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PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the state can enforce its long-dormant law criminalizing all abortions except when a mother’s life is at stake.
The case examined whether the state is still subject to a law that predates Arizona’s statehood. The 1864 law provides no exceptions for rape or incest, but allows abortions if a mother’s life is in danger. The state’s high court ruling reviewed a 2022 decision by the state Court of Appeals that said doctors couldn’t be charged for performing the procedure in the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.
An older court decision blocked enforcing the 1864 law shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court issued the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing a constitutional right to an abortion. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, then state Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, persuaded a state judge in Tucson to lift the block on enforcing the 1864 law. Brnovich’s Democratic successor, Attorney General Kris Mayes, had urged the state’s high court to side with the Court of Appeals and hold the 1864 law in abeyance. “Today’s decision to reimpose a law from a time when Arizona wasn’t a state, the Civil War was raging, and women couldn’t even vote will go down in history as a stain on our state,” Mayes said Tuesday.
The justices said the state can start enforcing the law in 14 days.
Using less salt in your food may seem boring, but the payoffs could be as big as a lowered risk of death, new research has found.
Using a salt substitute when cooking was linked with a lower risk of dying early from any cause or from cardiovascular disease in a new study published Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
“We are excited to be able to provide evidence that salt substitutions are effective for improving cardiovascular outcomes when used long-term, up to 10 years,” said the study’s senior author Dr. Loai Albarqouni, an assistant professor at the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare at Bond University in Australia. “Previous synthesis tended to focus on short-term outcomes, lasting only two weeks.”
The study is a systematic review of 16 randomized controlled trials that were published before August 23, 2023, and totaled 35,251 participants who were around age 64 on average and had a higher-than-average risk for cardiovascular disease. The trials were mainly in China, with the rest in the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Peru, the Netherlands and Norway.
With two-thirds of the findings coming from China, the authors “were surprised at how little salt substitution research has been conducted outside Asian countries,” Albarqouni said. “This is partially why we have graded the evidence as ‘low to very low certainty’ for Western populations – there simply isn’t enough evidence to verify that salt substitutes would be as effective in the Western context.”
Salt substitution was also linked with a reduction in sodium in urine, and in blood pressure, an effect similar to that of blood pressure medications, the authors found. That could explain the lowered risk of death, Albarqouni said.
The authors acknowledged that in the trials, some of the salt substitutes were not verified and some were purchased by the participants instead of given to them by researchers.
The trials compared the use of common salt – made of about 100% sodium chloride, occasionally with added iodine – with using a salt substitute comprised of 25% to 30% potassium chloride and 60% to 75% sodium chloride.
Another reason why applying the findings to a Western context is difficult is that salt consumption patterns in North America are “driven by processed and takeaway food, while consumption in the research context is more driven by the high amount of salt added during home food preparation,” Albarqouni said.
“This is not the strongest study to base a lot of conclusions on at this point,” said Dr. Andrew Freeman, a preventative cardiologist and director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver. “But it adds to the body of evidence and the signal in the noise that getting rid of sodium salt in your diet is a big plus and getting potassium in your diet is better,”
And “while we know potassium is beneficial, salt is salt,” Freeman, who wasn’t involved in the study, added. “If it’s sodium chloride or potassium chloride or magnesium chloride, it’s all salt. And the best way to get potassium in your body is to eat fruits and vegetables – that’s where potassium is most plentiful.”
Lowering your salt intake
The American Heart Association’s ideal daily sodium limit is 1,500 milligrams per day for most adults, especially those with high blood pressure, and no more than 2,300 milligrams daily.
“If the majority of your food intake is coming from packaged or restaurant food, chances are your sodium intake is too high,” Albarqouni said via email. “There are a few physical signs you may be eating too much sodium, like bloating or swelling, tiredness, high blood pressure, increased thirst and/or urination.”
If you’re concerned about your intake, you can seek medical or nutrition advice from a professional, Albarqouni added.
When buying packaged food, check the sodium content on labels. Some foods can contain more sodium than you think, such as poultry or cereals, Freeman said. One standard-size pickle typically has around 1,500 milligrams of salt, he added.
Besides lowering salt consumption by simply eliminating salt in your home cooking, you can also try purchasing salt substitutes with a composition like the ones used in the study or using salt-free seasonings to add more flavor to food instead, experts said.
The authors acknowledged that more research is needed to confirm whether salt substitution of the study’s kind is safe for patients “sensitive to micronutrient manipulation,” including those sensitive to potassium – such as people with renal deficiency, they said.
Food with less salt may taste boring at first, but your tastebuds can adjust within just a couple of weeks, Freeman said, so give yourself time to adjust.
“It’s also important to remember that reducing sodium intake is just one way to reduce cardiovascular risk without medication,” Albarqouni said. “Things like diet changes, stopping smoking and increasing movement can also have an impact. Salt substitutes are not a holy grail to eliminating cardiovascular disease, but are one piece of the puzzle that can help.”
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While millions of people gawked at the skies for an eclipse experience Monday, teams of scientists were running experiments behind the scenes. Edmund Nowak, professor and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware, joins CBS News to discuss his research.
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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday announced the rollout of a student debt forgiveness proposal that the White House believes is narrowly targeted enough to survive legal challenges.
The plan, if finalized, would include a one-time cancellation of all accrued interest for 23 million borrowers. It would also cancel the full amount of student loan debt for 4 million borrowers and provide more than 10 million borrowers with at least $5,000 in student debt relief.
