The Philadelphia Inquirer
‘Seeing my dad cry’: Inside a Jefferson student’s Match Day
All eyes were on the envelope in Kevin Carolina’s hands, as he huddled with his parents, girlfriend, and physician mentors. The 26- year- old from Piscataway, N. J., had dreamed about this moment since high school, when he learned there were fewer...
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As Iran hits more oil sites, Israel says it will stop attacking gas field
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran intensified its attacks on oil and natural gas facilities around the Persian Gulf on Thursday, raising the stakes in a war that is sending shock waves through energy markets and the global economy. The strikes, in...
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Widow to troopers: Continue your efforts of ‘protection with integrity’
Hundreds of law enforcement officers from across Pennsylvania and beyond filled a Chester County church on Wednesday to honor State Police Cpl. Timothy O’connor, gathering in a solemn show of tribute to a fallen trooper remembered for his steadiness,...
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Top Iranian officials ‘eliminated’ in overnight airstrikes by Israel
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel said Tuesday it killed two senior Iranian security officials in overnight strikes in a major blow to the country’s leadership. Iran, which so far confirmed one killing, fired salvos of missiles and drones at its...
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European leaders seek clarity about Trump’s plans for ending Iran war
BRUSSELS — European countries on Monday sought more details about U. S. President Donald Trump’s plans for the war on Iran and warned that NATO must not become involved in it, as they weighed whether to agree to his call to send warships to help shore...
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Dancing
This was Fran Mccaffery in the aftermath of Penn’s 88- 84 overtime victory in the Ivy League tournament championship Sunday at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N. Y.: bespectacled and placid and content to be heading back to the NCAA Tournament for the 13th...
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Shapiro’s focus on faith
With a large illustration of a menorah towering behind him, Gov. Josh Shapiro spoke in a thundering voice as he urged a crowd of thousands of Jewish teens from around the world to speak out, seek change, and be proud of their faith. “Hear me on this:...
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Blast rocks Tehran after Israel warned about rally
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A large explosion rocked a central square in Iran’s capital where thousands were gathered Friday for an annual state- organized rally to support the Palestinians and call for Israel’s demise. Israel had warned that it...
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Parker touts her $ 7B budget plan as catalyst for ‘economic mobility’
Since taking office, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has treated her 2023 campaign slogan — to make Philadelphia the “safest, cleanest, and greenest big city in the nation with access the economic opportunity for all” — as a to- do list for her...
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Iran’s attacks on ships, oil facilities heighten global energy concerns
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran fired upon commercial ships on Wednesday and targeted Dubai International Airport, escalating a campaign of bottling up the oilrich Persian Gulf as global energy concerns mounted and American and Israeli airstrikes...
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U. S. and Iran escalate threats as war rages with no end in sight
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s attacks on oil infrastructure and pledges to choke off a vital waterway left markets on edge Tuesday as the United States promised blistering new strikes. The war entered its 11th day with no end in sight as its...
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Bucks pair say ISIS inspired N. Y. bomb threat
Two Bucks County men arrested for attempting to detonate homemade bombs at a protest outside Gracie Mansion in Manhattan over the weekend said they were inspired by ISIS, court documents show. Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were charged with...
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A new leader for Iran, new targets for attacks
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran’s late supreme leader, has been named his successor, Iranian state TV announced Sunday, as the nineday war that began with his father’s killing took a dramatic turn. The younger Khamenei had...
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Trump says he blames school strike on Iran
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Iran war exploded further late Saturday as pillars of flame rose above an oil storage facility in Tehran and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised “many surprises” for the next phase of the week-old...
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Former Democratic presidents pay tribute to Jesse Jackson
CHICAGO — From former presidents to an NBA Hall of Famer to prominent church pastors, stories of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.’ s influence on politics, corporate boardrooms, and picket lines loomed large Friday at a celebration honoring the late civil...
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Trump wants a say on Iran’s next leader
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — President Donald Trump said Thursday he should be involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader as the U. S. and Israel hammered the country for a sixth day. Iran kept up retaliatory attacks on Israel, American bases,...
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CONSULTANT KEPT WORKING AS FRAUD CLAIMS PILED UP
Philadelphia congressional candidate Chris Rabb is one of many people who say Yolanda Brown owes them money. But none of them have been able to find her. And the allegations of impropriety against the political consultant are piling up. Last month,...
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Death toll nears 800 in Iran war
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel said it launched airstrikes against Iranian missile launchers and a nuclear research site Tuesday, and Iran struck back against Israel and across the Gulf region, targeting U. S. embassies and disrupting energy...
