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A 16-year-old has been cleared of all charges related to a fatal shooting at 15th Street Station after an investigation showed that he was not involved.
The shooting took place on Jan. 11 on the station’s Market-Frankford Line westbound platform. Tyshaun Welles, 16, was struck in the head by a stray bullet after a shooter opened fire at a crowd. Welles died of his injuries on Jan. 16.
Zaire Wilson, 16, and Quadir Humphrey, 18, were arrested separately at the scene for the shooting. Police at the time said that Wilson had pulled out a gun before Humphrey began firing.
Wilson, however, maintained his innocence. Surveillance footage showed that Wilson was “clearly not involved” in the shooting and that Humphrey had acted alone, said Jane Roh from the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office in an email.
According to Roh, the footage was not immediately available to the district attorney’s office after Wilson’s arrest.
As a result, the office requested a hearing on the matter. On Feb. 29, the district attorney’s office dropped all charges against Wilson and Judge Joffie Pittman ordered his release. Wilson was reunited with his family soon after.
“When presented with evolving or new information, the criminal legal system should move as quickly in the interest of justice,” said District Attorney Larry Krasner in the email. “…whether that means being prepared to meet the Commonwealth’s burden at trial or releasing from detention people who did not actually participate in a crime.”
Meanwhile, the district attorney’s office is still prosecuting Humphrey for murder and other related charges.
On Wednesday and Thursday, Nick Nurse and the Sixers provided the first real (sort of) update on Joel Embiid’s potential return before the end of the regular season.
Nurse provides optimism
Prior to their game against the Clippers, Nick Nurse expressed his optimism that Joel Embiid will be back before the end of the regular season. Embiid is seven weeks removed from having surgery on his left knee and since then the Sixers have gone 10-18, falling to 8th place in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers’ current position would change greatly if Embiid is able to return within the next eight games. However, Nurse reiterated that there is still no timeline for his return and he will provide an update when Embiid progresses to more contact practice. That being said, he is continuing to do on-court work.
Adrian Wojnarowski followed Nurse’s comments stating that Embiid will likely be back in action within the next few weeks. It’s no longer a question of if but when he will return and the belief is he will be back to play a handful of the team’s final games before the playoffs. Woj said he was told that Embiid is moving well and has looked good on the court.
If all of these updates don’t have you feeling hopeful about Embiid’s return to play soon, the one from Thursday certainly will.
Back to Work
Joel Embiid participated in practice on Thursday for the first time since January. The news dropped from the Sixers’ Twitter account where they teased a picture of Embiid getting shots up. He’s not yet playing 5-on-5 or taking any contact. However, he did participate in the team’s light practice where he went through skill work against other players.
Embiid’s teammates seem encouraged as well by his progression. Paul Reed said on Thursday that he feels Embiid is ready to come back pretty soon. He added that getting him ready for the playoffs is the top team priority.
The other positive news from Thursday is that Embiid traveled with the team on their two-game road trip to Cleveland and Toronto. While Embiid will not play during the road trip, it is an excellent sign for his return. This shows that Embiid has hit the phase of his recovery where it is better to have him get work in with the team than stay at home and rehab. His presence on the road will also spark a huge lift for a team struggling to find ways to win. Reed is excited about Embiid joining them stating, “He’s been our leader and main guy all season. I’m pretty sure everybody is going to feed off him.”
After their current two-game trip, the Sixers will host the Thunder next Tuesday before heading on a three-game road trip against Miami, Memphis, and San Antonio to then return home to play their final three games of the season against Detroit, Orlando, and Brooklyn.
All updates from this past week are encouraging, leading us to believe that when he gives the thumbs up Joel can be back before those eight games are up. Though it feels unlikely, Embiid’s earliest estimated return is against the Thunder.
Federal prosecutors say a New Jersey youth wrestling coach and former state champion who made headlines for becoming the NCAA’s first openly gay college wrestler has been sentenced to more than seven years in a case involving images of children.
Alec Donovan, 26, of Brick was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Trenton to 87 months in prison on a previous guilty plea to a charge related to distributing images of child sexual abuse, the U.S. attorney’s office said Friday.
Prosecutors alleged that during the first four months of 2021, Donovan used a web-based messaging application to send three videos and receive two videos containing images of child sexual abuse involving pre-pubescent children. They also alleged he used the application to request nude photographs from minors and send them nude images.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi sentenced Donovan to 30 years of supervised release, prosecutors said. A message seeking comment was sent Saturday to Donovan’s attorney.
Donovan, a youth wrestling coach and referee who was a former New Jersey state high school wrestling champion, was the subject of a story on Outsports.com in 2015 after he publicly acknowledged he was gay while on a college recruiting trip.
