillo said. His biggest problem was not believing in himself. Carsillo and Lendeborg’s mom forced him to pick up the phone after Division I schools started calling him about transferring, because he wasn’t sure if that was the right fit for him.
“He didn’t answer the phone, and I said to him, ‘If you don’t answer that phone call, I’m going to take your phone, and I’m going to smash it, or rip your sneakers.’ I [was] going to be so upset, because he didn’t believe in himself that he could actually do what we knew he could do, if he put his mind to it,” Carsillo said.
“It was a really funny moment. I obviously wasn’t going to rip his sneakers or smash his phone, but I was very upset, because it was almost just a mental thing going into it, because he had so much potential that he didn’t even see himself.”
After two years at UAB, Lendeborg was a fringe first-round prospect. He could have ended his college career there, but instead spent another year in college to develop further, and prove to himself and to NBA draft scouts that he could succeed at that highest level. Carsillo said that Lendeborg’s year at Michigan has him more confident and aware of his sky-high potential.
But what’s stood out the most to Carsillo over the years is Lendeborg’s selflessness, on and off the court. In the Final Four, Lendeborg suffered an MCL and ankle sprain. Some advised him not to play to protect his draft stock, but Lendeborg insisted on helping his teammates see it through and vowed, “I’m playing no matter what.”
At halftime of the national championship game on April 6, he said he felt “awful,” but still gritted out a 13-point, 36-minute performance in the 69-63 win over UConn.
Yaxel Lendeborg spent two seasons at UAB after attending Arizona Western College.Charles Fox / Staff Photographer
“That’s him,” Carsillo said. “He could have easily just said, ‘No, I’m good.’ He knows he’s going to get drafted. He knows he’s changed his family’s life. It’s amazing. That’s exactly who he is, 100%, and he was like that at Pennsauken, just much lower stakes.”
Lendeborg even has a chance to reunite with his college coach, Dusty May, who reportedly accepted the Dallas Mavericks’ head coaching job on Monday. The Mavericks hold the No. 9 pick in the draft, slightly above where Lendeborg has been projected, but Lendeborg joked Monday that he’s “going to tell him he better pick me up. If he doesn’t, I’m going to be mad. I might block him.”
The forward has grown up a lot since high school. He’s one of the oldest prospects in the draft, but he’s played only about six seasons of organized basketball. He grew up playing baseball, and told ESPN that he first learned how to play basketball through the NBA 2K video game.
“He still has so much room to grow, and he’s still learning how to become a better basketball player; it’s remarkable,” Carsillo said. “He has a little bit of self doubt, but not much anymore. This whole process with the NBA and Michigan turned his eye and turned his mindset around to be able to prove to himself, like, ‘I can do what my mother has always told me I could do.’”
Lendeborg’s mom can’t attend as many games as she used to. She’s currently nearing the end of her treatment cycle for appendix cancer, which she initially kept hidden from Lendeborg to keep him focused on his season at Michigan. But planned to be in Brooklyn on Tuesday to watch her son’s NBA journey begin — a journey he’d never have come close to if not for her pushing him every step of the way.
Meek Mill will join headliners Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott, and The Roots to perform at the “One Philly: Unity Concert for America” on July 4 on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
ESM Productions and Live Nation Urban announced the addition of the Dreams and Nightmares rapper to the Parkway bill on Tuesday morning, hot off his Saturday night performance at “Lit in AC,” a hip-hop festival featuring early 2000s bling-era rappers T.I., Eve, Shyne, Havoc, and Ms. Jade.
Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff; Kathy Sledge, lead singer of ’70s R&B girl group Sister Sledge; and State Property, the Philly hip-hop collective that includes Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Peedi Crakk, and Chris and Neef, are also scheduled to perform.
While the bill includes mostly Philadelphia-area musicians — Aguilera grew up outside Pittsburgh — performers also include Seal, the Brit whose hit “Kiss From a Rose” still stops music fans in their tracks; Infinity Song, the Detroit-born soft rock and soul family; and Jordan Davis, the Louisiana-born country music singer.
Comedian and part-time Media resident Wanda Sykes is hosting. Gillie da Kid and Wallo267 are also slated to make an appearance.