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War’s scope, timeline expand as death toll, destruction grow
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel and the United States pounded Iran on Monday in a campaign that U. S. President Donald Trump said would likely take several weeks. Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel, Gulf states, and targets critical to...
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Iran vows revenge as the war widens
President Donald Trump launched Saturday’s wide- ranging attack on Iran after a weekslong lobbying effort by an unusual pair of U. S. allies in the Middle East — Israel and Saudi Arabia — according to four people familiar with the matter, as Israeli...
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U.S. AND ISRAEL ATTACK IRAN
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the United States, President Donald Trump said Saturday on social media. Trump said his death is “the single...
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New plans for Philly’s largest office complex
When it opened in 1974, the connected concrete towers of Centre Square boasted the most office space in Philadelphia, at over 1.7 million square feet. Over 51 years later, the Brutalist behemoth still holds that title. But probably not for much...
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After outcry, two Philly schools would stay open under revised plan
Two of the 20 Philadelphia schools originally targeted for closure under Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr.’ s facilities plan have been spared and will remain open. Conwell Middle School in Kensington and Motivation High in Southwest Philadelphia...
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Point of Pride
Gov. Josh Shapiro — with ( from left) Mark Segal, Philadelphia Gay News founder; City Councilmembers Rue Landau and Mark Squilla; and Anne Ryan, Pennsylvania deputy secretary of tourism — celebrates the opening of the Philadelphia Pride Visitor Center,...
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Jesse and Matt Ito’s big Japan adventure
TOKYO — You have to wake up early in the morning to catch the world’s largest fish market at its peak. You also need to keep your head on a swivel. “Careful here! These drivers can be crazy!” said our market escort, yanking me back from a warehouse...
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Trump slams Supreme Court after stinging defeat on tariffs
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s far- reaching global tariffs on Friday, handing him a stinging loss that sparked a furious attack on the court he helped shape. Trump said he was “absolutely ashamed” of some justices...
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Embattled displays on slavery are restored at President’s House
Almost a month after abruptly dismantling exhibits about slavery from the President’s House Site, National Park Service employees began reinstalling the panels late Thursday morning ahead of a court- imposed deadline. Just before 11 a. m., four park...
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A sign of faith
In Washington Square Park, Jess Torres ( right) receives ashes from the Rev. Sarah Hedgis- Kligerman, associate rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, for Ash Wednesday. The Society Hill church took part in the national “Ashes To Go” movement to mark...
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Civil rights leader kept hope — and King’s dream — alive
CHICAGO — The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, a protégé of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two- time presidential candidate who led the Civil Rights Movement for decades after the revered leader’s assassination, died Tuesday. He was 84. As a young...
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Judge orders National Park Service to restore President’s House exhibits
A federal judge ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to restore the slavery exhibits that the National Park Service removed from the President’s House last month. U. S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe issued a ruling Monday requiring the...
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‘ Cancel culture’ monitor now a Trump adversary
The sleek, modern offices of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, sit on the southernmost edge of Independence Square. The enormous glass windows of a conference room called the Marketplace — a nod to the “marketplace of ideas”...
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A South Jersey man, a rare infection, and a diagnosis that came too late
Each night, Louis-Hunter Kean spiked a fever as high as 104.5. He would sweat through bedsheets and shiver uncontrollably. By morning, his fever would ease but his body still ached; even his jaw hurt. He had been sick like this for months. Doctors near...
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Still grieving her brother’s death, a woman mourns for her slain son
In December, Katrina Williams watched as the man who killed her brother was sentenced to decades in prison and felt, she said, as if a two- year nightmare was coming to an end. But weeks later, another shooting took the life of her only...
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Images on Ukrainian athlete’s helmet lead to his disqualification
MILAN — A Ukrainian skeleton athlete was barred from competing at the Winter Olympics just hours before his race Thursday after he refused to remove a helmet honoring compatriots killed in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is the latest twist in a...
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Bondi, Democrats clash in furious back- and- forth over Epstein saga
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Pam Bondi launched into a wide- ranging, passionate defense of President Donald Trump, repeatedly shouting at Democrats during a combative hearing in which she postured herself as the Republican’s chief protector and tried...
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ICE chief defends mass deportation campaign
Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Todd M. Lyons sparred with Democratic lawmakers who accused his agency of functioning like a violent secret police force at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing Tuesday. He vowed to press...
