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London —A ban on American XL bully dogs came into effect on Thursday in England and Wales after a spate of violent attacks. Now, owners must apply for an exemption, which requires proof of neutering and liability insurance, in order to keep their pets. All XL bullies must be muzzled and kept on a leash in public.
Before 2021 in the U.K., there were only approximately three dog attack deaths per year. After 2021, there have been at least 23, many of which have involved American XL bullies, according to CBS News partner network BBC News.
An American XL bully dog
Getty Images
“These dogs aren’t cared for by the breeders — they just want money — so from the greed at the start (and) irresponsible ownership in the middle, we’ve got children dying,” Emma Whitfield, whose 10-year-old son was killed by an American XL bully in 2021, said last September.
“My youngest son started comprehensive school last week, and he should have had his big brother showing him the ropes, but he’s had to do it on his own. We’re missing a massive piece of our family,” Whitfield added.
What is an American XL bully?
An American bully is not identified by the U.K. Kennel Club as a specific dog breed. Rather, it is a type of bulldog that is the result of mixing several dog breeds, including Pit Bulls, American Bulldogs, and English Bulldogs.
The U.K. government published guidance to help identify the dogs in which it describes them as having “a muscular body and blocky head, suggesting great strength and power for [their] size.”
Before the addition of American XL bullies, the selling, owning, breeding and abandoning of four other dog breeds was illegal in the U.K.: the Pit bull terrier, the Dogo Argentino, the Japanese Tosa and the Fila Brasileiro.
If someone has a dog that is one of these breeds, it can be taken by police, even if there have been no complaints against it.
Difficult to enforce
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to ban American Bully XLs in September 2023 after 52-year-old Ian Price was attacked and killed by two of the dogs. Members of the public attempted to help Price but were unable to get the dogs off of him.
Mark Hobrough, a police chief from the U.K.’s National Police Chiefs’ Council, said the new ban would create “logistical challenges” for officers by sparking an increased demand for kennel space ahead of court rulings on whether dogs should be euthanized.
Over 35,000 dogs in the U.K. are already registered for American XL bully exemptions.
Haley Ott is cbsnews.com’s foreign reporter, based in the CBS News London bureau. Haley joined the cbsnews.com team in 2018, prior to which she worked for outlets including Al Jazeera, Monocle, and Vice News.
Snagging a bib for the Broad Street Run – one of the largest and liveliest 10-milers in the country – requires some luck. But avoiding injury and running a personal best calls for careful planning.
Philadelphia officials expect approximately 40,000 people to race in this year’s Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run, starting at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 5. Registration opened Thursday morning and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 15.
Registered runners will get bibs for the race through a lottery system, with notification the week of Feb. 19. Individuals or teams also may run on behalf of a charity.
Revelers, bands and occasional mummers cheer runners along the race course that stretches from Somerville Avenue and Broad Street down to the Navy Yard. Broad Street is a fast course, according to veteran racers. Still, runners need to follow a training plan to avoid injuries and improve racing times.
The first step for new runners is to find comfortable shoes, said Ross Martinson, co-owner of the four Philadelphia Runner stores.
“You don’t want the shoes to be what stops you from going for a run,” he said. “Try on multiple pairs.”
Then comes finding the motivation to run. Having a partner or a group to head out with often helps.
Philadelphia Runner offers a training program for beginning and intermediate runners with Wednesday evening and Saturday morning group runs staring in mid-February. People can sign up here or through the store’s web site.
“You may not want to go for a run, but you always feel great that you did,” Martinson said, adding that “every kind of exercise counts … If you like lifting weights, keep doing that and add in some runs.”
Megan Williams, a Philadelphia native and veteran racer who has run Broad Street more times than she can recall, said novices should start training several months in advance, using a four week “build” cycle. Run three to four times a week, making one of the runs a longer run.
“I always find that after I hit City Hall, I am in a bit of a dead zone,” Williams said, referencing the 6-mile mark. “The downhills are over and there is still a lot of real estate left to race.”
Experienced runners trying to improve their Broad Street times should choose workouts that blend tempo and speed, Williams said. She favors “The Michigan,” detailed by Outside.
“Remember, it is OK to walk,” Williams said, but only until you recover. Then pick up your pace again.
To avoid injuries while training, it’s best to gradually adjust the intensity, frequency and duration of the running in order to accommodate pain, said Dr. Arthur R. Bartolozzi, director of sports medicine at Jefferson Health’s 3B Orthopaedics.
Seventy percent of runners have some kind of knee pain, the most common being “runner’s knee,” patellofemoral pain related to the knee cap often due to core muscle weakness or quadriceps weakness, said Bartolozzi – also a former team physician for the Eagles and the Flyers.
Shin splints occur from excessive stress on the muscle attached to the inner side of the shin bone, sometimes leading to more serious stress fractures. Running also can aggravate previously existing arthritis of the hip, knee or foot, Bartolozzi said.
One way to avoid such injuries is to make sure your running shoes are not worn out. Also, “most foot problems can be managed with over-the-counter foot supports,” Bartolozzi said.
“The key is to pay attention to your body,” Bartolozzi said. “Most people who are avid runners know what comfortable pain is. But anything that lasts for more than an hour, or keeps you awake at night, that’s not normal pain.”
