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No Kings protests planned throughout Philly region this weekend

The protests are expected to bring road closures and traffic delays.

Politics

The third round of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="No Kings" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/10/16/no-kings-protest-philly-pennsylvania-trump-october" data-vars-content-id="8e8de9e0-267f-4b6b-8f7a-f91f73a8ff73" data-vars-headline="No Kings protests planned throughout Philly region this weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/10/16/no-kings-protest-philly-pennsylvania-trump-october" target="_self">No Kings</a> rallies is set for Philadelphia&#x27;s Center City and other spots across the region this weekend. Why it matters: The potentially large-scale protests will prompt daylong road closures and traffic delays on Saturday.

Uber escalates fight over Philadelphia's proposed rideshare tax

The fight is shaping up as Soda Tax 2.0, echoing the battle the beverage industry waged against former Mayor Kenney.

News

Uber is launching an aggressive campaign to defeat Mayor Cherelle Parker&#x27;s proposed rideshare tax — tapping a high-powered Philadelphia lobbying firm and warning riders how the fee will hit their wallets.Why it matters: The fight is shaping up as Soda Tax 2.0, reminiscent of the bruising battle the beverage industry waged against former Mayor Jim Kenney&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="signature initiative" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/01/12/philadelphia-mayor-jim-kenney-legacy-moments" data-vars-content-id="f0ab01d1-070f-442f-a838-54463132480c" data-vars-headline="Uber escalates fight over Philadelphia&#x27;s proposed rideshare tax" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/01/12/philadelphia-mayor-jim-kenney-legacy-moments" target="_self">signature initiative</a> to fund universal pre-kindergarten, plus renovations to parks and recreation centers.

Phillies trade Harry Kalas' name for energy drink sponsor — fans cry foul

The move landed like a 103-mph fastball to the ribs.

Sports

The Phillies have found themselves in a pickle before the season starts over their decision to remove legendary broadcaster Harry Kalas&#x27; name from an upper-deck concessions bar as part of a naming rights deal with Ghost Energy.Why it matters: To fans, the move landed like a 103-mph fastball to the ribs — and it&#x27;s coming from their own team.

Philly weekender: Cherry blossoms and Oddities Expo

Fill out your social calendar with these can't-miss events in the Philadelphia region.

Things to Do

🎉 Celebrate <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Philly Flag Day" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWVGOElDIOA/" data-vars-content-id="9746e2f2-2588-467d-b1bf-b7f68a022678" data-vars-headline="Philly weekender: Cherry blossoms and Oddities Expo" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWVGOElDIOA/" target="_blank">Philly Flag Day</a> today from noon-1pm. The annual event, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="marking what&#x27;s likely the first official city flag in the U.S." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/01/20/city-flag-redesign" data-vars-content-id="9746e2f2-2588-467d-b1bf-b7f68a022678" data-vars-headline="Philly weekender: Cherry blossoms and Oddities Expo" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/01/20/city-flag-redesign" target="_self">marking what&#x27;s likely the first official city flag in the U.S.</a>, is set for the north apron of City Hall, where you&#x27;ll find music, giveaways and award ceremony. 🌸 It&#x27;s cherry blossom time! Philly&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Cherry Blossom Festival" data-vars-click-url="https://japanphilly.org/programs/festivals/cbf-2026/" data-vars-content-id="9746e2f2-2588-467d-b1bf-b7f68a022678" data-vars-headline="Philly weekender: Cherry blossoms and Oddities Expo" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://japanphilly.org/programs/festivals/cbf-2026/" target="_blank">Cherry Blossom Festival</a> is Saturday and Sunday at the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Fairmount Park Horticulture Center" data-vars-click-url="https://myphillypark.org/explore/parks/fairmount-park-horticulture-center/" data-vars-content-id="9746e2f2-2588-467d-b1bf-b7f68a022678" data-vars-headline="Philly weekender: Cherry blossoms and Oddities Expo" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://myphillypark.org/explore/parks/fairmount-park-horticulture-center/" target="_blank">Fairmount Park Horticulture Center</a>. <ul><li>Count on vendor fair, food court, tea ceremony, face painting, calligraphy station, a scavenger hunt and other activities. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tickets" data-vars-click-url="https://japanphilly.org/programs/festivals/cbf-2026/" data-vars-content-id="9746e2f2-2588-467d-b1bf-b7f68a022678" data-vars-headline="Philly weekender: Cherry blossoms and Oddities Expo" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://japanphilly.org/programs/festivals/cbf-2026/" target="_blank">Tickets</a>: $5-$20; kids under 12 are free. </li></ul>

Final round of Philly World Cup tickets drops today

Last-minute tickets go on sale at 11am, part of FIFA's fourth and final phased tranche of sales.