The president will unveil the Department of Education proposed regulations during a speech in Madison, Wisconsin, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on a call Sunday.
The announcement comes seven months ahead of the November elections, in which student debt forgiveness remains a key issue for voters, especially younger ones. Some of those younger voters who back a ceasefire have been turned off by the administration’s support of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
The proposed rule will be released in the coming months, and the Biden administration expects some provisions, such as the interest cancellation, could be implemented as early as this fall, Jean-Pierre said.
“President Biden will use every tool available to cancel student loan debt for as many borrowers as possible, no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stand in his way,” she said.
A fresh legal fight likely
The proposal is likely to face legal challenges, similar to the battle that engulfed Biden’s original student debt forgiveness plan. The Supreme Court struck it down last year when it was challenged in lawsuits backed by six Republican-led states — Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina.
Senior administration officials told reporters that the Biden administration carefully studied the Supreme Court’s opinion last year, which turned aside the administration’s argument that Education Secretary Miguel Cardona had the legal authority under the HEROES Act to enact a one-time student debt relief plan of up to $20,000 for some borrowers.
A senior administration official said the new proposals “address specific situations and specific populations in ways that we feel very confident are covered by what the secretary’s long-standing authority under (the Higher Education Act) allows him to do, and we’re confident that we’re acting within the scope of the law, as set forth by the Supreme Court.”
After the Supreme Court ruling, Biden directed the Department of Education to take a more targeted route to provide student debt relief through the Higher Education Act in anticipation of legal challenges.
“The negotiated rulemaking process is how we change and improve our higher education policies,” Cardona said to reporters Sunday, adding that the Department of Education is moving to quickly finalize the proposals.
While the rulemaking process can take months or years, Cardona has the ability to designate provisions for early implementation, a senior administration official said.
The new plan builds on several student debt relief programs the Biden administration already has rolled out, such as the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan, known as the SAVE plan, or any other income-driven repayment plans. For the SAVE plan, borrowers who make monthly payments are not charged accrued interest; payments are based on a borrower’s income and family size; and the plan forgives balances after a set number of years.
Under the proposed regulations, there would be a one-time cancellation of up to $20,000 of unpaid interest regardless of a borrower’s income level. Low-and-middle-income borrowers enrolled in any Department of Education income-driven repayment plan would be eligible to have the entire amount of their interest accrued balance canceled. Eligibility would apply to single borrowers who earn $120,000 or less and married borrowers who earn $240,000 or less.
The Biden administration estimates that 25 million borrowers would benefit from some type of interest cancellation.
“The interest forgiveness is currently crafted as a one-time benefit for example, but going forward, borrowers will benefit from substantially more favorable treatment through the SAVE program,” a senior administration official said.
The plan would also automatically cancel debt for borrowers eligible for that forgiveness under the SAVE, Public Service Loan Forgiveness or other programs like the closed school loan discharge who have not yet applied for those programs.
The Department of Education would also be able to use its own data to identify those borrowers who would be eligible for student loan debt forgiveness, but have yet to apply. The Biden administration estimates that this would cancel debt for about 2 million borrowers.
20 years of loan repayments
Under the proposed plan, borrowers who began repayment of their undergraduate student loans 20 years ago, and borrowers who began repayment of their graduate loans 25 years ago, would have their student loan debt canceled. Those borrowers would need to be on an income-driven repayment plan in order to qualify for that relief.
The plan also aims to cancel debt for borrowers who enrolled in low-financial-value-programs, which means the total cost of attending exceeded the financial benefits.
Borrowers who attended institutions or programs that lost eligibility to participate in the federal student aid program or were denied recertification would be eligible to have their student loans canceled. And borrowers who attended those institutions that either closed or failed to provide “sufficient value” would be eligible for relief.
Cardona added that this could include some career training programs that have “taken advantage” of borrowers, or institutions that have an unusually high student loan debt default rate.
The plan would also provide relief for borrowers who are experiencing some sort of hardship in their daily lives that creates a barrier to paying back loans. Some of those financial hardships would include medical debt or child care.
While the administration is aiming for this debt relief to be immediate, a senior administration official said that some additional information would be required for the borrowers who qualify under the hardship relief.
“Our goal is for the overwhelming majority of things like interest, loans that are older, borrowers (who) attended programs that didn’t deliver financial value, to do that all automatically,” the senior administration official said.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kim Lyons for questions: info@penncapital-star.com. Follow Pennsylvania Capital-Star on Facebook and Twitter.
Winners of the Pa. lottery have up to a year from the date of the drawing to claim their prize, but the sooner the better because it could take over a month to receive your check.
Didn’t get all the numbers? You may still have a chance to win something.
The Pennsylvania Lottery reminds people to check your tickets every time because even if it’s not the “jackpot,” you could still win some money.
For Friday’s drawing, more than 33,000 Mega Millions players won prizes of various amounts, including over 7,100 tickets that were purchased with “Megaplier.”
Following this drawing, the new estimated annuity value of the Mega Millions jackpot is now $97 million or $45 million in cash for the next drawing set for April 9.
Tickets are available for purchase online or by visiting a retailer who sells lottery tickets.
BONIFAY, Fla. (AP) — A woman checked out of a Florida hotel and told staff that she was going on a God-directed shooting spree because of the solar eclipse, then shot two drivers on Interstate 10 before being arrested and charged with attempted murder Monday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Taylon Nichelle Celestine, 22, of Georgia, entered the highway 115 miles from the Alabama border in the Florida Panhandle and headed west.