Neither is sharp pain or incapacitating pain – signals that runners should halt training. Cross-training is an effective way to prevent overuse injuries by providing a “better platform of stability,” Bartolozzi said.
Broad Street is “very much a local run,” Martinson said. “It’s amazing that 40,000 people run it, and it feels like everybody is from Philly” – or nearby. “It’s long enough that it’s a great goal and challenging without killing yourself,” Martinson said.
“I really love this race,” Williams said. “You get to run on streets that are never open. You literally run a cross-section of the city.”
To stay warm while getting to the race and waiting for the start, runners should wear a layer of clothes they’re willing to discard. The city collects cast-offs for donation.
The race website has answers to other frequently asked questions about the race and information about how to register.
Philadelphia’s commercial office sector stands at a crossroads, influenced by evolving work patterns and economic shifts. In response to these changes, the General Building Contractors Association (GBCA), in collaboration with IBEW Local 98, commissioned Econsult Solutions to analyze the upcoming decade’s construction trends.
The collaboration resulted in the report, Philadelphia Construction Forecasts 2023-2033, which is backed by industry insights and provides a comprehensive view of both the…
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A hanger under construction on the grounds of the airport in Boise, Idaho, collapsed Wednesday, injuring about a dozen people, officials said.
Authorities responded at about 5 p.m. to a private business located at the Boise Airport for a steel framed hangar that collapsed, Boise Fire Department Operations Chief Aaron Hummel said during a news briefing.
Everyone who had been at the site had been accounted for as of Wednesday evening, he said. Hummel wouldn’t comment on the condition of those injured or say whether anyone had died. He said officials were first working to contact family members.
Authorities respond to the scene of a reported building collapse near the Boise Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. (Terra Furman via AP)
Authorities respond to the scene of a reported building collapse near the Boise Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. (Terra Furman via AP)
Authorities respond to the scene of a reported building collapse near the Boise Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. (Terra Furman via AP)
Authorities respond to the scene of a reported building collapse near the Boise Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. (Terra Furman via AP)
Authorities respond to the scene of a reported building collapse near the Boise Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. (Terra Furman via AP)
“It was a very chaotic scene,” Hummel said, describing the incident as a “large-scale collapse” of the framework of the building.
“I don’t know what caused it, but I can tell you it was a pretty global collapse,” he said, calling it “catastrophic.”
Boise Airport operations were not impacted, officials said.
Terra Furman was driving on Interstate 84 about a quarter mile (400 meters) from the airport at about 5:30 p.m. when she spotted at least 20 police cars, ambulances and firetrucks around what she described as a crane folded in half and a building in the shape of an ‘M.’
“The walls were still up at a point and the middle collapsed in on either side,” she said.
Hummel said some of the victims were on a hoist or other elevated platform at the time the structure fell, and that required some specialized rescue efforts. He said a crane also collapsed in the incident.
Leticia Ramirez, a spokesperson for Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, said emergency and trauma teams were working with first responders to treat patients who arrived from the scene.
Authorities are investigating what caused the collapse.
BOISE, Idaho — A hanger under construction on the grounds of the airport in Boise, Idaho, collapsed Wednesday, injuring about a dozen people, officials said.
Authorities responded at about 5 p.m. to a private business located at the Boise Airport for a steel framed hangar that collapsed, Boise Fire Department Operations Chief Aaron Hummel said during a news briefing.
Everyone who had been at the site had been accounted for as of Wednesday evening, he said. Hummel wouldn’t comment on the condition of those injured or say whether anyone had died. He said officials were first working to contact family members.
“It was a very chaotic scene,” Hummel said, describing the incident as a “large-scale collapse” of the framework of the building.
“I don’t know what caused it, but I can tell you it was a pretty global collapse,” he said, calling it “catastrophic.”
Boise Airport operations were not impacted, officials said.
Terra Furman was driving on Interstate 84 about a quarter mile (400 meters) from the airport at about 5:30 p.m. when she spotted at least 20 police cars, ambulances and firetrucks around what she described as a crane folded in half and a building in the shape of an ‘M.’
“The walls were still up at a point and the middle collapsed in on either side,” she said.
Hummel said some of the victims were on a hoist or other elevated platform at the time the structure fell, and that required some specialized rescue efforts. He said a crane also collapsed in the incident.
Leticia Ramirez, a spokesperson for Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, said emergency and trauma teams were working with first responders to treat patients who arrived from the scene.
Authorities are investigating what caused the collapse.
Coming into this season’s all-star game the Flyers are on a five-game losing streak. This comes after a five-game winning streak earlier in the month. Over this stretch the Flyers have been outscored 12 to 27. In most games the Flyers would fall behind early in the game and work back in the second half to make the game interesting. Just to give up multiple empty net goals to pad the opponent’s stat sheets. The only bright spots from this losing streak are the one going performance of Travis Konecny and Joel Farabee. Who are proving to be two of the best young forwards in the league. Travis Konecny will be the Flyers lone All-Star representative in Toronto this weekend. While Cam Atkinson has started to get hot after a slow start to the season.
The Flyers were without Owen Tippet for the last four games as he has been placed on IR with a lower body injury. He is expected to return after the All-Star break. Tippet recently signed an 8-year contract extension, making 6.2 million dollars a year. This would most likely make Tippet a Flyer for life. As well as giving him the current longest contract on the roster. While forward Ryan Poehling also signed an extension for two years at 1.9 million annually.