A 2017 story in the NCAA-published Champion magazine detailed Donovan’s struggles with depression in high school and his efforts to counsel other gay wrestlers.
LOS ANGELES — What does it take to be an “American Idol?” The judges are weighing in.
“They just got to have the star ‘It’ factor, the magic,” said country superstar and judge Luke Bryan.
For Lionel Richie, all he thinks about is “instant identity.”
“In other words, five seconds into your voice, can I remember your voice?” he said.
“It’s intense. It’s exhausting for them,” said Katy Perry.
The three star judges along with host Ryan Seacrest are reflecting on Season 22’s contestants who have made it through to Hollywood Week.
“They just can do it, and you’re sucked into what they’re doing,” said Seacrest. “You don’t feel like they’re thinking so much about it when they’re performing. That’s power.”
Bryan said the first thing they see when they meet a contestant is innocence, youthfulness and hope.
“… and drive and determination,” he said. “And to get to where we have, you got to have all of that.”
Richie said every contestant that performs is 100% ready for what’s to come.
“That reminds me so much of us,” he said. “Me especially, because when I was 19 … The Commodores … we’re ready. Let us go. It was seven years later, we made it, you know, in terms of the hit, but they all think right now, today, ‘I just left my bedroom. I’m ready to kill it.’”
Perry doesn’t care what contestants choose to sing – it’s all about their spirit.
“They can sing one of our songs and make it sound like they wrote it, so if they embrace it, I’m in,” she said. “Really delivering it with their heart. It doesn’t matter if they get a little pitchy or if they don’t do it perfectly. If they connect emotionally, I think they win.”
(NewsNation) — A man who came to the U.S. illegally from Venezuela is now in custody after going viral for bragging about getting free money from America and encouraging other newcomers to take advantage of U.S. laws protecting squatters.
In one TikTok video, Leonel Moreno, now being called the “migrant influencer,” explained squatting laws and suggested how to take advantage of them. His account has now been removed from the platform.
“I learned that there is a law that says if a house is not inhabited, then we can take it,” he said. “Here in the United States, terrain deformation also applies, and I think that will be my next business: invade abandoned houses.”
Moreno crossed into the country illegally in April 2022 in Eagle Pass, Texas and was paroled, but authorities say he never showed up to his initial check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
When Moreno was initially processed, he was placed in the Alternatives to Detention program, where he was given a cell phone as a tracking device.
But because he didn’t follow the rules, Department of Homeland Security sources told NewsNation he was listed as a preorder absconder and was terminated from the program.
These sources later confirmed to NewsNation that Moreno was in custody.
Moreno has an order to appear in a Florida court in February of 2025, but authorities had trouble tracking him down. The address he initially provided was for Catholic Charities in Miami, but sources said he now has a possible address listed in Ohio.
Also in Ohio, Fermin Garcia-Gutierrez is another man allegedly taking advantage of the system and gaps in intelligence.
Law enforcement in Butler County, Ohio, said Garcia-Gutierrez has been in Sheriff Richard Jones’ jail 11 times, using seven different names and three different dates of birth. According to Jones, Garcia-Gutierrez has been reported eight times, yet the 46-year-old keeps returning successfully.
Garcia-Gutierrez’s latest arrest was for possession of drugs and weapons while intoxicated and obstructing. His story is not the only one, with Jones saying since 2021, the county has housed nearly 1,000 immigrant inmates with ICE detainers.
Travel delays could be in store for those flying out West, with 20 million people in California in the path of torrential rains and flash flooding this weekend from a rare late season storm. The Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Bettes has details.
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Bryce Harper always seems to know the fastest way to Philly fans’ hearts, and his new set of cleats that the Phillies offered a glimpse at ahead of Opening Day more than do the job.
A beauty of a four-for-four set right there, with tributes to each of the Phillies, Flyers, Eagles, and Sixers – plus nods to the Kelly Green and Iverson eras in the latter two’s case.
Points on the matching jacket, too.
Harper usually goes for Phanatic-inspired cleats for Opening Day and Friday is expected to be no different, but the Phillies star first baseman told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki earlier this month that he has a number of special looks lined up for this season, including for the London Series in June, for the new City Connect uniforms that will debut in April, and a Wawa-inspired set that should pop up throughout the summer.
And these Philly sports tribute cleats should definitely be a favorite in the rotation if and when they hit the field.
New Jersey must scrap its unique primary ballot design, widely criticized as boosting the prospects of party-backed candidates, a federal judge ruled Friday, saying the “integrity of the democratic practice” was at stake.
The ruling shakes a foundational component of New Jersey’s primary election ballots, which tend to group candidates with party support in a single column. That means the names of those running without establishment backing could be left in places on the ballot that are difficult to find.
