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Remember the SS United States? Here's where it is now

Okaloosa County is awaiting final approval from the Army Corps of Engineers to sink the ship.

Culture

When one <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ship sails" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/08/27/cruise-norwegian-new-terminal-port-opens" data-vars-content-id="12124b52-8a32-4672-9ae6-e8ffea4a61a1" data-vars-headline="Remember the SS United States? Here&#x27;s where it is now" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/08/27/cruise-norwegian-new-terminal-port-opens" target="_self">ship sails</a>, another docks.Why it matters: Ever wonder what happened to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="SS United States" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2024/08/16/ss-united-states-philly-sale" data-vars-content-id="12124b52-8a32-4672-9ae6-e8ffea4a61a1" data-vars-headline="Remember the SS United States? Here&#x27;s where it is now" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2024/08/16/ss-united-states-philly-sale" target="_self">SS United States</a> after it <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="left Philly last year" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/02/19/ss-united-states-departs-philadelphia" data-vars-content-id="12124b52-8a32-4672-9ae6-e8ffea4a61a1" data-vars-headline="Remember the SS United States? Here&#x27;s where it is now" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/02/19/ss-united-states-departs-philadelphia" target="_self">left Philly last year</a>? Yep, us too.

Philly's new cruise port is ready for prime time

Travel

Philadelphia now has its very own cruise terminal.Why it matters: It brings a big new industry to Philly, primed to draw thousands of tourists, create jobs and generate an estimated <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$300 million in statewide economic output" data-vars-click-url="https://www.philaport.com/the-port-of-philadelphia-welcomes-norwegian-cruise-line-with-inaugural-call-of-norwegian-jewel/" data-vars-content-id="b43059bc-6462-4269-a091-93aa0e48c6a6" data-vars-headline="Philly&#x27;s new cruise port is ready for prime time" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.philaport.com/the-port-of-philadelphia-welcomes-norwegian-cruise-line-with-inaugural-call-of-norwegian-jewel/" target="_blank">$300 million in statewide economic output</a> annually.

She lost $1 million gambling. More Pennsylvania women are seeking help

Experts fear online gambling could be the country's next great addiction epidemic.

Health

Carla Brandoff has spent much of her career making deals. At the height of her gambling addiction, she was especially good at making them with herself.<ul><li>She could explain away almost every warning sign on the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Gamblers Anonymous checklist" data-vars-click-url="https://gamblersanonymous.org/20-questions/" data-vars-content-id="e4f012ec-a3b4-4103-8b65-038a21446f14" data-vars-headline="She lost $1 million gambling. More Pennsylvania women are seeking help" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://gamblersanonymous.org/20-questions/" target="_blank">Gamblers Anonymous checklist</a> — until she reached question No. 13.</li></ul>&quot;Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?&quot;Why it matters: As online gambling has exploded in popularity, some experts fear the U.S. is flirting with another addiction epidemic rivaling those fueled by tobacco and opioids.

Uncertainty swirls around Philly's special-admission school process

It's making an already stressful process even worse.

Education

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Philadelphia district" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/08/18/teacher-resignations-retirements-attrition-on-the-rise" data-vars-content-id="e8203e52-ca63-4a0b-a188-f2afc569fe65" data-vars-headline="Uncertainty swirls around Philly&#x27;s special-admission school process" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/08/18/teacher-resignations-retirements-attrition-on-the-rise" target="_self">Philadelphia district</a> students enter the school year with confusion over applying to the city&#x27;s top-tier special-admission schools.Why it matters: The uncertainty around the application process to the city&#x27;s roughly <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="three dozen selective magnet schools" data-vars-click-url="https://www.philasd.org/studentplacement/school-selection/#schools" data-vars-content-id="e8203e52-ca63-4a0b-a188-f2afc569fe65" data-vars-headline="Uncertainty swirls around Philly&#x27;s special-admission school process" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.philasd.org/studentplacement/school-selection/#schools" target="_blank">three dozen selective magnet schools</a> is making an already stressful process even worse.

500+ teachers left Philly district schools last year

Teacher turnover has a ripple effect, negatively affecting school climate, teacher quality and student outcomes.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Teacher turnover" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/09/11/public-schools-teacher-resignations-retirements-data" data-vars-content-id="aef3c9c4-bdef-41c6-8bda-497f4872b2dd" data-vars-headline="500+ teachers left Philly district schools last year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2023/09/11/public-schools-teacher-resignations-retirements-data" target="_self">Teacher turnover</a> in Philadelphia district schools rose last year for the first time since 2022.Why it matters: Losing teachers can hurt <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="school climate" data-vars-click-url="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1213629.pdf" data-vars-content-id="aef3c9c4-bdef-41c6-8bda-497f4872b2dd" data-vars-headline="500+ teachers left Philly district schools last year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1213629.pdf" target="_blank">school climate</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="teacher quality" data-vars-click-url="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2332858420905812" data-vars-content-id="aef3c9c4-bdef-41c6-8bda-497f4872b2dd" data-vars-headline="500+ teachers left Philly district schools last year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2332858420905812" target="_blank">teacher quality</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="student outcomes" data-vars-click-url="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0002831212463813" data-vars-content-id="aef3c9c4-bdef-41c6-8bda-497f4872b2dd" data-vars-headline="500+ teachers left Philly district schools last year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0002831212463813" target="_blank">student outcomes</a> while driving up <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="staffing costs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40704404" data-vars-content-id="aef3c9c4-bdef-41c6-8bda-497f4872b2dd" data-vars-headline="500+ teachers left Philly district schools last year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40704404" target="_blank">staffing costs</a> for districts.