Philadelphia will be in a tough goaltending situation for the rest of the year relying heavily on rookie Sam Ersson who is eligible for the Calder Trophy this season. The Flyers had one of the best goal tandems in the league throughout this season, but they will be without Carter Hart for the foreseeable future. Cal Petersen has been called up from Lehigh Valley to be Ersson’s backup. Petersen has only played in three games for the Flyers, including their last matchup against the Bruins where Ersson was pulled after the first period. Through 15 games with the Phantoms Petersen has a 3.26 GAA and 0.890 SVV. It is safe to assume that unlike it was with Hart and Ersson where they had equal playing time. Ersson will start the majority of the time for the rest of the season, while Petersen will only play in one half of back-to-back games and an occupational midweek game.
A new study looking at the effects of racial bias in the retail industry proposes focusing on the behavior of shoppers rather than their appearance. The study, commissioned by Sephora, also proposes other changes to protocols that may help eliminate certain aspects of racial bias. Joann Lublin, a contributor for the Wall Street Journal, joins CBS News to discuss.
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Adam Blackstone, who performs at the Super Bowl just one week after going to the Grammys, talks playing with Rihanna and eating lobster rolls in Rittenhouse.
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Adam Blackstone, whose February includes the Grammy Awards and the Super Bowl / Photograph by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images
February is a big month for Adam Blackstone, whom you may have seen playing with Justin Timberlake on the most recent Saturday Night Live. On Sunday, February 4th, he finds out if he wins his first Grammy. Or maybe first two Grammys. And on February 11th, he lends his musical talents to the Super Bowl. We sat down with him to find out where he got his talent and who the most famous people are in his phone.
I grew up in … New Jersey. Born in Trenton, where my uncle was the mayor. Then we moved to Willingboro in the ’90s, which I thought was a very affluent Black community. It taught me early Black excellence. I was not a minority in that town.
My musical training … began in church, where my father was the organist, my uncle played the drums, my godfather was on bass, my mother was in the choir, and my auntie was the choir director. With that kind of background, my parents allowed me to follow my dream, whereas so many parents push their kids into something more “stable.”
I moved to Philly … in 2000, to study jazz performance at University of the Arts. In 2005, I moved to Delaware, which is where I live now with my wife and two kids. But I’m still in Philly almost every day. The rehearsal studio we use is in South Philly.
My favorite place for lunch in Philly is … Luke’s, that place in the basement on 17th Street with those incredible lobster rolls. My son and I throw down a lot of money in there.
Adam Blackstone with Questlove at the Super Bowl in 2023 (Getty Images)
My instruments include … drums, bass, piano, tuba, sousaphone and organ. My main instrument is bass, but I had to pick up the sousaphone and tuba in high school because the guy on bass in the school band was way better than me.
When somebody says they want to be the next Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, I tell them … keep dreaming big. Beyoncé and Taylor Swift wanted to be the next Whitney, Cher, Madonna and all that, and look what happened.
One person I wish I’d had the chance to work with was … Michael Jackson. Genius. But I did come close when I was hired to work with Janet Jackson.
The most famous person in my cell phone is … Queen Latifah. We text every other day. Alicia Keys is sometimes four times a day. Adam Levine is my guy. Justin Timberlake. John Legend. Questlove.
One song people do at karaoke but shouldn’t is … “Mo Money Mo Problems.” And “SexyBack.” And “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Just don’t.
If I win a Grammy on February 4th, I will … cry. I’m nominated for two under my own name, for Best Jazz Performance and Best Jazz Instrumental Album. I’ve worked with Grammy winners before, like Jay-Z. But hearing your own name called is different.
Published as “One of Us: Adam Blackstone” in the February 2024 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
It’s back to school for fans of “Abbott Elementary” as the ABC sitcom returns next week.
The series, which was created by and stars West Philadelphia-native Quinta Brunson, returns Wednesday, Feb. 7 with a special, hour-long Season 3 premiere. A new trailer shows what the staff of the titular Philly public school have been up to since viewers last saw them in the spring, and it’s clear that changes have been afoot.
To commemorate the mockumentary’s return to TV, the “Abbott Elementary” team is launching a “Lunch Break” tour to donate meals and supplies to underserved schools across the country. The tour, which features a giant “lunch box vehicle,” will make a stop in Philadelphia on Friday, Feb. 2. No further information has been released about where the Philly stop will be.
With just one week before “Abbott Elementary” returns, here’s what to know about Season 3:
Who’s in the Season 3 cast?
There will be some new faces this season. “Abbott Elementary” is welcoming actors Josh Segarra, Kimia Behpoornia and Benjamin Norris to recurring roles. The trio will portray “good-natured Philadelphia school district representatives who aim to bring fresh perspectives to their roles as school ambassadors,” Deadline reported.
Segarra — known for roles in “The Other Two,” “Scream VI” and “She-Hulk” — will play a character named Manny, Behpoornia (“Hacks”) will play Emily and Norris (“Never Have I Ever”) will play Simon.
Lisa Ann Walter, the recent “Celebrity Jeopardy!” champion who plays sassy second-grade teacher Melissa on the show, told Entertainment Tonight “so many great characters” will be in the third season.