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Slow to melt, quick to anger: Philly’s winter parking woes
By the time Taylor Schuler finally freed their car, they were exhausted. It had taken five hours across two days, hacking at the wall of ice encasing their Prius’ bumper, shoveling piles of frozen snow off the tires, to complete the job. As the sun set...
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Golden moment
Breezy Johnson flashes a smile with the gold medal she won in the women’s downhill in Cortina d’ampezzo, Italy, on Sunday. Teammate Lindsey Vonn broke her leg in her race and was airlifted off the mountain.
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Accordion player learned value of focus as kicker for Temple, NFL
Don Bitterlich’s Chevy Caprice was loaded with everything he needed for his gig that night at an Italian restaurant in Northeast Philly: an accordion, a speaker, and a pair of black slacks. He learned to play the accordion as a 7-year-old in Olney...
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From Milan to mountains, the far- flung Games begin
MILAN, Italy — Featuring tributes to da Vinci and Dante, Puccini and Pausini, Armani and Fellini, pasta and vino, and other iconic tastes of Italian culture — plus Mariah Carey hitting all the high notes in “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu” aka “Volare” — an...
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A city law unmasking ICE agents would face legal hurdles, experts say
One of the lasting images of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign will be the masks worn by federal immigration agents. The widespread use of facial coverings by U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers is among the suite of...
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How snowstorm response could play out for Parker
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker often says she isn’t a fan of “Monday- morning quarterbacks” and “expert AOPS” — her shorthand for so- called articulators of problems who don’t offer solutions. Now she has a city full of them. After a heavy snowfall followed...
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Shapiro stresses affordability as he outlines $ 53.2B state budget plan
HARRISBURG — Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday unveiled a $ 53.2 billion state budget that focuses on making Pennsylvania a more affordable place to live — while proposing a 6.2% spending increase over last year and renewing his pitches to create new...
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A judicial inspection
Judge Cynthia Rufe ( center) visits the President’s House in Independence National Historical Park on Monday while hearing the Parker administration’s suit to have President Trump’s administration restore the slavery panels the National Park Service...
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Former DA’S jail ministry
He walked toward the cellblock in Riverside Correctional Facility, pulling a cart of books behind him. For a moment, it was quiet. The only sounds that echoed off the jail’s cinder block walls were the squeaks of his cart’s wheels. But as a heavy...
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Signs of resistance: Protest art springs up at President’s House
The resistance was born on a Friday morning at the Gen. George A. McCall School photocopy machine. The copier spat the message out on yellow, purple, and orange paper — page after page amplifying the same sentiment scrawled on each in big black...
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DOJ opens civil rights probe into Pretti death
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting of Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis resident killed Saturday by Border Patrol officers, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday. “We’re looking...
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As Philly temps approach zero hour, coastal ‘bomb’ could sock the Shore
It remains uncertain whether a fresh layer of frosting will coat the hardening and tenacious snowpack, but evidently that street-congesting frozen mass isn’t exiting in the near future. As of Thursday afternoon, it appeared that a potent coastal storm...
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Residents’ frustrations mount as Philly’s snow clearing is slow going
More than three days after the last bit of snow descended upon Philadelphia, the widespread complaints about the conditions of secondary and tertiary streets have reached a fever pitch. The Philadelphia Streets Department has tried to quell the...
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ICE tactics in Minn. spark political firestorm
In Philadelphia, lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled legislation that would institute some of the nation’s toughest limits on federal immigration-enforcement operations. In Harrisburg, a top Democrat floated making Pennsylvania a so-called sanctuary state...
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Philly enters a deep freeze
For the Philly region Monday it wasn’t so much a matter of digging out from the heftiest snowfall in a decade, it was more like a chipping, shaving, scraping, expletive-inducing, and ice-chunk hurling operation. Public transportation appeared to be...
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Man killed in clash with officers in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS — Federal immigration officers shot and killed a man Saturday in Minneapolis, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigidly cold streets in a city already shaken by another fatal shooting weeks earlier. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian...
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Philly, U.S. brace for weekend storm, even as FEMA backtracks on cuts
Philadelphia could experience more snow this weekend than it did during the entire winter of 2024-25, but the forecast updates Friday suggested that may not be the worst of the storm’s offerings. In issuing a profoundly predictable winter storm...
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Philly sues after slavery exhibits taken down at President’s House
The National Park Service dismantled exhibits about slavery at the President’s House Site in Independence National Historical Park, provoking a lawsuit from Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration. The President’s House, which serves...