Opponents of the system argued it put a “thumb on the scale” for party-preferred candidates. The defendants in the suit — most of the state’s county clerks who design ballots — argued primarily that they didn’t have enough time to redesign them.
U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi granted a preliminary injunction sought by Democratic Rep. Andy Kim and two other candidates in a ruling that applies to the June 4 primary. It’s unclear exactly what it means beyond that.
“The Court wishes to make clear that it recognizes the magnitude of its decision,” Quraishi wrote. “The integrity of the democratic process for a primary election is at stake and the remedy Plaintiffs are seeking is extraordinary.
Kim hailed the ruling in an emailed statement.
“It’s a victory built from the incredible grassroots work of activists across our state who saw an undemocratic system marginalizing the voices of voters,” he said.
Mary Melfi, the Hunterdon County clerk, worried whether she’d have enough time to comply with the ruling, which she said she was still reviewing. She compared it to a homeowner being ordered to repaint their house on deadline.
“I’m going to order you paint it and you better get it painted in two weeks,” she said. “Can you get a painter? Can you get it done? What color is it? It’s ridiculous.”
Kim’s suit came amid a contentious primary contest for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by federally indicted U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez. New Jersey’s first lady, Tammy Murphy, dropped out of the race Sunday, but up until then she enjoyed party leader backing in populous counties, meaning she would have had favorable ballot positions.
Kim, 41, is a three-term congressman from southern New Jersey’s 3rd District who now finds himself in a strong position to be the state’s next senator. Menendez has announced he won’t run as a Democrat, though he left open the possibility of running as an independent bid if he’s exonerated at trial.
Menendez, his spouse and three business associates have been charged with engaging in a bribery scheme in which prosecutors say the senator and Nadine Menendez took gold bars, cash and a luxury vehicle in exchange for helping associates get a lucrative business deal with Egypt. The Menendezes and two of the three business associates have pleaded not guilty. A third pleaded guilty and agreed to be witness in the case.
Advocates pushing for the end of preferential ballot positioning for party favorites — called county-line ballot design — cheered the judge’s decision.
“It’s a new day in the history of New Jersey politics,” said Antoinette Miles, director of the state’s Working Families Party.
Friday’s ruling is the latest domino to fall against the only such ballot design in the country. Earlier this month, state Attorney General Matt Platkin said county line designs were unconstitutional and he wouldn’t defend them. Legislative leaders, under intense pressure from the Democratic party base, agreed to consider legislation overhauling the law.
It’s a much brighter day with the return of sunshine. It will be a bit windy, with winds gusting 35-40mph, high 57. Full AccuWeather forecast: 6abc.com/weather
Opening Day roster
The 26-man roster includes 13 pitchers (five left-handers and eight right-handers), two catchers, five infielders, four outfielders, one utility player and one designated hitter.
Pitchers (13): Left-handers – José Alvarado, Cristopher Sánchez, Gregory Soto, Matt Strahm and Ranger Suárez. Right-handers – Connor Brogdon, Seranthony Domínguez, Jeff Hoffman, Yunior Marte, Aaron Nola, Luis Ortiz, Spencer Turnbull and Zack Wheeler.
Outfielders (4): Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, Cristian Pache and Johan Rojas.
Utility (1): Whit Merrifield.
Designated Hitter (1): Kyle Schwarber.
This is a 2024 photo of Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Getting to the Ballpark
Parking:
Click here for a parking map. Parking for Phillies games is cashless. Methods of payment include credit/debit cards and mobile payment (Apple Pay and Google Pay). To expedite entry, pre-paid parking passes may also be purchased prior to the game.
Public Transportation:
SEPTA is ready for the start of the 2024 Phillies season, with extra service set for Friday’s home opener. And to accommodate fans post-game, Citadel Credit Union is sponsoring free rides home from NRG Station on the Broad Street Line.
In addition to regularly scheduled trains that run every eight minutes or less, SEPTA will run five additional express trips before the Phillies-Braves home opener, which starts at 3:05 p.m. These extra trips will run at 1:32 p.m., 1:42 p.m., 1:56 p.m., 2:08 p.m. and 2:21 p.m.
10:00 a.m. — New Era Phillies Team Store opens. The store closes an hour before gates open and then will reopen for ticketed guests once gates open.
12:00 p.m. — Phillies batting practice.
12:35 p.m. — All gates and MLB Go-Ahead Entry lanes open. All fans receive a Phillies Scarf, courtesy of Nemours Children’s Health.
New Phillies bag policy: Please be aware only clutch purses and/or fanny packs (no larger than 5″ x 7″), clear bags (no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″), medical bags and diaper bags will be permitted into Citizens Bank Park. Full details at phillies/ballpark/information/code-of-conduct
1:00 p.m. — Braves batting practice.
