Twenty-five years ago, my father handed me an envelope filled with documents. As he passed it to me, he said, “Now you’re in charge of the mineral rights.”
Before my father, the envelope had been entrusted to my Uncle Peter, who, in turn, had received it from my grandmother. The contents represented everything our branch of the family possessed relating to mineral rights bequeathed by my grandmother’s great-grandfather, Jonathan Thorne.
Jonathan’s estate plan reflected remarkable foresight. He instructed his executor to sell his land at a discount so he could retain the ownership of the oil, gas, and minerals beneath it for future generations. Each deed that went to the buyers of these properties included a clause showing they were purchasing only the surface property, and not the mineral rights.
My father handed me that envelope in 2001, seven years before the Marcellus Shale boom. This is not a story with a happy ending about families passing down a legacy from hardworking forebears. Instead, it is something every Pennsylvanian should be shocked by and want to stop.
We discovered that an out-of-state entity was making claims to our rights. It claimed to have purchased tens of thousands of acres of Pennsylvania mineral rights in 2000 for a total of $1. Their unwarranted claim was based on a distorted interpretation of a legal theory called “title washing.”
Others, including the Proctor family, faced a strikingly similar predicament: They had retained their valuable mineral rights and followed the law, only to find that other groups were now claiming them.
Like my family, the Proctors traced their ownership back generations. After preserving their mineral rights, most of their surface property ended up with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The Game Commission knew through its own deeds and title research that it was buying only the surface. The mineral rights remained separate. Yet, 100 years after the fact, they sued the Proctors to try to take those rights — twice.
In this 2008 photo, a drilling rig used to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, located in the Washington County borough of Houston, Pa.Keith Srakocic
Last year, however, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court unanimously ruled in the Proctor family’s favor, confirming that they continued to own their mineral rights, even noting that the scheme “if not positively fraudulent, is at any rate an attempt to evade the law, to which the courts will lend no countenance.”
That should have been the end of the story for all our families.
Instead, Pennsylvania lawmakers quietly inserted a provision into an unrelated property tax bill that retroactively changed the law and effectively overturned the court’s decision. Late in the evening of Saturday, July 11, an amendment changing pre-1947 tax laws was introduced in the Senate. It passed the legislature and was quickly signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro the very next day.
Stunningly, there were no hearings or opportunities for affected families to speak out. Pennsylvania taxpayers (and much of the legislature) had little opportunity to understand what the amendment even meant and what was at stake.
Now the only way to assure rightful ownership is to go back to court and fight again, not only over property rights that were already settled, but also over whether a government can retroactively change laws to benefit certain parties and take property the Supreme Court had already ruled belongs to families like mine.
That is deeply troubling.
The Proctor family spent more than 10 years in litigation and won. Yet, lawmakers, the governor, and certain oil and gas interests decided that wasn’t the outcome they wanted. The Game Commission, in close coordination with those energy firms, started this fight. It lost. Families like ours should not have to spend the next 10 years relitigating.
The General Assembly can undo this harm. It can reverse this retroactive change to tax laws and ensure these properties are not taken from families who have owned them for generations. If not, we are all targets of this wrongheaded move. If they are willing to rewrite property laws to effect transfers to the state, no one’s property is safe.
What happened to my family is, I believe, unconstitutional. The litigation created by this secretive 24-hour rapid legislation approval process could end up costing Pennsylvania more than $1 billion if it is forced to reimburse families for property taken from them. That’s also not fair to state taxpayers.
Pennsylvania can do better. We can protect resources, support responsible energy development, and safeguard public lands without sacrificing the basic principle that private property rights mean something.
Jeff Sloan is a member of the Thorne family and lives in Berwyn.
Now, the 2-0 Birds turn their attention toward Week 3 as they prepare to travel to Soldier Field to face the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.
From the Birds’ chances this weekend to updates on year-end awards, here are some of the latest odds at two of the biggest sportsbooks …
Video: Gameday Central: Is it time for the Eagles to start Willie Lampkin?
Eagles-Bears odds
The Eagles are coming off two games in which they barely escaped with wins over the Washington Commanders and Titans.
The Bears (1-1) would be the Birds’ toughest challenge to date. However, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams suffered a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of a 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. He was scheduled to undergo imaging on Monday and his status is uncertain.
The last time the teams met was in November 2025, when the Bears defeated the Eagles, 24-15, at Lincoln Financial Field on Black Friday. As they prepare to compete again in primetime, the Eagles open as early road favorites.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is reconstructing and widening a 2½ mile section of I-276 between the Neshaminy Falls Toll Plaza and Bensalem Boulevard in Bucks County.
It made shipping by truck more efficient, reduced congestion on local Bucks County roads, and eased traffic flow through the Philadelphia region and along the East Coast.
“Opening the I-95 connection was a historic milestone, but it was not the end of our work,” Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission chief engineer Brad Heigel said in a statement.
Starting this month, crews will reconstruct the turnpike’s center median to prepare for future traffic shifts, the agency said. Lane closures are expected through October, with work done mostly at night.
Work on this portion of the roadway, called Section C of the I-95 Interchange Project, is expected to continue through 2029.
Construction will proceed in phases:
First, temporary concrete barriers will be installed to establish long-term shoulder closures and create space for tree clearing, earthwork, and other construction activities beginning later in fall.
Crews will then build a new lane in each direction while traffic uses the existing lanes.
Once that is done, traffic willshift onto the new lanes so crews canrebuild the roadway in between. Two lanes of traffic will remain open in each direction in peak travel hours during construction, the turnpike said.
The project will create new “capacity to support safer, more reliable travel through Bucks County and along one of the nation’s most important transportation corridors,” Heigel said.
Work on the adjoining portion, Section D30, is scheduled to be finished this fall, but three-lane turnpike traffic won’t begin in the area until both sections are done.
The project also will add new emergency access gates at milepost 355, cutting response time for local firefighters by 50%.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, the lead agency on the joint project, next must complete an environmental impact study on the design.
Engineers also must study the runner-up approach: constructing the new bridge in stages, about 40 feet north of the existing bridge — over eight years. (The preferred design could be built in four years.)
The Federal Highway Administration is expected to decide in April 2028 which of the two options to use.
When it is built, the I-95 Interchange Project will be done.
A line in Philadelphia’s zoning code conflates drag performances with strip clubs, topless bars, and other adult cabaret venues. It’s a definition that City Council hopes to change.
Councilmember Rue Landau introduced legislation on Thursday to remove references to “male or female impersonators” in a section of the zoning code that regulates “Adult Oriented Services.”
As currently written, Philadelphia defines an adult cabaret as a place that “features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators or similar entertainers … dancing, performing or acting in a lewd, sexually erotic, exciting or stimulating manner.”
The distinction is similar to one found in a Tennessee law that prohibits so-called “adult cabarets” featuring “male or female impersonators” from being staged anywhere minors might see it. It also mirrors language used in similar drag bans struck down this year byjudges in Texas and Montana, and one currently up for consideration by the Idaho Senate.