Within 5 miles, she fired into a passing car several times, spraying auto glass and grazing the driver in the arm, the department said in a statement.
She then fired at a second vehicle, hitting the driver in the neck. The driver was injured and treated at a hospital.
Troopers stopped the woman after she drove for about 16 miles and found her with an AR-15 rifle and 9mm handgun.
She was arrested and booked into the Holmes County jail. She was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and improper discharge of a firearm.
The Florida Highway Patrol didn’t provide details about bail or Celestine’s legal representation.
And homicides are headed that way as well. Plus, Cecily Tynan tried her best to clear up eclipse misinformation.
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The skyline of Philadelphia, where shootings and homicides have dropped to pre-pandemic levels / Photograph by Trev Adams
Check phillymag.com each morning Monday through Thursday for the latest edition of Philly Today. And if you have a news tip for our hardworking Philly Mag reporters, please direct it here. You can also use that form to send us reader mail. We love reader mail!
Shootings in Philadelphia Have Plummeted to Pre-Pandemic Levels
Let’s talk about data for a moment. You know, actual facts.
Though Philadelphia is constantly presented in the media — both local and national — as this lawless, hopeless place where you can’t walk for a quart of milk without getting shot, the truth is actually much, much different.
For many months, we’ve been monitoring what’s known as the “rolling shooting average” in Philadelphia. That is the total number of shootings — both fatal and not — in the last 365 days. It’s a useful measurement of how things really are in Philadelphia, what the trends are like.
As of Monday afternoon, the rolling shooting average in Philadelphia is 1,474. That means that 1,474 people have been shot in Philadelphia between April 9, 2023, and April 8, 2024. That’s obviously far too many people. But consider this: the rolling shooting average in Philadelphia on July 23, 2021, was 2,544. That was its peak. Today, the rolling shooting average is the lowest it has been since January 10, 2020.
Looking at year-to-date data, the outlook is also much different than the narrative. More than three months into the year, we’ve had 46 percent fewer shooting victims than we did during the same time period last year. About a month ago, homicides were down 30 percent as of that date. As of Monday, homicides are down 35 percent. Should that trend remain — and let’s hope and pray that it does — we would close out the year with the fewest homicides in a decade.
Just the facts, man. You can send me hate mail about it via the tip form linked above. And for more about how public safety in Philadelphia is improving, read this.
Cecily Tynan Tried Her Darnedest to School People on Eclipse Misinformation
A lot of people in the Philly area seemed to think that it was going to get dark or at least dark-ish during Monday afternoon’s eclipse. We heard about events being canceled due to the darkness. And apparently 6ABC meteorologist Cecily Tynan heard about those cancelations as well.
On Sunday night, Tynan took to social media to try to school her viewers about what they could actually expect during the eclipse. “I’m hearing of events being canceled Monday afternoon and people being worried about letting their dogs out due to the ‘darkness.’ But outside of the path of totality, it won’t get dark during the solar eclipse, just a bit dull, like during an overcast day. There will be … no behavioral changes in animals … Life can go on as normal.”
In a separate post, she wrote: “IT WILL NOT GET DARK HERE” I love it when Cecily uses all caps!
Personally, I’m glad the whole eclipse thing is over with. Was a bit of a snooze. If you weren’t in the path of totality, I don’t want to hear from you.
Local Talent
Because of course Jason Kelce had to become the talk-of-the-town at WrestleMania. For that and so much more from another overhyped event, we turn to our official WrestleMania correspondent Laura Swartz, who delivers some of the best WrestleMania moments.
And huge congrats to Philly’s own Dawn Staley, who just coached South Carolina’s women’s basketball team to the NCAA tournament championship.
By the Numbers: Eclipse Edition
55: Years you’ll need to wait if you live in Southeastern Pennsylvania and want to be in the path of totality without leaving your yard. Mark the date: May 1, 2079.
95 percent: Amount of the sun’s light that was blocked in Philadelphia during an eclipse in May of 1984. Alas, it was a cloudy day and didn’t make for great eclipse viewing.
2: People I know who thought that combination of last week’s minor earthquake and Monday’s total solar eclipse might be a sign of the End Times (no, really!) even though the world sees about 500,000 earthquakes of that magnitude each year and in spite of the fact that not a single place that felt the earthquake is in the path of totality. But logic and sound thinking are overrated these days.
And from the Eclipsed-by-the-Eclipse Sports Desk
There is no Sports Desk today. This is because my esteemed colleague Sandy Hingston, who covers all things sports for Philly Today, was talked into driving up to Niagara Falls to see the damn thing. Enjoy the traffic, Sandy!
After a historical collapse in which the Philadelphia Eagles turned a 10-1 start to the season into an 11-6 finish and a wildcard exit, head coach Nick Sirianni appeared to be on the hot seat.
However, he stayed. The coaches around him did not.
The Eagles had some serious regression in terms of the on-field product in 2023 versus 2022. A potential reason for that? Sirianni had both his offensive and defensive coordinators leave for head coaching gigs of their own — that’s not a great reflection on him.
Next season, he will have to prove that he is worthy of coaching in Philadelphia.
Former Coordinators Hold Their Weight, Eagles Regress
Starting with Shane Steichen, the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in their 2022 run to the Super Bowl, he had a fantastic season with an otherwise underwhelming Indianapolis Colts roster in 2023 as their head coach. Despite his fourth-overall selection in quarterback Anthony Richardson going down due to injury and having to turn to Gardner Minshew to start 13 games, the Colts went 9-8 and were a routine check-down completion away from potentially heading to the postseason.