The nearly seven-hour show will start at 5 p.m. and end just before midnight, with a fireworks finale to follow. Admission to the concert starts at 3 p.m.
The “One Philly: Unity Concert for America” is presented by the City of Philadelphia and produced by Center City-based ESM Productions with executive producers Scott Mirkin, Shawn Gee (The Roots’ manager and head of Live Nation Urban), and Roots frontman Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.
Wawa is a sponsor of the concert, but the show is not part of Wawa Welcome America, the series of events leading up to the July 4 holiday, which this year will include concerts with Queen Latifah, Eve, Idina Menzel, and Pink Sweat$, among others.
The “One Philly: Unity Concert for America,” according to the news release announcing the event, is “designed as a non-partisan celebration of unity, diversity, and democracy” that brings together “voices, perspectives, and performances that reflect the richness of the American experience across generations and genres.”
The biggest city in the country is led by a democratic socialist, and another is in the running to lead the second biggest. Seattle has a socialist mayor. And in 2027, a democratic socialist will almost certainly be taking the reins of the nation’s capital.
With her convincing victory in the Democratic primary in Washington last week, Janeese Lewis George, 38, became the latest candidate to claim victory with the once-forbidden “S word” in her biography and an ambitious left-wing agenda, promising to harness the power of municipal government to tackle the costs and challenges of urban living.
Tapping into frustrations about housing and the cost of raising children, Lewis George pledged to greatly expand childcare assistance, build tens of thousands more homes and expand rent stabilization. Her critics derided those promises as unrealistic; voters ate them up.
“I think people were like, ‘I don’t buy that the status quo is all we can do,’” Lewis George said in an interview. Instead, she said, they thought, “‘I want to see leaders do something more than tell people what they can’t do.’”
Lewis George, who in a city as blue as Washington is close to a lock in the general election, joins a vanguard of young democratic socialists, including the new mayors of New York City and Seattle. Some are formal members of the organized Democratic Socialists of America, some not, but all have won on platforms of robust government action, arguing that the older Democratic establishment has failed.
Democratic socialists say that solutions to challenges like the rising costs of childcare and housing lie in community organizing and direct government action, not the free market or timeworn tax incentives. While they cast themselves more in the mold of a mayor from Stockholm than Leningrad, they do not shy from confrontation with business interests, whether that means private utilities or landlords, oligarchs or plutocrats.
Not everyone running from the left in big blue cities has won, as losers of the most recent mayoral races in San Francisco and Philadelphia can attest.
But socialist success indicates an ascendant left — a generational movement as much as a political one — might have considerably more room to run.
“We’re seeing real opportunities open up here,” said Kurtis Hagans, chair of the DSA chapter in the Washington metro area. “It’ll be interesting to see how the Democratic establishment wants to move forward into the midterms.”
Zohran Mamdani, 34, who twice beat Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor, in his unlikely rise to the New York City mayor’s office, is in many ways the lodestar for the rising brigade of democratic socialist candidates. He unapologetically pledged in his inauguration speech to “replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”
He has since moderated positions in deference to the political realities of governing a city of 8 million. He retained Jessica Tisch, a relatively moderate billionaire heiress, as police commissioner and ceded significant policy control to her. He has backed away from his vow to give up unilateral control of the school system, and from his pledge to expand an expensive housing subsidy program.
He has developed a strong working partnership with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a relative moderate in the Democratic Party, and he has struck up a surprisingly amiable relationship with President Donald Trump, despite once characterizing him as a despot. “Sewer socialism,” with images of an army of volunteers shoveling snow or squads of pothole fillers, has become as much a Mamdani calling card as his campaign promise of free buses.
The act of governing is the big test for a movement propelled by idealism and bold promises, along with a disenchantment with the compromises that its followers believe are too often made by those in power.
But fiscal constraints on municipal government can be strict, particularly in Washington, a federal enclave subject to extensive congressional oversight. And at a time when Washington’s finances are suffering from the impacts of federal job cuts as well as a lingering pandemic downturn, the city has had a hard enough time paying for the social programs already in place.
“Especially at the local level, governing is a practical affair,” said Mary Cheh, a former council member who endorsed Lewis George’s main rival in the primary but acknowledged the appeal of her message.