If passed, Landau’s proposal would strike the provision regarding male and female impersonators.
The bill will first be considered by City Council’s Rules Committee. The legislation has the support of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration, Landau said, and has also been shared with her colleagues in City Council, who Landau described as “supportive.”
Landau’s bill is inspired by recent events at South Street bar Tattooed Mom, which has long been a go-to venue for Philly’s LGBTQ+ artists, and particularly drag performers, in part because it doesn’t charge acts.
A crowd fills Tattooed Mom. The popular South Street bar is unable to host events with music for the foreseeable future.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Tattooed Mom owner RobertPerry told The Inquirer Friday that he brought what he called the “offensive and troubling language” to the attention of Landau’s staff, but was not involved in drafting the legislation.
The incident “opened my eyes to actually reading the code and having conversations … I think the [language] is so antiquated that people don’t even realize it’s there,” Perry said. “We might have initially spurred the conversation, but Landau did all the heavy lifting.”
Perry was initially instructed to seek an adult cabaret permit in addition to a special assembly license for Tattooed Mom, he told the Philadelphia Gay News in July. That same month, an L&I spokesperson told Philly Voice that the permit — which traditionally governs businesses such as strip clubs and adult theaters — is required to host drag and burlesque events.
Perry now believes that his bar doesn’t need one upon further research, he said Friday.
Regardless,Landau said Tattooed Mom’s predicament was the spark for her proposal.“They were cited in violation of this provision simply because they had a drag performance happening,” she said. “We don’t want that happening in Philly … A lot of folks rely on drag performances for their livelihood, and we just want to keep supporting them.”
Landau is unaware of L&I citing other Philly venues for hosting drag or burlesque shows without a permit. “This is thankfully nothing that L&I is usually citing establishments” over, she said.
A crowd looks at art inside the South Street bar Tattooed Mom.
If passed, Landau’s legislation won’t green-light events with music at Tattooed Mom. All Philly establishments with an occupancy of 50 or more people that host music performances, dancing, or DJs are required to have a special assembly occupancy license, which costs $253 and must be renewed annually. To procure one, Tattooed Mom must first apply for a zoning exception.
The process involves holding a public meeting for community feedback followed by a separate hearing in front of the Zoning Board of Adjustment. As of March 2026, the wait time for a hearing is 180 days — or roughly six months — according to a manual from the City of Philadelphia.
Perry said he has yet to begin Tattooed Mom’s application.
A sprawling brick Glenside building that last held an optometrist’s office is returning to its roots as developer Kevin Burke looks to build community hubs around his native Glenside.
The building at 2256 Mt. Carmel Ave. was once home to a bowling alley and billiards hall. The alley closed in 1971, and a family of eye specialists ran a glasses store there for decades.
Burke bought the 1920s structure, dubbed Glenside Lanes, in 2024. The micro-mall, which officially opened in May 2025, is now home to a barre and yoga studio, a coffee shop, a record store, and a gift shop, with plans for a music venue in the back.
Like the newly bustling Yorkway Place in Jenkintown, Glenside Lanes balances traditional retail with experiential businesses. The Montgomery County venues are part of a nationaltrend, as investors look to fill commercial space hollowed out by online shopping and post-pandemic consumer shifts.
“I think it’s the way to keep a brick-and-mortar going,” said Rhiannon Punzo, a Glenside Lanes tenant. “It’s like your community mall where you’re coming to one building that you can walk to, that isn’t corporate.”
Burke is preserving most of the bowling lane flooring — including lane guides and the alternating wooden plank style demarcating the gutters — in the back of the building, which will serve as a concert and event space as early as November. He plans to develop a similar multiuse site in Wyndmoor.
The lanes from a former bowling alley are still visible in a section of Glenside Lanes under construction on Sept. 3, 2026.Jess Rohan
But to make Glenside Lanes a success, Burke needed the right business partners.
First, he found Punzo, who runs the Dovetail shop of local artist-made gifts, and cofounded the art events company CO Lab.
Punzo connected with longtime music photographer Lisa Schaffer, who had planned to open a record store in about five years. Within months, Schaffer was opening Vinyl Chickie at Glenside Lanes.
“I want you to speed up your retirement plan,” Punzo recalls telling Schaffer.
Former professional ballet dancer Alyson Pray Ward used to park outside the building and walk down the street to her barre and yoga business, Align Studio.
“I would always look up to the second floor and think, ‘That would make a gorgeous ballet studio,’” Pray Ward said. She moved Align into Glenside Lanes last year.
This summer, Raven Cafe began serving Rival Bros. Coffee on the ground floor between Punzo and Schaffer’s stores. The stores flow into one another, making it easier to linger, owners and workers said: Yogis might pick up a teacher gift downstairs at the Dovetail after class, and music lovers grab coffee at Raven before browsing vinyl.
Raven Cafe opens into the Dovetail gift shop at Glenside Lanes. The stores flow into one another, making it easier for customers to linger, owners and workers said.Jess Rohan
“People can honestly show up and see familiar faces,” said Christine Collins, who teaches at Align. “I’m meeting adult friends there.”
The clutch of complementary businesses is exactly what Burke had hoped for.
The goal “was definitely to bring in different businesses that would help the community,” Burke said. “I always thought the bowling alley would be a perfect spot for that, and now we’re almost there.”
The final business partner Glenside Lanes needed, Punzo said, was Glenside itself.
“The community said, ‘We want this, if you build more we’ll come,’” Punzo said. “They could’ve been just talking, but everyone who said it showed up.”
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect where developer Kevin Burke may plan a future micro-mall.
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KYIV, Ukraine — It’s not easy to get to Ukraine, where the airports have long been closed and where Russia is now targeting the country’s essential railway network, hitting tracks and destroying hundreds of locomotives.
On my sixth visit since 2022, I decided to fly to neighboring Moldova and taxi across the border, even though Moscow has been striking the crossings. Just after I entered the country, a Russian drone zeroed in on another international transit point just 30 minutes away, one which my driver had considered using.
The drone incinerated three travelers sitting in a bus.
In many ways, Ukraine has become a far more dangerous place since I was here in June 2025. During the last two months, a frustrated Vladimir Putin, whose army has been unable to advance on the ground, is trying to break the country’s morale from the air.
I saw the results of an unending torrent of Russian drones, cruise missiles, and top-line ballistic missiles – targeting road travel, blowing up highway gas stations, wrecking the ports from which Ukraine exports grain to the world, and hitting civilian apartment blocks in waves in Kyiv and other major cities. By systematically destroying the country’s electricity grid, Putin hopes to freeze urban Ukrainians this winter into turning against their government.
And yet, unlike many of the high-level U.S. and European invitees to the 22nd annual meeting of the Yalta European Strategy (YES) conference, held in Kyiv Sept. 11-12 and co-sponsored by the Viktor Pinchuk Foundation, I didn’t come away increasingly gloomy about Ukraine’s prospects.