2:20 p.m. — Opening Ceremonies begin
The Phillies will make their way from Ashburn Alley onto the field during a “Parade of Athletes.” Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker will help greet the team as they enter the ballpark.
Introductions are made for the 177th Fighter Wing of New Jersey Air National Guard Honor Guard.
The Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale will perform “America the Beautiful” as members of the United States military and Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments unfurl a large American flag.
The national anthem will be performed by Kane Kalas, son of the late Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas, at his father’s statue behind Section 141.
Ceremonial first pitches: Four-year-old Zeke, a Nemours patient from Lewes, Del., accompanied by his orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Jeanne Franzone. Plus, there will be a special Phillies first pitch.
New food and more
ROOKIE MENU ITEMS
Loaded Funnel Cake Fry Sundae
Fresh funnel cake fries topped with a homemade strawberry compote, vanilla soft serve, and whipped cream. (Coca-Cola Corner, Section 142)
Loaded Funnel Cake Fry Sundae
LOCAL RESTAURANT PARTNERSHIPS
Citizens Bank Park will bring back the fan-favorite, Jersey shore classic Manco & Manco Pizza, with new locations in the Hall of Fame Club and on the Upper Deck (Sections 212 and 321).
CLASSIC BALLPARK FAVORITES
Bratwurst Sandwich
Grilled brat topped with spicy mustard and beer-braised onions on a Liscio Bakery roll; served with house ranch chips and a pickle spear. (Pass and Stow)
Schwarburger 2.0
Kyle’s favorite burger creation will now be featured all season long. The burger is topped with American cheese, pepper bacon, fried egg, crispy onions, and signature sauce. (Coca-Cola Corner, Section 142)
Wing Flavor of the Month
Open the season with the Flamin’ Pickleback followed by featured sauces that will rotate throughout the year. (PJ Whelihan’s, Section 147)
SWEET TREATS
Gluten-Free Brownie Chocolate brownie, chewy marshmallow, and Herr’s Fire Roasted Sweet Corn Popcorn. (Gluten-Free Kiosk, Section 122)
On Field Ice Cream Caps:
New souvenirs for your favorite Richman’s soft serve ice cream or Dippin’ Dots served throughout Citizens Bank Park. (Sections 106, 108, 110, 128, 137, 139, 204, 206, 318, 321, 323, 330 and The Yard)
SPECIALTY BEVERAGES
Baseball fans can sip in style this season in a new souvenir cup. This baseball-shaped cup can hold frozen cocktails or beverages served on ice and features each team’s logo. At Citizens Bank Park, fans can try a new spiked frozen cocktail, the Fastball Freeze in Sections 113 and 147.
EXCLUSIVE RETAIL MERCHANDISE
The New Era Phillies Team Store will debut new and exclusive merchandise including novelty items commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Citizens Bank Park. Other highlights include new Phillie Phanatic items for both kids and adults, the return of the Phanatic pin of the month program (which sold out last season), and a ballpark-exclusive Bryce Harper 300 bobblehead.
There have been nine reports of the tiki torch tops breaking and two reports of burn injuries.
The tiki torches were sold nationwide from January 2015 through November 2023 for about $13.
These tiki torches had a fiberglass wick and came with copper-plated, nickel-plated, black or gray torch tops.
BJ’s Wholesale Club Recalls Berkley Jensen Citronella 72-inch Tiki Torches Due to Burn Hazard
BJ’s Wholesale Club Recalls Berkley Jensen Citronella 72-inch Tiki Torches Due to Burn Hazard
BJ’s Wholesale Club Recalls Berkley Jensen Citronella 72-inch Tiki Torches Due to Burn Hazard
Anyone with these tiki torches should immediately stop using them and contact BJ’s Wholesale Club for a full refund.
BJ’s Wholesale Club can be reached by visiting their website or by calling 800-257-2582 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, they can be reached by calling from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET and on Sundays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
The CEO of Citizens Financial Group says the bank has seen the positive impacts of its naming rights for the Phillies stadium and sees upside for the region’s economy.
A last-minute shift change may have saved the life of a construction worker who was originally scheduled to fil potholes on the Key Bridge when it collapsed. Nicole Sganga shares his story.
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After signing 13 players over the last few weeks the Eagles have found the solution to most of their 20 free agents this off-season.
Spotrac has the Eagles at a projected $10.5M in cap space, so they might be done spending as they’ll still have to sign all their rookies following the draft. If they’re looking to open up more cap space, the Eagles have yet to make any decisions on Josh Sweat or Haason Reddick.
Even after their shopping spree on the open market. The Eagles still have 8 picks in the upcoming draft, including 3 in the first 2 rounds.