For a team that went 4-12-1 the season before and didn’t get many significant improvements to their roster, an excellent 2023 season can be largely attributed to Steichen’s excellence. Going from the third-worst to the 10th-best scoring team in football in just a season is not an unreasonable conclusion to draw.
As for the Eagles’ former defensive coordinator, Jonathan Gannon, his 4-13 campaign after taking over head coaching duties for the Arizona Cardinals might seem worse on paper than it actually was. In reality, he helped a rebuilding team show some snarl and finish with the exact same record as they did the season before. Doing so without Kyler Murray, Arizona’s starting quarterback, for nine games, Gannon did a fair job. He could be a nice coach for them for a while.
Getting to the Eagles, though? They were the only team of these three that regressed. It didn’t seem like it for a while with how good they started off, but everything fell apart late in the season. Philadelphia was winning close games every single week and that took a toll. In 2022, they were third in the NFL in points for and eighth in points against. In 2023, they were seventh in points for and 30th in points against in 2023. Steichen and Gannon were sorely missed.
What Do These Outcomes Say About Sirianni?
The implication with the Eagles getting worse by a decent margin is that, possibly, both Steichen and Gannon were a massive part of the solution in Philadelphia. There’s nothing management could have done to make them stay, but the team sort of lost its identity without its former coordinators. The clubs they left for gained a new one, and that’s the problem.
Photo: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Sirianni and the Eagles were unable to control the bleeding last season. One loss turned into three, and then all of a sudden, they were battling for their division instead of the top seed in the NFC. The Eagles were outcoached severely by teams like the aforementioned Cardinals, unable to make use of their immense talent advantage over a rebuilding club like that.
If all three of these coaches couldn’t win a Super Bowl in 2022 when they were together, how can Sirianni do it himself? Especially when he, with one of the best rosters in the league, couldn’t even keep a playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of all teams within two scores? That’s where a large amount of worry might come from.
The Importance of 2024 for Sirianni
With a relatively disappointing season now behind him, Sirianni is probably on the hot seat. His 2023 coordinators were fired, yet he was spared. A still high-skill roster is present in Philadelphia, so there are no more excuses left for him. Actions speak louder than words, starting with an improved Birds team in 2024.
Considering Andy Reid was fired from the Eagles after two disappointing seasons of his own in 2011 and 2012 despite coaching the team starting in 1999, it shows that Philadelphia might be running a two-strike system. Even someone who is arguably the best coach of the Super Bowl era for the team and one of the best coaches in league history was let go without a second thought. Yes, this could be Sirianni, too.
If Sirianni can help the Eagles return to the playoffs and perform well in them, he could have a longer leash. If he goes back to the Super Bowl at all, his leash could be extended well beyond just 2025. Everything is on the line for him, and he might not get another head coaching job for a while if he and the Birds have another disappointing season and he is let go.
In 2022, Sirianni almost helped the city of Philadelphia taste Super Bowl glory. A little bit over a calendar year later, he is on the hot seat.
Will he be up to the challenge, or will he falter? The Eagles’ success depends on the former.
The NFL’s new kickoff rules will mark a big change in how special teams are played. With a touchback now resulting in the ball being placed at the receiving team’s 30-yard line, scoring should increase, as should large special teams gains — there will be more incentive for kickers to keep the ball in play.
But what does this all mean for the Philadelphia Eagles? How can they use this new format to their advantage? What are some of the more hidden impacts of said format?
How the Eagles’ Offense Can be Aided
For starters, kickoff returns should skyrocket. 97 percent of kickoffs were returned in the XFL last season with the rule in place versus just 22 percent in the NFL. There will be more big kickoff plays, but the average spot of the ball after the kickoff will still probably be around the touchback area at the 30 — that was the case when touchbacks put the ball at the receiving team’s 25, so it’s a reasonable conclusion.
Photo: —
If punt returner Britain Covey, who had a solid season in 2023, serves as the primary kick returner, it might give the Eagles an advantage there. He has pulled off some big plays in the past, so that could set the Birds up for success over some other contenders.
Looking at it from an on-average basis, there will only be an increase of about five yards from 2023 to this season. But how much can five extra yards really help the Eagles, though? Well, they arguably have the best long-range kicker in the NFL. Jake Elliott has hit kicks in bad weather from almost 60 yards out and has hit kicks from a legitimate 60 yards out before. The average yards per drive in the NFL last season was 25.9, so that would put the average drive around an opponent’s 44-yard line if that number held up. It likely won’t, but it’s the best we have. Regardless, getting those six yards past midfield would result in a 61-yard field goal. That’s in Elliott’s range.
Is that feasible to hit regularly? No. In a situation where the Eagles need points late in a half, though, they might go for it. Instead of kneeling to end the first half as so many teams do, they might go for points. They have the offensive firepower to do so. Also, the epic 13-second field goal drive the Kansas City Chiefs pulled off against the Buffalo Bills in the 2021 playoffs could be repeated more easily. Those five yards really do have an impact.
On drives where the Eagles end up going three-and-out, their defense won’t be in an awful spot. If they get, say, seven yards, that would have them at their own 37. A punt inside or around the 20 from there isn’t unrealistic. The same applies to all teams, but the Eagles have an elite offense that can take advantage of short-yardage better than anyone. A good offense can score from wherever — Philadelphia’s new play-calling should help with that.