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Philly Art Museum’s new director looking to move past the turmoil
If the question of who gets to call the shots at the Philadelphia Art Museum was a major source of friction between its former chief and board and staff, the museum’s new director and CEO arrives as something of a salve. Eight weeks on the job, Daniel...
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Sworn in as N.J. governor, Sherrill moves on utility rates, slams Trump
NEWARK, N.J. — Mikie Sherrill was sworn in as New Jersey governor Tuesday, becoming the second woman to govern the state and the first from the Democratic Party. Sherrill, who is also the first female veteran from either party to be elected to the...
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At a farm in N. Philly on MLK Day, planting seeds for the future
Chris Meyers, 67, was planting onion seeds Monday in the warmth of a large greenhouse near North 24th and Berks Streets for Sanctuary Farm Phila’s first ever Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. The onions will be transplanted when the time is...
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A resolve to protect cemetery after thefts
Past a marble monument for a Civil War hero, down a grass path where toppled headstones disappear into ivy and weeds and faded miniature American flags droop, lies the underground vault of James Campbell, who died in 1913 and whose remains may have...
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Big lights, big Ben
The Franklin Institute will debut a new “immersive multimedia show” Saturday called Franklin’s Spark that is projected onto the 82-foot-high domed ceiling of the museum’s Franklin National Memorial.
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Avenue of the Arts breaks ground on ambitious $150M streetscape
Lush landscaping and public art will soon line Broad Street, impromptu performances may pop up, and vehicular traffic will be calmed with a new Avenue of the Arts south streetscape about to take shape. The project — estimated to take $150 million and...
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A mother’s grief from two shootings: One son killed, another son arrested
Two mass shootings, just years apart, forever altered Nyshyia Thomas’ life. In July 2023, her 15-year-old son, Dajuan Brown, was shot and killed when a mentally ill man dressed in body armor gunned down five people at random on the streets of...
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Trump’s DOJ terminated funding for violence prevention groups
In Kensington, a program to mitigate street violence was hitting its stride. After joining the New Kensington Community Development Corporation in 2023, outreach coordinators with Cure Violence began responding to shootings in the neighborhood,...
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Woman, 72, released from prison after half a century behind bars
For the first time in more than half a century, Marie Scott is free. Scott, 72, who served more than 52 years in prison for felony murder, was released from custody on Wednesday after Gov. Josh Shapiro commuted her life sentence in June. Despite...
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Divisions define United States on 5th anniversary of Jan. 6 riot
WASHINGTON — Five years ago outside the White House, outgoing President Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters to head to the Capitol — “and I’ll be there with you” — in protest as Congress was affirming the 2020 election victory for Democrat Joe...
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Maduro says ‘I was captured’ as he pleads not guilty to drug trafficking
NEW YORK — A defiant Nicolás Maduro declared himself “the president of my country” as he protested his capture and pleaded not guilty Monday to federal drug trafficking charges that the Trump administration used to justify removing him from power in...
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In Venezuela, Rubio will find a different challenge
Marco Rubio has held many titles during Donald Trump’s presidency. He may have just acquired his most challenging one yet: Viceroy of Venezuela. The secretary of state, national security adviser, acting archivist, and administrator of the now-defunct...
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TRUMP SEIZES MADURO, VOWS TO RUN VENEZUELA
President Donald Trump on Saturday demonstrated how expansively he is willing to exert U.S. power abroad, removing a foreign leader who had not threatened military force against America and declaring that Washington could assume long-term control in...
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2026 Mummers Parade: High winds, high spirits
With sequins and glitter, music and pageantry, the nation’s oldest folk parade strutted through downtown Philadelphia on Thursday, delighting thousands who lined Broad Street despite fierce, damaging, and bitter winds. Over 125 years, there have been...
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A bridge to 2026
Spectators gather to watch the fireworks show over the Delaware River on New Year’s Eve at Penn’s Landing, looking toward the Ben Franklin Bridge. Across the globe, the world greeted 2026, often in a subdued or defiant mood.
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As Russia’s bloody war with Ukraine grinds on, its social fabric is fraying
OLKHOVATKA, Russia — The bus from the front lines ground to a halt outside the roadside kitchen, and the soldiers on board limped out into the winter mud. Most were missing feet or a leg. A water bottle filled with blood swung precariously from a...
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A little Fancy footwork
At the Mummers Museum in South Philadelphia, Joe Rita (right) with the Clevemore Fancy Brigade borrows a mannequin decked out in prizewinning regalia. The outfit, sported by 2025 first-prize captain Thomas Dougherty with the Saturnalian Fancy Brigade,...
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