The Eagles have already traded #98 and two 2025 5th round picks for Kenny Pickett and #120. Moving down 22 spots and acquiring a QB with term.
And for a team that’s always active during the draft. Don’t expect them to be quiet.
Previous Draft Trades
Below are the past 3 years of Draft Pick trades the Eagles have made
2023 Draft
Eagles trade 10th pick and a 2024 4th to the Bears in exchange for 9th overall (Jalen Carter)
Eagles trade 62nd pick to the Texans in exchange for picks #65(Tyler Steen), #188(Tanner McKee) and #230
Eagles trade a 2024 3rd to the Texans in exchange for #105 (Kelee Ringo)
Eagles trade a 2025 4th to the Lions for D’Andre Swift and #249
Eagles trade #230 and #248 to the Texans for #191
Eagles trade #191 to Tampa Bay for a 2024 5th
2022 Draft
(Pre-Draft) Eagles traded #16, #19 and #194 to New Orleans for #18, #101, #237, a 2023 1st and 2024 2nd
Eagles trade #15, #124, #162 and #166 to the Texans for #13 (Jordan Davis)
Eagles trade #18 and #101 to the Titans for A.J. Brown
Eagles trade #154 to Jacksonville for #188 and #198
Eagles trade #188 and #237 to Detroit for #181
2021 Draft
(Pre-Draft) Eagles trade Carson Wentz for #84 and 2022 #16
(Pre-Draft) Eagles trade #6 and #156 to Miami for #12 and a 2022 1st
Eagles trade #12 and #84 to Dallas for #10 (DeVonta Smith)
Eagles trade #70 to Carolina for #73(Milton Williams) and #191(Tarron Jackson)
Eagles trade #225 and #240 to Washington for a 2022 5th
Time and time again the Eagles have shown to be very active in the draft. Loading up on future picks and trading up to acquire the guys they want.
It’ll be no surprise by the end of April if the Eagles have traded more of their picks. Whether it’s to acquire players or future picks we’ll have to wait to find out.
Police are investigating a shooting killed one teenager and injured another in Germantown on Wednesday night.
Police responded to reports of gunshots at Germantown Avenue and Wister Street at 6:37 p.m., investigators said. Semaj Fields, 16, was shot in the upper back was taken to Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. A 17-year-old who was shot in the right hip was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
A stray bullet struck nearly struck a 55-year-old man who was driving by at the time of the shooting, police said. The bullet struck his driver’s side window and passed through his sleeve, but did not strike the man. He is cooperating with the investigation, police said.
Police are looking for three suspects, including two shooters. Surveillance footage shows that the suspects are young and fled on foot, heading east on Wister Street, investigators said. They were wearing dark clothing at the time. No arrests have been made.
Investigators said they found seven spent shell casings from two semi-automatic weapons. The motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
Law enforcement officials searched the home of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small on Thursday, sources told NBC10.
The sources said members of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office were at Small’s home on Presbyterian Avenue though it remains unclear why they were there. An Atlantic County court representative also said they have no documents related to Mayor Small or his wife, Laquetta Small, who is also the superintendent of Atlantic City public schools.
Photos obtained by NBC10 show the road blocked off near the mayor’s home.
“They were just blocking this street,” a neighbor told NBC10. “My son had to go to work. He went that way. Somebody lives here. She couldn’t get in so she went straight around. So I didn’t know what’s going on.”
NBC10 reached out to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office to find out why they were at the mayor’s home. They have not yet responded.
Mayor Small faced voter fraud charges more than a decade ago when he was a councilmember. Both Small and his co-defendants were acquitted in 2011.
NBC10 reached out to an attorney for Mayor Small. The attorney told NBC10 he has not seen the search warrants or discussed them with his client. He also did not answer a follow-up question asking him to clarify whether or not search warrants were executed at Small’s home.
And I think I speak for everyone when I say his wife?!
Yep. According to the official lore, the number one most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania is married. To another groundhog, thank the Lord. Though this was not alluded to in Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phyllis (sometime spelled Phylliss on the official site, groundhog.org) has been in the picture for a while. I found a reference to her in several newspaper articles from the 1970s.
The pair live together in a publicly displayed enclosure at the town’s library, though a larger habitat is in the works to make room for the little ones.
But okay. Punxsutawney Phil is married, that’s fine. And he has sex, good for him. And now he’s a dad, congrats all around.
All of this information seems pretty natural for a groundhog, and maybe even a little tame for an immortal rodent folk hero who has been making vague weather predictions for 138 winters in a row. The keepers of the groundhog and its lore can make up whatever mythology they see fit. For example, take this little nugget from the official FAQ:
How many “Phils” have there been over the years?