“There will be some change, I’m sure,” she said. “But it’s not going to be all that they hoped for.”
The limits of idealism have inevitably led to compromise and, at times, friction.
In Los Angeles, Nithya Raman, 44, a City Council member and a democratic socialist, is in a runoff against Karen Bass, the Democratic mayor who is running for reelection. Raman’s ascent in 2020 coincided with the Black Lives Matter protests that rippled through big cities across the country.
Support for Raman in her first race that year, against an incumbent on the City Council, became a kind of social shorthand for progressive politics at a moment when flying a Black Lives Matter flag outside of a home was de rigueur among Los Angeles’ wealthy liberals.
But in recent years, Raman, as a council member, has broken with the DSA on some issues, including how to alleviate Los Angeles’ crushing housing crisis. While she and her DSA-aligned colleagues have both sought protections for poor tenants, Raman has also backed more development-friendly housing policies.
Up the coast in Seattle, Katie Wilson, a self-identified socialist but not a DSA member, has largely avoided the ideological battles many had expected after her upset victory in November.
Tension between Wilson and a Seattle City Council that is more moderate has so far led to negotiations rather than conflict, as when she agreed to turn on newly installed security cameras in the city’s stadium district during the World Cup, despite her initial opposition.
Like many of her fellow politicians of the left, Wilson has made housing a priority. She promised to open 500 new shelter beds or emergency housing units by the start of the World Cup but appears to have fallen short by more than 400. She has pledged to build 1,000 new units by the end of her first year and 4,000 by the end of her four-year term, a tall order.
“I certainly have a learning curve, but I don’t want to portray myself as coming in with some kind of unrealistic idea that this would be easy,” she said in an interview last month. “There’s the way things have been done for a very long time, and it takes a very long time to change that. I’m not surprised at where we’re at.”
But at a time when voters across the political spectrum feel like government has stopped working for them, the promises of a robust and responsive public sector have clearly resonated among voters, regardless of the fiscal or partisan realities.
“When people see you deliver on the small things,” Lewis George said, “they trust that you can also deliver on the big things.”
ISLAMABAD — Iran’s president arrived in Pakistan for talks Tuesday with officials who have been mediating negotiations between Tehran and Washington on a permanent end to the war in the Middle East, even as discrepancies emerged on what had been agreed so far and violence broke out again in Lebanon.
President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Islamabad comes as technical teams were working on details of the deal following high-level negotiations in Switzerland on Monday led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.
In Tehran, Iran’s capital, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters that no visits have been scheduled for the U.N. watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency — to examine Iranian nuclear sites bombed by the United States last year. Vance previously said the negotiations in Switzerland won an agreement for the IAEA to inspect the sites.
The IAEA has been in and out of Iran since Israel’s 12-day war in 2025, but has not been granted access to the bombed enrichment sites targeted by the U.S. at the time.
Meanwhile, violence flared again in southern Lebanon as Israeli soldiers opened fire, killing two people. The reports of violence came after two days of calm following a ceasefire brokered on Saturday. Any renewal of heavy fighting could threaten the broader diplomatic talks, since Iran has demanded that a full truce in Lebanon be part of any comprehensive deal.
Iran’s president makes his first visit to Islamabad since the war started
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials received Pezeshkian upon his arrival in Islamabad amid tight security, according to Pakistani state media. Television footage showed Pezeshkian embracing Zardari and Sharif as they welcomed him.
This is the Iranian president’s first visit since the conflict started with the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28.
Pezeshkian and Sharif were to hold a joint news conference after their discussions.
In the initial talks, marking the start of a 60-day diplomatic process that seeks to reach a permanent deal to end the Iran war, Iran and the U.S. agreed to create a “de-confliction cell” to address the fighting in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. The U.S. said negotiators also discussed “mechanisms” to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil transit that Iran had effectively blocked during the war, remains open.
Ahead of his meetings in Pakistan, Pezeshkian cautioned that “the effectiveness of the talks depends on full commitment to the agreed obligations and their precise implementation.”
“Progress on this path will be measured by practical adherence to accepted responsibilities,” he wrote on X. “Statements outside the agreed text do not help advance the negotiations.”