Instead, talking with Ukraine’s top military commanders, its brilliant engineers and tech innovators, who have made the country the world’s most inventive drone powerhouse, I came away totally furious.
Furious because, despite Russia’s size and its mass production of Iranian Shahed drones souped-up with jet engines, I believe Ukraine’s deep strikes into Russia and even deeper smarts could ultimately force Putin to recognize that the war has become too costly.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) stands with Steve Witkoff (center) and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s envoys, at the end of their joint news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sept. 6.Francisco Seco
Only one element is lacking: the full backing of a U.S. leader with the brains to recognize there can be no “peace deal” with a Kremlin czar who aims to undermine America with the same intensity as he seeks to subjugate Ukraine.
If the U.S. would only help Kyiv obtain enough Patriot interceptors to counter Russian ballistic missiles (the same interceptors Donald Trump has massively wasted in his war of choice with Iran), the Ukrainian David could outmaneuver the Russian Goliath. And, in so doing, America could also score a key strategic win.
There are several reasons why.
For starters, the resilience and inner strength I saw among ordinary Ukrainians is astonishing, even though they admit how frightened they are about the coming winter.
Take gas station workers, who are at terrible risk from Russian drones. I visited the scorched shell of an Ukrnafta gas station in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district, hours after it was hit on Sept. 10. Workers had been evacuated to a shelter before the drone struck. Female attendants (who asked not to be named) had already returned with sausage and cheese to feed the cleanup crew. Would they return to their jobs? I asked. “Of course,” was the quick reply.
Two days later, my translator and I visited an OKKO station, a roadside chain with an adjacent store and cafe that is popular for serving hot dogs and coffee free to anyone in uniform. OKKO has been a favorite target of Russian strikes, and while our tank was being filled, the workers got word that a Shahed might be approaching.
As customers ran for their cars, one worker fleeing the store screamed at the cashier who was processing my card, “Get out to the shelter!” She finished her job, told me she would never leave Ukraine, then ran out the back door. I ran to our car, and we quickly pulled out to the road.
I heard that same stoicism under fire expressed repeatedly as I traveled from Moldova to the Ukrainian port city of Odesa to Kyiv and back.
In the frequently hit, middle-class Kyiv district of Lukianivka, where many high-rise apartment buildings are pocked with blackened holes where drones did their dirty business, I walked by the rubble of a destroyed supermarket and shopping mall.
Shoppers visit open air stalls set up to replace a large covered market destroyed by Russia in the Lukianivka neighborhood of Kyiv, Ukraine.Trudy Rubin
At a historic covered market that had taken a direct drone strike, women who had sold goat cheese, honey, fruit and vegetables, and clothing at indoor stalls had already relocated to tents outside the charred remains of the market.
Over and over I heard the same message: “Yes, we are frightened, but we won’t give our country to Putin.” Several of these women had husbands in the military, and a couple told me they might leave their apartments for the winter, but they weren’t running away.
A nearby McDonald’s, which has been struck several times by the Russians, had already been rebuilt and was full of young people buying Big Macs and fries.
Still, civilian steadfastness alone can’t defeat ballistic missiles and drones, and ordinary civilians in Kyiv and Odesa are stressed and distressed.
As my indomitable translator, Alla, told me, “A single mother, living in an eighth-floor apartment with two children and a mother who recently had a heart attack, is a full-time crisis manager.”
Schools are closed because of constant air raid alerts, and parents must devise games for frightened youngsters during blackouts, when clothes and quilts are piled on to avoid freezing.
Diners sit inside the rebuilt McDonald’s in the Lukianivka neighborhood in Kyiv, Ukraine.Trudy Rubin
This is where we come to the critical race between Ukraine’s tech innovators and Russians playing catch-up, as Ukraine incorporates of artificial intelligence into its drone and missile systems in order to use unmanned robots and upgraded drones to compensate for its shortage of man power. And as Ukrainians rush to perfect weapons systems that can counter Russia’s ability to destroy the infrastructure that enables civilians to survive.
I will write more about the progress in this area and my interviews with brilliant Ukrainian tech leaders in future columns. But let me sum up how they believe they can still force Putin to bend.
These super innovators said at the conference, and told me in private interviews, that they expect to be able to produce an interceptor drone to counter Russian jet engine-driven Shahed drones within a few months.
But there are two big caveats for real success. First, Ukraine still desperately needs more Patriot interceptors to counter Russian ballistic missiles. And second, Ukraine needs to massively scale up production of its anti-Shahed interceptors and other new drones in order to counter Russian numbers. This requires substantial foreign investment and joint production, most likely in Europe.
If Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had any grasp of the new way of war in the 21st century, the Pentagon would long since have been signing contracts to jointly produce drones with Ukrainian companies — all of which constantly update their technology based on lessons from the front line. Given the destruction of key U.S. bases in the Mideast, which were undefended against Iranian Shaheds, Hegseth should be begging for immediate Ukrainian help.
When former Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll — who understands Ukrainian drone warfare well but was recently pushed out by Trump — was asked at the strategy conference what the U.S. could learn from Ukraine, he replied: “We in the West have got to internalize these lessons [from Ukraine]. What you are doing here in a very scrappy, fast, iterative nature is what we must contort our systems to achieve at scale.
“The speed and scale of AI and [computing] that is about to hit these weapon systems will be an amazing opportunity for Ukraine to outrun the Russians, out-innovate them and out-partner them. We are a couple of months away from new solutions changing the very nature of how warfare will occur.”
Eric Schmidt, the former CEO and chairman of Google, who has been a pioneer in coproduction of drones with Ukraine, added: “Pretty much all of the traditional assumptions about war and particular devices are probably false now. Ships are big targets … These drones appear to be toys, but are extraordinarily powerful, especially when swarmed.”
Schmidt concluded that “after four and a half years of war, Ukraine knows what it is doing. The country is organized to win this. What’s missing? Money, and the second is scaling.”
Yet, as Schmidt knows well, and what remains a tragedy for the United States, Trump refuses to recognize how crucial a partnership with Ukraine is to helping the U.S. military in Iran, and to instilling the new Pentagon mentality required for wars of the future. Which, no matter what Hegseth believes, has little to do with the size of the average soldier’s waistline or testosterone levels.
The main message of the YES conference was that the U.S. and Ukraine can both win — if the White House recognizes the need for partnership in the fight against the new axis of adversaries: Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. What is maddening is Trump’s refusal to recognize the true win-win solution lies not between Kyiv and Moscow, but between the United States and Ukraine.
Newly minted Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees was a mixed bag calling the Eagles’ 24-20 win against the Tennessee Titans for Fox Sports on Sunday, and a lot of Birds fans were unimpressed.
Count former Eagles wide receiver Jason Avant among them.
Avant, now part of NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Birds pre- and postgame coverage, blasted Brees after the game as one of Jalen Hurts’ “biggest haters” without going into much detail.