There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions since 1886! Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the ‘elixir of life,’ a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.
I mean — sure. There’s only been one Phil. And it’s because he drinks this “elixir of life.” Feels a little sci-fi and explainy, like when George Lucas added that bit about midi-chlorians. But it’s your show. Let’s read some more of that FAQ:
Does Phil have a wife?
Yes, her name is Phylis. She doesn’t receive the Elixir of Life so she will not live forever like Phil.
I’m sorry, what?
Phil doesn’t share the elixir? Why doesn’t Phil share the elixir? Will he just sit there watching the people he loves grow old and die? Does he go cruising for new wives when the current model kicks the bucket? That’s sick. How many old, cold Phyllises have been hot-swapped with young fresh living ones in the middle of the night? (And how did this groundhog story get so gross? Is it my fault?)
Like I said, Groundhog Club: It’s your show. You can write and rewrite the mythology as you see fit.
But since it’s all fiction anyway, why not take out this one obscure, tragic and curiously misogynist aspect of the Groundhog Day story? Phil needs to start sharing the elixir.
By The Numbers
$90,000 The total budget for Delco: The Movie, the independent, crowd-funded flick now filming in Delco, and starring an abundance of Brians: Brian Anthony Wilson (The Wire, The Postman), Brian Dunkleman (American Idol) and Brian O’Halloran (the Clerks movies, The Happening). If you want to see Dante Hicks in a priest outfit, check out this Inky piece from the set.
28 The number of projects listed as “upcoming” for aforementioned Philly actor Brian Anthony Wilson on the IMDB.
4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 The winning numbers from last night’s gigantic Powerball drawing. JK. Remember Lost? Here are the real numbers, but you didn’t win. That’s okay. I didn’t win, either, which is why I’m slumped over my laptop writing 15-year-old Lost references instead of planning a vacation to the moon.
$25,000 Jackpot won by Delco resident Josline Boyle on a game show called Password last night. I wonder if she’d like to invest in a certain independent film. I bet with $25K they could score a Jason Mewes cameo.
4 Number of French bulldogs stolen from a home in Dover by six dudes with an assault rifle. Wikipedia says 80 percent of French bulldog litters are born via c-section. That’s not important to the story, but it’s weird, right? Picture the little dog doctors in masks and scrubs.
And From the On-Hold Sports Desk …
The big news is that the Phils postponed their Opening Day game for the second year in a row because of rain. Hmm, climate change? They’ll kick off the season against the Braves on Friday instead of today, with the same 3:05 start at CBP.
The other big news is that The Athletic reports that ESPN is looking to hire Jason Kelce to replace one of the big names on M0nday Night Football. Still digesting how we feel about the prospect …
How’d the Sixers Do?
James Harden was back in Philly for the first time since his ugly trade contretemps last year, as was P.J. Tucker. Better news: Kelly Oubre was back in the saddle for the Sixers, starting along with Tobias Harris, Mo Bamba, Tyrese Maxey and Kyle Lowry. And since the Phils game got postponed, some special guests were on hand.
Johan Rojas, Cristian Pache, Yunior Marte, and Ranger Suarez were all on the court to ring the bell at tonight’s Sixers game! pic.twitter.com/8w2DshrMro
Sixers fans were spectacular, booing Harden every time he touched the ball in the early going. He obliged by missing some shots, as did his teammates; they were trailing through the first quarter, which closed with the Sixers up 30-18. In the second quarter, the Clippers managed to tighten things up until Maxey hit a long three and then a two, pushing the lead to 10 before the Clippers cut it to four at the half. Then it was suddenly a one-point game early in the third — yikes. That’s where it hung around for the rest of that quarter; only two Buddy Hield treys and his fancy layup toward the end preserved a tenuous 79-75 Sixer lead.
And Bricken for Chicken, too! But oh, God, it stayed too close for comfort all through the fourth. We were up 104-101 with a minute to go when Maxey tripped and turned the ball over on an inbound pass. Amir Coffey missed a vital foul shot that would have cut the lead to one, but the Sixers lost a challenge on an out-of-bounds call that they should have won, and Kawhi Leonard tied it, then put the Clippers up 105-104 with a subsequent foul shot. Ala Abdelnaby was apoplectic. Holy cannoli, a Buddy Hield three from Montana! But another layup and foul shot by Leonard meant another one-point L.A. lead. Ball in Maxey’s hands … he’s fouled, but no shot, just an in-bounds. Wait, a Clippers challenge now, saying Maxey wasn’t fouled, just slipped again. You got the feeling the crowd was gonna storm the court if the review blew this one, too. Luckily for everyone, the call stood up — maybe also wrongly. An Oubre layup stuck to the rim, resulting in a jump ball, also challenged by Nick Nurse. Um, you can’t challenge a no-call, Nick. The Sixers got the resulting jump ball but couldn’t score:
A 108-107 loss, and some wrath from Nurse and in the booth. Tough loss. At least the fans got to boo the crew off the court. Lustily. Kelly Oubre is us.