Philly kids have plenty of sway over back-to-school spending

A new Deloitte survey finds Philly parents say they are heavily influenced by their kids' wish lists.

News

Philly parents are back-to-school bargain hunters, but their kids often persuade them to splurge on those must-have new kicks or fun tech toys, per a new Deloitte survey.Why it matters: Philly parents consistently spend much more on back-to-school shopping than the national average, the consulting firm found — driven partly by unplanned purchases they&#x27;ll make while hunting for deals.

Philadelphia's adult literacy crisis is leaving workers behind

Thousands of adults are struggling with tasks as simple as reading a job posting.

Dorrie Miller-Abdul-Rahim stared blankly at her ancestry results, not understanding what &quot;maternal&quot; and &quot;paternal&quot; meant. After improving her reading skills, the 57-year-old finally learned who her father was.<ul><li>&quot;My mom kept telling me and my brother the same thing: &#x27;He died overseas. He died overseas. He died overseas,&#x27;&quot; she tells Axios.</li></ul>Why it matters: Adult illiteracy is one of Philly&#x27;s hidden crises, quietly shaping everything from residents&#x27; career prospects to their most meaningful moments.

Philly settles magnet school admissions suit, but legal questions remain

The agreement lays out no changes to the policy, raising questions about whether it will lead to further lawsuits against the district.

A closely watched legal challenge to the Philly school district&#x27;s high school admissions policy ended this week in a $650,000 settlement.Why it matters: The agreement leaves the district&#x27;s policy intact, meaning the constitutional questions at the center of the case could resurface in future lawsuits.

How a Philly student became an MLB All-Star correspondent

Isabella Gonzalez is one of several Philly-area students taking part in the All-Star Game festivities.

Sports

Before every school concert, Isabella Gonzalez worried she&#x27;d freeze in front of the crowd. Now, she quiets her nerves the same way a veteran hitter settles into the batter&#x27;s box: trusting her preparation.Why it matters: The 12-year-old Philadelphia elementary school student will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with veteran sports reporters and interview some of baseball&#x27;s biggest stars during Monday&#x27;s MLB All-Star Media Day.

Philly students use World Cup to work toward summer learning goals

Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia's summer program has used the tournament to teach middle-schoolers about the world.

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="World Cup is over" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/07/08/world-cup-food-banks-donations-philly" data-vars-content-id="fa07ac03-40b2-4049-ac39-9cdd7e51ca5c" data-vars-headline="Philly students use World Cup to work toward summer learning goals" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/07/08/world-cup-food-banks-donations-philly" target="_self">World Cup is over</a> in Philadelphia, but it&#x27;s still alive in city classrooms.Why it matters: School may be out for the summer, but one local enrichment program is using soccer to introduce students to the cultures, cuisines, fashions and traditions of countries still competing for the World Cup.

Where America's builders are built

William & Mary helped shape America's past — and continues preparing its future leaders.  Find out more →

Partners

As America reflects on its 250th anniversary, the milestone has special resonance in Philadelphia, a city where the nation&#x27;s founding story is part of the streetscape.<ul><li>But the moment is more than a commemoration of the past. It&#x27;s a chance to ask what kind of nation we hope to become — and who will help build it.</li></ul>The story: Before some of the nation&#x27;s early leaders gathered in Philadelphia to shape a republic, William &amp; Mary, the Alma Mater of the Nation, was helping prepare the builders who would carry those ideas forward.<ul><li>That gives the university a singular place in America&#x27;s founding story. Its history provides credibility, but its mission remains focused on tomorrow.</li></ul>

Limit student screen time in Philly schools, readers say

Student screen time and the content they're accessing during school hours has become a growing issue — but not in Philly yet.

It&#x27;s time to address student screen time in Philly schools, dozens of Axios Philadelphia readers say.By the numbers: 90% of the 30 people who responded to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="our unofficial poll" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/06/29/schools-screen-time-chromebooks-philly-schools" data-vars-content-id="f49d8013-1bc6-418b-8bff-39030627d53a" data-vars-headline="Limit student screen time in Philly schools, readers say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/06/29/schools-screen-time-chromebooks-philly-schools" target="_self">our unofficial poll</a> say Philly educators should reduce student screen time in the classroom.

Parents can't access Philly students' Chromebook browsing history

As schools increasingly rely on devices, more parents want visibility into how they're used — and who has access to that data.

Philly school parents can&#x27;t see their child&#x27;s browsing history on district-issued Chromebooks, even though the district can access it in certain situations.Why it matters: As schools increasingly rely on devices, more parents want visibility into how they&#x27;re used — and who has access to that data.

Stacked column chart showing retirements and resignations of teachers in the Philadelphia School District. Retirements and resignations hit a high during the 2021/22 school year. 

Philadelphia School District full-time teacher retirements and resignations

Education 📚

Uncertainty swirls around Philly's special-admission school process

500+ teachers left Philly district schools last year

Philly kids have plenty of sway over back-to-school spending

Philadelphia's adult literacy crisis is leaving workers behind

Philly settles magnet school admissions suit, but legal questions remain