“Drew Brees is on the broadcast talking as much crap as anyone, and it was a negative broadcast,” Avant said on Eagles Postgame Live, adding Hurts’ game-winning drive “shut his mouth.”
Brees is certainly a work in progress at Fox; the network hired the former Saints star and Super Bowl MVP early last season to replace former Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez following Sanchez’s arrest in a downtown Indianapolis fight. Brees hasn’t even called a full season’s worth of NFL games yet — the Birds’ win was just the 11th in his career — but he certainly wasn’t hating on Hurts during the broadcast.
Jalen Hurts led his 8th fourth-quarter comeback since 2023, second-most in the NFL.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
During the first few drives, Brees repeatedly praised Hurts and the plays being called by new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. Coming back from halftime, Brees said Hurts’ play was “absolutely outstanding” and highlighted his ability to extend plays with his legs and spread the ball around — as my colleague Jeff McLane noted, Hurts completed passes to nine different receivers for the first time since 2022.
“For the Philly fans out there — if this is what the Sean Mannion offense looks like, you guys are in good hands,” Brees said after the game, calling Hurts’ performance “the next iteration” of his evolution into a “true passer.”
So what ruffled the feathers of Avant and other Eagles fans? A comment Brees made in the second quarter, when Hurts slid during a third-down run to avoid being hit by Titans defenders, something every quarterback is taught to do.
“I was hyping up Jalen Hurts, and now I’m going to get on him,” Brees said. “Lower your shoulder and go get the first down.”
"Lower your shoulder and go get the first down" – Drew Brees did NOT like Jalen Hurts protecting himself with a slide in the second quarter of Week 2 against the Titans pic.twitter.com/q8nePomNdP
Context is important. Would this comment be appropriate in a playoff game or during a game-winning drive? Certainly. But Brees offered his criticism in the first half of a Week 2 game against an opponent that isn’t even in the Eagles’ conference, so his analysis seemed misplaced.
Birds fans also have a long memory. Last year, before Brees entered the booth, he appeared weekly on ESPN’s First Take and omitted Hurts while highlighting other quarterbacks like Jordan Love and Dak Prescott, despite the Birds’ 3-0 start.
“You realize you mentioned these dudes before you mentioned Jalen Hurts, you do know that, right?” asked Stephen A. Smith.
“I do,” Brees said. “I respect Philly. They are winning games … I can’t stand to watch that offense. It’s the most boring offense.”
He was certainly correct about the offense, which cost Kevin Patullo his job in the offseason. But Brees’ comments appear to have been added to the lengthy list of anti-Hurts remarks Eagles fans love to track.
As far as his broadcasting career comes, Brees is fortunate to be paired with Adam Amin, who has a knack for supporting recently retired athletes and isn’t afraid to coach the Hall of Famer on the ins-and-outs of broadcasting.
“I think he’s starting to improve as a presenter,” Amin said of Brees before the game. “He still has to learn some of the timing and rhythm, but a lot of that just comes with doing the job. And the rest of it, the presentation, is going to come with timing and confidence.”
Amin is in his seventh season with Fox after spending nine years at ESPN, and he’s quickly developed into one of the NFL’s best play-by-play voices. He call of Hurts’ game-winning touchdown pass to Darius Cooper hit all the notes, including letting viewers hear the roar of Eagles fans who flooded Nissan Stadium.
Merrill Reese also wasn’t perfect, but had a vintage TD call
Merrill Reese is in his 50th season as the voice of the Eagles. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
While Brees is still learning how to be a broadcaster, even the most experienced announcers can make a mistake now and then.
Over on the radio, Merrill Reese — in his 50th season as the voice of the Eagles — struggled a bit while calling Amani Hooker’s interception of Hurts in the first quarter. Hooker returned the interception 92 yards and ended up being tackled by a hustling Makai Lemon at the Eagles’ 10-yard line, but Reese thought he made it into the end zone.
When the Titans lined up on first down, Reese called it as if the play were a two-point conversion. It wasn’t until the Titans’ Tony Pollard was tackled after a 5-yard run did Reese and broadcast partner Mike Quick finally let listeners know what actually happened.
“They were ruled not in,” a surprised Reese said during the broadcast. “They said [Hooker] was down so that was not for two, that was the play.”
The Hall of Fame broadcaster more than redeemed himself on the Eagles’ game-winning drive, screaming “There’s life!” as the Birds moved down the field in a vintage Merrill Reese performance.
“TOUCHDOWN! DARIUS COOPER!” said Reese, who finished the call after Quick interrupted with some analysis on how the receiver got open. “WHAT A PLAY! HURTS TO DARIUS COOPER! WHAT A DRIVE!”
Reese and Amin weren’t alone in excelling at the end of the game. Spanish radio announcers Rickie Ricardo and Oscar Budejen also offered an A-plus call of the winning touchdown.
During the Cowboys’ win against the Commanders, Jayden Daniels left the game with a dislocated left elbow. The footage was so gruesome it caused Tom Brady to go blue.
Brady wasn’t done. Later in the game, he used language so colorful to describe Dak Prescott’s missile of a pass to receiver CeeDee Lamb we can’t print it in our family newspaper.
Over on CBS, J.J. Watt is in his second week in the No. 1 booth. That means millions and millions more fans are listening to his call, but his broadcast partner Jim Nantz didn’t appear to be among them on a few plays.
‘That’s my guy!’ Jason Kelce reacts to Zach Ertz news
Jason Kelce celebrates with Zach Ertz during Super Bowl LII in 2018. TIM TAI / Staff Photographer
Former Eagles star Jason Kelce played a little over eight seasons with Zach Ertz in Philly. Naturally, he’s excited his former teammate is returning to the Birds.
“You don’t got to talk me into Zach Ertz. That’s my guy!” Kelce said on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown. “He’s entrenched in Philadelphia still… He’s close to some type of receiving record. I wouldn’t mind seeing that broken by No. 86 right there.”
"He's entrenched in Philadelphia still."@JasonKelce reacts to the news of Zach Ertz's return to the Philadelphia Eagles 🏈 pic.twitter.com/W3JQTa3BvG
As for franchise records, Ertz is second all-time in receptions (579) close behind Harold Carmichael (589), fifth in receiving yards (6,267) and seventh in receiving touchdowns (38).
Tight end Zach Ertz is heading back to the Eagles.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
With Dallas Goedert expected to miss multiple weeks after he sustained a sprained MCL in the Eagles’ win over the Titans, the Eagles are planning to sign Zach Ertz to the practice squad, sources said.
Ertz spent nine seasons in Philadelphia and was a key part to the Eagles winning their first Super Bowl in 2018.
The three-time Pro Bowler suffered a season-ending ACL tear in December 2025 with the Commanders and did not sign a contract in offseason.
Ertz was cleared for football activity in July — seven months from when he tore his ACL. He passed the pivotal nine-month post operation milestone a few weeks ago.
The Eagles are signing him to the practice squad as he continues his recovery with the expectation that he will eventually be signed to the 53-man roster, per sources.
Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is expected to miss a few weeks.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Eagles will be without Dallas Goedert for the time being.
A league source confirmed an NFL Network/ESPN report that Goedert suffered a sprained MCL in Sunday’s 24-20 win over the Tennessee Titans. Goedert is expected to miss a few weeks with the injury.
Goedert appeared to suffer his injury while run blocking in the second quarter. He did not return to the game.
Goedert’s absence leaves the Eagles in an interesting situation at the position, and Howie Roseman may need to make a roster move.
DeVonta Smith hauls in a pass against the Titans on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
A number of reasons factor into DeVonta Smith’s lower frequency of high targets since 2021. Among them was the presence of receiver A.J. Brown from 2022-25, the presence of high-volume running back Saquon Barkley from 2024-26, and the presence of Jalen Hurts, a reluctant and limited passer.
However, the Eagles must feed Smith the way the Bengals feed Ja’Marr Chase, the way the Vikings feed Justin Jefferson, and the way the Cowboys feed CeeDee Lamb.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni celebrates as time runs out against the Tennessee on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
The last time the Eagles and Bears met was in November 2025, when the Bears defeated the Eagles, 24-15, at Lincoln Financial Field on Black Friday.
The Bears would be the Birds’ toughest challenge as they prepare to compete on Monday Night Football. However, Caleb Williams suffered a hamstring injury and his status is uncertain.
As of now, the Eagles open as early road favorites on two of the biggest sportsbooks.
Marcus Mariota expected to start for Commanders; Jayden Daniels seeks options
Commanders QB Marcus Mariota is expected to start Sunday vs. Seattle as Washington continues to gather more information about Jayden Daniels’ dislocated left elbow. https://t.co/k6VS278fi2
Sirianni: No news on Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert injuries
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley left Sunday’s game with a stinger. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t offer any updates on running back Saquon Barkley or tight end Dallas Goedert, both of whom left Sunday’s game with injuries.
“It’s still early in the day,” Sirianni told reporters Monday. “I’ll get with those guys later today… They were off today, everything got started a little bit later, so we’ll see as the week progresses.”
Barkley suffered a stinger during the Eagles’ first drive and missed the first half. He returned in the second half but ended the game with just four carries for nine yards.
Goedert left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury while run blocking and did not return.
Cam Jurgens’ debut at left guard showed plenty to build on
Cam Jurgens played left guard for the first time in his career Sunday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Eagles decided early in the practice week last week, after placing Landon Dickerson on injured reserve, that getting their best five linemen on the field in their best five spots meant moving Cam Jurgens from center to left guard and inserting Drew Kendall at center.
“Drew is naturally a center,” Nick Sirianni said after Sunday’s victory. “He can do both, but we felt like that’s his best natural position.”
The arrangement meant that Jurgens would play left guard for the first time in his career. He was a high school tight end turned college center who spent his first year as a starter in the NFL at right guard before replacing Jason Kelce at center. The Eagles didn’t practice with him at left guard once in training camp. Left tackle Jordan Mailata recalled one brief walkthrough session during camp with Jurgens to his right.
“Everything is different,” Jurgens said. “Your hands are different. Your feet are different. You’re kicking different. It’s weird.
“I’m going to learn a lot from this game. I’m going to get a lot better.”
The offensive line had an up-and-down Sunday, just like it did a week ago in the opener. But Jurgens’ first 76 snaps at left guard didn’t look all that bad on film. I counted about six, maybe seven, bad reps from that 76-snap workload. That’s a pretty high success rate for a player at a new position. A few of those bad reps came against Jeffery Simmons, one of the top interior defensive linemen in the NFL.
Jalen Hurts was pressured on 17 dropbacks Sunday, and Jurgens was responsible for three of them, according to Pro Football Focus. Mailata also was charged with three, while Kendall and Tyler Steen surrendered two apiece. Lane Johnson was dinged with one pressure allowed.
The offensive line struggled to create enough creases for Eagles running backs, but Jurgens wasn’t a major part of those issues, film review showed.
Mailata after the game said he was looking forward to having continuity up front and growing as a unit. It’s unclear how long Dickerson will be out for, though he will remain ineligible to come off IR until at least Week 5. The new-look front could look this way until at least that point, which means Jurgens, a two-time Pro Bowl center, has a lot to learn and pick up.
“I’m so excited to watch film and get better from this,” he said.
Caleb Williams ‘week-to-week,’ appears likely to miss Eagles-Bears
Caleb Williams is “week-to-week” with a right hamstring injury.Nam Y. Huh
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is “week-to-week” with a right hamstring injury and “will likely miss some time,” head coach Ben Johnson said Monday morning in an interview on ESPN 1000 Chicago.
“I’ve got to still talk with our trainer. We’ll do that here shortly and I’ll have the lowdown from him. But it sounds like it’s week-to-week but will likely miss some time,” Johnson said.
The Eagles travel to Chicago to face the Bears on Monday Night Football in Week 3.
Williams underwent an MRI Monday morning and appears to have avoided seriously injuring his knee or Achilles, which could have cost the young quarterback the season. He suffered a non-contact injury during the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings Sunday.
Stepping in for Williams would be Tyson Bagent, who started four games his rookie year in 2023 but has just six pass attempts in two seasons since.
“I think ball-placement wise, it’s the best I’ve seen Jalen throw the ball in two years. That last drive was sensational,” Orlovsky said on First Take Monday. “I’m very confident in the way that the offense, pass game-wise, is looking under Sean Mannion.”
That’s not to say Orlovsky didn’t see issues, pointing out the offensive line might be the worst the Birds have seen in a decade. But he’s confident the Eagles coaching staff, even without offensive line guru Jeff Stoutland, can plug the holes and overcome Landon Dickerson’s injury.
Former Inquirer columnist Stephen A. Smith was surprised by Orlovsky’s confidence, saying on First Take, “I don’t like what I’m seeing with the Eagles’ offense.”
Smith pointed out the Eagles led the league in three-and-outs last season and had two Sunday in the third quarter, which helped the Titans remain in the game. In Week 1, the Eagles had three three-and-outs in the third quarter and punted seven times.
“I’m not sitting here saying they’re going to miss the playoffs. I’m not sitting here saying they’re scrubs,” Smith said. “I’m saying the championship team we saw from a couple years ago, there has been a precipitous drop off” compared to other NFC teams.
The Eagles schedule will also toughen up over the next few weeks, with matchups against the Chicago Bears, the Los Angeles Rams, the Carolina Panthers (who had a surprising 56-point turnaround in Week 2’s win against the Atlanta Falcons), and the hated Dallas Cowboys.
“They can absolutely win every one of those games,” Orlovsky said.
Hall of Famer Michael Irvin agreed with Orlovsky, though he differed on one point.
“Except the Cowboys game, I’m with you on that,” Irvin said.