Lmfaoooo 🤣🤣🤣
Oubre to the refs:
“You’re a bitch, you’re a bitch, and you’re a bitch, ok? Your moms a bitch, your dad’s a bitch, your grandma’s a bitch” pic.twitter.com/ioLJIpySFR
Marissa Paternoster of Screaming Females and Joe Steinhardt of Don Giovanni Records explore Garden State despair in Merriment.
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Paternoster and Steinhardt took advantage of the COVID lockdown to create their first graphic novel. / Image details from Merriment
Joe Steinhardt and Marissa Paternoster are in uncharted territory. The pair have been working together for years, with his long-running indie label Don Giovanni Records releasing albums by her also long-running and recently broken-up indie rock band Screaming Females since the mid-2000s. In the world of fiercely independent music, these two thirtysomethings are old pros.
But their new venture — an off-kilter, affecting and surprisingly funny graphic novel called Merriment — led them outside their comfort zones.
Steinhardt, also an assistant professor in Drexel’s Music Industry Program, provided the words, introducing us to a coterie of dry-witted New Jerseyans sipping coffee and adjusting to suburban early adulthood. But one of them, the delightfully and worryingly dark Mack, seems to be spiraling — her usual depression and restlessness giving way to stranger territory. Her BFF Denise, peacemaking mom, and increasingly wary friends don’t quite know what to do with her.
Paternoster provides the illustrations. Though the 200-plus-page Merriment is her first graphic novel, she is a lifelong artist and comic creator (in addition to being one of the top guitarists alive, according to Rolling Stone and Spin). Her panels here are populated by stony but expressive faces that can border on the grotesque, at least at first glance.
Steinhardt, who studied filmmaking as an undergrad, takes a dialogue-driven documentary approach to storytelling that lends itself nicely to Paternoster’s oddly surreal drawings full of wavy lines and talking heads. Together the art and subject matter have readers seeing what Mack sees: That terrible things are around every corner.
Merriment comes complete with glowing blurbs from record producer Steve Albini, New Yorker cartoonist Sara Lautman and NJ comedian/actor Chris Gethard, who, in addition to praising the book, said: “New Jersey and mental illness go hand in hand.” Is that true?
Marissa Paternoster: Living under the throes of late-stage capitalism is probably the key to being “mentally ill.” Everyone should probably be “mentally ill” at this point. And that’s in quotation marks. New Jersey is an interesting place because it’s purgatorial in a way. You live in between these two giant major metropolitan destination cities, and everyone talks shit on you. But there’s a lot going on in New Jersey, actually.
Joe Steinhardt: New Jersey and Philly both grow up in that long shadow of New York, and there’s a lot of that present in this book — that “You think you’re better than me?” chip on the shoulder. And then there’s the self-hating Jersey folks, too.
Besides New Jersey, where did Merriment come from?
Steinhardt: I started writing this nine years ago, but I’m almost embarrassed telling people that, because it’s not The Odyssey. It’s not this major work or anything. … It took a long time to figure out who Mack was, and the world she operated in. Not to mention it’s not something that I do for a living. This was done in the cracks of time. … Marissa and I have been friends and working on shit together for a million years, and [I realized] this would be really great paired with Marisa’s art. We have very similar senses of humor, and a very similar sense of the world.
Paternoster: Joe sent me what looked like a screenplay probably four years ago. I read it and I liked it, but I knew in the back of my mind that doing a graphic novel while being on tour for like 100 days out of the year might be unrealistic. And then it was three months later or something that COVID happened and I had all the time in the world. So I was like: Let’s do it.
Merriment is more about dialogue than action, how did that affect your approach?
Paternoster: The thing that I tried to do, and hopefully did successfully bearing in mind that this was the first time I’ve ever made a graphic novel, was to imbue as much emotion as I could in the character’s faces while they’re having these really heavy discussions. But I also was thinking a lot about a comic like Ghost World, where the characters have this flat affect and they don’t really seem to emote heavily in any which way, unless something really intense happens. Something about that very droll aesthetic when it comes to drawing paired nicely with Joe’s writing, because Merriment is a lot of stories about listlessness and hopelessness and just the banality driving you towards, in this case, madness.
Steinhardt: The way I wrote this, I really distanced myself from the characters. Hearing Marisa talk about it, it almost doesn’t feel I wrote them. … There’s these times I really want Mack to say something different. I really want Denise to do something different. And I think for me that’s what the story is about. I don’t know. That might sound like completely insane.
