ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Mark Appel knows people think he’s crazy. The right-handed pitcher was the first overall pick of a draft that produced Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Kris Bryant. That draft was nine years ago. Judge is a three-time All-Star. Belling…
Peco Energy says gas from its system didn’t cause deadly Pa. home explosion, as officials survey damage
PHILADELPHIA — Days after a massive explosion obliterated two homes in Pottstown, killing four children and an adult, a cause has not yet been released, but Peco Energy says it has found no evidence that natural gas from its system caused the fatal bla…
Sixers will select No. 23 in 2022 NBA draft after Nets defer option to take first-round pick
PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers will keep their first-round pick in this month’s NBA draft. The team originally sent the unprotected pick to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the blockbuster deal for James Harden before the February trade deadline. However, the Ne…
Ex-Merck CEO Ken Frazier and his coalition of business leaders plan to hire or promote 1M Black workers
It’s called the “bachelor barrier” — the undergraduate degree requirement that many African American and other people of color don’t meet, which keeps them from a promotion or a new job. Now, there’s a new initiative in town, dubbed OneTen, with a miss…
A Capitol rioter who was turned in by his ex after he called her a ‘moron’ has pleaded guilty
A Delaware County, Pennsylvania, man who was turned in by his ex-girlfriend after he called her a ‘moron’ for not believing the 2020 presidential election was stolen has become the latest Pennsylvanian to plead guilty to charges tied to the Capitol rio…
Phillies push back on criticism of organization’s hotel plan for minor leaguers
PHILADELPHIA — Phillies officials are pushing back on recent claims made by disgruntled minor leaguers and an advocacy group that the organization didn’t try as hard as it could to find non-hotel accommodations for players in their home cities this sea…
Joel Embiid has undergone thumb surgery and is expected to be ready for Sixers training camp
PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid underwent surgery Monday to repair the torn ligament in his right thumb, the 76ers said. The injury, which was officially listed as a thumb sprain, occurred during Game 3 of the Sixers’ first-round playoff series against the …
What we know and don’t know about the Pa. explosion that killed 4 children and 1 adult
A massive explosion obliterated a home in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, last week, killing five people — four children and an adult — and leaving the tight-knit community in shock. The explosion left a crater filled with gnarled metal and splintered lumber …
Gun sales and permits surged during the pandemic in Philly and Pennsylvania
In Uvalde, Texas, a gunman killed 19 children and two adults at an elementary school, after picking up two powerful, AR-15-style rifles ordered through an online seller shortly after his 18th birthday — something that would have also been perfectly leg…
5 people confirmed dead in Pa. house explosion; cause under investigation
The death toll from the massive explosion that obliterated a Pottstown, Pennsylvania, home has risen from four to five, with two people injured in the hospital. Pottstown Borough Manager Justin Keller confirmed the additional fatality at a Friday news …