The Eagles just keep winning under head coach Nick Sirianni. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Nick Sirianni high-stepped his way toward the tunnel after his team’s game-winning touchdown drive Sunday and celebrated with the throngs of Eagles fans who turned Nissan Stadium into an atmosphere that could have passed at times for an Eagles home game.
It wasn’t pretty, again, but the Eagles won, again. And Sirianni seems to just keep on winning.
The sixth-year Eagles coach joined an exclusive club on Sunday when his record climbed to 61-26 to raise his career winning percentage to .701. Sirianni is now the fifth coach in NFL history — with a minimum of 50 games coached — to hold a career winning percentage of .700 or higher, joining Guy Chamberlin (.784, 1922-27), John Madden (.759, 1969-78), Vince Lombardi (.738, 1959-67 and ‘69), and George Allen (.712, 1966-77).
The other four coaches are in the Hall of Fame.
Here are some other notable numbers from Sunday’s victory:
Sirianni isn’t the only one standing with Hall of Famers after Sunday. According to Elias Sports, Jalen Hurts and Hall of Famer Roger Staubach are the only quarterbacks to start their careers with six consecutive wins in road openers. Hurts is now the fifth quarterback to win six consecutive road openers, joining Hall of Famers Dan Fouts, Bart Starr, Fran Tarkenton, and Staubach.
The Eagles held the Titans to fewer than 300 yards (291). According to the Eagles, it’s the first time since 1995 they’ve held their opponents under 300 total yards in each of the first two games.
The offensive line had some issues again on Sunday, but they also allowed Hurts to have an average time to throw of 3.5 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats, the fourth-longest of his NFL career.
Dontayvion Wicks was clutch. He was targeted on five of his 12 routes on third and fourth downs, according to Next Gen, catching all five targets for 74 yards and five first downs. Those late-down plays generated +11.8 expected points added (EPA), according to Next Gen, the fifth-most by any receiver over the last two seasons.
Jake Elliott’s 58-yard kick tied the fourth-longest kick of his career and was his longest since also connecting on a 58-yarder last September in Kansas City.
Nick Sirianni celebrates after the Eagles last-second win against the Titans.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
It may sound like a back-handed compliment, but former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith praised the Eagles and Jalen Hurts for overcoming some bad turnovers and rallying to defeat the Tennessee Titans Sunday in a hot Nissan Stadium.
“You had no Saquon, no Dallas Goedert, Jalen Hurts [threw] two terrible interceptions,” Smith said Monday morning on ESPN’s Get Up. “And then they put this final drive together where they looked unbelievable… To get a W on the road when you shouldn’t have, this goes a long way from an energy standpoint.”
His ESPN colleague Domonique Foxworth wasn’t as convinced, citing the Eagles’ disappointing defense and work-in-progress offense.
“Four weeks from now we’ll look back at this game and say either it’s nice they were able to pull off this win in a game they didn’t deserve to win,” Foxworth said. “Or, we should’ve seen the alarm bells.”
The Eagles need Jalen Hurts 2.0 now more than ever
Saquon Barkley celebrates with Jalen Hurts after his game-winning touchdown pass Sunday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Jalen Hurts tossed two costly interceptions. The first was returned 92 yards and was converted into a touchdown, while the second came late in the fourth quarter and allowed the Titans to take a 20-17 lead.
And yet, Hurts wasn’t asked a single question about the picks afterward. His performance in rallying the Eagles past Tennessee, 24-20, in nearly every other moment, including a masterful two-minute drive, far overshadowed his two throwing errors.
But there was something unique about Hurts carrying the offense at the scorching Nissan Stadium on Sunday. He’s strapped the Eagles on his back before. He’s had better games against better opponents when the stakes were much higher. He’s been clutch on many previous occasions.
No, this was a different Hurts. This was the 2.0 version. This was Hurts evolving as a quarterback in a new scheme that gives him more freedom as a passer. We saw glimpses of it in Week 1 vs. the Commanders. He took another step in Week 2.
If the narrative entering this season was that the 28-year-old faced a make-it-or-break-it tipping point, after another offensive coordinator change and a seemingly unresolved contract situation, Hurts has shown through two weeks that he’s making it.
Eagles injury report: Updates on Dallas Goedert, Saquon Barkley
Saquon Barkley talks to Tank Bigsby during the second quarter.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Dallas Goedert, tight end: Goedert left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury while run blocking and did not return. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Goedert was scheduled to have an MRI Monday to assess the severity of the injury.
Saquon Barkley, running back: Barkley suffered a stinger during the Eagles’ first drive and missed the first half. He returned in the second half but ended the game with just four carries for nine yards. Barkley declined an interview request after the game, but he said he was “all right” and that the team would know more about his injury later in the week.
Jalen Carter, defensive tackle: Carter scared some fans after he was helped off the field with an apparent leg injury late in the game following a Titans field goal. After the game, he told reporters it was just a cramp in his calf and he was fine.
Tom Brady speaks to Eagles players prior to their Week 1 win against the Commanders.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
During the Cowboys’ win against the Commanders, Jayden Daniels was forced to leave the game after injuring his elbow. The footage was so gruesome it caused Tom Brady to go blue.
Brady wasn’t done. Later in the game, he used colorful language to describe a pass Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott threw to CeeDee Lamb; it was a clip Fox Sports was happy to share.
“There was no margin of error on that throw,” Brady said.
It’s possible Brady and Kevin Burkhardt could call the Eagles’ Week 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Either way the Birds will hear the future Hall of Famer on Thanksgiving day calling Eagles-Cowboys.
Eagles face the Bears in Week 3; Caleb Williams status uncertain
Bears QB Caleb Williams was knocked out of Sunday’s loss against the Vikings.Nam Y. Huh
The Eagles will take their 2-0 record north next week to face the Chicago Bears (1-1) under the lights on Monday Night Football.
The Bears could be without quarterback Caleb Williams, who was injured during a fourth-quarter run and was knocked out of the game during a 9-3 loss Sunday to the Minnesota Vikings.
While it was initially feared Williams might have hurt his knee or Achilles, the Bears announced late Sunday he hurt his right hamstring. Not ideal, but likely not a season-ending injury coaches and fans initially feared.
“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee,” Bears coach Ben Johnson told reporters after the game. “That was my first inclination, but yeah, that hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So we’ll see how bad it is, and we’ll go from there.”
Williams is scheduled to have an MRI Monday. If he can’t go, the Bears will turn to Tyson Bagent, who started four games his rookie year in 2023 but has just six pass attempts in two seasons since.
The Bears beat the Eagles 24-15 on Black Friday last season, but the Birds won their previous six games against Chicago. That include the 2018 playoff win where Bears kicker Cody Parkey’s field goal bounced off the upright as time expired.
Jalen Hurts led his 8th fourth-quarter comeback since 2023, second-most in the NFL.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
During his postgame interview with Fox sideline reporter Kristina Pink, Jalen Hurts had some choice words for Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who seemed to take a shot at Hurts earlier this week.