How the Eagles’ Defense Might Be Affected
It will now be — albeit probably slightly — easier for teams to enter the red zone. The problem with that? The Eagles sacrificed touchdowns more than almost anyone when they got in that range last season. Sixty-five percent of red zone drives led to touchdowns against Philadelphia in 2023, which was the fourth-worst mark in the league. They were around the league average in 2022, so maybe a return to form is in order.
Other than that, some of the same things apply. Perhaps it could be valuable for the Eagles’ defensive line to get a little more rest on touchdown drives, though. Since it is such an asset for them and that position tends to get the most tired on long drives, having less yardage be necessary for the average touchdown might save their breath. A play or two could be taken off on average. The big guys will appreciate that, for sure.
The new NFL kickoff format might have you believe that only special teams will be impacted. In reality, offenses and defenses will have to adjust as much as anyone.
If they can adapt accordingly, the Eagles can use the new rules to their advantage. Everything from good coaching to actual play on the field will have to be prevalent to make that happen.
WWE descended on Philly. Here are our favorite moments, from Jason Kelce to the return of The Rock to bonks South Street antics that could only happen here.
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Jason Kelce celebrates in ring during Night One of WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field on April 6, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. / Photograph by WWE/Getty Images
Well, that was a weekend. WrestleMania came to Philly for the first time in 25 years and it did not disappoint. There were stars, a record-ending upset, Mummers, Snoop Dogg, and even Jason effing Kelce (because of course). The city responded in kind, going all-out-bonks with fans flooding everywhere from the Convention Center to South Street. Outdoor wrestling? Why not?! Here are the best moments from a very eventful WrestleMania 40.
Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson!
Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce surprising fans during Night One of WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field on April 6, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. / Photograph by WWE/Getty Images
Was this the biggest moment for WWE fans? Definitely not. But is it the moment that we at Philly Mag lost our collective minds about? One hundred percent.
Because, friends, on night one of WrestleMania, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson returned to the Linc to rip shit up.
Donning luchador masks, they hopped into the ring to assist Rey Mysterio (in an Eagles-themed outfit) in his tag-team match against his own son, Dominik. Just as the younger Mysterio was about to hit his dad with a chair, the two Eagles emerged to help bring the advantage back to the elder Mysterio and his partner, Andrade.
Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce at WrestleMania 40 / Photograph courtesy of the PHLCVB
Kelce also wore a special WrestleMania shirt, designed by his brand Underdog, but that didn’t stay on for long. Johnson’s shirt shouted out Eagles security chief Big Dom DiSandro.
As the Inquirer reported, Kelce and Johnson, both big wrestling fans, trained at South Jersey’s Monster Factory with Bucks County-born pro-wrestler Luke DiSangro. I love everything about this story — give it a read.
Yet another in our stockpile of memorable Jason Kelce moments, confirming that despite retiring from the NFL, he’s not going anywhere.
The Rock Returns
The Rock at WrestleMania 40 / Photograph courtesy of the PHLCVB
The long-anticipated return of The Rock to WWE — his first match since 2016! — lived up to the hype. Night one saw him teaming up with superstar Roman Reigns against Cody Rhodes and Seth “Freakin” Rollins.
The Rock at WrestleMania 40/ Photograph courtesy of the PHLCVB
Besides the star factor, this would end up setting the rules for Sunday night’s main event: a Reigns vs. Rhodes match for the universal heavyweight championship. “Bloodline Rules” would now be in place.
(That advantage still didn’t end up helping Reigns, but more on that upset later.)
On night two, The Rock returned to help Reigns in his final showdown, but The Undertaker had other plans, delivering a chokeslam to turn the tides.
Rhea Ripley Defends Her Title
Rhea Ripley enters the ring during Night One of WrestleMania 40. / Photograph by WWE/Getty Images
Before the legendary Eagles-fueled tag-team match on night one, Rhea Ripley defeated Becky Lynch to retain her women’s world championship title.
And Scranton-based band Motionless in White accompanied her entrance!
Seth Rollins and the Mummers
Seth Rollins enters the ring with a Philadelphia Mummers string band during night two of WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field on April 7, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. / Photograph by WWE/Getty Images
Speaking of bands that hail from PA, night two saw Rollins roll into WrestleMania with Mummers from multiple string bands playing his entrance music. Rollins himself wore a Mummers-inspired outfit. He didn’t win his match, but he won the crowd’s hearts. Meanwhile, the WWE announcers attempted to understand and explain the Mummers to the national audience.
Swoop and Snoop (Dogg)
Snoop & Swoop! Snoop Dogg with the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders and Swoop announces the attendance record during night two of WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field on April 7th. / Photograph by WWE/Getty Images
On Sunday night, Eagles mascot Swoop arrived with the Eagles cheerleaders and … Snoop Dogg! What?! They were there to announce the attendance: 145,298 people over the two nights of WrestleMania, in case you were wondering. And they danced.
Of course, a Philly sports event on the national stage can’t go off without some kind of Rocky reference. Luckily, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods of tag team The New Day came out on night one dressed as Rocky and Apollo Creed, checking that box off our bingo card. (We also spotted hundreds of wrestling fans lined up to take photos with the Rocky statue in front of the Art Museum on Sunday morning.)
Also, ladders.