Iran says negotiation groups focused on sanctions relief, nuclear issues and more
Iran suggested that the ongoing technical talks in Switzerland have led to the creation of specific negotiation groups, including those focused on sanctions relief, nuclear issues, reconstruction, and monitoring, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
The report quoted Kazem Gharibabadi, a deputy foreign minister leading the technical talks, saying that the countries involved also formed a contact mechanism over ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz and over the fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah.
It remains unclear whether the deconfliction cell being created will be enough to stop fighting between the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israel, which occupies part of Lebanon and insists it must maintain a free hand to attack militants launching attacks into northern Israel.
Israeli forces opened fire and killed two men in the southern Lebanese town of Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa on Tuesday, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported, adding the pair were next to a bulldozer that was clearing the road at the time.
Separately, the agency said Israeli troops fired on residents on the outskirts of the town of Hadatha as they were heading to carry out a burial in the town’s ceremony with a Lebanese army escort.
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
Discrepancy on Iran’s use of unfrozen funds
Following the high-level talks in Switzerland, Vance had said if Iranian financial assets were unfrozen, they would be used to buy American-grown food.
Vance said that the U.S. and Qatar would have approval over the process, but if Iranian money becomes accessible as sanctions are lifted, it “would actually go to buy American soy, American corn and American wheat for the benefit of the Iranian people.”
However, Iran has no current demand for U.S. crops and Baghaei said on Tuesday that Tehran’s decisions on what to import would be based on “prices and quality.”
“It is interesting that the philosophy and goal of the war, which was the destruction of the Iranian civilization and the collapse of Iran, has become enriching American farmers,” Baghaei said at the news conference in Tehran.
Iran’s ambassador in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, also questioned Vance’s contention that the U.S. and Qatar would have to approve how Iran uses unfrozen funds.
“Iran is the only country who decides what to do with those assets,” he told reporters.
Netanyahu raises new questions over fragile Lebanon ceasefire
Mediators Pakistan and Qatar said the cell would include the Lebanese government and would “ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon,” but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised new questions late on Monday, saying his military still has “full freedom of action to thwart any direct or emerging threat to them or to the residents of the north.”
Neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a signatory to the U.S.-Iran deal, and Netanyahu has vowed to keep his forces in southern Lebanon until any threat to Israel is eliminated. Hezbollah has refused to halt attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing.
When asked about Netanyahu’s comments, U.S. President Donald Trump later said “we’re going to take a look at it,” adding that he wouldn’t say what action he would take but that the situation would “get solved.”
“I’m a problem solver, I get problems solved real fast, including with Bibi,” he said, using a nickname for Netanyahu.
No Israeli airstrikes or shelling have been reported since Sunday, a day after a ceasefire was reached, and Hezbollah also has not claimed any attacks in what has been the longest halt in the fighting since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war erupted on March 2.
Lebanon and Israel planned another round of direct talks in Washington on Tuesday, which are expected to focus on developing a plan for an Israeli withdrawal.
Long ago, when most Americans left the house for mass entertainment, they flocked to carnivals that crisscrossed the country to delight small towns and big cities. Shows typically included a barker whose steady stream of superfluous oratory enticed folks to spend their hard-earned cash on sometimes dubious performances.
Too often today, our nation’s capital resembles that midway where a slick barker spouts enticements to assure people who want to believe what they want to believe that he will always give them what they want. That may be fine when the tickets sold are for harmless attractions, but what mostly seems for sale in 21st-century Washington is this country’s very soul.
One glaring example of our current predicament is an embarrassingly disappointing healthcare system that fails to meet the needs of millions of Americans who can neither afford adequate medical treatment nor a health insurance plan to help them pay for a doctor or the cost of a hospital stay.
Even as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was being signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, it was clear it would need future adjustments. Unfortunately, that necessity has been ignored by President Donald Trump, who in both his first and current administrations has found it more beneficial politically to criticize rather than improve Obamacare.
The ACA has helped cut the percentage of Americans without health insurance from nearly 16% in 2016 to 8% last year. That means more work needs to be done. But while Trump keeps promising a better alternative to Obamacare, he’s barely delivered on even the “concept of a plan” to improve healthcare access for all.