Segarra, Behpoornia and Norris join a beloved returning cast that includes Brunson, who also produces and writes the show, as plucky second-grade teacher Janine Teagues. The fictional public school’s other quirky staff members are played by Walter, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Chris Perfetti and William Stanford Davis. The show has featured cameos by acclaimed actors like Ayo Edebiri, Leslie Odom Jr. and Taraji P. Henson.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Abbott Elementary’ is almost back in session and Season 3 will bring three new characters starring Josh Segarra, Kimia Behpoornia and Benjamin Norris in recurring roles https://t.co/nlBh40mx3r
The new season is sure to set itself apart from previous installments, for multiple reasons.
Rather than beginning the season at the start of the school year, as the show did previously, the series will pick up in the middle of the school year to reflect its February premiere. The show experienced monthslong delays due to last year’s dual Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. For this reason, the season will also be shorter than Season 2, containing just 14 episodes compared to 22.
“Our season will still be on the school calendar. Last year, we started airing in September, when school started. We’re not doing that this year,” Brunson told Deadline in October. “It’s not like coming back to a family show where you can pop in on that family on any sitcom-y thing. It’s really like, what’s going on in the school?”
The hour-long premiere will center on a district-wide career day planned by Janine, who is anxious for it to be a success. The first episode also will show Ava (James) trying out a new approach to her role as principal, according to ABC. The first episode contains some surprises, according to Walter.
“I will tell you this, the premiere episode of Season 3 is so chock full of new, exciting stuff,” Walter told Entertainment Tonight. “I can’t even, we’re not allowed to say it obviously. But all I can say is stay tuned. It’s a lot.”
One such surprise seems to be the formerly lax Ava’s newfound rigidity as leader of the school, following an Ivy league stint over the break.
“I went to Harvard this summer,” Ava says during the trailer. “I’ve learned what it truly takes to do the job of a principal.”
ABC also teased details of the second episode, which airs Wednesday, Feb. 14. The Valentine’s Day episode handles the revelation that Janine’s ex Tariq (Zack Fox) is dating the mother of one of the school’s students, while Gregory (Williams) hesitantly deals with his newfound status as the “cool teacher.”
Where did we leave off?
When viewers last saw the “Abbott” crew, they were on a school field trip at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. The Season 2 finale marked the first time the show, which is set in Philly, was actually filmed in the city.
During that fateful night at the museum, Janine and Gregory finally had a tense chat about their feelings for each other. The pair, who have been pushing the boundaries between friendship and flirtation since the show began, shared a highly anticipated kiss earlier that season. But things were complicated because Janine was dating Gregory’s friend at the time.
The coworkers walked away from the Franklin Institute as just friends, with Janine hoping to focus on herself and Gregory looking for new beginnings. One of the most pressing concerns on fans’ minds is how the pair’s will-they-won’t-they relationship will resolve, but Season 3 is sure to give their slow burn more time to either simmer or fizzle.
In the Season 3 trailer, Gregory and Janine refer to their friendship as “good” and “fine,” which appears to be a polite way of saying things are awkward.
The latest accolades
At the Emmys earlier this month, “Abbott Elementary” added to its long list of awards. Brunson won outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her performance in the second season. It was Brunson’s second Emmy, having previously won for writing the pilot episode of “Abbott Elementary.” On Instagram, Brunson shared a larger-than-life congratulatory bouquet sent to the “Abbott” set by Oprah Winfrey, who Brunson portrayed in a 2022 Weird Al Yankovic biopic.
When and where to watch
Fans can catch up on Seasons 1 and 2 of “Abbott Elementary” on Hulu before the new season premieres Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. on ABC. Watch the trailer below:
Jose Quinones-Mendez, 42, of North Philadelphia has been taken into custody by authorities.
Officials had sought Quinones-Mendez after he was captured on surveillance footage taking a handgun that was, allegedly, used in a shooting that left a police officer hurt on Friday night.
The shooting left a Philadelphia police officer injured and 28-year-old Alexander Spencer dead.
Shortly before 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening, officials said, Jose Quinones-Mendez, 42, of North Philadelphia was taken into custody by authorities. He had been sought after he was captured on surveillance footage taking a handgun that was, allegedly, used in a shooting that left a police officer hurt on Friday night.
Quinones-Mendez is alleged to have taken a gun that was dropped after a Philadelphia Police officer shot and killed 28-year-old Alexander Spencer in a corner store along the 2800 block of N. Mascher Street in North Philly just before 9 p.m. on Friday night.
Officials released new surveillance video showing a scuffle and shooting that left a man dead and a Philadelphia police officer injured. NBC10’s Karen Hua has the latest on the investigation while NBC10’s Fred Shropshire takes a closer look at the video.
Surveillance video released by police on Tuesday shows a man, who police have said is Quinones-Mendez, hanging out in the store as police officers struggle with Spencer during the shooting incident. At some point in that video, the gun that police said Spencer used to shoot an officer slides across the floor and Quinones-Mendez can be seen stepping on it before he picks it up and pockets the weapon.
After that, police said, he fled the scene of the incident.
Quinones-Mendez will be facing a number of charges, including weapons violations, obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence and related charges.
(The Hill) — FBI Director Christopher Wray warned of Chinese government efforts to jeopardize critical American infrastructure like water treatment plants and electric grids, calling on the country to prepare itself to fend off disruptive cyber attacks.