Calling all soccer fan holdouts: This is your last chance to score tickets to this year&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="World Cup games" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/08/fifa-world-cup-philadelphia-schedule-lincoln-financial-field" data-vars-content-id="03bd5520-8650-4435-9ad5-64e95ba405da" data-vars-headline="Final round of Philly World Cup tickets drops today" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/08/fifa-world-cup-philadelphia-schedule-lincoln-financial-field" target="_self">World Cup games</a> in Philly.Why it matters: FIFA expects attendance at this year&#x27;s tourney to eclipse its all-time record of 3.4 million, which was set in 1994.

Pennsylvania lags on forfeiture reforms as Philadelphia improves

People struggle to navigate a Byzantine legal system — often without a lawyer, though Philly has taken steps to improve its system.

Pennsylvania remains among dozens of states with weak <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="civil forfeiture" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2021/10/21/philadelphia-civil-forfeiture-program-survey" data-vars-content-id="df7c95b8-b293-4037-8241-750882378946" data-vars-headline="Pennsylvania lags on forfeiture reforms as Philadelphia improves" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2021/10/21/philadelphia-civil-forfeiture-program-survey" target="_self">civil forfeiture</a> protections, although Philadelphia has made some reforms to curtail widespread abuses, per the Institute for Justice.Why it matters: Civil forfeiture — a process that allows law enforcement to seize homes, cars and, most often, cash suspected of being tied to criminal activity — remains big business nationwide, accounting for more than $82 billion in property seized since 2000, per IJ&#x27;s latest <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Policing for Profit report." data-vars-click-url="https://ij.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/PfP4-WEB.pdf" data-vars-content-id="df7c95b8-b293-4037-8241-750882378946" data-vars-headline="Pennsylvania lags on forfeiture reforms as Philadelphia improves" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ij.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/PfP4-WEB.pdf" target="_blank">Policing for Profit report.</a><ul><li>Five states — including neighboring New Jersey — accounted for nearly half of the roughly $300 million combined worth that was seized by states in 2023.</li></ul>

Philly racks up 7 James Beard finalist nods

This is Jesse Ito's sixth time as a finalist.

Philly&#x27;s James Beard story features a familiar face: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Royal Sushi &amp; Izakaya" data-vars-click-url="http://royalsushiandizakaya.com/" data-vars-content-id="9d60c677-66fa-4826-bb3b-9d35b7e5ee99" data-vars-headline="Philly racks up 7 James Beard finalist nods" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://royalsushiandizakaya.com/" target="_blank">Royal Sushi &amp; Izakaya</a>&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jesse Ito" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/04/02/james-beard-award-finalists-2025-philly" data-vars-content-id="9d60c677-66fa-4826-bb3b-9d35b7e5ee99" data-vars-headline="Philly racks up 7 James Beard finalist nods" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/04/02/james-beard-award-finalists-2025-philly" target="_self">Jesse Ito</a> is once again a finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, joining a strong group of regional nominees.Why it matters: The Beards are the restaurant industry&#x27;s Oscars, and Ito&#x27;s repeat recognition underscores his staying power and Philly&#x27;s status as a top food city.

Don't rule out Pennsylvania for Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce's wedding spot

Swift and Kelce have been tight-lipped about wedding plans.

Could one of the biggest pop culture events of 2026 take place in Pennsylvania? Don&#x27;t count it out.The intrigue: You can pretty much bet on anything these days, including where Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will get married.<ul><li>Popular prediction market <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Kalshi" data-vars-click-url="https://kalshi.com/markets/kxswiftkelceweddinglocation/where-will-taylor-swift-get-married/kxswiftkelceweddinglocation-30" data-vars-content-id="04954efa-d0fc-4112-8980-a8c883101e0c" data-vars-headline="Don&#x27;t rule out Pennsylvania for Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce&#x27;s wedding spot" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://kalshi.com/markets/kxswiftkelceweddinglocation/where-will-taylor-swift-get-married/kxswiftkelceweddinglocation-30" target="_blank">Kalshi</a> has it as a close race between New York and Rhode Island. </li></ul>

New property tax assessments are coming in Philadelphia

Bigger bills are on the way for many property owners despite Mayor Cherelle Parker not proposing a citywide tax hike.