Trump proposed an ACA alternative in January that he calls “The Great Healthcare Plan,” but it’s too weak to get the health insurance industry to become a better partner in extending coverage to more Americans. Trump’s plan would instead end the ACA subsidies that have helped millions of people pay for health insurance while cutting prescription drug prices and requiring insurance companies to do a better job reporting their costs and profits.
A National Institutes of Health study concluded the Obama administration “bowed to the demands of the medical industrial complex comprised of hospitals, insurance companies, and drug companies” to help it make the ACA law because “it was not politically feasible” to get the bill passed any other way. Unfortunately, the feasibility of improving Obamacare has become even more remote under Trump.
President Donald Trump holds a picture of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during an event on health care affordability in the Oval Office in April.Mark Schiefelbein
That’s a sign of the political strength of major health insurance companies, including UnitedHealth Group, Cigna, Kaiser Permanente, Elevance Health (the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield), and CVS Health, which acquired Aetna in 2018. Those firms have earned more than $9 trillion since the ACA was passed in 2010, and show no sign of wanting to ever voluntarily reduce any income derived from federally subsidized premiums paid by Obamacare customers.
It’s time to stop the giveaway to health insurance companies and reconsider an idea that has failed past attempts to survive Washington politics. Americans need a public option similar to Medicare that would allow eligible participants of all ages to pay adjusted health insurance premiums based on their incomes. Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands have similar programs, and President Harry S. Truman proposed a public option for the United States more than 70 years ago, but Congress wouldn’t approve it.
“Millions of our citizens do not now have a full measure of opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health,” Truman said in 1945. “Millions do not now have protection or security against the economic effects of sickness. The time has arrived for action to help them attain that opportunity and that protection.” That same speech could be made today, but this Congress and president seem even more in thrall to the powerful insurance companies that today employ more than three-fourths of all U.S. doctors.
The American Medical Association, in a recent report, cited Washington’s kowtowing to corporate healthcare interests trying to maximize profits as a contributing factor to a current statistic that one in five physicians in the United States say they plan to retire within the next two years. “Many physicians find themselves practicing in direct conflict with their own values, the values that led them to a career in healthcare in the first place,” said the AMA report.
With thousands of doctors abandoning their practices and millions of Americans still unable to afford health insurance, it’s time for a bolder, better healthcare system. This country is too prosperous to have so many Americans worrying themselves to death while trying to figure out how to afford decent medical care.
This nation cannot afford our president’s weak ideas to fill huge gaps in America’s healthcare delivery system. Franklin Delano Roosevelt showed how it’s done in steering the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935. Lyndon B. Johnson got both Medicare and Medicaid through Congress 30 years later. And Obama opened the door for a successor to craft the next phase of the Affordable Care Act. It’s time for Trump to stop promising something even better and produce it.
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from barring the use of food stamps to buy sugary drinks and candy.
Since last year, the Agriculture Department has approved waivers in more than 20 states that allow them to bar participants in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from using their benefits to buy soda, energy drinks, candy or other prepared desserts. In March, recipients in five states sued the agency over the waivers, arguing that the limits were unlawful and confusing and made it difficult to manage health conditions such as diabetes.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court in Washington, in a 68-page decision, agreed with the recipients that the Agriculture Department did not have the authority to approve the waivers and also failed to abide by a notice period. Monday’s decision was a rollback of restrictions that officials have characterized as a major achievement of the Make America Healthy Again movement.
Jackson wrote that while the law allows for the department to approve projects related to the administrative and logistical efficiency of the SNAP program, the agency essentially “purports to waive not just a mere administrative or technical obstacle, but the very definition of ‘food’ as it was laid down by Congress.”
“The federal defendants and the states may have a genuine desire to improve the health of SNAP households by encouraging healthy choices at the store, and they can take lawful steps to meet those goals,” she wrote. “But what they cannot do is violate the law and their own regulations along the way.”
The case was brought by the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of low-income people, and Shinder Cantor Lerner, an antitrust law firm.
Katharine Deabler-Meadows, a senior attorney at the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, said in a statement that the decision was “a major step in restoring essential food assistance to the millions of families that rely on SNAP nationwide.”