“PRC hackers are targeting our critical infrastructure, our water treatment plants, our electrical grid, our oil and natural gas pipelines, our transportation systems, and the risk that poses to every American requires our attention now,” Wray said at a hearing of the House’s Select Committee on China, using an abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China.
“China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities,” he added.
“They’re not focused just on political and military targets. We can see from where they position themselves across civilian infrastructure, that low blows aren’t just a possibility in the event of conflict – low blows against civilians are part of China’s plan.”
Wray’s remarks came during a broader hearing on China’s cyber risk to American security, highlighting that the PRC’s cyber threat extends far beyond seeking intellectual property by targeting physical infrastructure Americans rely on every day.
But he nodded to ongoing budget negotiations as the committee weighs the threat, noting the extent China has invested in its own hacking programs.
“The PRC has a bigger hacking program than that of every major nation combined,” he said, noting that even if the FBI devoted all its cyber personnel to China, they’d still be outnumbered 50 to one.
“So as we sit here, while important budget discussions are underway, I will note that this is a time to be keeping ahead of the threats by investing in our capabilities rather than cutting,” Wray said.
Underscoring the threat, the Justice Department and FBI announced just before the hearing that they had disrupted a botnet of hundreds of U.S.-based small office and home routers owned by private citizens and companies and hijacked by the Chinese state hackers to cover their tracks and hide their origin as they sowed the malware.
Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), told lawmakers that Chinese and other cyber actors have essentially been able “to saunter through the open doors of our critical infrastructure to destroy it.”
“The truth is, the Chinese cyber actors have taken advantage of very basic flaws in our technology. We’ve made it easy on them,” she said in her opening statement before the same panel.
“Unfortunately, the technology underpinning our critical infrastructure is inherently insecure because of decades of software developers not being held liable for defective technology that has led to incentives where features and speed to market have been prioritized against security, leaving our nation vulnerable to cyber invasion.”
She called on infrastructure outlets to work with CISA to secure free vulnerability scannings.
“Every technology manufacturer must build, test and deploy technology that is secure by design. We have to drive towards a future where cyber actors cannot take advantage of technology defects to break into our critical infrastructure,” she said.
“None of this is possible unless every CEO, every business leader, every board member for a critical infrastructure company recognizes that cyber risk is business risk, and managing it is a matter of both good governance and fundamental national security.”
A Chester County mother is working to show that her son’s life and death mattered and wants others to know that no matter the struggle, your life matters too.
Alice Ciocco says her son began to struggle from a young age and for more than a decade she and her family tried to help him with his mental health issues.
While she says he had access to resources, for many it’s not enough.
This is why Ciocco is trying to buy time for others and show them that people care.
“Rob was creative and intelligent and he was in the gifted program. A super funny guy, basically a big teddy bear,” Ciocco says of her son.
It’s how she remembers her son, but she’ll always live with the unhappy memories too.
“In second grade, he was having a hard time focusing or paying attention in class,” she said.
From then, his life had its ups and downs and his mental health issues slowly took over.
“It can happen to anyone,” Ciocco explained.
Despite help and intervention, Rob became homeless as self-medication and his mental health were proving a battle too fierce to fight.
Then, he was killed after being hit by a car while he was walking along a highway.
“Rob’s life was cut short because he was in an episode, a psychotic episode, and he decided to just walk south with the clothes on his back, nothing else,” Ciocco said. “And, he made it to Georgia and was hit by a car.”
Ciocco knows that you can’t force others to get help or take shelter, but you can give a gift. It could be clothing or a poncho for shelter, and little dignity and love.
After Rob’s death, RC Clothing was born to give anyone experiencing homelessness new clothes with reflective material so they are hopefully not missed at night and accidentally harmed like Rob.
Through the organization, bags filled with clothes and a poncho that can be used as shelter are given to local programs and police departments who often are the first contacted to help someone who may be homeless.
And in the bag is a note to those who get this gift.
Rob’s family launched a GoFundMe page last year in memory of Rob and raised over $10,000 to kickstart RC Clothing.
For more information on RC Clothing and how you can donate, click here.
The one and only Elmo of Sesame Street” asked people how they were doing earlier this week on “X.”
Elmo got a flood of responses, many of them from people who are struggling.
Even celebrities confided in Elmo.
Actress Rachel Zegler said she’s: “resisting the urge to tell Elmo that I am kinda sad.”
The Detroit Free Press is still dealing with the Lions’ loss in the NFC Championship and said, “We’ve been better, Elmo.”
Dionne Warwick just responded with this gif:
Elmo even caught the attention of the White House.
President Biden posted:
“Our friend Elmo is right: we have to be there for each other, offer our help to a neighbor in need, and above all else, ask for help when we need it. Even though it’s hard, you’re never alone.”
Elmo followed up with a post that he was glad he asked and promised to check on everyone again soon.
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!
There’s a New Weather Woman in Town
There are a lot of weird things about Philadelphia. One is that many people seem to be obsessed with the folks who deliver the weather each night on Philadelphia TV stations. And, OK, full disclosure, I have interviewed Cecily Tynan, Karen Rogers, Hurricane Schwartz, Sue Serio, and Adam Joseph. So I may very well be part of the problem.
In any event, it’s time to welcome a new meteorologist to town: Payton Domschke. She headed to 6ABC from an NBC station in Cleveland. No, Cecily Tynan, Adam Joseph, and the other 6ABC meteorologists aren’t going anywhere. Domschke is an addition to the preexisting team. A “much needed addition” in the words of Adam Joseph on Twitter.