Real Estate

Philadelphia is resuming property assessments after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="taking a year off" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/03/31/property-taxes-assessments-2025-skipped-parker" data-vars-content-id="d7c149bf-5dff-456e-9bc3-76f15742f4c5" data-vars-headline="New property tax assessments are coming in Philadelphia" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/03/31/property-taxes-assessments-2025-skipped-parker" target="_self">taking a year off</a>.Why it matters: Bigger bills are on the way for many property owners despite Mayor <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Cherelle Parker" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/03/12/city-budget-cherelle-parker-business-taxes-ride-shares" data-vars-content-id="d7c149bf-5dff-456e-9bc3-76f15742f4c5" data-vars-headline="New property tax assessments are coming in Philadelphia" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/03/12/city-budget-cherelle-parker-business-taxes-ride-shares" target="_self">Cherelle Parker</a> not proposing a citywide tax hike.

This Philly filmmaker is cutting cheesesteak history into bites

Colin Comstock promies compelling, highly researched content on his platforms, not just another slab of repackaged ribeye.

Colin Comstock was in a sauna, sweating out those extra calories, when it hit him: Why cram Philly&#x27;s cheesesteak history into one big documentary when he could serve it up in bite-sized pieces?Why it matters: The 45-year-old Temple alum and Philly filmmaker is launching his new content platform, Cheesesteak City, timed to National Cheesesteak Day on Tuesday.

Sorry, Baltimore, but Philly still rules the cheesesteak world

We're cooking up a record-setting 1,200-foot cheesesteak on National Cheesesteak Day to prove we're still No. 1.

Steak your claim: Philadelphia has the best cheesesteaks in the world, bar none.Why it matters: It&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="National Cheesesteak Day" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/03/24/samboner-show-podcast-philadelphia-cheesesteak" data-vars-content-id="351c75df-1cf4-46a2-b0ab-52df9e8cbc6e" data-vars-headline="Sorry, Baltimore, but Philly still rules the cheesesteak world" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/03/24/samboner-show-podcast-philadelphia-cheesesteak" target="_self">National Cheesesteak Day</a>, and we&#x27;re honoring our massive contribution to this country with another impressive attempted feat: setting a new world record for the longest cheesesteak ever created (more on that later).

Healing Verse turns grief into public art in Germantown

The 14 art installations are being unveiled across Germantown on April 11.

Darlene Wilson-Bennett&#x27;s life is like a &quot;book with many missing pages&quot; — torn out the day her son, Justin, was fatally shot in 2009.The big picture: She wrote those words in a poem, &quot;Mama Song,&quot; 16 years ago. Now, they&#x27;ll be part of a massive art installation in Germantown next month, memorializing lives lost to gun violence across Philadelphia.

Philly-area prison could reshape how America treats prisoners

The "Little Scandinavia" unit is being expanded to other Pennsylvania prisons.

Pennsylvania is emerging as a proving ground for preparing people in prison to rejoin society, per a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.brennancenter.org/media/15371/download/2026_01_prison_reform_final.pdf?inline=1" data-vars-content-id="b87041ca-9c79-4b8a-a95a-bb04f38655a5" data-vars-headline="Philly-area prison could reshape how America treats prisoners" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.brennancenter.org/media/15371/download/2026_01_prison_reform_final.pdf?inline=1" target="_blank">report</a> from the Brennan Center for Justice.Why it matters: Early results from a Philly-area pilot — the &quot;Little Scandinavia&quot; community-style living unit that launched in 2022 in Chester — show sharply lower instances of violence.<ul><li>The program paves the way for other states to adopt rehabilitation-focused models of incarceration.</li></ul>

Charted: 💪 More women are playing football

Charted: More women are playing football

A map showing the status of girls' high school flag football in the U.S. for 2026. It indicates that 17 states have sanctioned flag football as a varsity sport, while 22 states are currently running pilot seasons to evaluate full adoption.

News 🗞

Final round of Philly World Cup tickets drops today

Pennsylvania lags on forfeiture reforms as Philadelphia improves

Philly racks up 7 James Beard finalist nods

Charted: More women are playing football

Uber escalates fight over Philadelphia's proposed rideshare tax