The Agriculture Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the ruling. A spokesperson for the agency had earlier told The Associated Press that it “will not be backing down from the fight to Make America Healthy Again.”
“It tastes like oil from a real cheesesteak wrapper,” proclaims the slogan of Mama-Tee’s Philly cheesesteak-flavored extra virgin olive oil.
Mama-Tees are community fridges, notable for their bright yellow paint jobs, that are scattered around Philadelphia. The cheesesteak oil ($19) is part of a fundraiser to combat food insecurity locally, along with three other flavored oils: Basil Bliss, Truffle Love, and Pepper Pleaser. Proceeds go to helping fill the fridges with food. So if the oil prompts cheesesteak-flavored burps, it would do so in the name of a noble cause.
We at The Inquirer had to do a taste test.
Is this merely a novelty or could it have legitimate culinary applications?
The ingredients of the Philly cheesesteak-flavored oil intriguingly are only “extra virgin olive oil” and “onion flavor.” How could these two ingredients, neither of which involves cheese nor steak, encompass the nuanced experience of consuming an actual cheesesteak? The Inquirer sought to get to the bottom of these questions.
“It smells like a deli case,” said food editor Margaret Eby. “There is a cheesiness to it. It’s like that cheese oil that gets trapped in a charred, upturned pepperoni cup on your pizza.”
“I think it should be called ‘hoagie oil,’” said food reporter Beatrice Forman.
“It is like unwrapping a hoagie,” agreed critic Craig LaBan. “When you get the vinaigrette soaking through the wrapper. And it tastes like French’s fried onions, but burnt.”
“I don’t know what it could be used for,” said food reporter Michael Klein.
“It tastes like old fryer oil,” grimaced reporter Ryan Briggs. “It’s gravitating toward capturing that cheesesteak shop smell when they’re frying all the onions.”
Reporter Max Marin poured the oil over his youtiao, a savory Chinese cruller, while at lunch at Lau Kee in Chinatown. “It’s got a chemical taste that makes me think there’s a number in one of its ingredients.” But does it make the youtiao taste like a cheesesteak? “It does not.”
Inquirer reporter Max Marin pours Mama-Tee’s Philly cheesesteak-flavored oil on his youtiao at Lau Kee.Kiki Aranita
Various Philly chefs were more open-minded in the cheesesteak oil’s applications.
“I think the flavor is great,” said Juan De Ocampo, sous chef at Fairmount’s Manong, as he poured the oil onto a pile of fried shrimp chips.
“I kind of like the cheesesteak oil,” said dancerobot’s Justin Bacharach. “It’s pungent and although I don’t cook with olive oil, I would use it to add a little funk and fat to a dish, like to dress an antipasto with South Philly vibes like sharp provolone and soppressata, and in the Japanese canon, I think it would be fun drizzled on top of a gyudon (beef and onions over rice) where you’d normally use mayu (a Japanese scorched black garlic oil).”
“It feels really heavy,” said Melissa Fernando, the chef behind long-running pop-up Sri’s Company. “In Sri Lankan food, we mostly use coconut oil to cook, but I suppose I’d use this to sauté onions and garlic.”
That perceived “heaviness” is easily addressed, according to 637 Sushi Club’s Kevin Yanaga, no stranger to unusual pairings. “I just need a lemon or something acidic with it. I could then use it on a fluke crudo. It’s rough and funky on its own, but salt and acid would help.”
After careful consideration of these diverse opinions, the Mama-Tee cheesesteak oil had only one test remaining to undergo: a side-by-side comparison between it and the oil from an actual cheesesteak wrapper.
A Del Rossi’s cheesesteak (wit onions, of course) was summoned. A wrapper was licked. A shot of cheesesteak oil was taken. The wrapper had the distinct advantage of beefiness. When applied directly to the cheesesteak, the oil oddly enhanced the cheesesteak’s flavor. And another thing the oil had in common with a real cheesesteak? Real cheesy, oniony burps after consumption.
A Del Rossi’s cheesesteak and Mama-Tee’s cheesesteak oil, consumed in unison.Kiki Aranita
Mama-Tee’s Philly cheesesteak oil ($19) can be purchased at Wegmans in King of Prussia, though more locations may be added soon.