Prior to Cleveland, Domschke worked in the Norfolk area. She’s originally from Chicago. No word on if she’s a Bears fan. (Then again, is anyone these days?) But her parents actually did name her after the late Chicago Bears legend Walter Payton.
To give you an idea of Domschke’s on-air personality, here she is November with Al Roker:
Good luck, Payton. Just know that Philly will eviscerate you if you get the forecast even a little wrong.
And Now for Some Bad News…
I do my best to keep things around here a little lighter than, say, Steve Keeley over at Fox 29. But today it’s a little hard to do that.
Meanwhile, there’s an investigation underway into a police-involved-shooting in Philadelphia from last Friday. It happened inside one of those corner stores with bulletproof windows, gambling machines, and beer for sale. Cops walk into the store and start questioning some men inside. It turns out one of those men had a concealed gun. The end result: The man with the gun wound up dead and one of the cops got shot. The cop survived. There’s lots of video of what happened. And investigators and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office are trying to piece together exactly what happened and whether police followed proper protocols.
Finally, a police officer was shot early on Wednesday morning while trying to serve a warrant in North Philadelphia. SWAT responded to the barricade situation that ensued. And the police officer is listed in stable condition.
21: Maximum years one Philadelphia woman could face in federal prison if convicted on charges just filed against her stemming from a Frontier Airlines flight last November. The woman wanted to go to the bathroom, but the plane was preparing to land. According to the feds, she wound up pulling her pants down in the aisle, cursing and screaming at a flight attendant, and threatening to kill some of the passengers. Yes, alcohol was involved. Though as one colleague put it to me yesterday: “1) Frontier has made me that mad before. 2) I’ve had to pee that badly before.” You know, he’s right on both counts.
5: Number of speed cameras some local legislators want to add in Philadelphia.
$8 million: Amount partners in an upcoming Center City nightclub have dumped into the project. It’s called Midnight & the Wicked. And, naturally, there’s lots of velvet involved.
Reader Mail
Sometimes, the things you think will generate controversy don’t while more innocuous items do. On Monday, I told you about a novel anti-Valentine’s Day promotion. The long and short: an animal shelter names a feral cat after your ex-boyfriend and then neuters him. I thought it was hilarious. But others, who emailed me and commented on social media, not so much. One guy had this to say: “lol misandry is sooo funny.” Another gent: “Ah yes, let us turn benevolent population management into a sadistic act.” Chill, boys!
Where Are You Eating this Weekend?
I don’t know about you, but I’ll be trying my darnedest to get to one of Philly’s 50 Best Restaurants:
That’s the cover of our brand new February issue. And I have to say, it’s one of our best 50 Best lists in a long time. You can read the whole list here. But do get yourself a print copy as well. The thing is gorgeous.
And from the Make-It-Stop Sports Desk …
Due to those ol’ Circumstances Beyond Our Control, there was no Philly Today yesterday, so we’re appending yesterday’s sports news to today’s. It was back-to-back road games for the Sixers on Monday night as they visited the Trail Blazers. Joel Embiid was still out with his knee problems, and Tyrese was out with his bad ankle. Starting five: Nic Batum, Tobias Harris, Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul Reed and Pat Beverley. But the Trail Blazers have been terrible this year, so … didn’t matter. We were down 58-55 at the half.
And Portland came out hot after the break, going up 80-63 halfway through the third quarter on a 14-0 run. Great, great. Jerami Grant — remember him? — led all scorers at that point with 23. Even the Sixers’ official Twitter feed was getting snide:
And last night, against the Warriors? Well, Tyrese was still out, and so were Marcus Morris and Batum, but Joel was in as a starter, along with Beverley, Tobias, Oubre and Danuel House. They had a 12-0 run to lead at the first quarter’s close, 28-23. But Joel vanished into the locker room early in the second quarter and was wearing ice on his knee when he reappeared. He came back into the game, though, and the Sixers led through most of the rest of the half, until Golden State tied it with two minutes left, then went ahead on foul shots. We were down 52-50 at the half. Would Joel return or not?
He did return, for better or worse; a 17-4 Warriors run in the third quarter put them in the lead, 69-57, as Stephen Curry found his footing and was up to 25 points. Things were getting out of hand. Joel sat near the close of the third with four fouls and the team down 80-66. A Korkmaz three cut it to nine … did we still have a chance?
Tobias made it a three-point game four minutes into the fourth, and Embiid checked back in at 7:45. Eh, it got seriously ugly after that.
Joel Embiid went to the locker room after getting tied up with Jonathan Kuminga pic.twitter.com/bkOREMkd7F
Give Furkan his due; he had 16 points in the 119-107 loss — our fourth in a row. Please, come home soon, guys.
In other news, Ben Simmons was baaaaack for Monday night’s Nets game against the Jazz. He played 18 minutes and had 10 points and 11 assists in his team’s 147-114 win. Welcome back, Ben! Life’s so much more fun when we have you to kick around.
The Flyers also played last night. What happens to Carter Hart from here on in? Time will tell.
Any College Hoops News?