On Wednesday, when asked a question about the Eagles quarterback, Simmons told ESPN, “We just need to make Jalen Hurts be a QB. Stop his runs, make sure Hurts doesn’t get out of the pocket and make plays.”
The internet ran rampant with the quote, but the Eagles locker room did not seem to pay it much attention. After Sunday’s game, Simmons embraced Hurts during his interview with Pink.
“You started that s—; I had to finish it,” Hurts said to Simmons with a smile.
Drew Kendall (left) and the Eagles offensive line had its struggles on Sunday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
To some surprise, the Eagles made changes at two spots when they only needed to replace Landon Dickerson. They moved Cam Jurgens to left guard and started Drew Kendall at center. It was often ugly. But it was another shaky outing from new O-line coach Chris Kuper’s entire group. The run blocking just wasn’t sound. The pass protection was only a little better.
There was the matter of containing Jeffery Simmons. The All pro defensive tackle owned Kendall on the Eagles’ opening drive and forced Hurts to burn a throw into the ground. Kendall appeared to miss a block. The second-year O-lineman had a tough assignment, but it was a grind.
Jurgens struggled vs. Simmons and others. He got spun around by the defensive tackle on a run play in which Bigsby was stretched out for no gain. Jurgens also got knocked off balance by Titans D-tackle John Franklin-Myers in the second quarter. He was a turnstile on edge Jacob Martin’s third-down sack of Hurts in the third quarter.
Right guardTyler Steendidn’t hold up either. He got beat by D-tackle Nazir Stackhouse and later by Simmons on late second quarter runs that resulted in losses. He committed a holding penalty to open the second half. Steen got beat again on a third-down rush in the third quarter in which Hurts had to escape.
Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata were decent in pass protection, but they had breakdowns, too. Johnson struggled with his block on the play in which Barkley got hurt. He also lined up illegally early in the second half. Mailata got surprised by an outside twist by Simmons, and landed on his rear on Hurts’ touchdown throw to Smith.
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni (left) and assistant to the head coach Cole Peterson (right) dance off the field after beating the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville, Tenn. on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerEagles head coach Nick Sirianni celebrates after the Eagles beat the Tennessee Titans.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles quarterback Jalen Hurts celebrates with running back Saquon Barkley after throwing the game-winning touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles wide receiver Darius Cooper catches the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper catches a touchdown with 9 seconds left in the fourth quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni celebrates after they beat the Tennessee Titans.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerHappy Philadelphia Eagles fans after the Eagles scored a touchdown with seconds left in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles center Cam Jurgens lifts up Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper after Cooper makes the winning touchdown with seconds left in the fourth quarter. David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fan holds up a Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith jersey with seconds left in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws the football late in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter gets help coming off the field in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fan is sweating it out with the Eagles trailing 20-17 in the fourth quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon gets stopped by Tennessee Titans cornerback Marcus Harris.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith catches first down pass against Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen defends Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate with 12:50 left in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scrambles out of trouble and throws an incomplete pass with 8 seconds left in the third quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles tight end Johnny Mundt is brought down by Tennessee Titans linebacker Cody Barton in the third quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni while the Tennessee Titans are driving in the third quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun stop Tennessee Titans running back Nicholas Singleton in the third quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley pushed out of bounds by Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray in the third quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith hauls in a pass, but it was incomplete during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott watches his long field goal in the third quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley running with the ball in the third quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles defensive tackle Ty Robinson (left) and Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (right) try to block a field goal as time runs out in the first half against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, Tenn.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun brings down Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor after Titans’ drive to the end zone late in the second quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith celebrates a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley runs along the sideline with Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor defending.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fans cheer as the Eagles drive towards the end zone.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles head of security Big Dom DiSandro stops Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts as he is running out of bounds so he doesn’t hurt himself in the second quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby runs with the football during the second quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby celebrate Bigsby’s touchdown in the second quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks gets a first-down catch passed Tennessee Titans linebacker Cody Barton and Tennessee Titans linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. in the first quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerTennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker intercepts the ball from Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in the first quarter and runs it just short of the end zone.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith gets a first down pass with Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor defending in the first quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Britain Covey returns the first punt of the game, defended by Tennessee Titans safety Erick Hallett, in the first quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fans get ready for the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
UNITED NATIONS — Under a global cloud of wars and bitter divisions, world leaders meet at the United Nations this week facing new fears that runaway artificial intelligence could threaten humanity even as climate shocks and escalating prices are already making life much tougher for hundreds of millions of people.
The annual high-level gathering at the U.N. General Assembly will also be consumed with major wars in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine,Sudan, Congo and Myanmar and a persisting question: Can the leaders do anything to end them?
And what can they do about the relentless rise of global warming threatening the future of the planet, the growing inequalities within and among nations, and shocks to the global economy as blocked shipping routes and supply chains increase the cost of living and slow growth?
The future of the United Nations will also definitely be on the agenda. At 81, its powers are still the victorious nations from World War II, not the 21st century’s major global players. The U.N.’s 193 member nations have agreed to a wide-ranging reform package that includes updating key institutions such as the powerful U.N. Security Council, where the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France hold inordinate sway because of their veto power. Reform, however, is easier said than implemented.
Behind the scenes, there will be speculation about who will lead the United Nations next. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ second five-year term ends Dec. 31 and no clear successor has emerged.
This meeting is still pivotal
There is still no question that the U.N. remains THE gathering place for its 193 member nations and their leaders. Some 130 heads of state and government are expected to speak at the General Assembly starting Tuesday along with dozens of ministers.
Among the headliners will be U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emanuel Macron. Both will speak Tuesday after Guterres’ opening “state of the world” address. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian speak Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — whom New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani wanted arrested for his treatment of Palestinians in Gaza until he learned he has no such authority — will address the assembly on Thursday. For a second year, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas won’t be coming to the U.N. because the U.S. has refused to give him a visa. He will nonetheless address the assembly by video the same day.
The United States, under its agreement with the U.N. to host the organization, is required to allow diplomats from all member nations to attend meetings.
Equally telling is who else isn’t coming. China’s President Xi Jinping is meeting Trump in Washington on Wednesday, yet he is skipping — some diplomats say snubbing — the U.N. gathering and sending a vice president instead. Russian President Vladimir Putin isn’t coming either, and Indian President Narendra Modi has backed out.
France’s U.N. ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, said it is “extremely critical” for world leaders this week to support the U.N. as the place where the world’s nations meet — especially at a time of such polarization.
“We believe in multilateralism,” he said, ”and we believe that the high-level week is the occasion for countries in the world to reaffirm that they prefer cooperation and dialogue to confrontation.”
United Nations has not had a great year
There is no doubt it’s been a tough year for the world body. It has been pushed to the sidelines when it comes to its key responsibility of ensuring international peace and security and trying to end major conflicts in the Mideast and Ukraine. The U.S. failure to pay billions of dollars in outstanding arrears has left the organization’s finances in rocky shape.