The 6-Pack Ladder Match on night one of WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field. / Photograph by WWE/Getty Images
Cody Rhodes Defeats Roman Reigns, Ending His Epic … Reign
Cody Rhodes celebrates during night two of WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field. / Photograph by WWE/Getty Images
WrestleMania is always known for its unexpected twists and turns, shocking betrayals and dramatic endings and this year’s was no exception. Sunday night’s main event, the universal heavyweight championship, saw Roman Reigns face off against “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes. Reigns had held the title for 1,316 days, and he’d have assists from The Bloodline, including The Rock.
Rhodes would end one the longest WWE reign (sorry) in the 21st century.
The Fans!
Photograph courtesy of the PHLCVB
Mania was on before the Linc even got started. The weekend saw all kinds of WrestleMania-adjacent events, from watch parties to WWE World at the Convention Center to WrestleCon.
Fans at WWE World and WrestleMania 40 / Photograph courtesy of the PHLCVB
Inside WrestleMania, fans brought the Philly vibes, with signs trashing everything from HitchBot to Santa.
South Street’s Suplex Vintage Wrestling set up an outdoor ring in celebration of WrestleMania. / Photograph by Bradford Pearson
But the WrestleMania-adjacent event to rule them all was SuplexMania.
South Street’s vintage wrestling store Suplex took it outside with a block party featuring live wrestling in the street (plus pop-up shopping, a beer garden, food trucks, and more mayhem), and our features editor Bradford Pearson braved the crowds. He described it as “insane,” with dispatches like this sent over Teams:
South Street’s Suplex Vintage Wrestling set up outdoor ring in celebration of WrestleMania. / Photograph by Bradford Pearson
“It felt like the most diverse event I’ve ever been to in Philly, said Pearson. “People from all over the city and world, coming to South Street, to watch wrestling. There was a Black family next to us who came to watch the mom’s co-workers wrestle in a tag-team match, and then a father and son speaking German on the other side of us. It was just a really special day, one that I will actually never forget. And I don’t even watch wrestling!”
More Fireworks (and Some Literal Ones)
WrestleMania delivers a unique blend of athleticism, feats of strength, drama and star power, so let’s bask one last time and enjoy some more favorite moments.
Damian Priest reacts after winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. / Photograph by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Photograph courtesy of the PHLCVB
Triple H enters the ring during night one of WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field. / Photograph by WWE/Getty Images
Montez Ford in action against Akam and Rezar of Authors of Pain during night two of WrestleMania 40. / Photograph by WWE/Getty Images
The Rock, again! / Photograph courtesy of the PHLCVB
Photograph courtesy of the PHLCVB
Photograph by WWE/Getty Images
Well done, Philly. We were on the national stage and we did not miss our moment.
WrestleMania 40 at the Linc / Photograph courtesy of the PHLCVB
PENNSYLVANIA (WPVI) — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is warning E-ZPass users of a recent phishing scam.
The scam has been asking account holders for personal financial information to settle outstanding toll amounts, according to PA Turnpike.
E-ZPass users should be on the lookout for texts or emails claiming to be from ‘PA Turnpike Services’ and center around urgent requests with the account, such as late fees and overdue balances.
“Our account holders are getting requests for their personal financial information to settle outstanding toll amounts,” noted Crispin Havener, a spokesperson with the PA Turnpike.
Similar scams have been reported by other toll agencies across the country, authorities say.
Customers who receive an unsolicited text, email, or similar message suggesting it is from E-ZPass or another toll agency should not click on the link provided.
Havener says this scam can be incredibly deceptive if you aren’t aware of it.
“I’m sure if you look at it without thinking, you could potentially look at that like, ‘Oh my God, I have to go pay this toll or I’ll have to pay this late fee,’” he said.
Pennsylvania State Police posted one of the scam messages that have gone out so others can be on the lookout. The message mentions an outstanding balance and provides a link to pay it, but officials say the link only leads to a fake PA Turnpike website.
If you want to check your E-ZPass account, visit paturnpike.com.
Those who receive a fraudulent text can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
Drivers and E-ZPass holders say scams like these are getting out of hand.
“They should get themselves a job,” noted Chana Roseblum, who uses the turnpike to get to Pittsburgh.
She says she’s well-versed in spotting a scam after some people got a hold of her mother’s personal information.
She and other drivers say this is an unfortunate situation.
“There are people out there that have too much time on their hands and instead of helping make this world a better place, they’re helping to destroy the world,” said Rosenblum.
“It is scary, especially when you have a young family with little kids and your money’s there and one day it’s not,” added Tiffany Frankfield from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.
The Gamecocks’ win ended Caitlin Clark’s final game at Iowa. In February, Clark became the all-time NCAA Division I scoring leader, smashing the late Pete Maravich’s 54-year-old record. Clark scored 30 points on Sunday.
South Carolina was 37-0 going into Sunday’s game, becoming the first undefeated champion since UConn in 2016. Sunday marked their second national championship in three years and third in school history, according to CBS Sports.
With Dawn Staley directing a relentless attack from the sideline, the Gamecocks became the 10th Division I team to go through a season without a loss. And they accomplished the feat after they lost all five starters from last season’s team that lost to Clark’s squad in the national semifinals.
Kamilla Cardoso celebrates with head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks after beating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament National Championship on April 07, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
“Just really want to say congratulations to Iowa and Caitlin for making it back to the national championship game,” Staley said during the post-game news conference. “Obviously, they are a formidable opponent that took everything that we had to win the basketball game, but I just don’t want to not utilize this opportunity to thank Caitlin for what she’s done for women’s basketball.”