Marquette came to town last night to play Villanova. In their meeting two weeks ago, the Golden Eagles bested the Wildcats, 87-74. This time around, the ’Cats hung tough, were down 39-31 at the half, and actually outscored sixth-ranked Marquette in the second half but had another tough loss, 85-80, in their oh-so-tough season. Tonight’s schedule sees La Salle at Rhode Island and George Mason at St. Joe’s, both beginning at 7 p.m.
All Philly Today sports coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.
Tributes are continuing to pour in for Broadway legend Chita Rivera, known for bringing to life some of theater’s most classic roles like Anita in “West Side Story” and Velma Kelly in “Chicago.” Rivera died Tuesday at age 91. CBS News’ Vlad Duthiers reflects on her decades-long career.
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MOBILE, ALA. — Because the Philadelphia Eagles are projected to have 8 picks in this year’s draft, including two second-round picks and four fifth-round picks, this year’s Senior Bowl is of particular interest. Let’s get to the notes.
• Usually there are around two to four guys who participate at the Senior Bowl who get picked in the first round. This year there should be at least a half dozen, and probably more. On Tuesday, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network released his first top-50 prospect list of draft season. 14 of those guys are competing here in Mobile.
Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
Laiatu Latu, ED, UCLA
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
Jackson Powers-Johnson, iOL, Oregon
Zach Frazier, iOL, West Virginia
Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
Chris Braswell, ED, Alabama
Payton Wilson, LB, North Carolina State
Marshawn Kneeland, ED, Western Michigan
Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky
I was surprised that BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia didn’t make Jeremiah’s top 50, but he’s here, too.
• My focus today was on the offensive tackles. I think it’s a near lock that the Eagles will take an offensive tackle early this year, and very possibly in the first round. Why?
Lane Johnson turns 34 in May, he has had injuries, and while he was still an elite player in 2023 there was some decline, in my opinion. To be clear, by “decline,” I should note that I have thought of Johnson as a top 20 type of player, league-wide, over the last half decade. He was still an All-Pro this season, and deservedly so, but I did not think he was a top 20 type of player.
The Eagles, as you should all be well aware by now, like to have succession plans in place along the offensive line early, and in some cases, extra early.
This draft is loaded with offensive tackle talent. You can conceivably get an OT at or near pick 22 that normally wouldn’t still be available, or perhaps in the second round when they might not otherwise fall that far. In other words, there should value at that position relative to draft position.
Suamataia’s measurements came in a little disappointing. BYU listed him at 6’6, 325. He’s actually 6’4 3/8 with 34″ arms. Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton, conversely, measured in at 6’7, 328, while Houston’s Patrick Paul, another guy who some consider a top 50 prospect, is 6’7 with 36″ arms.
Suamataia got work both at LT and RT, which is tough to do. He was up and down, and faced the best edge rushers here. Here he is against UCLA’s Laiatu Latu:
And here he is against Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland in 11-on-11’s.
(We’ll have more on Kneeland momentarily.)
Suamataia otherwise locked down the other edge defenders, but I came away a little disappointed with his first day.
The offensive tackles who did not disappoint were Guyton and Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga. Here’s Latu vs. Fuaga:
Latu had 23.5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles the last two seasons at UCLA, and he is thought of as a very technically sound rusher, and Fuaga just dumped him.
Guyton competed hard, and played well:
.@OU_Football OT Tyler Guyton was one of the big winners today imo. Two reps where he was visibly pumped to compete (and win). His technique isn’t perfect (hand placement needs work), but he is so naturally explosive and strong pic.twitter.com/0xUJ6Mbv0p
That second rep was against Alabama star edge rusher Chris Braswell.
• The corners should also be of interest to the Eagles. The top rated corner in Mobile is Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell, who finished second in the nation both in 2022 and 2023 with 19 pass breakups each season. Mitchell didn’t get to play against top-tier talent at Toledo, so he has something to prove here, and on Day 1 he got his hands on a lot of passes and looked like the best corner here.
Great rep by #Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell vs. speedy Jacob Cowing.
Love his patience/balance to transition with the WR and stay in his hip pocket all the way through the finish. pic.twitter.com/oJYbjPFYuZ
• I also tried to pay attention to the linebackers. When I published a list of 15 defensive players I’d be watching at the Senior Bowl, a bunch of people asked why NC State’s Payton Wilson wasn’t on it. (Seriously… there were tweets, DMs, and even an email.)
He’s a good player who racked up 138 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 3 INTs, and 6 pass breakups in 2023. There’s a lot to like. However, he has a serious injury history. He has torn his right ACL twice, he dislocated both shoulders in the same game in 2021 (necessitating surgery), and he’ll be 24 by the time he’s drafted.
He’s older than every player the Eagles drafted last year, except Sydney Brown, who is older by a month. He’s two years older than Kelee Ringo and Moro Ojomo.
So he’ll be a polarizing prospect. He had a good day, as he was in on a number of tackles for loss.
The linebacker who impressed me was Nathaniel Watson of Mississippi State. He had a big final season, with 137 tackles, 10 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. He showed off good speed running sideline-to-sideline. Howie Roseman mentioned during his end of season press conference that the Eagles were looking for a WILL LB who could run and hit, and that they found that in Zach Cunningham. Watson can run and hit.
I’ll also note here that James Williams, who was a big, enforcer-style safety for Miami, is playing linebacker here. He measured in here at 6’4, 230.
• The Eagles need a slot receiver, and there are a lot of them here, in different flavors. There are three that I really like:
Malachi Corley, Western Michigan: Run after catch beast.