But veteran U.N. watcher Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group’s global issues and institutions program director, says 2025 was even worse.
A year ago, he said, people were contemplating that Trump would use his U.N. speech to announce that the United States would leave the world organization. Trump didn’t announce a pullout last September and the U.N. muddled through the past 12 months with financial troubles that forced cutbacks to its peacekeeping operations and humanitarian aid.
In recent days, the U.S. paid $725 million of its dues to the U.N.’s regular operating budget for this year, enough to keep the Trump administration from losing its vote in the General Assembly. The payment was a strong indication Trump will keep the U.S. in the United Nations.
The U.N. is no longer “in freefall,” Gowan said, but it “is stuck in an open-ended or permanent crisis.” Put more graphically, he said, “The U.N. may not be in emergency care like it was last year, but it does seem to be trapped in a trauma center for the foreseeable future.”
Former U.N. deputy secretary-general Mark Malloch-Brown, a United Nations Foundation board member, said, “While the world still trusts the U.N., the global public is eager for change.”
AI is pushing toward the center of the agenda
The future of artificial intelligence has pushed to the forefront of global concerns, with its speeding advances and the dawning recognition that there are no industry controls, let alone any global guardrails for a technology that has many advantages but also many disadvantages and unknowns.
The U.N. Security Council added a high-level meeting on AI to its agenda on Wednesday afternoon, a sign of the growing apprehension and need to address the issue. It was already slated to hold a high-level meeting on Ukraine with Zelenskyy on Wednesday morning.
For the U.N. chief, this will be his last assembly meeting with global leaders. He previewed his speech last week, telling U.N. reporters that power is shifting in “an era of deep uncertainty.”
“At a time when the world faces three existential threats,” he said, “international cooperation is more necessary than ever.”
Others will be vying for the spotlight on issues from rising sea levels and funding education to the fight for gender equality. Hundreds of private meetings will also convene in U.N. cubicles, hotels, diplomatic missions and restaurants.
Esther Brimmer, a senior fellow in global governance at the Council on Foreign Relations and former U.S. assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs in the Obama administration, said in-person meetings can help countries hash out ideas that get implemented months later.
She called the situation in 2026 “much more serious and complex than in decades past.”
“With that said, I’m also not without hope as well,” Brimmer said. “Over the past decades we’ve learned a lot about international cooperation.”
Major television networks will halt TV coverage of presidential events, according to a memo obtained by the Washington Post, over the White House’s ban of CNN — which was barred alongside MS NOW and Politico in recent days — while the three news organizations have said they’re suing the government, alleging violations of their constitutional rights.
“This is to advise that, effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President,” Bryan Boughton, the Fox News Washington bureau chief and chairperson of the TV pool, wrote in a memo to the White House press corps that was obtained by the Post.
“This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place. All other pool coverage will continue as normal, including Congress, VIPs, and selected events in Washington and around the country.”
In a joint statement Monday, the five members of the rotating TV pool wrote: “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
The banned outlets released a statement Monday saying they would be filing suit: “This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes. Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting. Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
The complaint, which was filed in federal district court in Washington, alleges violations of the news outlets’ First Amendment free press rights and Fifth Amendment due process rights. They are asking for an expedited hearing from a judge.
Trump said Friday he would ban MS NOW, CNN, and Politico from the White House, saying he disliked how they covered him. “They’re fake news,” he said. The following day, the organizations said that their journalists had been denied access to the White House grounds and that their press passes were confiscated.
Trump addressed the bans Monday in a post on Truth Social.
“The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish,” he wrote. “It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America. It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW!” When asked for comment, the White House referred the Post to this post on Truth Social.
White House reporters for each of the outlets — MS NOW’s Akayla Gardner, CNN’s Betsy Klein, and Politico’s Cheyenne Haslett — are also plaintiffs in the suit. Trump, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House communications director Steven Cheung, and Secret Service Director Sean M. Curran are named as defendants in their government capacities.
The plaintiffs, represented by First Amendment lawyer Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., are asking a federal judge to strike down the ban as unconstitutional and restore the outlets’ access.
In a statement, Boutrous called the ban “a direct assault on the First Amendment and a blatant violation of due process” and said the law is on the plaintiffs’ side.
CNN, MS NOW, and Politico have received nearly unanimous support from fellow news organizations as well as press advocacy organizations in recent days. White House Correspondents’ Association President Jacqui Heinrich, a Fox News reporter, wrote in a statement Saturday that the bans violate the First Amendment and called upon the White House to restore the reporters’ access.
“The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably,” she said.
The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University said it plans to support the news outlets in court. Jameel Jaffer, the group’s executive director, said the bans constitute “an attack both on press freedom and the public’s right to independent information about the government.”
During his first administration, Trump banned CNN reporter Jim Acosta and later Playboy reporter Brian Karem from the White House, though both were allowed back after they sued the government. Those cases, along with a 1977 case involving Robert Sherrill of the Nation, were highlighted in the new complaint.
CNN’s ban in particular has created logistical hurdles for the news media. The network is one of five poolers — along with ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News — that rotate primary responsibility of covering the president with television cameras. The White House removed the network from its schedule Monday, presumably leaving the president without designated TV cameras filming him during his trip to the United Nations in New York.
The pool is a way for the networks to split the hefty costs of following the president around with TV cameras. The assigned network records and distributes a live feed that other news outlets can use. Without a TV pooler, there will be scant video coverage of Trump unless news outlets take their own video or use feeds provided by the White House.
The Associated Press reported that Trump showed off his new White House helicopter landing pad on Monday, attempting to brush aside the First Amendment firestorm even as major television networks kept their cameras away in protest of CNN being banned from the grounds.
A light drizzle fell on the South Lawn as Trump used oversized gold scissors to cut a red, white and blue ribbon. He then exchanged handshakes with officials and with some members of a construction crew wearing green smocks and hardhats — seeking to portray business as usual.
If he had words to mark the occasion, however, it was impossible to hear them over the noise of his waiting helicopter. Normally, TV network crews work to capture clearer audio.
Trump also didn’t answer reporters’ shouted questions before climbing aboard Marine One for an eventual flight to New York. Instead, he wrote on his social media site, “We are just leaving the White House Lawn on the maiden voyage from the newly built, and very beautiful, Heliport!”
Trump has long crowed about how the new helipad — featuring extensive granite that he boasts will have a “million-year life,” as well as a large insignia reading the “Seal of the President of the United States” — would impress Chinese President Xi Jinping, who arrives Wednesday for a state visit.
He’s been focused on wowing Xi even as he decried Democrats as communists in an attempt to help Republicans retain control of Congress in upcoming midterm elections. But his effort to curb access for media outlets to the White House has overshadowed Trump’s pet building projects and Xi’s visit.
Igniting constitutional questions over media access also eclipsed the reason Trump was lifting off from the helipad — the annual trip to attend the United Nations General Assembly beginning today.