Paternoster: Mack is a really relatable millennial character because she wants to go to New York so life can happen. But what does she actually mean by that? She has no plans. She has no career trajectory. She has seemingly no hobbies or interests. She just wants to be in New York. And I think we’ve all probably learned the hard that you can’t just go somewhere and life happens to you. That’s not the way it works.
Mack seems to be spiraling, like things are just getting gradually worse inside her head. But the people around her don’t always know how to handle it.
Steinhardt: In some fiction, especially if you’re writing episodic TV, each line is so important, everyone says the exact right thing. Then in real life, when you’re presented with these situations, you don’t necessarily fumble, but you don’t get a first down. And then you go back in your head and think I wish I did it like this. … And it’s not so much about the moral judgments of the characters in Merriment. I don’t think anyone’s a really bad person, right, like Mack might have some thoughts that are icky, but …
I was gonna ask, do you feel more like Mack or Denise?
Paternoster: I’m definitely Mack, but I want to be Denise.
This book surprises you with its funny parts. The humor is earned, and based on these really fleshed-out personalities.
Steinhardt: One of the reasons we’re friends is that we have a very similar sense of humor. We’ll go on long car trips or tours or whatever and we’ll be characters with each other. Even our jokes all involve either creating characters or taking people that we know and making them into characters, and stepping outside of our bodies. I think at some level neither of us like our own bodies, but we’re working on it. It’s fun to step outside of our bodies and be somebody else for a minute. This was a great thing for us to work on together and I want to do another one with her.
Now that you’re not out on tour all the time, maybe you’ll have time?
Paternoster: I mean, I’ve been at home a lot more. I’m certainly drawing a lot more. I knew that executing a graphic novel would be a massive lift. I was hesitant to do it because I didn’t want to start it and then it just exist in parts just for years and years. I wanted to actually get it done. But now Joe and I have some kind of timeframe that we can reference if we ever decide to make something again and I do know how much work it is.
Steinhardt: When we put this project together, when we did a Kickstarter and everything, we were like, “Oh, it’s going to be a 120-page graphic novel, and it’s COVID we have all this time, so we’ll have it out in a year.” And it became a 248-page thing that took three years.
You both always seem to work in the independent art and music world. What it is that draws you to that side of things?
Steinhardt: Disdain.
Paternoster: Yeah, pretty much. Yes. I just don’t want anybody making any creative executive decisions on my behalf. There’s no need for it either. I’m not so busy that that I can’t handle it myself.
Steinhardt: The infrastructure of distribution and promotion, it’s so tightly controlled. I actually do want this book to be To Kill a Mockingbird. I do want Screaming Females to be the Beatles, but it has to be on our own terms.
The Phillies Home Opener is tomorrow but some fans aren’t very happy with the team after the sudden end of the fan-favorite promotion, $1 dog night.
While the Phillies may have parted ways with the promo, these companies are stepping up to the plate to fulfill the wishes of Phillies fans.
On March 29, April 2, and Tuesday, April 16, Shake Shake will be offering $1 hot dogs at these locations:
University City
Center City
Midtown Village
There will be a limit of four hot dogs per order and the promotion can be redeemed in the participating locations, on the app, and on the Shake Shake website.
On Home Opener night, Evil Genius Beer will be offering $1 hot dogs throughout the day.
Guests at Evil Genius will be able to purchase unlimited $1 dogs with the purchase of one initial full-priced beer, drink, food, or merch item.
And while these technically aren’t $1 hot dogs, Ball Park Buns is giving Phillies fans the chance to win FREE Ball Park Hot Dogs Bune on April 2 and April 6.
This article will be updated if more $1 hot dog promotions are announced.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Nobody won Wednesday’s Powerball drawing so the jackpot is climbing to $935 million for Saturday.
Powerball is your only shot right now at a massive payout approaching billion-dollar territory, after someone in New Jersey won the Mega Millions $1.13 billion prize this week.
Wednesday’s Powerball drawing was for $865 million.
The winning numbers were: 37, 46, 57, 60, 66 and the Powerball is 8.
While nobody hit all six, there were three tickets with five winning numbers, for prizes of $1 million each, sold in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Texas.
The Powerball jackpot has been growing for months. The last time someone won Powerball’s top prize was on New Year’s Day, meaning there have been 36 consecutive drawings without a winner.
The game’s odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to create big jackpots that will grab attention and increase sales.
The top prize is for a sole winner who is paid over 30 years through an annuity. Winners usually opt for a cash payout, which for Wednesday night’s drawing would have been an estimated $416.1 million.
The $935 million drawing for Saturday carries a cash value of $449.7 million, before taxes.
Powerball is played in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