Ladd McConkey, Georgia: Ankle breaker.
Roman Wilson: Speed.
Nobody could cover McConkey on Tuesday.
There were a few other slot receivers who did some nice things, but I’ll get to them in another notes post soon.
• I noted that we would come back to Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland, who made Jeremiah’s top 50 list. He is explosive:
Kneeland’s production isn’t super impressive (12.5 career sacks), but he has decent enough size (6’3, 268) and obvious athletic traits. I’m curious to see how he tests at the Combine. Maxx Crosby was a traits-based prospect from a smaller school who has become an elite pro.
• At running back, a guy who escaped my radar this season who had a good day was USC’s Marshawn Lloyd. He had a nice day catching the football and running inside the tackles:
I also liked what I saw from Kentucky’s Ray Davis as a receiver. He made a really nice play on a back shoulder throw. Davis is a power runner, but he can also stay on the field on obvious passing downs because he’s a competent receiver.
• We’ll have more notes on Thursday morning, and maybe a list of players on Friday who stood out who we didn’t already profile this season in our prospects series.
MIDDLETOWN TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) — An investigation is underway in Middletown Township, Bucks County after a man was found dead inside a home on Tuesday night.
Officers found the victim in his 60s dead in an upstairs bathroom on the 100 block of Upper Orchard Drive.
Police initially responded to reports of a decapitated body around 7 p.m., but authorities have not confirmed the manner of death.
According to Middletown Township Police Chief Joe Bartorilla, the victim’s son fled in his father’s vehicle. He was taken into custody hours later, about 100 miles away from the crime scene.
Middletown Township police found a man dead inside an upstairs bathroom of a home on the 100 block of Upper Orchard Drive.
Bartorilla said the son lived inside the home on Upper Orchard Drive and is being considered a person of interest in the case.
“We were pretty confident that the person of interest is the person we were looking for, ” he added.
Police confirm officers are looking into a disturbing social media video that may be connected to this investigation.
The father and son have not been identified.
A motive for the killing is still under investigation.
BALTIMORE — The Angelos family has agreed to sell the Baltimore Orioles to a pair of billionaires, according to WJZ’s media partner The Baltimore Banner.
The sale agreement was initially reported by John Ourand from Puck News. He reported that the Orioles will be bought for $1.725 billion by billionaires David Rubenstein and Mike Arougheti.
Reports of an agreement to sell the @Orioles franchise to billionaires David Rubenstein & Mike Arougheti for $1.725 billion has some fans celebrating outside of Camden Yards @wjzpic.twitter.com/wyP7Qbha3z
Baltimore Banner sports reporter Andy Kostka said on X, the social media site formally known as Twitter, that the group of billionaires included “Maryland leaders, philanthropists and sports legends.”
It even includes the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which broadcasts games of both the Orioles and Washington Nationals, according to the Baltimore Banner.
David Rubenstein is set to become the control of the Orioles after he agreed to a deal to buy a stake of the Orioles, a source close to the matter confirms to the Baltimore Banner.
The ownership group includes Mike Arougheti, Maryland leaders, philanthropists and sports legends
Ripken, who retired from baseball in 2001 following a 20-year career, is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was a 19-time MLB All-star, two-time MVP, two-time Gold Glove winner and helped the Orioles to the 1983 World Series championship.
He owns Major League Baseball’s record for consecutive games played with 2,632.
Ripken grew up in Harford County and was drafted by the Orioles in 1978. He made his Orioles debut in 1981.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott expressed excitement over the deal announcement.
I’m excited that David Rubenstein has decided to invest in his hometown!
Having the Ironman Cal Ripken as a part of the ownership group is simply the Old Bay on the Crabs.
I am extremely thankful to the Angelos family for all they have done & will continue to do for Baltimore. https://t.co/FoTttN9GTH
In December, Bloomberg News reported that Rubenstein was among those interested in purchasing the Orioles from the Angelos family.
Rubenstein, 74, was born in Baltimore, and he has a net worth of $4.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Peter Angelos, 94, is the Orioles’ majority owner. His son, John Angelos, is running the day-to-day operations.
In December, a new long-term lease agreement was approved that would keep the Orioles at Camden Yards.
The Orioles are coming off a 101-win season, their best since 1980. They also made it to the playoffs, along with winning the American League East for the first time since 2014.
The team has a lot of young talent to showcase, led by Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday and Grayson Rodriguez.
Orioles fans have suggested that the new owners get to know the team’s supporters.
“The new owners, they need to get to know the fanbase a little bit,” Baltimore resident Austin Caufield said. “Come down to Pickles on opening day, see what it’s like.”
Caufield said he hopes the deal means that the Orioles won’t be going anywhere.
“What I’d like to say to the players is that we love you,” Baltimore resident Larry Wiczulis said. “We hope we can keep you as long as we possibly can, and I think with the new ownership and more money, more financial wherewithal, that we’ll be able to keep the players, keep the court here to build a dynasty here, and have multiple world championships in Baltimore.”
The Baltimore Banner reports that the timeline for the deal is still unknown and would need the approval of MLB owners who are expected to convene in Orlando next week.
Just over six years since leaving VetMedux to start Instinct Science, founder and CEO Dr. Caleb Frankel is acquiring his old employer in a move to merge two companies that have wide-reaching presences in the veterinary industry.