“Anytime someone like Coach Staley is able to recognize you and what you did for the game is pretty special,” Clark said at the news conference. “And obviously she’s someone I, you know, respect so much. I respect what she’s done for South Carolina.”
Clark did all she could to lead the Hawkeyes to their first championship. She scored 30 points, including a championship-record 18 in the first quarter. She will go down as one of the greatest players in NCAA history. She rewrote the record book at Iowa (34-5), finishing as the career leading scorer in NCAA Division I history with 3,951 career points.
She hopes her legacy isn’t defined by falling short in two NCAA championship games, but more by the millions of new fans she helped bring into the game and the countless young girls and boys that she inspired.
“I mean, she has raised the excitement of our sport,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said at the post-game conference. “Just because she does things in a different way than anyone else can do. Plus, she has all the intangibles. She’s a great student, she’s a great role model. She does everything.”
Caitlin Clark shoots a layup against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament National Championship on April 7, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted their congratulations to South Carolina on Saturday evening.
“Congratulations to @GamecockWBB on closing out a perfect season with a NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship win – your teamwork, focus, and tenacity was on full display all year,” Mr. Biden wrote. “You’ve made your school and community proud.”
“Undefeated. Undisputed,” Harris wrote, praising the team and Coach Staley. “I can’t wait to see you again — this time, celebrating at the White House.”
South Carolina has won three titles in the last eight years, including two of the past three, to lay claim to being the latest dynasty in women’s basketball. Staley became the fifth coach to win three national championships, joining Geno Auriemma, Pat Summitt, Kim Mulkey and Tara VanDerveer.The Gamecocks, who have won 109 of their last 112 games, became the first team since UConn in 2016 to go undefeated. South Carolina had a couple scares throughout the season, but always found a way to win.
With most of the team returning next year except for star center Kamilla Cardoso, Staley’s team is in a good position to keep this run going. Tessa Johnson led South Carolina with 19 points. Cardoso had 15 points and 17 rebounds.
Selecting the right business insurance provider can be overwhelming. While many decision makers lean on price and coverage as their guiding factors in selecting insurance, there are more components that should be considered before making such an important decision.
Your insurance partner is there during some of your business’ most challenging times — like, injury, illness and unexpected business loss. You might not think of your insurance provider day-to-day, but they play a huge role in planning…
Police are investigating an attempted armed robbery and crash that took place on I-95 Sunday afternoon.
The incident took place just after 1 p.m. on I-95 northbound in the area of the Walt Whitman Bridge when police received reports of a shooting and subsequent pedestrian crash.
Investigators revealed that the incident involved two people who knew each other and were meeting at Cheerleader’s Lounge so money that was owed could be paid.
When the two individuals met up, police said one of them, identified by police as a 42-year-old man, entered the other man’s car and immediately attempted to rob him at gunpoint. Investigators also noted there was another passenger, a woman, inside the car with the victim.
The suspect ordered the victim to drive onto I-95 where they pulled over onto the shoulder and the victim got out of the car and ran off, according to the police.
The person with the gun then exited the car and attempted to get into the driver’s seat but the doors were locked. The suspect then went to the passenger side and fired five shots into the front passenger window, police said, but was not able to regain entry to the car.
This person then began to run westbound across four lanes of I-95 where they were then hit by the passenger-side front end of a silver Hyundai Elantra sedan which caused the suspect to hit the front windshield and then to propel into the air, according to police.
The suspect sustained damage to the head, a broken foot and other injuries. He was transported to the hospital and placed in very critical condition, police said.
Neither the driver of the car nor the victims were injured.
The car sustained heavy damage to the passenger headlight, passenger front panel and the entirety of the front windshield.
Police were able to recover the gun found on the suspect.
At this time no further information on this incident has been made available by law enforcement.
The Pennsylvania State Police is requesting anyone who may have witnessed this incident to contact the Troop K – Philadelphia, Criminal Investigation Unit at 215-452-5216.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
Nothing like a series against the Nats to get things back on track – well, somewhat.
The Phillies took two of three on the road from Washington this weekend, though closing out with a 3-2 loss on Sunday, leaving them within a game of the .500 mark at 4-5 heading to St. Louis next.
It isn’t all perfect – it never is with this club – but it’s still early into the season and this three-game set brought some promising signs, though with some more to be concerned about.
For now, here are a quick six thoughts on the series to take things into a new week…
• In the series opener on Friday, a 4-0 shutout win, Aaron Nola got his second turn on the bump and put up 5.2 scoreless innings with only two hits surrendered. He struck out only four and was pulled after 95 pitches, but brought much sharper stuff and a much better performance than his first go against the Braves when he got tagged for 11 hits and six earned runs.
Nola is durable and dependable, and when him and Zack Wheeler are at the top of the rotation and fully on, there’s arguably no better 1-2 punch in baseball. We know this.
But what we also know, and have for years now, is that there are three versions of Aaron Nola, and which one you’re going to get can often be a dice roll. A big key for the 30-year old and longest-tenured Phillie this season is going to be in making sure that he brings out his best stuff as consistently as possible, because his best stuff either has batters whiffing on breaking pitches or reaching for contact on grounders that amount to nothing.
Probably pretty safe to say that few fans want to be holding their breath throughout the summer and, hopefully, well into October when the fourth inning rolls around on Nola’s day.
Again, early into the season, and we only have a sample size of two here. Let’s see how the rest of April shakes out for him.
• Kyle Schwarber pulled a two-run single into right early into Friday night, then notched another base hit on Sunday after going 0-for-5 in game 2 (with 3 strikeouts). He entered Sunday’s game batting .257 at the top of the order. This time last year, he was batting .158.
Who said he couldn’t hit for average?
• J.T. Realmuto crushed a two-run bomb in Saturday’s 5-2 win, and Alec Bohm made the highlight reel with an RBI triple and then a barehanded grab in the field.
That’s Bohm at his best, and what could quietly make him one of the better third baseman in the NL if he can do that consistently. Sunday, not so much with an 0-for-3 effort and the strikeout to end it offensively, and then an offline throw on a grounder that pulled Bryce Harper off the bag at first to allow an infield hit.
Bohm’s come a long way from “I f***ing hate this place” two years ago, but can be a polarizing player within the lineup among fans for what he has offered so far compared to the idea of what he still could in the way of more power (he hasn’t homered yet this season) and sharper fielding.
• Edmundo Sosa started at second on Sunday and did everything he could to push the Phillies to win this one, first with an RBI single into left in the second and then a solo shot to tie it up 202 in the fifth.
They didn’t come through this time, but he has really left them in good shape reaching into the bench ever since getting to Philly from the 2022 trade deadline.
• Brandon Marsh drove in the first run on Friday with a bases-loaded sac fly off Patrick Corbin, a lefty. He really pushed that one into center, too. Then on Saturday in the ninth, he bounced one off the mound and through the middle to score Bryson Stott from second and make it a 5-2 ballgame.
On Sunday, Marsh sat and Whitt Merrifield took the start in left with the Nationals sending out MacKenzie Gore, another lefty.
It has to be kept in mind that Marsh did only recently return from late offseason knee surgery, but a key point in his development is figuring out how to hit off lefties, and it’s been noticeable that the Phillies have been protecting him from that so far.
Again, this is another thing to monitor and see if it might gradually loosen up over the course of the season.
• Johan Rojas also sat on Sunday. He’s a miserable 1-for-22 eight games in. Cristian Pache took over in center, and at this point, you do have to wonder if the scale between what Rojas brings in the field versus what he can do at the plate has tipped, and if the call might be coming to send him down to Triple-A.
The situation for the 23-year old entering 2024 was always positioned as a sink or swim one, and so far, he’s struggled mightily to stay afloat with his bat. Some time in Lehigh Valley might be the best thing for him now after bypassing that part of the minor-league climb entirely last season.
In a major metropolitan city such as Philadelphia, it is often easy to overlook the success of our other sports franchises that aren’t named the Flyers, Sixers, Eagles, and Phillies.
Teams like the Soul, Wings, and Union have championship history too.
Just when you were worried about the soul of Philadelphia, they are back. The Philadelphia Soul are returning for the 2024 season, which kicks off on April 27th, and will play home games at the CURE Arena in Trenton, New Jersey.
The revival of the Philadelphia Soul comes after a five-year hiatus, before which the team won Arena Bowl XXXII.
The Philadelphia Soul began play in February of 2004, with the Wachovia Center as its home under ownership from Jon Bon Jovi and Ron Jaworski, among others.
In 2005, the Soul made Tony Graziani the highest-paid player in league history. In 2006, many people didn’t see the Soul’s Divisional Round loss because of the PGA Tour in a game dubbed the “round of golf” game.
In 2008, the Soul signed wide receiver Chris Jackson. Teaming up with Graziani once again and thanks to excellent play by backup quarterback Matt D’Orazio, the Soul would win their first championship against the San Jose SaberCats in ArenaBowl XXII.
Like the rest of the Arena Football League, play was paused in 2009 & 2010. The Soul did receive an invite to return to the Arena Football League in 2011 under a new ownership group that did not include Jon Bon Jovi — who continued to support the franchise.
The Philadelphia Soul were on the rise once again.
In 2014, the team’s ownership group expanded to included former NFL players Marques Colston and Jahri Evans, as well as former coach Dick Vermeil.
In ArenaBowl XXIX in 2016, they would claim their second AFL Championship with a revenge victory against the winners of the 2012 and 2013 ArenaBowl’s against the Arizona Rattlers. The following year in 2017, the Soul came back in ArenaBowl XXX against the Tampa Bay Storm to win 44–40. The thirteen-point rally was an ArenaBowl record.
DENVER (KDVR) — A Southwest Airlines flight safely returned to Denver International Airport early Sunday after a removable piece of metal that covers the engine fell off and struck a wing flap, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Boeing 737-800 plane was departing for William P. Hobby Airport in Houston at around 8:15 a.m. local time when the engine cowling fell off. Video posted to social media shows the metal segment flapping against the wing while it was still on the tarmac.
The Southwest flight was towed to the gate after landing.
Southwest Airlines told Nexstar’s KDVR that customers on the original plane were transferred to another aircraft that was set to arrive in Houston around three hours behind schedule.
“We apologize for the inconvenience of their delay, but place our highest priority on ultimate Safety for our Customers and Employees,” it said in a statement. “Our Maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft.”
The exact number of customers and crew on the flight was not known, and the FAA was investigating the incident.
This is the fourth time a Boeing plane has had to divert to Denver for issues so far this year.
In February, another United Airlines flight, this time from San Francisco to Boston, safely landed at DIA after issues with the wing were reported mid-flight. The plane was a Boeing 757-200.
New York City officials faced criticism for their response to Friday’s earthquake, which was one of the biggest ever to hit the Northeast. Aftershocks continued on Saturday in parts of New Jersey and New York. Michael George reports.
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